Half-yearly Report

UNICORN AIM VCT plc ("the Company") Half-Yearly Report for the six months ended 31 March 2011 Investment Objective The objective of the Company is to provide Shareholders with an attractive return from a diversified portfolio of investments, predominantly in the shares of AIM quoted companies, by maximising the stream of dividend distributions to Shareholders from the income and capital gains generated by the portfolio. It is also the objective that the Company should continue to qualify as a Venture Capital Trust, so that Shareholders benefit from the taxation advantages that this brings. To achieve this at least 70% of the Company's total assets are to be invested in qualifying investments of which 30% by value must be in ordinary shares carrying no preferential rights to dividends or return of capital and no rights to redemption. Investment Policy In order to achieve the Company's Investment Objective, the Board has agreed an Investment Policy which requires the Investment Manager to identify and invest in a diversified portfolio, predominantly of VCT qualifying companies quoted on AIM that display a majority of the following characteristics: - experienced and well-motivated management; - products and services supplying growing markets; - sound operational and financial controls; and - good cash generation to finance development allied with a progressive dividend policy. Asset allocation and risk diversification policies, including maximum exposures, are to an extent governed by prevailing VCT legislation. Specific conditions for HMRC approval of VCTs include the requirement that no single holding may represent more than 15% (by value) of the Company's investments, at the date of that investment. The Investment Manager is responsible for managing sector and stock specific risk and the Board does not impose formal limits in respect of such exposures. However, in order to maintain compliance with HMRC rules and to ensure that an appropriate spread of investment risk is achieved, the Board receives and reviews comprehensive reports from the Investment Manager and the Administrator on a regular basis. When the Investment Manager proposes to make an investment in an unquoted company the prior approval of the Board is required. Where capital is available for investment while awaiting suitable VCT qualifying opportunities, or in excess of the 70% VCT qualification threshold, it may be invested in collective investment funds or in non-qualifying shares and securities in smaller listed UK companies. To date the Company has operated without recourse to borrowing. The Board may however consider the possibility of introducing modest levels of gearing up to a maximum of 10% of net assets, should circumstances suggest that such action is in the interests of shareholders. Key Data As at 31 March 2011 As at 31 March Net assets Net asset Cumulative NAV total Share 2011 value per dividends return to price (p) (£ million) share (NAV) paid per shareholders (p) share (p) since launch per share (p) Ordinary Shares 31 March 2011 64.6 109.5 5.0 114.5 97.5 30th September 62.3 104.2 1.0 105.2 85 2010 31st March 2010 58.0 94.6 1.0 95.6 73 Most shareholders in the Company originally invested in one of the 5 former share classes of either the Company and/or Unicorn AIM VCT II plc. As a result of the merger of all 5 former share classes in March 2010, all shareholders now only hold Ordinary shares, These were formerly called S3 shares. To enable such shareholders in each former share class to monitor the performance of their original investment, the table below shows the NAV total return at 31 March 2011 for a shareholder that invested £10,000 at £1 per share at the date of launch of a particular fundraising, before initial income tax relief: Unicorn AIM VCT plc Funds Share class and year of No. of NAV at 31 Dividends Dividends NAV total fundraising shares held March 2011 paid paid return post merger pre-merger post-merger (£) (£) (£) (£) Ordinary Shares (raised in 2011, 8,620 9,438 n/a - 9,438* issued at average price of 116p) Ordinary Shares (formerly S3 10,000 10,950 100 400 11,450 Shares raised in 2006/07) Original Ordinary Shares (raised 6,078 6,655 4,550 243 11,448 in 2001) Original Ordinary Shares 2007/08 8,442 9,243 903 338 10,484 top-up (13,890 shares issued for £10,000 investment at 72p per share) Series 2 Shares (raised in 2004) 7,750 8,486 2,125 310 10,921 Series 2 Shares 2007/08 top-up 8,424 9,224 489 337 10,050 (10,870 shares issued for £10,000 investment at 92p per share) *This loss represents the impact of initial costs of the Offer of 5.5% Former Unicorn AIM VCT II plc Funds Share class and year of No. shares NAV at 31 Dividends Dividends NAV total fundraising held post March 2011 paid paid return merger pre-merger post-merger (£) (£) (£) (£) Ordinary Shares (raised in 2005) 8,283 9,070 1,300 331 10,701 Ordinary Shares 2007/08 top-up 8,452 9,254 1,225 338 10,817 (10,205 shares issued for £10,000 investment at 98p per share) C Shares (raised in 2006) 7,267 7,957 245 291 8,493 C Shares 2007/08 top-up (11,235 8,165 8,940 169 326 9,435 shares issued for £10,000 investment at 89p per share) Initial income tax relief of up to 20% was available for shareholders that invested in tax years 2001/2002 or 2003/2004, 40% for shareholders that invested in 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 and 30% for shareholders that invested in tax years since 2006/2007. Additional capital gains tax deferral relief was also available for shareholders that invested in 2001/2002 and 2003/2004. Dividend History Unicorn Ordinary Original VCT II (formerly S3) Ordinary Ordinary Unicorn VCT Calendar year paid Shares Shares S2 Shares Shares II C Shares 2003 - 1.00 - - - 2004 - 10.45 - - - 2005 - 5.00 0.75 - - 2006 - 10.00 1.00 0.50 - 2007 - 12.55 10.00 0.50 1.00 2008 - - 5.00 5.00 1.00 2009 1.00 3.00 2.00 1.00 - 2010 - 3.50 2.50 6.00 0.45 2011* 4.00 2.43* 3.10* 3.31* 2.91* 5.00 47.93 24.35 16.31 5.36 * the dividends in 2011 on the Ordinary (formerly S3) shares for each year for each of the former share classes have been calculated in proportion to the merger conversion ratios. Chairman's Statement I am pleased to present the Half-Yearly Report of the Company for the six months ended 31 March 2011. Review of performance The UK equity market continued to make progress during the first six months of the Company's financial year, managing to deliver a positive return despite a series of significant and disruptive events. The devastating earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan, the emergence of widespread civil unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, the perceived slowdown in Chinese economic growth, the continuing requirement to help fund the financial bail-outs of EU member states and increasing concerns surrounding the strength and sustainability of UK economic recovery could each have caused a justifiable degree of investor concern. In the face of this uncertainty, UK equity