REG - First Property Group - UK PPP: fund life extension and new investment

First PropertyAnnouncement

17/11/2021 07:05

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RNS Number : 5919S  First Property Group PLC  17 November 2021

 Date:          17 November 2021
 On behalf of:  First Property Group plc ("First Property", "the Company" or the "Group")
 Embargoed:     0700hrs

 

First Property Group plc

UK Pension Property Portfolio: fund life extension and new investment by the
Group

 

As previously disclosed, the fund life of The UK Pension Property Portfolio LP
("UK PPP" or the "Fund"), a closed-ended commercial property investment fund
managed by the Group, was due to end on 5 February 2022. We are pleased to
announce that terms have been agreed with two of the Partners in UK PPP for
the sale/ purchase of their interests in it and for the Fund's life to be
extended by some five years to 13 January 2027.

 

The price for the Limited Partnership interests being sold/ purchased,
representing 56.6% of the Fund, amounts to £36.75 million (the "Price").

 

£32.25 million of the Price is being paid by Fprop UK Special Opportunities
LP (Spec Opps), a Fprop managed fund, and will result in it owning 49.7% of UK
PPP. The consideration payable by Spec Opps is split between an amount of
£21.5 million up-front and an amount of £10.75 million deferred until 31
March 2022. The deferred element will be funded by the sale of properties by
UK PPP. Some £22 million of property sales would be required to fully fund
this element.

 

The remainder of the Price is being paid by another investor.

 

In order to finance the purchase, Spec Opps is raising just over £21.5
million in new equity from its existing Partners, comprising a consortium of
Oxbridge colleges and First Property. First Property's participation amounts
to £3.24 million in new equity.

 

Following the investments set out above, First Property will have an interest
of circa 12.04% in UK PPP (11.1% indirectly via Spec Opps and 0.94% directly).

 

First Property will be paid an arrangement fee of £268,850 by the Limited
Partners which are selling their interests in UK PPP.

 

 

Commenting on the new fund, Ben Habib, Chief Executive, said:

 

"I am delighted by the outcome of our discussions with the Limited Partners in
these two funds and their restructuring.

 

"Investors in both these funds should benefit from a high rate of income
return on their investments and, hopefully, capital gains in due course as
markets recover from lockdowns."

 

 

-Ends-

 

For further information please contact:

 

 First Property Group plc                            Tel: +44 (20) 7340 0270
 Ben Habib (Chief Executive Officer)                 www.fprop.com (http://www.fprop.com)

 Laura James (Group Finance Director)                investor.relations@fprop.com (mailto:investor.relations@fprop.com)

 Jeremy Barkes (Director, Business Development)

 Jill Aubrey (Company Secretary)

 Arden Partners (NOMAD & Broker)                     Tel: + 44 (20) 7614 5900
 John Llewellyn-Lloyd (Director, Corporate Finance)

 Antonio Bossi (Director, Corporate Finance)

 SEC Newgate (PR)                                    Tel:+ 44 (20) 3757 6880
 Robin Tozer / Richard Bicknell / Isabelle Smurfit   firstproperty@secnewgate.co.uk (mailto:firstproperty@secnewgate.co.uk)

 

Notes to Investors and Editors:

 

First Property Group plc is an award-winning property fund manager and
investor with operations in the United Kingdom and Central Europe. Around one
third of the shares in the Company are owned by management and their families.

 

Its focus is on higher yielding commercial property with sustainable cash
flows. The company is flexible and takes an active approach to asset
management. Its earnings are derived from:

 

·     Fund management - via its FCA regulated and AIFMD approved
subsidiary, First Property Asset Management Ltd (FPAM), which earns fees from
investing for third parties in property. FPAM currently manages thirteen funds
which are invested across the United Kingdom, Poland and Romania.

·   Group Properties - principal investments by the Group, to earn a
return on its own capital, usually in partnership with third parties.
Investments include seven directly held properties in Poland and Romania, and
interests in eleven of the thirteen funds managed by FPAM.

 

Listed on AIM the Company has offices in London, Warsaw and Bucharest. Further
information about the Company and its products can be found at: www.fprop.com
(http://www.fprop.com) .

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