NB Private Equity Partners (NBPE): 1H’25 results: turning the corner

In our view, NBPE’s 1H’25 results may be characterised as turning the corner. There has been a modest improvement in financial performance, the outlook for exits (with expected uplifts to carrying values) has improved, and the pipeline of new investments is strong. NBPE’s balance sheet has ample liquidity to take advantage of these opportunities, and its recent focus on mid-life deals means that value creation from these new investments has been rapid. Current performance remains below long-term...

Hardman and Co Insight: Feeding the future

The global food system has been, and continues to, undergo a structural transformation driven by population growth, climate change and the rise of a larger, wealthier global population. The global middle-class population is projected to increase from 4.1bn currently to just over 5bn by 2035. By 2050, global food demand is expected to increase significantly as population rises and diets shift from staple grains to higher-value proteins and dairy products ‒ a change that exponentially increases th...

Hardman & Co Monthly: November 2025

Feature article: Feeding the future The case for food system investment Megatrends, at a very basic level, dictate the “direction of travel” for economic, social and political activity; investments made on this basis will receive powerful trend support. Today, the transformation of the global food system represents one such structural force. As demographic expansion, rising income and growing climate pressure converge, food sustainability as a strategic, long-term investment theme is no longe...

Cavendish plc (CAV): Steadily profitable in continuingly tough markets

Cavendish reported PBT of £1.1m for the half-year to September 2025. Revenue was up 3% on a comparable basis – against a still tricky background for UK smaller companies – and adjusted pre-tax profit was £2.0m, marginally ahead of the same period last year. The result was an indication of the strength of the diversified revenue stream – with both private and public divisions healthily profitable – and a strong control on costs, which fell over the period. Currently, the stock is trading on 6.7x ...

ICG Enterprise Trust plc (ICGT): Mid-teens EBITDA growth and long-term...

The key message from ICGT’s 1HFY’26 results (to July 2025) is the continued strength of the operating companies, which delivered, on average, 15% LTM EBITDA growth. Margins have widened by ca.5% (average revenue growth 10%), which should help allay some concerns over the impact of the challenging environment. New investment is forecast to accelerate, and realisation proceeds already exceed FY’25 with an average 14% uplift to carrying values on exit. A degree of short-term volatility is to be exp...

Volta Finance Limited (VTAS): Liquid access to outperforming private c...

In this report, we highlight what Volta brings to investors. In particular, we note the multi-currency, liquid access it provides all investors to i) the illiquid but attractive CLO (private credit) market, with its good risk-adjusted returns, ii) an outperforming manager of that expertise-dependent asset class. Private credit has been one of the “hot” asset classes in 2025 but with investment largely restricted to large, institutional investors. Volta’s AEX and LSE, and € and £, listings give r...

Hardman & Co Monthly: October 2025

Feature article: Building tomorrow’s AI: How the UK will become the global architect of Trustworthy Intelligence In this month’s feature article, Professor Andy Pardoe, Professor of AI and Chair of the Deep Tech Innovation Centre at the University of Warwick, gives his perspective on the artificial intelligence (AI) industry and how it is advancing at an unprecedented pace, outstripping anything witnessed in previous decades. For researchers, industry leaders and investors, understanding the la...

Real Estate Credit Investments: What RECI brings to investors

In this note, we review what RECI brings to investors, specifically noting i) a near 10% dividend yield, significantly covered by recurring interest income and which has been maintained through multiple macro crises, ii) diversification of investors’ portfolios with an equity with low correlation to overall markets, iii) an experienced debt manager bringing competitive advantages in deal origination and risk management, iv) a diversified portfolio with proven downside resilience created by Cheyn...

Chesnara plc: Showing good operational progress

Chesnara announced its 1H’25 results. The main features were a better-than-expected operational performance, weaker economic returns and increased central costs but improved cash generation. An Economic Value loss of £11m was behind recent figures (1H’24: profit of £20m). Alongside the dividend payment, this loss reduced the Economic Value, which declined from £531m to £517m in the first half. Cash generation of £37m was a 28% increase over the 1H’24 figure of £29m. The interim dividend, as expe...

Hardman & Co Monthly: September 2025

Feature article: IICS/REIFS – NAV discounts and the ill wind from Denmark Since the start of 2024, the share prices of the eight Infrastructure Investment Companies (IICs) and of the 18 Renewable Energy Infrastructure Funds (REIFs) have been generally weak – and, conspicuously, have failed to recover the losses of 2023. Undoubtedly, high interest rates have undermined the sector – and there is no certainty that they will fall significantly. Not only has this situation adversely affected NAVs, b...

