Today’s $2.3m framework agreement with an existing Tier 1 global customer is further validation of Clareti’s competitive advantage, of its ability to land and expand and, logically, is the augury of incremental revenues ahead. Gresham continues to gain market share in the critical Tier 1 space and we expect this to show in a resumption of revenue growth next year. Trading on forward Clareti recurring revenues of c. 4.1x, we see significant upside.
Companies: Gresham House
In another upbeat update, GHT has confirmed that the business is tracking in line, in turn being driven by strong traction with key customer, ANZ. Here, new sales have driven a 20% increase in contracted customer revenue to >£11m in FY21. As a strategic partner (deeply involved with GHT in bringing new Clareti banking services to market) this extra investment is very encouraging, as it’s indicative of these services‘ strong future potential. Also announced today – GHT state that its transition to a recurring subscription model (commenced just two years ago) is now complete and that ARR now stands at £11.9m, ~+16% annualised organic growth since FY20 y/e. In a tough new business environment, we view this as a highly credible performance. It’s also worth noting that management reference remaining pipeline opportunities, these would further benefit strong forwards visibility – already £22.4m for FY21. Given this – and also as sign of confidence – today we reinstate FY21 forecasts. We look for a reacceleration in top-line growth: +16% y/y to £28.7m at a Group level, in turn driven by c.+24% organic growth in Clareti, to £20m. For valuation – with Clareti still in its relative infancy – we continue to view a sales multiple as most appropriate. Here, we note that peers typically trade in a 5-7x range vs. GHT at 4x our FY21 estimate. This suggests 25-75% upside to fair value for this disruptive company, with a multi-year growth opportunity still ahead.
Smaller companies are usually a problematic area to invest in during significant downturns or recessions; and the sharp fall in 2020 hasn’t been an exception. In this article we assess the performance of smaller companies trusts throughout the pandemic, while identifying the factors that have differentiated the winners from the losers. This includes the impact that cash, market cap exposure, sector allocation, revenue exposure and growth or value biases have had, with some surprising results. We also ask whether now is an attractive time to invest in smaller companies, highlighting the trusts which stand out to us…
Companies: THRG GHE MINI RMMC ASIT ASL MTE TRG BRSC DSM
Companies: SYM PRP APQ GHE AVCT BHRD KP2 PYC ALNOV
Intention to float by Gemfields Group. No Capital Raise. Currently listed on JSE. (GML:JNB) at circa £122m. The Group's key producing assets, the Kagem emerald mine in Zambia (believed to be the world's single largest producing emerald mine) and the Montepuez ruby mine in Mozambique (one of the most significant recently discovered ruby deposits in the world), are both expected to have long mine-lives with potential for expansion. Also owns the Faberge brand. Due Valentines Day 2020.
Companies: KOD NKTN SAE ROL JAY HAT BLOE STX TPG GHE
Companies: G4M AVCT NCC ITM EMIS GFIN IMMO LSAI ECSC GHE
Gresham has announced a new licence agreement with ANZ Bank, its strategic fintech partner. Today’s agreement follows on from the innovation service for new digital open banking technology, first announced in September 2018 and leverages the cloud-based bank integration technology acquired with B2 Group. The agreement, worth up to AUD $4m (c.£2.2m) per year, is the fourth £1m+ Clareti licence announced this year and highlights both the ongoing momentum within the business and management’s commitment to building recurring revenues. We make no changes to our forecasts but see this as further verification of our view that Clareti is rapidly becoming the new standard for enterprise data integrity.
