Overview
Syncona : SYNC (formerly Battle Against Cancer Investment Trust or BACIT – ticker BACT) aims to be a leading, self-managed, life science investment company. It has absorbed funds managed by Wellcome and Cancer Research UK and is transitioning its portfolio from that of a global fund of funds.
you can access the fund’s website here
Fundamentals
Price
Research History
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17 Oct 2023 14 min read
QuotedData’s Investment Companies Quarterly Review – Third Quarter 2023
Third quarter of 2023 Investment Companies | Quarterly roundup | October 2023 Kindly sponsored by abrdn ‘Uncomfortable’ Following a fast start to the first half of the year, globally equities took a breather in Q3, as markets assessed the implications of the worst bond sell-off in a generation. Yields on 10-year US treasuries and UK […]
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13 Oct 2023 10 min read
QuotedData’s Investment Companies Roundup – October 2023
October 2023 Monthly roundup | Investment companies Kindly sponsored by abrdn Winners and losers in September 2023 September was defined by the ongoing US bond selloff, with global markets trending down in sympathy. Investment trust returns were negative on average for the month, although several sectors still achieved positive returns. The Royalties sector was the […]
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14 Sep 2023 9 min read
QuotedData’s Investment Companies Roundup – September 2023
September 2023 Monthly roundup | Investment companies Kindly sponsored by abrdn Winners and losers in August 2023 Share price total returns for investment companies were generally poor over August, with the best performing sector, Debt – Structured Finance, returning just 2.1%, with only a few sectors managing to eke out a positive total return. Funds […]
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13 Oct 2022 14 min read
QuotedData’s Investment Companies Quarterly Review – Third Quarter 2022
Third quarter of 2022 Kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford and Aberdeen Standard Investments Piling on the misery In the face of rising inflation, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, central bankers have condemned for their relative inaction. However, in the third quarter of 2022, they stepped up a gear. Last month’s economic and political roundup […]
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14 Jul 2020 9 min read
QuotedData’s Investment Companies Quarterly Review – Second Quarter 2020
Investment Companies Quarterly Roundup Kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford and Aberdeen Standard Investments Table of contents In this issue Performance data Positive movers Negative movers Discounts and premiums Getting more expensive Getting cheaper Money in and out Money in Money out Major news stories Upcoming Events New research Guide The legal bit When the going gets […]
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07 Jul 2020 7 min read
QuotedData’s Investment Companies Roundup – July 2020
Investment Companies Roundup Kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford and Aberdeen Standard Investments Table of contents New research Performance data Discounts and premiums Money in and out Major news stories Income Events Guide Appendix – Performance by sector full list New research Here is a list of research we published over June: CQS New City High Yield – […]
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8 min read
QuotedData’s Economic Roundup – July 2020
Economic & Political Roundup Kindly sponsored by Allianz A collation of recent insights on markets and economies taken from the comments made by chairmen and investment managers of investment companies – have a read and make your own minds up. Please remember that nothing in this note is designed to encourage you to buy or sell […]
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10 Mar 2020 7 min read
QuotedData’s Investment Companies Roundup – March 2020
Investment Companies Roundup Kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford and Aberdeen Standard Investments Table of contents New research In this issue Performance data Discounts and premiums Money in and out Major news stories Income Events Guide New research Here is a list of research we published over February: An initiation note on Montanaro UK Smaller Companies Trust (MTU) […]
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24 Jan 2020 20 min read
QuotedData’s Investment Companies Annual Review – 2019
In this issue The sector at the end of 2019 Performance data Performance by sector and fund Money in and out of the sector Money in and out of existing funds Money coming into existing funds Money going out of existing funds Liquidations, de-listings and trading cancellations Significant rating changes Major news stories Outlook for […]
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06 Dec 2019 5 min read
QuotedData’s economic roundup – December 2019
Economic & Political Roundup Kindly sponsored by Polar Capital and Allianz A collation of recent insights on markets and economies taken from the comments made by chairmen and investment managers of investment companies – have a read and make your own minds up. Please remember that nothing in this note is designed to encourage you […]
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07 Aug 2019 3 min read
QuotedData’s investment companies roundup – August 2019
Investment Companies Roundup New research Over July, we published notes on CQS New City High Yield, BlackRock Throgmorton, Strategic Equity Capital, Seneca Global Income & Growth, CG Asset Management, Standard Life Investments Property Income and Aberdeen New Dawn. You can read all these notes by clicking on the links above or by visiting www.quoteddata.com. In this issue Performance data – appetite […]
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12 Jul 2019 6 min read
Quarterly investment companies roundup – Second quarter 2019
Quarterly investment companies roundup – Second quarter 2019 QuotedData news Global equities re-found momentum in June after a cautious April and May. How much longer this ten-year bull market can sustain itself continues to be the subject of much debate. The prospect of interest rate cuts in the US has re-invigorated sentiment for the time […]
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05 Jul 2019 6 min read
QuotedData’s economic roundup – July 2019
Economic & Political Roundup A collation of recent insights on markets and economies taken from the comments made by chairmen and investment managers of investment companies – have a read and make your own minds up. Please remember that nothing in this note is designed to encourage you to buy or sell any of the […]
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07 Jun 2019 3 min read
QuotedData’s investment companies roundup – June 2019
Investment Companies Roundup New research Over May, we published notes on Shires Income, Standard Life Private Equity and The North American Income Trust. You can read all these notes by clicking on the links above or by visiting www.quoteddata.com. In this issue Performance data – it was notable that risk appetite was down in May as renewed […]
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08 May 2019 3 min read
QuotedData’s investment companies roundup – May 2019
Investment Companies Roundup New research Over April, we published notes on Henderson Diversified Income, Ecofin Global Utilities and Infrastructure, Jupiter Emerging and Frontier Income, Seneca Global Income & Growth and Polar Capital Global Financials Trust. You can read all these notes by clicking on the links above or by visiting www.quoteddata.com. In this issue Performance data – it was […]
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15 Apr 2019 6 min read
Quarterly Investment Companies Roundup – First Quarter 2019
Quarterly Investment Companies Roundup – First Quarter 2019 QuotedData news Through the first quarter of 2019, global equities largely clawed back the losses suffered over the final weeks of 2018. How much longer this ten-year bull market can sustain itself is the subject of much debate. US interest rate rises have stalled, reflecting growing cautiousness. Elsewhere, […]
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04 Apr 2019 1 min read
QuotedData’s investment companies roundup – April 2019
QuotedData’s investment companies roundup – April 2019 is our latest roundup of news; price, NAV and discount movements; flows in and out of the sector and report on full year dividends announced over the month of March 2019. Kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford. JPMorgan Indian, India Capital Growth, Aberdeen New India and Ashoka India Equity Investment […]
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13 Nov 2018 1 min read
QuotedData’s investment companies roundup – November 2018
QuotedData’s investment companies roundup – November 2018 is our latest roundup of news; price, NAV and discount movements; flows in and out of the sector and report on full year dividends announced over the month of October 2018. Kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford. Winners and losers in October In what was generally a miserable month for equity markets, Brazil shone […]
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16 Oct 2018 2 min read
Quarterly Investment Companies Roundup – Third Quarter 2018
Quarterly Investment Companies Roundup – Third Quarter 2018 Global equities delivered positive returns over the third quarter of 2018. This was principally because of strength in the US market. Political uncertainty and concerns about global trade held back other regions. Generally, government bond yields rose over the quarter. The UK equity market fell as the Bank of […]
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12 Oct 2018 1 min read
QuotedData’s investment companies roundup – October 2018
QuotedData’s investment companies roundup – October 2018 is our latest roundup of news; price, NAV and discount movements; flows in and out of the sector and report on full year dividends announced over the month of August 2018. Kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford. Money raised and returned in September Trian Investors 1 is a new fund that will adopt […]
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14 Sep 2018 1 min read
