Investing Policy

RNS Number : 2831D

VinaCapital Vietnam Opp. Fund Ld

30 November 2009

 



30 November 2009

VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Limited

Investing Policy

VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Limited ("VOF" or "the Company"), an AIM-quoted investment vehicle focused on Vietnam, is pleased to announce, in accordance with AIM Rule 8, its updated investing policy:

1. Investment objectives 

VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Ltd is a closed-end investment company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with the primary objective of achieving medium to long-term (3-5 years) capital appreciation and providing an attractive level of income dividends and other distributions through investment in listed and unlisted companies, debt, private equity, real estate and other investment opportunities in Vietnam (primarily) and surrounding Asian countries Cambodia, Laos and Southern China. 

Investment manager:

VOF is managed by VinaCapital Investment Management Ltd ("VCIM" or the "Investment Manager"), a BVI company. VCIM was established in 2003 and manages a number of listed and unlisted investment companies. More information about the VCIM management team is available at www.vinacapital.com.

2. Investing policy

The Company will adhere to the following investment policies:

Type of investment:

Investments will be made in comparatively undervalued assets with the potential for value enhancement and realisation, for instance in listed and OTC securities, expansion capital for early and mid-stage companies, listed funds, distressed assets, NPL portfolios and Vietnamese assets of distressed overseas investors. The Company will engage in all forms of investment as allowed under the laws of each jurisdiction in which it operates, including but not limited to, listed and non-listed equity, debt, convertible loans, other assets, and other instruments and structures that may be suitable to allow participation in selected investment opportunities.

Geographical focus:

At least 70 percent of the Company's gross assets will be invested in Vietnam or related to entities in other countries having substantial assets, liabilities, operations, revenues or income derived from Vietnam. Up to a maximum of 30 percent of the gross assets of the Company may also be invested in neighbouring Asian countries (namely Southern China, Cambodia and Laos), should the Directors consider that such investments offer potentially attractive returns or portfolio diversification.

Sector focus: 

Investment will primarily be made in key growth sectors of the economy as Vietnam modernises and domestic consumer demand develops with rising income levels, including retail and consumer goods, financial services, property and construction materials. The secondary focus will be on other expanding sectors such as tourism, manufacturing, infrastructure and export sectors where Vietnam has a comparative advantage.

Investment criteria: 

Key investment criteria will include:

• For investment in growth businesses, full use will be made of the established stock selection and analytical skills of the Manager and its advisers and the broad experience of the Directors to select enterprises which, in their opinion, have sound products and good growth prospects. 

• The Company will seek to identify businesses with a record of profit growth, with strong and motivated management teams who have adopted proven business models and which have the realistic potential of exit through trade sale, listing in Vietnam or in another country. 

• The Investment Manager will utilise its extensive sourcing capabilities in real estate investment and expertise in property development to selectively invest in projects to capitalise on ongoing demand/supply imbalances in the property sector.  

• The Directors in conjunction with the Investment Manager will also aim to achieve a balance in its exposure to different sectors. Furthermore, no single investment may at the time of investment exceed 20 percent of the Net Asset Value of the Company. 

• It is the intention of the Company to be active in the development of a thoroughly researched and carefully selected portfolio of investments. The Directors intend that the portfolio will be developed in such a way as to take, where practicable, relatively large stakes in those enterprises which have met the Investment Manager's criteria. 

Exit strategy: 

The Company is a publicly listed investment company on the London Stock Exchange's AIM Market. Investors are free to purchase and sell shares whenever they please. Concerning portfolio investments, the Company will aim to realise individual investments when the Board believes the realisation would be in the best interests of the Company, ideally within a five-year time frame.

Cross holdings:

The Company may from time to time invest in listed shares of other closed-ended funds focused on Vietnam by selectively acquiring shares of such funds where the shares are currently trading at prices below the intrinsic value of the funds' underlying assets. This includes among others, shares in Vinaland Limited ("VNL") (AIM: VNL) and Vietnam Infrastructure Limited ("VNI") (AIM: VNI), closed-ended investment companies admitted to trading on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange plc and also managed by VCIM.

In such cases, VOF will enter into irrevocable arrangements with an independent third party broker to specifically purchase on its behalf and within certain pre-set parameters, ordinary shares in VNL and VNI. VOF intends to acquire and hold shares of VNL and VNI via such arrangements on a rolling basis. Furthermore, only the Independent Directors of the VOF Board shall be authorised to provide instructions to the Independent Broker and to vote on behalf of VOF at any VNL and VNI shareholder meetings.  

VOF may waive its right of first refusal to take up to a 25 percent direct stake in new VNL projects, as contained in VNL's admission documents. In addition, VCIM will rebate the management fees corresponding to the portion of VOF's holding in VNL and VNI Shares to VOF.  

Leverage:

The Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and uncalled capital or any part thereof and to issue debentures, debenture stock, mortgages, bonds and other such securities whether outright or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party.

Other information:

• The Company will adhere to the above investment policies, in the absence of unforeseen circumstances, unless these are changed with the approval of a Shareholders resolution. Such changes may be prompted by changes in Government policies or economic conditions which change or introduce additional investment opportunities. 

• Cash pending investment, reinvestment or distribution will be placed in bank deposits, bonds or treasury securities, for the purpose of protecting the capital value of the Company's cash assets.  

• In order to hedge against interest rate risks or currency risk, the Company may also enter into forward interest rate agreements, forward currency agreements, interest rates and bond futures contracts and interest rate swaps and purchase and write (sell) put or call options on interest rates and put or call options on futures on interest rates. 

