LFI London Finance & Investment Group Plc

London Finance & Investment Group PLC

(‘Lonfin’ or the ‘Company’)

Unaudited Interim Results for the six months ended 31^st December 2020 and interim dividend declaration

The Company today announces its unaudited interim results and interim dividend declaration for the six months ended 31^st December 2020 (the ‘Interim Statement’).

Chairman’s Statement

Introduction

As an investment company our target is to achieve growth in shareholder value in real terms over the medium to long term. In the short term our results can be influenced by overall stock market performance, particularly the valuation of our Strategic Investments. We continue to believe that a combination of Strategic Investments and a General Portfolio is the most effective way of achieving our aims. Strategic Investments are significant investments in smaller UK quoted companies where we have expectations of above average growth over the medium to longer term and these are balanced by a General Portfolio which consists of investments in major U.S., U.K. and European equities.  The Company acknowledges the increased focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues in recent years and the benefits of socially responsible long-term investment.

At 31^st December 2020, we held two Strategic Investments: Western Selection PLC and Finsbury Food Group Plc. Detailed comments on our Strategic Investments are given below.

Results

Our net assets per share increased by 9.7% to 55.5p at 31^st December 2020 from 50.6p at 30^th June 2020. Our Strategic Investments increased in value by 16% during the period. Our General Portfolio increased by 9.5% compared with increases of 4.7% and 9.3% in the FTSE 100 index and the FTSEurofirst 300 Index respectively, over the half year. At the close of business on 31^st January 2021, our net asset value was 62.6p per share.

The Group profit before tax for the half year was £848,000 compared to a profit of £91,000 for the same period last year. Our total comprehensive profit after tax and minority interest was £1,689,000 (2019: £1,481,000) giving an earnings per share of 2.1p (2019: earnings per share 0.3p).

Strategic Investments

Finsbury Food Group Plc (“Finsbury”)

Finsbury is a leading UK speciality bakery manufacturer of cake, bread and morning goods for the retail and foodservice channels. Further information about Finsbury, which is admitted to trading on AIM, is available on its website: www.finsburyfoods.co.uk

On 21^st September 2020, Finsbury announced profits on continuing operations after tax of £107,000 for the 52 weeks ended 27^th June 2019 (2019: £10,293,000).

Finsbury also announced that they would not pay a final dividend, after previously cancelling the interim dividend, due to the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic and Brexit.  The board are looking to restart paying dividends in 2021 if conditions allow.

At 31^st December 20120 Lonfin held 6,000,000 Finsbury shares, which represent 4.6% of Finsbury’s issued share capital. The market value of this investment at 31^st December 2020 was £4,560,000 (30^th June 2020: £3,540,000 representing 26% of Lonfin’s net assets.

Western Selection PLC (“Western”)

The Group owns 7,860,515 Western shares, representing 43.8% of Western’s issued share capital. Western is a strategic investment which is technically a subsidiary of the Company that has not been consolidated due to the application of the investment entity exemption under IFRS 10.

On 19 February 2021, Western announced a loss before tax of £261,000 for the half year to 31^st December 2020 (2019: loss before tax of £221,000) and a loss per share of 1.5p (2019: loss per share of 1.2p). Western’s net assets at market value were £8,512,000 equivalent to 47p per share. Western also announced that it was not recommending the payment of an interim dividend (2019: £Nil).

The market value of the Company’s investment in Western at 31^st December 2020 was £2,751,000 representing 16% of the net assets of Lonfin (30^th June 2020: £2,751,000). Our share of the net assets of Western, including the value of Western’s investments at market value, was £3,728,000 (30^th June 2020 - £3,560,000).

I am the Chairman of Western and Edward Beale is a non-executive director.

Western’s current main Core Holdings are Northbridge Industrial Services Plc and Bilby Plc .

An extract from Western’s interim results announcement relating to its main Core Holdings is set out below:

Core Holdings

Northbridge Industrial Service Plc (“Northbridge”)

Northbridge hires and sells specialist industrial equipment to a non-cyclical customer base. With offices or agents in the UK, USA, Dubai, Germany, Belgium, France, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brazil, Korea and Azerbaijan, Northbridge has a global customer base. This includes utility companies, the oil and gas sector, shipping, construction and the public sector. The product range includes load banks, transformers and oil tools. Further information about Northbridge, which is admitted to trading on AIM, is available on its website: www.northbridgegroup.co.uk

Northbridge’s latest results, for the half year to 30th June 2020, showed a profit before tax excluding exceptional cost of £35,000 for the period (2019: loss after tax of £122,000). No interim dividend payment was recommended (2019: none).

Northbridge released an announcement on the 8^th December 2020 stating the board are confident that despite the challenges of Covid-19 the Company would be profitable before exceptionable cost and that they shall be starting 2021 with a record new-year order book for the sale of load banks.

Western owns 3,300,000 Northbridge shares which represent 11.8% of Northbridge’s issued share capital. The market value of this investment at 31^st December 2020 was £3,300,000 (30^th June 2020: £ 2,739,000), representing 38.8% of Western’s net assets.

Brand Architekts Group Plc (“Brand Architekts”)

Brand Architekts (formerly, Swallowfield plc) is a beauty brands business specialising in the delivery of innovative products to consumers and retailers. Their business model changed substantially with the sale of the contract manufacturing business in 2019 and ceased to meet the Company’s investment criteria.

Western sold its entire shareholding of 1,300,000 shares in Brand Architekts on 28^th September 2020 realising £1,425,000.