QuotedData’s investment companies roundup – September 2018
QuotedData’s investment companies roundup – September 2018 is our latest roundup of news; price, NAV and discount movements; flows in and out of the sector and report on full year dividends announced over the month of August 2018. Kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford. Money raised and returned in August GRIT Real Estate Income floated on the UK Stock Exchange in […]
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13 Mar 2018 1 min read
QuotedData’s investment companies roundup – March 2018
QuotedData investment companies roundup – March 2018 – is our latest roundup of news; price, NAV and discount movements; flows in and out of the sector and report on full year dividends announced over the month of February 2018. Kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford. Equity markets continued to run up in early February, supported by strong corporate earnings […]
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18 Jan 2018 1 min read
QuotedData – 2017 review of the year
QuotedData – 2017 review of the year – Many commentators, including us, were wary going into 2017. In the event, economic growth and markets surprised on the upside: US markets hit new highs despite three interest rate rises. Perceived low/no growth areas such as Europe and Japan burst into life. Asia’s technology stocks surged. India’s […]
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19 Oct 2017 1 min read
Quarterly investment companies roundup – Third quarter 2017
Quarterly investment companies roundup – Third quarter 2017 – Markets moved up a little over the course of the three months ended 30 September 2017. Regionally, emerging markets did well. The pound strengthened a bit relative to the US dollar but was flat against the euro. The oil price rose by more than 20%. In […]
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07 Dec 2016 1 min read
QuotedData investment companies roundup – December 2016
Our latest roundup of news; price, NAV and discount movements; flows in and out of the sector and report on full year dividends announced over the month of November 2016. december-investment-companies-roundup
News
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21 Oct 2025 2 min read
Shareholders tell Syncona to return £250m but not wind down in quick fire sale
Life sciences fund Syncona (SYNC) has withdrawn plans for a managed wind-down and will instead focus on returning £250m of capital to shareholders. Following consultation with its biggest shareholders on its strategic options, Syncona Investment Management (SIML) will, however, continue to launch a new private fund for institutions once the board of the listed investment […]
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07 Aug 2025 4 min read
Morning briefing: RIT Capital Partners sees best private equity returns in four years; plus RIII, ENRG, GSF, SYNC, FSFL, CGEO, SRE, GPE, OSEC
Half-year results from RIT Capital Partners (RCP) and Rights and Issues (RIII) and updates from other investment companies including Gore Street Energy Storage, VH Global Energy Infrastructure, Foresight Solar and Syncona. Private equity props up RIT’s half year RIT Capital Partners (RCP) battled against the weak dollar to deliver a 3.4% investment return in the six […]
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18 Jul 2025 1 min read
Biotech Growth looks “susceptible” to merger approach after continuation vote shows dissent
Biotech Growth (BIOG) passed its five-yearly continuation vote yesterday with 76.7% of votes in favour, but with over 23% of votes cast against the resolution, the £198m company could be vulnerable to consolidation in the sector, broker Deutsche Numis believes. Shares in the global biotech fund have slumped around 40% since the last vote in […]
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19 Jun 2025 1 min read
Syncona wants to pursue a managed wind down
Syncona’s board is planning to offer shareholders a vote on a change of investment policy. The proposal is for an orderly realisation of its assets. The aim will be to return cash to shareholders in a timely manner while maximising value. A new capital allocation policy would allow the company to support existing portfolio companies […]
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13 Jun 2025 3 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 13 June 2025 – AGT, RMMC, PCGH, SYNC
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 13 June 2025, we have interim results from AVI Global and River UK Micro Cap, a new director for Polar Capital Global Healthcare and updated long-term data from Syncona’s Autolus Therapeutics. We also have: Stories you may have missed from yesterday:
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09 May 2025 3 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 9 May 2025 – SYNC, GOT, HGEN, AERI, RIII
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 9 May 2025: We also have: Stories you may have missed from yesterday:
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24 Apr 2025 1 min read
Syncona’s Mosaic Therapeutics secures clinical-stage assets from Astex Pharmaceuticals
Syncona Limited (SYNC) has announced that its portfolio company, Mosaic Therapeutics, has in-licensed two clinical-stage assets from Astex Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. The deal marks a significant step forward for Mosaic’s targeted oncology strategy and is expected to accelerate the company’s development timeline. The agreement grants Mosaic exclusive rights to develop […]
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21 Mar 2025 3 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 21 March 2025 – MGCI, BPCR, SYNC, VIP, LMP, SUPR
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 21 March 2025: M&G Credit Income (MGCI) has announced the results of its placing and WRAP retail offer, which have collectively raised gross proceeds of £6.3m. MGCI will issue a total of 6,647,969 new ordinary shares at a price of 95.13 pence per new ordinary share, representing a 1.0% premium to […]
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05 Feb 2025 2 min read
Syncona’s Spur announces positive data for Phase I/II in Gaucher disease
Syncona (SYNC) says that its portfolio company, Spur Therapeutics (Spur) has announced positive new data from its Phase I/II GALILEO-1 study of FLT201, its novel gene therapy candidate, in Gaucher disease at the 21st Annual WORLDSymposium in San Diego, CA, USA. The clinical trial In Spur’s trial, six patients have been treated in GALILEO-1 with […]
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1 min read
Syncona‘s Achilles announces solvent voluntary liquidation
Syncona (SYNC) says that its portfolio company, Achilles Therapeutics Plc, has announced that its board has recommended a members’ solvent voluntary liquidation and a return of capital to shareholders. SYNC’s announcement says that, based on the information currently available to Achilles and, assuming that Achillies’ shareholders approve the liquidation proposals and associated resolutions, it is […]
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27 Dec 2024 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 27 December 2024 – SYNC, SAFE
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 27 December 2024: Syncona Limited (SYNC) announced that its investment, Achilles Therapeutics, has sold its technology assets to AstraZeneca. Completion of this transaction signals the conclusion of its strategic review which was announced in September 2024. Achilles now plans to undertake additional measures, including a further reduction in employee headcount and […]
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14 Nov 2024 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 14 November 2024 – BRSA, BRAI, SYNC, AGR, NRR
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 14 November 2024: BlackRock Sustainable American Income Trust (BRSA) is changing its name to avoid any issues with the FCA’s new Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) which come into effect on 2 December 2024. The company will still seek to deliver a superior ESG outcome when selecting investments, but will remove the […]
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11 Nov 2024 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 11 November 2024 – SYNC, GPE, DPA
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 11 November 2024: Syncona’s (SYNC’s) portfolio company Autolus Therapeutics (Autolus) has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted marketing approval for AUCATZYL® (obe-cel) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (r/r B-ALL). Autolus says that the approval was based […]
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09 Oct 2024 1 min read
Syncona commits another £19.9m to Purespring Therapeutics
Syncona has invested a further £19.9m in Purespring Therapeutics as part of an £80m oversubscribed Series B financing for that company. Syncona formed part of a leading Series B syndicate, led by Sofinnova, in collaboration with Gilde Healthcare, Forbion, and British Patient Capital. Syncona founded Purespring in 2020 as one of the first adeno-associated virus […]
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03 Oct 2024 2 min read
Syncona ploughs £63.5m into Resolution Therapeutics
Syncona has committed £63.5m in a Series B financing of Resolution Therapeutics, a company focused on unlocking the regenerative potential of macrophage therapy for the treatment of inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. Syncona has invested an initial tranche of £22.0m, with investment of the full Series B commitment dependent upon the completion of key milestones. Alongside […]
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13 Aug 2024 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 13 August 2024 – NESF, SYNC, WTAN, DGI9, VSL
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 13 August 2024: Pleasingly, at yesterday’s AGM, NextEnergy Solar Fund’s (NESF) shareholders overwhelmingly backed the company (94:6) to carry on with its existing objective. Syncona’s (SYNC) NAV has slipped again – by 4.9% over the three months ended 30 June. The value of its life science portfolio fell by 8.3% and […]
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19 Jul 2024 4 min read
Time to inject some healthcare into your portfolio?