3. Valuation policy

The Net Asset Value and the Net Asset Value per share shall be calculated (and rounded to two decimal places), in US dollars by the Administrator (or such other person as the Directors may appoint for such purpose from time to time) on a monthly basis (or at such other times as the Manager may determine but in any event at least quarterly).

The Net Asset Value shall be the value of all assets of the Company less the liabilities of the Company determined in accordance with the valuation guidelines adopted by the Directors from time to time. 

Under current valuation guidelines adopted by the Directors, such values shall be determined as follows:

• The value of any cash in hand or on deposit, bills and demand notes and accounts receivable, prepaid expenses, cash dividends and interest declared or accrued as aforesaid and not yet, received shall be deemed to be the full amount thereof, unless in any case the Directors shall have determined that the same is unlikely to be paid or received in full, in which case the value thereof shall be arrived at after making such discount as the Directors may consider appropriate in such case to reflect the true value thereof; 

• The value of securities which are quoted or dealt in on any stock exchange (including any securities traded on an "over the counter market") shall be based on the last traded prices on such stock exchange, or if there is more than one stock exchange on which the securities are traded or admitted for trading, that which is normally the principal stock exchange for such security, provided that any such securities which are not freely transferable, or which are not regularly traded, or which for any other reason are subject to limited marketability, shall be valued at a discount (the amount of such discount being determined by the Directors in their absolute discretion or in a manner so approved by the Directors); 

• As regards unquoted securities; 

  • Unquoted investments will initially be valued at cost price, which will include any expenses relating to their acquisition; 

  • A revaluation of unquoted investments to a value in excess of or below cost may be made in the circumstances provided by and in accordance with the guidelines issued by the British Investment Fund Association or any successor body; 

• All other assets and liabilities shall be valued at their respective fair values as determined in good faith by the Directors and in accordance with generally accepted valuation principles and procedures; 

• Any value other than in US dollars shall be translated at any officially set exchange rate or appropriate spot market rate as the Directors deem appropriate in the circumstances having regard, inter alia, to any premium or discount which may be relevant and to costs of exchange. 

If the Directors consider that any of the above bases of valuation are inappropriate in any particular case or generally, they may adopt such other valuation or valuation procedure as they consider is reasonable in the circumstances provided that such other valuation or valuation procedure has been approved by the Company's auditors. The Directors may delegate to the Investment Manager any of their discretions under the valuation guidelines.

4. Co-investments Investment Manager may from time to time manage other funds which have a similar or different investment objective and policy to that of the Company. Nevertheless, circumstances may arise where investment opportunities will be available to the Company and which are also suitable for one or more of the other funds managed by the Investment Manager. Where a conflict arises in respect of an investment opportunity, the Investment Manager will allocate the opportunity on a fair basis. In such event, the allocations will normally be made on a pro rata basis between the Company and the other funds based on the amounts available for investment in each fund at the time the investment opportunity arises. However, the Investment Manager will be entitled to recommend to the Board the allocation of investment opportunities on a basis otherwise than as set out above if it deems it appropriate. In those circumstances the Board will determine what level of investment the Investment Manager may make on behalf of the Company.

5. Ordinary Shares 

It is intended that the Company's income will consist wholly or mainly of investment income. The Directors currently intend to reinvest a large part of income to take advantage of opportunities meeting the Company's investment and return objectives, and where suitable opportunities are not available to distribute substantially all of the Company's income and capital gains to holders of the Ordinary Shares. The distribution of dividends may be made in the form of a tender offer to all shareholders at NAV for tax efficiency.

6. Life of the Company 

The Company does not have a fixed life but the Board considers it desirable that Shareholders should have the opportunity to review the future of the Company at appropriate intervals. Accordingly, the Board intends that a special resolution will be proposed every fifth year that the Company ceases to continue as presently constituted. If the resolution is not passed, the Company will continue to operate. If the resolution is passed, the Directors will be required to formulate proposals to be put to Shareholders to reorganise, unitise or reconstruct the Company or for the Company to be wound up.

Enquiries:

Ms Chi Nguyen

VinaCapital Investment Management Limited

Investor Relations

[phone]

[e-mail]

Philip Secrett

Grant Thornton Corporate Finance, Nominated Adviser

[phone]

[e-mail]

Hiroshi Funaki 

LCF Edmond de Rothschild Securities, Broker

[phone]

[e-mail]

Alastair Hetherington

Financial Dynamics, Public Relations (Hong Kong)

[phone]

[e-mail]

Andrew Walton

Financial Dynamics, Public Relations (London)

[phone]

[e-mail]

Notes to Editors:

VinaCapital Group is a leading asset management, investment banking and real estate consulting firm with unrivalled experience in the Vietnamese market. VinaCapital Group was founded in 2003 and has grown from a single USD10 million fund to a diversified investment firm with over USD1.7 billion in assets under management as of August 2009. 

VinaCapital Investment Management Ltd manages three closed-end funds trading on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange. These are: 

• Vietnam Opportunity Fund (VOF) is a USD823 million diversified investment fund that has consistently been among the top performing Vietnam funds. 

• VinaLand Limited (VNL) is a USD655 million real estate fund that was the top performing Vietnam investment fund in 2008.  

• Vietnam Infrastructure Limited (VNI) is a USD265 million fund established in July 2007 as the first overseas fund to invest solely in Vietnam's infrastructure sector.

VinaCapital also co-manages the USD32 million DFJ VinaCapital technology venture capital fund with Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and owns a dominant stake in VinaSecurities JSC, a brokerage. More information is available at www.vinacapital.com. 

More information on VOF is available at www.vinacapital.com/vof.

 

END

 

 

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