British Empire Securities and General Trust has announced that Joe Bauernfreund will become its named portfolio manager from 1 October 2015. This is a low turnover position (the trust has had just three portfolio managers in the last 30 years). Jo has been with the trust’s managers (Asset Value Investors) since 2002 and has worked […]
Harbourvest Global Private Equity has released its interim results for the six-months ended 31 July 2015. These show the company had US$187m of realisations during the period (a record level) and is reportedly on track to meet the US$356m received during the last financial year. NAV per share increased 6% during the period from US$15.86 […]
China Nonferrous Gold expects to begin trial processing through the plant at its 100%-owned Pakrut gold project, in the Republic of Tajikistan, in October. In its latest interim results, the company reports that the plant is more than 95% complete and with 90 kt of mined ore on the stockpile the company will begin processing […]
Genesis Emerging Markets underperformed its benchmark over the year to the end of June 2015 – the return on net assets was -1.1% while the return on the MSCI Emerging Markets Index was +3.5%. Unfortunately for shareholders the discount widened as well, from 6.1% to 11.8% and this translated into a -7.2% return to shareholders, […]
HarbourVest Global Private Equity has announced the successful renewal of its multi-currency credit facility with Lloyds Bank plc. HVPE has refinanced the facility, which will increase from $300 million to $500 million with immediate effect. The increased commitment has been provided by a new lender, Credit Suisse AG, which has committed $200 million alongside the existing […]
Hammerson plc, together with its joint venture partner, Allianz Real Estate, has signed an agreement with Ireland’s National Asset Management Agency (“NAMA”) to acquire the Project Jewel portfolio of loans secured against market-leading retail assets in Dublin, Ireland, including Dundrum Town Centre, Ireland’s pre-eminent shopping and leisure destination. The loan acquisition is being made through […]
F&C UK Real Estate reports that its net asset value total return for the year was 22.7% and its shares moved to trade at a 2.6% premium, improving the return to shareholders to 24.9%. four quarterly dividends of 1.25p, totalling 5p are payable for the year and the Board say it is the intention of the Group to continue to pay […]
Better Capital PCC Limited has announced that the General Partner of BECAP Fund LP has sold the entire issued share capital of Fairline Boats Limited to a newly formed special purpose acquisition vehicle affiliated with the Wessex Bristol group of companies for a modest deferred consideration. Fairline was valued at £13.5m at the last 2009 Fund valuation as at […]
Over the year to the end of June 2015, JPMorgan Emerging Markets shrugged off struggling emerging markets to deliver a 7.4% return on net assets and a return to shareholders of 6.6% as compared to a 3.2% return on the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. Austin Forey, the fund’s manager, says his ideal investment is one […]
The performance of utilities companies across the world has been difficult so far this year, following strong performance in 2014. A relatively benign interest rate outlook, coupled with modest growth, saw the US provide much of the gains last year, but this year investors have become increasingly wary of the potential for interest rate rises […]
This week I thought I would write something on BlackRock Latin American Trust. China might have attracted all the headlines recently but the knock-on effect of its slowdown on Latin America has been dramatic. Regional markets have been awful, and the situation has persisted for some time now. http://citywire.co.uk/money/lat-am-trusts-my-worst-call-yet-but-im-not-quitting/a842523
KEFI Minerals has reported that it is likely to fund the whole of the US$120 million required to build a mine at its 100%-owned Tulu Kapi gold project, in Ethopia, at the project level through a combination of debt, gold streaming and equity funding as well as the participation of the Government of Ethiopia, which […]
Caledonia Investments has announced the sale of is 67.9% equity stake in TGE Marine for €106.9m (£78.7m) net of transaction expenses. TGE provides engineering, procurement and construction supervision solutions to the global cryogenic gas markets. This includes the design and supply of gas carriers, fuel gas systems and offshore units. It specialises in cargo handling […]
Standard Life Investments Property Income Trust (SLI), managed by Jason Baggaley (pictured), has entered into a heads of terms to acquire a portfolio of 22 UK commercial properties for approximately £165m. Subject to completion of the appropriate due diligence and valuations, the company says it expects that the portfolio will be acquired through the purchase […]
Capital & Regional, which was granted status as a UK REIT on 31 December 2014, has announced that, in addition to its primary listing on the London Stock Exchange, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange has approved a secondary listing on its main board with trading to commence on Wednesday 7 October 2015. The company is focused […]
Late on Friday, JPMorgan Overseas published its final results for the year ended 30 June 2012. The total return on net assets for the year was 11.8%, ahead of the total return of 9.5% for the benchmark, the MSCI All Country World Index (in sterling terms). The total return to shareholders was 10.3%. The final dividend […]
GCP Student Living has been busy spending the money it raised in its recent C share issue. They have announced the completion of the acquisition of The Pad 2 and exchanged contracts to acquire Scape Shoreditch. The Pad 2 is located adjacent to Royal Holloway, University of London. The Pad 2 is a purpose-built, private student […]
Jupiter Primadona’s annual results, covering the year ended 30 June 2015, show the fund generating a total return of 7.6%, 3% more than its benchmark. The return to shareholders was 7.9%. The quarterly dividends were maintained at 1.6p to give 6.4p for the year as a whole. The fund has been called Jupiter Primadona Growth Trust plc […]
The Law Debenture Corporation has agreed to issue £75m fixed rate 30-year secured private placement notes at an annualised coupon of 3.77%. The Board believes that, in the current bond and interest rate environment, it is desirable to obtain fixed rate, long dated sterling denominated financing at a pricing level that is attractive and, over the longer […]
Toro Limited has invested approximately €31.25m in instruments backed by the performance of a granular non-performing loan portfolio of small and medium sized enterprise (SME) loans and secured residential loans. This co-investment will be junior to any senior financing of the portfolio, and backed proportionately by loan exposures to 1654 SMEs and to 2283 secured residential […]
Renewable Energy Generation published a trading statement this morning in which it said that the UK Government’s decision to change the subsidy regime for onshore wind had hit its business hard. The proposed changes to the Renewables Obligation scheme will not be binding until they receive Royal Assent (due sometime next year) and this is […]
Martin Currie Global Portfolio generated a 2.2% return on net assets over the six month period ended 31 July 2015 – a bit better than its benchmark, the FTSE World Index, which returned 1.9%. the discount widened slightly however and the return to shareholders was 1.2%. The quarterly dividends total 1.8p for the first half – same […]
ICG Longbow has published its interim report covering the six months ended 31 July 2015. They say that over the period the NAV increased modestly to 100.12p. The shares traded in a range of 101.25p to 106.25p, they are currently 106p, maintaining a small premium to NAV throughout. The Company paid a first interim dividend of 1.5p for the […]
ARC Capital Holdings has published results for the year ended 31 December 2014. These are obviously well out of date but they bring investors more up to speed with developments in the business. Normally we summarise large chunks of results statements to make your life easier but In ARC Capital’s case there is so much […]
