Corporate Highlights · Two new funds launched; the Global Alpha Fund following the appointment of the Global Equities team in the Summer and the Japan Alpha Fund, by our award-winning specialist Japanese team. · Awarded Specialist Group of the Year at the S&P Capital IQ 2012 UK Fund Awards. Current AUM · AUM as at 30 November 2012 up over 4.5% from 30 September 2012 to US$5.55bn
POLAR CAPITAL HOLDINGS plc ("Polar Capital" or "the Company") Interim results for the six months ended 30 September 2012 Financial Highlights · Net inflows in the six month period ended 30 September 2012 of US$405m despite turbulent markets and Assets under Management ("AUM") at 30 September 2012 up to US$5.30bn (31 March 2012:US$5.08bn) · Core operating profit excluding performance fees up 20% to £4.2m (30 September 2011:£3.5m) · Profit before share-based payments and amortisation of intangibles of £4.6m (30 September 2011:£4.8m) · Pre-tax profit of £3.8m (30 September 2011:£3.9m) · Basic earnings per share 3.64p (30 September 2011:3.91p) and adjusted* diluted earnings per share 4.14p (30 September 2011:4.25p) · Interim dividend per ordinary share of 2.0p declared (2011:1.5p) to be paid in January 2013 · Shareholders' funds of £44.1m (31 March 2012:£46.6m) including cash and investments of £42.8m (31 March 2012:£49.0m)
Commenting on the new Syndicate launch, Ken Randall, Chairman and Chief Executive said "We are delighted to confirm the commencement of underwriting in Syndicate 1991 from January 1 with excellent support from private members and industry capital alongside R&Q itself. This is an exciting development for the Group and the establishment of an R&Q 'first party' Syndicate cements our expansion into the management of live underwriting and provides the Group with scale and depth in this area. We believe that the underwriting team is first rate and that their management information systems set a new standard for delegated authority business."
Line of business and geographical mix The Syndicate's focus is on writing SME and niche personal lines property & associated liability business through a limited number of specialist Managing General Agency (MGA) appointments. The business will have a strong geographical balance between the USA, UK, Europe and ROW. All business written will be new to the Lloyd's market. The business will be managed through our proprietary online system which facilitates strong control and oversight of the business written, provides highly detailed monitoring and reporting, direct receipt of premiums and faster response to valid claims. The Syndicate plan is built around a very controlled risk appetite for catastrophe exposure with the balance of CAT to Non-CAT exposed business reducing as the account develops.
R&Q Launches New Lloyd's Syndicate 7 December 2012 R&Q Managing Agency Limited, the Lloyd's subsidiary of Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings plc ("R&Q") has launched Syndicate 1991 to commence underwriting from January 1, 2013. Capacity is £77m for 2013, the Syndicate's first underwriting year and the account is to be underwritten by Daniel Wright and his deputy Steve Mitchell, both formerly of Axis Capital. During their time at Axis, Dan and his team were responsible for its Global MGA Division and helped produce excellent underwriting results, driven by an impressively low loss ratio. R&Q is providing approximately 20% of the Syndicate's capacity, SCOR and XL approximately 15% each, and, following our plan to offer a significant amount of capacity to private members; they are supporting the balance. We are also pleased to advise that Eamon Brown has agreed to become the Independent Peer Reviewer of the Syndicate. Eamon was the Joint Head of the Underwriting Performance Directorate at Lloyd's from 2004-2009, and brings a wealth of experience, particularly in the area of liability underwriting. As part of the further strengthening of the R&Q underwriting management team, Michael Deeny, a member of the Council of Lloyd's since 2009, ALM Chairman from 1998 to 2009, and an ALM Director will be joining the group as a Non-Executive Director of Randall Quilter Underwriting Management Holdings Ltd, and will be personally participating on the Syndicate.
The Group has achieved 3,951 (2011 - 3,748) sales for the current financial year, representing 72% of its current annual target. The Board anticipates that legal completions will increase by around 5% for the six months ending 31 January 2013 and expects that the operating margin for the same period will slightly exceed the 12.5% achieved in the second half of the previous financial year. The Board continues to believe that improvements in shareholder return can be achieved through organic growth, given that land can be acquired where the return on capital is accretive to shareholder value. To that extent the Group's land teams have been active, resulting in expenditure of £91 million on land and land creditors and modest net bank debt of £77 million at 30 November 2012. Given its balance sheet and operational capacity, the Group is well placed to deliver future sustainable and responsible growth. The Chairman will make a brief statement at the Annual General Meeting on 11 January 2013 and a trading update for the six months ending 31 January 2013 will be issued on 7 February 2013.
Interim Management Statement Friday 7 December 2012 Bellway p.l.c. is today issuing an Interim Management Statement relating to the eighteen week period from 1 August 2012 to 30 November 2012. The Board is continuing with its previously outlined strategy of delivering improved shareholder returns through sustainable, organic growth in volume, selling price and operating margin. Market conditions remain largely unchanged, however customers' ability to access higher loan to value mortgage finance has improved slightly compared to the same period last year, as a result of the continuation of the Government's NewBuy mortgage indemnity scheme. As a consequence, reservations, net of cancellations, have risen to an average of 100 per week, an increase of 6% compared to the prior year. This growth in volume has been achieved from an average of 213 sites compared to 205 sites last year. A variety of sales incentives continue to be used in order to secure sales with NewBuy accounting for 10% of reservations taken in the period. Conversely, the Group continues to restrict the use of shared equity incentives, with these representing only 3% of reservations in the period, compared to 5% in the prior year. The average selling price of reservations, net of sales incentives, has increased by 4% to £195,800, reflecting continuing changes in product mix.
