Interim Results

Aberdeen Income & Growth VCT PLC 11 October 2007 Aberdeen Income and Growth VCT PLC Interim Announcement for the six months ended 31 August 2007 (unaudited) The Directors are pleased to announce the unaudited Interim Management Report for the six months ended 31 August 2007, this being the first statement to Shareholders following the change of Company name from Murray VCT 4 PLC to Aberdeen Income and Growth VCT PLC, effective from 25 July 2007. Highlights • Increase of 3.1% in NAV total return over the six months ended 31 August 2007. • NAV total return of 102.7p per share ('pps') at 31 August 2007; compared to 99.6 pps at 28 February 2007. • Interim dividends of 3.5pps declared. • 17 new unlisted and AIM investments made during the period under review. • Disposals generated net realised gain of £2,232,000. • Increase of 13.5% of the value of the AIM portfolio over the six months ended 31 August 2007, compared to an increase of 0.5% in the FTSE AIM All-Share Index. Performance The six month period ending 31 August 2007 has seen a further increase in NAV total return on the Ordinary Shares which rose over the period by 3.1% to reach 102.7pps. The Net Asset Value ('NAV') per Ordinary Share at 31 August 2007 was 77.4pps compared with 81.1pps as at 28 February 2007; dividends totalling 6.8pps were paid to Shareholders in March and July 2007 which reduced the NAV at the time of payment. There is no venture capital trust index with which to compare the performance of the Company; however, the value of the AIM portfolio rose by 13.5% over the six month period, which compares with the increase in the AIM All-share Index which rose by 0.5% over the same period. Unlisted investments held by Aberdeen Income and Growth VCT are valued in accordance with the International Private Equity and Venture Capital Valuation Guidelines. Investments which are traded on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) or a recognised stock exchange are valued at their bid price. Dividends The Company paid dividends totalling 6.8pps to Shareholders and has also generated realised capital gains (which are shown in the table below) during the reporting period amounting to 6.3pps. The Board is now declaring an interim capital dividend of 3.0pps, representing almost 50% of the gains realised during the six months ended 31 August 2007, to be paid along with an interim revenue dividend of 0.5pps on 7 December 2007 to Shareholders on the register on 9 November 2007. Upon payment of these dividends, the Company will have paid 10.3pps to Shareholders in the twelve-month period ending 31 December 2007, equivalent to an annual yield of 27.5% to a higher-rate taxpayer on the mid-market share price of 50p as at 11 October 2007. Co-investment Aberdeen Income and Growth VCT has co-invested with other funds managed by the Aberdeen Asset Management Group in a number of investments and expects to continue to do so. The advantage of this arrangement is that, by investing together, the funds are able to underwrite a wider range and size of transaction than would be the case on a stand-alone basis. In addition, the Manager's staff co-investment scheme has continued to co-invest alongside the Company in each investment made during the period. Regulatory changes The overall VCT market declined by approximately two thirds in the year to 5 April 2007 which reflects the changes to the VCT regulations announced in the last two Budgets. For funds raised after 5 April 2006, new restrictions on the size of company in which VCTs can invest, where those investments are to be treated as qualifying, were introduced. The regulations introduced in the 2007 Budget are particularly onerous in this regard, focussing on the maximum number of employees in addition to placing a limit on the amount which can be raised under venture capital schemes by the investee company. However, those new 2007 regulations do not affect the money raised originally by the Company which can continue to invest in the same scale and type of company that has helped drive recent performance improvement. Investment activity We are pleased to report an exceptionally strong period of new investment activity. During the six months to 31 August 2007, seven new unlisted investments and ten significant AIM investments were made. A total of £5.4 million was invested during the six-month period. At 31 August 2007, the investment portfolio consisted of 74 active unlisted and AIM investments having a total cost of £29.9 million. The following new investments were made during