Tag Archives: equities first holdings

Business, Financial

Equities First Holdings, LLC Repatriates IQE plc Transaction, Returns All Underlying Collateral To Borrower

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EFH Concludes Another Successful Financing Transaction, Returning Collateral Valued at More Than £20 Million.

London, UK — Equities First Holdings, LLC (EFH), a global lender and a leader in shareholder financing solutions, is pleased to announce that Dr. Drew Nelson, chief executive of IQE plc, has concluded a financing agreement into which he entered with EFH in 2014.

EFH has returned all underlying collateral to Dr. Nelson, which at repatriation are valued at more than £23.5 million, a 780% increase in value from when the transaction was executed in October 2014.

Background on the transaction
On 14 October 2014, IQE notified the AIM market that Dr. Nelson had pledged 18 million shares to EFH in return for a cash loan of £1.865m. The proceeds were used to purchase additional shares of IQE and satisfy tax and National Insurance payable on the exercise of share options. The 18 million shares were worth £23,580,000 at repayment.

“This is exactly what Equities First is here to do for its clients,” said EFH Founder and CEO Al Christy, Jr. “By offering market-leading terms at a fair margin and a fixed three-year timeframe, EFH borrowers can access capital against their stock to meet immediate capital needs without forfeiting future economic opportunity. For the past 15 years EFH has delivered these types of opportunities to clients around the globe, and we look forward to continuing to serve our clients in the years to come.”

Background on EFH loan structures
EFH is a specialist lender which provides competitive value cash loans to publicly quoted company shareholders collateralised by portions of their holdings. The loan term is typically three years, which allows EFH to manage the position for value over a reasonable time frame. EFH contractually pledges not to lend out or short sell during that time, and all market activities are executed to have no impact on stock price or trading volumes.

When the loan matures and is repaid, EFH returns the shares, allowing the borrower to keep all the upside growth in the share price during the period. The loans are non-recourse, which means that the borrower does not provide security in respect to their other assets.

“Clients in the U.K. and Europe have accessed funding from EFH for a wide range of purposes,” said Jeff Smith, Senior Managing Director of Equities First Holdings, LLC. “The key for them is the ability to retain their interest in the underlying shares and full exposure to any upside. EFH has a perfect track record of returning borrower collateral on maturity and repayment, regardless of how much the shares have increased in value.”

“On the back of arrangements such as these, EFH has seen attractive growth in the European markets, led through our London office,” continued Christy. “As European clients become increasingly familiar with the EFH methodology we expect to see a further increase in the number of transactions we conduct here.”

About Equities First Holdings
Since 2002, Equities First Holdings, LLC has provided clients with innovative financing solutions, supplying capital against publicly traded stock to enable clients to meet their personal and professional financial goals. EFH provides capital against shares traded on public exchanges around the world while offering clients competitive loan-to-value rates and low costs of capital. Over the past 5 years, EFH has completed more than 500 transactions and deployed more than $1.4 billion (USD) to clients across the globe.

EFH is a global company with offices in 10 countries, including wholly owned subsidiaries Equities First (London) Limited, Equities First Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Equities First Holdings Singapore Limited, and Equities First Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd. For more information, visit http://www.equitiesfirst.com.

DISCLAIMER
This release is intended for professional investors use only, and does not constitute an offer, stated or implied, of any type. Equities First Holdings, LLC and all of its subsidiaries work exclusively with individuals classified as Professional or sophisticated investors. The Equities First Holdings platform is not intended for retail investors.

Contacts

Media Enquiries – Brandon Russell, +1 317 429 3500
media@equitiesfirst.com

Other Enquiries
info@equitiesfirst.com

Business, Financial

Equities First Holdings, LLC Demonstrates Viability of Securities-Based Lending with 15 Years of Success

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Patience and discipline differentiate EFH from other lenders in the industry.

Indianapolis, IN, USA — Equities First Holdings, LLC (EFH), a provider of alternative shareholder financing, celebrates 15 years of success this month. The vision of founder and CEO Al Christy, Jr., EFH has successfully completed more than 700 transactions and delivered nearly $1 billion USD to clients over the past 4 years. Christy credits his success to hard-won experience, patience, and the discipline of conforming to his own tested loan and investment guidelines.

