REG - Onward Opportunities - Issue of Equity and Total Voting Rights

Onward OpportunitiesAnnouncement

14/03/2025 07:00

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RNS Number : 6451A  Onward Opportunities Limited  14 March 2025

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to
constitute inside information pursuant to Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014
as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018 as amended. Upon the publication of this announcement
via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now
considered to be in the public domain.

 

14 March 2025

 

Onward Opportunities Limited

("Onward Opportunities" or the "Company")

 

Issue of Equity and Total Voting Rights

 

Subscription to raise not less than £2.1 million

 

Onward Opportunities Limited, the investment company that invests in UK
smaller companies, is pleased to announce that in response to significant
investor demand it has raised gross proceeds of not less than £2.1 million by
way of a direct subscription (the "Subscription"), in doing so increasing the
Company's equity base by a further 6.9 per cent. The Subscription has been
made by new and existing investors with the Company for 1,652,870 new ordinary
shares (the "Subscription Shares") at a price of 124.9 pence per Subscription
Share (the "Subscription Price").

 

In order to facilitate any further demand, the Company may accept further
direct subscriptions with the Company at the Subscription Price prior to 4.30
p.m. on 19 March 2025 and may make a further announcement as appropriate. The
Subscription Price represents a premium of 1.7 per cent. to the Company's
unaudited net asset value per ordinary share as at 28 February 2025 of 122.83
pence per existing ordinary share.

 

The Board and Portfolio Manager continue to believe that there are compelling
structural factors underpinning the Company's investment strategy. Prevailing
market conditions create an environment in which the Portfolio Manager has the
ability to generate aggregated portfolio returns in excess of 15.0 per cent
per annum over the long term. The net proceeds of the Subscription, being
approximately £2.0 million, will provide the Company with additional
resources with which to pursue its stated investing policy.

 

Onward Opportunities was launched on 30 March 2023 and was the first
investment company to list on AIM since November 2021. The Company's unaudited
net asset value of 122.83 pence per existing ordinary share as at 28 February
2025 reflects investment performance ("NAV growth") over the last 12 months of
13.9 per cent. (29 February 2024: 107.8 pence per ordinary share).

 

Laurence Hulse, Lead Fund Manager of Onward Opportunities Limited, commented:
"The capital raised here will combine with the anticipated Windward proceeds
to give Onward a 25 per cent. cash weighting of dry powder. Headed into a
climate of equity market volatility this is a clear competitive advantage for
the Company and can be put to work by the team profitably for investors.
Thanks must go to shareholders for continuing to help us grow through such a
market backdrop. Onwards."

 

Application has been made for the Subscription Shares to be admitted to
trading on AIM ("Admission"). Admission is expected to occur at 8.00 a.m. on
or around 20 March 2025 and the Subscription Shares will, on issue, rank pari
passu in all respects with the Company's existing ordinary shares.

 

Related Party Participation in the Subscription

 

Dowgate Wealth Limited (the "Portfolio Manager"), the Company's Portfolio
Manager and a Substantial Shareholder of the Company, has subscribed for
626,000 Subscription Shares. As a result, and on Admission, the members of the
Concert Party in the Company will collectively hold an aggregate of 11,486,571
ordinary shares in the Company, representing 44.8 per cent. of the Company's
enlarged issued ordinary share capital, of which Dowgate Wealth Limited holds
9,908,548 ordinary shares, representing 38.7 per cent. of the Company's
enlarged issued ordinary share capital, on behalf of its discretionary
clients.

 

The Portfolio Manager is deemed a related party of the Company pursuant to the
AIM Rules for Companies (the "AIM Rules") and the Portfolio Manager's
participation in the Subscription constitutes a related party transaction
under Rule 13 of the AIM Rules. The directors of the Company consider, having
consulted with the Company's nominated adviser, that the Portfolio Manager's
participation in the Subscription is fair and reasonable insofar as
shareholders are concerned.

 

Total Voting Rights

 

On Admission, the Company will have a total of 25,632,624 ordinary shares in
issue. No ordinary shares are held in treasury. The figure of 25,632,624 may
be used by the Company's shareholders as the denominator in the calculations
by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in,
or a change to their interest in, the Company under the Financial Conduct
Authority's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

 

FOR FURTHER ENQUIRIES:

 

 Onward Opportunities Limited                                                        Tel: +44 (0)20 3416 9143

 Andrew Henton, Chairman                                                             hello@dowgate.co.uk

 Dowgate Wealth Limited (Portfolio Manager)                                          Tel: +44 (0)20 3416 9143

 Laurence Hulse, Lead Fund Manager                                                   hello@dowgate.co.uk

 Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker)              Tel: +44 (0)20 7220 0500

 Ben Jeynes / Camilla Hume / Dan Hodkinson / Hamish Waller - Corporate Finance

 Chris West / Charlie Combe - Sales and ECM

 Dowgate Capital Limited (Joint Broker)                                              Tel: +44 (0)20 3903 7715

 Nicholas Chambers / Russell Cook

 SEC Newgate (Financial Communications)                                              Tel: +44 (0) 203 757 6880

 Bob Huxford / Molly Gretton                                                         onward@secnewgate.co.uk

To find out more, please visit: www.onwardopportunities.co.uk
(http://www.onwardopportunities.co.uk)

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