the reporting period: Investment Date Activity Investment cost Website £'000 Unlisted Adler & Allan June 2007 Handling, transport, clean-up 499 www.adlerandallan.co.uk Holdings and disposal of oil and sewage based waste. Camwatch March 2007 Provider of CCTV monitoring 786 www.cctv-monitoring.net and installation services. Cyclotech May 2007 Provider of services to the 348 www.cyclotech.com energy sector. Funeral March 2007 Operator of funeral director 776 no website available Services businesses. Partnership ID Support March 2007 Installation and maintenance 746 www.id-group.co.uk Services of CCTV security systems, air Holdings conditioning and industrial refrigeration systems for UK leisure and retail businesses. Lime March 2007 Company formed to acquire 696 no website available Investments branded premium-end or niche food and beverage businesses. MS Industrial April 2007 Provider of industrial 546 www.msis.uk.com Services cleaning and waste management services to the oil and industrial sectors. Other 202 Total unlisted investment 4,599 AIM Bglobal April 2007 Provider of smart meters www.bglobalmetering.com allowing the remote reading of 25 electricity and gas meters, and data management. Concateno March 2007 Provider of services for the www.concateno.com testing of employees for drugs 61 and alcohol. Essentially July 2007 Sports marketing, media www.essentiallygroup.com Group management and professional 49 services group. eXpansys April 2007 Re-seller of mobile and www.expansys.com wireless technology products 30 over the internet. Formation Group June 2007 Provider of wealth management 108 www.formationgroupplc.com and related professional services. Mount June 2007 Manufacturer, stockist and www.mountengineering.com Engineering distributor of engineering 49 products for a range of industrial markets. Neuropharm March 2007 Developer of pharmaceuticals 100 www.neuropharm.co.uk Group for neuro-development disorders. SDI Group June 2007 Specialist in the design, www.sdigroup.com build and support of automated 96 warehouse handling systems within the retail distribution sector. St Helen's April 2007 Provider of corporate advisory www.sthelenscapital.com Capital services. 50 Worthington May 2007 Installation and maintenance 200 www.worthington-nicholls.co.uk Nicholls Group of air conditioning units in the hotel and retail markets. Other 25 Total AIM investment 793 Total investment 5,392 Portfolio developments Unlisted investments Following the eight successful realisations during the year ending 28 February 2007 which resulted in the payment of the capital dividends in December 2006, March and July 2007 to Shareholders, two further unlisted realisations have occurred in the reporting period as shown in the table immediately following this review. The sale of Enterprise Food Group is the final realisation in a series of disposals which has seen total proceeds of £1,059,000 compared to the original investment cost of £598,000. RMS Europe was sold in a secondary management buy-out generating proceeds of £1,481,000 compared to the original cost of £784,000. The proceeds were in line with an earlier approach from a trade buyer which did not proceed. The realisations from Astraeus and ELE Advanced Technologies are partial repayments of loan stocks in line with the terms of those investments. The proceeds from EIG (Investments) are in respect of deferred consideration on finalisation of the completion accounts following the sale of that company in January 2007 on which a gain of £705,000 had already been accounted for. During the reporting period, seven new substantial unlisted investments have been added to the portfolio. We are pleased to note that each has traded in line with, or ahead of, its business plan since investment; however, it is likely to be some time before these investments reach a level of maturity which enables profitable exits to be negotiated. The Board continues to take a prudent view on the valuation of unlisted investments and there has been a net reduction in the value of the portfolio by £403,000 as at 31 August 2007. Provisions taken against a small number of legacy investments have been offset by increased valuations of companies where trading has improved and earnings are forecast to increase. AIM investments The AIM portfolio has continued to be actively managed during the reporting period resulting in net realised gains over cost of £1,209,000; details of these transactions can be found in the table below. In addition to the realised gains shown below, unrealised gains over the