The healthcare and biotechnology sector has some natural tailwinds: ageing populations, rising emerging market wealth, innovation and rising healthcare utilisation. However, while pharmaceutical companies have been stable, biotechnology has been hit by poor sentiment and rising interest rates. Nevertheless, there are signs of recovery. The sector is diverse. Funds such as Polar Capital Global Healthcare […]
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03 Jul 2024 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 3 July 2024 – DORE, SYNC, HOME, BBOX
in QuotedData’s morning briefing 3 July 2024: Downing Renewables & Infrastructure (DORE) announced that Downing Hydro has pre-qualified its first hydropower plant site for participation in the Frequency Containment Reserve markets (FCR) in Sweden. The FCR markets serve to stabilise the Swedish grid. The initial site pre-qualified is the Gottne hydropower plant. The site is […]
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20 Jun 2024 2 min read
Syncona backs two new cancer companies
Syncona has added two new companies to its portfolio, iOnctura and Yellowstone Biosciences. Syncona has invested €30m (£25.7m) in iOnctura, an innovative, clinical-stage, small molecule company combating neglected and hard-to-treat cancers, and launched Yellowstone, a new oncology company pioneering soluble bispecific T-cell receptor (TCR)-based therapies, with a £16.5m commitment. iOnctura iOnctura is developing selective cancer […]
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2 min read
Syncona NAV flat following Gyroscope disappointment
Syncona has published results for the 12 months ended 31 March 2024. The NAV edged up from 186.5p to 188.7p, giving a NAV return for the period of 1.2%, but as it turns out all of that came from the effect of buying back shares at a discount. £20.2m worth of shares were repurchased at […]
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18 Jun 2024 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 18 June 2024 – ADIG, SYNC, RESI, DCI, SONG, SEIT
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 18 June 2024: abrdn Diversified Income & Growth (ADIG) has announced details of its planned return of £115m of capital (38p per share) via a B share scheme. The distribution needs to be approved at a meeting that will be held on 3 July 2024. The money should be with shareholders […]
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05 Jun 2024 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 5 June 2024 – SYNC, SEED, LSAA, ICGT
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 5 June 2024: Syncona (SYNC) has provided an update on one of its portfolio companies, Quell Therapeutics. Quell has announced that it is advancing QEL-001, its autologous, multi-modular engineered CAR-Treg cell therapy, into the efficacy cohort of the Phase I/II trial in liver transplant patients. SYNC comments that “this is the […]
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09 Feb 2024 2 min read
Syncona’s Autolus announces strategic collaboration with BioNTech
Syncona’s (SYNC’s) portfolio company Autolus Therapeutics plc has announced that it has entered into a strategic collaboration with BioNTech SE, a next-generation immunotherapy company pioneering novel therapies for cancer and other serious diseases. The strategic collaboration is aimed at advancing both companies’ autologous CAR-T programmes towards commercialisation, pending regulatory authorisations. In connection with the strategic […]
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08 Feb 2024 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 8 February 2024 – DGI9, BIPS, APAX, SYNC, HEIT, SHIP, AIRE, HLCL
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 8 February 2024: Digital 9’s (DGI9) sale of Verne Global may take longer than expected to close as the Icelandic anti-trust authority wants to look at the transaction. The company warns that this could add between 90 and 135 days to the wait for the final sign off of the deal. […]
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19 Jan 2024 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 19 January 2024 – ORIT, VNH, SYNC
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 19 January 2024: Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust (ORIT) has announced that it has terminated its option to acquire 175MW of ready-to-build solar projects in Spain. ORIT originally entered into a conditional acquisition agreement over the sites in 2020, but having reassessed the projects “on a risk-adjusted basis” and taking into account […]
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11 Dec 2023 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 11 December 2023 – SYNC, TMI, UKW, HGT, LXI, DNA2
In QuotedData’s morning briefing for 11 December 2023: Syncona (SYNC) has provided an update on the clinical study of its portfolio company, Autolus Therapeutics. The results have indicated the strong safety profile of the drug and importantly show a durable response for patients. Taylor Maritime Investments (TMI) has released its half year results for the […]
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04 Dec 2023 3 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 4 December 2023 – GSF, SEQI, SYNC, SBO, INOV, IGC, JLEN, SEIT
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 4 December 2023: Gore Street Energy Storage Fund (GSF) has announced that its investment manager, Gore Street Capital, has been selected as the co-manager of Japan’s first dedicated fund for grid storage batteries, with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as the cornerstone investor, contributing £10.6m to the fund. Sequoia Economic Infrastructure Income Fund […]
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16 Nov 2023 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 16 November 2023 – BSIF, SYNC, PSH, GCL, NCYF, GPM, CYN, NRR, GPE
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 16 November 2023: Bluefield Solar (BSIF) reports that its NAV fell by 3.3p over the third quarter of 2023. The main contributing factors to this were slight underperformance in generation during the quarter, due to lower than expected irradiation, and advanced quarterly payments connected to corporation tax and the Electricity Generator […]
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20 Oct 2023 1 min read
QuotedData’s weekly news update 20th October 2023
Thank you to everyone that listened in today, whether you watched the Zoom live, on Facebook or on YouTube. In this week’s show, James Carthew covered the week’s top stories: • Hipgnosis (0:31) • Syncona (8:06) This week’s interview was with Tom Williams from Downing Renewables and Infrastructure – watch it again here.
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19 Oct 2023 1 min read
Syncona bidding for Freeline Therapeutics
Syncona has submitted a non-binding proposal to a special committee of the board of Freeline Therapeutics offering to buy all the shares its does not already own for an upfront cash payment of $5.00 per American Depositary Share. This equates to a premium of 20% over the volume weighted average price of $4.16 over the […]
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16 Oct 2023 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 16 October 2023
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 16 October 2023: Asset Value Investors (AVI) has appointed Nick Greenwood to continue managing MIGO Opportunities Trust (MIGO). He will continue to work alongside co-manager Charlotte Cuthbertson, who joined AVI in July. Nick has worked with MIGO since its launch in 2004. Syncona (SYNC) has announced that its portfolio company Anaveon […]
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29 Sep 2023 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 29 September 2023 – SYNC, 3IN, API, HOME
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 29 September 2023: Syncona (SYNC) has announced that it is launching a share buyback programme of up to $40.0m. SYNC’s board believes that the current share price materially undervalues its portfolio and its prospects and that the shares represent a compelling and unique investment opportunity. SYNC currently trades on a (42.3%) […]
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11 Sep 2023 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 11 September 2023 – BOOK, SEED, SYNC
In QuotedData’s morning briefing for 11 September 2023: SEED Innovations (SEED) has announced the partial sale of its stake in Avextra AG, the German medical cannabis company, disposing of 56.4% of its shareholding. The sale resulted in gross proceeds of £2.45m, a 62% return on SEED’s initial investment. SEED retains a 3% stake in Avextra […]
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15 Jun 2023 2 min read
Disappointing numbers from Syncona
Syncona’s results for the 12 months ended 31 March 2023 are lacklustre. The company reports an NAV total return of -4.1% for the period, which follows on from an equally disappointing figure last year. The share price has fallen by about 7.6% and is currently back at levels seen in 2017. In the face of […]
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12 Jun 2023 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 12 June 2023
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 12 June 2023: As of 7:30 today, The FCA has suspended the shares of abrdn Latin American Income Fund at the request of the trust. This is part of the trust intention to be wound up, as was announced on 18 May 2023. Syncona (SYNC) has announced the launch of a […]
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09 Jun 2023 1 min read
Syncona’s Quell announces AstraZeneca deal
Syncona has announced that its portfolio company Quell Therapeutics has signed a collaboration agreement with AstraZeneca to develop, manufacture and commercialise autologous, engineered Treg cell therapies for two autoimmune disease indications. Under the agreement, Quell’s proprietary toolbox of Treg cell engineering modules, including its Foxp3 Phenotype Lock, will be used to develop autologous multi-modular Treg […]
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08 Mar 2023 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 8 March 2023
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 8 March 2023: Syncona’s (SYNC’s) portfolio company Autolus Therapeutics has announced its operational and financial results for the full year ended December 31, 2022. Key highlights included: The FELIX study of obe-cel in relapsed/refractory (r/r) adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) met its primary endpoint; remains on track for a next data […]
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07 Feb 2023 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 7 February 2023
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 7 February 2023: HICL Infrastructure (HICL) says that the deal it announced last May – a 55% stake in French fibre network ADTiM SAS – is not going ahead as certain conditions have not been fulfilled. However, it remains on track to complete its purchase of Texas Nevada Transmission before 31 […]
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09 Dec 2022 1 min read
QuotedData’s weekly news show 9th December 2022
Thank you to everyone that listened in today, whether you watched the Zoom live, on Facebook or on YouTube. In this week’s show, James Carthew covered the week’s top stories: • VPC Speciality Lending • RTW Venture • Syncona This week’s interview was with Stuart Widdowson from Odyssean Investment Trust – watch it again here.