markets have shown considerable resilience. The FTSE AllShare Index delivered a total return of 8.4% in the period, whilst the FTSE AIM AllShare Index continued its strong recovery from the all-time lows reached in March 2009, registering a gain of 15.4% (Source: Financial Express). Part of the explanation for the resilience of equity markets lies in the fact that most other asset classes remain unattractive to investors. In addition, with the FTSE AllShare Index currently trading on around 10.5x forward earnings (Source:- MSCI, Bloomberg), the market is being valued at a level considerably below its 20 year historic average of 14.8x (Source:- Standard & Poors). The global nature of UK quoted companies is also a significant factor, with the constituents of the FTSE AllShare Index on average generating almost 50% of their earnings from overseas. The Company's investment portfolio also performed relatively well with net asset value rising to 109.5 pence per share, representing an increase of 5.1% for the period. After adding back the 4 pence per share in dividends paid in the period, the underlying increase in net asset value amounts to 9%. This performance has been achieved despite the portfolio having no direct exposure to the mining and oil & gas sectors which continue to dominate the FTSE AIM AllShare Index and which again significantly outperformed the wider market. The price of the Company's shares rose from 85.5p at the start of the period to 98p as at 31 March 2011, an increase of 14.6%. In addition, it should be noted that the discount between the share price and underlying net asset value had narrowed from 19.7% as at 30 September 2010 to 10.5% by the half-year end. The net assets of the Company as at 31 March 2011 were £64.6 million. During the six month period under review a total of £2.2m was spent on share buybacks at an average discount to net assets of 10.4%, thereby enhancing net asset value per share for continuing shareholders. Over the six months there was a net gain on investments of £5.7 million and the total capital gain on ordinary activities after taxation was £5.3 million, the equivalent of 8.9 pence per share. The surplus on the revenue account was £54,000. A total of £2.8 million in new ordinary shares had been subscribed under the current Offer for Subscription and subsequently allotted in the tax year to 5 April 2011. In the new tax year, a further £137,000 in subscriptions has been received and allotted. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all new shareholders and to thank our existing shareholders for their continued support. The Offer remains open to further subscription in the current tax year until 30 June 2011. Dividends The Board remains committed to a policy of maximising the stream of dividend distributions to Shareholders from the income and capital gains generated by the portfolio. The policy in recent years has been to declare a dividend annually linked to the release of the Company's full year results. The Board is therefore not proposing an interim dividend, but will consider the payment of dividends when reviewing the Annual Report and Accounts after the end of the current financial year. Qualifying Investments A number of our existing qualifying investments delivered exceptional returns in the period under review including:- Animalcare (+72%) is a manufacturer and supplier of pharmaceutical and other premium products to the veterinary and animal livestock sectors. In the six months to 31 December 2010, the Company grew turnover by 14% which translated into operating profit of £1.5m, representing growth of 33%. Animalcare has a strong product pipeline of new licensed veterinary medicines with two new products launched in the first half of its current financial year and at least two launches planned in the second half. Avingtrans (+60%) designs, manufactures and supplies critical components and associated services to the medical, energy, industrial and global aerospace sectors. Avingtrans struggled during the economic downturn, but is now witnessing improving demand across the majority of their markets. Productivity improvements have also been completed within the Company's three main divisions. The interim results to 30 November 2010 reflect this recovery with turnover up 25% and operating profit increasing almost fivefold from a low base, highlighting the inherent operational gearing of the business. The Board has also declared that it is to reinstate a progressive dividend policy. Idox (+54%) is a leading independent supplier of software and services to the UK public sector and other markets. In the financial year to 31 October 2010, the Company was able to increase margins and grow normalised pre-tax profit by 21% to £8m despite recording a small decline in year on year revenues. The Company also completed three earnings enhancing acquisitions during the year costing £10.6m, whilst generating sufficient cash to ensure that net debt remained below £1m at the year end. The dividend was increased by 125%, reflecting the Board's confidence in the long term strength of the business. Prologic (+100%) is a specialist provider of software and services to the fashion & lifestyle sector. The business has remained profitable, cash generative and debt free throughout the recession and although revenue growth remains elusive the Company is now reporting increased interest from both existing and new clients. Surgical Innovations (+81%) the designer and manufacturer of innovative medical devices continued to trade well in the second half of its financial year. The Company's final results for the financial year ended 31 December 2010 were released in April 2011 and highlight the considerable progress being made by this fast growing business. Revenues for the year increased by 55% to £7 million, whilst pre-tax profits rose by 487% to £1.5 million and operating margins increased to 22% from 6% in the prior year. Tangent Communications (+84%) combines technical and creative skills with marketing expertise to deliver personalised and bespoke digital communications for leading brands. Despite suffering from very difficult trading conditions during the economic downturn, the Company has emerged from recession in good shape. In a recently released trading update for the financial year ended 28 February 2011, management confirmed that Tangent's revenues and margins had increased significantly over the prior year, and that pre-tax profits are ahead of expectations. One other holding in the portfolio is also worthy of comment:- Abcam (+9%), a world leading manufacturer and distributor of therapeutic antibodies is, by a considerable margin, the largest single holding in the portfolio. During the period under review, Abcam released a strong set of interim results which recorded turnover growth of 23.7% to £39.4 million, profit before tax up 35.4% to £15.2 million and a net cash position of £47 million as at 31 December 2010. The interim dividend was also increased by 