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
India is one of the countries hit worst by the coronavirus crisis. In Q2 the country’s GDP fell 23.9%, which compares to an average of -6.9% for the OECD average and growth of 11% for China, following a 10% decline in Q1. India’s government has also definitively lost control of the virus itself. While other countries can at least claim to be restraining its spread (although that is contentious), India has been continuing with its national unlocking while cases rise rapidly (even if some states have imposed further restrictions). Unfortunately for India, some of the states most affected by the virus are economically very important: Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Below we consider what this means for a long-term investment in India.
Companies: ANII JII SMT SST AIE
2020 has so far proven to be the latest episode in a long period of technology outperformance, as we observed in this article. Over the past decade, technology-related companies have tended to perform like consumer staples or defensives on the downside, and like high-growth discretionary stocks on the upside: an ideal combination from the investor’s point of view. As a result the indices (and fund managers’ portfolios) are increasingly correlated to ‘big tech’. How do investors who want a diversified portfolio deal with this, and how can they introduce more diversification into their portfolios, without reducing the potential for growth? The first step, of course, is to use specialist funds to diversify one’s holdings of individual technology stocks. Allianz Technology Trust (ATT) and Polar Capital Technology Trust (PCT), for instance, are both run by tech specialist managers. But ATT differs from PCT in that the portfolio is significantly more concentrated and, at times, has greater exposure to mid-caps. This combination of features means that ATT can be more volatile and deviate from the benchmark to a greater extent, from time to time. Nonetheless over the last five years, these two aspects of ATT have paid off for its shareholders – having outperformed PCT by a total of 15% in NAV terms. While both trusts have delivered strong returns relative to their Dow Jones World Technology benchmark, both of their fortunes are also inextricably linked to big tech. If the biggest technology companies catch a cold, then the wider technology sector will likely catch it in the short term. At the same time, as we conclude in this article, there are good reasons why the quality characteristics which technology stocks display give them the potential to outperform for years to come. But nothing lasts forever and, while we wouldn’t bet against technology performing strongly in absolute terms over the medium term, it might be that sector leadership could pass elsewhere.
Companies: ATT PCT SMT BBH UKW IBT MHN IEM BERI MWY
Scottish Mortgage (SMT) aims to generate superior returns from global equities with a highly active, long-term approach. The success of that strategy, particularly over the past decade, has led SMT to grow into the largest investment trust on the FTSE and pass on the benefits of scale in exceptionally low fees. The NAV growth has largely come through performance. As we discuss in the Performance section, over the past decade the trust has generated annualised NAV total returns of c. 20%, one of the very best results in the investment-trust sector. Growth has also come through regular issuance of shares in the long periods the trust has been on a premium. Despite a wobble during the recent crisis, the trust is now back on a 3.6% premium. The managers James Anderson (appointed in 2000) and Tom Slater (deputy manager from 2009 and joint-manager since 2015) aim to identify companies which can deliver exceptional returns, then invest in them at an early stage of their development and hold them for the long run. In recent years this has led them to invest heavily in companies developing and benefitting from new technologies, often centred around the internet. This includes those companies operating out of Silicon Valley, but increasingly also their Chinese equivalents and competitors. The managers believe the new technologies being developed in recent years tend to provide opportunities for increasing returns to scale, meaning that many investors have underestimated the long-term potential in companies exploiting them. This has led to a willingness to hold onto companies at apparently high valuations when the managers believe their long-term potential is still being underestimated.
Companies: Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust
In the financial markets, the biggest winners from the crisis so far have – without a doubt – been the technology sectors. Software, hardware, ecommerce and related sectors have outperformed in the immediate aftermath (as we discussed in a recent strategy note). They also seem likely to benefit from some of the likely long-lasting changes to society that the crisis will forge. This is the latest episode in a long period of outperformance. Looking back over the past decade, technology-related companies have tended to perform like consumer staples or defensives on the downside, and like high growth discretionary stocks on the upside: an ideal combination from the investor’s point of view. But will this continue, and can it? In this piece we consider why technology-related stocks and sectors have been so successful and the dangers which could bring their run to an end.
