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

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.

First Quarter of 2020

We have knitted together the impact on the investment companies from what is now widely considered to be the most severe pandemic in a century. The collapse in asset prices over the latter part of March, brought the curtain down on an up-market that lasted more than ten years. In amongst this, there were pockets, such as the technology sector, that held up well. For many industries, the worst is still to come, as we brace ourselves for the sharpest contraction to global growth since the US great

Third Quarter of 2019

There was palpable shift in sentiment over the third quarter with the cautionary undertone perhaps best reflected by gold’s resurgence. Ongoing trade jockeying between the US and China did not help the mood and neither did the Argentine debt default in August. At the real economy level, manufacturing output has been trending lower across some of the major global economies.

Fidante Daily Digest

Sequoia Economic Infrastructure Income – Results of fundraising | LXi – New investments

Fidante Daily Digest

SEQI – Sequoia Economic Infrastructure Income – Proposed fundraising | CAT – CATCo Reinsurance Opportunities – Increased loss reserves | ASLI – Aberdeen Standard Euro Logistics Income – Q1 2019 NAV

Fidante Daily Digest

SWEF – Starwood European Real Estate Financing – Investment update | SEQI – Sequoia Economic Infrastructure – RCF and possible fundraising |

Fidante Daily Digest

Sequoia Economic Infrastructure Income – Interims to 30 September 2018 | BBGI – Acquisitions

Fidante Daily Digest

PSH* - Pershing Square Holdings – New investment | SEQI - Sequoia Economic Infrastructure Income – Results of fundraising | INPP – International Public Partnerships – Proposed fundraising | PRSR - PRS REIT – Finals to 30 June 2018 and quarterly trading update | PTF – Phaunos Timber – Board recommendation

Fidante Daily Digest

Primary Health Properties – Acquisition | Sequoia Economic Infrastructure Income – Capital raising | John Laing Infrastructure – Cash offer | Greencoat renewables– Interim results to 30 June 2018

LIBERUM: PayPoint: Growth is not priced in

DSW Capital+ (DSW, House Stock at 51p) - H1 results –promising outlook

Octopus Renewables Infrastructure

ORIT: renewables diversified across stage, technology, and geography…

A tough year, but clear fundamental value

AUM closed FY23 (30 Sep 23) on £37.4bn, 5% up y-o-y. Net flows were slightly negative (-£92m or -0.3% of opening AUM), with investment performance adding £1.8bn. It’s been a tough year for asset managers, but in a London-listed peer group, Impax recorded the second-strongest net flow rate (median -7%, see note). Some experienced heavy (double-digit) net outflows. A profit fall was due to adjusted operating costs increasing faster than revenue, by 11% from £108.0m to £120.3m. Part of this increas

Lifesafe (LIFS) - Strong growth but downgrades nonetheless as we await industrial fluid

LIFS' announcement this morning discloses strong revenue growth, with sales in the first eleven months up 62%, highlighting the attractiveness of their innovative fire products. These have made them leaders on Amazon both in the UK and in the substantial US market, where they were successfully launched early last year. However, disappointing sales from one partner, combined with enhanced competition, have caused a pull-back in sales forecasts combined with increased losses in the current year; a

Morning Note – 30 November 2023

H1'24 results: strength of the model evident

Around the World in Eight Ideas - Investment Trust Opportunities Beyond the UK

Although the UK now represents a paltry 3.5-4.0% of global equity indices, home bias in the domestic stock market is estimated at c 25% across institutional and retail investors. This persists across asset classes: in the Investment Association universe of open-ended funds, 28.1% of total AUM at the end of September 2023 was invested in UK sectors. This leaves a significant amount of investors' assets exposed to overseas markets that may be unfamiliar and harder to access. In such a situation, t

Vanquis Banking Group+ (VANQ, House Stock at 112p) - Adding flesh to the bones

NewRiver REIT+ (NRR, House Stock at 85p) - High quality earnings story – upgrade potential

Initial Equity Trading Comments - 1 December 2023

LIBERUM: DF Capital: Taking a prudent view on the refinancing of the major dealer

Ondo secures funds to drive US & Nordic rollouts

Ondo InsurTech has raised £1.08m from an ABB placing (5.3m shares at 20.5p, inside a 20-22p spread

Agronomics - A unique offering in a rapidly developing sector

Agronomics (ANIC) invests in cellular agriculture companies. Since mid-2022 it has placed increasing emphasis on companies using precision fermentation technology or providing contract precision fermentation services, as these appear to have greater near-term commercial potential than cultivated meat and seafood. Agronomics’ NAV has risen almost 100% since the inception of the current strategy in April 2019, and looks set to increase further as the company’s portfolio holdings receive regulatory

Duke Royalty - In Royal Health

Duke has released its H1/24A interim results for the period ending 30th September 2023 that are in-line with expectations. Recurring cash revenues increased 17% to £12.2m, whilst total cash revenues increased 35% to £14.1m. The portfolio continues to be resilient despite macroeconomic headwinds, and c£18m of capital was deployed across new and existing investments. We iterate a 1-year price target of 45p based on a target FCF yield of 8%.