IPE, a private equity fund of funds listed on the Australian Stock Exchange placed around 6 million new shares with a fund manager for 19 cents each and announced a 1:1 rights issue at 17 cents. The current share price is around 30 cents while net tangible assets are supposedly 84 cents per share. I had been looking to double my position anyway in order to recycle the capital return that Allco Equity Partners will be paying out and rebalance my private equity portfolio. It's good I didn't buy more shares at a higher price... on the other hand this announcement seems to have pushed up the share price, so maybe I should have... I will participate in the rights issue.
The equity raising will be used to pay down existing debt. The fund has negotiated a new $20 million line of credit with National Australia Bank contingent on the equity raising (which is underwritten). The new loan will be used to meet future expected cash calls from the private equity funds that have already been invested in. I suppose, originally they expected to meet these using distributions from other funds, which in the current environment have dried up.
Hidden in the announcement though is a plan to eventually liquidate the portfolio. Of course this is subject to shareholder approval. This would be a pity. I'd prefer them to delist as EAIT has.
P.S. 10:52am
IPE's price is now down on the announcement.
No comments:
Post a Comment