33.8%. Whilst trading in the second half of the year was reported to have started well, there is still pressure on Western governments to reduce budget deficits, which may result in reduced research funding in certain of Abcam's markets. To date, over £3 million in capital gains have been realised through a series of partial disposals and the Investment Manager will continue to monitor the exposure to Abcam and make further realisations if deemed appropriate. Five new VCT qualifying companies were added to the portfolio in the period as detailed below. It is pleasing to report that, in aggregate, they have also made a meaningful initial contribution to performance. Accumuli (+31%) is a `buy and build' company focused on acquiring businesses operating in the managed security services sector of the IT market. Following a period of restructuring and management change, the Company successfully completed a fundraising in November 2010 and has since announced that it is to acquire three businesses, all operating in the fast growing IT security sector. Brady (+29%) provides a range of transaction and risk management software, which help producers, consumers, financial institutions and trading companies manage their commodity transactions in a single integrated solution. In the financial year ended 31 December 2010, sales grew by 36% to £11m whilst operating profits increased 33% to £1.5m. Net cash at the year-end was £11.6m. Although economic conditions have been difficult and it remains challenging to forecast accurately the timing of new deals, the Group's trading in the new financial year is reported to be in line with the Board's expectations. Hangar 8 (-8%) is one of Europe's largest operators of privately owned passenger jet aircraft. The Company manages twenty-one jets on behalf of their owners and charters them out to third party customers. The size of Hangar 8's fleet today enables it to offer cost effective management fees and attractive levels of charter income for owners, whilst providing charter customers with a competitively priced service. The Company listed on AIM in November 2010. Interim results for the period ended 31 October 2010 showed strong growth in turnover, profitability and net cash. Instem Life Science Systems (+25%), a leading provider of IT applications to the healthcare market, listed on AIM in October 2010 following a successful placing of shares which raised £9m. Instem's software products help to accelerate drug development by automating processes and increasing productivity, thereby ultimately leading to safer and more effective drugs. The Company has over 80 customers including seven of the world's top ten pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Maiden financial results for the year ended 31 December 2010 were in line with expectations and the outlook statement highlighted management's confidence in delivering further growth in the current financial year. Omega Diagnostics (+21%) an AIM-listed medical diagnostics company raised £7.8m from institutional investors, including Unicorn AIM VCT, in November 2010. The proceeds of the placing have been used to fund the acquisition of a profitable European allergy testing business. The combined businesses now establish Omega as one of the UK's leading companies in the fast growing areas of food intolerance and allergy testing. The Company is also a specialist in testing for infectious diseases such as Syphilis, TB, Dengue Fever and Malaria. Although the operating environment remains tough, especially for smaller companies, the majority of holdings in the portfolio performed well. Reassuringly, of the companies which struggled in share price terms, most remain in fundamentally good shape with their fall in value relating more to technical issues such as poor liquidity and a lack of buying interest rather than because they are suffering from deteriorating trading conditions or significant operational issues. The single largest negative contribution to performance in the period came from Green Compliance (-50%), which provides water, fire and pest control services to UK companies. The business has grown rapidly through acquisition since raising £10m from institutional investors in December 2009 at a significant discount to the share price prevailing at the time. Interim results for the six months to 30 September 2010 were released in December 2010 and were in line with expectations. Recent share price weakness appears to have been caused by a large overhang of stock and should recover once this issue is resolved. Other investee companies which struggled in share price terms included Access Intelligence (-21%), Brulines (-23%), Crawshaw Group (-29%), Mears Group (-18%) and SnackTime (-17%). All of these businesses remain fundamentally sound with strong management teams, good long term prospects, high levels of recurring revenues and sound balance sheets. The Investment Manager is confident that their market valuations can recover in due course. Since the period end Maxima Holdings, an IT managed services firm, has warned that revenues and profits will decline in its fiscal second half following the delay or cancellation of a number of orders. Maxima's board of directors has also announced that it will undertake a strategic review to include a possible sale of all or part of the business. As previously reported, Shieldtech, a company specialising in the manufacture and supply of body armour systems appointed administrators in October 2010. The remaining value of this investment had already been written down to zero in last year's Report & Accounts. The disposal of Amber Taverns, an unquoted operator of public houses in the North West of England, completed in the period. Amber Taverns was acquired for cash by a private equity firm following a competitive sales process. The total proceeds from this disposal were received in full in the period under review and amounted to more than £5.3m, generating a realised capital profit of £3.3m, the majority of which had been recognised in previous accounts. In aggregate, the Fund remains well above the VCT qualifying threshold required by HM Revenue & Customs, with approximately 85% of the Company's total assets being invested in VCT qualifying companies, when measured by tax values (shareholders should note that the tax values used to calculate the percentage held in VCT qualifying companies differs from the values shown in the Investment Portfolio Summary). All other HM Revenue & Customs tests have been complied with and your Board has been advised by PWC that the Company has maintained its venture capital trust status. A list of the qualifying investments held at the period end (which does not include AIM stocks that each represent less than 0.3% of net assets, and Unlisted investments that each represent less than 0.2% of net assets) is included below. Non-Qualifying Investments The non-qualifying portfolio continued to perform well with a large number of holdings producing returns