RA International is a leading provider of services to remote locations in Africa and the Middle East looking to join AIM raising £18.8m and 56p, market cap of £97.2m. Expected 29 June Cake Box Holdings—franchise retailer of cakes with a growing store base across the UK looking to join AIM, Sell down of £16.5m, Mkt Cap £43.2m. Mar18 FY rev £12.8m, underlying earnings £3.7m. Due 27 June. Mind Gym. Behavioural science business that uses scalable proprietary products to deliver human capital and business improvement solutions to large corporations. Offer secondary offering of £50.8m at 146p, market cap of £145.1m. Due 28 June Yellow Cake will use its expertise to generate value through the ownership of physical U3O8 (Uranium) together with a range of activities and opportunities connected with owning physical U3O8. Acquiring supply contract for up to $170m. Due Early July. Knights Group— UK regional legal and professional services businesses. FYApr18 rev £34.9m and adjusted operating profit was £6.8m excluding Turner Parkinson (acquiring on IPO). Offer raising £30m primary and £20m secondary at 145p with market cap of £103.5m, expected 29 June. TransGlobe Energy Corporation—an independent international upstream oil and gas company with headquarters in Calgary, Canada is looking to join AIM. No Capital to be raised, market cap of £131m. Expected 29 June Strongbow Exploration (TSX:SBW) intends to dual list on AIM. Holds rights to the South Crofty underground tin mine, a former producing tin mine located in the towns of Pool and Camborne, Cornwall . The project is estimated to require the Company to raise £25 million over the next 18 months to progress to a production decision. Offer TBS. Due June.
Companies: MCL MVR GHE VEL SEN ADA TSG UNG BKS
Gresham House Strategic (GHS LN) is currently rather unloved, trading on a 30%+ discount, which is also the widest since its inception in 2015.
Cradle Arc—holding company of a group of companies focused on the exploration and development of precious and base metals projects in Africa. Offer raising £2.4m with market cap of £20.25m. Expected 10 Jan 2018 Eqtec—Company with access to a proprietary advanced gasification technology used in industrial size power plants to convert waste into synthetic gas to generate electricity. Raising £1.6m. Mkt Cap £25m. Due 28 Dec 2017. Volex VLX.L—The global provider of cable assemblies is proposing to move from the main market to AIM on 19 January. £75m market cap. FYMar18E rev £241.5m and £7.19m PBT. OnTheMarket—Intention to float on AIM to raise c.£50m which will be used to fund the growth of the OnTheMarket.com portal, already the third biggest UK residential property portal provider. Expected valuation £200m to £250m.
Companies: GHE D4T4 GWI WEY VELA GROW BCA RTHM
Gresham House Strategic* (GHS): Discounted value in a market opportunity (CORP) | WYG (WYG): Loss or delay of new contracts, lower volumes (BUY)
Research Tree provides access to ongoing research coverage, media content and regulatory news on Gresham House. We currently have 53 research reports from 7 professional analysts.
Although 2020 will probably go down in history as one of the most challenging years experienced during our lifetime, it will also likely be chronicled as one of the best years for the recognition and appreciation of science. As we entered 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was in its infancy. However, it rapidly evolved through the exponential rise in infections and mortality globally. Much has been achieved during the past 12 months in the fight against COVID-19, but, as we enter 2021, there are considerable concerns about the emergence of a mutant version of the virus and the second wave that we are now facing.
Companies: AVO ARBB ARIX BBGI CLIG DNL FLTA ICGT OCI PCA PIN PHP RECI STX SCE TRX SHED VTA YEW
Today's news & views, plus announcements from KGF, JMAT, LAND, GFTU, VTY, PTEC, BME, YEW, APP, BLV
Companies: LAND APP YEW
AuM grew by +43% (+16% organic) to £29.4bn in Q3. Investment performance was strong (+£2.5bn) as COVID vaccine news propelled markets. Net inflows were maintained qoq (£792m). Sustainable was the stand out performer (+24%). AuM has broken through £30bn post-period end. Better than expected AuM drives +3% FY21e EPS and +5% in outer years. Continued distribution efforts in Sustainable, Global Equity and Multi-Asset funds stands to catalyse earnings. Alongside flow momentum, 12x FY22e PER is not reflecting this upside.
Companies: Liontrust Asset Management PLC
I once sat through a three-hour performance of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot at the Theatre Royal which, despite the best efforts of Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart – both of whom I like very much – to this day remains one of the dreariest experiences of my life. It is on that note that we welcome 2021, with all the promise it holds, and return to our ‘top picks’ for 2020, a year which is probably best summarised (for those of us lucky enough to have been not directly impacted by the virus) by the Lord Chamberlain’s censor in his review of the first performance of Godot in 1955 – in which he described having to ‘endure hours [and hours] of angry boredom’. As always, these ‘picks’ do not represent advice, and should in no way be relied upon as such; they have been chosen on a lighthearted basis with no thought given to their suitability for your personal circumstances.
