Deutsche Beteiligungs - Solid exits in FY23, expanding into private debt

Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) posted a strong 18.1% NAV TR in FY23 (to end-September 2023), which more than offset the NAV TR loss in FY22 of c 13%. Its performance benefited from, among other factors, comparable multiples expansion and a successful year in terms of realisations (in contrast to the muted exit activity across the broad global PE market). Moreover, DBAG’s management decided to enter the fast-growing private debt market through the acquisition of a majority stake in ELF Capital, wit

Deutsche Beteiligungs - On track to meet the FY23 guidance

Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) posted a 20% NAV total return in the nine months to end-June 2023, thereby recouping the valuation loss in FY22. The uplift to last carrying value from its recently agreed sale of R+S (implying a healthy internal rate of return of over 40%) contributed €14m to its net income in Q323. As a result, management now expects FY23 results to be at the upper half of its guidance of net income at €85–115m and NAV of €610–715m. DBAG’s asset management business delivered a prof

Deutsche Beteiligungs - Solid liquidity for new investments

Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) posted a healthy 14% NAV total return in H123 (ending March 2023) due to expanding public peer multiples, the first time recognition of 2023 budgeted results (in Q123) and value-accretive add-on acquisitions. Proceeds from recent realisations have provided DBAG with sizeable capital to pursue new investments (management remains committed to investing €96m pa on average in 2023–25), though global M&A markets remain relatively muted, limiting DBAG’s investment activity

Deutsche Beteiligungs - Robust exit activity in Q123

Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) posted a 7% increase in NAV per share in Q123 (ending 31 December 2022), supported by a €23.9m positive effect related to the higher earnings of portfolio companies, mostly due to the shift from 2022 to 2023 budgeted earnings in their carrying values. This was further strengthened by €36.5m valuation tailwinds from higher multiples amid the rally in public equities in the last quarter of 2022, as well as the recognition of agreed disposal prices (most notably for BTV

Deutsche Beteiligungs - Recession in Germany unfolding

Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) posted a c 13% NAV decline in total return terms in FY22 (to end-September 2022), affected by lower public equity multiples used in the valuation and macroeconomic headwinds in Germany. In light of its high investment activity in FY22 (€176.8m, skewed towards IT services and software) and faltering private equity exits globally, management has proposed a lower dividend (to preserve capital for new and follow-on investments) of €0.80/share (vs €1.60 paid from FY21 pro

Deutsche Beteiligungs - Fall in public multiples reduced portfolio value

Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) reported a net loss of €78.3m in 9M22 (ending June 2022), which translated into an 11.7% NAV decline (in total return terms), less than the 28% fall in the SDAX during the period. The contraction of public multiples used to value its portfolio outweighed positive earnings contributions. The fund services segment generated €9.4m profit in 9M22 from managing €2.5bn assets, and DBAG confirmed its segment guidance of €14–16m profit in FY22. DBAG also continued its high a

Deutsche Beteiligungs - Valuations hit by macro headwinds

Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) reported a 5.3% NAV decrease to €631.6m (defined as equity value) in H122 in total return terms. The main driver of the decrease was the revaluation of the held portfolio, which reduced NAV by 8pp, on the back of contracting market valuation multiples (amid the recent public market sell-off) and higher discount rates to reflect the risk of several companies not achieving their respective FY22 budgets. Meanwhile, DBAG continues its capital deployment agenda and invest

Deutsche Beteiligungs - Solid investment pace in Q122

Deutsche Beteiligungs’ (DBAG) NAV (defined as equity value per share) decreased slightly by 1.2% in Q122 (to end-December 2021) in TR terms, which puts the one-year TR at 26.1%. While the carried portfolio value decreased (mostly due to the contraction in market multiples), DBAG realised a €13.9m profit on agreed disposals. The company is making good progress in expanding its portfolio, with four new platform investments and 14 add-on acquisitions closed or agreed during the quarter. The operati

Deutsche Beteiligungs - Targeting a 10%+ AUM and NAV CAGR to FY24

Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) posted a NAV total return (TR) of 35.3% in FY21 (to end-September 2021). This return is in line with public and private equity (PE) markets and followed a weaker FY18–19 amid an industrial slowdown in Germany. Performance was driven by the revaluation of existing holdings (mostly broadband/telecom and IT/software) on the back of both earnings growth and multiples expansion. Additional uplift came from selected disposals/refinancings. Management proposed a dividend of

Deutsche Beteiligungs - German private equity investor and manager

Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) is a well-established player in the German private equity (PE) mid-market. It has been increasing its exposure to new ‘growth’ sectors, which currently make up 43% of its portfolio and have proved resilient in the COVID-19 crisis. These include broadband/telecom (25%), which are a play on the secular trend of network roll-out in Germany. DBAG’s industrial exposure (currently valued at slightly below the average acquisition cost) represents 39% of the portfolio and ma

Deutsche Beteiligungs - Strong firepower for new acquisitions

Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) posted a 24.5% NAV total return in 9M21, even after the dilutive impact of the recent €100m share issue. This was mainly a function of improved earnings expectations of portfolio companies, coupled with disposal gains on DNS:Net and Rheinhold & Mahla, as well as a €26.0m uplift upon the announced exit from blikk. Results were further supported by the profit from DBAG’s fund services (up to €13.9m in 9M21 vs €6.6m in 9M20) following the start of DBAG Fund VIII’s inves

Deutsche Beteiligungs - Targeting a high volume of new investments

Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) reported a 17.3% NAV total return in H121, which includes an €0.80 dividend paid in the period (implying a 2.4% yield). NAV growth was primarily driven by the improved earnings prospects of portfolio companies and gains on the disposals of Rheinhold & Mahla and DNS:NET. DBAG recently significantly increased its available cash resources through a €106m equity issue and is now well positioned to embark on its extensive investment agenda. Its funds in the investment pha