EFH continues to expand thanks to an investment model that takes advantage of the natural, organic cycles in the market. Before launching EFH in 2002, Christy spent years studying market patterns and using his own funds to test loan and investment strategies. Over time, he developed a methodology that has continued to yield returns for EFH and provide low cost capital for clients:

1. Discipline – Success relies on staying within the boundaries of the EFH model. EFH applies its own rules and guidelines tested over time, and does not deviate from the model.
2. Integrity – EFH is committed to always doing the right thing the right way. That commitment continues to serve the firm and its clients in an industry under close scrutiny by regulatory agencies, and was the genesis for EFH’s mantra – a higher level of lending.
3. Patience – Success takes time. Since the market must be allowed to complete its natural cycle in order for reward to follow risk, EFH builds patience into the terms of its deals to help maximize returns and success.

“Securities-based lending is not a new or untested concept,” said Christy. “It is a long-standing financial tool used by companies, governments, and financial institutions every day. And while securities-based lending may be offered by financial planners, investment advisers, banks, and others as a viable option for clients to raise capital, very few financial institutions, including large commercial banks, can offer non-recourse features or loans with a low cost of funds. We have a successful track record because we live and breathe equities-based lending every day.”

EFH has been able to expand its business model to eight markets. Christy has determined that market performance and the motivations of people who drive those markets is universal, and the same practices and disciplines that are successful in the U.S. are successful overseas as well.

About Equities First Holdings
Since 2002, Equities First Holdings, LLC has provided clients with alternative financing solutions, supplying capital against publicly traded stock to enable clients to meet their personal and professional financial goals. EFH provides capital against shares traded on public exchanges around the world while offering clients competitive loan-to-value rates and low costs of capital. The company has completed more than 700 transactions since its inception, and deployed nearly $1 billion to clients over the past 4 years alone.

EFH is a global company with offices in nine countries, including wholly owned subsidiaries Equities First (London) Limited, Equities First Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Equities First Holdings Singapore Limited, and Equities First Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd. For more information, visit http://www.equitiesfirst.com.

DISCLAIMER
This release is intended for Professional Investors use only, and does not constitute an offer, stated or implied, of any type. Equities First Holdings, LLC and all of its subsidiaries work exclusively with individuals classified as Professional or sophisticated investors. The Equities First Holdings platform is not intended for Retail investors.

Media Contact:
Brandon Russell
+1-317-429-3500
media@equitiesfirst.com

Other Enquiries:
info@equitiesfirst.com

Business, Financial

Equities First (London) Limited — UK Transaction Update and 15th Anniversary Statistics for Parent Company

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London, UK — Equities First Holdings, LLC (EFH), a global provider of shareholder financing, confirms it has returned all shares used as collateral as part of a loan agreement with Joel Leonoff, chief executive of Paysafe plc as announced by the company on 24 March, 2017 (Details Here). Mr. Leonoff entered into the loan in March 2014 and has repaid his loan in full.

Since establishing its London office in 2013, EFH has carried out more than [£45MN] of shareholder loans to Professional Investors. The Paysafe plc transaction is the second public repatriation of shares — following a full repayment by Andrew Newland, CEO of Angle plc on 27 October, 2016 (Details Here). There are currently a portfolio of publicly announced or privately transacted UK loan agreements on the EFH books and discussions continue with other potential clients in the UK and throughout Europe.

“We are very pleased with the progress made by our London office, which is spearheading our commitment of US$100m of further investment for lending to the European Professional market in general,” said EFH founder and CEO, Al Christy, Jr.

Meanwhile, EFH — which is based in the USA — has announced in the month of its 15th anniversary that it has successfully completed more than 700 transactions since its inception and delivered in excess of US$1 billion to clients in the past four years alone.

EFH (http://www.equitiesfirst.com) continues global expansion — with 9 offices in the USA, Europe, the Far East and Australia — thanks to an investment model that takes advantage of natural, organic cycles in the market.

“Securities-based lending is a long-standing financial tool used by companies, governments, and individuals every day,” said Christy. “But very few financial institutions, including large commercial banks, can offer non-recourse features or loans with a low cost of funds. We have a successful track record because we live and breathe equities-based lending every day.”

Equities First (London) Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority of the United Kingdom, register number 605564.