Companies: TFG IPU IEM HOT OCI BRWM JRS RICA BHMG BRLA JMI GPM MINI SMT
Whilst falling power price forecasts (the product of a range of factors, including lower gas prices and reduced demand) have weighed on GCP’s NAV in recent quarters, the good news on vaccines should provide some relief. We explained the rationale for GCP’s rebased 7p annual dividend in our last note. We would note that, even after the cut, GCP trades on the highest yield in its sector (by some distance) and the investment adviser has a pipeline of opportunities lined up that it thinks will allow GCP to maintain and possibly grow the dividend in the future.
Companies: GCP Infrastructure Investments
Urban Logistics REIT (“REIT”) has acquired another high quality “last mile” asset in the Wirral for £16.3m (5.0% NIY). The 169k sqft site is let to a subsidiary of Culina. It is leased through to 2032 and has clear rental progression, with an uplift on commencement of a reversionary lease in 2022 and a rent review in 2027. 99% rents for the Jan-Mar quarter have already been collected – highlighting the resilience in the tenant base/income. We do not change forecasts, already assuming full deployment by year end. We estimate that c.£75m capital capacity remains. We note a 6%+ dividend yield in FY22e – a 12m period of full capital deployment – and note that the discount ignores embedded NAV growth potential.
Companies: Urban Logistics REIT plc
The Thistle Portfolio - Sigma’s first PRS mandate for clients of Gatehouse Bank – has been sold to Goldman Sachs and Pitmore for c.£150m. This was built at a £110m cost only ~5 years ago. This marks one of the few major transactions of a portfolio of single-let family homes in the UK and underscores the value which Sigma’s model is able to create with the 4.15% exit net initial yield (“NIY”) a full 35bps better than current assumption. This has positive implications for returns in The PRS REIT, the EQT mandate and for Sigma’s model overall. The sale crystallises a c.£3m carried interest; higher than expected. We do not change forecasts in light of imminent FY20 results. Sigma continues to trade at a significant discount to our 200p/share intrinsic value, which excludes any upside from further fundraising.
Companies: Sigma Capital Group plc
Further media reports that Dr Martens, the British Boot brand is planning an IPO on the LSE. It is currently owned by PE group, Permira who is expected to sell down its stake at the IPO. March 2020 YE the group had revenues of £672m and EBITDA of £184m. Deal size TBC. Upon Admission to AIM, Nightcap will acquire The London Cocktail Club Limited (the "London Cocktail Club"), which is an award winning independent operator of ten individually themed cocktail bars in nine London locations and one location in Bristol. Offer TBC Due mid Jan. HSS Hire Group, HSS.L transfer from Main to Aim. Mkt Cap c. £70m. Recently raised £52.6m. Leading supplier of tool and equipment for hire in the United Kingdom and Ireland and has provided equipment hire services in the United Kingdom for more than 60 years, primarily focusing on the B2B market. Due 14 Jan. VH Global Sustainable Energy Opportunities plc, a closed-ended investment Company focused on making sustainable energy infrastructure investments, today announces intends to launch an initial public offering of shares on the Official List (Premium) of the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. Due by Early Feb.
Companies: IUG CBP KAT APP RST DIS NICL BOKU CNIC HE1
Hipgnosis Songs Fund, is independently valued by Massarsky, who in December chose to reduce the discount rate on the revenues generated by the portfolio from 9% to 8.5%, due to strong evidence of growth in streaming numbers and the stable nature of the revenue stream. This produced a NAV of 125.35p as at the 30 September interim period end. It is worth noting the recent publication of significant changes in the discount rate as announced by Professor Aswath Damodaran of the Stern Business School in New York for the Entertainment Industry to 4.82% from 7.83% in January 2020. Combined with recent evidence that music streaming revenues in 2020 are now larger than the entire music market in 2016, we believe this is an encouraging backdrop for potential further reductions in the discount rate being applied by Massarsky going forward
Companies: Hipgnosis Songs Fund C Shares
Henderson Opportunities Trust (HOT) has performed strongly since experiencing sharp NAV and share price declines in the Q120 market sell-off, powering to the top of the AIC UK All Companies sector over the past 12 months with an NAV total return of c 40% in the second half of 2020. Managers James Henderson and Laura Foll say performance has benefited from holding a number of ‘next-generation leaders’ in the UK. The portfolio is esoteric in its make-up and seeks to avoid being overly exposed to trends in the global and domestic economy. The managers continue to see good value opportunities across the UK market, particularly on AIM, and say their intention to maintain gearing at a ‘decent’ level (c 10–15%) is indicative of feeling the portfolio and market offer good value.
