While I was on annual leave last week no fewer than 18 companies on my watchlist released trading statements, almost all of which have been positive I hasten to add. A raft of updates is clearly in order and I will endeavour to publish these as promptly as possible.
Aim-traded UK and eastern European property fund manager and investor First Property (FPO:56p) has established a major new fund, Fprop Offices LP, with eight institutional investors to invest in office blocks and business parks across England. The £182m equity raised at first close equates to £260m of buying power based on the new fund’s maximum 30 per cent gearing level, a considerable sum in relation to First Property’s current third party assets under management (AUM) of £323m. In effect, after taking into account other mandates won, this means the company’s third party AUM could almost double. Interestingly, instead of earning an annual management fee, First Property has agreed to a profit share, the impact of which analyst Chris Thomas, head of research at brokerage Arden Partners, believes has significant profit potential.
He estimates that based on an initial yield of 6.2 per cent on purchase, and after taking into account debt funding allowed, the new fund would generate a 7.5 per cent return on equity and produce a profit share of £1.36m for First Property plus an additional £200,000 on the company’s £3m co-investment. After factoring in bonus allocations, then this would produce a £1.1m contribution at the pre-tax level. Moreover, if the new fund generates an annual internal rate of return of between 7.5 per cent to 15 per cent then the financial returns ratchet up for First Property; the company is entitled to 25 per cent of the total profits in this scenario, thus highlighting the potential for additional profit upside if investment returns are boosted by capital gains. It’s only fair to point out that if capital losses exceed income in any one year, then there would be a claw back on income paid in prior years, a sensible arrangement in my view.