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2 min read
QuotedData’s Morning briefing 9 December 2022
In QuotedData’s Morning briefing 9 December 2022: Syncona’s (SYNC’s) portfolio company Autolus Therapeutics Plc has announced the pricing of its underwritten public offering, in the US, of 75m American Depositary Shares (ADSs). These represent 75m ordinary shares and were issued at a price of US$2.00 per ADS, for total gross proceeds of approximately US$150m (£122.5m). […]
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02 Dec 2022 1 min read
QuotedData’s weekly news show 2nd December 2022
Thank you to everyone that listened in today, whether you watched the Zoom live, on Facebook or on YouTube. In this week’s show, James Carthew covered the week’s top stories: • Chrysalis update/capital markets day • Syncona Andrew McHattie provided his monthly roundup of investment companies performance. Discussing the winners and the losers over the […]
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01 Dec 2022 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 1 December 2022
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 1 December 2022: Bluefield Solar (BSIF) says that John Rennocks has stepped down as the chair of the Company and will remain an independent, non-executive director until his retirement from the board in Q1 2023. John Scott has been appointed as the new chair and Michael Gibbons CBE becomes its new […]
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29 Nov 2022 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 29 November 2022
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 29 November 2022: Syncona (SYNC) appears to have secured control of Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation, with about 51.8% of that company’s shares tendered to Syncona’s bid. The tender offer is being extended until 5pm (Eastern time) tomorrow (30 November). Separately, Syncona reports that it will receive £16m up front and potentially […]
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17 Nov 2022 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 17 November 2022
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 17 November 2022: As interest rates continue to climb, NB Global Monthly Income Fund (NBMI) is increasing its dividend once again. The target distribution for the remainder of 2022 is a rate of 8.10% of NAV each year (net of fees and expenses) which equates to a target monthly distribution for […]
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24 Oct 2022 1 min read
Syncona bids for retinal biotech firm AGTC
Syncona (SYNC) has announced a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (AGTC), for $0.34 per share, valuing AGTC at approximately $23.5m (£20.8m). There is also the potential for up to an additional $50.0m (up to $0.73 per share) in contingent value rights in the event certain milestones related to […]
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22 Jul 2022 3 min read
QD view – Is the tide finally turning for biotech?
In early 2021, it looked like the pandemic had been a breakthrough moment for the biotechnology sector. The sector had been critical in the development of Covid-19 vaccines, using new and innovation gene sequencing, while developments in oncology promised a treatment revolution. Share prices were riding high and specialist investment trusts had enjoyed two years […]
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11 Jul 2022 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 11 July 2022
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 11 July 2022: RM Infrastructure Income (RMI)) has closed on three social infrastructure loans totalling approximately £11m allocated to targeted infrastructure sectors, including the company’s first ESG sustainability linked loan. An aged care loan of up to £6m will be used to construct a 45-bed purpose-built aged care home, located in […]
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16 Jun 2022 4 min read
Syncona well-placed to back its portfolio through adverse market
Syncona’s results for the financial year ended 31 March 2022 show an NAV total return of just 0.3%. However, this was a long way ahead of the -12% return on the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index. A significant NAV uplift achieved through the sale of Gyroscope to Novartis and multiple successful private financings offset the decline in […]
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19 May 2022 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 19 May 2022
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 19 May 2022: Interim results released today for Ecofin Global Utilities and Infrastructure (EGL) show that the trust is off to a great start in this financial year. For the six months ended 31 March 2022, it returned 14.1% in share price terms and 13.7% in NAV terms, both well-ahead of […]
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13 May 2022 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 13 May 2022
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 13 May 2021: Barings Emerging EMEA Opportunities (BEMO) has announced that Maria Szczesna, one of its investment managers, and a member of the Barings EMEA Team, has decided to step down from her portfolio management responsibilities to return to her home country for family reasons. Maria will remain with BEMO until […]
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28 Apr 2022 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 28 April 2022
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 28 April 2022: Downing Renewables Infrastructure (DORE) says that recent additions to the portfolio (the Swedish wind asset and the Swedish hydropower portfolios) are expected to add around 3.7p to its NAV. These increases are due to operational and capital efficiencies as a result of the integration of the assets, particularly […]
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12 Apr 2022 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 12 April 2022
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 12 April 2022: Diverse Income Trust is asking shareholders whether they want to take advantage of its annual share redemption facility. However, as the announcement points out, the discount is already narrow. Shareholders have until 3 May 2022 to submit redemption requests. Cash would hit accounts on 16 June or thereabouts. […]
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01 Apr 2022 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 1 April 2022
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 1 April 2022: Syncona (SYNC) has provided an update on investee company Freeline, following the publication of Freeline’s full year 2021 financial results. The update highlights that: Phase 1/2 programs on track in Hemophilia B and Gaucher disease and accelerated in Fabry disease Extended financial runway and streamlined organization support Company […]
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11 Mar 2022 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 11 March 2022
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 11 March 2022: CQS Natural Resources Growth and Income (CYN) has announced its interim results for the six months ended 31 December 2021. CYN’s chairman, Richard Prickett says that, during the period, commodity markets were strong and interestingly for the sector higher interest rate expectations are supporting a broad market rotation […]
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09 Feb 2022 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 9 February 2022
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 9 February 2022: NextEnergy Solar (NESF) has announced an interim dividend of 1.79 pence per ordinary share for the quarter ending 31 December 2021, to be paid on 31 March 2022. NESF will also be offering shareholders a scrip dividend alternative to this, with a reference price to be announced on […]
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22 Dec 2021 3 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 22 December 2021
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 22 December 2021: Syncona (SYNC) has reached an agreement to sell its portfolio company Gyroscope Therapeutics Holdings to Novartis, a leading global medicines company, for up to $1.5bn on a cash and debt free basis, with an upfront payment of $800m and up to $700m (£528 million) potentially due upon the […]
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16 Dec 2021 2 min read
Syncona’s Anaveon secures Series B financing
Syncona’s Anaveon secures Series B financing – Syncona has committed CHF35m (£29m) to Anaveon AG as part of a CHF110m (£90m) Series B financing round. Syncona was a cornerstone investor. The financing round was led by Forbion and supported by a leading international syndicate of specialist investors, including existing investor Novartis Venture Fund and new investors […]
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14 Dec 2021 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 14 December 2021
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 14 December 2021: Polar Capital Technology (PCT) produced an NAV return of 11.5% and share price return of 6.3% for the six months ended 31 October 2021, unfortunately lagging the return on the benchmark of 13.3%. Some stocks that had done exceptionally well during the pandemic gave back some performance as […]
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29 Nov 2021 2 min read
Syncona co-leads funding round for cell therapies developer
Syncona co-leads funding round for cell therapies developer – Syncona has committed $25m (£19m) to Quell Therapeutics in an up to $156m (£117m) Series B financing round as co-leader alongside specialist global institutional investors Jeito Capital, Ridgeback Capital Investments, SV Health Investors and Fidelity Management & Research Company. Following the Series B financing Syncona has […]
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08 Nov 2021 3 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 8 November 2021
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 8 November 2021: HICL Infrastructure (HICL) has acquired, indirectly, a 33.3% interest in Road Management Group, a holding company which comprises two UK shadow toll roads: the A417/A419 Swindon-Gloucester and the A1(M) Alconbury-Peterborough. The interest was acquired from Abertis Infraestructuras for a combined consideration of up to £34.4m. This investment will be funded by […]
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04 Nov 2021 1 min read
Syncona backs launch of Clade Therapeutics
Syncona backs launch of Clade Therapeutics – Syncona was the lead investor in the $87m Series A financing of Clade Therapeutics, a new cell therapy company. Syncona’s commitment was $30m and the first tranche of that – $15.0m – has been invested already. Syncona’s stake in the company is 22.6% (assuming all commitments are invested). […]
