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Softer fundraising outlook cools Intermediate stock

The asset manager will focus on new strategies but aims to appease shareholders with £200m special dividend in the meantime
May 24, 2016

The records are stacking up at Intermediate Capital (ICP) but its shares faltered on these numbers, perhaps because historically fast-paced fundraisings look likely to slow. The group reported record assets under management of €21.6bn (£16.5bn) at the end of the period, and record profits of £61.2m at its fund management company. But the well-established European Mezzanine and Senior Debt Partners funds have hit their maximum €3bn size now, and getting newer funds up to such scale will take time.

IC TIP: Buy at 646p

Management said fundraising for its North American fund demanded 12 initial meetings for every investor compared to a four-to-one ratio for European Mezzanine. Future fundraising efforts will be directed towards new strategies, and the amount it expects to raise in the 2017 financial year will be below the previous two years.

Investors may also have been perturbed by the profit hit from a fair value change on hedges held by its investment company, which more than doubled year-on-year to £17.3m. Even adjusting for this and deferred considerations linked to the purchase of Longbow Real Estate Capital, pre-tax profits were down 5 per cent.

Analysts at JPMorgan expected adjusted pre-tax profits of £176m for the year to March 2017 leading to adjusted EPS of 46.7p, compared with £158.3m and 48.1p in FY2016.

INTERMEDIATE CAPITAL (ICP)
ORD PRICE:646pMARKET VALUE:£2.11bn
TOUCH:646-647p12-MONTH HIGH:677pLOW: 486p
DIVIDEND YIELD:3.6%PE RATIO:15
NET ASSET VALUE:381pNET DEBT:61%

Year to 31 MarTurnover (£m)Pre-tax profit (£m)Earnings per share (p)Dividend per share (p)
201243824447.719
201337014332.120
201446416437.021
201542617950.322
201644915941.923
% change+5-11-17+5

Ex-div: 16 Jun

Payment: 5 Aug