Volta Finance Limited : Net Asset Value as at 31 January 2022
Volta Finance Limited
(VTA / VTAS)
– January
2022
monthly report
NOT FOR RELEASE, DISTRIBUTION,
OR PUBLICATION, IN WHOLE OR PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED
STATES
***** Guernsey, 11 February 2022
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
A good start for 2022 with a gain of 1.7% in
January despite a challenging environment. Many markets, especially
fixed income credit markets and equities are adapting themselves to
a new environment regarding central banks’ actions. The Fed is now
expected to increase its rate by more than 100bps in 2022 while a
first hike from the ECB is now priced for 2022 (AXA IM Research,
January 2022).
As noted previously, Volta's performance is
mostly dependent on loans’ default rates and spreads and bear
little correlation to wider markets. Loan cash flows remained
resilient again this month and no meaningful news arose to alter
the expectation that defaults will remain low and cash flows strong
for 2022/2023.
Turning to the detailed asset classes, the
monthly performances** were: +3.6% for Bank Balance Sheet
transactions, +1.5% for CLO equity tranches; +1.4% for CLO debt;
+5.5% for Cash Corporate Credit and ABS (together representing 2.9%
of NAV).
As at the end of January 2022, CLO tranches
(Debt and Equity) represent 91.5% of the NAV and we expect some
Bank Balance Sheet transactions to be called in the coming months.
At that point, Volta will become an almost pure CLO fund given that
the investment case for CLO tranches is the most appealing in the
current market environment.
In 2021, default rates for loans were
respectively 0.3% in the US and 0.6% in Europe. The loan market is
still very active, helping companies roll their debt, and the
maturity wall for loan markets continues to migrate to 2028/2029 so
it is reasonable to expect default rates to stay relatively low in
2022 (and probably 2023). Under this assumption, Volta would
continue receiving high cash flows from its investments (especially
given that two-thirds of the portfolio is CLO Equity
positions).
In January, Volta received interest and coupons
of the equivalent of €8.0m. On a 6-month rolling basis to the end
of January, Volta received the equivalent of €20.9m, representing a
15.5% annualised cash flow yield, based on the end of the month
NAV. The amount of cash flows received in January was lower than in
October 2021 as one CLO Equity position paid its cash flow earlier
than on the normal payment date (because of a reset) and another
will pay its next cash flow with a long 6-month period after a
significant upsize of the transaction (as if it has been a newly
issued position).
In December, we took the opportunity of the
modest price decreases in loans to open a new US CLO warehouse. We
expect this warehouse to be transformed into a US CLO Equity
position at the end of Q1 2022. In normal market conditions, the
more the CLO manager can purchase loans at a discount the better it
should be for our future CLO Equity position.
As at the end of January Volta has again some
dry power (nearly €6m). With the price decrease on High Yield
bonds, CLO BB tranches may trade at a discount in the coming weeks.
That may be an opportunity for Volta as we continue to have some
positions called from time to time (in January one EUR BB was
called at par for example).
As at the end of January 2021, Volta’s NAV was
€270.4m or €7.39 per share.
*It should be noted that approximately 2.4% of
Volta’s GAV comprises investments 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 NAV on
as timely a basis as possible to provide shareholders with Volta’s
appropriately up-to-date NAV information. Consequently, such
investments are valued using the most recently available NAV for
each fund or quoted price for such subordinated notes. The most
recently available fund NAV or quoted price was 1.8% as at 31
December 2021, 0.6% as at 30 September 2021.
** “performances” of asset classes are
calculated as the Dietz-performance of the assets in each bucket,
taking into account the Mark-to-Market of the assets at period
ends, 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.
CONTACTS
For the Investment ManagerAXA
Investment Managers ParisSerge Demayserge.demay@axa-im.com+33 (0) 1
44 45 84 47
Company Secretary and
AdministratorBNP Paribas Securities Services S.C.A,
Guernsey Branchguernsey.bp2s.volta.cosec@bnpparibas.com +44
(0) 1481 750 853
Corporate BrokerCenkos Securities plcAndrew
WorneDaniel Balabanoff+44 (0) 20 7397 8900
***** 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
MANAGERSAXA 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 767 investment
professionals and €866 billion in assets under management as of the
end of June 2021.
*****
This press release is 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 - Monthly Report - January 2022
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