Should I buy Hipgnosis stock or shares in Round Hill Music?

Hipgnosis Songs and Round Hill Music are two investment trusts offering me exposure to song royalties. I just have to decide which stock I want to buy.

| More on:

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in.

Read More

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice. Investments in a currency other than sterling are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in sterling terms. You could lose money in sterling even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

I have been looking for a dividend-paying stock to buy for my Stocks and Shares ISA portfolio. Hipgnosis Songs (LSE: SONG) and Round Hill Music (LSE: RHM) have both caught my eye. The pair are investment trusts that each own a portfolio of copyrights to songs and collect royalties for licensed use. The question is, which stock should I buy?

Going for a song

There are more comprehensive summaries of how music royalties work, but basically, copyright owners licence others to perform, stream, insert into video games and adverts and sell physical copies of their song in exchange for royalty payments. The holder of a portfolio of copyrights thus faces a couple of challenges. One is to get the songs played or performed. The second is to collect the royalties. Piracy is a risk to both companies. There is also the worry that music licensors get larger and use their power to reduce the payments made to copyright holders.

Round Hill, I think, has the edge here. Its team has run a song royalties business for a decade. However, Hipgnosis is no slouch, as its management team includes former music industry insiders.

Tracking performance

Round Hill is buying out the copyright catalogue of a private equity fund — owned and managed by the same parent company — that has reached the end of its life, in two tranches. The first tranche was completed in February 2021 at the cost of $282m. The second purchase is expected to finalise in June 2021 and would exhaust the funds raised so far.

Although private equity assets are independently valued, related-party transactions always make me uneasy. The fund has provided annual revenue numbers for the first tranche of investments from its private equity fund. But there are no operating numbers for the private fund or Round Hill, which has just started.

On the other hand, Hipgnosis has a couple of years of financial data and has built its portfolio from scratch. I will ignore the 800% revenue growth, as Hipgnosis is only a couple of years old and building its portfolio. What is impressive are the net income margins of 33% for 2019 and 39% for 2020. And Hipgnosis has already paid dividends and yields somewhere between 4.2% and 4.4%.

Hipgnosis stock is a buy for me

Almost half of Hipgnosis’s current portfolio is pop music, and the majority of songs were penned within the last 10 years, but there are many contemporary classics in there. According to my calculations, Round Hills portfolio is more focused on rock and country (60% combined) and mature. Although the portfolios are converging, Round Hill’s does tilt towards the timeless classics, with Hipgnosis offering a more contemporary feel.

Song popularity peaks and declines sharply in most cases, and so do the royalty flows. More of Round Hill’s portfolio is likely to be past the peak compared to Hipgnosis’s. However, Hipgnosis’s portfolio is getting less pop-centric and older, suggesting it is building a firmer revenue base.

I favour more financial clarity over less, which, together with the portfolio convergence, makes the Hipgnosis stock a buy for me. Of course, I have the option to take another look at the pair once Round Hill can provide some performance figures.

Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

James J. McCombie owns shares in Hipgnosis Songs Fund. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

More on Investing Articles

Person holding magnifying glass over important document, reading the small print
Investing Articles

2 top FTSE 250 investment trusts trading at attractive discounts!

This pair of discounted FTSE 250 trusts appear to be on sale right now. Here's why I'd scoop up their…

Read more »

Smiling young man sitting in cafe and checking messages, with his laptop in front of him.
Investing Articles

3 things that could push the Lloyds share price to 60p and beyond

The Lloyds share price has broken through 50p. Next step 60p? And then what? Here are some thoughts on what…

Read more »

Young female business analyst looking at a graph chart while working from home
Investing Articles

£1,000 in Rolls-Royce shares a year ago would be worth this much now

Rolls-Royce shares have posted one of the best stock market gains of the past 12 months. But what might the…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Are HSBC shares a FTSE bargain? Here’s what the charts say!

There are plenty of dirt-cheap FTSE 100 banking stocks for investors to choose from today. Our writer Royston Wild believes…

Read more »

Three signposts pointing in different directions, with 'Buy' 'Sell' and 'Hold' on
Investing Articles

Just released: Share Advisor’s latest ‘Hold’ recommendation [PREMIUM PICKS]

In our Share Advisor newsletter service, we provide buy, sell, and hold guidance for our universe of recommendations.

Read more »

Investing Articles

Investing £5 a day could help me build a second income of £329 a month!

This Fool explains how £5 a day, or one less takeaway coffee, could help her build a monthly second income…

Read more »

Smart young brown businesswoman working from home on a laptop
Investing Articles

2 FTSE income stocks investors should consider buying in April

Income stocks are a great way to build wealth. Our writer details two picks she believes investors should consider snapping…

Read more »

Investing Articles

What might the 5-year price chart tell us about BT shares?

Christopher Ruane considers what clues the long-term performance of BT shares might offer him about business performance and whether to…

Read more »