Media Contact:
Brandon Russell
+1-866-507-9160
media@equitiesfirst.com

Business, Financial

Equities First Holdings, LLC Develops Transaction with Australian Company Environmental Clean Technologies Limited

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Transaction proceeds will be used to fund research and development projects in India.

Sydney, Australia and Indianapolis, IN, USA — Equities First Holdings, LLC (EFH), a provider of alternative shareholder financing, and its Australian subsidiary, Equities First Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd (EFH/A) are pleased to announce that EFH has entered into a transaction with Environmental Clean Technologies Limited (ECT) to provide funding to be used in the development of major projects in India.

ECT, which is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ASX: ESI, is a Melbourne-based company that specializes in engineering R&D and commercialisation of leading-edge coal beneficiation and iron-making technologies.

The funding ECT received from EFH will be used to help fund a $30 million research and development facility in India.

“ECT is an innovative company with a solid management team in place, and a well-laid-out plan for future success,” Al Christy, Jr., President and CEO of Equities First Holdings, LLC, said. “EFH is proud to be able to provide the funding necessary to help ECT meets its financial goals and continue the work of cracking the code of emerging energy and minerals technologies.”

Equities First Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd is based in Sydney and operates satellite offices in Melbourne and Perth. The company holds an Australian Financial Services License (Reference Number: 387079).

Glenn Fozard, Chairman of ECT commented, “ECT recognizes that EFH is the global leader in securities based lending and having them involved to help fund our Indian project is essential to keeping the outcomes on-track and on-time. The Australian EFH team conducted themselves with professionalism and integrity and have been a great support is setting up this transaction.”

About Equities First Holdings
Since 2002, Equities First Holdings, LLC (EFH) has provided clients with alternative financing by lending capital secured by publicly traded stock, to enable clients to meet their personal and professional financial goals. EFH provides capital against shares traded on public exchanges around the world. The company has completed more than 700 transactions since its founding, which offer customers high loan-to-value at low fixed interest rates.

EFH is a global company with offices in nine countries, including wholly owned subsidiaries Equities First (London) Limited, Equities First Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Equities First Holdings Singapore Limited, and Equities First Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd. For more information, visit, http://www.equitiesfirst.com.

DISCLAIMER
This release is intended for informational use only, and does not constitute an offer, stated or implied, of any type. Equities First Holdings, LLC and all of its subsidiaries work exclusively with individuals classified as sophisticated investors. The Equities First Holdings platform is not intended for retail investors.

Media Contact:
Brandon Russell
+1-317-429-3500
media@equitiesfirst.com

Business, Financial

Equities First Holdings Hong Kong Limited Receives Reconfirmation of Hong Kong Money Lenders License

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The Hong Kong Money Lenders License was granted by the Hong Kong Eastern Magistrates Courts.

Hong Kong, China — Equities First Holdings Hong Kong Limited, the Asian subsidiary of Equities First Holdings, LLC (EFH, http://www.equitiesfirst.com) a global securities-based lender and a leader in alternative shareholder financing solutions, has received reconfirmation of its Hong Kong Money Lenders License from the Hong Kong Eastern Magistrates Courts.

This license enables EFH to act as a securities based lender in accordance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements applicable to the conduct of its business in Hong Kong.

“This license represents EFH’s commitment to not only deliver our products and services to our clients, but to continue to meet our legal and regulatory compliance obligations in the process.” said Al Christy, President and CEO of EFH.

In order to maintain this license, EFH must continue to meet several conditions set forth by the Hong Kong Eastern Magistrates Courts, including data and privacy requirements, reporting and compliance requirements, marketing and advertising provisions, and operational and business practice standards.

EFH’s Money Lender License number is 1309/2016, and the license is valid until September 2017.

Equities First Holdings Hong Kong Limited is also licensed and regulated by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, CE number BFJ407.

In addition to its Hong Kong business operations, EFH maintains locations in the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, and Switzerland, as well as the company headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

About Equities First Holdings
Since 2002, Equities First Holdings, LLC (EFH) has provided clients with alternative financing solutions, supplying capital against publicly traded stock to enable clients to meet their personal and professional goals. As a securities-based lender, EFH provides capital against shares traded on public exchanges around the world. The company has completed more than 700 transactions worth more than $1.4 billion to date, offering customers high loan-to-value at low fixed interest rates.