Companies: PCT ATT JFJ MWY SMT MNL BBOX
To those who regularly invest in investment trusts, discounts can often be part of the opportunity. But to others, discounts are an extra complication, not to mention an extra risk. The last six weeks has probably strengthened the prejudices of both sides on the topic. The recent bout of volatility has – in our opinion – more clearly exposed both the advantages and the disadvantages of investment trusts. Our perspective is that discounts are like a drunk friend. They are fun to have around, but at times they let you down, often when it matters most. Ultimately, the investment trust sector is defined by its discounts. The NAV is what the manager delivers, which is the reason why most of our research is focussed on the NAV. Whereas the share price return reflects the NAV with an accelerant (or detractor) – represented by the change in discount over the respective holding period. Why discounts narrow or widen is a matter of continuing debate and, in most cases, comes down to very specific factors applicable to each trust. We would argue that – with the exception of very broad patterns or trends – past movements in discounts are significantly less repeatable than past NAV performance. Fundamentally this is why we believe it is more helpful to use historic investment trust NAV returns as a prism through which to judge the performance characteristics of a trust, rather than historic share price returns. On the other hand, there are ways to incorporate discount analysis into an evaluation of the opportunity presented by an investment trust at any given point in time. We feel that understanding the historic volatility of the discount is fundamental to the task of analysing a trust’s discount, and of defining factors that will influence it in the future. In this article we attempt to quantify the reasons for discount volatility, and point to trusts which offer significantly less discount downside from the current level.
Companies: PLI BHGU SMT RCP TIGT MWY RICA JAM BRWM
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 depression.
Companies: ASL SDV ASIT BGEU BRLA CCPE DPA IEM JMF JZCP JUKG EPIC PSHD CSH RIII CCPG BLP TMPL BPCR SEQI AIF SMT KKVX FAIR ICON RSE CRS GWI USF DIGS
The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, but with March coming to a close we have perhaps seen the end of the first act. Most of the developed world is in various degrees of ‘lockdown’; anxiously watching poorly reported – and often poorly understood – numbers for indications that their government’s strategy is working. Meanwhile equity markets saw one of their worst ever quarters in Q1 2020, as whole swathes of the economy were shut down by government diktat. The speed with which the situation developed was remarkable; and it is fair to say that all managers would have been surprised, even if they had other reasons for being bearish. We take a look at how and why certain investment trusts have done well in absolute and relative terms amidst the carnage, and ask if the causes of the crisis can provide any indication how the situation might end, and which trusts might outperform.
Companies: BHGU BHMG RICA PSHD BGUK MWY USA BGEU SMT MNL ATT FGT TIGT
Recent years have seen companies opt to remain private for longer; due to their ability to access capital from alternative areas and to remain free of the increasingly burdensome requirements of being listed. The implosion of the Woodford Equity Income Fund as a result of liquidity problems has shone a negative light on open-ended funds holding stakes in private companies. However, the capacity to hold illiquid assets is one of the key characteristics of the investment trust structure. In this article we assess the advantages and disadvantages of holding minority stakes in private companies, and the impact that being re-valued periodically can have in a market characterised by wild swings in sentiment; which is perhaps of most relevance in the current market.
Companies: CHRY USA SMT FCSS RCP EWI AUGM
nvestors are increasingly turning to global funds. We suggest that concerns around Brexit are most likely leading investors to seek diversification overseas. In terms of retail sales the global sector has been comfortably the most popular among investors over the past few quarters. In 2018 global funds had close to twice the level of retail sales of any other sector, as can be seen in the chart below. A similar trend has emerged in the investment trust sphere, where the average discount within the 16-strong AIC Global sector sits at 4.7%. Only North America trades at a narrower average. While Brexit may be the cause of this increased appetite, diversifying overseas is a sensible strategy in all economic environments; although investors typically still overweight their own market, a tendency known as ‘home bias’. The AIC Global sector consists of a diverse collection of trusts, which are suitable for a range of different investment purposes. In this paper, we consider the diversification benefits of investing in overseas equities and the options available in the sector. As well as scrutinising each option, we aim to explore which trusts offer genuine diversification.
Companies: SMT MNP MNKS MWY
Scottish Mortgage (SMT) is a global equity portfolio run with a long-term investment time-frame, via a highly-concentrated, growth-orientated stock picking approach. It is the largest ‘conventional’ UK-listed investment trust with net assets of over £8.3bn. The managers aim to invest in the most promising growth companies across the globe, whether publicly listed or private. SMT, which is a member of the FTSE 100, has built a long-term track record of outperformance, growing assets at a rate far in excess of its benchmark index and its sector over the past 20 years. The managers’ focus on exponential structural growth opportunities, seeking to identify companies with products that can change and dominate consumers’ spending habits, often leads them to take sizeable long-term positions in often highly volatile stocks, and the portfolio has often been characterised by a strong weighting to technology stocks. In recent years the managers have identified that an increasing number of companies are seeking to remain privately listed for longer, or even to avoid a public listing altogether. Noting that this often affords management greater freedom to pursue long-term growth opportunities, in alignment with its own investment style, it has sought to incorporate exposure to the private equity market in SMT, and presently holds around 22% (as of 31/08/2019) of its portfolio in unlisted stocks (with a maximum permissible level of 25%). The reasonably concentrated portfolio, high conviction positions and long-term outlook can often lead to periods of sharp volatility, and the trust has generally been more volatile and exposed to drawdowns than the wider market. James Anderson and Tom Slater, the managers of SMT, believe that the effects of strong management and company growth in their stocks cannot be expected to be realised in less than five years, and tend to look through such short-term volatility. Scottish Mortgage remains a strongly performing higher-risk option for equity investors, yet is among the cheapest in terms of OCF. The trust has generated higher levels of volatility than the index and peers and is currently on a discount of 2.3%.
