Shard Capital Archives - Shard Capital Stockbrokers

Shard Capital wins ‘Best Advisory Stockbroker’ at The Shares Awards

Posted on 13th November 201812th December 2018 by shardadmin

Shard Capital, the independent financial services company, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded ‘Best Advisory Stockbroker’ at the prestigious Shares Awards.

The Shares Awards are widely considered to be one of the key benchmarks for excellence, innovation and quality in the financial services industry; nominees are voted for by the magazine’s readership and by the general public. The event is an opportunity for the customers of financial platforms, products and service providers to reward the industry’s best players.

Shard Capital Stockbrokers was founded in 2013 by six investment managers from several City firms. Pooling their experience, they created a new kind of full-service stockbroking offering, providing bespoke services enabling retail investors access to IPOs and secondary fundraising on the same level as institutional investors. With 20 now in the team, its investment process is supported by an experienced and skilled investment committee, focused on meeting individual client objectives which considers their financial position and attitude to risk. Constantly working to improve customer experience, the team is soon launching an upgraded version of its website to enhance user experience and functionality.

Gareth Burchell, Head of Stockbroking at Shard Capital, said: “We are delighted to have won in the ‘Best Advisory Stockbroker’ category. Shard Capital has always placed utmost importance in providing the best possible service to our customers and as such are honoured to be the recipient of this validation from Shares Magazine. I’d like to thank all our hardworking employees who made this possible and I look forward to continue upholding our high standards in the future.”

For more information on Shard Capital Stockbrokers and any service we provide, please contact us.

Investment Migration Insider highlight the most popular ‘Golden Visa’ programs across the world

Posted on 7th September 201829th March 2019 by shardadmin

In an article published by Investment Migration Insider (IMI), the top 13 world’s most popular residence by investment programs have been highlighted, based on official statistics. Rankings have been defined based on ‘main applicants’, however also noted are visas granted for dependents.

At #13 is Latvia, a not so common option for those looking for a visa by investment, however has been deemed to be an ‘affordable option’ to immigrate to the EU and is being favoured by Russians. In 2017, there were 379 investor visas issued including dependents, however only 119 were issued to main applicants.

Currently one of the most expensive Investor Visa programs is Australia. Since end of 2012, AUD$10 billion has been raised, predominantly from Chinese investors who make up nine out of ten applicants. Figures have however since dropped in the last 12 months due to tougher requirements specifically around source of wealth. For year ending May 2018, there were 180 main applicant visas granted.

One country that has had much attention around Citizenship by Investment program is Malta which has had over 1,000 applications since the program launched. 560 of which have been received in the first half of 2018. Inclusive of dependents, there has been 700 visas approved in the last 12 months.

Also in the spotlight over the last few months has been the UK’s Tier 1 (Investor) Visa program which had an increase of 17% YOY in the first half of 2018; a surprising result according to Head of Investor Visa at Shard Capital, Farzin Yazdi, given the introduction of new sanctions and the unknown of Brexit negotiations. For the 12-month period including Q2 of 2018 there were 998 visas granted, inclusive of dependents.

In top place for almost four decades is the US EB-5 program. Currently capped at 10,000 individual visas, in 2017 there were 7,567 visas granted, inclusive of dependents. However, this could soon be overtaken (by comparison) a tiny Greece if reforms are not enacted soon to allow for more applicants.

Commenting on the global statistics, Farzin Yazdi said “There are some surprising results in this list, however we know the low barriers to entry has been driving much of this. We welcome the introduction of stricter due diligence and compliance globally, as ultimately we believe investment should be made for the benefit of a local economy and community.”

For the full report and global breakdown, read the original article by Investment Migration Insider at https://www.imidaily.com/editors-picks/the-13-most-popular-golden-visas-in-the-world-according-to-the-data/

For more information on Investor Visas and Immigration by Investment, please contact Farzin Yazdi, Head of Investor Visa at Shard Capital visa@shardcapital.com.