EFH is a global company with offices in nine countries, including wholly owned subsidiaries Equities First (London) Limited, Equities First Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Equities First Holdings Singapore Limited, and Equities First Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd. For more information, visit, http://www.equitiesfirst.com.

DISCLAIMER
This release is intended for informational use only, and does not constitute an offer, stated or implied, of any type. Equities First Holdings, LLC and all of its subsidiaries work exclusively with individuals classified as sophisticated investors. The Equities First Holdings platform is not intended for retail investors.

Media Contact:
Brandon Russell
+1-317-429-3500
media@equitiesfirst.com

Business, Financial

Equities First Holdings Relocates Melbourne Offices

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Global Leader in Alternative Lending Strategies Continues to Maintain Three Australian Locations in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth To Accommodate Growing Business.

Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA — Equities First Holdings LLC (EFH, http://www.equitiesfirst.com), a global lender and a leader in alternative shareholder financing solutions, has relocated the Melbourne office of Equities First Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd. The new EFH Australia office is located in the heart of Melbourne and will make it more accessible to clients and business associates.

“Our Australian business is continuing to grow and relocating our Melbourne office will give us a better space to accommodate our current clients and staff with room for expansion,” said Mitchell Hopwood, Managing Director for Equities First Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd.

The new address for the regional office is Equities First Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd., Level 2, 287 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, telephone: +61 3 8688 7191.

Equities First Holdings maintains three business locations in Australia in Sydney, Perth and Melbourne. The firm provides clients with stock-based loans to provide capital for business expansion, strategic investments, or other purposes. Stock-based loans are unrestricted so the capital can be used for any purpose, and most loans are non-recourse.

In addition to its Australian offices, Equities First Holdings maintains locations in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and Switzerland, as well as the company headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

About Equities First Holdings
Since 2002, Equities First Holdings, LLC (EFH) has provided clients with alternative financing solutions, supplying capital against publicly traded stock to enable clients to meet their personal and professional goals. EFH provides capital against shares traded on public exchanges around the world. The company has completed more than 700 transactions worth more than $1.4 billion to date, offering customers high loan-to-value at low fixed interest rates.

EFH is a global company with offices in nine countries, including wholly owned subsidiaries Equities First (London) Limited, Equities First Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Equities First Holdings Singapore Limited, and Equities First Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd. For more information, visit, http://www.equitiesfirst.com.

DISCLAIMER
This release is intended for informational use only, and does not constitute an offer, stated or implied, of any type. Equities First Holdings, LLC and all of its subsidiaries work exclusively with individuals classified as sophisticated investors. The Equities First Holdings platform is not intended for retail investors.

Media Contact:
Brandon Russell
+1-317-429-3500
media@equitiesfirst.com

Business, Financial

Global Lender Equities First Holdings Returns Shares of ANGLE plc and Concludes Transaction in the United Kingdom

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The Return of ANGLE plc Shares Marks Successful Completion of Transaction Executed in October 2014.

Indianapolis, IN, USA — Equities First Holdings LLC (EFH, http://www.equitiesfirst.com), a global lender and a leader in alternative shareholder financing solutions, announced today that the company has fully concluded a transaction with Andrew Newland, CEO of ANGLE plc, by returning 1.35 million shares of ANGLE plc (AIM: AGL.LN; OTCQX: ANPCY) stock to him, which was used as collateral in a financial transaction.

This two-year financing facility, originated on October 27, 2014, was one of the EFH’s first transactions executed in the United Kingdom after the acquisition of Meridian Equity Partners Limited. EFH acquired Meridian in the summer of 2014 and rebranded the acquired operation as Equities First (London) Limited.

Equities First (London) Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority of the United Kingdom, register number 605564.

“The return of collateral to clients is business-as-usual for Equities First Holdings,” said Al Christy, Jr., Founder and CEO of EFH. “As a company, EFH and its subsidiaries have completed more than 700 transactions, and we have a perfect track record of returning our clients’ collateral upon maturity and repayment.”

The market disclosure made by ANGLE plc related to this transaction can be found here.

About Equities First Holdings
Since 2002, Equities First Holdings, LLC (EFH) has provided clients with alternative financing solutions, supplying capital against publicly traded stock to enable clients to meet their personal and professional goals. EFH provides capital against shares traded on public exchanges around the world. The company has completed more than 700 transactions and delivered more than $1.4 billion USD in funding to date.

