Close IHT AIM VCT PLC
18 April 2008
Close IHT AIM VCT PLC Interim Management Statement
Introduction
I am pleased to present your Company's first interim management statement for
the period from 1st December 2007 to 18 April 2008 as required by the UK Listing
Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rule 4.3.
Performance
Since we last reported, market volatility has continued, against a background of
concerns over credit markets and a weaker global economy. Smaller company shares
have continued to be hit particularly over the last few months as investor
appetite for smaller company stocks and liquidity has markedly reduced. Your
Company has, not surprisingly, seen its Net Asset Value ('NAV') fall over the
period to 86.18 pence per share (unaudited) as at 16 April 2008. This compares
with 94.15 pence per share (audited) reported in the Report and Financial
Statements for the year ended 30 November 2007, and represents a drop of 8.5 per
cent (after allowing for the 1 pence per share dividend). By way of comparison,
the FTSE AIM Index has fallen by 7.5 per cent over the same period.
Portfolio
Your Company's Investment Manager has continued to make investments in the
period to 18 April 2008 and a total of £2.7 m has been invested. Your Fund has
realised £0.4m from share disposals in the period. As at 31 March 2008 the Fund
is 57% invested in qualifying investments.
The Fund has until 30 November 2008 to reach the minimum 70% level required by
HMRC regulations.
The following new qualifying investments were made in the period from 1 December
2007 to 18 April 2008:
Company £000s
Maelor PLC 1,000
Research Now PLC 750
Animalcare Group PLC 600
Lombard Medical Technologies PLC 375
Top Ten Qualifying Holdings (as at 16 April 2008)
Company Market Value
£'000
Maelor PLC 1,000
Melorio PLC 673
Research Now PLC 650
Animalcare Group PLC 600
Mount Engineering PLC 600
Pressure Technology PLC 574
Neuropharm Group PLC 553
Hexagon Human Capital PLC 480
Claimar Care Group PLC 453
Plastics Capital Group PLC 444
All of the top ten qualifying holdings are quoted and valued at bid price as at
16 April 2008.
Dividends
In the Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 30 November 2007, the
Board declared a dividend of 1 pence per share to all shareholders. This
dividend will be paid on 22 April 2008 to shareholders on the register on 25
March 2008.
Share buybacks
During the period to 18 April 2008, there were no share buybacks.
Your Company will continue to make investments in qualifying investments to
reach the required minimum HMRC 70% VCT level. Although the number of new issues
on AIM has slowed down as a result of more difficult market conditions, there
are still VCT qualifying companies seeking growth capital and valuations are
more attractive. Part of the reasoning for this view is that there are now fewer
investors seeking to invest in growing AIM companies, but there remains a steady
flow of companies raising capital on AIM.
Though the environment for small company share prices may remain difficult in
the short term, it still remains the case that well managed smaller companies
can grow and we are confident that they will continue to do so in the longer
term.
18 April 2008
For further information please contact Andrew Buchanan/Kate Tidbury of Close
Investments Limited
Tel: 0207 426 4139
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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