Update on Endace's trading Trading since 30 September 2012 has been in line with management expectations.
"The Endace team is excited to be joining forces with Emulex. Our companies share a common vision and have a strong cultural affinity. Together, we will create a new generation of network visibility solutions and take them to a global market," said Mike Riley, CEO, Endace. "The combined strengths of Emulex and Endace will provide our customers with industry-leading solutions to connect, monitor and manage high-performance networks in the world's most demanding data centre environments."
Approach by Emulex and commitment to accept by major shareholders Following an approach by Emulex in relation to a potential acquisition of all the shares in Endace, the Endace Board agreed to provide Emulex with the opportunity to perform due diligence on Endace's business. Upon completion of that due diligence, Emulex has entered into lock-upagreements with certain Directors of Endace, including the Chairman and co-founder Dr. Ian Graham in respect of his holding of an aggregate of 1,133,705 shares (7.45 percent of Endace's issued share capital) and Mike Riley, CEO, in respect of 593,953 shares held under option. Emulex has also received commitment letters from the two other Directors who are shareholders in respect of an aggregate of 454,568 shares (2.99 percent of Endace's issued share capital), as well as receiving expressions of support from another founder of the business, Selwyn Pellett in respect of 896,982 shares (5.89 percent of Endace's issued share capital). The Offer Document is expected to be despatched to shareholders on 21 December 2012.
Endace Limited receives cash takeover offer from Emulex Corporation The Board of Directors of Endace (the "Endace Board") advises that it has received a takeover notice (the "Takeover Notice") from El Dorado Research Ventures Limited ("Emulex Bidco"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Emulex Corporation, stating Emulex Bidco's intention to make an offer under the New Zealand Takeovers Code to purchase the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Endace. The Offer is for £5.00 in cash for each share in Endace and represents a 65 percent premium to the mid-market closing price per Endace share on 5 December 2012 of 302.50 pence, and values the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of Endace at approximately £80.7 million (assuming the exercise of all outstanding options which carry an exercise price of less than £5.00 per share, net of proceeds) (All share price information is quoted in London time). The Offer is subject to a number of conditions, including Emulex Bidco receiving acceptances for shares which confer 90 percent or more of the voting rights in Endace, all consents required from the New Zealand Overseas Investment Office and consent from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment in respect of the status of various grants received by Endace. The full conditions of the Offer are set out in the Takeover Notice, which has been lodged with the New Zealand Takeovers Panel and is available on the Company's website at www.endace.com.
Commenting, Marc Holtzman, Chairman of Indus, said: "The significant uplift in 2P Reserves and growth in 2C Contingent Resources reflects further work done on the Block since 2010. We are pleased that we have migrated assets from Contingent Resources to Reserves and from Prospective Resources to Contingent Resources. This is part of an ongoing process which we shall continue in our next CPR. On the basis of this report we are moving ahead with additional gas sales and as in the past, we expect to fund the development spending associated with these sales from debt financing."
CPR Highlights: · Gross 'Proven plus Probable' reserves increase to 573 Bcf o 87% increase from that attributed in previous CPR by Senergy in 2010 and a 258% increase from the IPO CPR by Tracs o New 2P reserves of 266 Bcf attributed to the recent SSF Field · Meaningful growth in 2C gross contingent resources - increase 49% from 1,808 Bcf to 2,699 Bcf · Over 1TCF of gross prospective resources attributable to the wells outside the SGL development area · Majority of wells drilled outside the SGL area in 2012 excluded from this CPR due to CPR process timetable
Peter Akid, Managing Director of NHS SBS Commercial Procurement Solutions,says: "NHS Shared Business Services and @UK have been working together for a number of years to support the NHS in understanding its spend activity. We are delighted to be able to put this capability to further use in helping the NHS SDU heighten awareness of the NHS's carbon footprint. We are also very pleased to be part of this national programme which we hope will be integral in helping reduce the carbon footprint across the NHS." Ronald Duncan, Chairman of @UK says: "The ability to automatically identify the individual items that make up a hotspot makes it much easier for trusts using the P4CR program to reduce demand and wastage of the items that make up the hot spot. This simplifies the process of reducing the overall usage by 10% by 2015."
David Pencheon, Director, NHS Sustainable Development Unit, says: "The study allows organisations to identify where to focus in order to reduce both costs and carbon supporting the NHS's drive to reduce carbon emissions by 10% by 2015. The results show the importance of pharmaceuticals, medical instruments and energy sectors. Guidance on addressing carbon through procurement is already available through the P4CR programme which aims to reduce emissions associated with goods and services through demand management and adoption of innovative solutions." David Wathey, Head of Sustainable Procurement, Department of Health, says: "Understanding where to start in trying to reduce carbon through procurement has proved to be a significant challenge for the NHS given the large and diverse range of goods and services procured. This study builds on the work of the P4CR programme, such as the SCO2PE tool, and provides greater clarity, for different types of NHS organisation, on where to focus their efforts."