Foresight Solar Fund Limited : Annual Financial Report

In This Article:

Annual Results to 31 December 2017 and Dividend Announcement

Highlights

·During the year the Company acquired 273MW of additional solar assets including 127MW in the UK and 146MW of Australian solar assets across four projects, which represents the first international acquisitions for the Company

·At 31 December 2017, the Company`s portfolio comprised 23 assets with a net peak capacity of 621MW. The UK portfolio represented 475MW of total installed capacity across 19 operating assets, with the Australian portfolio representing 146MW of net peak capacity under construction

·During 2017, the portfolio generated 426 GWh of clean energy, sufficient to power nearly 140,000 UK homes

·The Company delivered its target dividend of 6.32 pence per share for the year ended 31 December 2017. (2016: 6.17 pence)

·The Net Asset Value ("NAV") increased to £481.3 million over the period, increasing the NAV per Ordinary Share to 107.0 pence, from 102.9 pence as at 31 December 2016

·During 2017, the equity discount rate decreased by 0.5% to 7.0% to better reflect market conditions and reducing operational risk. The Company has also updated its Valuation Methodology to more accurately reflect leverage in the portfolio, incorporating a levered discount rate of 7.75% for those assets with debt

·During the year the Company announced two Ordinary Share issuances, raising £117.5 million of new equity capital

·The Investment Manager has identified a selective pipeline of value accretive opportunities across selected markets within stable economies and with regulatory support for renewable energy

Dividend Timetable

Dividend Timetable

Date

Ex-dividend Date

10 May 2018

Record Date

11 May 2018

Payment Date

25 May 2018

Key Metrics

As at
31 December 2017

Market Capitalisation

£486.0 million

Share Price

108.0 pence

Total Dividend per Share for the Year

6.32 pence

Gross Asset Value*

£680.8 million

Net Asset Value

£481.3 million

NAV per Share

107.0 pence

Total Return (NAV)

7.48%

Total Shareholder Return since IPO

7.02%

Profit after Tax for the Year

£35.1 million

* Including investment valuations and cash of Company and its subsidiaries. Investments valued using 7.0% Discount Rate.

Commenting on today`s results, Alex Ohlsson, Chairman of Foresight Solar Fund Limited said:

"The Company continues to deliver its target dividends since IPO, despite challenging energy prices. This year also marked the beginning of the Company`s international expansion with 146MW of new assets acquired in Australia."
A conference call for analysts will be held at 9:00am on Thursday 22 February 2018.