WORLDSEC LIMITED Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2014

Transcription

1 Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2014

2 CORPORATE INFORMATION Board of Directors Non-Executive Chairman Alastair GUNN-FORBES* Executive Directors Henry Ying Chew CHEONG (Deputy Chairman) Ernest Chiu Shun SHE Non-Executive Directors Mark Chung FONG* Martyn Stuart WELLS* * independent Company Secretary Jordans Company Secretaries Limited 21 St Thomas Street, Bristol B51 6JS, United Kingdom Registered Office Address Canon s Court, 22 Victoria Street, Hamilton HM12, Bermuda Registration Number EC21466 Bermuda Principal Bankers The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited 1 Queen s Road, Central, Hong Kong External Auditor BDO Limited 25th Floor, Wing On Centre, 111 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong Principal Share Registrar and Transfer Office Appleby Management (Bermuda) Ltd. Canon s Court, 22 Victoria Street, Hamilton HM12, Bermuda International Branch Registrar Capita Asset Services 12 Castle Street, St Helier, JE2 3RT, Jersey, Channel Islands United Kingdom Transfer Agent Capita Registrars Limited The Registry, 34 Beckenham Rd, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 4TU, United Kingdom Investor Relations For further information about Worldsec Limited, please contact: Henry Ying Chew CHEONG Executive Director Worldsec Group Unit 607, 6th Floor, FWD Financial Centre, 308 Des Voeux Road Central, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong enquiry@worldsec.com

3 CONTENTS Page Chairman s statement 1 Directors report 2 11 Statement of directors responsibilities 12 Independent auditor s report 13 Consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income 14 Consolidated statement of financial position 15 Statement of financial position 16 Consolidated statement of changes in equity 17 Consolidated statement of cash flows 18 Notes to the consolidated financial statements Biographical notes of the directors 53 54

4 Chairman s Statement I am pleased to report that Worldsec Limited (the Company ) and its subsidiaries (together the Group ) had made notable progress during the year under review. To better position the Group to achieve the investment objective of the Company with greater flexibility, the Board proposed in August 2014 to broaden the scope of the Company s Investment Policy to include investments in start-up/early stage growth companies. The proposal was approved by shareholders in the Annual General Meeting held on 29 September Following the approval of the broadening of the Company s Investment Policy, the Group had successfully made two investments in start-up companies during the last quarter of 2014: an investment of US$800,000 for an 8% interest in the non-voting, participating share capital issued by ICBC Specialised Ship Leasing Investment Fund; and. an investment totalling HK$4 million for a 50% interest in Oasis Education Group Limited. Subsequent to the end of 2014, the Group has further expanded its investment portfolio by investing CHF320,000 in the equity capital of Ayondo Holding AG, a company incorporated in Switzerland. Details of these investments are set out in the Review section of the Directors Report. To cope with the increase in business activities, Worldsec Investment (Hong Kong) Limited, the Group s principal operating subsidiary in Hong Kong, has moved into a new office and has started to recruit additional staff. Prospects Apart from the U.S. Federal Reserve which has adopted a policy stance towards gradual tightening, the central banks of other major advanced economies continue to pursue highly accommodative monetary policies. Given the abundance of liquidity, the private equity space is awash with investment capital and dry powder competing for quality deals. This has been driving up valuations and narrowing the spreads of return. Nonetheless, with the broadening of the Investment Policy of the Company, I am confident that the Group has better positioned itself to capture market opportunities consistent with the Company s investment objective with a view to generating sustainable growth in shareholders value in the longer term. Note of Appreciation I wish to take this opportunity to thank my fellow directors for the efforts and contribution they had made to enable the Group to achieve satisfying progress during the year under review. I would also like to extend a note of appreciation to shareholders for their patience with and support of the Company. Alastair Gunn-Forbes Non-Executive Chairman 23 April 2015 Page 1

