Interim Dividend Increased and Fully Franked
Declared an interim dividend of AUD 0.20 per share, fully franked — up 33% on the prior corresponding period. Management highlights this as the first fully franked dividend for some time and part of ongoing capital management initiatives to return surplus capital to shareholders.
Strong Fair Value NAV Growth
Fair value net asset value (NAV) per share increased to AUD 16.34 at 31 Dec 2025 from AUD 14.32 at 31 Dec 2024 — an increase of over 14% year-on-year. Five-year compound growth of fair value NAV is ~14% p.a., rising from AUD 8.40 to AUD 16.34 (~95% total growth).
Debt-Free Balance Sheet and Reduced Interest Expense
Fully repaid the senior secured debt facility (USD 42.1m) in Oct 2025, eliminating associated non-current liability and meaning no interest expense is expected in H2 FY26. Corporate net assets increased to AUD 164m from AUD 144m at 30 June 2025.
Significant Corporate Cash Position
Corporate cash increased to approximately AUD 152m driven by portfolio realizations (including USD 9.4m proceeds from exit of Janus Henderson shares and USD 5.5m from partial Victory Park sale). Financial assets also include Abacus positions and Petershill deferred consideration (on track for May 2026).
Share Buybacks and Capital Management
Off-market buyback materially reduced shares on issue (supporting EPS resilience); on-market buyback commenced Oct 2025 for up to 2m shares (~6.8% of issued capital) funded from reserves — ~200k shares repurchased (~AUD 2m) as at 31 Dec 2025 to enhance capital efficiency.
Cost Reductions and Portfolio Simplification
Implemented further cost-saving initiatives resulting in a 31% reduction in corporate costs versus the prior corresponding period. Management also reported portfolio simplification and successful portfolio transactions (partial Victory Park sale, Janus Henderson exit) and selective growth capital deployment (e.g., USD 25m facility for IFP and a USD 2m loan to a Roc affiliate at 10% interest).