valuations as at February 2007 amounting to £163,000 were achieved during a period when the market, towards the end of the reporting period, became more unstable. The shares which achieved the largest gains were Amazing Holdings (£92,000), Axeon (£69,000), Neuropharm Group (£45,000) and Tanfield Group (£197,000). These gains were partially offset by unrealised losses on 1st Dental Laboratories (£42,000), Imprint (£75,000), Synexus Clinical Research (£88,000) and Worthington Nicholls Group (£161,000). The reduction in Worthington Nicholls Group followed a trading statement at the end of June which did not meet market expectations and the share price fell by 35%. The company made a further trading statement in mid-August, after which the share price fell by a further 40% compared to the cost of investment and management changes have ensued. AIM has been volatile in recent weeks in line with markets generally, but the Company's AIM portfolio has achieved an increase of 13.5% for the six month period which compares to the increase in the AIM All-share Index of 0.5% for the same period. Realisations The following table shows all sales from the investment portfolio made by the Company during the reporting period: Year first Exit Cost of shares Sales Realised gain/ invested disposed of proceeds (loss) £'000 £'000 £'000 Unlisted Astraeus 2007 Partial 135 135 - EIG (Investments) 2005 Deferred consideration - 59 59 ELE Advanced Technologies 2000 Partial 149 149 - Enterprise Food Group 2003 Complete - 267 267 RMS Europe 2004 Complete 784 1,481 697 Others 3 3 - Total unlisted 1,071 2,094 1,023 AIM Assetco 2003 Complete 56 105 49 AT Communications Group 2005 Partial 257 290 33 Careforce 2004 Complete 137 195 58 Cello Group 2004 Partial 149 222 73 eXpansys 2007 Partial 20 25 5 Inspicio 2005 Complete 71 124 53 Tanfield Group 2004 Partial 83 1,041 958 Others 146 126 (20) Total AIM 919 2,128 1,209 Total 1,990 4,222 2,232 Risk and uncertainties The Board has reviewed the principal risks and uncertainties facing the Company in the second half of its financial year and these are unchanged from those that it faced at the start of the year. The Directors ensure that the Company continues to comply with the venture capital trust regulations and mitigates the risk associated with investment in smaller unlisted and AIM quoted companies. The Manager closely monitors the position of the Company to ensure that it complies with the various tests at all times and, in order to minimise the Company's exposure to investment risk, the Manager has constructed a portfolio of investments in over 70 unlisted and AIM quoted companies across a diverse range of industrial sectors in the United Kingdom. Outlook Following a number of profitable exits in 2006, in contrast, during the first half of 2007 the Company has invested in a number of new transactions which offer significant medium-term return potential. The Manager hopes to maintain the momentum in completing new unlisted investments as the process of rebuilding this element of the portfolio continues. The strategy applied by the Manager is to use its extensive UK network to identify suitable private companies and invest the majority of the portfolio in private equity transactions which offer growth and a healthy running yield, in tandem with an actively managed AIM business primarily focused on new companies seeking an IPO on that market. AIM investments are traded out as soon as market liquidity permits, providing the opportunity for early capital gains if the company proves attractive to retail investors post IPO. Going forward, the Manager believes that this dual approach on AIM and private equity provides the optimum return model for VCT investors. Aberdeen Income and Growth VCT PLC Summary of Investment Changes For the six months ended 31 August 2007 Valuation Net investment/ Appreciation/ Valuation (disinvestment) (depreciation) 28 February 2007 31 August 2007 £'000 % £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Unlisted investments Equities 5,994 20.9 (703) 860 6,151 22.4 Preference shares 750 2.6 50 (553) 247 0.9 Loan stock 7,675 26.7 3,158 (215) 10,618 38.7 14,419 50.2 2,505 92 17,016 62.0 AIM investments Equities 6,165 21.4 (1,335) 652 5,482 20.0 Listed investments Fixed income 975 3.4 1,262 - 2,237 8.2 Total investments 21,559 75.0 2,432 744 24,735 90.2 Other net assets 7,186 25.0 (4,476) - 2,710 9.8 Net assets 28,745 100.0 (2,044) 744 27,445 100.0 Aberdeen Income and Growth VCT PLC Investment Portfolio Summary As at 31 August 2007 Book cost Valuation % of net % of % of equity equity held by other Investment Nature of business £'000 £'000 assets held clients* Transys Projects Provider of engineering services 825 2,874 10.4 20.9 20.9 to the rail industry TLC (Tender Loving Operator of daycare nurseries 1,516 1,516 5.5 23.2 - Childcare) House of Dorchester Speciality chocolate 910 1,338 4.8 44.2 - manufacturer PSCA International Producer of publications aimed 660 1,257 4.6 7.6 15.5 at public sector officials MoneyPlus Group Arranger and manager of debt 750 1,016 3.7 15.0 16.0 management plans and IVAs Homelux Nenplas Manufacturer of tile trims and 522 986 3.6 8.9 36.1 related products Martel Instruments Manufacturer of hand-held 796 796 2.9 11.3 22.1 Holdings printers and terminals Camwatch Provider of CCTV monitoring and 786 786 2.9 14.8 28.6 installation services Funeral Services Operator of funeral directors 776 776 2.8 7.4 24.6 Partnership Oliver Kay Holdings Distributor of fresh produce to 771 771 2.8 4.9 15.1 the on-trade catering industry ID Support Services Provider of CCTV security and 746 746 2.7 7.9 25.4 Holdings air conditioning systems Lime Investments Shell company set up to acquire 696 696 2.5 26.6 53.4 branded niche food and beverage businesses MS Industrial Provider of industrial cleaning 546 546 2.0 9.3 35.7 Services and waste management services Adler & Allan Provider of environmental 499 499 1.8 2.2 38.8 Holdings services for the disposal of liquid waste PLM Dollar Group Provider of on-shore helicopter 402 402 1.5 4.6 26.2 services Sanastro Provider of business to business 750 402 1.5 9.6 3.5 financial publishing ELE Advanced Provider of precision 192 371 1.4 11.3 - Technologies engineering services Cyclotech Provider of services to the 348 348 1.3 4.8 15.3 energy sector Voxsurf Provider of software development 750 221 0.8 4.8 - Driver Hire Supplier of temporary drivers 203 203 0.7 1.1 43.6 Investments Group Enpure Holdings Provider of project engineering 100 100 0.4 0.4 79.2 in the water and waste water sector The BigWord Holdings Provider of translation services 99 99 0.4 - - Buildstore Provider of on-line services to 98 0.4 0.6 7.0 self-build home owners 98 Other unlisted investments (15) 9,594 169 0.6 23,335 17,016 62.0 AIM Strategic Retail Retailer of home furnishings 700 569 2.1 2.0 2.0 Concateno Provider of services for the 332 483 1.8 0.7 1.8 testing of employees for drugs and alcohol Tanfield Group Manufacturer of zero emission 31 441 1.6 0.1 0.1 vehicles and powered access platforms Cello Group Provider of marketing and media 310 433 1.6 0.8 0.3 services Amazing Holdings Leisure and hotel developer 251 312 1.1 0.8 1.4 Avanti Provider of communications 283 280 1.0 0.5 0.9 Communications Group integration services Synexus Clinical Manager of clinical trials 328 251 0.9 1.8 1.3 Research Axeon Developer of semi-conductor 185 250 0.9 1.0 5.1 intellectual properties Hasgrove Provider of communication 168 204 0.7 0.7 1.4 services in public relations Individual Restaurant operator 133 192 0.7 0.4 0.8 Restaurant Company System C Healthcare Provider of information services 311 158 0.6 0.6 0.7 and IT systems to the healthcare sector Autoclenz Provider of valeting services 185 148 0.5 1.4 0.3 Neuropharm Group Developer of pharmaceuticals for 100 145 0.5 0.2 0.5 neuro-development disorders Formation Group Provider of wealth management 108 135 0.5 0.3 1.1 and related professional services Brulines (Holdings) Provider of data systems that 112 132 0.5 0.4 0.8 monitor the flow rate of beer in public houses Mattioli Woods Provider of pension consultancy, 59 123 0.5 0.3 - troubleshooting and administration services Fountains Provider of land management 136 122 0.5 0.7 0.7 services Imprint Provider of recruitment and 204 118 0.4 0.2 0.4 search services Public Recruitment Provider of temporary staff to 447 118 0.4 0.7 0.5 Group the public sector Neutrahealth Provider of BioCare products to 91 104 0.4 0.6 1.3 health practitioners and specialist retailers Tangent Provider of digital printing and 99 102 0.4 0.5 0.9 Communications marketing services SDI Group Specialist in the design, build 96 100 0.4 0.3 0.7 and support of automated warehouse systems St Helen's Capital Provider of corporate advisory 50 84 0.3 2.3 7.0 services Hexagon Human Provider of executive search and 73 76 0.3 0.2 0.5 Capital recruitment services 1st Dental Provider of dental laboratory 180 60 0.2 1.4 - Laboratories services Essentially Group Sports marketing, media 49 49 0.2 0.9 7.2 management and professional services group AT Communications Provider of communications 44 48 0.2 0.2 