considerably ahead of the overall market. Included among the more notable share price gains recorded in the period are:- Hargreaves Services (+36%) is a major force in the supply, movement and management of coal and in the provision of support services to the energy and waste industries. Group activities are managed through four divisions: Production, Energy & Commodities, Transport and Industrial Services. The Group recently announced solid interim results, with revenue in the period increasing by £42.3m from £211.6m to £253.9m. Underlying operating profit increased by £2.4m to £20.9m. The Board expressed confidence in meeting expectations for the full year. Macfarlane Group (+35%) is a manufacturer and distributor of packaging products. Macfarlane employs 700 people at 22 sites across the UK and Ireland. In the financial year ended 31 December 2010 the Group attained growth in both turnover and profits whilst also reducing its pension deficit and total debt. This result was achieved despite testing trading conditions and challenging cost pressures. Despite continuing economic uncertainty, the Board have expressed cautious optimism about trading prospects in 2011. Microgen (+31%) is a specialist software business focused on the financial services sector. In the year to 31 December 2010, Microgen reported further strong operating performance. Revenue growth was 16%, operating margins increased to 24%, all research and development costs were expensed as incurred and cash generated from operations was £11.3 million. The Group's year end net cash position grew to £25.4m after returning £8.2m to shareholders during the year through dividends and the tender offer which completed in September. Optos (+87%) is a medical devices business supplying machines that capture digital images of the retina. Retinal examinations are a routine part of eye exams and an important tool in screening and verifying the health of the eye. In a recent trading update covering the first three months of its current financial year, Optos confirmed continued growth with revenues up 10.3%, driven by an increase in the customer base and an improvement in the utilisation of the installed machine base. Renold (+35%) is a manufacturer of industrial chains and related power transmission products. Its products are sold worldwide and are installed across a wide variety of industrial applications. A trading update issued in February 2011 highlighted that market conditions had improved across all areas of operation and that the Company continues to gain market share. Scapa Group (+32%) is a leading manufacturer of technical adhesive tapes. The business was severely impacted by a steep decline in demand during the recession, in particular from the automotive market, resulting in significant losses and a growing level of net debt. Following a change in management eighteen months ago, the business has stabilised and there has been continuing improvement in financial performance as a result. The positive momentum achieved in the first half of the year has been maintained and the Board remains confident of reporting on further profit progress for the financial year ended 31 March 2011. Three new stocks were added to the non-qualifying portfolio in the period, each of which has delivered positive initial returns:- Specialist Energy Group (+54%), a worldwide market leader in the design, engineering and manufacturing of boiler circulating pumps for the global energy market. Stadium Group (+7%), a manufacturer of electronics and power products. VP Group (+46%), a specialist equipment rental group. There were four investments in the non-qualifying portfolio which did not fare as well as expected:- ATH Resources (-25%), an established, profitable and cash generative producer of surface coal in the UK. Caretech (-58%), a provider of high quality accommodation and support to the severely disabled. Charles Taylor Consulting (-22%), a leading provider of management and consultancy services to the global insurance market. London Capital Group (-43%), the provider of spread betting products on financial markets to retail customers and professional traders. The investment case for each of these companies remains intact and the holdings are being retained in the expectation that their share prices will recover in due course. Four holdings were sold having met the Investment Manager's strategic investment objectives: Elementis, Renew Holdings, Robert Walters and Xaar. The total realised capital gain on original cost amounted to just under £900,000. The performance of the Unicorn Investment Funds OEIC, held in the non-qualifying portfolio, has been particularly strong. Total returns in the period from the five sub-funds ranged between 9.5% and 19.3% and, in aggregate, generated a positive, unrealised contribution of £1.5m. It is noteworthy to report that these consistently strong performing funds have now been recognised by the wider investment community, with Unicorn Asset Management recently receiving two prestigious awards from Lipper. The awards, for Unicorn UK Income Fund and for Unicorn Outstanding British Companies Fund, which are both holdings in the non-qualifying portfolio, were presented to Unicorn's investment management team in March 2011. The criteria for winning was based on these Funds having achieved the best, most consistent, risk-adjusted performance in the three year period ended 31 December 2010. These awards reinforce the Board's view that the Investment Manager's clear and consistently successful approach to small company stock selection can continue to deliver superior returns for shareholders in future and justifies our long-term commitment to investing in these funds. Outlook The Alternative Investment Market has experienced a strong recovery over the past two years, albeit from all-time lows reached in March 2009. The Index has more than doubled in value during this time. The dominant Oil & Gas and Mining sectors have been responsible for a disproportionate amount of these recent gains. History would indicate that booms in such sectors are cyclical in nature and there is some evidence emerging that the appetite for speculative investment in commodities boom may be approaching a peak. In the meantime, businesses operating in more mainstream sectors have also started to recover from the recession. In general terms, demand for products and services across a range of sectors has picked up and this is starting to be reflected in the re-rating of many smaller capitalised companies as growth in earnings continues. Economic recovery in the UK has been weak so far, but the Investment Manager's focus on well managed, profitable and cash generative businesses with strong leadership positions in niche, growing markets has served the Company well. These businesses often have significant international exposure and are therefore not so dependent on either domestic consumer or public sector spending. The positive effects of reduced competition, continued