Interim Results

HG Capital Trust PLC 02 September 2003 2 September 2003 HgCapital Trust plc Interim Results for the six months ended 30 June 2003 - The net asset value per share increased by 4.2% in the six months to 30 June 2003 from 332.9p to 346.7p. The FTSE All-Share Index rose by 4.1% and the FTSE SmallCap Index by 15.5% in the same period. - Earnings per share of 2.4p (2002: 4.2p). - New investments amounted to £5.1 million. - Follow-on funding amounted to £2.6 million. - Gilt and cash balances amounted to £7.2 million at 30 June 2003 (31.12.02: £14.9 million). - NAV was 348.6p at 31 July 2003. The Chairman, David Bucks, comments: 'The Company continues to maintain its long term record of outperformance against the FTSE All-Share Index. The net asset value per share increased by 4.2% from 332.9p at the end of 2002 to 346.7p at 30 June 2003. This compares with increases of 4.1% in the FTSE All-Share Index and 15.5% in the FTSE SmallCap Index, both in capital-only terms. 'Earnings per share were 2.4p, compared with 4.2p in the same period last year. This decrease is due to the costs incurred in connection with the reorganisation of the Company earlier this year. As these costs were a non-recurring item, the Board intends to exclude them from consideration when deciding the dividend to be recommended in respect of the current year. 'The Company committed £7.7 million to new and follow-on investments and realisations yielded £2.3 million. As at 30 June 2003, the Company's cash resources amounted to £7.2 million, approximately half the amount held at the end of 2002. This trend is expected to continue and the Company will draw on its £25 million borrowing facility. 'Finally, following the approval of the new management arrangements at the Extraordinary General Meeting in April, the Company now has a direct contractual relationship with HgCapital. One of the features of the new management agreement is an alignment of part of the Manager's remuneration to the performance of the Company's net asset value. The name of the Company has changed to HgCapital Trust plc to reflect that relationship. The life of the Company has been extended by a further period of six years to 2011.' Ian Armitage of HgCapital, the Fund Manager, commented: 'In March, we completed the £17 million public-to-private management buy-out of Rolfe & Nolan, the leading independent supplier of back-office processing software to the futures and options industry. 'We also acquired Hoseasons, the leading independent self-catering holiday agency in the UK, in a £40 million secondary buy-out. The growing market for self-catering overseas holidays represents a significant opportunity for Hoseasons. 'The larger, more established businesses within the portfolio are generating cash, enabling them to repay acquisition debt and thus improve their financial condition. There have been healthy increases in profits at Match, Tunstall, Castlebeck, ClinPhone and Pharma Bio-Research. Early-stage companies are still finding the business climate difficult and, where appropriate, we have reduced valuations to reflect their performance and poorer prospects. 'The number of potential deals that we are seeing has increased across all the sectors, particularly within Germany, where tough markets have caused companies to dispose of peripheral activities. We have launched a bid to acquire the issued share capital of W.E.T. Automotive Systems AG in order to take the company private, offering a full price for what we believe to be a good business. 'We remain cautiously optimistic for further opportunities to deploy capital.' For further information please contact: David Bucks - Chairman, HgCapital Trust plc Tel: 020 7603 0466 Ian Armitage - Chief Executive, HgCapital Tel: 020 7089 7979 Trevor Phillips - Holborn Public Relations Tel: 020 7929 5599 REVENUE STATEMENT for the six months ended 30 June 2003 Six months Six months Year ended ended ended 30 June 30 June 31 December 2003 2002 2002 £'000 £'000 £'000 Note (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) Income 5 2,028 1,852 3,528 Investment management fee 6 (221) (206) (396) Other expenses 7 (703) (174) (322) Net revenue before finance costs and taxation 1,104 1,472 2,810 Interest payable and similar charges (11) (11) (22) Revenue on ordinary activities before taxation 1,093 1,461 2,788 Taxation on ordinary activities (486) (398) (640) Revenue on ordinary activities after taxation 607 1,063 2,148 Dividend in respect of equity shares 3 - - (2,015) Transfer to reserves 607 1,063 133 Return per ordinary share 2.41p 4.22p 8.53p Dividend per ordinary share - - 8.00p STATEMENT OF TOTAL RETURN PER ORDINARY SHARE Six months Six months Year ended ended ended 30 June 30 June 31 December 2003 2002 2002 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) Earnings 2.41p 4.22p 8.53p Capital return 11.43p (20.20p) (48.01p) Total return 13.84p (15.98p) (39.48p) BALANCE SHEET as at 30 June 2003 30 June 30 June 31 December 2003 2002 2002 £'000 £'000 £'000 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) Fixed assets Investments - Listed at mid-market valuation 9,464 10,809 5,112 - Unquoted at directors' valuation 67,016 44,794 62,559 76,480 55,603 67,671 Current assets Debtors 4,444 3,531 3,881 Government securities 6,658 33,135 13,843 Cash 588 108 1,031 11,690 36,774 18,755 Creditors - amounts falling due within one year (848) (607) (2,589) Net current assets 10,842 36,167 16,166 Net assets 87,322 91,770 83,837 Capital and reserves Called up share capital 6,296 6,296 6,296 Share premium account 14,123 14,123 14,123 Capital redemption reserve 1,248 1,248 1,248 Capital reserve - realised 76,895 80,599 78,079 Capital