5 DIRECTORS REPORT The directors submit the annual report of the Company and the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries for the year ended 31 December PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES The principal activity of the Company is investment holding. The Company and its subsidiaries are primarily engaged in investment in unlisted companies in the Greater China and South East Asian regions. RESULTS The audited consolidated loss of the Company and its subsidiaries for the year ended 31 December 2014 was US$475,000, compared with a loss of US$273,000 in Loss per share was US0.84 cent (2013: US1.00 cent). The increase in loss was largely due to increased fees paid to professional parties which assisted the Group in the evaluation of potential investments as well as higher administration costs as the Group started, albeit gradually, to return to normal business activities since its reactivation in the latter part of There was also a share of joint venture loss arising from the Group s investment in a start-up company, Oasis Education (as defined and discussed below). The decline in loss per share reflects the full year impact during 2014 of the increase in the number of shares as a result of the share issue associated with the fund raising exercise in August As at 31 December 2014, the net assets of the Group amounted to approximately US$3.8 million (2013: US$4.2 million), equivalent to approximately US6.6 cents per share (2013: US7.5 cents). Further details of the Group s results are set out in the consolidated statement of profit and loss and other comprehensive income on page 14 and notes to the consolidated financial statements on pages 19 to 52. The Board does not propose to declare any dividend for the year ended 31 December 2014 (2013: nil). REVIEW At the Annual General Meeting held on 29 September 2014, in addition to normal ordinary business, shareholders also approved two resolutions in respect of special business, namely, (a) to widen the scope of the Company s Investment Policy to allow investments in start-up/early stage growth companies; and (b) to change the rules of the Worldsec Employee Share Option Scheme 1997 (the Scheme ) to align with the changes to tax and legislation since the Scheme was introduced and to include the Group s non-executive directors as eligible participants of the Scheme. The reason for widening the Company s Investment Policy was to enable the Group to make investments with greater flexibility and hence to achieve the Company s investment objective more efficiently. The inclusion of the Group s non-executive directors as eligible participants of the Scheme would enable the Group to reward them for their commitments to the Company beyond the nominal annual fees that the Group could afford to pay during its early stage of development. Further discussion relating to the special business can be found in the Notice of Annual General Meeting sent to shareholders on 1 September Page 2

6 DIRECTORS REPORT During the last quarter of 2014 following the widening of the Company s Investment Policy, the Group had successfully made two investments in start-up companies: an investment of US$800,000 for an 8% interest in the non-voting, participating share capital issued by ICBC Specialised Ship Leasing Investment Fund which is a newly established company incorporated in Cayman Islands with an objective of achieving stable return from primarily investing in marine vessels. Since January 2015, the Group has received dividends from this investment on a monthly basis; and an investment totalling HK$4 million (equivalent to approximately US$514,000), by way of capital contribution of HK$2 million and shareholders loan of HK$2 million, for a 50% interest in Oasis Education Group Limited ( Oasis Education ) which is a start-up company incorporated in Hong Kong. Oasis Education and its subsidiary (the Oasis Education Group ) are principally engaged in the provision of education consulting and support services to kindergartens in China. The first such kindergarten serviced by the Oasis Education Group is located in Huizhou City of Guangdong Province (the Huizhou Kindergarten ). The service agreement between the Oasis Education Group and the Huizhou Kindergarten, which has facilities designed to cater for 300 pupils and which has recently commenced classes, will run until the end of Oasis Education aims in the longer term to develop and expand the education consulting and supporting services to cover a network of kindergartens in China. Subsequent to the end of 2014, the Group has made an investment of CHF320,000 (equivalent to approximately USD325,000) in the equity capital of ayondo Holding AG ( Ayondo ), a company incorporated in Switzerland. Listed as one of the top 50 financial technology companies by FinTech in 2013, Ayondo (previously known as Next Generation Finance Investment AG) invests in new technologies and high growth business models that can achieve increased efficiency in the financial service sector. Belonging to the portfolio of Ayondo is the social trading provider, ayondo GmbH, in Frankfurt, Germany, as well as the broker, ayondo markets Limited, in London, U.K. In addition, Ayondo has embarked upon an international expansion strategy with a particular focus on South East Asia. In terms of operations, Worldsec Investment (Hong Kong) Limited, the Group s principal operating subsidiary in Hong Kong, has moved into a new office and has started to recruit additional staff to cope with the increase in business activities. The Group plans to complete the first stage/initial round of recruitment of staff by the end of the current financial year and by then its reliance on third party professional assistance is expected to be meaningfully reduced. Owing to the failure to reach agreement with the Company on the proposed audit fee for the year ended 31 December 2014, Menzies LLP resigned in February 2015 as the Company s external auditor and confirmed that there were no other circumstances connected with their ceasing to hold office which they considered should be brought to the notice of the members or creditors of the Company. On the recommendation of the Audit Committee, the Board has appointed BDO Limited as the Company s external auditor until the conclusion of the next general meeting of shareholders. Page 3