weakness of sterling and significant cost-cutting during the downturn are translating into improved margins and profits for many of our investee companies. The Investment Manager is cautiously optimistic that this more favourable trading environment can be maintained. The relatively modest price/earnings ratio of the portfolios as a whole also indicates that the Company retains the potential to deliver further gains during the second half of the financial year. Finally, the government's proposals, announced in the Chancellor's budget speech, are designed to relax the investment criteria surrounding VCT qualifying companies. These changes, if passed into law, will be very helpful and are to be welcomed. In time they may also act as a significant catalyst for further interest in the VCT market as a whole. The case for investing in successful and established AIM-based VCTs looks increasingly compelling and the long term outlook is bright. Conclusion The Board is pleased with the progress of the Company. Unicorn AIM VCT is now the largest AIM-based VCT in the market with net assets of almost £65m at the period end. Performance relative to other AIM-based VCTs over both the short and long term has been creditable, material cost savings resulting from the merger twelve months ago are being realised and reserves available for distribution are growing steadily. The portfolio consists of a diverse range of companies that have emerged from the downturn largely intact; many of these businesses are now delivering considerable growth. Given the established nature of the portfolio and the government's recently announced proposals to relax VCT qualifying criteria, the Investment Manager is now in a position to exercise considerable flexibility when considering new investment opportunities. For these reasons, we remain cautiously optimistic that net asset value per share can continue to grow in the second half of the Company's financial year. Peter Dicks Chairman 20 May 2011 Principal risks and uncertainties In accordance with DTR 4.2.7, the Board confirms that the principal risks and uncertainties facing the Company have not materially changed since the publication of the Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 September 2010. The principal risks faced by the Company are: - investment and strategic risk - regulatory and tax risk - operational risk - financial instruments risk - economic risk A more detailed explanation of these can be found in the Directors' Report on page 30 of the 2010 Annual Report and Accounts - copies can be found via the Company's website, www.unicornaimvct.com. Related Party Transactions There were no related party transactions during the period under review. Responsibility Statement The Directors confirm that to the best of their knowledge: (a) the condensed set of financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with the statement "Half-Yearly Reports" issued by the Accounting Standards Board, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit of the Company as at 31 March 2011, as required by DTR 4.2.4; (b) the interim management report included within the Chairman's Statement, and Investment Portfolio Summary includes a fair review of the information required by DTR 4.2.7 being an indication of important events that have occurred during the first six months of the financial year and their impact on the condensed set of financial statements; (c) a description of the principal risks and uncertainties facing the Company for the remaining six months is set out above, in accordance with DTR 4.2.7; and (d) the financial statements include a description of the related party transactions in the first six months of the current financial year that have materially affected the financial position or performance of the Company during the period, and any material changes to the related party transactions since the last Annual Report, in accordance with DTR 4.2.8. For and on behalf of the Board: Peter Dicks Chairman 20 May 2011 Investment Portfolio Summary As at 31 March 2011 Book cost Valuation % of net assets by value £'000 £'000 Qualifying investments AIM/PLUS quoted investments: Abcam plc 2,483 9,419 14.6% Animalcare Group plc 1,702 2,536 3.9% Mattioli Woods plc 1,680 2,466 3.8% Kiotech International plc 1,766 2,008 3.1% Maxima Holdings plc 2,251 1,636 2.5% SnackTime plc 2,102 1,448 2.2% Green Compliance plc 2,100 1,413 2.2% Surgical Innovations plc 331 1,333 2.1% Instem Life Science Systems plc 985 1,227 1.9% Avingtrans plc 996 1,061 1.6% Pressure Technologies plc 980 1,049 1.6% Idox plc 530 941 1.5% Tristel plc 878 899 1.4% Tracsis plc 838 862 1.3% Cohort plc 1,414 852 1.3% Access Intelligence plc 1,467 803 1.2% IS Pharma plc 704 788 1.2% Zetar plc 772 772 1.2% Omega Diagnostics Group plc 500 604 0.9% Hasgrove plc 975 588 0.9% Prologic plc 806 538 0.8% Accumuli plc 400 523 0.8% Vindon Healthcare plc 475 523 0.8% EG solutions plc 406 447 0.7% Brulines Group plc 584 437 0.7% Datong Electronics plc 784 430 0.7% Specialist Energy Group plc 270 416 0.6% Sanderson Group plc 770 416 0.6% Crawshaw Group plc 538 392 0.6% Dods (Group) plc (formerly Huveaux Plc) 1,000 360 0.6% HML Holdings plc 347 306 0.5% Printing.com plc 231 269 0.4% Keycom plc 340 255 0.4% Pilat Media Global plc 275 235 0.4% Hangar 8 plc 250 230 0.4% Lees Foods plc 260 221 0.4% Tangent Communications plc 163 212 0.3% Praesepe plc 521 196 0.3% Driver Group plc 552 175 0.3% Twelve investments, each valued at less than 0.3% of net assets 1,590 910 1.4% ------ ------ ------ 36,016 40,196 62.1% Fully listed investments: Mears Group plc 2,216 1,866 2.9% Chime Communications plc 347 477 0.7% Microgen plc 181 375 0.6% ------ ------ ------ 2,744 2,718 4.2% Unlisted investments: Access Intelligence plc - loan stock 750 750 1.2% SnackTime plc - loan stock 550 550 0.9% Invu plc - loan stock 200 100 0.2% Seven investments, each valued at less than 0.2% of net assets 4,467 29 0.0% ------ ------ ------ 5,967 1,429 2.3% ------ ------ ------ Total qualifying investments 44,727 44,343 68.6% Non-qualifying investments Unicorn UK Smaller Companies Fund (OEIC) 3,430 5,097 7.9% AIM quoted investments 4,434 4,891 7.6% Listed UK equities 2,937 3,333 5.2% Unicorn Mastertrust Fund (OEIC) 1,228 1,889 2.9% Unicorn Free Spirit Fund (OEIC) 828 1,260 1.9% Unicorn UK Income Fund (OEIC) 769 1,053 1.6% Unicorn Outstanding British Companies Fund (OEIC) 508 712 1.1% Money market funds 1 448 448 0.7% Unlisted investments 5 - 0.0% ------ ------ ------ Total non-qualifying investments 14,587 18,683 28.9% ------ ------ ------ Total investments 59,314 63,026 97.5% Other assets 1,882 2.9% Current liabilities (290) (0.4%) ------ ------ ------ Net assets 64,618 100.0% ====== ====== ====== 1 Disclosed within 'current investments' under current assets in the Balance Sheet Unaudited Income Statement For the six months ended 31 March 2011 Six months ended 31 March Six months ended 31 March 2011 (unaudited) 2010 (unaudited) Notes Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Net