Unicorn AIM VCT plc
Interim Management Statement
For the period from 1 April 2008 to 31 July 2008
Introduction
The Company has prepared this Interim Management Statement (IMS) in accordance
with the Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the UK Listing Authority. The IMS
covers the four month period ended 31 July 2008, together with relevant
information up to the date of publication.
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.
Performance
The economic outlook for the UK has become increasingly uncertain in recent
months as confidence in many of the traditional drivers of economic growth
evaporated. As a consequence, investor sentiment has deteriorated. A volatile
and nervous market encourages mainstream investors to adopt a risk-averse
approach, which almost always has a disproportionately negative impact on the
value of smaller quoted companies. Despite a brief rally in the first six weeks
of the period under review, the FTSE AIM AllShare Index soon resumed a downward
trend registering a fall in the period of more than 14%.
The portfolios of the Ordinary, the S2 and the S3 Share Funds were not immune
from the declines experienced in the wider market.
In the four months to the end of July 2008, the Ordinary Share Fund net asset
value fell 10.9% to 60.3 pence .
Over the same period, the S2 Share Fund net asset value fell 9.4% to 78.5
pence per share.
The net asset value of the S3 Share Fund declined by 6.1% to 81.2 pence per
share.
No dividends were paid on any share fund during the period.
Material Transactions
During the period under review, the Ordinary Share Fund made three new
qualifying investments. Praesepe is a vehicle established to consolidate the
adult gaming centre market, Essentially, is a specialist sports marketing &
media company and Optare is one of the UK's leading bus & coach manufacturers.
The S2 Share Fund made two new qualifying investments in Praesepe and Keycom, a
provider of specialised broadband solutions.
The S3 Share Fund made one new qualifying investment in Keycom.
There were no disposals of investments made during the period by any of the
Funds.
The Ordinary Share Fund received proceeds of £62,800 following the de-listing
and return of cash by Finsaga.
In addition, the Ordinary Share Fund's investment in Greatfleet has had to be
written down to zero, after the company was forced into administration by a
major creditor.
Share Capital
The Company allotted and issued 953,533 new Ordinary Shares at a price of 72.0
pence per share and 220,765 new S2 Shares at a price of 92.0 pence per share
under the top-up Offers launched on 25 February 2008.
206,976 Ordinary Shares and 35,000 S2 Shares were bought back for cancellation
during the period at an average price of 55.0 pence per share and 71.0 pence
per share respectively .
Top 10 Equity Holdings at 31 July 2008
Ordinary Share Fund Percentage of Fund
Glisten 10.7%
Abcam 6.4%
Maxima 6.2%
Supporta 4.5%
Mattioli Woods 4.5%
Mears 3.8%
Avingtrans 3.3%
Zetar 3.0%
Xpertise 2.6%
Clerkenwell Ventures 2.5%
S2 Fund Percentage of Fund
Unicorn UK Smaller Companies Fund 10.9%
Unicorn UK Mastertrust Fund 8.6%
Abcam 7.3%
Cohort 6.6%
Mattioli Woods 6.3%
Maxima Holdings 6.2%
Zetar 4.3%
Amber Taverns 4.3%
Clerkenwell Ventures 2.6%
Driver Group 2.6%
Mears 2.6%
Melorio 2.6%
S3 Fund Percentage of Fund
Unicorn Outstanding British Companies 11.6%
Fund
Unicorn Mastertrust Fund 9.4%
Unicorn Free Spirit Fund 9.2%
Unicorn UK Smaller Companies Fund 8.5%
Unicorn UK Income Fund 7.7%
Animalcare Group 4.7%
Tracsis 3.9%
Melorio 3.8%
Snacktime 3.7%
Keycom 3.3%
Material Events
Other than described above, there were no material events during the period
from 1 April 2008 to 31 July 2008.
*A Private Investor is a recipient of the information who meets all of the conditions set out below, the recipient:
Obtains access to the information in a personal capacity;
Is not required to be regulated or supervised by a body concerned with the regulation or supervision of investment or financial services;
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Does not currently act in any capacity as an investment adviser, whether or not they have at some time been qualified to do so;
Uses the information solely in relation to the management of their personal funds and not as a trader to the public or for the investment of corporate funds;
Does not distribute, republish or otherwise provide any information or derived works to any third party in any manner or use or process information or derived works for any commercial purposes.
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