(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Tuesday and not separately reported by Alliance News:
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Kin & Carta PLC - London-based business consultancy - Revenue for financial year to July 31 rises to GBP160.3 million from GBP140.5 million the year before, with pretax loss narrowing GBP4.3 million from GBP36.3 million. Organic net revenue at constant currency rates grew 11% in year, and firm raises guidance for full-year to 30% from 20%. It adds: "Our ambition is to double organic net revenue from FY21 in four years, whilst adding additional growth and scale opportunities via acquisitions. This growth and business expansion will further drive the scale benefits of operational efficiencies, higher margins and improved cash generation." However, it lowers operating margin guidance for full-year to range of 10% to 11% from 12% to 13% seen previously, reflecting divestments. "As net revenue continues to grow, we expect operating margins in future years to grow incrementally as well, and we expect margins in the mid-teens over the medium term," it says.
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JPMorgan Global Emerging Markets Investment Trust PLC - emerging markets-focused investor - Reports net asset value total return of 25% over year to July 31, outperforming its benchmark index, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index with net dividends reinvested, which returns just 14%. "The principal reasons for the company's outperformance against the benchmark index were stock selection in China, Russia and Taiwan which outweighed the negative relative contribution from the company's exposure to South Korea and Brazil," it says. Net asset value per share at July 31 152.2p, up from 126.6p a year ago. Total dividend for year 5.1p, in line with the year before.
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Schroder BSC Social Impact Trust PLC - investment firm focused on positive social impact as well as long-term capital growth and income - Says net asset value rose to GBP78.2 million at June 30from GBP73.7 million at IPO in December last year. Net asset value per share stands at 104.3p at period-end. "The portfolio proved resilient during the period, with income from investments stable and increasing in some cases with additional demand for services, despite significant uncertainty created by the ongoing pandemic," it says. Adds that IPO proceeds now fully deployed.
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Henderson International Income Trust PLC - invests in internationally diversified portfolio focused outside the UK - Net asset value per share 181.7p at August-end, up from 153.5p a year ago. NAV total return over year 23%, lagging benchmark which rises 27%. Dividend in respect of year 6.30p up from 6.00p the year before. "The company has delivered dividend growth to shareholders again this year, however the value and income bias of the portfolio has meant that performance against some of the other KPIs has been more difficult in the short term," it says.
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VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Ltd - Vietnam-focused investor - Net asset value per ordinary share USD8.07 at June 30, up from USD4.97 a year ago. Taking into account dividends, NAV total return for 12-month period is 66%. "We reported at the half year stage that returns had been very strong in the six months to the end of December 2020 and that strength continued into the second half," company says. Adds it is in the process of negotiating terms of a facility, which is expected to be in the region of USD40 million.
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Orchard Funding Group PLC - Luton, England-based professional fee funding and insurance premium funding - Net total income for financial year ended July 31 falls to GBP3.4 million from GBP4.1 million the year before, and pretax profit slips to GBP1.1 million from GBP1.6 million. Says pandemic "continued to affect all aspects of the business". Proposes full-year dividend of 3.0p, in line with the year before. "We are confident that the market will eventually return to pre-Covid 19 levels and that our lending will continue to improve over that period," says Chief Executive Ravi Takhar.
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Smartspace Software PLC - IT service management company - Revenue for half-year to July 31 rises to GBP2.5 million from GBP2.3 million, but pretax loss widens to GBP1.8 million from GBP1.1 million. Administrative expenses grow to GBP3.6 million from GBP2.4 million. Says that return to a "more normal" business environment is taking longer than anticipated, resulting in uncertainty from customers and leading firm to warn that full-year revenue growth will be below original expectations. "Whilst we remain confident in the revenue growth prospects of our products, the continuing impacts of Covid-19 mean that growth will not be as strong as we had originally hoped," it says.
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By Lucy Heming;Â lucyheming@alliancenews.com
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