reserve - unrealised (14,997) (14,576) (19,059) Revenue reserve 3,757 4,080 3,150 Total equity shareholders' funds 87,322 91,770 83,837 Net asset value per ordinary share 346.7p 364.4p 332.9p SUMMARISED CASH FLOW STATEMENT for the six months to 30 June 2003 Six months Six months Year ended ended ended 30 June 30 June 31 December 2003 2002 2002 £'000 £'000 £'000 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) Net cash flow from operating activities (490) 1,821 2,161 Returns on investment and servicing of finance 35 9 (7) Taxation received 470 82 383 Capital expenditure and financial investment Purchase of fixed asset investments (7,715) (3,212) (24,033) Proceeds from the sale of fixed asset investments 2,295 18,069 20,246 Equity dividends paid (2,015) (2,015) (2,015) Management of liquid resources 6,977 (14,959) 3,983 (Decrease)/increase in cash (443) (205) 718 Reconciliation of net return before finance costs and taxation to net cash flow from operating activities Six months Six months Year ended ended ended 30 June 30 June 31 December 2003 2002 2002 £'000 £'000 £'000 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) Net return before finance costs and taxation 1,104 1,472 2,810 Investment management fee and finance costs (696) (651) (1,253) charged to capital Interest receivable (46) (9) (15) (Increase)/decrease in accrued income (1,000) 1,027 357 Increase/(decrease) in creditors 90 (24) (56) Effective yield adjustment 199 486 832 Tax on investment income included within gross income (141) (480) (514) Net cash flow from operating activities (490) 1,821 2,161 NOTES TO THE INTERIM ANNOUNCEMENT 1. Principal activity The principal activity of the Company is that of an investment company within the meaning of section 266 of the Companies Act 1985. 2. Basis of preparation The interim financial statements have been prepared on the basis of the accounting policies set out in the Company's financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2002. Income and operating expenses have been recognised in accordance with the same principles used in the preparation of the annual financial statements. The taxation charge has been calculated by applying an estimate of the annual effective tax rate to the profit for the period. 3. Dividend It is intended that dividends will be declared and paid annually in respect of each accounting period. A dividend of 8.00p per share, declared as a final dividend, was paid on 1 May 2003 in respect of the year ended 31 December 2002. 4. Issued share capital There were 25,186,755 ordinary shares in issue for the six months to 30 June 2003 (31 December 2002: 25,186,755). 5. Income Six months Six months Year ended ended ended 30 June 30 June 31 December 2003 2002 2002 £'000 £'000 £'000 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) Income from investments UK unquoted investment income 1,724 1,235 2,209 UK listed dividends - 128 193 Overseas listed dividends 25 14 26 1,749 1,377 2,428 Other income Gilt interest 233 465 1,060 Deposit interest 46 9 15 Other fees - 1 25 279 475 1,100 Total income 2,028 1,852 3,528 6. Investment management fee Revenue Capital Six months Six months Year Six months Six months Year ended ended ended ended ended ended 30.06.03 30.06.02 31.12.02 30.06.03 30.06.02 31.12.02 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) Investment management fee 188 175 337 565 526 1,010 Irrecoverable VAT thereon 33 31 59 99 93 177 221 206 396 664 619 1,187 The investment management fee is levied quarterly in arrears and is charged 25% to the revenue account and 75% to capital reserve - realised. 7. Other expenses Six months Six months Year ended ended ended 30 June 30 June 31 December 2003 2002 2002 £'000 £'000 £'000 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) Custodian and administration fees 53 60 116 Reorganisation costs 522 - - Other administration costs 128 114 206 703 174 322 8. Capital commitments As at 30 June 2003 the Company was committed to further investments of £1,734,000 (31 December 2002: £3,275,000). 9. New management arrangements and implementation of a limited partnership structure At an extraordinary general meeting held on 29 April 2003, shareholders approved proposals to introduce new management arrangements and the implementation of a limited partnership structure to hold the Company's non-cash portfolio. Details of the new management fee, together with the partnership profit share arrangement, were set out in the Chairman's letter to shareholders dated 4 April 2003 and will be disclosed in the Company's annual report for the year ending 31 December 2003. 10. Publication of non-statutory accounts The financial information contained in this interim report does not constitute statutory accounts as defined in section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. The financial information for the six months ended 30 June 2002 and 2003 has not been audited. The information for the year ended 31 December 2002 has been extracted from the latest published audited financial statements, which have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. The report of the independent auditor on those accounts contained no qualification or statement under sections 237 (2) or (3) of the Companies Act 1985. 11. Annual results The Board expects to announce the results for the year ending 31 December 2003 at the end of February 2004. The annual report should be available by mid-March 2004, with the Annual General Meeting being held in April 2004. Third Floor, Minerva House 3-5 Montague Close London SE1 9BB 2 September 2003 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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