7 DIRECTORS REPORT PROSPECTS The Group remains at an early stage of development. Since its reactivation of business activities in the latter part of 2013, the Group has invested in a number of start-up/early stage growth companies. As these companies are unlikely to make any meaningful contribution in the near term, the Group is expected to experience what is commonly described as the J-curve effect, which is typical characteristic of private equity funds during the initial periods of investment, of not producing positive return until its investment portfolio gradually becomes mature. Meanwhile, the mixed economic outlook across the globe has led to a divergence in global monetary policies. Faced with the perils of disinflation or outright deflation, however, the majority of the central banks of developed countries continue to pursue aggressive easing measures. The abundance of liquidity and the availability of low cost credit under these conditions provide the private equity space with a massive source of funds competing for quality deals. This has been pushing up asset prices and thus reducing overall risk reward balance. Under these circumstances, the investment environment for the private equity industry is expected to remain competitive and challenging. Notwithstanding the short term challenges, the Board will continue to explore investment opportunities and expand the Group s investment portfolio in accordance with the Company s investment objective with a view to generating sustainable growth in shareholders value in the longer term. DIRECTORS The directors during the year under review and up to the date of this report were: Non-Executive Chairman Alastair Gunn-Forbes * Executive Directors Henry Ying Chew Cheong Ernest Chiu Shun She Non-Executive Directors Mark Chung Fong * Martyn Stuart Wells * * independent Brief biographical notes of the directors serving at the date of this report are set out on pages 53 to 54. Save as disclosed in this report and in note 22 to the consolidated financial statements, none of the directors had during the year under review or at the end of the year a material interest, directly or indirectly, in any contract of significance with the Company or any of its subsidiaries. Page 4

8 DIRECTORS REPORT Messrs Alastair Gunn-Forbes and Mark Chung Fong have served on the Board for more than nine years. (In accordance with Provision B.7.1 of the UK Corporate Governance Code on corporate governance published by the Financial Reporting Council (the UK Corporate Governance Code ), both Messrs Alastair Gunn-Forbes and Mark Chung Fong retired by rotation and were re-elected to office by separate resolutions passed at the Annual General Meeting held on 29 September 2014.) During the past nine year period, however, neither of them has had any material/major interest in the issued share capital of the Company, has been an employee or involved in the daily management of any of the Group companies, or has had any material relationship with any of the Group companies or any of the major shareholders or managers of any such companies other than being a member of the Board. Accordingly, and in accordance with Provision B.1.1 of the UK Corporate Governance Code, the Board has determined that their independence and objectivity have not been impaired and they will therefore be able to continue to act independently in character and judgement. At the Annual General Meeting held on 29 September 2014, shareholders approved the inclusion of the Group s non-executive directors, including Messrs Alastair Gunn-Forbes, Mark Chung Fong and Martyn Stuart Wells, as eligible participants of the Scheme. As explained in the Review section above, the reason for such inclusion was to enable the Group to reward its non-executive directors for their commitments to the Company beyond the nominal annual fees that the Group could afford to pay during its early stage of development. Accordingly, and in accordance with Provision B.1.1 of the UK Corporate Governance Code, given such circumstances, the Board has determined that the participation of Messrs Alastair Gunn-Forbes, Mark Chung Fong and Martyn Stuart Wells in the Scheme will not affect their ability to act independently in character and judgement. DIRECTORS INTERESTS The interests of the individuals who were directors during the year under review in the issued share capital of the Company, including the interests of persons connected with a director (within the meaning of Sections 252, 253 to 255 of the United Kingdom Companies Act 2006 as if the Company were incorporated in England), the existence of which was known to, or could with reasonable diligence be ascertained by, that director, whether or not held through another party, were as follows: At 1 January 2014 At 31 December 2014 No. of shares No. of shares Alastair Gunn-Forbes 30,000 30,000 Henry Ying Chew Cheong (Note) 3,054,873 3,054,873 Mark Chung Fong Ernest Chiu Shun She Martyn Stuart Wells Nil 366,730 Nil Nil 366,730 Nil Page 5

9 DIRECTORS REPORT Note: Mr Henry Ying Chew Cheong ( Mr Cheong ) owns, in addition to the beneficial interest in 3,054,873 ordinary shares of US$0.001 each in the Company, 2 ordinary shares of US$1 each in Grand Acumen Holdings Limited ( GAH ), representing 25% of the issued share capital of GAH. GAH beneficially owned 6,450,000 ordinary shares of US$0.001 each in the Company at 1 January 2014 and 31 December In addition, HC Investment Holdings Limited ( HCIH ) is wholly owned by Mr Cheong. HCIH beneficially owned 10,000,000 ordinary shares of US$0.001 each in the Company at 1 January 2014 and 31 December In total, Mr Cheong and his associates were the legal and beneficial owners of 19,504,873 ordinary shares of US$0.001 each in the Company, representing 34.4% of the Company s issued share capital, at 1 January 2014 and 31 December The Company and Mr Cheong entered into a relationship agreement on 2 August 2013 (the Relationship Agreement ). Pursuant to the Relationship Agreement, Mr Cheong has agreed to exercise his rights as a shareholder at all times, and to procure that his associates exercise their rights, so as to ensure that the Company is capable of carrying on its business independently of Mr Cheong or any control which Mr Cheong or his associates may otherwise be able to exercise over the Company. Moreover, Mr Cheong has undertaken to ensure, so far as he is able to, that all transactions, relationships and agreements between Mr Cheong or his associates and the Company or any of its subsidiaries are on arms length terms on a normal commercial basis. Mr Cheong and the Company have also agreed, amongst other things, that he will not participate in the deliberations of the Board in relation to any proposal to enter into any commercial arrangements with Mr Cheong or his associates. Save as disclosed above, none of the above named directors had an interest, whether beneficial or nonbeneficial, in any shares or debentures of any Group companies at the beginning or at the end of the year under review. None of the above named directors, or members of their immediate families, held, exercised or were awarded any right to subscribe for any shares or debentures of any Group companies during the year. DIRECTORS REMUNERATION The remuneration of the directors for the year ended 31 December 2014 was as follows: Fees Emoluments Total US$ 000 US$ 000 US$ 000 Alastair Gunn-Forbes Henry Ying Chew Cheong Mark Chung Fong Ernest Chiu Shun She Martyn Stuart Wells Page 6

