Simon Thompson tip20 Mar 2024 18:45
Nice piece by long tiime follower Simon Thompson at IC today
A smart way to own US tech stocks
A cash-rich venture capital company is priced 45 per cent below book value even though its largest investee company is planning an IPO
March 20, 2024
by Simon Thompson
• Net asset value up from $201.7mn to $208.1mn (662¢)
• Net cash of $11mn in mid-March 2024
• Bolt holding conservatively valued at $72mn
• Backblaze stock price soars 34 per cent post year-end
TMT Investments (TMT: 378¢), a venture capital company with a portfolio of more than 50 high-growth, internet-based companies, reported an annual pre-tax profit of $6.4mn after booking $7.4mn net gains on its investment portfolio last year.
Notable uplifts include a $5.4mn gain on its listed holding in Nasdaq-quoted cloud storage group BackBlaze (US: BLZE) and $14.6mn of cumulative gains on 11 unlisted holdings to reflect higher valuations following equity funding rounds. TMT’s investments in Collectly, a US patient billing platform for medical organisations, and Educate Online, a distance education platform for children and young adults both trebled in value to $6.4mn and $2.85mn, respectively. TMT’s stake in UK-based challenger bank 3S Money Club increased $3mn in value to $17.1mn, too.
Of course there were also negative valuation movements, one of which reduced the carry value of TMT's holding in Pandadoc, a proposal automation and contract management software provider, by $2.8mn to $8mn. It was based on an independent secondary share sale offer received by TMT. However, this should not negate the fact that the portfolio still delivered growth.
Since the period end, BackBlaze’s stock price has risen sharply following earnings upgrades, which has lifted TMT’s proforma NAV per share to 690¢. Management has taken the opportunity to sell down a further $4.2mn of its stake, which boosts the debt free group's cash pile to $11mn to fund follow-on or new investments, and still retains a holding in BackBlaze worth more than $30mn (95¢).