International investment and financial services group Brait on Thursday reported diluted headline earnings per share of 34,7 United States cents for the year ended March 31, from 4,9 US cents a year ago.
Brait proposes a final dividend of 10,25 US cents, bringing the total dividend for the year to 13,75 US cents, or 2,5 times dividend cover.
The group reported a 190% increase in profit from operations to $48,5-million for the period.
Profits from private equity grew to $38,8-million due to significant deal activity, value recognition and a buoyant private equity environment.
Corporate finance posted a small profit of $100 000, similar to 2004, but has significant contingency based advisory transactions that were not concluded by year-end and which would have positively affected the results.
Brait’s specialised funds division increased profits slightly from $900 000 to $1,2-million and, significantly, reported a 165% increase in the assets under management in its flagship Brait Absolute Fund of Hedge Funds.
Group investing reported an increase in profits to $8,4-million, from $2,9-million, largely due to the performance and consolidation of Bayport, a microlending and financial services company with a focus on the African continent.
Brait CEO Antony Ball said the improvement was primarily attributable to the outstanding earnings performance of the group’s private equity operations and, to a lesser extent, by group investments, both of which grew by more than 200% in the 12 months to March 31 this year.
Ball also credited solid economic and capital market fundamentals with improving overall market conditions.
“We took some bold decisions in 2002 and 2003 to close the bank, refocus the group and realign our management. As it happened, the revitalised Brait ran on to a well-prepared pitch and was able to seize the opportunities that were presented,” he said.
Brait generated a return on average equity shareowners’ funds of 32%, which Ball said substantially exceeded the group’s targeted dollar return on equity of 12%.
A further highlight for Brait was the group’s continued progress with its comprehensive black economic empowerment programme. During the year under review, Sitogo Holdings acquired 26% of Brait South Africa in a transaction that introduced several new entrepreneurs to the South African black ownership roster, and which has broad-based community support.
The transaction was also unique in being majority-financed by the private sector.
“In addition, Brait South Africa has taken significant strides during the year towards meeting its employment equity and skills development goals, and also its black procurement and enterprise-development initiatives. It is pleasing to report we have exceeded all our targets in these endeavours for the year,” said Ball.
Looking ahead, Ball said Brait intends to continue capitalising on its progress and inject additional intensity into the business in the new financial year.
“The next chapter holds exciting promise. The outlook for all our businesses is healthy and we are being presented with numerous new opportunities which we have organised ourselves to deliver on,” said Ball.
He said specific goals in 2006 are to close Brait Private Equity Fund IV substantially, accelerate third-party assets under management in the Specialised Funds division and maximise high-impact investments.
“Critically, we intend building on the significantly improved financial results reported in the 2005 financial year and to consistently meet our key performance-measurement targets,” said Ball. — I-Net Bridge