EFH is a global company with offices in nine countries, including wholly owned subsidiaries Equities First (London) Limited, Equities First Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Equities First Holdings Singapore Limited, and Equities First Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd. For more information, visit http://www.equitiesfirst.com.

DISCLAIMER
This release is intended for informational use only, and does not constitute an offer, stated or implied, of any type. Equities First Holdings, LLC and all of its subsidiaries work exclusively with individuals classified as sophisticated investors or Professional clients. The Equities First Holdings platform is not intended for retail investors.

Media Contact:
Brandon Russell
+1-317-429-3500
media@equitiesfirst.com

Business, Financial

Global Lender Equities First Holdings Sees A Growing Trend Among Borrowers Who Use Stock as Loan Collateral to Secure Working Capital

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As Banks and Financial Institutions Tighten Lending Criteria, Stock-Based Loans May Offer Some Investors an Attractive Alternative to Raise Capital.

Indianapolis, IN, USA — Equities First Holdings, LLC (EFH, http://www.equitiesfirst.com), a global lender and a leader in alternative shareholder financing solutions, is seeing more traction in margin loans and stock-based loans in an economic climate where banks and other institutions have tightened lending criteria. For borrowers who need to raise capital quickly or who may not qualify for more conventional credit-based loans, equities lending is gaining popularity as an alternative.

While some options still exist for these individuals, recently, many banks have cut their lending options for borrowers, tightened loan qualifications, and increased interest rates. Al Christy, Jr., Founder and CEO of EFH, sees loans collateralized by stocks as an innovative borrowing alternative for individuals seeking working capital. Stock-based loans typically have a higher loan-to-value ratio than margin loans and offer a fixed interest rate, providing certainty throughout the life of the transaction.

“During a typical three-year loan term, market fluctuation is inevitable, but stock-based loans provide a hedge because the borrower is lowering his or her investment risk in a downside market,” said Christy. “Most stock-based loans have a non-recourse feature that allows a borrower to walk away from a stock loan at any point, even if the stock’s value depreciates. The borrower is able to keep the initial loan proceeds with no further obligation to the lender.”

As Christy notes, some consider margin loans and stock-based loans to be synonymous. Although both forms of financing use securities for collateral, there are marked differences.

With a margin loan, the borrower must be pre-qualified, as with a conventional bank loan, and may require the money to be used for a specific purpose. The interest rates are variable and the borrower can expect loan-to-value ratios between 10 and 50 percent. In addition, the lending firm may liquidate the borrower’s collateral without warning in the event of a margin call.

With stock-based loans, borrowers can expect a fixed interest rate between three and four percent and a loan-to-value ratios ranging from 50 to 75 percent. There also are no restrictions on the loan, so the money can be used for any purpose. In addition, most stock-based loans are non-recourse, so borrowers can walk away without obligation, even if the value of the collateral stock has decreased.

“Any form of financial transaction has some risk associated with it,” said Christy, “But stock-based loans have been historically ignored as a viable borrowing option largely because a number of unscrupulous lenders have unceremoniously dumped borrowers’ collateral into the open market, failed to return stocks upon transaction maturity, or failed to address other concerns. We have built our business on a code of integrity and transparency and we rely on leading legal, regulatory, and trading institutions for counsel. Our mission is to deliver maximum benefit with minimum risk so our customers can meet their personal and professional financial goals.”

About Equities First Holdings
Since 2002, Equities First Holdings, LLC (EFH) has provided clients with alternative financing solutions, supplying capital against publicly traded stock to enable clients to meet their personal and professional goals. EFH provides capital against shares traded on public exchanges around the world. The company has completed more than 650 transactions worth more than $1.4 billion to date, offering customers high loan to values at low fixed interest rates.

EFH is a global company with offices in nine countries, including wholly owned subsidiaries Equities First (London) Limited, Equities First Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Equities First Holdings Singapore Limited, and Equities First Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd. For more information, visit, http://www.equitiesfirst.com.

DISCLAIMER
This release is intended for informational use only, and does not constitute an offer, stated or implied, of any type. Equities First Holdings, LLC and all of its subsidiaries work exclusively with individuals classified as sophisticated investors. The Equities First Holdings platform is not intended for retail investors.

Media Contact:
Brandon Russell
+1-317-429-3500
media@equitiesfirst.com