Companies: Henderson Opportunities Trust
The PRS REIT (“PRSR”) has seen 529 completions in Q2 as momentum is sustained. 3,163 homes have been completed (£29m ERV) progressing towards the 5,200 target by FY22e. We note the Thistle Portfolio sale announced today will likely provide a positive catalyst for valuation in the next 12 months. The shares currently trade on a 24% discount to NAV with a 5%+ yield (growing to 6.5% on stabilisation). We expect progress over the next 9-12m to represent an inflection point in terms of return visibility and the discount to narrow, alongside an attractive yield and NAV progression, driving a total return profile.
Companies: PRS REIT Plc
CVC Credit Partners European Opportunities (CCPEOL) has achieved a total NAV return of 1.9% (target 8% annual return) in the last 12 months. Its index outperformance was helped by sector rotation early in the COVID-19 crisis and by staying positive on the market. The manager sees the greatest opportunity in the upper CCC and lower B segments and in structured finance. CCPEOL remains optimistic in the credit opportunities segment, despite the market recovery. It expects 2021 will bring more leveraged loan issuance from broader industrial segments, thus providing greater investment prospects. Portfolio resilience led CCPEOL to raise its annual dividend from 4p/4c per share to 4.5p/4.5c in September 2020.
Companies: CVC Credit Partners Europn Opprtnity
Cornish Metals (TSX-V: CUSN) intends to list on AIM. The Company is proposing to raise £5 million by way of private placement of new Common Shares (the "Fundraising") to advance the United Downs copper-tin project. The Company expects that Admission will become effective in February 2021. The Company's Common Shares will continue to be listed and trade on the TSX-V in Canada. Further media reports that Dr Martens, the British Boot brand is planning an IPO on the LSE. It is currently owned by PE group, Permira who is expected to sell down its stake at the IPO. March 2020 YE the group had revenues of £672m and EBITDA of £184m. Deal size TBC. VH Global Sustainable Energy Opportunities plc, a closed-ended investment Company focused on making sustainable energy infrastructure investments, today announces intends to launch an initial public offering of shares on the Official List (Premium) of the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. Due by Early Feb. Moonpig, the digital greeting card company, is planning an IPO with a potential valuation of £1bln, according to multiple media reports. Further details expected to be announced over the next two weeks.
Companies: ZPHR PANR PRSM SENS CYAN G4M ITX CRCL FEN ZIN
Interim results demonstrate YoY growth and a resilient outcome that has exceeded management's expectations from the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is testament to the degree of recurring revenue generated across the business. FY21 trading looks to be more challenging, as notably lower new insurance sales post-lockdown will translate into lower premium income. A number of organic opportunities are being worked on to fill the shortfall. Rising UK redundancies and their impact on policyholder retentions creates great uncertainty, hence our forecasts remain withdrawn and recommendation remains Under Review.
Companies: Personal Group Holdings Plc
Atlantis Japan Growth Fund (AJG) invests in a diversified portfolio of listed Japanese equities, with the aim of realising long-term capital growth. It has a bias towards growth stocks. Lead adviser Taeko Setaishi believes several trends accelerated by the coronavirus crisis and new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s structural reform agenda have the potential to generate new investment opportunities and productivity gains, which will benefit companies in many sectors. AJG’s performance has been positive in absolute terms and it has outperformed its benchmark over one, three, five and 10 years. The fund has also outperformed the UK market over all these periods. AJG pays a quarterly dividend of 1% of NAV.
Companies: Atlantis Japan Growth Fund
