TIDMPUM9

RNS Number : 3708X

Puma VCT 9 PLC

28 August 2015

Puma VCT 9 plc

Interim Report

For the period ended 30 June 2015

Officers and Professional Advisers

 
 Directors                              Auditors 
 Egmont Kock (Chairman)                 Baker Tilly Audit LLP 
  Terence Rhodes                         Chartered Accountants 
  Graham Shore                           2 Bloomsbury Street 
                                         London WC1B 3ST 
 Secretary 
  Eliot Kaye                              Sponsors and Solicitors 
                                          Howard Kennedy 
  Registered Number                       19 Cavendish Square 
  08238812                                London W1A 2AW 
 Registered Office                      Bankers 
  Bond Street House                      The Royal Bank of Scotland plc 
  14 Clifford Street                     London City Office 
  London W1S 4JU                         PO Box 412 
                                         62-63 Threadneedle Street 
                                         London EC2R 8LA 
 Investment Manager                     VCT Tax Advisor 
  Puma Investment Management Limited     PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 
  Bond Street House                      1 Embankment Place 
  14 Clifford Street                     London WC2N 6RH 
  London W1S 4JU 
 Registrar                              Custodian 
  SLC Registrars                         Pershing Securities Limited 
  Ashley Park House                      Capstan House 
  42-50 Hersham Road                     One Clove Crescent 
  Walton-on-Thames                       East India Dock 
  Surrey KT12 1RZ                        London E14 2BH 
 
   Administrator 
   PI Administration Services Limited 
   Bond Street House 
   14 Clifford Street 
   London W1S 4JU 
 

Chairman's Statement

Highlights

   --    Over 85% of funds raised invested in a diverse range of high quality businesses and projects. 

-- First 6p per share dividend paid during the period, equivalent to a 9% per annum tax-free running yield on investment.

-- Strong pipeline of VCT qualifying investment opportunities to ensure that the Company remains on track to meet its 3-year target.

   --    NAV p[er share of 96.81p*, up 1.4% in the period 

*adding back dividends paid to date

Chairman's Statement

Introduction

The Company has now deployed a substantial proportion of its funds in both qualifying and non-qualifying investments, and remains on track to meet its minimum qualifying investment percentage of 70 per cent within the requisite timeframe. Our portfolio is well positioned to deliver attractive returns to shareholders within its expected remaining time horizon.

Net Asset Value ('NAV')

The NAV per share at the period end was 96.81p after adding back dividends paid to date of 6p, representing a return of 1.30p per ordinary share for the period.

Qualifying Investments

As reported in the Company's previous annual report, Kinloss Trading Limited and Jephcote Trading Limited (in which the Company had invested GBP3.5 million and GBP880,000 respectively) were, as members of SKPB Services LLP, engaged in a contract with Ansgate (Barnes) Limited to provide project management and contracting services in connection with the construction of nine new houses and 12 new flats at a construction known as The Albany, in Barnes, south west London. The total cost of the project is c.GBP15 million and the developers have already pre-sold four of the flats at prices in line with a gross development value for the project of c.GBP30 million. The project is expected to complete in Q1 2016.

The Company's GBP2 million qualifying investment (as part of a GBP8 million investment alongside other entities managed and advised by your Investment Manager) in Opes Industries Limited is progressing well. Opes is developing a materials recycling facility at an established landfill and aggregates business on a 76 hectare site in Oxfordshire. The investment is secured with a first charge over the site and the Opes business and is expected to produce an attractive return to the Company over four years. The installation of the materials recycling facility is nearing completion and expects to be fully operational in Q3 2015.

Before the passing of the Finance Act 2014, the Company completed a GBP1.875 million qualifying investment (as part of a GBP5 million investment alongside other Puma VCTs) in Urban Mining Limited, a member of the Chinook Urban Mining group of companies. Chinook Urban Mining is a well-funded energy-from waste business which is developing a flagship plant in East London to generate electricity through the gasification of municipal solid waste and will benefit from Renewable Obligations Certificates (ROCs). The management team have a track record delivering similar projects in other jurisdictions and are a preferred partner of Chinook Sciences, the Nottingham based leading technology company which has developed the award-winning "non-incineration ultra clean synthetic gas technology" which will be used in the East London plant. Chinook Sciences also holds a minority stake in the business. The investment is secured with a first charge over the Chinook Urban Mining business and the eight acre freehold site of the East London plant and is expected to produce an attractive return to the Company over three years.

As previously reported, the Company invested GBP1.6 million (as part of a GBP2.4 million investment alongside other Puma VCTs) into Alyth Trading Limited, a nationwide provider of contracting services, to provide working capital for its ongoing business. Alyth Trading has been engaged on a project to provide project management and contracting services in connection with the construction of a new 65 bed high-end nursing home in Saggart Village, County Dublin. We are pleased to report that the project has completed successfully, generating attractive returns for Alyth Trading which will benefit the Company when its investment is repaid in due course. During the period, Alyth Trading entered into a new contract to provide contracting services in connection with the construction of a 112 bed purpose built care home in Hamilton, Scotland.

