Trading Update

Braemar Group PLC 08 April 2008 Braemar Group plc ('Braemar' or the 'Group') Trading update Braemar Group plc, the promotor of innovative real estate investment funds, today provides the following end of year trading update. Preliminary results for the year ended 31st March 2008 will be announced in early June, 2008. The Group has made three key achievements in the second half of the year ended 31 March 2008: 1. Diversification of our range of funds into agricultural land, through the creation of two investment vehicles. The first, Braemar UK Agricultural Land plc, is an unquoted company, which had its first closing on 31 March 2008, having exceeded its minimum investment level. A prospectus is being prepared to re-open the fund raising for further subscription, on the same terms as the original offer, which is expected to close in July 2008. Our second vehicle, a Guernsey registered Open Ended Investment Company, has only recently been launched and has its first dealing day on 30 May 2008. 2. The marketing of Coronation funds has accelerated, with a trio of funds currently being promoted to High Net Worth Individuals via their Financial Advisors. Whilst the closing dates for each of these funds are beyond the current trading period under review, our accounting policies recognise the initial income from the funds raised thus far, and the Directors are pleased to report that the inflow of funds into these products more than doubles existing Coronation funds under management. 3. The acquisition and successful integration of the apartment management business of Main and Main (Developments) Limited in November 2007 has increased the scale of the Group's property management business significantly, and provided an important counter-cyclical, recurring income stream, enhanced credibility in the market place with over 2000 apartments under management, and a platform for growth in this and closely related businesses. Financial Outcome Having already reported a loss in the first half, the Directors are pleased that the above achievements are providing a more stable footing for the Group and this will be reflected in turnover growth in the year just ended and a reduction in the operating loss for the second half when compared to that of the first half. As fund raising continues the Directors expect to report that current trading will have strengthened further at the time of our preliminary results announcement, which is expected to be in early June. The second half performance has also partly been affected by the trading losses in Armchair Property Investor, the Group's property sourcing business. Actions taken by the Directors in the second half arrested these losses before the year end, but the division will show a loss for the year and there is likely to be a one-off, non-cash write down of the carrying value of the goodwill associated with this acquisition. The growth in recurring income from fund and property management means that the Group enters the new financial year in a much more stable position than at the same time last year. The Group's cash balance at 31 March 2008 was £280,000. This has increased to over £1 million at the date of this announcement, following the draw down of annual management fees and the commissions due on the fund raisings that completed recently. For further information please contact:- Martin Robinson, Chairman, Braemar Group plc 0161 929 4969 Marc Duschenes, Chief Executive, Braemar Group plc 0161 929 4969 Julie Serrage, Investor Relations 0161 929 4969 Alex Clarkson/Nick Cowles, Zeus Capital 0161 831 1512 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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