10 DIRECTORS REPORT PROVIDENT FUND AND PENSION CONTRIBUTION FOR DIRECTORS During the year under review, there was no provident fund and pension contribution for the directors. LETTERS OF APPOINTMENT/ SERVICE CONTRACTS Messrs Alastair Gunn-Forbes, Mark Chung Fong and Martyn Stuart Wells, each has entered into a letter of appointment with the Company to serve as non-executive director. Each of them is entitled to a fee of 10,000 per annum. The appointment may be terminated on one month notice in writing. Messrs Henry Ying Chew Cheong and Ernest Chiu Shun She, each has entered into a letter of appointment with the Company to serve as executive director. Each of them is entitled to a fee of 10,000 per annum. The appointment may be terminated on not less than six month notice in writing. All directors are eligible to participate in the Group s bonus arrangements at the discretion of the Remuneration Committee and the Board. No bonus was recommended for the year ended 31 December Save as disclosed above, there are no existing or proposed letters of appointment or service contracts between any of the directors and the Company or any of its subsidiaries which cannot be determined without payment of compensation (other than any statutory compensation) within one year. MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES At 21 April 2015, being the latest practicable date prior to the notice of meeting at which this annual report and the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries for the year ended 31 December 2014 are to be laid before the Company in general meeting of shareholders, the Company was aware of the following direct or indirect interests (other than directors interests) representing 5 % or more of the Company s issued share capital: No. of shares Percentage of issued share capital Capita IRG Trustees (Nominees) Limited (Note) 19,928, % Grand Acumen Holdings Limited 6,450, % HC Investment Holdings Limited 10,000, % Luis Chi Leung Tong 5,000, % Note: Capita IRG Trustees (Nominees) Limited ( Capita ) acts as custodian for Capita IRG Trustees Limited (the Depositary ) which has been appointed by the Company to provide the depositary interest facility in Crest. The Depositary passes all rights and entitlements, including voting rights, to the underlying depositary interest holders. As such, Capita does not constitute a controlling shareholder. Furthermore, to the best of the knowledge of the Company, no single one of the underlying depositary interest holders had depositary interests held under Capita totalling 30% or more of the Company s issued capital at 21 April Page 7

11 DIRECTORS REPORT GOING CONCERN After making enquiries, and taking into account the increase in the equity capital of the Company and the reactivation of the Group s business activities in the latter part of 2013, the directors have formed a judgement, at the time of approving the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries for the year ended 31 December 2014, that there was a reasonable expectation that the Group would have adequate resources to carry out its operations for the foreseeable future. For this reason, as stated in note 3 to the consolidated financial statements, the directors have adopted the going concern basis in preparing the consolidated financial statements. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE The Company seeks to comply with the code provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code (the September 2012 edition of which is publicly available on the webpage of the Financial Reporting Council, Governance-Code-September-2012.pdf). The UK Corporate Governance Code was updated in September 2014 ( Corporate-Governance-Code-2014.pdf). But as the current reporting period of the Company began on 1 January 2014, the Company continues to report against the September 2012 edition of the UK Corporate Governance Code. The Board, with a non-executive chairman and over half of its members being non-executive directors, is committed to high standard of corporate governance. All non-executive directors are considered by the Board as independent of management and free from any business or other relationship which could materially interfere with the exercise of their independent judgement. All directors are able to take independent professional advice in furtherance of their duties, if necessary. The Board is responsible for establishing strategic directions and setting objectives for the Company and making significant investment decisions and monitoring the performance of the Group. The management is responsible for the day to day running of the Group s operations. Although the Board believes that a Nomination Committee (as noted in Provision B2.1 of the UK Corporate Governance Code), which makes recommendations to the Board on all new board appointments, will ensure shareholders as to the suitability of a chosen director, the Board considers that due to its size and level of activities it is a small Board in the context of the UK Corporate Governance Code and has therefore decided that it would not be necessary to establish such a committee. All responsibilities of such a committee have been reverted to the Board as a whole. Again, due to its size and level of activities, the Board has not appointed a senior independent director and does not consider an annual self-evaluation to be particularly meaningful. The responsibilities normally rested with a senior independent director have been reverted to the Board as a whole. Likewise, as the Group is at an early stage of development following its reactivation of business activities in the latter part of 2013 and the scale of its operations remains relatively insubstantial, the Board has decided that it would not be necessary or cost-effective to set up an internal audit function. However, the Company has set up an Audit Committee in accordance with Provision C3.1 of the UK Corporate Governance Code. Page 8