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17 Aug 2021 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 17 August 2021
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 17 August 2021: We noted yesterday that RTW Venture was conducting a quick fundraise. In the event, RTW issued 1,419,276 new shares. AEW UK REIT (AEWU) is managed by AEW UK Investment management LLP, a joint venture between AEW in Europe and Richard Tanner, Rachel McIsaac and Nick Winsley – investing through an […]
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17 Jun 2021 3 min read
Life science portfolio performs strongly for Syncona
Syncona (SYNC), an investment company focused on founding, building and funding a portfolio of global leaders in life science, announced its final results for the year ended 31 March 2021, including a NAV total return of 4.4% and a 11.8% return delivered by the life science portfolio. Additions to the portfolio SYNC made a note of the following […]
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18 May 2021 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 18 May 2021
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 18 May 2021: Syncona highlights results from one of its holdings – Freeline. Its chief executive says they are encouraged by the progress seen in patient identification and screening in its FLT190 Phase 1/2 dose-finding trial for the treatment of Fabry disease; they are advancing their FLT201 programme for the treatment of Gaucher […]
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07 May 2021 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 7 May 2021
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 7 May 2021: Shareholders have approved both a change of name and a revised investment Policy for Jupiter US Smaller Companies (JUS), which reflects the change of investment manager to US based Brown Advisory (click here to read our initiation note on the company which takes a detailed look at Brown’s […]
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19 Apr 2021 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 19 April 2021
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 19 April 2021 – RTW Venture (RTW) made a note of the 15 April 2021 announcement by one of its portfolio companies, Biomea Fusion (Biomea), regarding its pricing of a $153m IPO and admission to trade on Nasdaq Global Market under ticker “BMEA”. Biomea is a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on […]
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31 Mar 2021 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 31 March 2021
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 31 March 2021 – JPMorgan Multi-Asset (MATE) announced that with immediate effect, to better reflect the investment objective of providing an attractive total return of growth and income, the company will change its name to JPMorgan Multi-Asset Growth & Income. The company’s London Stock Exchange stock ticker symbol MATE will remain […]
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26 Mar 2021 1 min read
QuotedData’s weekly news show 26 March 2021
QuotedData’s weekly news show 26 March 2021 Thank you to everyone that listened in today, whether you watched the Zoom live, on Facebook or on Youtube. In this week’s show, James Carthew covered the week’s top stories: JPMorgan Multi Asset update Chrysalis raised 300m from oversubscribed issue Digital 9 Infrastructure raised 300m at IPO Syncona […]
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2 min read
Syncona cornerstones US$148 million Gyroscope Therapeutics financing
Syncona has announced that it has acted as a cornerstone investor, providing US$ 42.3 million (£30.8 million) investment, alongside specialist global institutional investors in US$148.0 million (£107.8 million) Series C financing, for Gyroscope Therapeutics Ltd. Syncona says that its holding in Gyroscope has been written up by £37.9 million (5.6p per share) to £150.6 million, […]
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02 Mar 2021 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 2 March 2021
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 2 March 2021: Syncona (SYNC) notes that Achilles Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing precision T cell therapies to treat solid tumours, announced it has filed a registration statement in relation to a proposed IPO. Syncona owns 44% of Achilles which it values at £72.4m. RTW Venture Fund (RTW) participated in a Series […]
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15 Feb 2021 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 15 February 2021
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 15 February 2021: Tritax EuroBox (EBOX) has sold its asset in Lodz, Poland for €65.5 million, 15% above its most recent valuation at 30 September 2020 and, based on the company’s target gearing of 45%, delivering an attractive geared IRR of 16.5% to shareholders. They bought this is April 2019 and completed a […]
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11 Feb 2021 2 min read
Syncona backs Quell financing
Syncona backs Quell financing – Syncona Ltd has made a new £25.3m commitment to a £61.0m expanded Series A financing for Quell Therapeutics. This is the largest amount of funding to date for any stand-alone engineered T regulatory cell (Treg) company [see below] and takes Syncona’s total commitment to this business to £59.3m (of which £35.1m […]
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10 Feb 2021 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 10 February 2021
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 10 February 2021 – Syncona, a leading healthcare company focused on founding, building and funding global leaders in life science, made note of the news that its portfolio company, Autolus Therapeutics announced the pricing of its underwritten public offering in the United States of 14,285,715 American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) representing 14,285,715 […]
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05 Feb 2021 2 min read
Syncona’s Achilles Therapeutics announces positive trial recommendation
Achilles Therapeutics, a Syncona portfolio company, has announced that an Independent Data and Safety Monitoring Committee (IDSMC) has completed its first review of the ongoing, first-in-human Phase I/II CHIRON and THETIS trials and has recommended that both clinical trials continue as planned. Achilles Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing precision T cell therapies to […]
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15 Dec 2020 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 15 December 2020
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 15 December 2020: Triple Point Social Housing has secured an increase to its existing Revolving Credit Facility (RCF jointly provided by Lloyds Bank and National Westminster Bank. The RCF will increase from £130m to £160m. The term has been extended by a year to 20 December 2023 and comes at 1.85% over LIBOR. […]
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08 Dec 2020 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 8 December 2020
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 8 December 2020 – Syncona’s Autolius reported positive results in its ALLCAR Phase 1 study, where it is using AUTO1 to treat Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. COVID has delayed phase 2 – it says that “…enrolment projections have had to be adjusted. We now expect to enroll patients throughout 2021 with a […]
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19 Nov 2020 2 min read
Syncona founds Purespring
Syncona founds Purespring Therapeutics with a £45.0 million Series A financing commitment. Syncona will have an 84% stake in the business. Purespring Therapeutics is one of the first AAV gene therapy companies focused on the kidney. It has been founded around the work of Professor Moin Saleem, Professor of Paediatric Renal Medicine at the University of Bristol, […]
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02 Nov 2020 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 2 November 2020
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 2 November 2020 – Downing Strategic Micro-Cap (DSM) reported interim results for the six months ended 31 August 2020. The NAV increased by 22.5% from the March 2020 low-point, but was down 5.5% over the period, on a per-share basis. Chairman, Hugh Aldous, noted the following: “I said in May that we […]
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15 Sep 2020 2 min read
Syncona makes two new investments
Syncona makes two new investments – Resolution Therapeutics and Neogene Therapeutics Resolution Therapeutics Following a collaboration agreement with the University of Edinburgh in 2018, Resolution has been founded by Syncona as a cell therapy company investigating the use of macrophages for the treatment of patients with end stage liver disease. In pre-clinical studies, macrophages have been […]
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07 Aug 2020 1 min read
QuotedData’s weekly news show 7 August 2020
Thank you to everyone that listened in today, whether you watched the Zoom live, on Facebook or on youtube. In this week’s show, James Carthew covered the week’s top stories: SDCL Energy Efficiency’s foray into EV charging Hipgnosis C shares and NAVs Hammerson’s expensive rights issue Syncona’s IPO of Freeline Watch it again here We’ll be back next week […]
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1 min read
Syncona updates on Freeline IPO
Syncona has provided an update on the initial public offering (IPO) of its company, Freeline Therapeutics Holdings Plc. Freeline is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on AAV-based gene therapy targeting the liver. The key takeaways from the announcement are as follows: Freeline has announced the pricing of its IPO in the United States. This is […]
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04 Aug 2020 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 4 August 2020
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 4 August 2020, as BP cuts its dividend for the first time in a decade: BMO Commercial Property is to reintroduce a monthly dividend from this month at 0.25p per share (half the previous rate). The NAV return for the three months ended 30 June 2020 was -2.9%. The retail and leisure […]
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20 Jul 2020 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 20 July 2020
Growth sector company, Merian Chrysalis (MERI), announced that it had entered into a transaction to partially realise one of its investments in the portfolio; this realisation is expected to raise approximately £20m. This transaction has been undertaken at a valuation that represents a material mark up in the company’s current carrying value of the asset. MERI notes […]
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14 Jul 2020 1 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 14 July 2020
