Frequently Asked Questions

Questions

  1. How many people does the company employ?
  2. When does the company report financial results?
  3. When is the next Annual General meeting?
  4. Where can I obtain a copy of the Report and Accounts?
  5. When was your most recent dividend paid?
  6. Can I take my dividend in shares?
  7. Can I receive my dividend directly into my bank or building society account?
  8. When do I receive my dividend tax voucher?
  9. How do I confirm the number of shares that I hold?
  10. What should I do if I lose my share certificate?
  11. What do I need to do if I wish to transfer my shares to someone else?
  12. How do I sell my shares or buy more?
  13. Who do I notify if I have changed my name and address?
  14. Where is the company stock traded?
  15. What is the ticker symbol or EPIC code?
  16. What is the company dividend policy?
  17. When is the next dividend due to be paid?
  18. Who are the company’s registrars?
  19. Where should shareholders direct stock administration questions?
  20. How many shares are in issue?
  21. Does the company offer a scrip dividend?
  22. What is a scrip dividend?
  23. In which sector are the company’s shares listed?
  24. Do you offer a low cost share dealing service?
  25. Do you provide AESOPs?
  26. Is there an employee profit share scheme?
  27. Does the company have any shareholder concessions?
  28. Who are your house brokers?
  29. I have questions about tax on my dividends, who should I direct them to?
  30. Has the company had any capital reorganisations?
  31. Has the company made any share issues since flotation?
  32. Can the company shares be held as an ISA?
  33. Who are your biggest shareholders?
  34. What are the company’s core businesses?
  35. Where do you foresee the main growth of the business?
  36. How much of the company does the management own?
  37. What are the company’s main competitive strengths?
  38. What is the geographical split of sales?
  39. What is your strategy for growing your ports business?
  40. How is the company organised?
  41. How will you generate growth in your property business?
  42. What is your financial strategy?

Answers

  1. How many people does the company employ?
    Approximately 1,160
  2. When does the company report financial results?
    March and September
  3. When is the next Annual General meeting?
    6th May 2011
  4. Where can I obtain a copy of the Report and Accounts?
    Registrars/Forth Ports Limited
  5. When was your most recent dividend paid?
    5th November 2010
  6. Can I take my dividend in shares?
    Yes
  7. Can I receive my dividend directly into my bank or building society account?
    Yes
  8. When do I receive my dividend tax voucher?
    When dividend is paid
  9. How do I confirm the number of shares that I hold?
    Contact Registrars
  10. What should I do if I lose my share certificate?
    Contact Registrars
  11. What do I need to do if I wish to transfer my shares to someone else?
    Contact a Stock Broker
  12. How do I sell my shares or buy more?
    Contact a Stock Broker
  13. Who do I notify if I have changed my name and address?
    Contact Registrars
  14. Where is the company stock traded?
    London Stock Exchange
  15. What is the ticker symbol or EPIC code?
    FPT
  16. What is the company dividend policy?
    We aim to increase dividends in real terms year upon year
  17. When is the next dividend due to be paid?
    6th May 2011
  18. Who are the company’s registrars?
    Equiniti Limited,
    Aspect House,
    Spencer Road,
    Lancing,
    West Sussex,
    BN99 6DA

    Shareholder helpline: 0871 384 2149
    Textel/Hard of hearing line 0871 384 2255
    General fax: 0871 384 2100
    Website: www.shareview.co.uk
    Shareview dealing helpline: 0845 603 7037