Anyone who takes a strong interest in financial markets sometimes feels the pull of market timing. It is seductive to imagine yourself a canny trader, buying or selling positions just before the market shifts, trading investments daily and beating the herd with superior analysis and instincts. We can add to the existing research suggesting this is a bad idea, and that taking a long-term view of your investments is the way to go. We looked at investment trusts that have outperformed over the past ten years and ran monthly NAV returns. We then calculated how many months were responsible for their outperformance. In other words, how many months did you need to miss to have ended up with market performance or less, negating any benefit of choosing an active fund over a passive fund? The results were surprisingly low, suggesting that switching in and out of investment trusts is fraught with danger and a potential recipe for underperformance, and underlining the case for a long term approach.
Companies: SDV CTY SMT FGT MNP JMG SDP
In our recent research, Measure for Measure, we discussed the importance of a manager’s activeness and the difficulties involved in gauging it. As we have highlighted before, the chance of generating alpha generally rises with how active a manager is, and the UK closed-ended universe has become significantly more active in response to the challenge of cheap passive products. In that article we took a look at a range of measures for assessing the ‘activeness’ of a manager and their strengths and weaknesses. In this article we take a deep dive into the numbers, using tracking error, concentration, gearing and sector movements to look at how active the managers are across the major closed-ended equity sectors; the UK All Companies, UK Equity Income, Global, Global Equity Income, Japan, Europe and North American sectors. We rank the trusts based on each individual metric, but also relative to the rest of the sectors. Finally, we discuss which trusts stand out across the different metrics, and establish an overall ranking for each trust which shows how ‘active’ they are. As always, we are not recommending anything here, and this ranking should not be construed as anything other than a scale showing how ‘active’ each fund is relative to the other funds in the study, according to the metrics we have used. Neither are we suggesting that being very active is, in itself, meritorious.
Companies: IIT LTI SMT JEO FSV BGEU SCF JMF DIG
In recent years active management has been under almost constant attack from the rise of passive funds. Yet threats often give rise to opportunities: we believe that complacency is always the real enemy, and so competition from passive funds can be seen as a positive development in the industry. Active managers have been forced to up their game, and as we discuss below, our research shows that the UK closedended universe has become significantly more active in response to the challenge of cheap passive products. Here we discuss this shifting landscape, its implications for investors and the varying measures for ‘activeness’ available to investors.
Companies: EWI SMT HOT ASEI
“The single greatest edge an investor can have is a long-term orientation”, according to Seth Klarman, the American billionaire hedge fund investor. On the Hargreaves Lansdown platform the number of people with more than £1m in their ISA has increased from just three in 2012 to 168 today. However while this sounds very impressive, £1m doesn’t seem that fanciful given full historic contributions to PEPs and ISAs since 1987 would have added up to more than £291,000. We calculate that an investor would “only” have to have generated an IRR of 7.74% on every year’s subscription to have generated a seven-figure sum today. ISAs offer an excellent way to grow capital and benefit from compounding (that eighth “wonder of the world”) over the very long- term entirely free from the clutches of HMRC. Investments are tax neutral within the ISA wrapper, and in contrast to a SIPP, there is zero tax payable on the entire amount when capital or income is withdrawn. Another contrast to a SIPP is that there is no size limit – under current legislation an individual’s ISA can be as big as it gets. Whilst building an ISA pot of £1m is clearly a huge achievement, our analysis suggests that many investment trust managers would have delivered significantly more. There are around 48 trusts for which we have meaningful statistics going back to 1987 which have had broadly the same strategy and/or elements of the same management team over this time. Of these, an incredible 34 trusts would have delivered a total ISA value (share price returns net of fund fees, but before the ISA wrapper fees) of over £1m, if an individual had put their entire PEP / ISA subscriptions in the same trust every year.