A summer of sports is heating up. Shard focus on Arena Events Group

Posted on 3rd July 201824th September 2018 by shardadmin

With a summer of sports in full swing across the UK and Europe, and Wimbledon starting this week, a host of world class events is again drawing an influx of tourists from around the globe to British soil. UK based events such as Wimbledon, the Formula One British Grand Prix, Henley Royal Regatta and Royal Ascot see close to 600,000 visitors annually.

Whilst many scramble to get tickets to attend, what most of us don’t think about is the logistics, resources and planning with hosting such events. Behind the seamless presentation of various events is months and sometimes years, crafting every single detetail.

Arena Events Group (ARE) is a leader of turn-key, managed solutions for event organisers across sporting, cultural and corporate events. Arena as we know it was established in 2000, however the group’s history can be tracked back as far as 1761.

The company listed on AIM in July 2017 with an initial market cap of £62mil and share price of 55p, however today, Arena has a share price (at time of writing) of 65.25p, giving them a market cap of £75.99m.

Staging, structures and seating is the backbone of Arena’s services with structures accounting for ~74% of revenue and seating ~20%. This division of the events sector makes up 26% of the overall UK events market, however Arena owns just 7% of this.

A global company; Arena’s core market is the UK which makes up 43% of its sales worldwide. This is followed closely by the US which makes up 40% however they also have presence in the Middle and Far East and Asia. Annually, Arena are involved in 300 events across 15 different countries.

In recent years, the company has experienced considerable growth, and this is attributed to Arena reducing its reliance on ‘one off’ large scale events (such as the London Olympics and Rugby World Cup) and investing in leveraging the demand for temporary structures. Arena’s core strategy has been to focus on annually recurring events which make up 70% of their revenue. A low customer concentration means the top 10% contracts for Arena make up just 20% of their total revenue.

The company’s growth has also been fuelled by increasing regulations with health and safety that have favoured Arena as an experienced and well invested events supplier. Arena’s strong performance history means they have never lost a multi-year contract.

Arena’s longest standing client is Wimbledon and the group’s involvement in ‘The Championships’ remains after 68 years. This is followed by a 31-year partnership with ‘The Open’, 21 years with the PGA European Tour and 31 years with Cheltenham Races.

In 2007, the group underwent an MBO (Management buy-out) and in 2012 the group secured external investment from MML Capital Partners and Sports Investment Partners (SIP) which enabled the company to expand worldwide. Since then, Arena has integrated seven diverse acquisitions to become a top five operator in the global events market.

On the 29 March (2018), the Group’s US subsidiary, Arena Americas announced that the US Attorney’s Office was formally charging one of the company’s previous customers for a violation related to the Small Business Set-Aside Program. The initiative was designed to support the development of small businesses, however the client of Arena (Americas) won a USD $4m, 10-year US Department of Defence contract and engaged Arena Americas to deliver on this. If found in breach, Arena could face a fine of between USD $1m – $8m.

The announcement of legal action has had an obvious negative affect on the share price, hitting a 12-month low of 49p, which followed a high of 65.95p prior to the news.

“At the time of the announcement, the share price tumbled, however this has recovered well since. They have no other similar contracts so we see the risk of additional potential fines as low and it would appear that the market has factored in a fine in the low single digit millions. We do not anticipate this to have a long-term impact on the group” said Rob Wiegold from Shard Capital Stockbrokers.

Meanwhile, Arena released their 2017-year end annual results on April 11^th which showed a group revenue increase of 18% to £109.6m and announced a maiden dividend of 1.35p. 2017 also saw Arena win the largest contract in its history with the US PGA; a five-year contract worth up to USD $40m.

In their recent AGM update, Arena Events Group PLC Chairman Ken Hanna said, “We are pleased to report that trading in the first four months of this year has been in line with management’s expectations and we have won a number of new contracts for events which will be delivered later this year or early next year. Operationally each of our three divisions continues to trade well and we remain confident of the outlook for the group.”