    Calls to these numbers are charged at 8p per minute from a BT landline.
    Other telephony providers costs may vary.
  19. Where should shareholders direct stock administration questions?
    Contact Registrars
  20. How many shares are in issue?
    Approximately 45.7m
  21. Does the company offer a scrip dividend?
    Yes
  22. What is a scrip dividend?
    Shares to the value of the dividend are issued to you
  23. In which sector are the company’s shares listed?
    Industrial Transportation
  24. Do you offer a low cost share dealing service?
    No
  25. Do you provide AESOPs?
    No
  26. Is there an employee profit share scheme?
    No
  27. Does the company have any shareholder concessions?
    No
  28. Who are your house brokers?
    Investec Bank plc,
    2 Gresham Street
    London EC2V 7QP
  29. I have questions about tax on my dividends, who should I direct them to?
    Your financial adviser
  30. Has the company had any capital reorganisations?
    No
  31. Has the company made any share issues since flotation?
    Yes
  32. Can the company shares be held as an ISA?
    Yes
  33. Who are your biggest shareholders?
    Arcus Infrastructure Partners LLP - 23.5%
    Schroder Investment Management - 12.3%
    F&C Asset Management - 6.0%
    Legal & General Investment Management - 3.8%
    Salta Company Investments - 3.5%

    As at 22nd March 2010
  34. What are the company’s core businesses?
    Ports and property
  35. Where do you foresee the main growth of the business?
    Organic growth within the ports’ business together with the maximisation of asset value within the property division.
  36. How much of the company does the management own?
    Just under 1%
  37. What are the company’s main competitive strengths?
    Geographical location, knowledge of ports and logistics’ markets, long-term customer relationships
  38. What is the geographical split of sales?
    UK 100%
  39. What is your strategy for growing your ports business?
    We look to grow our earnings from the port businesses through five specific and well defined strategies. These are as follows:-

    1. Making targeted and specific investments which will generate a return in excess of the Group’s weighted average cost of capital. Our return hurdle is generally an internal rate of return of 15% post tax. An example of investment we have made in the past would be the Stora Enso Distribution Centre at Tilbury.

    2. We aim to grow and develop close and long term working relationships with all of our customers. We believe that the more we understand about our customers’ business, the more we can provide by way of service and, at the same time, enhance supply chain efficiencies for the customers. We have a number of long term agreements within the Group with very large customers such as BP, INEOS, Shell, UPM Kymmene, Stora Enso, SCA and many others.

    3. We seek to grow volumes in key commodity areas for the business in a manner which will enhance port earnings. Good examples of key commodity areas are unitised cargoes such as containers and Ro-Ro, both in Scotland and at Tilbury, and paper tonnages, particularly at Tilbury. We also apply this philosophy to general bulk cargoes such as grain and animal feedstuffs.

    4. We look to exploit new market areas where we have perhaps only had a marginal involvement in the past to broaden the business base of the company. A good example of new market areas would be the car businesses at Tilbury, the Ro-Ro business at Rosyth and the North Sea oil business at Dundee.

    5. We are developing broader levels of services with key customers and expanding our areas of activity into distribution management. We believe in supply chain transparency, understand a customers’ business properly and then offer a range of services which can reduce supply chain costs for a customer. We carry out distribution management services in the paper business for key customers such as UPM Kymmene and Stora Enso.
  40. How is the company organised?
    Four divisions - Scottish Ports, Port of Tilbury, Nordic Group and Property
  41. How will you generate growth in your property business?
    Property is one of our mainstream businesses. Over the last two years we have significantly strengthened our property management team. The property division's strategy recognises that there is significant potential to enhance the asset value of the Group's property assets by concentrating on longer term value creation by investing in infrastructure to maximise the value of its property development assets. This is done in a manner which will control and enhance quality for the future as we strive to develop an integrated waterfront community as a main stream destination within Scotland’s capital city. We also own a significant interest in the Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre which we believe has potential to grow its revenue streams and also asset value by benefiting from the ongoing development process in the waterfront. There is also the potential to accommodate large scale office accommodation within the waterfront according to demand.
  42. What is your financial strategy?
    The Group aims to generate real levels of dividend growth over a long term period. To do this, we have to continue to grow earnings in our ports' business and to maximise the asset value within the property business in the manner described. To the extent that earnings growth generates surplus cash or borrowing capacity within the Group, we will use this surplus cash or capacity to examine value enhancing acquisitions and developments and compare these against the return offered to shareholders by purchasing our own shares. We will invest in whichever activity gives a superior level of return.


    As at 5th November 2010
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