12 DIRECTORS REPORT AUDIT COMMITTEE The Audit Committee held three meetings during the year under review and the table below gives the attendance record. Director Audit Committee Meeting Mark Chung Fong 3/3 Martyn Stuart Wells 3/3 The Audit Committee is chaired by Mr Mark Chung Fong and its other current member is Mr Martyn Stuart Wells. The Audit Committee is appointed by the Board and the committee s membership is comprised of non-executive directors. The terms of reference of the Audit Committee (copies of which are available at the Company s registered office) generally follow, where applicable, those stated in the code provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code. The Audit Committee meets not less than two times a year and its responsibilities include, amongst others, the examination and review of the Group s risk management, internal financial controls and financial and accounting policies and practices, as well as overseeing and reviewing the work of the Company s external auditor, their independence and the fees paid to them. During the year under review, the activities undertaken by the Audit Committee in discharge of its duties and functions included (i) the review and recommendation to the Board of the appointment of Menzies LLP as the Company s external auditor; (ii) the review and recommendation to the Board for approval of the annual report of the Company and the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries for the year ended 31 December 2013; and (iii) the review and recommendation to the Board for approval of the interim report of the Company and the unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries for the six months ended 30 June Given that Menzies LLP resigned as the Company s external auditor and that BDO Limited were appointed to carry out the 2014 audit work for the Group in February 2015, no assessment of the external audit process was carried out during the year under review. Subsequent to the year end, the activities that have been undertaken by the Audit Committee in relation to 2014 included (i) the review and recommendation to the Board of the appointment of BDO Limited to replace Menzies LLP as the Company s external auditor for the 2014 audit; (ii) the review and recommendation to the Board of the annual report of the Company and the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries for the year ended 31 December 2014; and (iii) the review of the Group s risk management and internal financial controls. In appointing BDO Limited, the Audit Committee has taken into consideration, amongst others, BDO Limited s independence, objectivity and terms of engagement. The appointment of BDO Limited as the Company s external auditor will be kept under annual review, and if satisfactory, BDO Limited will be recommended by the Audit Committee for reappointment. There are, however, no contractual obligations that would restrict the Audit Committee s choice of external auditor for the Company. Page 9

13 DIRECTORS REPORT REMUNERATION COMMITTEE In accordance with Provision D2.1 of the UK Corporate Governance Code, the Company has set up a Remuneration Committee. The Remuneration Committee held one meeting during the year under review and the table below gives the attendance record. Director Remuneration Committee Meeting Martyn Stuart Wells 1/1 Mark Chung Fong 1/1 Alastair Gunn-Forbes 1/1 The Remuneration Committee is chaired by Mr Martyn Stuart Wells and its other current members are Messrs Alastair Gunn-Forbes and Mark Chung Fong. The Remuneration Committee is appointed by the Board and the committee s membership is comprised of non-executive directors. The previous chair of the Remuneration Committee was Mr Alastair Gunn-Forbes, the non-executive chairman of the Company. Provision D2.1 of the UK Corporate Governance Code states that the chairman of a company may be a member of, but not chair, the remuneration committee of the company if he was considered independent on appointment as the company s chairman. Accordingly, Mr Alastair Gunn-Forbes resigned as the chair but remains as a member of the Remuneration Committee and Mr Martyn Stuart Wells was appointed by the Board in place of Mr Alastair Gunn- Forbes as the chair of the Remuneration Committee. The terms of reference of the Remuneration Committee (copies of which are available at the Company s registered office) generally follow, where applicable, those stated in the code provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code. The Remuneration Committee meets not less than two times a year and its responsibilities include, amongst others, the evaluation of the performance of the executive directors and senior staff, and the comparison of the Group s remuneration policy with similar organisations in the market to form the basis for the recommendations to the Board to determine the remuneration packages, which may include the grant of share options under the Scheme, for individual staff and director members. In accordance with the Main Principle of Provision D.2 of the UK Corporate Governance Code, no director should be involved in deciding his own remuneration. During the year under review, the activities undertaken by the Remuneration Committee in discharge of its duties and functions included the review of, and recommendation to the Board to retain, the Group s previous remuneration arrangements. As the Group had a very small workforce and only started to recruit additional staff in the latter part of 2014, the Remuneration Committee did not consider necessary or meaningful to hold more than one meeting during the year under review. Page 10