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 14 July 2020: Pollen Street Secured Lending shareholders remain in limbo as the deadline for Waterfall making an offer for the company is extended again. This time until 5pm on 11 August. Standard Life Private Equity’s estimated NAV edged higher in May to 431.2p from 427.7p. 99% of the valuations of […]
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30 Jun 2020 1 min read
Syncona’s Freeline may IPO
Syncona’s Freeline may IPO – Freeline Therapeutics says that it raised a total of $120m from investors in its Series C fundraising. $40m of this came from Syncona (in December 2019). Syncona has written up the value of its investment to reflect the pricing of the fundraise. Its 60% stake in Freeline is now valued at […]
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12 Jun 2020 2 min read
Syncona’s Autolus presents new clinical data
Syncona’s Autolus presents new clinical data Autolus Therapeutics today announced new data highlighting progress on its AUTO1 program, the company’s CAR T cell therapy being investigated in the ongoing ALLCAR Phase 1 study of relapsed / refractory adult B-Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), at the European Hematology Association EHA25 Virtual Congress beginning June 11. AUTO1 in […]
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11 Jun 2020 3 min read
Syncona success overshadowed by Autolus price fall
Syncona success overshadowed by Autolus price fall – Syncona reports that for the year ended 31 March 2020, its NAV fell by 13.3% from 216.8p to 185.6p. An 81% fall in the price of Autolus weighed heavily on the NAV. Since the year end, Autolus’s share price has climbed by 131%, which should have added about […]
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29 May 2020 2 min read
QuotedData’s morning briefing 29 May 2020
In QuotedData’s morning briefing 29 May 2020: The balance between re-opening economies around the world and minimising new cases of covid-19 is delicate. South Korea has closed schools, just a day after re-opening, after recording its highest total of new cases in two-months, yesterday. Templeton Emerging (TEM) has received a tax windfall from HMRC. £26.5m or […]
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23 Apr 2020 1 min read
Syncona ups SwanBio investment
Syncona ups SwanBio investment – Syncona Ltd has made a $51.0m new commitment in a $77.0m expanded Series A financing by SwanBio Therapeutics. This new commitment takes Syncona’s total commitment to this business to $74.0m. Syncona has invested $19.6m now, and the holding is now valued (at cost) at £34.3m. This expanded Series A financing will […]
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23 Mar 2020 2 min read
Syncona says portfolio clinical trials likely delayed for at least three months
The global life sciences fund, Syncona (SYNC), has released the following update pertaining to the Covid-19 outbreak. “Since the start of the outbreak, SYNC has taken measures to protect its employees, primarily centred around remote working, to help ensure that the company can continue to operate with as minimal disruption as possible. The company has formed […]
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13 Feb 2020 3 min read
Syncona’s Freeline trials encouraging
Syncona’s Freeline trials encouraging – Syncona has nine investments in companies addressing a range of diseases, including many that are currently untreatable. QuotedData’s analyst, James Carthew, wrote an article about the company recently which explains a bit about how Syncona goes about investing in these businesses. One of these, Freeline, is using gene therapy to […]
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30 Jan 2020 2 min read
Syncona updates on Autolus
Syncona updates on Autolus – Autolus Therapeutics, a key holding for Syncona, has announced additional data regarding its ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial of its next-generation programmed T cell therapy, AUTO3, to treat adults with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The data is to be presented in a keynote lecture titled “Improved CAR T […]
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23 Jan 2020 1 min read
Syncona’s Autolus holding raises $80m
Syncona (SYNC), a leading healthcare company focused on founding, building and funding global leaders in life science, has noted that its portfolio company, Autolus Therapeutics (Autolus) has announced the pricing of its underwritten public offering in the United States of 7,250,000 American Depositary Shares (ADSs) representing 7,250,000 ordinary shares for total gross proceeds of approximately $80m (£60.7 million[1]). SYNC says it has agreed […]
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22 Jan 2020 1 min read
QuotedData’s other news 22 January 2020
In QuotedData’s other news 22 January 2020 Yellow Cake, the uranium fund, is instituting a $2m buyback programme in an effort to narrow its discount. The programme lasts for three months, shares will be held in treasury. Syncona says that its portfolio company, Freeline will be disclosing further data from its Phase 1/2 B-AMAZE trial investigating […]
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19 Dec 2019 1 min read
Syncona invests $80m in Freeline
Syncona invests $80m in Freeline – Syncona has made a $80.0 million commitment in a Series C financing by Freeline and has funded the first tranche of this commitment, amounting to $40.0 million (GBP30.6 million). Syncona has a 79% fully diluted ownership stake in Freeline at the point full current commitments are invested. Freeline is progressing […]
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09 Dec 2019 1 min read
New data from Syncona’s Autolus holding
New data from Syncona’s Autolus holding – Syncona (SYNC), a leading healthcare company focused on founding, building and funding global leaders in life science, has this morning made note of the announcement that its portfolio company, Autolus Therapeutics (Autolus), announced new data highlighting progress on its next-generation programmed T cell therapies to treat patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse […]
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03 Sep 2019 2 min read
Syncona funding Gyroscope and Achilles
Syncona funding Gyroscope and Achilles – Syncona has announced two deals this morning. The first is a £48m commitment to Gyroscope Therapeutics, making up most of a £50.4m Series B financing. This brings Syncona’s total commitment to Gyroscope since foundation to £82.0m and it owns an 80 per cent stake in the business. Syncona is holding this […]
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12 Aug 2019 1 min read
QuotedData’s other news 12 August 2019
In QuotedData’s other news 12 August 2019 Unite Group, one of the UK’s leading owners, managers and developers of student accommodation, announces that it has exchanged contracts to acquire a new 620-bed development site in Nottingham.The direct let development, which is subject to planning consent, will open in time for the 2022/23 academic year. Total development costs […]
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1 min read
Autolus investment the main drag in an otherwise solid quarter from Syncona
Autolus investment the main drag in an otherwise solid quarter from Syncona – Syncona, which predominantly invests in life sciences companies, has released a quarterly update this morning (covering the period to 30 June 2019). We have covered many of the events referenced by the company, in earlier news stories, which we link to in […]
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01 Aug 2019 1 min read
QuotedData’s other news 1 August 2019
In QuotedData’s other news 1 August 2019 GCP Student Living is planning to dip into its debt facilities to fund the acquisition of the 412-bed Scape Mile End Canalside. Its LTV ratio could move into the mid 30s per cent. level. Fidelity Japan was 7.6% ahead of its benchmark at the half-year stage (up 14.8%). The […]
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27 Jun 2019 2 min read
Syncona sells Blue Earth Diagnostics to Bracco Imaging
Syncona sells Blue Earth Diagnostics to Bracco Imaging – Syncona has reached an agreement to sell Blue Earth Diagnostics to Bracco Imaging, a global leader in diagnostic imaging for $450 million (GBP354.3 million) plus closing adjustment estimated at $25 million (GBP19.7 million). The sale delivers a 10.0x multiple, including prior distributions, on invested capital for Syncona […]
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13 Jun 2019 2 min read
Syncona to step up capital deployment after great year
Syncona to step up capital deployment after great year – Syncona has announced a whopping 37.9% return on NAV for the year ended 31 March 2019. It has transformed its portfolio so that life sciences investments now account for £1.06bn of the fund’s £1.46bn NAV. Some highlights: foundation of three highly innovative portfolio companies OMASS Therapeutics […]
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20 May 2019 1 min read
QuotedData’s other news 20 May 2019
John Laing Environmental Assets Group (JLEN) has announced the appointment of Hans Joern Rieks as a non-executive director of the company, commencing 13 June 2019. LXi REIT (LXI), the specialist inflation-protected very long income REIT, has reported annual results for the year ended 31 March 2019. LXI’s leases are typically 20 to 30 years to expiry […]
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07 May 2019 1 min read
Syncona’s Blue Earth gets good results in prostate cancer diagnosis
Syncona’s Blue Earth gets good results in prostate cancer diagnosis – Syncona has a large stake in Blue Earth Diagnostics. Blue Earth has been testing its prostate cancer diagnosis at a university hospital in Germany. The test (a radiohybrid PSMA-targeted agent, rhPSMA-7) for high-risk primary and recurrent prostate cancer was bought by Blue Earth in […]
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11 Apr 2019 1 min read
Syncona establishes retinal gene therapy platform
Syncona establishes retinal gene therapy platform – Syncona has announced the merger of two of its companies, Gyroscope Therapeutics (Gyroscope), an ophthalmology company developing genetically defined therapies for retinal diseases and Orbit Biomedical (Orbit), a specialist medical device company focused on precision sub-retinal therapeutic delivery. Syncona will own 82% of the enlarged company (a holding value […]
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02 Apr 2019 2 min read
Syncona/Woodford investment Autolus reports positive data
Syncona/Woodford investment Autolus reports positive data – Claire Roddie MB, PhD, FRCPath, honorary senior lecturer, Cancer Institute, University College London, has presented initial data from the ongoing Phase 1/2 trial of AUTO1 in adult acute lymphoblastic B cell leukemia (ALL). the presentation was made at the American Association of Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019 in Atlanta, […]
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14 Mar 2019 1 min read
