Volta Finance
Limited (VTA) - January 2018 monthly report
NOT FOR RELEASE, DISTRIBUTION OR
PUBLICATION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED
STATES
*****
Guernsey, 19 February 2018
AXA IM has published the Volta
Finance Limited (the "Company" or "Volta Finance" or "Volta")
monthly report for January. The full report is attached to this
release and will be available on Volta's website shortly
(www.voltafinance.com).
PERFORMANCE and
PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY
In January, Volta's Estimated NAV*
performance was -0.4%.
Once again, the monthly
performance was negatively impacted by weakness in the US
dollar. The Company's exposure to the US dollar was in the
region of 35% during the month and the dollar depreciated by 3.2%
against euro. The performance of the underlying assets was
strong as illustrated, for example, by the strong cash flows
received again in January and by the mark-to-market performance of
its CLO tranches in January.
In January, Volta generated the
equivalent of €5.6m in interest and coupons net of repo costs
(non-euro amounts translated into euro using end-of-month cross
currency rates). This brings the total cash amount generated during
the last six months in terms of interest and coupons to €17.4m
(representing an annualised yield of 11.5% of the Estimated
NAV).
In January, mark-to-market
performances of Volta's asset classes were: +0.1% for Bank Balance
Sheet Transactions; +2.5% for CLO Equity tranches; +1.2% for CLO
Debt tranches, 0.0% for Cash Corporate Credit deals and +0.2% for
ABS.
On February 9th, the US Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled in favour of the US Loan
Syndications and Trading Association in its lawsuit against the US
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Board of Governors
of the Federal Reserve System (FRB) over the application of the US
credit risk retention requirements to managers of open-market
collateralized loan obligations. The Court stated that managers of
"open-market CLOs" (i.e. broadly syndicated CLOs) are not subject
to the risk retention rules under Dodd-Frank regulation.
Those rules require the securitiser of an asset-backed security to
retain, on an unhedged basis, at least 5% of the credit risk of any
issuance. Although the SEC and the FRB could theoretically petition
for rehearing, the market views that as unlikely and that, if they
did, it would be unlikely that a rehearing would be granted. In
Europe there has been no sign that the retention rule would be
abandoned or softened for CLOs (at least for the next few years).
Therefore, going forward, the share of US CLOs satisfying the
European retention requirement will decrease (from almost 45% in
2017).
For Volta, which can only invest
in CLOs satisfying the European risk retention rules, it would mean
that we would return towards the situation experienced in
2014/2015: having to convince US CLO managers to issue CLO
satisfying the European risk retention rules although they aren't
forced to comply with similar obligations in the US. This worked
reasonably satisfactorily in the past. We will provide
further information in future monthly reports as there is many
options available to be able to continue seizing USD CLO
opportunities for Volta.
In January Volta made one single
investment (a BB tranche of USD CLO) for the equivalent of €3.2m.
Under market standard assumptions this tranche is expected to yield
near 8.5%.
Since the end of January, Volta
opened a new USD CLO warehouse in order to secure a further
investment in a USD CLO Equity tranche. Another CLO warehouse is
expected to be opened in Europe in March.
This is in line with our global
view that we have reached the right point in the cycle to increase
our exposure to CLO Equity tranches, given the ability to lock in a
low cost of debt and being more and more convinced that we broadly
reached the end of the credit spread tightening cycle. CLO equity
tranches being long term leveraged positions benefit from spread
widening in the underlying loan market.
At the end of January 2018,
Volta's Estimated NAV was €303.1m or €8.29 per share. The GAV stood
at €345.6m.
*It should be
noted that approximately 12.4% of Volta's GAV comprises investments
in funds for which the relevant NAVs as at the month-end date are
normally available only after Volta's NAV has already been
published. Volta's policy is to publish its own NAV on as timely a
basis as possible in order to provide shareholders with Volta's
appropriately up-to-date NAV information. Consequently, such
investments in funds are valued using the most recently available
NAV for each fund. The most recently available fund NAV was for
12.4% as of 29 December 2017.
**
"Mark-to-market variation" is calculated as the Dietz-performance
of the assets in each bucket, taking into account the
Mark-to-Market of the assets at month-end, payments received from
the assets over the period, and ignoring changes in cross currency
rates. Nevertheless, some residual currency effects could impact
the aggregate value of the portfolio when aggregating each
bucket.
This announcement
contains information that is inside information for the purposes of
the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication
of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service this inside
information is now considered to be in the public domain.