Hardman & Co Insight | Economic growth: Cry me a river

The UK press and politicians remain fixated on growth, a theme central to the Labour Government’s agenda since taking office 12 months ago. Its 2024 manifesto, "Labour Party Manifesto 2024: Our plan to change Britain", dedicated an entire chapter to “Kickstart economic growth”, signalling its status as the Government’s top priority. In this article, we explore why growth matters, its potential downsides, and how it is understood by both politicians and markets. We also examine whether aggregate ...

Hardman & Co Insight: IICS/REIFS – Tackling NAV discounts

Each one for itself Executive summary ► Since the start of 2024, the share prices of the eight Infrastructure Investment Companies (IICs) and of the 18 Renewable Energy Infrastructure Funds (REIFs) have been generally weak – and, conspicuously, have failed to recover the losses of 2023. ► Undoubtedly, high interest rates have undermined the sector – and there is no certainty that they will fall significantly. Not only has this situation adversely affected NAVs, but the comparison with “risk-fr...

Hardman & Co Monthly: August 2025

Feature article: Economic growth: Cry me a river The UK press and politicians are fixated on growth. The Labour Government came into office 12 months ago promising a new dawn. Its top priority was growth. Its manifesto, “Labour Party Manifesto 2024: Our plan to change Britain” devoted an entire chapter to “Kickstart economic growth”. In this article, we cover: ► Why growth is important ► The downside of growth ► What do politicians and markets mean by growth? ► Is growth in aggregate GDP th...

Arbuthnot Banking Group: 1H’25 results: growing where it wants to

From ABG’s 1H’25 results, we note i) strong growth in low-capital-intensity businesses (deposits, wealth management) and high risk-adjusted-return specialist lending (most notably RAF and leasing businesses) ‒ ABG is not competing for business that does not meet its target returns and some loan books are shrinking (e.g. property lending), and ii) pre-tax profits halved on 1H’24 due to the well-flagged impact of the falling rate environment, less PE activity driving lower ACABL activity and low t...

Initiation of Coverage: Cavendish plc (CAV) - Profitable even in tough...

Cavendish reported a return to profitability in the year to March 2025. Revenue was up 3% on a comparable basis – against a still tricky background for UK smaller companies – and adjusted pre-tax profit was £3.7m against a loss of £1.8m in the year to March 2024. The result was an indication of the strength of the diversified revenue stream – with both private and public divisions healthily profitable – and a strong control on costs, which fell on a like-for-like basis. Currently, the stock is t...

Chesnara plc (CSN): Landing the big one

After a longer wait than planned, Chesnara has announced a large acquisition, HSBC Life (UK). At a cost of £260m, it is over 70% of Chesnara’s pre-announcement market capitalisation and will be funded by a mixture of equity, existing cash resources (primarily from the earlier Tier 2 bond issue) and drawing down from a newly increased revolving credit facility. The rights issue should complete by 23 July 2025, with deal completion in early 2026. There is a one-off additional uplift to the dividen...

Hardman & Co Insight: UK power cuts - a real risk?

The risk of power cuts in the UK remains a real concern, driven by a combination of factors. The events of 28 April 2025, when large areas of Spain, Portugal and France experienced prolonged outages, have heightened concerns particularly as a recent Spanish report placed much of the blame on the national system operator, Red Electrica, and unnamed private generators. The UK’s own system operator, NESO, will have been monitoring such developments closely, especially given the growing reliance on ...

ICG Enterprise Trust plc: Investor seminar 2025: resilience and growth

The Hardman & Co Monthly: July 2025

The risk of power cuts in the UK, for a variety of reasons, remains real. Low plant margins (i.e. limited spare capacity at peak) in the UK are obvious enough. However, the events of 28 April 2025 ‒ when Spain, Portugal and parts of France were plunged into lengthy power outages ‒ were very disconcerting. A recent Spanish government report has now placed much of the blame on the national system operator, the Redeia-owned Red Electrica. There was some criticism, too, of unnamed private sector gen...

Volta Finance Limited (VTAS): Volatility put into context

In this report we review Volta’s volatility during recent “crisis” periods (2025 tariff uncertainty, Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, early COVID-19 experience). In one of these events, Volta’s share price showed more volatility than that of equity markets, in one it was broadly in line, and in one it displayed less volatility. There is insufficient evidence to say Volta is more or less volatile than equity markets in risk-off periods, which may come as a surprise to some investors. Investors ...