The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Stronger end to year for Braveheart
Shares in Braveheart Investment Group have spiked after the Perth-based fund manager reported strong third-quarter trading.
The AIM-listed group’s stock jumped by more than 17% in early trading as Braveheart reported unaudited revenues of £562,000 in the six months to September 30 and profits after tax of £475,000.
The directors said they were pleased with the group’s performance – which produced earnings per share of 1.67p – and expected trading to continue in the same vein for the remainder of this financial year.
“The board is continuing to exercise careful management of the costs of the group in order to ensure the group’s operating revenues continue to be in excess of operating costs,” Braveheart told investors.
“The board continues to seek realisations from the investment portfolio, which, if successful, will add to the existing cash already available to the group for further investment in its strategic investments.”
The group has made three such investments, with Nottingham Trent University spin-out Gyrometric Systems the most recent.
Braveheart took a 47% stake in Gyrometric last month and said the group, which has developed technology to monitor vibrations in rotating shafts, is expected to break even this year.
The company already has sales partners in Germany and Asia and its technology has a wide variety of applications from machine tools to marine engines.
It is also hoping to develop its presence in the wind turbine market, using its monitoring equipment to protect drivetrains from overload and asymmetry damage.
Braveheart also announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Viking Fund Managers Limited had been awarded an additional £2 million of new capital to invest through the Finance Yorkshire Equity Fund contract.
The move means the investment phase of the contract has been extended out to March, having previously been expected to complete by the end of last year.
Braveheart also revealed that Viking had not been successful in winning a fund management contract for the new Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund initiative.
However, it continues to work with third parties with a view to securing new contracts.