Report
Keith Hiscock ...
  • Mark Thomas
  • Martin Hall
  • Mike Foster

The Hardman & Co Monthly: September 2022

Feature article:

Macro issues dominate investor sentiment - Some basics for investors

The big topics in the investment world at the moment seem to be macroeconomic. With that in mind, we thought it would be useful to revisit some of the basics of the terms being used in the current environment, and to remind investors of the things to look out for (indeed, many younger investors may not have come across some of these influences in their investing lifetime):

• Recession does not affect all sectors and companies equally.
• The depth of a recession will vary among sectors, as will the timing of the impact.
• Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the standard way to measure economic success, but some have promoted a “happiness index”.
• The full impact of higher interest rates takes time, perhaps years, to show.
• The devaluation of growth stocks is due to more than just a change in the zeitgeist.
• Inflation favours equities over bonds, particularly for companies that are price-setters, rather than price-takers.

The Bank of England will struggle to get inflation down as fast as it hopes.
Underlyings
Advanced Oncotherapy

Advanced Oncotherapy is focused on providing radiotherapy systems for cancer treatment through the use of a proton therapy technology. Co. operates in two business segments: proton therapy and healthcare related properties. The healthcare related property U.K. segment relates to Co.'s property in Folkestone, which is being marketed for sale.

Appreciate Group

Park Group is a provider of prepaid gift cards, multi-retailer gift vouchers and digital rewards services to corporate and consumer markets. Co.'s brands include: Love2shop, a multi-retailer gift voucher and prepaid gift card brand; Park Christmas Savings, which helps families prepare and budget for Christmas in a controlled and careful manner; flexecash®, which issues e-money; Love2shop Business Services, which provides solutions from Co.'s own multi-retailer vouchers and prepaid cards to single store vouchers and cards, gift experiences, holidays and travel; and Evolve, which is a digital rewards platform that provides commercial organizations with a means to reward individuals.

Arbuthnot Banking Group

Arbuthnot Banking Group is primarily involved in banking and financial services. Co. is organized into three main operating segments: Retail banking (associate), which incorporates household cash management, personal lending and banking and insurance services; U.K. Private banking, which incorporates private banking, commercial banking and wealth management; and Group Centre, which is comprised in Co.'s Group Centre management. As of Dec 31 2016, Co.'s total assets were £1.27 billion.

CIZZLE BIOTECHNOLOGY HLDGS PLC

Diurnal Group

Diurnal Group is a pharma company developing products for the life-long treatment of chronic endocrine conditions. Co. is focused on addressing clinical and patient needs in hormone replacement, initially by developing and marketing products for the rare orphan diseases congenital adrenal hyperplasia and adrenal insufficiency. Co.'s products include Infacort®, an immediate-release hydrocortisone preparation targeting Adrenal Insufficiency (including Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia) in children under six years of age in Europe and 16 years of age in the U.S.; and Chronocort®, a modified-release hydrocortisone preparation, initially targeting Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia in adult patients.

Fidelity Asian Values PLC

Fidelity Asian Values is an investment company. Co. invests in a diversified portfolio of securities and instruments issued by or related to companies listed on the stock markets in the Asian Region excluding Japan. Co. may invest directly in the shares of companies or indirectly through equity related instruments and in debt instruments. Co. may also invest in quoted securities and in other investment funds. Co. invests across a range of sectors, including consumer discretionary, financials, information technology, consumer staples, industrials, health care, utilities, energy, materials, and telecommunication services. Co.'s investment is managed by FIL Investments International.

Fidelity China Special Situations PLC

Fidelity China Special Situations is an investment trust. Co.'s investment objective is to attain long-term capital growth from a managed portfolio made up primarily of securities issued by companies listed in China or Hong Kong and Chinese companies listed elsewhere. Co. may also invest in listed companies with interests in China and Hong Kong.

Fidelity European Values PLC

Fidelity European Values operates as an investment company with a managed portfolio of investments, consisting primarily of continental European securities. Co.'s Portfolio Manager focuses on attaining a total return on Co.'s total assets over the longer term in excess of the Benchmark Index, the FTSE World Europe (ex UK) Index. Co. may utilize derivative instruments, including index-linked notes, futures, contracts for difference, covered call options, put options and other equity-related derivative instruments as a tool to meet its investment objective.

