Interim Management Statement

RNS Number : 1128Q

Electra Private Equity PLC

29 July 2010

 



ELECTRA PRIVATE EQUITY PLC

Interim Management Statement for the three month period to 30 June 2010

The information contained in this announcement is restricted and is not for release, publication, or distribution directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Canada, Japan or Australia. The information in these materials does not constitute an offer for securities for sale in the United States, Canada, Japan or Australia.

This is an Interim Management Statement issued by Electra Private Equity PLC ("Electra") in accordance with the FSA's Disclosure and Transparency Rule 4.3. This statement relates to the three month period from 1 April 2010 to 30 June 2010.

Colette Bowe, Electra's Chairman said: "Prospects for Electra's portfolio, which comprises mainly non-cyclical and defensively positioned investments, have improved despite the uncertain economic environment. With Electra's broad investment mandate, Electra Partners has a pipeline of investment opportunities which is likely to result in an increase in new investment. However, caution is required in relation to transaction prices due to the overhang of private equity funding available in the market."

1 Resources and Commitments

At 30 June 2010, Electra had cash and liquidity funds of £203 million and had drawn down £159 million of borrowings under its £185 million banking facility. Inclusive of this facility Electra had available investment capacity of £229 million. At 30 June 2010 Electra's quoted portfolio was valued at £116 million and commitments to third party funds amounted to £78 million.

2 Unaudited Net Asset Value

The investment portfolio (apart from quoted investments) has not been revalued at 30 June 2010. However, calculated on the basis of the net asset value at 31 March 2010 (adjusted to reflect the purchases and sales of investments, currency movements and bid values in respect of quoted investments), the unaudited net asset value at 30 June 2010 was 1,873p per share compared to 1,900p at 31 March 2010, a decrease of 1.4%.

3 Composition of Portfolio

Electra's portfolio consists of investments in companies and other investment vehicles (the "investment portfolio"). The investment portfolio consists primarily of direct investments in unquoted and quoted companies together with investments in funds where investments are held in limited partnerships managed by other private equity managers.

Electra will normally invest in unquoted companies but may invest in quoted companies when the management team, which Electra wishes to support, operates through a quoted vehicle. Quoted investments may also be held where they arise from previously unquoted investments and continue to generate the returns required under the investment mandate. In general these are likely to be sold when resources for new unquoted transactions are required.

Investments in funds are made principally to gain exposure to geographic areas outside the UK and which, because of the relationship with the fund manager, are likely to generate co-investment opportunities for Electra.

	* 30 June 2010	31 March 2010
	£m	£m
Investment Portfolio
Direct Investments	577	583
Funds	86	88
	663	671
Available Investment Capacity	229	233
Investment Portfolio and Available Investment Capacity	892	904

*       Based on values at 31 March 2010, adjusted as detailed in Section 2 (Unaudited Net Asset Value) above.

At 30 June 2010 Electra held direct investments in 63 companies with an aggregate value of
£577 million and investments in 24 funds with an aggregate value of £86 million. The top 10 and 20 direct investments accounted for 58% and 82% respectively of the total direct investments.

4 Top 10 Direct Investments *

		Value at  31 March 2010	Net Purchases		*** Value at 30 June 2010
	Sector			Performance		Cost
		£'000	£'000	£'000	£'000	£'000
Allflex Holdings	Agriculture	63,241	─	─	63,241	40,482
BDR Thermea	Consumer goods (non-cyclical)	55,586	─	(3,392)	52,194	55,847
London & Stamford Property **	Property investment	35,269	─	(669)	34,600	30,195
Premier Asset Management	Financial services	31,823	─	321	32,144	32,224
Esure	Insurance	29,717	─	─	29,717	29,717
Promontoria	Property investment	32,063	─	(2,467)	29,596	16,479
MPS	Agriculture	27,873	─	(2,145)	25,728	17,529
Zensar Technologies**	Software & computing	20,613	─	3,888	24,501	4,211
Supervia	Transport	5,762	18,133	91	23,986	35,218
Lil-lets	Healthcare	21,149	─	─	21,149	21,412
		323,096	18,133	(4,373)	336,856	283,314

*       Excludes accrued income

**     Quoted investments

***    Valued on the basis of Section 2 (Unaudited Net Asset Value) as set out above

5 Investments and Realisations

Electra invested a total of £23.6 million in the three months to 30 June 2010. Included in this was £18.1 million in respect of Supervia and £2.2 million drawn down under commitments to third party funds. Realisations totalled £15.3 million for the three months to 30 June 2010.

6 Thermocoax

At 31 March 2010 Electra's investment in Thermocoax, a manufacturer of specialist engineering products in Europe, was valued at €13.7 million (£12.2 million based on exchange rates at that date). The investment was sold on 23 June 2010 with Electra receiving proceeds of €15.2 million (£12.3million at that date). Thermocoax generated a return for Electra of 2.8x original sterling cost in just under four years.

7 Supervia

At 31 March 2010, Electra's interest in Supervia was valued at £5.8 million. In June 2010 Electra invested a further £18.1 million through a rights issue to facilitate Supervia's ongoing investment programme. Apart from currency movements this transaction did not impact on Electra's net asset valuation at 30 June 2010.

8 Share Price Performance

Electra's share price at 30 June 2010 was 1,206p, a decline of 10.1% over the three months while the FTSE All-Share Index decreased by 12.6% over the same period. Over the year to 30 June 2010, Electra's share price increased by 28.3% while the FTSE All-Share Index increased by 17.1%.

9 Announcement of Results for year to 30 September 2010

The Board currently anticipates that the announcement of results for the year ending 30 September 2010 will be made at the beginning of December 2010.

ENDS

Colette Bowe, Chairman, Electra Private Equity PLC  020 7306 3883

Hugh Mumford, Managing Partner, Electra Partners LLP  020 7214 4200

Caroline Villiers, M: Communications  020 7920 2321

This statement aims to give an indication of material events and transactions that have taken place during the period from 1 April 2010 to the date of publication of this statement and their impact on the financial position of Electra Private Equity PLC. These indications reflect the Board's current view. They are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and could change. Factors which could contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, general economic and market conditions and specific factors affecting the financial prospects or performance of individual investments within Electra's portfolio.

No information contained in this announcement shall form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any offer or commitment whatsoever in any jurisdiction.

This announcement is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any securities of Electra Private Equity PLC (the "Company", and such securities, the "Securities") in the United States or any other jurisdiction. The Company is not registered under the U.S Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act"), and holders of any Securities will not be entitled to the benefits of the Investment Company Act. The Securities have not been and will not be registered under the U.S Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and may not be reoffered, resold or transferred in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) unless registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from such registration is available. Copies of this announcement are not being, and should not be, distributed or sent into the United States. No public offering of Securities is being made in the United States. If for any reason in the future an offering of the Securities is made, such offering will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained from the Company and will contain all relevant information about the Company, its management and its financial statements.              

 

END

 

 

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