0.1 Group integration services Mount Engineering Manufacturer, stockist and 49 47 0.2 0.3 2.9 distributor of engineering products Spectrum Interactive Provider of payphones and 209 41 0.1 0.7 0.9 internet access terminals Citel Technologies Provider of integrated solutions 166 39 0.1 - 0.5 for the telephony and communications sector Worthington Nicholls Installation and maintenance of 200 39 0.1 0.1 1.4 Group air conditioning units in the hotel market Leisure & Gaming Provider of on-line gaming 314 32 0.1 0.3 0.3 services Bglobal Provider of smart meters 17 20 0.1 0.1 0.4 allowing remote reading of electricity and gas meters Award International Provider of merchandising 366 17 0.1 10 21.8 Holdings materials sourcing services eXpansys Seller of mobile and wireless 10 10 - - 0.3 technology products over the internet Elevation Events Provider of events management 200 - - 3.4 7.2 Group services 6,596 5,482 20.0 Listed fixed income Treasury 4.0% 2009 1,237 1,240 4.5 Treasury 5.0% 2008 999 997 3.7 2,236 2,237 8.2 Total investments 32,167 24,735 90.2 *Other clients of the Aberdeen Asset Management Group. Aberdeen Income and Growth VCT PLC Income Statement Six months ended 31 August 2007 (unaudited) Revenue Capital Total £'000 £'000 £'000 Investment income and deposit 771 - 771 interest Investment management fees (58) (234) (292) Other expenses (105) - (105) Gains on investments - 744 744 Profit on ordinary activities before 608 510 1,118 taxation Tax on ordinary activities (168) 168 - Profit on ordinary activities after 440 678 1,118 taxation Earnings per share (pence) 1.2 1.9 3.1 Aberdeen Income and Growth VCT PLC Income Statement Six months ended 31 August 2006 (unaudited) Revenue Capital Total £'000 £'000 £'000 Investment income and deposit 253 - 253 interest Investment management fees (40) (161) (201) Other expenses (77) - (77) Gains on investments - 765 765 Profit on ordinary activities before 136 604 740 taxation Tax on ordinary activities (14) 14 - Profit on ordinary activities after 122 618 740 taxation Earnings per share (pence) 0.4 1.7 2.1 Aberdeen Income and Growth VCT PLC Income Statement Year ended 28 February 2007 (audited) Revenue Capital Total £'000 £'000 £'000 Investment income and deposit 687 - 687 interest Investment management fees (141) (563) (704) Other expenses (193) - (193) Gains on investments - 2,748 2,748 Profit on ordinary activities before 353 2,185 2,538 taxation Tax on ordinary activities (51) 51 - Profit on ordinary activities after 302 2,236 2,538 taxation Earnings per share (pence) 0.8 6.3 7.1 A Statement of Total Recognised Gains and Losses has not been prepared, as all gains and losses are recognised in the Income Statement. All items in the above statement are derived from continuing operations. The Company has only one class of business and derives its income from investments made in shares, securities and bank deposits. The total column of this statement is the Profit and Loss Account of the Company. The accompanying Notes are an integral part of the Financial Statements. Aberdeen Income and Growth VCT PLC Reconciliation of movements in Shareholders' funds Six months ended Six months ended 31 August 2006 31 August 2007 Year ended 28 February 2007 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) £'000 £'000 £'000 Opening Shareholders' funds 28,745 28,488 28,488 Total profit for the year 1,118 740 2,538 Repurchase and cancellation of shares - (299) (356) Dividends paid - revenue (284) (286) (286) Dividends paid - capital (2,134) (573) (1,639) Closing Shareholders' funds 27,445 28,070 28,745 The accompanying Notes are an integral part of the Financial Statements. Aberdeen Income and Growth VCT PLC Balance Sheet 31 August 31 August 28 February 2007 2006 2007 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) £'000 £'000 £'000 Fixed assets Investments 24,735 26,023 21,559 Current assets Debtors 1,040 1,799 899 Cash and overnight deposits 1,819 439 6,922 2,859 2,238 7,821 Creditors Amounts falling due within one year 149 191 635 Net current assets 2,710 2,047 7,186 Net assets 27,445 28,070 28,745 Capital and reserves Called up share capital 3,546 3,556 3,546 Share premium account 17,235 17,235 17,235 Realised capital reserve 2,618 (3,459) 452 Unrealised capital reserve (6,758) (3,550) (5,270) Capital redemption reserve 339 329 339 Profit and loss account 10,465 13,959 12,443 Net assets attributable to Ordinary 27,445 28,070 28,745 Shareholders Net Asset Value per Ordinary Share (pence) 77.4 78.9 81.1 The accompanying Notes are an integral part of the Financial