HCI Capital AG / Miscellaneous/Miscellaneous
30.01.2008
Release of a Corporate-announcement, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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Record level of placements in 2007
HCI Capital AG: 811 Million in Equity Placements
Placements up by approx. 26% year-on-year
Particular focus on ships and real estate
Strong growth in business with institutional investors
Structured products successfully established
Hamburg, 30 Jan 2008 HCI Capital AG successfully placed equity in the
aggregate amount of 810.6 million with private and institutional
investors during the financial year 2007, a 25.9% increase compared to the
previous year. The result achieved in 2007 clearly outperformed the
previous record of 647.7 million established in 2005. HCI not only
expanded its business with institutional investors during 2007: the company
also successfully launched the placement of structured products. Wolfgang
Essing, Chairman of the Management Board of HCI Capital AG, commented the
figures: 'HCI Capital AG leveraged innovative products to explore new
investor groups during the financial year under review, clearly
demonstrating the companys dynamic growth momentum with a record level of
placements.'
The Ship Participations segment was a key contributor to successful
placements during the period under review: a total of EUR 598.4 million
up 55.9% from the previous years figure of 384.0 million was raised
through traditional closed-end ship participation funds, investment plans
and structured products, plus the first-time listing of a shipping company
which was subscribed by institutional investors. Considering the extremely
strong investor demand, further placements would have been possible had
suitable products been available. In the Ship Participations segment, sales
to private investors alone were up by 16.8 per cent, to 448.4 million.
Real estate placements also developed very positively indeed, rising 20.3%,
to 101 million. The trends seen in secondary market life insurance
products (with placements down by 27.6%, to 96.1 million) and private
equity products (off by 65.5%, to 14.9 million) reflected overall market
developments.
The highly successful placement performance shown by HCI Group demonstrates
that the realignment of the Groups distribution strategy is bearing fruit.
Launched at the beginning of 2007, the new strategy clearly focused HCIs
sales force onto distribution channels and regions. Accordingly, the number
of distribution partners actively selling HCI Capital AGs products rose by
52% year-on-year.
HCI Group significantly enhanced the diversification of products within its
key areas of expertise throughout 2007. Having emphasised its conceptual
focus on investor needs such as capital protection, higher fungibility,
diversification of risk, and lower entry thresholds, the Group launched
numerous innovative products, thus clearly expanding its customer base and
exploring new investor groups.
HCI enjoyed great success in establishing its new structured product class
within just one year: placements during the financial year under review
totalled 79.9 million. Key product innovations included the launch of a
capital-guaranteed ship participation, an investment certificate based on
an actively-managed portfolio of German and UK life insurance policies, and
two certificates providing exposure to the bulk shipping segment.
HCI Groups power to innovate was also evident in the Real Estate segment:
the new HCI Real Estate BRIC+ fund, a fund of funds investing in a
diversified portfolio of real estate opportunity funds in Brazil, Russia,
India and China, seamlessly continued the success of its high-performing
predecessor, the HCI Real Estate Growth I fund. In direct succession, both
products were awarded the prize as the best closed-end international real
estate fund in 2006 and 2007.
The 150 million placement of HCI HAMMONIA SHIPPING AG, fully subscribed
by institutional investors, was a landmark transaction during the financial
year under review. The successful IPO was evidence for the attractiveness
of ships as an asset class to institutional investors: thanks to the
growing appetite of insurance companies, banks and pension funds for these
assets, this type of ship financing holds great potential for the future.
With its product range covering traditional participation structures
alongside investment plans, a shipping IPO, capital-guaranteed ship
investment, and several investment certificates, HCI has been the first and
only issuing house to offer ship investments suitable to virtually any type
of investor.
Even though total placements in 2007, at approx. 811 million, fell
slightly short of HCIs own target of 700 million (plus 150 million
generated through the listed shipping company), the results achieved mark a
record in the companys 23-year history, and a 25.9% increase compared to
2006. This sales performance is testament to HCI Groups distribution
strength and power to innovate.
Numerous product innovations are planned for 2008. For instance, the launch
of the closed-end 'HCI Deepsea Oil Explorer' fund will bring fresh
momentum, offering private investors the opportunity of gaining exposure to
a crude oil exploration platform for the first time. Mr Essing added that
'HCI entered a new dimension of size in 2007. We gained access to new
investor groups, with a sustained expansion of our product range. This year
we will explore further asset classes, to continue offering innovative
products to our investors.'
HCI Capital AG will publish detailed 2007 results, together with an outlook
on the current financial year at its press conference to present the
financial statements, which will take place on 10 March 2008.
About HCI:
Established in 1985, the HCI Group creates closed-end funds and structured
investments in shipping, real estate, private equity fund of funds, and in
the secondary life insurance market, as well as asset creation plans. Since
1985, over 97,500 clients have invested approximately EUR 5.0 billion in
457 issues, with an investment volume totalling more than EUR 12.77
billion, making HCI one of the leading financial services system houses in
Germany (figures as at 30 Sep 2007). HCI Capital AG has been listed on the
stock exchange since October 2005. The HCI share has been included in the
SDAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 19 December 2005, and in
the Hamburg Regional Index (HASPAX) since 1 September 2006.
Ingo Pfeil
HCI Capital AG
Head of Public Relations
Tel.: +49 40 88 88 1 236
ingo.pfeil@hci-capital.de
Thomas Luber
Newmark Finanzkommunikation GmbH
Director Corporates and Capital Markets
Tel.: +49 69 944 180 69
thomas.luber@newmark.de
DGAP 30.01.2008
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Language: English
Issuer: HCI Capital AG
Bleichenbrücke 10
20354 Hamburg
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)40 88881-0
Fax: +49 (0)40 88881-109
E-mail: ir@hci.de
Internet: www.hci.de
ISIN: DE000A0D9Y97
WKN: A0D9Y9
Indices: SDAX
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard), Hamburg;
Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, München, Stuttgart
End of News DGAP News-Service
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DGAP-News: HCI Capital AG: HCI Capital AG: 811 Million in Equity Placements
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