Hbr27 Jul 2022 11:01
Our share price has been impacted by the lead up, announcement and subsequent enactment of the windfall tax(EPL) on oil & gas companies by the UK government. Harbour, as the largest oil & gas producer in the UK, is seen as being hit the hardest by this. Analysts estimate the impact of the EPL on our cash flows at between $1bn-$2bn. In terms of trading, selling has been dominated by hedge funds and trading accounts and, more recently, some index funds rebalancing their portfolio following our exit from the FTSE 100 becoming effective last Thursday, rather than legacy major investors. We have also seen a lack of incremental buyers with investors remaining extremely cautious given the increasing likelihood of recession and the political instability in the UK.
As per the press release and as you note, this change in EIGās notifiable interest reflects a distribution of its shareholding in Harbour to certain of its underlying investors, rather than a sale of shares. We always expected that at some point EIG would look to distribute to their underlying holders who would want to hold their shares directly, given that the fund was established in 2014 and Harbour, a publicly listed UK company, is the only holding in the fund. EIG remain our largest shareholder, with a c.16% holding, and Blair Thomas, CEO of EIG, remains Chairman of Harbour. As per Blairās quote in EIGās press release, EIG remain committed to the sector, confident of our current strategy and supportive of our management team.
Regards,
Aruna