14 DIRECTORS REPORT BOARD MEETING The Board held 4 meetings during the year under review and the table below gives the attendance record. Director Board Meeting Alastair Gunn-Forbes 4/4 Henry Ying Chew Cheong 4/4 Ernest Chiu Shun She 4/4 Mark Chung Fong 4/4 Martyn Stuart Wells 4/4 In addition to the above board meetings, pursuant to the Company s bye-laws, three written resolutions were passed by all the directors during the year under review. WORLDSEC EMPLOYEE SHARE OPTION SCHEME 1997 As mentioned in the Review section above, at the Annual General Meeting held on 29 September 2014, shareholders approved to change the rules of the Scheme to align with the changes to tax and legislation since the Scheme was introduced and to include the Group s non-executive directors as eligible participants of the Scheme. No share options have been granted under the Scheme since its adoption in a general meeting of shareholders on 26 February RELATION WITH SHAREHOLDERS Communication with shareholders is given high priority. Information about the Group s activities is provided in the annual report and the interim report of the Company which are sent to shareholders on a regular basis. All shareholders are encouraged to attend the Annual General Meeting at which directors are introduced and available for questions. Enquiries are dealt with in an informative and timely manner. Directors, including non-executive directors, are also available to meet with major shareholders on request. EXTERNAL AUDITOR The consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries for the year ended 31 December 2014 have been audited by BDO Limited. A resolution will be submitted to the next Annual General Meeting to reappoint BDO Limited as the Company s external auditor. On behalf of the Board Page 11 Henry Ying Chew Cheong Executive Director 23 April 2015

15 STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS RESPONSIBILITIES The directors are required under the Bermuda Companies Act 1981 to prepare consolidated financial statements for each financial year. The directors acknowledge responsibility for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2014, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company and the Group as at the end of that financial year and of the profit or loss of the Group for that year and which provide the necessary information for shareholders to assess the business activities and performance of the Group during that year. In preparing these consolidated financial statements, the directors are required to: - select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; - make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; - state whether the consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards; and - prepare the consolidated financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Group and the Company will continue in business. The directors confirm that they have met the above requirements. The directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and the Group. They are also responsible for the Group s system of internal financial controls, for safeguarding the assets of the Group and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of frauds and other irregularities. On behalf of the Board Henry Ying Chew Cheong Executive Director 23 April 2015 Page 12

16 INDEPENDENT AUDITOR S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF WORLDSEC LIMITED (incorporated in Bermuda with limited liability) REPORT ON FINANCIAL STATEMENTS We have audited the consolidated financial statements of Worldsec Limited (the Company ) and its subsidiaries (together the Group ) set out on pages 14 to 52, which comprise the consolidated statement of financial position of the Group and the statement of financial position of the Company as at 31 December 2014, and the consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, the consolidated statement of changes in equity and the consolidated statement of cash flows for the year then ended, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information. DIRECTORS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The directors of the Company are responsible for the preparation of consolidated financial statements that give a true and fair view in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the European Union, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of consolidated financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. AUDITOR S RESPONSIBILITY Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audit. This report is made solely to you, as a body, in accordance with Section 90 of the Bermuda Companies Act 1981, and for no other purpose. We do not assume responsibility towards or accept liability to any other person for the contents of this report. We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing issued by International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board. Those standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free from material misstatement. An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor s judgement, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity s preparation of the consolidated financial statements that give a true and fair view in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity s internal control. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by the directors, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion. OPINION In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company and of the Group as at 31 December 2014 and of the Group s loss and cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the European Union. REPORT ON OTHER REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS Under the listing rules of the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom (the Listing Rules ), we are required to review the part of the Corporate Governance Statement relating to the Company s compliance with the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code specified for our review. Under the Listing Rules, we are required to review the directors statement set out on page 12 in relation to going concern. BDO Limited Certified Public Accountants Alfred Lee Practising Certificate Number P04960 Hong Kong, 23 April 2015 Page 13

17 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME Year ended 31 December Notes US$ 000 US$ 000 Revenue Staff costs 9 (75) (45) Other expenses (360) (228) Share of result of a joint venture 14 (48) - Loss before income tax expense 10 (475) (273) Income tax expense Loss for the year (475) (273) Other comprehensive income, net of income tax Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss: Exchange differences on translating foreign operations (6) 2 Other comprehensive income for the year, net of income tax (6) 2 Total comprehensive income for the year (481) (271) Loss for the year attributable to: Owners of the Company (475) (273) Total comprehensive income attributable to: Owners of the Company (481) (271) Loss per share - basic and diluted 12 US (0.84) cent US (1.00) cent The accompanying notes form an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. Page 14