Companies: SMT IIT JEO IEM ICGT OCI SUPP ATST LWI FGT
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Following a positive EGM statement on 16 March, today’s 1Q21 trading update highlights a record quarter for the number of active customers with a further 89k new customers at attractive ARPU and AUAC. This has resulted in revenues more than doubling QoQ to $203m, helped by lower customer trading losses, with EBITDA up six-fold to $121.7m. The performance is a testament to the strength of Plus500’s technology and has been achieved as the group continues to manage high platform volumes and further drives towards its goal to be a multi-asset fintech group from solely being focused on CFDs. We increase our FY21 and FY22 EPS by 7% to reflect the strong performance resulting in the shares trading on just 9.8x CY21 PE. We believe that the benefits of the group’s scalable proprietary technology and marketing algorithms are not reflected in the share price. Hence, we reiterate our BUY rating and increase our TP to 2090p from 1945p.
Companies: Plus500 Ltd.
Semper Fortis Esports* recently announced its intention to IPO onto the Access Segment of the Aquis Stock Exchange Growth Market. Semper is a multi-operational Esports organisation focusing on gaming technology solutions, brand enhancement and high growth team infrastructures. The company plans to raise £2.5m to develop their three core areas of establishing an esports team, forming partnerships with brands for sponsorship and B2B consultancy services. The Board are highly experienced in sports and corporate deal making (Keith Harris, former Chairman of The Football League), technology and electronic gaming (Nolan Bushnell, founder of the pioneering company, Atari), esports and game tech (Kevin Soltani and Jassem Osseiran) and as FD Max Deeley. Target Admission Date of 26 April. Dispersion Holdings PLC, an investor in the high growth FinTech sector within the UK, the USA and Canada, has announced its intention to IPO on the Access Segment of the Aquis Stock Exchange Growth Market. The Board intends to deploy the majority of the Company’s cash resources in the acquisition of minority interests in a number of different, yet to be identified, companies in the broad FinTech sector, and to apply expertise to the business operations and strategic plans of these companies. Target Admission Date of 30 April. Darktrace plc. Intends to float on the main market of the London Stock Exchange (premium). Darktrace was founded in 2013 with a mission to fundamentally transform the ability of organisations to defend their most critical assets in the face of rising cyber threats. Darktrace is a world-leading provider of AI for the enterprise, with the first at-scale in-the-enterprise deployment of AI in cyber security Due early May, musicMagpie is a leader in re-commerce in the UK and US in the circular economy of consumer technology (including smartphones, tablets, consoles and personal computers), books and disc media (including CDs, DVDs and video games). Expected 28 April. Offer details TBA Wickes to demerge from Travis Perkins and list on the Main Market. Expected 28 April. Thor Explorations (TSXV:THX) seeking a secondary listing on AIM. The Company is targeting Admission during Q2 21. Segun Lawson, President & CEO, stated: “Thor Explorations has advanced significantly, in both project development and capitalisation since the acquisition of Segilola in 2016. This year, the Company is well positioned to achieve two major milestones with the commencement of gold production at Segilola in Nigeria and a maiden resource at Douta in Senegal, as well as continuing to progress our highly prospective Nigerian exploration portfolio on the Ilesha Schist belt.” PensionBee has confirmed its intention to float on the High Growth Segment of the Main Market of LSE. The online pension provider had approximately 130,000 Active Customers and £1.5bn of assets under administration as at 28 February 2021. The Offer will comprise new Shares raising gross proceeds of approximately £55m and existing Shares to be sold by certain existing small minority shareholders of up to £5m. None of the founders, directors or members of senior management of PensionBee are selling any existing Shares. Expected in April. Imperial X (AQSE:IMPP) to join the Main Market (standard). It is also proposed that on Admission to the Official List, the Company will change its name to Cloudbreak Discovery Plc. With effect from Admission, Imperial X will hold equity positions and royalties in a variety of projects in the natural resources sector across multiple jurisdictions, primarily in the Americas and Africa. The Company is proposing to raise up to £1.5m by way of placing of new Ordinary Shares to support further prospect acquisitions. Current Mkt cap £4.7m Expected April. Proposed move to AIM from the main market (standard) by Emmerson (EML.L) to provide Emmerson with access to a market and environment which is more suited, in the Board's view, to the Company's current size and strategy ahead of pivotal period for the Company with the commencement of mine construction at the Khemisset Potash Project expected by end of 2021. Follows recent award of Mining Licence granting Emmerson exclusive right to develop and mine the potash deposit and £5.5m raise to fund ongoing project development work. Due 27 April.