unrealised gains on investments 7 - 5,116 5,116 - 2,664 2,664 Net realised gains on investments 7 - 584 584 - 473 473 Income 465 - 465 326 - 326 Investment management fees 2 (137) (410) (547) (75) (226) (301) Other expenses (274) - (274) (360) - (360) Merger costs - - - - - - ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ Profit/(loss) on ordinary activities before taxation 54 5,290 5,344 (109) 2,911 2,802 Tax on profit/(loss) on ordinary activities 3 - - - - - - ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ (Loss)/profit on ordinary activities after taxation 54 5,290 5,344 (109) 2,911 2,802 ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== Basic and diluted earnings per share: Ordinary shares 1a, 4 0.09p 8.92p 9.01p (0.26)p 6.89p 6.63p Year ended 30 September 2010 (audited) Notes Revenue Capital Total £'000 £'000 £'000 Net unrealised gains on investments 7 - 7,184 7,184 Net realised gains on investments 7 - 1,557 1,557 Income 930 - 930 Investment management fees 2 (195) (585) (780) Other expenses (539) - (539) Merger costs (98) - (98) ------ ------ ------ Profit/(loss) on ordinary activities before taxation 98 8,156 8,254 Tax on profit/(loss) on ordinary activities 3 - - - ------ ------ ------ (Loss)/profit on ordinary activities after taxation 98 8,156 8,254 ====== ====== ====== Basic and diluted earnings per share: Ordinary shares 1a, 4 0.20p 16.57p 16.77p Unaudited Balance Sheet As at 31 March 2011 As at 31 March 2011 As at 31 March 2010 As at 30 September 2010 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) Notes £'000 £'000 £'000 Non current assets Investments at fair value 1c, 7 62,578 53,733 61,432 Current assets Debtors and prepayments 718 278 452 Current investments 8 448 3,006 375 Cash at bank 1,164 1,447 349 ------ ------ ------ 2,330 4,731 1,176 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (290) (416) (329) ------ ------ ------ Net current assets 2,040 4,315 847 ------ ------ ------ Net assets 64,618 58,048 62,279 ====== ====== ====== Share capital and reserves Share capital 9 590 614 598 Capital redemption reserve 9 263 224 240 Share premium account 9 26,748 25,143 25,143 Revaluation reserve 9 7,184 618 5,955 Special distributable reserve 9 21,605 26,988 24,263 Profit and Loss account 9 8,228 4,461 6,080 ------ ------ ------ Equity shareholders' funds 64,618 58,048 62,279 ====== ====== ====== Net asset value per share of 1p each Ordinary shares 6 109.50p 94.60p 104.15p The financial information for the six months ended 31 March 2011 and the six months ended 31 March 2010 has not been audited. Unaudited Reconciliation of Movements in Shareholders' Funds For the six months ended 31 March 2011 Six months ended Six months ended Year ended 31 March 2011 (unaudited) 31 March 2010 (unaudited) 30 September 2010 (audited) Notes £'000 £'000 £'000 Opening shareholders' funds 62,279 32,138 32,138 Net share capital bought back in the period (2,233) (45) (1,267) Net share capital subscribed in the period 1,620 - - Shares issued upon merger - 24,669 24,670 Transaction costs in relation to the acquisition of assets and liabilities from Unicorn AIM VCT II plc - (98) (98) Profit for the period 5,344 2,802 8,254 Dividends paid in period 5 (2,392) (1,418) (1,418) ------ ------ ------ Closing Shareholders' funds 64,618 58,048 62,279 ====== ====== ====== The financial information for the six months ended 31 March 2011 and the six months ended 31 March 2010 has not been audited. Unaudited Statement of Cash Flows For the six months ended 31 March 2011 Six months ended Six months ended Year ended 31 March 2011 31 March 2010 30 September 2010 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) (as restated) £'000 £'000 £'000 Operating activities Investment income received 722 307 708 Other income received - - 50 Investment management fees paid (546) (272) (743) Other cash payments (545) (316) (655) Payments of merger costs of the company - (193) (120) Net cash outflow from operating activities (369) (474) (760) Investing activities Purchase of investments (4,904) (2,504) (8,128) Sale of investments 9,599 2,429 6,002 Net cash inflow/(outflow) from investing activities 4,695 (75) (2,126) Dividends Equity dividends paid to Unicorn AIM VCT plc shareholders (2,392) (1,418) (1,418) Equity dividends paid in respect of dividends declared to Unicorn AIM VCT II plc shareholders but not paid before assets and liabilities were transferred to Unicorn AIM VCT plc - (1,353) (1,353) Cash inflow/(outflow) before financing and liquid resource management 1,934 (3,320) (5,657) Management of liquid resources (Increase)/decrease in monies held pending investment (73) 906 3,537 Financing Cash received on acquisition of assets and liabilities from Unicorn AIM VCT II plc - 3,736 3,736 Stamp duty on shares issued to acquire net assets of Unicorn AIM VCT II plc - (98) (98) Payments to meet merger costs of Unicorn AIM VCT II plc (170) Share capital raised 1,080 - - Share capital re-purchased (2,126) (143) (1,365) (1,046) 3,495 2,103 Increase/(decrease) in cash 815 1,081 (17) Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net funds Increase/(decrease) in cash for the period 815 1,081 (17) Net funds at start of period 349 366 366 Net funds at end of period 1,164 1,447 349 Reconciliation of operating profit/(loss) to net cash outflow from operating activities Profit on ordinary activities before taxation 5,344 2,802 8,254 Net gains on realisations of investments (584) (473) (1,557) Net unrealised gains on investments (5,116) (2,664) (7,184) Transaction costs (141) (11) (49) Decrease in debtors 309 165 7 Decrease in creditors (181) (293) (231) Net cash outflow from operating activities (369) (474) (760) Notes to the unaudited financial statements 1. Principal accounting policies The following accounting policies have been applied consistently throughout the period. Full details of principal accounting policies will be disclosed in the Annual Report. a) Basis of accounting The unaudited results cover the six months to 31 March 2011 and have been prepared under UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (UK GAAP), consistent with the accounting policies set out in the statutory accounts for the year ended 30 September 2010 and the Statement of Recommended Practice, 'Financial Statements of Investment Trust Companies and Venture Capital Trusts' ('the SORP') issued by the Association of Investment Trust Companies in January 2009. The results for the six months ended 31 March 2010 and the year ended 30 September 2010 reflected the activities of what were previously the Ordinary Share Fund, the S2 Share Fund and the S3 Share Fund of the Company, which were consolidated on 9 March 2010, for the whole period. In addition, these results included the transfer of the assets and liabilities of Unicorn AIM VCT II PLC to the Company, with effect from 9 March 2010. Results for the current period are reported for the one share class of the enlarged VCT now in issue, namely Ordinary