Avation - Sale of two ATR 72-600s from order book for $10m net cash proceeds

Avation, a lessor of 34 commercial aircraft, announced on Friday that it has entered into a sale agreement for two ATR 72-600s on order, with the transaction expected to result in $10m of net cash proceeds to the company. As previously announced, the ATRs were scheduled for delivery to Avation in Q4 2024/ Q1 2025, and will now be sold on to an airline client, with the aircraft sales expected to be completed on the date of delivery. The aircraft had been ordered through the exercise of purchase r

Gresham House Energy Storage Fund - Focused on revenues and project completions

Gresham House Energy Storage Fund (GRID) invests in utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Great Britain. GRID and its peers saw sharp share price falls in H223 and early 2024, due mostly to an unexpected decline in revenues and the slower-than-expected utilisation of BESS by the UK’s Electricity System Operator (see our last note). In response to these events, GRID’s manager, Ben Guest, and its board have refocused the company’s use of capital and are now concentrating on maximi

Target Healthcare REIT - Positive momentum continued in Q3

Target Healthcare REIT’s Q324 update shows a fifth successive quarter of positive NAV total return, with indexed rent reviews driving increased earnings and property values. Tenant profitability continues to strengthen, reflected in a high level of rent cover and rent collection. Dividends are well covered by adjusted earnings and we expect further DPS growth.

UK Equities: Overlooked, oversold, and over here

In this note we look at the gap between perception and reality in the UK equity market, the opportunities and threats in the economic and market outlook, and the emerging consensus that the valuation discount versus other major markets is at or close to an inflection point. We consider the benefits of UK equity strategies both for income investors and for those seeking exposure to the higher growth potential of smaller and mid-cap companies.

LIBERUM: Harworth: Trading update: On track to deliver on targets

LIBERUM: Speedy Hire: Weakness in FY 24 but recovery in FY 25

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

UK REITs: Building back better

UK commercial property has been a cornerstone asset for many income-seeking investors (both retail and institutional) in recent decades, particularly since the global financial crisis of 2007/8 and the resulting ultra-low interest rate environment. However, since rates began to rise in 2022 to tackle surging inflation, meaningful returns have once more become available on lower-risk assets such as cash and government bonds, which has led to a retrenchment from alternative income assets such as p

H&T Group+ (HAT, House Stock at 420p) - Record lending continues

ICG Enterprise Trust - FY’24: portfolio companies performing strongly

The key message from ICGT’s FY’24 results (to January) is the continued strength of the operating companies, which keep delivering mid-teen EBITDA growth. Despite challenging markets, margins have widened, which should help allay some concerns over the impact of the higher-rate environment. Target returns are “broadly unchanged”. FY’24 saw about half the usual investment and realisation activity (and fewer realisations saw less NAV uplift on exit). A degree of volatility is to be expected, and t

Volta Finance Limited (VTAS): Putting the discount into perspective

Volta’s share price discount to NAV (26%) is now back to the levels seen in the early stages of the pandemic. This appears anomalous with 6.3% total shareholder return in 1Q’24, the annualised cashflows in excess of 20%, the consensus outlook, as well as the structured debt finance and all investment company averages (11% and 6%, respectively). In our view, any discount reflects investor concerns that either the current NAV is unrealistic or that it cannot be achieved in the future. In this note

Finsbury Growth & Income Trust - Train puts his money where his mouth is

Finsbury Growth & Income Trust (FGT) has been managed by Lindsell Train since the beginning of 2001. During his long tenure, approaching a quarter of a century, lead manager Nick Train has steadily acquired a significant 2.9% personal holding in the trust, which is a considerable amount of ‘skin in the game’. From the beginning of 2001 until the end of 2023, FGT’s 9.0% annual NAV total return was comfortably ahead of the UK market’s 5.1% annual total return. However, Train and deputy manager Mad

Record - AUME momentum and a sharper focus

Record’s Q424 trading update demonstrated continued growth in assets under management equivalent (AUME), which will support management fee growth into FY25. In FY24, AUME grew 17% to US$102.2bn, setting a new milestone in business scale. Net inflows for FY24 were US$6.8bn (FY23: US$9.1bn) or 8% of opening AUME. Performance fees of US$5.8m matched the record FY23 figure, and we expect this to offset the negative product mix in FY24. We have reduced our FY24e EPS by 1%, which is affected by £2.4bn

Hardman & Co Research on NB Private Equity Partners: Wider operating company EBITDA margins in 2023

We reviewed NBPE’s business model in our initiation, Co-investments generating superior performance. We noted the high-secular-growth and downside-resilient investee companies, the value added by GPs, the good co-investing cashflow and return profile and the value added by the NB. The 2023 results confirmed all these trends. The key numbers were i) NAV p/sh $28.07 (£22.02), ii) private portfolio +5.3% in 2023 on a constant currency basis, iii) EV/LTM EBITDA 14.9x, and iv) debt/EBITDA 5.3x. The p

Building a robust platform for growth - FY24 pre-close statement

Against a tough trading background in FY24, Speedy Hire has taken steps to build a platform for long term sustainable growth through the launch of its Velocity strategy. While progress has been more strategic than financial in the year – although we note positive underlying cash flow was achieved - new business wins, the acquisition of Green Power Hire and a transitioned B&Q model all suggest that profitability is likely to move ahead again from FY25 onwards. Speedy’s FY24 pre close statement e