CONTACTS
For the
Investment Manager
AXA Investment Managers Paris
Serge Demay
serge.demay@axa-im.com
+33 (0) 1 44 45 84 47
Company Secretary
and Portfolio Administrator
Sanne Group (Guernsey) Limited
voltafinance@sannegroup.com
+44 (0) 1481 739810
Corporate Broker
Cenkos Securities plc
Oliver Packard
Andrew Worne
Sapna Shah
+44 (0) 20 7397 1916
*****
ABOUT VOLTA FINANCE LIMITED
Volta Finance Limited is incorporated in Guernsey under The
Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended) and listed on Euronext
Amsterdam and the London Stock Exchange's Main Market for listed
securities. Volta's home member state for the purposes of the EU
Transparency Directive is the Netherlands. As such, Volta is
subject to regulation and supervision by the AFM, being the
regulator for financial markets in the Netherlands.
Volta's investment objectives are
to preserve capital across the credit cycle and to provide a stable
stream of income to its shareholders through dividends. Volta seeks
to attain its investment objectives predominantly through
diversified investments in structured finance assets. The assets
that the Company may invest in either directly or indirectly
include, but are not limited to: corporate credits; sovereign and
quasi-sovereign debt; residential mortgage loans; and, automobile
loans. The Company's approach to investment is through vehicles and
arrangements that essentially provide leveraged exposure to
portfolios of such underlying assets. The Company has appointed AXA
Investment Managers Paris an investment management company with a
division specialised in structured credit, for the investment
management of all its assets.
*****
ABOUT AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS
AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) is a multi-expert asset management
company within the AXA Group, a global leader in financial
protection and wealth management. AXA IM is one of the largest
European-based asset managers with €717 billion in assets under
management as of the end of December 2016. AXA IM employs
approximately 2,420 people around the world.
*****
This press release is distributed and published by
AXA Investment Managers Paris ("AXA IM"), in its capacity as
alternative investment fund manager (within the meaning of
Directive 2011/61/EU, the "AIFM Directive") of Volta Finance
Limited (the "Volta Finance") whose portfolio is managed by AXA
IM.
This press
release is for information only and does not constitute an
invitation or inducement to acquire shares in Volta Finance. Its
circulation may be prohibited in certain jurisdictions and no
recipient may circulate copies of this document in breach of such
limitations or restrictions. This document is not an offer for sale
of the securities referred to herein in the United States or to
persons who are "U.S. persons" for purposes of Regulation S under
the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"),
or otherwise in circumstances where such offer would be restricted
by applicable law. Such securities may not be sold in the United
States absent registration or an exemption from registration from
the Securities Act. Volta Finance does not intend to register any
portion of the offer of such securities in the United States or to
conduct a public offering of such securities in the United
States.
*****
This communication is only being distributed to
and is only directed at (i) persons who are outside the United
Kingdom or (ii) investment professionals falling within Article
19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial
Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order") or (iii) high net worth
companies, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be
communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order
(all such persons together being referred to as "relevant
persons"). The securities referred to herein are only available to,
and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or
otherwise acquire such securities will be engaged in only with,
relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should
not act or rely on this document or any of its contents. Past
performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future
performance.
*****
This press release contains statements that are,
or may deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These
forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of
forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes",
"anticipated", "expects", "intends", "is/are expected", "may",
"will" or "should". They include the statements regarding the level
of the dividend, the current market context and its impact on the
long-term return of Volta Finance's investments. By their nature,
forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and
readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are
not guarantees of future performance. Volta Finance's actual
results, portfolio composition and performance may differ
materially from the impression created by the forward-looking
statements. AXA IM does not undertake any obligation to publicly
update or revise forward-looking statements.
Any target
information is based on certain assumptions as to future events
which may not prove to be realised. Due to the uncertainty
surrounding these future events, the targets are not intended to be
and should not be regarded as profits or earnings or any other type
of forecasts. There can be no assurance that any of these targets
will be achieved. In addition, no assurance can be given that the
investment objective will be achieved.
The figures
provided that relate to past months or years and past performance
cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance or construed
as a reliable indicator as to future performance. Throughout this
review, the citation of specific trades or strategies is intended
to illustrate some of the investment methodologies and philosophies
of Volta Finance, as implemented by AXA IM. The historical success
or AXA IM's belief in the future success, of any of these trades or
strategies is not indicative of, and has no bearing on, future
results.
The valuation of
financial assets can vary significantly from the prices that the
AXA IM could obtain if it sought to liquidate the positions on
behalf of the Volta Finance due to market conditions and general
economic environment. Such valuations do not constitute a fairness
or similar opinion and should not be regarded as such.
Editor: AXA
INVESTMENT MANAGERS PARIS, a company incorporated under the laws of
France, having its registered office located at Tour Majunga, 6,
Place de la Pyramide - 92800 Puteaux. AXA IMP is authorized by the
Autorité des Marchés Financiers under
registration number GP92008 as an alternative investment fund
manager within the meaning of the AIFM Directive.
*****
Volta Finance Limited- January 2018
monthly report
This
announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf
of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely
responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the
information contained therein.
Source: Volta Finance Limited via Globenewswire
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