Hot Off The Wires - The Day Ahead

Today's news and views, plus announcements from: TRIG, JSE, AMRQ, SED, LABS, UJO, & TM1.

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

TRIG - Renewables Infrastructure Group

TRIG’s shares have dramatically derated over 18 months, yet prospective returns appear more attractive, not less…

Hot Off The Wires - The Day Ahead

Today's news and views, plus announcements from: TRIG, CRST, IDOX, FCRM, TRR, USF, & LSL.

Hardman & Co Insight: UK interest rates and “risk-free” gilts at their peak? Infrastructure stocks struggle

The share price performances of the nine Infrastructure Investment Companies (IICs) and of the 22 Renewable Energy Infrastructure Funds (REIFs) have been dire over the past year. Undoubtedly, the sharp rise in interest rates has presented the sector with serious challenges, especially since the yield on “risk-free” 10-year gilts has risen appreciably. Furthermore, the ongoing war in Ukraine and high inflation rates, from which many IICs and REIFs are partially ‒ if not wholly ‒ protected, contin

The Hardman & Co Monthly: August 2023

Feature article: UK interest rates and “risk-free” gilts at their peak? Infrastructure stocks struggle Executive summary Infrastructure/Renewable Energy Funds ► The share price performances of the nine Infrastructure Investment Companies (IICs) and of the 22 Renewable Energy Infrastructure Funds (REIFs) have been dire over the past year. Undoubtedly, the sharp rise in interest rates has presented the sector with serious challenges, especially since the yield on “risk-free” 10-year gilts has r

TRIG - Renewables Infrastructure Group

TRIG’s long-term inflation-linkage seems underappreciated by a market fixated on the short term…

Hot Off The Wires - The Day Ahead

Today's news and views, plus announcements from: SSE, MKS, AV/, KGF, HICL, TRIG, INCH, CHG, CBG, LMP, SEPL, & REGL.

TRIG - Renewables Infrastructure Group

TRIG’s consistent and inflation-linked returns are underpinned by a high-quality portfolio…

Hardman & Co Insight: Higher interest rates overshadow IIC/REIF prospects

Hardman & Co Research’s focus is on the nine quoted infrastructure investment companies (IICs) and on the 22 renewable energy infrastructure funds (REIFs), most of which saw their share prices fall during 2022, while the FTSE 100 rose by just 0.9%. In our Quoted UK Infrastructure and Renewable Energy – Prospects for 2023 publication, we have addressed the three key issues of recent months: higher inflation, extremely volatile power prices and rising interest rates.

TRIG - Renewables Infrastructure Group

TRIG’s attractions remain undiminished, yet trade on a discount of 4.5%…

Wind blowing in all directions

The Renewables Infrastructure Group (TRIG) is London''s 2nd largest listed investment trust dedicated to renewable energies. TRIG owns a GBP3.3bn portfolio of wind and solar generators across the UK and Europe with the bulk of it having secured government-backed PPAs that fix the price of electricity. Over 60% of TRIG''s forecast revenues until 2032 are fixed in nature. Defensive portfolio with some upside from power prices TRIG has high visibility on future cash flows, enabling the stock to off

TRIG - The Renewables Infrastructure Group

We look at TRIG’s key sensitivities to macro factors…

Inflation & Investment Trusts - Sep 2022

Inflation has now persisted beyond most people's 2021 expectations for a “short term blip” following the COVID crisis, and investors are increasingly under pressure to generate positive real returns in the first highly inflationary (i.e., >5%) environment since 1991. We expect a degree of asset price volatility to continue across all asset classes for quite some time. In this note we look at the factors behind the current inflationary environment, evaluate which ones are likely to persist and

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

Redde

Proposed share-for-share merger with Northgate

LIBERUM: Ramsdens Holdings: Reassuring AGM update

Record - Underlying growth and pipeline are attractive

In H124, Record posted steady management fee growth of 3% y-o-y to £19.6m as the company benefited from a higher assets under management equivalent (AUME) base. Total revenues, however, were down 3% as performance fees in H123 outweighed those earned in H124. Profit before tax was down 17% y-o-y to £6.3m as Record incurred costs related to its expansion and modernisation initiatives. In line with its progressive dividend policy, Record increased its dividend by 5% y-o-y to 2.15p per share. After

Initial Equity Trading Comments - 1 December 2023

H&T Group (HAT): Core franchise build, short-term retail noise

In our 15 March 2023 initiation, 'Pawnbroking royalty, with strong, profitable growth', and subsequent notes, we have highlighted the strong market for pawnbroking and why H&T, as the market leader, is uniquely placed to take advantage of these opportunities. These results reconfirmed both, with the pledge book up 28% and net pawnbroking revenue up 36%. Like many in the retail space, H&T faced the challenge of customers focusing on lower-value, lower-margin items in the key run-up to Christmas 2

Investment performance drives 6% H1 AUM growth

AUM was up by £2.2bn or 6% over H1-24, reaching £39.6bn on 31 Mar 24 (30 Sep 23: £37.4bn). This is slightly above the trajectory required to meet our FY24 AUM forecast of £41.1bn (+10% annual growth), but taking a cautious approach our FY24 forecasts remain unchanged. A very strong investment performance was the growth driver in H1, contributing +£4.9bn (+13%) while net outflows were £2.7bn. We maintain our strong conviction that medium-to-long term structural factors favour Impax, but also fla

Zeus Top Picks for 2024 - 2023 review and outlook for 2024

On 9 January last year, we set out our ten top stock picks for 2023, for what turned out to be another relatively poor twelve months for UK equities due to two wars, stubbornly high inflation and further tightening of monetary policy. This was even as other major markets, such as the US, largely recovered in the year. In the 2023 calendar year, the AIM All-Share index fell 8.2% and is still 42% off its 2021 high. From the release of our 2023 top picks note, the average total return (assuming div

Foxtons Group (FOXT LN) - 1Q24 IMS shows real momentum

Foxtons Group plc first quarter revenue rose 9% to £35.7m (1Q23: £32.9m) with growth delivered across all business segments. Trading is in line with management's expectations.

PCI Pal - +25% FY23 revenue growth, FY24 growth of +28% reiterated

PCI Pal’s FY23 results show revenue growth of +25% to £14.9m, gross profit growth of +31% to £13.1m at a margin of 88%, and an outlook confirming robust momentum in H1 24. The FY23 results are as expected following the August trading update, and FY23 Total Annual Contract Value (TACV) is +23% yoy to £16.4m, with ARR +14% yoy to £12.6m due to £3.1m of contracts in deployment. We expect ARR will increase +35% and +31% to £17.0m and £22.2m in FY24 and FY25, as management lands and expands following

TR Property

TRY: a unique way to capture a recovery in property valuations...

LIBERUM: AEW UK REIT: A resilient quarterly performance

Target Healthcare REIT - DPS growth from a sustainable base

Target Healthcare REIT’s mid-year rebasing of DPS sought to establish a base for growth on a fully covered basis. With FY23 results in line with previous indications, and progress continuing, the company has increased the quarterly rate of DPS by 2% from Q124. With rent collection restored, we expect rental growth, development completions and fixed debt costs to support continued, progressive, fully covered dividend growth.

H&T Group+ (HAT, House Stock at 340p) - A record year with more to come

Strong H1'23 results; forecasts upgraded