Companies: KIBO MTW GWI MTR DUKE ITM GDR MSMN CMCL PTRO
Semper Fortis Esports* recently announced its intention to IPO onto the Access Segment of the Aquis Stock Exchange Growth Market. Semper is a multi-operational Esports organisation focusing on gaming technology solutions, brand enhancement and high growth team infrastructures. The company plans to raise £2.5m to develop their three core areas of establishing an esports team, forming partnerships with brands for sponsorship and B2B consultancy services. The Board are highly experienced in sports and corporate deal making (Keith Harris, former Chairman of The Football League), technology and electronic gaming (Nolan Bushnell, founder of the pioneering company, Atari), esports and game tech (Kevin Soltani and Jassem Osseiran) and as FD Max Deeley. Target Admission Date of 26 April. Darktrace plc. Announcement of Intention to Publish a Registration Document and Potential IPO on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. Darktrace was founded in 2013 with a mission to fundamentally transform the ability of organisations to defend their most critical assets in the face of rising cyber threats. Darktrace is a world-leading provider of AI for the enterprise, with the first at-scale in-the-enterprise deployment of AI in cyber security Timing TBA musicMagpie is a leader in re-commerce in the UK and US in the circular economy of consumer technology (including smartphones, tablets, consoles and personal computers), books and disc media (including CDs, DVDs and video games). Expected 28 April. Offer details TBA Wickes to demerge from Travis Perkins and list on the Main Market. Expected 28 April. Advance Energy to complete an RTO on AIM indirectly acquiring up to 50% of Carnarvon Petroleum Timor which holds a 100 per cent. working interest and is the contractor under the Buffalo PSC, offshore Timor-Leste. Carnarvon Petroleum Timor is a subsidiary of ASX listed company, Carnarvon Petroleum Limited. The net proceeds of the Placing of approximately £20.01m (approximately US$27.51m) will be used to fund the Acquisition. Due 19 April. Thor Explorations (TSXV:THX) seeking a secondary listing on AIM. The Company is targeting Admission during Q2 21. Segun Lawson, President & CEO, stated: “Thor Explorations has advanced significantly, in both project development and capitalisation since the acquisition of Segilola in 2016. This year, the Company is well positioned to achieve two major milestones with the commencement of gold production at Segilola in Nigeria and a maiden resource at Douta in Senegal, as well as continuing to progress our highly prospective Nigerian exploration portfolio on the Ilesha Schist belt.” PensionBee has confirmed its intention to float on the High Growth Segment of the Main Market of LSE. The online pension provider had approximately 130,000 Active Customers and £1.5bn of assets under administration as at 28 February 2021. The Offer will comprise new Shares raising gross proceeds of approximately £55m and existing Shares to be sold by certain existing small minority shareholders of up to £5m. None of the founders, directors or members of senior management of PensionBee are selling any existing Shares. Expected in April. Imperial X (AQSE:IMPP) to join the Main Market (standard). It is also proposed that on Admission to the Official List, the Company will change its name to Cloudbreak Discovery Plc. With effect from Admission, Imperial X will hold equity positions and royalties in a variety of projects in the natural resources sector across multiple jurisdictions, primarily in the Americas and Africa. The Company is proposing to raise up to £1.5m by way of placing of new Ordinary Shares to support further prospect acquisitions. Current Mkt cap £4.7m Expected April. Proposed move to AIM from the main market (standard) by Emmerson (EML.L) to provide Emmerson with access to a market and environment which is more suited, in the Board's view, to the Company's current size and strategy ahead of pivotal period for the Company with the commencement of mine construction at the Khemisset Potash Project expected by end of 2021. Follows recent award of Mining Licence granting Emmerson exclusive right to develop and mine the potash deposit and £5.5m raise to fund ongoing project development work. Due 27 April.
Companies: GAL AXS IDH GWMO AGL YEW INFA HE1 PPC CASP
We expect Real Estate Investors to return to growth in FY21 (+6% total accounting return), barring any major disruption to the roadmap out of lockdown. The majority of returns will be delivered by dividend income, underpinned by solid rent collection >90%. Vacancy may increase further near term, but any confidence returning to the West Midlands property market could see 2021 become a tale of two halves. Net LTV should reduce for completing sales, also helped by better sentiment and filling voids. A 31% discount to spot NAV looks attractive given the relative security of income that supports an 8% prospective dividend yield for FY21, and a business returning to TAR growth.
Companies: Real Estate Investors plc
In line with the goal to transition towards becoming a global, multi-asset fintech group, Plus500 has entered the fast growing, but under-penetrated, US retail trading market in futures and options on futures through the acquisition of Cunningham Commodities and Cunningham Trading Systems (CTS) for c.$30m in cash. Being a regulated Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) the deal gives Plus500 immediate access to a retail market that is estimated to be c.$2bn globally. We view the acquisition, which will be earnings accretive in its first full year, as extremely attractive that should deliver a substantial opportunity to leverage the group’s best-in-class technology in enabling market access to a large US retail investor base. We leave our estimates unchanged until the completion of the deal, expected in 3Q21, but clearly there is upside risk to our FY22 and FY23 forecasts. We also maintain our BUY rating and TP of 2090p, implying 40% upside.