Wellcome Trust charity cuts stake in Syncona
Wellcome Trust charity cuts stake in Syncona – Wellcome Trust Limited, a UK biomedical charity, has confirmed that it has sold approximately 57 million ordinary shares in Syncona Limited (SYNC). This represents approximately 8.7% of Syncona’s issued ordinary share capital. The shares were sold at 245p per share, equating to gross proceeds of approximately £141m for […]
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12 Mar 2019 1 min read
Syncona shifting funds into cash
Syncona shifting funds into cash – Syncona is changing the way it invests the portion of its portfolio that is not committed to biotech investments. It says: “Over the last two years, Syncona has evolved the investment parameters of its strategic capital pool to focus on liquidity and capital preservation in order to support Syncona’s […]
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04 Mar 2019 1 min read
Syncona’s Nightstar Therapeutics to be sold for $877m
Syncona’s Nightstar Therapeutics to be acquired for $877m – Syncona Limited founded Nightstar Therapeutics in 2013, with an original investment of £56.4m. Syncona’s holding of Nightstar at the time of sale was £254.6m, a £135.4m uplift previous valuation. This results in a 4.5x multiple on Syncona’s original investment and an internal rate of return (IRR) […]
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26 Feb 2019 2 min read
Syncona funds new immuno-oncology company
Syncona funds new immuno-oncology company – Syncona is contributing CHF 28 million (GBP21.4 million) to a CHF 35 million (GBP26.8 million) fundraising being carried out by Anaveon, a new immuno-oncology company. Syncona will have a 47.0 per cent stake in the business. Anaveon was founded in December 2017 by leading experts in the field of immunotherapy, […]
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10 Aug 2018 1 min read
Syncona remains at high premium and highly geared to Autolus
Syncona remains at high premium and highly geared to Autolus Syncona (SYNC)‘s shares have been the second best performer this year among the 14 biotech investment trusts monitored by Marten & Co, rising by 24.5% in the first seven months to end July. However, the trust’s NAV has only gained 8.7% in the period and […]
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07 Aug 2018 1 min read
Investment Trust Insider on Syncona
Investment Trust Insider on Syncona James Carthew: the problem with Syncona’s big premium Regular readers of this column will have realised that I often have as much of a problem with investment trusts trading on very high premiums as I do with trusts trading on very wide discounts. I explained a couple of weeks ago […]
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03 Aug 2018 1 min read
Tekla Healthcare top specialist fund performer in July
Tekla Healthcare top specialist fund performer in July Tekla Healthcare Opportunities, a US closed end fund that invests largely in US large cap pharma and biotech, saw the best investment performance of the 14 specialist biotech specialist investors monitored by Marten & Co, in terms of its sterling-adjusted NAV performance for the month of July. Switzerland’s BB […]
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2 min read
Arix remains highly geared to Autolus value
Arix remains highly geared to Autolus value Arix Bioscience’s 8% investment in Autolus Therapeutics (Nasdaq: AUTL), the recently floated second-generation CAR-T company, now accounts for more than half of the value of its investments, some 25% of its NAV and almost 30% of its stockmarket value, according to calculations by Marten & Co. Arix is by far […]
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25 Jun 2018 2 min read
Arix, Syncona and WPCT bank gains after Autolus “pops” on Nasdaq IPO
Arix, Syncona and WPCT bank gains after Autolus “pops” on Nasdaq IPO Arix Bioscience (ARIX), Syncona (SYNC) and Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT) should be able to record some sizeable NAV gains this month, as previously highlighted in earlier Quoteddata.com articles, on the back of a revaluation to market value of their respective holdings in the common portfolio […]
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21 Jun 2018 2 min read
US biotech IPO market faces key test after record five pricings
US biotech IPO market faces key test after record five pricings The currently buoyant US market for biotech new issues faces a key test, after a record five companies priced Nasdaq offerings in a single day. The success of those listings in the immediate after-market is likely to be important gauge of the overall health […]
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20 Jun 2018 2 min read
Syncona accelerates investment in gene therapy portfolio
Syncona accelerates investment in gene therapy portfolio LSE-listed biotech VC fund Syncona (SYNC) has made a significant investment in three of its portfolio companies involved in developing gene therapies, with staged commitments of £85m ($112m) to Freeline Therapeutics, $35m to SwanBio and $12m to Orbit Biomedical. Freeline, which was spun out from University College London (UCL) in 2015, is […]
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14 Jun 2018 1 min read
Arix, Syncona and WPCT look set to reap gains on pending Autolus IPO
Arix, Syncona and WPCT look set to reap gains on pending Autolus Nasdaq IPO Three LSE-listed health/biotech venture capital investment firms – Arix Bioscience (ARIX), Syncona (SYNC) and Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT) – should see a nice boost to their NAV if Autolus, the UK-based CAR-T cell company completes its proposed Nasdaq IPO. Autolus is a portfolio company for […]
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04 May 2018 1 min read
Syncona to benefit from Blue Earth value gain
Syncona to benefit from Blue Earth value gain UK hybrid biotech investor/fund-of-funds Syncona (SYNC) should be able to take a c£64m increase in the value of its shareholding in Blue Earth Diagnostics this month, after the company was revalued on the back of an licensing agreement. The value of Syncona’s 90% holding in the diagnostics company will rise from £123.1m […]
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05 Apr 2018 1 min read
Syncona sees slight dip in NAV as Nightstar declines
Syncona sees slight dip in NAV as Nightstar declines UK hybrid biotech investor/fund-of-funds Syncona (SYNC) saw a 0.8% fall in its NAV in February according to its latest factsheet, principally as a result of an 8% decline in the value of its holding in US-listed Nightstar Therapeutics. Syncona holds a 42% stake in this Nasdaq-quoted, but UK […]
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27 Feb 2018 2 min read
Syncona records flat month for NAV in January with small share price rise
Syncona records flat month for NAV in January with small share price rise UK hybrid biotech investor/fund-of-funds Syncona (SYNC) recorded an essentially flat month for NAV in January, with a small decline overall recorded for its three largest investments – presumably in part related to the weakening of the dollar – offset by a gain of an […]
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22 Dec 2017 1 min read
Post IPO fall for Nightstar hits Syncona
Post IPO fall for Nightstar hits Syncona A fall in the post IPO share price of Nasdaq-listed, UK-based gene therapy specialist Nightstar Therapeutics marred an otherwise strong performance for UK biotech investment trust Syncona (SYNC) in November, whose NAV dipped by 4% in the month, according to its latest monthly update. Syncona’s 42% ownership of Nightstar […]
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26 Sep 2017 2 min read
Syncona backs Autolus fund raise
Syncona backs Autolus fund raise – Syncona has announced that its portfolio company, Autolus, has completed a US$80 million Series C funding round. Autolus is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of next-generation engineered CAR-T cell therapies for the treatment of cancer. Syncona was the single largest investor in the $80 […]
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01 Sep 2017 1 min read
Syncona says NightstaRx files for IPO
Syncona says NightstaRx files for IPO – Syncona Ltd, today notes that its portfolio company NightstaRx Limited (to be reorganised as Nightstar Therapeutics Limited) has filed a registration statement on Form F-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for a proposed initial public offering, in the United States, of its American Depositary […]
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06 Jul 2017 2 min read
A transformative year for Syncona
Syncona has announced its annual results for the year ended 31 March 2017. It was a year that the company describes as ‘transformative’ with strong performance across the business. It lists the following highlights: Net assets at year end of £895.2m, 136.0p per share, a total return of 12.5%; Successful completion of the acquisition of […]
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28 Jun 2017 1 min read
Syncona writes up NightstaRx value
Syncona writes up NightstaRx value – Syncona investment, NightstaRx has completed a US$45m funding round. Syncona has invested $12.5m at this stage and retains a 46% stake in the business. The existing investment in NightsaRx has been written up by £20.3m (3.1p per Syncona share) to £69.7m. NightstaRx also attracted investment in this round from […]
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25 May 2017 1 min read
Syncona up on drug approval
Syncona up on drug approval – on Wednesday 23 May, Syncona announced that Blue Earth Diagnostics had received confirmation of approval of its product AxuminT (fluciclovine (18F)) (“Axumin”) by the European Commission. This follows the announcement on 24 March 2017 that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use had made a positive recommendation for […]
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22 Nov 2016 3 min read
BACIT’s sterling hedge limits benefits from sterling depreciation
BACIT has announced its interim results for the six months ended 30 September 2016. During the period, the company’s NAV total return was 4.82%, thereby underperforming the FTSE All-Share Index, which returned 12.85%. Reflecting a widening of the discount during the period, the company’s share price fell by 4.2%. The trust’s chairman, Jeremy Tigue, says […]
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07 Nov 2016 5 min read
BACIT to become a life sciences company
BACIT plans to expand its investment policy and grow its assets under management with a couple of deals. This will nudge the fund towards becoming more of a life sciences company. BACIT is hoping to acquire Syncona LLP, a limited partnership vehicle founded by Wellcome Trust. this has an existing portfolio of life science investments. The […]
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05 Jul 2016 2 min read
BACIT charitable donations pass £13m