18 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AT 31 DECEMBER 2014 Non-current assets Notes US$ 000 US$ 000 Property, plant and equipment Interest in a joint venture Available-for-sale financial asset ,076 - Current assets Other receivables 8 - Deposits 21 - Amount due from a joint venture Cash and cash equivalents 18 2,769 4,702 Current liabilities 3,055 4,702 Other payables and accruals Net current assets 2,687 4,244 Net assets 3,763 4,244 Capital and reserves Share capital Reserves 3,706 4,187 Total equity 3,763 4,244 The consolidated financial statements on pages 14 to 52 were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Directors on 23 April 2015 and signed on its behalf by: Alastair Gunn-Forbes Director Henry Ying Chew Cheong Director The accompanying notes form an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. Page 15

19 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AT 31 DECEMBER 2014 Notes US$ 000 US$ 000 Non-current assets Interests in subsidiaries 16 1,926 1,926 Current assets Amounts due from subsidiaries 17 1,470 - Cash and cash equivalents 18 2,626 4,640 4,096 4,640 Current liabilities Other payables and accruals Amounts due to subsidiaries 17 2,294 2,331 2,570 2,702 Net current assets 1,526 1,938 Net assets 3,452 3,864 Capital and reserves Share capital Reserves 21 3,395 3,807 Total equity 3,452 3,864 Alastair Gunn-Forbes Director Henry Ying Chew Cheong Director The accompanying notes form an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. Page 16

20 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY Equity attributable to owners of the Company Foreign currency Share Share Contributed translation Special Accumulated capital premium surplus reserve reserve losses Total US$ 000 US$ 000 US$ 000 US$ 000 US$ 000 US$ 000 US$ 000 (note 20) (note 21) (note 21) (note a) (note b) (note c) Balance at 1 January ,646 (4) 625 (9,646) 634 Loss for the year (273) (273) Other comprehensive income for the year Exchange differences on translating foreign operations Total comprehensive income for the year (273) (271) Contributions by and distributions to owners Issue of new shares by way of open offer and placing 44 4, ,337 Transaction costs attributable to issue of new shares - (456) (456) Balance at 31 December 2013 and 1 January ,837 9,646 (2) 625 (9,919) 4,244 Loss for the year (475) (475) Other comprehensive income for the year Exchange differences on translating foreign operations (6) - - (6) Total comprehensive income for the year (6) - (475) (481) Balance at 31 December ,837 9,646 (8) 625 (10,394) 3,763 Notes: (a) Exchange differences relating to the translation of the net assets of the Group s foreign operations from their functional currencies to the Group s presentation currency were recognised directly in other comprehensive income and accumulated in the foreign currency translation reserve. Such exchange differences accumulated in the foreign currency translation reserve were reclassified to profit or loss on the disposal of the foreign operation. (b) The special reserve represents the amount arising from the difference between the nominal value of the issued share capital of each subsidiary and the nominal value of the issued share capital of the Company along with the surplus arising in a subsidiary on group reorganisation completed on 26 February (c) Accumulated losses represent accumulated net gains and losses recognised in the profit or loss of the Group. The accompanying notes form an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. Page 17

21 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS Year ended 31 December US$ 000 US$ 000 Cash flows from operating activities Loss for the year (475) (273) Adjustments for: Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 2 - Share of result of a joint venture 48 - Operating loss before working capital changes (425) (273) Increase in trade receivables (8) - Increase in deposits (21) - (Decrease)/increase in other payables and accruals (90) 183 Net cash used in operating activities (544) (90) Cash flows from investing activities Acquisition of property, plant and equipment (69) - Acquisition of a joint venture (257) - Purchase of available-for-sale financial asset (800) - Advance to a joint venture (257) - Net cash used in investing activities (1,383) - Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from issue of new shares - 4,337 Payment for share issue costs - (456) Net cash from financing activities - 3,881 Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents (1,927) 3,791 Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 4, Effects of exchange rate changes (6) 2 Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 2,769 4,702 The accompanying notes form an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. Page 18

