Data as at: 25/04/2024

Gearing

Gearing policy

The Group’s principal financial liabilities are loans and borrowings. The main purpose of the Group’s loans and borrowings is to finance the acquisition of the Group’s property portfolio.

Borrowing limits

It is envisaged that an LTV ratio of between 30% and 40% would be the optimal capital structure for the Company over the longer term. However, in order to finance value-enhancing opportunities, the Company may temporarily incur additional gearing, subject to a maximum LTV ratio of 50%, at the time of an arrangement.

Ways in which investment companies can magnify income and capital returns, but which can also magnify losses.

At its simplest, gearing means borrowing money to buy more assets in the hope the company makes enough profit to pay back the debt and interest and leave something extra for shareholders.

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how gearing works table

However, if the investment portfolio doesn’t perform well, gearing can increase losses. The more an investment company gears, the higher the risk.

Investment companies can usually borrow at lower rates of interest than you’d get as an individual. They also have flexible ways to borrow – for example they might get an ordinary bank loan or, for split capital investment companies, issue different classes of share.

Not all investment companies use gearing, and most use relatively low levels of gearing.

An indication of the maximum and minimum levels that the company would expect to be geared in normal market conditions.

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