Fidelity Japan Trust

Fidelity Japan Trust is an investment trust company. Co.'s investment objective is to attain long term capital growth from a managed portfolio of securities primarily of small and medium sized Japanese companies listed or traded on Japanese stockmarkets.

Fidelity Special Values PLC

Fidelity Special Values PLC is a United Kingdom-based investment trust. The investment objective of the Company is to achieve long term capital growth predominantly through investment in the United Kingdom listed companies. The Company is engaged in the investments in larger, medium and smaller-sized companies. Its investments have the characteristics, including limited downside risk and unrecognized potential for positive change. The Company focuses on investing up to 20% of the portfolio in listed companies on overseas exchanges. The Company may invest directly in the shares of companies or indirectly through equity-related instruments (such as derivative contracts, warrants or convertible bonds) and in debt instruments. The Company may also invest in unquoted securities. It invests in sectors, including financial services, media, support services, and software and computer services. FIL Investment Services (UK) Limited is the Company's alternative investment fund manager.

ICG Enterprise Trust

ICG Enterprise Trust is an investment trust. Co. is a private equity investment company focused on buyouts in developed markets. Co. invests in private equity funds and also directly in private companies. As of Jan 31 2017, Co.'s total investment portfolio amounted to £594.3 million.

International Biotechnology Trust PLC

International Biotechnology Trust is an independent investment trust company. Co. invests primarily in biotechnology and other life science companies. The portfolio is split between large, mid and small capitalisation companies, primarily quoted on stock exchanges in North America, though investments will also be made in Europe, Asia and Australia. Investments may also be made into unquoted companies and into funds not quoted on a stock exchange, including venture capital funds. Co. has delegated responsibility for day-to-day investment of its assets to the Alternative Investment Fund Manager, SV Health Managers LLP.

Oakley Capital Investments

Pantheon Resources

Pantheon Resources is engaged in the investment in oil and gas exploration and development. Co. operates in the U.K. through its parent undertaking and in the U.S. through subsidiary companies. Co. operates in two reportable segments: USA and Head Office. Non-current assets, income and operating liabilities are attributable to the USA, whilst most of the corporate administration is conducted through Head Office. As of June 30 2017, Co. held 58% working interest in the VOBM#1 & VOBM#2H wells in Polk County. Co. also held 75% working interest in VOBM#4 in Tyler County.

Real Estate Credit Investments

Shield Therapeutics

Shield Therapeutics is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of late stage, hospital-focused pharmaceuticals which address areas of high unmet medical need. Co.'s key products are Feraccru®, commercially available for the treatment of Iron Deficiency Anaemia, and PT20, for the treatment of systemic phosphate accumulation (otherwise known as hyperphosphatemia). Co. has an additional pipeline of three prescription pharmaceutical assets (PT20, PT30 and PT40) with commercial synergies.

Tissue Regenix Group

Tissue Regenix Group is a medical technology company. Co. is engaged in the development of regenerative products to create replacement native tissue using biological (human and animal) materials. With its platform technology dCELL®, Co. is focusing on the treatment of patients with wound care, orthopaedic and cardiac applications. The dCELL® technology allows Co. to process both human and animal tissues, removing DNA and cellular material but leaving intact an acellular matrix within which the patient's own cells can repopulate and regenerate, creating like for like tissue.

Volta Finance (GBP)

Volta Finance is a closed-ended investment company with the objective of investing, among other asset types, in the following main asset classes: Collateralized Loan Obligation, Synthetic Corporate Credit, Cash Corporate Credit and ABS. Co. has appointed AXA Investment Managers Paris S.A., as its Alternative Investment Fund Manager to manage the investments of Co.

Provider
Hardman & Co
Hardman & Co

We are a rapidly growing, innovative corporate research & consultancy business, based in London, serving the needs of both public and private companies.

Our expert team of sector analysts and market professionals collectively have over 400 years of experience.  This depth of knowledge and a reputation for integrity have built trust with investors. With effective communication and precision distribution, we help companies disseminate their investment message to interested investors, as well as advise them on strategy.

Our smaller, boutique structure allows us to provide first-class customer service and to deliver a wide range of ad-hoc services for multiple clients with different needs.

Analysts
Keith Hiscock

Mark Thomas

Martin Hall

Mike Foster

Other Reports on these Companies
Other Reports from Hardman & Co

ResearchPool Subscriptions

Get the most out of your insights

Get in touch