Edward Beale is a non-executive director of Brand Architekts.

Bilby Plc (“Bilby”)

Bilby is an award-winning provider of gas and electrical installation, maintenance and general building services to local authority and housing associations predominantly in London and South East England. It has a strategy of growing organically and by acquisition. Further information about Bilby, which is admitted to trading on AIM, is available on its website: www.bilbyplc.com.

Bilby announced its interim results for the six-month period to 30^th September 2020 on 1st December 2020 showing a loss after tax of £155,000 (2018: profit - £542,000). Bilby also announced that it would not be recommending the payment of an interim dividend.

Since the end of the period the Company has purchased an additional 350,000 shares in the Company.

Western now owns 6,686,363 Bilby shares, which represent 11.34% of Bilby’s issued share capital. The market value of this investment at 31^st December 2020 was £1,520,727 (30^th June 2020: £1,235,590) representing 17.9% of Western’s net assets.

General Portfolio

Lonfin’s general portfolio is diverse with material interests in Food and Beverages, Natural Resources, Chemicals and Tobacco. We believe that the portfolio of quality companies we hold has the potential to outperform the market in the medium to long term.

At 31^st December 2020, the number of holdings in the General Portfolio was 33 (2019: 30).

The company has unused borrowing facilities of £1,450,000 at 31 December 2020 which can be drawn on to fund additional investment.

Outlook

The Company’s investment performance since the year end has been affected by issues including Covid-19, Brexit, volatility in the markets and by the reduction in value of our Strategic Holdings.

Covid-19 continues to affect countries across the world with a second wave having led to many countries entering into further lockdowns including the UK on 6 January 2021. With the approval of 2 different vaccines and the national rollout of the vaccination program it is hoped that all UK citizens should have received their first vaccine by Autumn 2021. Whilst this should allow businesses to return to normal trading and the UK Government continues to provide support for business during this lockdown, the long-term consequences of this are yet to be seen.

The UK’s transition period with the EU ended on 31 December 2020 with a trade deal having been approved on 24^th December 2020. At this stage it is too early to assess how this may have affected core holdings and their trading and therefore uncertainty remains about the full impact of Brexit on the Company.   

Accordingly, the Board remains cautious at this time and shall continue to monitor equity and currency markets for potential future volatility that has the potential to impact further on the value of our investments.

The Board has declared an interim dividend of 0.55p per share (2019: 0.55p).

22^nd February 2021

D.C. MARSHALL

Chairman

Interim Dividend

The Board recommends an interim gross dividend of 0.55p per share (11.04609 SA cents) (2019: 0.55p) which will be paid on Thursday 25th March 2020 to those members registered at the close of business on Friday 12^th March 2020 (SA and UK). Shareholders on the South African register will receive their dividend in SA Rand converted from sterling at the closing rate of exchange on Monday 15^th February 2020, being GBP 1 = SA Rand 20.0838.

JSE Disclosure Requirements

In respect of the normal gross cash dividend, and in terms of the South African Tax Act, the following dividend tax ruling only applies to those shareholders who are registered on the South African register on Friday, 12^th March 2020. All other shareholders are exempt.

• The number of shares in issue now and as at the interim dividend declaration date is 31,207,479;

• The interim gross dividend is 11.04609 SA cents;

• The interim net dividend is 8.836872 SA cents;

• The dividend has been declared from income reserves, which funds are sourced from the Company’s main bank account in London and is regarded as a foreign dividend by South African shareholders; and

• The Company’s UK Income Tax reference number is 948/L32120.

  Dividend dates:

The JSE Listing Requirements require disclosure of additional information in relation to any dividend payments.

Shareholders registered on the South African register are advised that the dividend withholding tax will be withheld from the gross final dividend amount of 11.04609 SA cents per share at a rate of 20% unless a shareholder qualifies for an exemption; shareholders registered on the South African register who do not qualify for an exemption will therefore receive a net dividend of 8.836872 SA cents per share. The dividend withholding tax and the information contained in this paragraph is only of direct application to shareholders registered on the South African register, who should direct any questions about the application of the dividend withholding tax to Computershare Investor Services (Pty) Limited, Tel: +27 11 370 5000

Share certificates may not be de-materialised or re-materialised between Wednesday 10^th March 2020 and Friday 12^th March 2020, both dates inclusive. Shares may not be transferred between the registers in London and South Africa during this period either.

Statement of Directors’ responsibility

The Directors confirm that, to the best of their knowledge:

• the unaudited interim results for the six months ended 31^st December 2020, have been prepared in accordance with IAS 34, ‘Interim financial reporting’, as adopted by the EU; and

• the Interim Statement includes a fair review of the information required by DTR 4.2.7R and DTR 4.2.8R of the Disclosure and Transparency Rules.

  Neither this Interim Statement nor any future interim statements of the Company will be posted to shareholders.  The Interim Statement is available as follows:

• on the Company’s website at  www.city-group.com/london-finance-investment-group-plc/; and
• by writing to City Group PLC, the Company Secretary, at 1 Ely Place, London EC1N 6RY

The information communicated within this announcement was deemed to constitute inside information as

stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication of this

announcement, this information is considered to be in the public domain.

The directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

For further information, please contact:

Consolidated Statement of Total Comprehensive Income (Unaudited)

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity (Unaudited)

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position (Unaudited)

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows (Unaudited)

Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net debt

Notes: -

Composition of General Portfolio