Semper Fortis Esports* recently announced its intention to IPO onto the Access Segment of the Aquis Stock Exchange Growth Market. Semper is a multi-operational Esports organisation focusing on gaming technology solutions, brand enhancement and high growth team infrastructures. The company plans to raise £2.5m to develop their three core areas of establishing an esports team, forming partnerships with brands for sponsorship and B2B consultancy services. The Board are highly experienced in sports and corporate deal making (Keith Harris, former Chairman of The Football League), technology and electronic gaming (Nolan Bushnell, founder of the pioneering company, Atari), esports and game tech (Kevin Soltani and Jassem Osseiran) and as FD Max Deeley. Target Admission Date of 26 April. Dispersion Holdings PLC, an investor in the high growth FinTech sector within the UK, the USA and Canada, has announced its intention to IPO on the Access Segment of the Aquis Stock Exchange Growth Market. The Board intends to deploy the majority of the Company’s cash resources in the acquisition of minority interests in a number of different, yet to be identified, companies in the broad FinTech sector, and to apply expertise to the business operations and strategic plans of these companies. Target Admission Date of 30 April. Darktrace plc. Intends to float on the main market of the London Stock Exchange (premium). Darktrace was founded in 2013 with a mission to fundamentally transform the ability of organisations to defend their most critical assets in the face of rising cyber threats. Darktrace is a world-leading provider of AI for the enterprise, with the first at-scale in-the-enterprise deployment of AI in cyber security Due early May. musicMagpie is a leader in re-commerce in the UK and US in the circular economy of consumer technology (including smartphones, tablets, consoles and personal computers), books and disc media (including CDs, DVDs and video games). Expected 28 April. Offer details TBA Wickes to demerge from Travis Perkins and list on the Main Market. Expected 28 April. Thor Explorations (TSXV:THX) seeking a secondary listing on AIM. The Company is targeting Admission during Q2 21. Segun Lawson, President & CEO, stated: “Thor Explorations has advanced significantly, in both project development and capitalisation since the acquisition of Segilola in 2016. This year, the Company is well positioned to achieve two major milestones with the commencement of gold production at Segilola in Nigeria and a maiden resource at Douta in Senegal, as well as continuing to progress our highly prospective Nigerian exploration portfolio on the Ilesha Schist belt.” Imperial X (AQSE:IMPP) to join the Main Market (standard). It is also proposed that on Admission to the Official List, the Company will change its name to Cloudbreak Discovery Plc. With effect from Admission, Imperial X will hold equity positions and royalties in a variety of projects in the natural resources sector across multiple jurisdictions, primarily in the Americas and Africa. The Company is proposing to raise up to £1.5m by way of placing of new Ordinary Shares to support further prospect acquisitions. Current Mkt cap £4.7m Expected April. Proposed move to AIM from the main market (standard) by Emmerson (EML.L) to provide Emmerson with access to a market and environment which is more suited, in the Board's view, to the Company's current size and strategy ahead of pivotal period for the Company with the commencement of mine construction at the Khemisset Potash Project expected by end of 2021. Follows recent award of Mining Licence granting Emmerson exclusive right to develop and mine the potash deposit and £5.5m raise to fund ongoing project development work. Due 27 April.