In May, the group acquired Ice House Rentals Ltd in the UK and most recently in June, Sheffield based events company Events Solution Ltd who provide equipment for high profile events such as the London Marathon. Hanna also said they’re considering further acquisitions.

Important investment information : The views above are published solely for information purposes and are not to be construed as a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any securities, or related financial instruments. It does not constitute advice or a personal recommendation as defined by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) or take into account the particular investment objectives, financial situations or needs of individual investors. These views are based on public information and sources considered reliable. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Yields are variable and not guaranteed. Investments can fall as well as rise, therefore you could get back less than you invest. If you are unsure about the appropriateness of an investment for your circumstances please seek independent financial advice. Investors should form their own view on any proposed investment. This publication has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and is considered a marketing communication. Figures correct as at 3 July 2018 unless otherwise stated. This publication is issued by Shard Capital Partners LLP, 20 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 3BY United Kingdom who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Rafael Steinmetz Leffa nominated on the CityWealth Future Leaders List

Posted on 22nd June 201829th March 2019 by shardadmin

Client Relationship Manager at Shard Capital Investor Visa, Rafael Steinmetz Leffa has been nominated on the Citywealth Future Leaders List in the top Private Banker/Investment Manager of the Year category. A nominated on the Leaders List is a recognition of expertise by an individual’s peers and clients. The Citywealth Leaders List helps HNW and UHNW individuals to find recognised outstanding professionals across the Capital.

This award recognises outstanding achievement, industry knowledge, client management, satisfaction and retention, professional leadership and development, as well as involvement in Corporate Social Responsibility projects. Consideration is also given to the contribution to the individual’s wider business success and community.

Speaking on the nomination, Rafael said “It’s fantastic to be recognised by reputable body such as CityWealth so early on in my career. Regardless of the result, I am grateful to Shard Capital who have allowed us to develop our business offering, my colleagues both previous and present, however most importantly our valued clients. I hope to continue to develop my knowledge and experience both personally and professionally to continue to assist clients to the best of my ability.”

If you would like to cast your vote as a peer, client, or industry colleague, voting is open until 19 October 2018. https://bit.ly/2K8DaVS

Alternative Resource Capital (ARC) partners with Shard Capital

Posted on 18th May 2018 by shardadmin

Shard Capital Partners is delighted to announce that Alternative Resource Capital (‘ARC’), the specialist natural resources financial advisor and corporate broker, has become a corporate partner of Shard.

ARC aims to leverage its in-house specialist expertise to establish a leading advisory firm in the small and mid-cap natural resources space, providing corporate broking, research, institutional sales and corporate finance services for both private and listed companies. Its team, which has multiple years’ experience, complements Shard’s existing corporate finance and broking business, which already has a strong presence in the UK small-cap natural resources sector.

Toby Raincock, Shard Capital CEO commented, “We are delighted to welcome ARC into the Shard Capital partnership. Its team is well known in the resources space, having successfully executed a variety of transactions for both public and private mining and oil & gas companies, across a wide range of jurisdictions. By working alongside our existing corporate broking team in their joint new office on Hill Street, W1, both companies will benefit, gaining exposure to a wider network of corporate and buy-side clients.”

Rob Collins, a founding partner of ARC commented, “We have hit the ground running having secured several mandates and completed our first equity financing. Given the challenges facing many companies looking to raise funds in the resources sector, our strategy is focused on a collaborative approach to deliver results. To that end, we are building alliances with specialists across the financial sector including alternative capital and debt providers. We are very pleased to be backed by Shard Capital and we are already experiencing the synergistic benefits of the partnership.”

Please visit www.altrescap.com for more information.