Statements. Aberdeen Income and Growth VCT PLC Cash Flow Statement Six months Six months Year ended ended ended 28 February 2007 31 August 2007 31 August 2006 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) £'000 £'000 £'000 Operating activities Investment income received 618 276 1,065 Deposit interest received 56 9 44 Investment management fees paid (621) (531) (700) Secretarial fees paid (25) (25) (50) Cash paid to and on behalf of Directors (31) (38) (64) Other cash payments (68) (63) (89) Net cash (outflow)/inflow from operating (71) (372) 206 activities Financial investment Purchase of investments (8,974) (3,152) (6,283) Sale of investments 6,360 4,858 15,038 Net cash (outflow)/inflow from financial (2,614) 1,706 8,755 investment Equity dividends paid (2,418) (855) (1,925) Net cash (outflow)/inflow before financing (5,103) 479 7,036 Financing Repurchase of Ordinary Shares - (282) (356) Net cash outflow from financing - (282) (356) (Decrease)/increase in cash (5,103) 197 6,680 The accompanying Notes are an integral part of the Financial Statements. Aberdeen Income and Growth VCT PLC Notes to the Financial Statements 1. Accounting policies The financial information for the six months ended 31 August 2007 and the six months ended 31 August 2006 comprises non-statutory accounts within the meaning of Section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. The financial information contained in this report has been prepared on the basis of the accounting policies set out in the Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 28 February 2007. The results for the year ended 28 February 2007are extracted from the full accounts for that year, which received an unqualified report from the Auditors and have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. 2. Movement in reserves Share Realised Unrealised Capital Profit and capital capital redemption loss account premium reserve reserve reserve account £'000 £'000 £'000 £000 £'000 At 28 February 2007 17,235 452 (5,270) 339 12,443 Gains on sales of investments - 2,232 - - - Net decrease in value of investments - - (1,488) - - Investment management fees - (234) - - - Dividends paid - - - - (2,418) Tax effect of capital items - 168 - - - Profit on ordinary activities after 440 taxation - - - - As at 31 August 2007 17,235 2,618 (6,758) 339 10,465 3. Returns per Ordinary Share The returns per Ordinary Share are based on the following figures: Six months ended 31 August 2007 £'000 Weighted average number of Ordinary 35,463,992 Shares in issue Revenue return £440,000 Capital return £678,000 Other information The Net Asset Value per Ordinary Share has been calculated using the number of Ordinary Shares in issue at 31 August 2007 of 35,463,992. A summary of investment changes for the six months under review and an investment portfolio summary as at 31 August 2007 are attached above. A full copy of the Interim Report and Financial Statements will be printed and issued to Shareholders. Copies of this announcement will be available to the public at the office of Aberdeen Asset Management PLC, 149 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5NW and at the registered office of the Company, One Bow Churchyard, Cheapside, London EC4M 9HH. Directors' responsibility statement The implementation of the EU Transparency Obligations Directive and the associated amendments to the rules laid down by the UK Listing Authority require the Directors to confirm their responsibilities in relation to the preparation and publication of the Interim Management Report and Financial Statements. The Directors confirm that, to the best of their knowledge: • the Financial Statements for the six months ended 31 August 2007 have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards and with the Statement of Recommended Practice 'Financial Statements of Investment Trust Companies' ('the SORP') issued in December 2005; • the Interim Management Report includes a fair review of the information required by DTR 4.2.7R in relation to the indication of important events during the first six months, and of the principal risks and uncertainties facing the Company during the second six months, of the year ending 28 February 2008; and • the Interim Management Report includes adequate disclosure of the information required by DTR 4.2.8R in relation to related party transactions and any changes therein. On behalf of the Board Murray Johnstone Limited Secretary 11 October 2007 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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