shares. These were formerly the S3 shares of the Company, redesignated Ordinary shares on 9 March 2010. As a result of the Directors' decision to distribute capital profits by way of a dividend, the Company revoked its investment company status as defined under section 266 (3) of the Companies Act 1985, on 17 August 2004. The half-yearly report has not been audited nor has it been reviewed by the auditors pursuant to the Auditing Practices Board (APB) guidance on Review of Interim Financial Information. b) Presentation of the Income Statement In order to better reflect the activities of a VCT and in accordance with the SORP, supplementary information which analyses the Income Statement between items of a revenue and capital nature has been presented alongside the Income Statement. The revenue column of profit attributable to equity shareholders is the measure the Directors believe appropriate in assessing the Company's compliance with certain requirements set out in Section 274 Income Tax Act 2007. c) Investments All investments held by the Company are classified as "fair value through profit and loss", in accordance with International Private Equity Venture Capital Valuation (IPEVCV) guidelines as updated in September 2009. This classification is followed as the Company's business is to invest in financial assets with a view to profiting from their total return in the form of capital growth and income. For investments actively traded in organised financial markets, fair value is determined by reference to Stock Exchange market quoted bid prices at the close of business on the balance sheet date. Purchases and sales of quoted investments are recognised on the trade date where a contract of sale exists whose terms require delivery within a time frame determined by the relevant market. Purchases and sales of unlisted investments are recognised when the contract for acquisition or sale becomes unconditional. Unquoted investments are valued by the Directors at fair value by the Directors in accordance with the following rules, which are consistent with the IPEVCV guidelines: All unquoted investments are held at the price of a recent investment for an appropriate period where there is considered to have been no change in fair value. Where such a basis is no longer considered appropriate, the following factors will be considered: (i) Where a value is indicated by a material arms-length transaction by an independent third party in the shares of a company, this value will be used. (ii) In the absence of i), and depending upon both the subsequent trading performance and investment structure of an investee company, the valuation basis will usually move to either:- a) an earnings multiple basis. The shares may be valued by applying a suitable price-earnings ratio to that company's historic, current or forecast post-tax earnings before interest and amortisation (the ratio used being based on a comparable sector but the resulting value being adjusted to reflect points of difference identified by the Investment Manager compared to the sector including, inter alia, a lack of marketability). or:- b) where a company's underperformance against plan indicates a diminution in the value of the investment, provision against cost is made, as appropriate. Where the value of an investment has fallen permanently below cost, the loss is treated as a permanent impairment and as a realised loss, even though the investment is still held. The Board assesses the portfolio for such investments and, after agreement with the Investment Manager, will agree the values that represent the extent to which an investment loss has become realised. This is based upon an assessment of objective evidence of that investment's future prospects, to determine whether there is potential for the investment to recover in value. (iii) Premiums on loan stock investments are accrued at fair value when the Company receives the right to the premium and when considered receoverable. (iv) Where an earnings multiple or cost less impairment basis is not appropriate and overriding factors apply, discounted cash flow or net asset valuation bases may be applied. d) Cash Flow Statement The comparatives for the year ended 31 March 2010 have been restated to be consistent with the figures shown for the other two periods disclosed in this half-yearly report. 2. Investment Manager's Fees The Directors have charged 75% of the investment management fee to the capital reserve, being their estimate of the split of long-term returns from capital to shareholders. 3. Taxation There is no tax charge for the period, as the Company has incurred taxable losses in the period. Basic and diluted earnings and 4. return per share Six months ended 31 Six months ended 31 Year ended 30 March 2011 March 2010 September 2010 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) £'000 £'000 £'000 Total earnings after taxation: 5,344 2,802 8,254 Basic and diluted earnings per share 9.01p 6.63p 16.77p Net revenue/(loss) from ordinary activities after taxation 54 (109) 98 Revenue return per share 0.09p (0.26)p 0.20p Net unrealised capital gains/(losses) 5,116 2,664 7,184 Net realised capital gains 584 473 1,557 Capital expenses (net of taxation) (410) (226) (585) Total capital return 5,290 2,911 8,156 Capital return per share 8.92p 6.89p 16.57p Weighted average number of shares in issue in the period 59,317,309 42,279,070 49,209,889 5. Dividends Six months ended 31 Six months ended 31 Year ended 30 September March 2011 March 2010 2010 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) £'000 £'000 £'000 Interim paid - 1,058 1,058 Final paid on 14 January 2011 - year ended 30 September 2010 2,392 - - S2 Share Fund Interim paid on 29th January 2010 - 360 360 2,392 1,418 1,418 6. Net asset value At 31 March 2011 At 31 March 2010 At 30 September 2010 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) £'000 £'000 £'000 Net assets 64,618 58,048 62,279 Number of shares in issue 59,014,330 61,373,010 59,795,232 Net asset value per share 109.50p 94.60p 104.15p 7. Investments Traded on Unlisted Unlisted Unicorn AIM/PLUS ordinary preference Unlisted Loan OEIC Fully Listed Market shares shares stock funds Total £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000s Book cost at 30 September 2010 6,626 37,589 5,838 1,050 1,950 7,735 60,788 Unrealised gains at 30 September 2010 623 1,636 1,142 549 157 1,848 5,955 Permanent impairment in value of investments - (1,240) (4,071) - - - (5,311) Valuation at 30 September 2010 7,249 37,985 2,909 1,599 2,107 9,583 61,432 Purchases at cost 354 4,548 - - - 2 4,904 Sale proceeds ((2,288) (826) (3,001) (1,603) (707) (1,174) (9,599) Realised gains 398 60 122 4 - 141 725 Increase in unrealised appreciation 336 3,321 - - - 1,459 5,116 Closing valuation at 31 March 2011 6,049 45,088 30 - 1,400 10,011 62,578 Book cost at 31 March 2011 5,680 40,451 5,712 - 1,500 6,763 60,106 Unrealised gains/(losses) at 31 March 2011 369 5,877 (2,210) - (100) 3,248 7,184 Permanent impairment in value of investments - (1,240) (3,472) - - - (4,712) Valuation at 31 March 2011 6,049 45,088 30 - 1,400 10,011 62,578 Realised gains above of £725,000 differs from net realised gains per the Income Statement of £584,000 due to transaction costs of £141,000. 