Deutsche Beteiligungs - Improving earnings outlook across the portfolio

Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) reported a 5.9% NAV (defined as equity per share) increase in Q121 (ending December 2020) driven by the improved earnings prospects of its portfolio companies across sectors. Fee income improved markedly to €11.1m (Q120: €7.4m) as DBAG Fund VIII started investing in August 2020 and management’s guidance for FY21 remains €42–44m (vs €30.6m in FY20). DBAG sees a number of opportunities and is likely to be a net investor in FY21, including deals alongside its funds (it

Deutsche Beteiligungs - Minor negative NAV total return in FY20

Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) saw a mixed impact from the COVID-19 crisis on portfolio earnings in FY20, with its ‘growth’ sectors (broadband/telecom in particular) proving resilient, while its industrial portfolio was hit harder. Strong public equity markets drove an increase in the average EBITDA multiple used to value its portfolio (8.8x vs 7.8x in FY19). DBAG’s mid-term ambition to FY23 assumes a strong pickup in investments through the recently launched DBAG Fund VIII and long-term investmen

LIBERUM: Plus500: Strategic progress pays dividends

Tatton Asset Management (TAM LN) - Record net inflows

Tatton, the leading on-platform discretionary fund manager (DFM) and IFA support services Group has released a trading update ahead of its results to 31 March 2024, due on 18 June 2024.

Hardman & Co Insight: 2023 was an annus horribilis for Quoted UK Infrastructure and Renewable Energy

The focus of Hardman & Co Research is on the nine quoted Infrastructure Investment Companies (IICs) and on the 22 Renewable Energy Infrastructure Funds (REIFs): the stocks analysed are all members of the Association of Investment Companies (AIC). We are updating our publication of January 2023, assessing both the lacklustre share price performances during 2023 and the key issues, including interest rates, inflation and power prices. As a 31-strong group, its combined market capitalisation is no

Ondo InsurTech FY24 Trading Update

Ondo InsurTech has released a brief post-YE update revealing its good progress continued through 2H24 and consequently FY24 will be in line with market expectations.

BlackRock World Mining

BRWM’s managers: we see all the classic signs of high commodity prices...

NextEnergy Solar Fund - Attractive Refinancing

The refinancing of a £135m revolving credit facility and the extension of a similar £70m facility gives NESF firepower as development opportunities for new solar are especially attractive thanks to lower module prices in Europe. They give the fund key financial flexibility at a critical time as it pursues its capital recycling programme.

The Hardman & Co Monthly: April 2024

Feature article: Steady as she goes, but could be better: A review of investment company liquidity since 2016 Liquidity is the lifeblood of equity markets. The measurement of liquid asset availability to a market or company is a way of gauging a market’s health. This article builds on our previous work, which analysed the liquidity data for non-financial trading companies, by applying the same analytical techniques to the investment companies (IC) space. We analyse liquidity for ICs as a whol

Initial Equity Trading Comments - 19 February 2024

M Winkworth+ (WINK, House Stock at 163p) - Solid FY23A results, well placed to grow

Resilient FY24, confident long-term outlook

Vp’s full year update highlights sector-leading results, once again benefiting from the diversity of its end markets and the quality of its specialist businesses. With results expected to be broadly in line with expectations, we trim our FY24 PBT forecast by c.5% to £39.0m, a shade below the FY23 outturn (£40.2m). We consider this an impressively resilient performance set against a mixed market backdrop. Under new leadership, a strategic refresh is underway and management is confident in long

Hybridan Small Cap Feast - 16/04/2024

16th April 2024 * A corporate client of Hybridan LLP ** Arranged by type of listing and date of announcement *** Alphabetically arranged **** Potential means Intention to Float (ITF) has been announced Dish of the day Admissions: Delistings: What’s baking in the oven? ** Potential**** Initial Public Offerings: Reverse Takeovers: Electric Guitar (ELEG.L) Concurrent with its Admission to trading on AIM, Electric Guitar is proposing to acquire the entire issued share capital of 3radical Limited for

NextEnergy Solar Fund – High- and growing-income opportunity?

NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF) is almost 10 years old. Since launch, it has built a £1.2bn, 933MW portfolio of 100 operating solar assets, powering the equivalent of over 330,000 homes, declared dividends totalling £333m, and avoided the emission of about 2.2 Mt CO2e. NESF is on track to pay 8.35p in dividends, with forecast dividend cover of about 1.3x. Share price weakness that has afflicted the whole sector means that dividend translates to a yield of 11.1%, one of the highest in its sector, a

Jupiter Green

JGC’s fundamental story continues to show resilience, but the discount remains wide…

Lowland Investment Company - Is the tide turning?

Lowland Investment Company’s (LWI’s) unconstrained, multi-cap investment policy differentiates it from most peers in the AIC UK Equity Income sector. It offers investors broad market exposure, outside of the large, traditional ‘income stocks’ at a 13% discount to NAV. The underperformance of small- and mid-cap companies versus larger peers has slowed and a turnaround would be very positive for LWI. Portfolio returns are already benefiting from acquisition activity, spurred by low valuations, and

AUM up 30% in FY24, record flows, forecasts raised

AUM jumped £3.8bn or +30% in FY24, reaching £16.6bn on 31 Mar 24, 12% above our previous forecast of £14.7bn. Including 50%-owned 8AM Global, Assets Under Influence hit £17.6bn. Investment performance provided a tailwind, adding £1.5bn to AUM. But our key takeaway from Tatton’s hugely impressive last few years, is that it has designed and implemented a superior offering in platform-MPS with net flows consistently far higher than peers. That leadership looks even more pronounced in H2-24 with net