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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