For the year to 31 March 2016 BACIT‘s Net Asset Value total return per share was -0.2% and the share price total return was 8.5%. This compares to falls in the MSCI World Index of 3.5% and the FTSE All-Share of 3.9%. BACIT will pay a scrip dividend of 2.2 pence per share on 19 August 2016. Shareholders […]
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24 Nov 2015 2 min read
BACIT backed Woodford fund
BACIT Limited has announced interim results for the six months ended 30 September 2015. The return on net assets for the period was -3.28% which compares to -7.19% for the FTSE All-Share Index and -6.78% for the HFRI Fund of Funds Strategic Index. Looking at the portfolio: Equity Funds (24.9% at 30 September 2015 vs. […]
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1 min read
BACIT to start paying management fees
BACIT is proposing that it start paying management fees. These won’t be huge and the investment policy – that it will invest in underlying funds on a “gross return” basis, that it will invest up to 1% a year of its net asset value in drug development projects and that it will donate 1% a year of […]
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11 Aug 2015 2 min read
Woodford Patient Capital unveils its portfolio
Woodford Patient Capital has published its first set of figures – interims covering the period from its launch until the end of June 2015. The net asset value at the end of the period was 101.86p and the share price 113.5p – putting it on a premium of 11.4%. The Board is planning to issue […]
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07 Jul 2015 1 min read
BACIT increasing exposure to hedged strategies
In a perfect illustration of the dangers of buying a fund on a large premium, BACIT results show that its share price fell by a penny or 0.8% from 122p to 121p over the year to the end of March 2015 – this despite the net asset value rising by 9.6% from 114p to 125p. […]
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25 Nov 2014 1 min read
BACIT cautious on markets
BACT : BACIT cautious on markets Over the period from 1 April 2014 to 30 September 2014 BACIT generated a total return of just 0.6% on net assets – the net asset value fell from 114.1p to 112.8p but this was after the payment of a 2p dividend. The FTSE All-Share Index return was 1.2% […]
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09 Jul 2014 1 min read
BACIT : BACT – Annual report
Over the year to 31 March 2014 BACIT generated a return on net assets of 3.63% and a share price return of 9.62%. During this period the FTSE All-Share Index return was 8.81% and the return on the Hedge Fund Research Institute Fund of Funds Strategic Index was negative 2.53% (in sterling terms). They say […]
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21 Oct 2024 1 min read
Investment trust insider on annual redemption opportunities
Investment trust insider on annual redemption opportunities – James Carthew: Annual redemptions bring more problems than solutions Yearly redemption opportunities turn trusts into cash cows and don’t even keep discounts narrow, as Bellevue Healthcare has learnt. This week’s focus is on annual redemption opportunities. I made it clear earlier this month, when discussing the demise […]
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17 Jun 2024 1 min read
10 experts name their top investment trust bargain
by Jennifer Hill from interactive investor, 17th June 2024: Discounts are wide across the investment trust universe, giving investors plenty of bargain-hunting potential. The average discount across 288 investment trusts that publish net asset values (NAVs) was -17.7% at the end of May, compared to -5% across 241 trusts five years ago, according to an […]
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14 May 2024 2 min read
Healthcare funds roar back to life
by Dave Baxter, Investors Chronicle, May 14, 2024: Areas like biotech can be racy at the best of times and especially vulnerable to shifting investor whims. That much has become evident in recent years: the average investment trust in the AIC’s Biotechnology and Healthcare sector made a whopping 21 per cent share price total return […]
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08 Mar 2024 1 min read
The truly cheap trusts trading on the widest discount relative to their history
By Matteo Anelli, Senior reporter, Trustnet, 07 March 2024: In the investment trusts universe wide discounts are often linked to higher long-term returns – and the data backs up this hypothesis. Since 2018, investing in trusts with a double-digit discount have returned an annualised 13.6% in the following five years, a recent study by the […]
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20 Nov 2023 1 min read
Investment trust insider on RTW Biotech
Investment trust insider on RTW Biotech – James Carthew: RTW Biotech will succeed with or without Arix I was singing the praises of capital markets days last week. Last Tuesday, I managed to get along to one held by RTW Biotech Opportunities (RTW). The day was planned some time ago, but the timing was great […]
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24 Oct 2023 1 min read
Investment trust insider on biotechs
Investment trust insider on biotechs – James Carthew: I’m confident my biotech casualties will recover A couple of my more disappointing investments sit in the biotech sector. I wrote about Biotech Growth (BIOG) in July last year. The investment trust had been through a rough patch, but fund manager Geoffrey Hsu was optimistic that things […]
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06 Oct 2023 1 min read
Past the peak
Faith Glasgow, AIC Compass Magazine, October 2023: Interest rate rises took a breather in September, as the Bank of England narrowly opted to keep the base rate at 5.25% for a second month on the back of a further decline in inflation in August. It was the first break in the UK’s rising rate cycle […]
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28 Feb 2023 1 min read
20 investment trusts cheaper now than during Covid-19 sell-off
by Kyle Caldwell from interactive investor, 28th February 2023: Three years ago was a great opportunity to pick up bargains among investment trusts as the Covid-19 pandemic caused widespread panic and fear… Three years ago is a case in point. In response to the emergence of Covid-19, stock markets fell notably, with the FTSE All-Share […]
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21 Sep 2022 1 min read
Investing experts prescribe a bargain if sickly health firms perk up
By ROSIE MURRAY-WEST, FINANCIAL MAIL ON SUNDAY, 17 September 2022: Investors are enduring a difficult spell. High inflation is eating into returns, huge volatility is creating dramatic market swings and most portfolios have lost value since the start of the year. Amid the turbulence, you might expect that healthcare companies would provide a safe port […]
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08 Aug 2022 1 min read
Bargain Hunter: 13 eye-catching investment trust discounts
by Kyle Caldwell from interactive investor, 8th August 2022: Investment trust bargains are back, with the average discount moving from a lowly 2.2% at the start of this year to 7.4% today. Prior to the strong month for stock markets in July, that average discount figure was even wider, hitting a 12-month peak of above […]
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05 Apr 2022 1 min read
Investment trust insider on biotech – James Carthew: What’s gone wrong with biotechnology?
About a year ago, I wrote an article on biotech and said that I was minded to stick by my biotech and healthcare investments – Biotech Growth (BIOG), Worldwide Healthcare (WWH) and Syncona (SYNC). In retrospect, this doesn’t look like a great idea. Over the past 12 months, BIOG and SYNC’s shares are down by […]
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15 Aug 2021 1 min read
interactive investor review of Syncona sparks debate
Despite remaining positive on the £1.3bn Syncona investment trust, experts are questioning its place on the interactive investor’s ethical buy list, the ii ACE 40, following the platform’s decision to place it under formal review. Kathleen Gallagher 13 August 2021 • 3 min read In the year to 11 August the trust has lost 16.1%, while […]
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24 Mar 2021 1 min read
Investment trust insider on biotech and healthcare
Investment trust insider on biotech and healthcare – James Carthew: Why I will stick with biotech after Covid It is now a year since the market meltdown triggered by the coronavirus. Just beforehand, I wrote an article exploring Orbimed’s thoughts on the US election’s potential impact on the healthcare sector. The manager of the Biotech Growth […]
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16 Nov 2020 1 min read
Engines of growth: Investment trusts for responsible investing
Engines of growth: Investment trusts for responsible investing By Mary McDougall, Investors Chronicle, 12 November 2020 Appetite for investment products with strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials has boomed this year as the pandemic has put the need for a sustainable world under the spotlight. Enthusiasm has been helped by sustainable funds broadly outperforming their conventional peers […]
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14 Jul 2020 1 min read
The best of British
Make your investments fly high by picking the best of British: Why top fund managers believe future could be rosy for UK shares By ROSIE MURRAY-WEST, FINANCIAL MAIL ON SUNDAY PUBLISHED: 21:58, 11 July 2020 | UPDATED: 08:18, 13 July 2020 Investors who have flown the Union Flag over their portfolios this year have endured some stomach-churning turbulence as the […]
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25 Feb 2020 2 min read
Investment trust insider on health care
Investment trust insider on health care – James Carthew: healthcare trusts cut through US political noise Just nine months to go until the US election. If only we could lock all the candidates in a room for a year beforehand and harness the hot air. Instead we are condemned to endless opinion polls, voting shenanigans and […]
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10 Feb 2020 2 min read
Investment trust insider on Syncona
Investment trust insider on Syncona – James Carthew: Syncona has cash for life sciences land grab In August 2018 I questioned the 51% premium that life sciences investment company Syncona (SYNC) was then trading on and queried its high cash weighting. Syncona’s shares have been quite volatile but after spiking beyond £3 in October that year, […]
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09 Jan 2019 1 min read
Investment Trust Insider on 2018
Investment Trust Insider on 2018 – Lindsell Train leads best and worst investment trusts of 2018 (NB the headlines are devised by Citywire!!) 2018 is attracting headlines as the worst year for markets since 2008. However, for the investment trust industry, there was much to celebrate. This was certainly the case for the new issue market […]