Companies: ADME RTC SAV DFCH HUW TEG ANIC KOO MIRI SPSY
Semper Fortis Esports* recently announced its intention to IPO onto the Access Segment of the Aquis Stock Exchange Growth Market. Semper is a multi-operational Esports organisation focusing on gaming technology solutions, brand enhancement and high growth team infrastructures. The company plans to raise £2.5m to develop their three core areas of establishing an esports team, forming partnerships with brands for sponsorship and B2B consultancy services. The Board are highly experienced in sports and corporate deal making (Keith Harris, former Chairman of The Football League), technology and electronic gaming (Nolan Bushnell, founder of the pioneering company, Atari), esports and game tech (Kevin Soltani and Jassem Osseiran) and as FD Max Deeley. Target Admission Date of 26 April. Darktrace plc. Announcement of Intention to Publish a Registration Document and Potential IPO on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. Darktrace was founded in 2013 with a mission to fundamentally transform the ability of organisations to defend their most critical assets in the face of rising cyber threats. Darktrace is a world-leading provider of AI for the enterprise, with the first at-scale in-the-enterprise deployment of AI in cyber security Timing TBA musicMagpie is a leader in re-commerce in the UK and US in the circular economy of consumer technology (including smartphones, tablets, consoles and personal computers), books and disc media (including CDs, DVDs and video games). Expected 28 April. Offer details TBA Wickes to demerge from Travis Perkins and list on the Main Market. Expected 28 April. Advance Energy to complete an RTO on AIM indirectly acquiring up to 50% of Carnarvon Petroleum Timor which holds a 100 per cent. working interest and is the contractor under the Buffalo PSC, offshore Timor-Leste. Carnarvon Petroleum Timor is a subsidiary of ASX listed company, Carnarvon Petroleum Limited. The net proceeds of the Placing of approximately £20.01m (approximately US$27.51m) will be used to fund the Acquisition. Due 19 April. NFT Investments plc is an investment company that specialises in non-fungible tokens (NFT). Has applied for admission to the Access segment of the AQSE Growth Market. No funds being raised. Due 16 April. Thor Explorations (TSXV:THX) seeking a secondary listing on AIM. The Company is targeting Admission during Q2 21. Segun Lawson, President & CEO, stated: “Thor Explorations has advanced significantly, in both project development and capitalisation since the acquisition of Segilola in 2016. This year, the Company is well positioned to achieve two major milestones with the commencement of gold production at Segilola in Nigeria and a maiden resource at Douta in Senegal, as well as continuing to progress our highly prospective Nigerian exploration portfolio on the Ilesha Schist belt.” PensionBee has confirmed its intention to float on the High Growth Segment of the Main Market of LSE. The online pension provider had approximately 130,000 Active Customers and £1.5bn of assets under administration as at 28 February 2021. The Offer will comprise new Shares raising gross proceeds of approximately £55m and existing Shares to be sold by certain existing small minority shareholders of up to £5m. None of the founders, directors or members of senior management of PensionBee are selling any existing Shares. Expected in April. Imperial X (AQSE:IMPP) to join the Main Market (standard). It is also proposed that on Admission to the Official List, the Company will change its name to Cloudbreak Discovery Plc. With effect from Admission, Imperial X will hold equity positions and royalties in a variety of projects in the natural resources sector across multiple jurisdictions, primarily in the Americas and Africa. The Company is proposing to raise up to £1.5m by way of placing of new Ordinary Shares to support further prospect acquisitions. Current Mkt cap £4.7m Expected April. Proposed move to AIM from the main market (standard) by Emmerson (EML.L) to provide Emmerson with access to a market and environment which is more suited, in the Board's view, to the Company's current size and strategy ahead of pivotal period for the Company with the commencement of mine construction at the Khemisset Potash Project expected by end of 2021. Follows recent award of Mining Licence granting Emmerson exclusive right to develop and mine the potash deposit and £5.5m raise to fund ongoing project development work. Due 27 April.
Companies: KIBO ROCK VRCI K3C TOU ADT PCA ATYM IOM MJH
A strategic update from NewRiver shows intent to reshape the business, leaving it well capitalised and fit for the future of physical retail. Management is exploring the divestment of Hawthorn via an IPO, currently c.25% of the group asset base. Successful execution will help reduce LTV to within management’s target range, helping relieve any covenant concerns. Together with further non-core disposals, this will leave NewRiver with capital to transform ‘regen’ assets to create long-term value. Covid has proven NewRiver’s Retail resilience, which comes through again in its operating metrics. The shares now trade on an unadjusted +2yr fwd NAV of 33%, a wider discount than Hammerson, which to us looks wrong given the very different growth outlooks.
Companies: NewRiver REIT plc
What’s new: Full year trading update reveals full year results on 15 June will be “ahead of all analysts’ forecasts”. Good momentum has continued into the year to 31 March 2022. 35% rise over last 12 months in AUM to £9.0bn on 31 March 2021; - Net inflows added £755m, with 2H net inflows of £427m 30% higher than 1H net inflows of £328m; annualised growth rose from 10% to 11%; - Market movements added £1.5bn or 22% (i.e. outperforming WMA); - From 31 March 2020 the WMA balanced index rose 19% to 4819; - Since 1 April 2021 the WMA balanced index has risen 3% to 4961; 3.3% rise in Paradigm Consulting member firms to 407 (2020: 394), with 2H rise higher than 2.5% in 1H; 4.4% rise in Paradigm Mortgage firms to 1,612 (2020: 1,544) with 2H rise higher than 3.0% in 1H; - increase in market activity in 2H helped by stamp duty holiday; - 10% rise in gross lending to £11bn (20% rise in 2H to £6bn); £16.9m of net cash (30 Sept 2020: £13.3m).