22 1. GENERAL INFORMATION Worldsec Limited (the Company ) is a public listed company incorporated in Bermuda and its shares are listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. The address of the registered office of the Company is Canon s Court, 22 Victoria Street, Hamilton HM12, Bermuda. The Company changed its principal place of business address from 6th Floor, New Henry House, 10 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong to Unit 607, 6th Floor, FWD Financial Centre, 308 Des Voeux Road Central, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong during the year ended 31 December The principal activity of the Company is investment holding. The principal activities of the Company s subsidiaries are set out in note 16 to the consolidated financial statements. The functional currency of the Company is Hong Kong Dollars ( HK$ ). The consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as the Group ) are presented in United States Dollars ( US$ or USD ). 2. APPLICATION OF NEW AND REVISED INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTING STANDARDS ( IFRSs ) 2.1 New and revised IFRSs applied with no material effect on the consolidated financial statements The following new and revised IFRSs have been applied by the Group in the current year and have affected the presentation and disclosures set out in these consolidated financial statements. The application of these new and revised IFRSs has not had any material impact on the amounts reported for the current and prior years. Amendments to IAS 32 Offsetting Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities Amendments to IFRS 10, IFRS Investment Entities 12 and IAS 27 (2011) Amendments to IAS 39 Novation of Derivatives and Continuation of Hedge Accounting IFRIC 21 Levies Except as described below, the application of the above new and revised IFRSs in the current year has had no material impact on the Group s financial performance and position for the current and prior years and/or on the disclosures set out in these consolidated financial statements. Amendments to IAS 32 Offsetting Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities The amendments clarify the offsetting requirements by adding appliance guidance to IAS 32 which clarifies when an entity currently has a legally enforceable right to set off and when a gross settlement mechanism is considered equivalent to net settlement. The amendments are applied retrospectively. The adoption of the amendments has no impact on these financial statements as the Group does not have any offsetting arrangements. Page 19

23 2. APPLICATION OF NEW AND REVISED IFRSs (CONTINUED) 2.1 New and revised IFRSs applied with no material effect on the consolidated financial statements (continued) Amendments to IFRS 10, IFRS 12 and IAS 27 (2011) Investment Entities The amendments apply to a particular class of businesses that qualify as investment entities. An investment entity s business purpose is to invest funds solely for returns from capital appreciation, investment income or both. It evaluates the performance of its investments on a fair value basis. Investment entities could include private equity organisations, venture capital organisations, pension funds and investment funds. The amendments provide an exception to the consolidation requirements in IFRS 10 Consolidated Financial Statements and require investment entities to measure particular subsidiaries at fair value through profit or loss rather than to consolidate them. The amendments also set out the disclosure requirements for investment entities. The amendments are applied retrospectively subject to certain transitional provisions. The adoption of the amendments has no impact on these financial statements as the Company is not an investment entity. Amendments to IAS 39 Novation of Derivatives and Continuation of Hedge Accounting The amendments provide relief from discontinuing hedge accounting when novation of a hedging instrument to a central counterparty meets specified criteria. The amendments are applied retrospectively. The adoption of the amendments has no impact on these financial statements as the Group does not apply hedge accounting. IFRIC 21 Levies IFRIC 21 clarifies that an entity recognises a liability to pay a levy imposed by government when the activity that triggers payment, as identified by the relevant legislation, occurs. The interpretation has been applied retrospectively. The adoption of IFRIC 21 has no impact on these financial statements as the interpretation is consistent with the Group s previous application of its accounting policies on provisions. Page 20

24 2. APPLICATION OF NEW AND REVISED IFRSs (CONTINUED) 2.2 New and revised IFRSs in issue but not yet effective The Group has not applied the following new and revised IFRSs that have been issued but are not yet effective: IFRSs (Amendments) Annual Improvements Cycle 2 IFRSs (Amendments) Annual Improvements Cycle 1 IFRSs (Amendments) Annual Improvements Cycle 3* Amendments to IAS 1 Disclosure Initiative 3* Amendments to IAS 27 Equity Method in Separate Financial Statements 3 IFRS 9 (2014) Financial Instruments 5* Amendments to IFRS 10 and IAS 28 Sale or Contribution of Assets between an Investor and its Associate or Joint Venture 3* IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers 4* * Effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 July 2014 Effective for annual periods beginning, or transactions occurring, on or after 1 July 2014 Effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2016 Effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2017 Effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2018 Not yet endorsed by the European Union Annual Improvements Cycle, Cycle and Cycle The amendments issued under the annual improvements process make small, non-urgent changes to a number of standards where they are currently unclear. Amendments to IAS 1 - Disclosure Initiative The amendments to IAS 1 are designed to further encourage companies to apply professional judgement in determining what information to disclose in their financial statements. For example, the amendments make clear that materiality applies to the whole of financial statements and that the inclusion of immaterial information can inhibit the usefulness of financial disclosures, and the amendments clarify that companies should use professional judgement in determining where and in what order information is presented in the financial disclosures. Amendments to IAS 27 Equity Method in Separate Financial Statements The amendments allow an entity to apply the equity method in accounting for its investments in subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates in its separate financial statements. Page 21