Under the spotlight – Arena Events Group

Posted on 17th May 2018 by shardadmin

With a summer of sports kicking off in the UK and Europe, a host of world class events will again draw an influx of tourists from around the globe to British soil to get their slice of the action. UK based events such as the Formula One British Grand Prix, Henley Royal Regatta, Royal Ascot and Wimbledon see close to 600,000 visitors annually.

What most of us don’t think about is the logistics, resources and planning with hosting such events. Behind the seamless presentation of various events is months and sometimes years, crafting every single detail.

The company listed on AIM in July 2017 with an initial market cap of £62mil and share price of 55p, however today, Arena has a share price (at time of writing) of 60.55p, giving them a market cap of £72.05m.

The announcement of legal action has had an obvious negative affect on the share price, hitting a 12-month low of 49p, which followed a high of 65.95p prior to the news.

Meanwhile, Arena have recently released their 2017-year end annual results which showed a group revenue increase of 18% to £109.6m. 2017 also saw Arena win the largest contract in its history with the US PGA; a five-year contract worth up to USD $40m.

Ready, set, mass adoption? Virtual Reality full steam ahead

Posted on 4th May 2018 by shardadmin

In today’s world, Virtual Reality is something you can’t escape. For a long time, we siloed experiences such as VR to gaming, however now everyday people are engaging with VR in their everyday lives. In gaming, travel, real estate and healthcare we are seeing the introduction and revolutionising of VR technologies and before too long, we can expect to see mass adoption.

Last week leading Virtual Reality game developer Immotion Group received an additional £500,000 in investment from Venture Capital fund Sure Ventures. Immotion create superior out of home immersive VR experiences and will use the £500,000 funds raised to fast-track the roll-out of its product worldwide and create new content. Immotion Group will next month open their first VR gaming arcade just outside of London.

This week, the momentum for VR continues to strive forward with £20mil in fundraising by EVR Holdings. EVR are one of the leading creators in virtual reality content and the holding company of Melody VR. Melody VR officially launched this week at Facebook’s F8 conference and gives users an immersive music experience, allowing fans to watch performances on their VR headsets with content created from previous live performances, sold-out concerts, festivals and special events. Singer Adele is even said to have invested in the company and EVR has already secured partnerships within the industry with Warner Music, Sony Music and Universal Music.

EVR has already raised £70mil to date and the additional funding will be used to further their global expansion outside of the UK and the US. Speaking about the placing, Anthony Matchett, Executive Chairman and CEO of EVR said, “As we move forward, we are confident that a global roll-out of the Melody VR platform will not only serve to supplement and increase the company’s potential revenue generation capabilities but will also serve to increase content consumption, brand awareness and IP value overall.” EVR is also set to explore additional immersive technologies outside of VR, such as interactive advertising and augmented reality.

In a further nod to VR, earlier this week UK based VR Education’s multi award winning educational experience Apollo 11 was announced as part of the launch collection of the new Oculus Go; the Facebook owned VR headset. The all new design with built in speakers, optimised graphics and overall superior quality of the Oculus Go, in addition to its attractive £199 RRP is set to accelerate the introduction of immersive VR experiences into homes and lives of people around the world.

Gareth Burchell, Head of Stockbroking at Shard Capital and appointed broker for VR Education commented, “This week’s announcement is amazing recognition to the superior educational experiences VR Education are creating and introducing at all levels.”

The VR Education Apollo 11 announcement reacted very well on the day with the share price hitting a high of 18.9p (Tuesday 2 May) and closing 35% up on the day. VR Education has a market cap of £28mil after its March 12 (2018) listing on the LSE.

For more information on Shard Capital or Sure Ventures, please contact us.

Jubilee Metals CEO Leon Coetzer discusses the recent release of the Hernic PGM Project results

Posted on 26th April 2018 by shardadmin

Leon Coetzer, Chief Executive Officer of Jubilee Metals discusses the recent release of the Hernic PGM (Platinum Group Metals) Project results with Damon Heath from Shard Capital.