Non-Qualifying Investments

As previously reported, we have adopted a strategy for the non-qualifying portfolio of investing in secured loans (and other similar instruments) offering a good yield with hopefully limited downside risk.

As reported in the Company's previous annual report, the Company advanced a GBP3.5 million non-qualifying loan to Valencia Lending Limited which, together with other vehicles managed and advised by your Investment Manager has extended a GBP5 million revolving credit facility to Citrus PX Two Limited, part of the Citrus Group. Citrus PX Two operates a property part exchange service facilitating the rapid purchase of properties for developers and homeowners. The Company's facility is providing a series of loans to Citrus PX Two, with the benefit of a first charge over a geographically diversified portfolio of residential properties on conservative terms. During the period, GBP500,000 of principal (together with all accrued interest) was repaid to the Company. The Company's exposure to Citrus at the period end was GBP3 million.

The Company's GBP750,000 non-qualifying investment in Gold Line Property Limited, a care and dementia treatment business which is currently developing new premises in Surrey, continues to perform well. We are pleased to report that the build project completed on time and on budget, the premises has recently passed its Care Quality Commission final inspection and the first patients have been accepted.

As previously reported, the Company had extended a GBP1.3 million non-qualifying loan which (through a subsidiary, Lothian Lending Limited) provides a facility, together with another Puma VCT, of GBP2.6 million to RPE FL1 Limited, a member of the Renewable Power Exchange group. The facility provided funding towards the construction of a 1.5MW wind farm in East Lothian, Scotland, with the electricity once generated, used to supply those on low incomes in the local community. The loan is secured on the site in East Lothian and is earning an attractive rate of interest. We are pleased to report that the construction is now complete, the turbines are generating electricity and EBITDA is in line with forecasts. During the period, the Company was repaid GBP125,000 and the loan balance now stands at GBP1.175 million.

The Company's GBP1.05 million loan (through an affiliate of itself and other VCTs) to Churchill Homes (Aberdeen) Limited continues to perform well. Churchill Homes is a longstanding Aberdeenshire developer and the facility provides funding towards the construction of a private detached housing development in the countryside outside Aberdeen.

As previously reported, various entities managed and advised by your Investment Manager provided several tranches of a GBP7.1 million bridging facility to companies within the Connolly and Callaghan group. The Company participated in this through an initial GBP1.95 million non-qualifying loan (advanced through a subsidiary, Buckhorn Lending Limited) and, subsequently, through a GBP600,000 non-qualifying loan (advanced through another subsidiary, Latimer Lending Limited). The Connolly and Callaghan group is a provider of emergency overnight accommodation in Bristol with over 20 years' experience in the sector. The overall facility was secured on a portfolio of over 20 properties and was extended on a sub-50% loan-to-value basis. I am pleased to report that, following the period end, the loan together with accrued interest was repaid generating an attractive return to the Company.

During the period, the Company realised its GBP500,000 investment in Nextenergy Solar Fund, an investment company focusing on operational solar photovoltaic assets located in the United Kingdom, at a premium to the issue price.

VCT Qualifying Status

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PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP ('PwC') provides the board and the investment manager with advice on the ongoing compliance with Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs ('HMRC') rules and regulations concerning VCTs. PwC assists the Investment Manager in establishing the status of investments as qualifying holdings and has reported that the Company has met all HMRC's criteria to date.

Principal risks and uncertainties

Although the economy in the UK continues to improve, it remains fragile. The consequences of this for the Company's investment portfolio constitute the principal risk and uncertainty for the Company in the second half of 2015.

Outlook

We are pleased that a significant proportion of the Company's available cash is now invested in a diverse portfolio of qualifying and non-qualifying investments, generating an attractive return. The Investment Manager is in legal process with a number of further qualifying investment opportunities and expects to make such investments in the second half of the year. The restrictions on availability of bank credit continue to affect the terms on which target companies can raise finance and this should both increase the demand for our offering and improve the terms we can secure. The Company is therefore strongly positioned to deliver attractive returns to shareholders in the medium to long term.

Egmont Kock

Chairman

28 August 2015

Income Statement (unaudited)

For the period ended 30 June 2015

 
                                 Six months ended              Six months ended                 Year ended 
                                    30 June 2015                  30 June 2014                31 December 2014 
                     Note   Revenue   Capital     Total   Revenue   Capital     Total   Revenue   Capital     Total 
                            GBP'000   GBP'000   GBP'000   GBP'000   GBP'000   GBP'000   GBP'000   GBP'000   GBP'000 
 (Loss)/gain 
  on investments                  -       (1)       (1)         -        18        18         -        23        23 
 Income                         888         -       888       591         -       591     1,293         -     1,293 
 
                                888       (1)       887       591        18       609     1,293        23     1,316 
                           --------  --------            --------  --------            --------  --------  -------- 
 