8. Current Investments These comprise investments in two Dublin based OEIC money market funds, managed by Royal Bank of Scotland and Blackrock Investment Management UK Ltd and one UK based money market fund managed by Prime Rate Capital Management. £448,000 (31 March 2010: £3,005,000; 30 September 2010: £375,000) of this sum is subject to same day access, while £nil (31 March 2010: £1,000; 30 September 2010: £nil) is subject to two day access. These sums are regarded as monies held pending investment. 9. Reserves Called up Capital Share Special share redemption account Revaluation distributable Profit and capital reserve premium reserve reserve loss account Total £000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 At 1 October 2010 598 240 25,143 5,955 24,263 6,080 62,279 Shares issued 15 - 1,697 - - - 1,712 Shares bought back (23) 23 - - 2,233) - (2,233) Expenses of share issue - - (92) - - - (92) Transfer to special distributable reserve - - - - (425) 425 - Gains on disposal of investments (net of transaction costs) - - - - - 584 584 Realisation of previously unrealised appreciation - - - (3,887) - 3,887 - Net increase in unrealised valuations for the period - - - 5,116 - - 5,116 Loss for the period - - - - - (356) (356) Dividends paid - - - - - (2,392) (2,392) At 31 March 2011 590 263 26,748 7,184 21,605 8,228 64,618 10. Related party transactions David Royds resigned as a director of the Company on 9 March 2010. He is a director and shareholder of Matrix Group Limited, which owns Matrix-Securities Limited and has significant interests in Prime Rate Capital Management LLP ("PRCM") and Matrix Corporate Capital ("MCC"). David Royds is also a director of Matrix-Securities Limited, which acted as Promoter to the Company for a fee of £nil (31 March 2010: £nil, 30 September 2010: £nil) and provides administration services to the Company for a fee of £86,000 (31 March 2010: £97,000; 30 September 2010: £182,000). £nil (31 March 2010: £52,000; 30 September 2010: £42,000) was due to Matrix-Securities Limited at the end of the period. The Company has £42,000 invested in a liquidity fund managed by PRCM, and has earned income of £1,000 from this fund in the period to 31 March 2011 (31 March 2010: £5,000; 30 September 2010: £7,000). MCC are the Company's brokers and fees of £7,000 have been charged for the period (31 March 2010: £8,000; 30 September 2010: £15,000). Seven (31 March 2010: Two; 30 September 2010: nine) share buybacks were undertaken by MCC on the Company's instruction totalling £2,233,000 (31 March 2010: £45,000; 30 September 2010: £1,270,000). £107,000 (31 March 2010: £nil; 30 September 2010: £nil) was owed to MCC at the period-end. 11. Post balance sheet events On 5th April 2011, the Company allotted and issued 1,071,328 new Ordinary Shares of 1p each at a price of 115.9p per share under the Offer for Subscription launched on 14 December 2010, raising further net funds of £1.17 million.On 5th May, a further 124,368 shares were allotted at 116.3p per share, raising further net funds of £0.14 million. 12. The financial information for the six months ended 31 March 2011 and the six months ended 31 March 2010 has not been audited. The financial information contained in this half-yearly report does not constitute statutory accounts as defined in Section 434 of the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2010 have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. The auditors have reported on these financial statements and that report was unqualified and did not contain a statement under either section 498(2) or 498(3) of the Companies Act 2006. Copies of this statement are being sent to all shareholders. Further copies are available free of charge from the Company's registered office, One Vine Street, London W1J 0AH, or from www.unicornam.com or www.matrixgroup.co.uk/asset_management/vct_services/unicorn_vcts Shareholder Information The Company's Ordinary Shares (Code: UAV) are listed on the London Stock Exchange. Shareholders can visit the London Stock Exchange website, www.londonstockexchange.com, for the latest news and share price of the Company. The share price is also quoted in the Financial Times. Shareholder enquiries: For general Shareholder enquiries, please contact Robert Brittain of Matrix-Securities Limited (the Company Secretary) on 020 3206 7000 or by e-mail on unicorn@matrixgroup.co.uk. For enquiries concerning the performance of the Company, please contact the Investment Manager, Unicorn Asset Management Limited, on 020 7253 0889 or by e-mail on info@unicornam.com. Electronic copies of this report and other published information can be found via the Company's website, www.unicornaimvct.com. To notify the Company of a change of address or to request a dividend mandate form (should you wish to have future dividends paid directly into your bank account) please contact the Company's Registrars, Capita Registrars on 0871 664 0300, (calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras - if calling from overseas please dial +44 208 639 3399) or by writing to them at Capita Registrars, Northern House, Woodsome Park, Fennay Bridge, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD8 0LA. Should you prefer you may visit their website, www.capitaregistrars.com. Information rights for beneficial owners of shares Please note that beneficial owners of shares who have been nominated by the registered holder of those shares to receive information rights under section 146 of the Companies Act 2006 are required to direct all communications to the registered holder of their shares, rather than to the Company's registrar, Capita Registrars, or to the Company directly. Corporate Information Directors Peter Dicks (Chairman) Malcolm Diamond James H Grossman Jeremy Hamer Jocelin Harris All of whom are non-executive and of: One Vine Street London W1J 0AH Secretary & Administrator Matrix-Securities Limited One Vine Street London W1J 0AH Company Registration Number : 04266437 Investment Manager Auditor Registrar Unicorn Asset Management PKF (UK) LLP Capita Registrars Limited First Floor Office Farringdon Place The Registry Preacher's Court 20 Farringdon Road 34 Beckenham Road The Charterhouse London Beckenham Charterhouse Square EC1M 3AP Kent London BR3 4TU EC1M 6AU VCT Tax Adviser Custodian Solicitors PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP The Bank of New York Martineau 1 Embankment Place One Canada Square No 1 Colmore Square London London Birmingham WC2N 6RH E14 5AL B4 6AA Stockbroker Bankers Matrix Corporate Capital LLP National Westminster Bank plc One Vine Street City of London Office London PO Box 12264 W1J 0AH 1 Princes Street London EC2R 8PB
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