Leon, we note the recent release of the Hernic Q1 results for 2018. What do you see as the key points for shareholders from the report?

“Hernic’s Q1 results had a significant increase in efficiencies from last quarter, jumping 30% in ounces delivered to the refinery?. Production hit 1850 ounces in a month which saw quarterly PGM production with just under 5,000 ounces. Our Q1 results also include the month of January which is a notoriously difficult production month and includes approximately 2 weeks downtime.

The increase in efficiencies was an extremely pleasing result for us given the improvement in production of ounces; highlighting that this was also delivered against a reduced plant throughput. This suggests an improvement of more than 40% on PGM efficiencies which bodes very well for the expected performance in Q2.

We see Platinum efficiencies as they key to ensuring the Hernic Project can be delivered and achieved on a sustainable basis.”

We note the increased unit cost for PGM per ounce produced, what was behind this increase?

“The per unit cost for Q1 contains one off changes which have been accrued for. This includes variables such as salary increases for the work force and one-off payment for utility connection fees.

If we were to strip these costs out, the unit cost drops to below USD 400 per ounce delivered which is exceptionally low for a platinum producer. Given this, with a unit price of USD 434 per ounce, the Hernic Project is still one of the lowest, if not the lowest cost Platinum producers in the world.”

It has been unfortunate to see the DCM numbers (Dilokong Chrome Mine) have a neutral earnings growth over the quarter?, do you believe this is related to third party Ore?

“Although overall earnings have remained positive, this has been underwhelming. The DCM is going through a transitional phase as we gear up for the PGM project and the decision has been made to commence the installation of the full fine chrome circuit (similar to Hernic) to maximise the recovery of chrome in preparation of the PGM recovery plant.

DCM will therefore go through a period of process upgrading and build program over the next two quarters as we gear-up for the PGM circuit. The build program will be funded from our cash reserves and our available project financing facility.

We expect DCM earnings will remain flat during this transitional period before accelerating to reflect the recovery of the additional chrome and the commissioning of the platinum recovery circuit.”

What can we expect from Jubilee for the remainder of the year?

“Shareholders can look forward to a year that includes the delivery of our next PGM project, whilst we also commence the construction of our Kabwe Project in Zambia. However, this will not detract from our drive to grow our earnings from further improved performance from Hernic and DCM.”

If you would like more information on Shard Capital, or Jubilee Metals Group, please contact us.

Shard Capital is the appointed Broker for Jubilee Metals Group.

Contacts: Damon Heath/Erik Woolgar
Tel +44 (0) 20 7 186 9900

Source: http://www.jubileemetalsgroup.com/rns_pdf/Quarterly%20Operations%20Update%20and%20Tjate%20Share%20Issue.pdf

Important investment information Shard Capital Partners LLP are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our FCA Register number is 538762. The views in this article are published solely for information purposes and are not to be construed as a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any securities, or related financial instruments. It does not constitute advice or a personal recommendation as defined by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) or take into account the particular investment objectives, financial situations or needs of individual investors. The views above are based on public information and sources considered reliable. The results noted are not a reliable indicator of future performance. Yields are variable and not guaranteed. All investments should be held for the long term as their value can fall as well as rise, therefore you could get back less than you invest. If you are unsure about the appropriateness of an investment for your circumstances please seek financial advice. No view is given on the present or future value or price of any investment, and investors should form their own view on any proposed investment. This publication has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and is considered a marketing communication. Figures correct as at 19th April 2018, unless otherwise stated. This publication is issued by Shard Capital Partners LLP, 20 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 3BY United Kingdom.

Jubilee Metals CEO interview on the release of the Hernic PGM Project results

Posted on 19th April 2018 by shardadmin

Leon Coetzer, Chief Executive Officer of Jubilee Metals discusses this week’s release of the Hernic PGM (Platinum Group Metals) Project results with Damon Heath from Shard Capital.