Companies: Tatton Asset Management Plc
The UK market showed a continued recovery in the first quarter albeit the indices are still well short of their all-time peaks, unlike many of their international peers. The FTSE 100 has risen by 1,186 points (21.4%) since the end of October and the FTSE 250 by 4,304 points (25.0%). The comparable performance since the start of the year is less spectacular- the FTSE 100 has risen by 253 points (3.9%) and the FTSE 250 has risen by 1,070 points (5.0%). The factors behind the sustained rally are familiar. The belief that the roll-out of the vaccine and some relaxation of lockdown limitations will lead to a significant economic recovery, compared to the collapse seen in the first half of 2020, due to lockdowns. Indeed, the recent economic picture is becoming more optimistic than previous expectations. According to the ONS, the economy grew a little more than initially estimated in Q4 last year. This means GDP for 2020 as a whole contracted by 9.8%, revised up marginally but still the worst contraction on record. Markets, in general, have focused upon the potential scope and extent of the recovery. The sectors and stocks that have outperformed have been seen as ‘recovery’ plays with a rotation from stocks seen as ‘lockdown’ winners into those set to benefit from the ‘unlocking of society’ and/or exposed to the consumer. We expect 2021 will continue to be a “stock-picker’s” market. The sharp increase in the household savings ratio in Q4 highlights the scope for a recovery driven by expenditure. As further lockdown limitations are lifted, evidence of this growth will help to underpin the more optimistic outlook for Q2 and beyond.
Companies: AMYT ARBB BPC BAG BVC BEG BONH BLVN BRSD CML CWK CRPR EYE ECHO FDM FAR FA/ GPH GSF HUW INSE JDG KAPE KP2 MACF MPAC MNZS NESF NBI OTMP OBD PREM QFI RUA SCS SEN SOS SUR TON TOU TXP TGL TCN UEM VLS WYN
Augmentum Fintech has sold its stake in Dext (fka Receiptbank) to private equity firm Hg for £10.5m, delivering a £3m gain on sale equating to a 30% IRR. This is Augmentum’s first exit. An additional €2m investment has been made into existing portfolio company Grover to support the continued roll out. The current Series B round implies a £3.2m uplift for Augmentum’s stake. Together, these gains represent c.4p/share in NAV terms. We see further value creation opportunity in Augmentum’s curated portfolio, capturing the digitalisation and structural evolution trends in the Financial Services space.
Companies: Augmentum Fintech
PRSR added 427 completed homes to the portfolio in Q3, which now stands at 3,590 homes; reconfirming the positive update (19th March) provided at the Interims. In addition, contracted homes (1,536) supports full deployment on track for early cal’22, and a demand pipeline indicative of sustained demand. Rent collection remains strong. We make no change to our estimates – with this update in line with our assumptions. We see a sustained return profile from PRSR on rental growth driving capital values as well as dividend growth, in excess of the 5%+ yield which we forecast in FY23e – the first year of full stabilisation.
Companies: PRS REIT Plc
Belvoir has reported a very strong set of results, ahead of pre-Covid expectations, driven by a resilient performance in the Property division and strong growth in Financial Services. The relatively low risk and capital light nature of the group’s franchise model and its ability to attract and motivate entrepreneurs in the sector continues to deliver strong returns. Cash flow remained strong, with net debt reducing to £3.7m from £6.9m, post a £2.1m acquisition and £1.9m dividend cost. With Government policies set to keep the housing sector moving until at least September 2021 and Belvoir’s long-term growth potential undiminished in a large, fragmented market, we have upgraded our FY 2021 EPS forecast by 11% and target price from 233p to 285p.
Companies: Belvoir Group PLC
The latest UK Power Market Outlook from Bloomberg New Energy Finance shows low UK wholesale electricity prices over the next ten years, falling below £20/MWh by 2030. However, we expect actual price outturns to be higher due the circular impact of lower prices on new capacity investment. While prices may weaken, we think they are unlikely to match the BNEF forecasts. NextEnergy Solar Fund benefits from its non-amortising debt which gives the company a cash cushion with which to maintain dividends even in the face of weaker prices.
Companies: Nextenergy Solar Fund
Tatton expects earnings to be ahead of market expectations: we upgrade FY21e adj. EBITDA by 10%. This is the result of strong FuM growth in H2 as well as sustained mortgage lending – contributing to the upgrade equally. FuM is touching £9.0bn with improving flows and positive performance. There is positive earnings momentum in outer years from higher FuM and we upgrade by +10% in FY22e, but remain more cautious further out (FY23e +4%). Tatton is sustaining an impressive trajectory, adding £2bn from net inflows in 2yrs. We see further penetration into the existing adviser base as a key opportunity and, given the size of this opportunity, believe the premium 22x Mar-22e PER rating is warranted.