 Investment 
  management 
  fees                4        (67)     (201)     (268)      (67)     (201)     (268)     (135)     (405)     (540) 
 Performance 
  fees                            -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -         - 
 Other expenses               (141)         -     (141)     (147)         -     (147)     (259)         -     (259) 
 
                              (208)     (201)     (409)     (214)     (201)     (415)     (394)     (405)     (799) 
                           --------  --------            --------  --------            --------  --------  -------- 
 
 Return/(loss) 
  on ordinary 
  activities 
  before taxation               680     (202)       478       377     (183)       194       899     (382)       517 
 Tax on return 
  on ordinary 
  activities                  (112)         -     (112)         -         -         -       (8)         -       (8) 
 
 Return/(loss) 
  on ordinary 
  activities 
  after tax 
  attributable 
  to equity 
  shareholders                  568     (202)       366       377     (183)       194       891     (382)       509 
                           ========  ========  ========  ========  ========  ========  ========  ========  ======== 
 
 Basic and 
  diluted 
 Return/(loss) 
  per Ordinary 
  Share (pence)       2       2.01p   (0.72p)     1.30p     1.33p   (0.65p)     0.69p     3.15p   (1.35p)     1.80p 
                           ========  ========  ========  ========  ========  ========  ========  ========  ======== 
 
 

The revenue column of this statement is the profit and loss of the Company. All revenue and capital items in the above statement derive from continuing operations. No operations were acquired or discontinued in the period.

Balance Sheet (unaudited)

As at 30 June 2015

 
                                                    As at      As at          As at 
                                                  30 June    30 June    31 December 
                                          Note       2015       2014           2014 
                                                  GBP'000    GBP'000        GBP'000 
 Fixed Assets 
 Investments                               7       20,756     17,136         21,918 
                                                ---------  ---------  ------------- 
 
 Current Assets 
 Debtors                                            1,763        551          1,019 
 Cash                                               3,745      9,430          4,405 
                                                ---------  ---------  ------------- 
                                                    5,508      9,981          5,424 
 Creditors - amounts falling 
  due within one year                               (611)      (450)          (360) 
 
 Net Current Assets                                 4,897      9,531          5,064 
                                                ---------  ---------  ------------- 
 
 Total Assets less Current Liabilities             25,653     26,667         26,982 
 
 Creditors - amounts falling 
  due after more than one year 
  (including convertible debt)                        (1)        (1)            (1) 
 
 Net Assets                                        25,652     26,666         26,981 
                                                =========  =========  ============= 
 
 Capital and Reserves 
 Called up share capital                              282        282            282 
 Capital redemption reserve                             1          1              1 
 Capital reserve - realised                         (931)      (525)          (730) 
 Capital reserve - unrealised                          19         14             20 
 Other reserve                                          -          - 
 Revenue reserve                                   26,281     26,894         27,408 
 
 Equity Shareholders' Funds                        25,652     26,666         26,981 
                                                =========  =========  ============= 
 
 
 Net Asset Value per Ordinary 
  Share                                    3       90.81p     94.40p         95.51p 
                                                =========  =========  ============= 
 
 Diluted Net Asset Value per 
  Ordinary Share                           3       90.81p     94.40p         95.51p 
                                                =========  =========  ============= 
 
 

Cash Flow Statement (unaudited)

For the period ended 30 June 2015

 
                                          Six months   Six months 
                                               ended        ended     Year ended 
                                             30 June      30 June    31 December 
                                                2015         2014           2014 
                                             GBP'000      GBP'000        GBP'000 
 
 Operating activities 
 Return/(loss) on ordinary activities 
  before tax                                     478          194            517 
 (Gains)/losses on investments                     1         (18)           (23) 
 Decrease/(increase) in debtors                (744)        (466)          (934) 
 Increase/(decrease) in creditors                139          230            132 
 
 Net cash inflow/(outflow) from 
  operating activities                         (126)         (60)          (308) 
                                         -----------  -----------  ------------- 
 
 Corporation tax paid                              -            -              - 
                                         -----------  -----------  ------------- 
 
 Capital expenditure and financial 
  investment 
 Purchase of investments                           -      (5,000)       (11,575) 
 Proceeds from sale of investments             1,161          214          2,012 
 
 Net cash outflow from capital 
  expenditure and financial investment         1,161      (4,786)        (9,563) 
                                         -----------  -----------  ------------- 
 
 
 Equity dividend paid                        (1,695)            -              - 
                                         -----------  -----------  ------------- 
 
 Financing 
 Redemption of redeemable ordinary 
  shares                                           -         (94)           (94) 
 
 Net cash outflow from financing                   -         (94)           (94) 
                                         -----------  -----------  ------------- 
 
 Decrease in cash                              (660)      (4,940)        (9,965) 
 Net cash at start of the period               4,405       14,370         14,370 
 
 Net funds at the period end                   3,745        9,430          4,405 
                                         ===========  ===========  ============= 
 
 

Reconciliation of Movements in Shareholders' Funds (unaudited)

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