abrdn Private Equity Opportunities Trust plc

Legal Entity Identifier (LEI): 2138004MK7VPTZ99EV13

17 May 2023

abrdn Private Equity Opportunities Trust plc ("APEO" or "the Company") announces its estimated net asset value ("NAV") at 30 April 2023

·      Estimated NAV at 30 April 2023 was 738.1 pence per share (estimated NAV at 31 March 2023 was 745.9 pence per share)

·      Excluding new investments, 97.4% by value of portfolio was dated 31 December 2022 (estimated NAV at 31 March 2023 was 97.4% dated 31 December 2022)

·      First interim dividend of 4.0 pence per share paid on 21 April 2023

·      APEO paid £13.9 million of drawdowns and received £11.9 million of distributions during the month of April

·      One new primary fund commitment made in April, while APEO also undertook a partial realisation of its position in Action, returning €20.8 million in cash proceeds

·      Outstanding commitments of £683.5 million at 30 April 2023

·      Liquid resources (cash balances plus undrawn credit facilities) were £236.4 million as at 30 April 2023

APEO's valuation policy for private equity funds and co-investments is based on the latest valuations reported by the managers of the funds and co-investments in which the Company has interests. In the case of APEO's valuation at 30 April 2023, excluding new investments, 97.4% by value of the portfolio valuations were dated 31 December 2022. The value of the portfolio is therefore generally calculated as the 31 December 2022 valuation, adjusted for subsequent cashflows over the period to 30 April 2023.

This is an update from the estimated NAV at 31 March 2023, whereby 97.4% of the portfolio valuations, excluding new investments, were dated 31 December 2022, adjusted for subsequent cashflows over the period to 31 March 2023.

Estimated NAV

At 30 April 2023, APEO's estimated NAV was 738.1 pence per share (estimated net assets £1,134.8 million), representing a 1.0% per share decrease from the estimated NAV at 31 March 2023 of 745.9 pence per share (estimated net assets £1,146.8 million). The 7.8 pence decrease in NAV per share reflected losses arising primarily from a 1.7% depreciation in the dollar versus sterling during April, in addition to the first interim dividend payment of 4.0 pence per share on 21 April 2023. The cash cost of the first interim dividend was £6.1 million.

Drawdowns and distributions

APEO paid £13.9 million of drawdowns and received £11.9 million of distributions during the month of April. The distributions received generated realised gains and income of £7.7 million.

Investment activity

A new primary commitment of $20.0 million was made to Seidler Equity Partners VIII, a fund focusing primarily on investing in lower middle market businesses in North America across branded consumer products, business services, and specialty manufacturing sectors.

During April, APEO undertook a partial realisation of its holding in Action, the European non-food discount retailer, for portfolio construction reasons, realising €20.8 million of cash proceeds at a value equivalent to 100% of 31 December 2022 NAV. The realisation was executed through transactions with existing investors in the 3i 2020 Co-investment Programme.  As a reminder, APEO has been an investor in Action since 2011, initially through 3i Eurofund V and then as a co-investor alongside 3i, Action's lead investor. Following the partial realisation, Action remains the largest underlying portfolio company in APEO's portfolio with a remaining value of £50.0 million, equivalent to 4.2% of total portfolio NAV.

Commitments

The Company had £683.5 million of outstanding commitments at 30 April 2023. The Manager believes that around £83.4 million of the Company's existing outstanding commitments are unlikely to be drawn.

Credit facility and cash balances

The Company has a £300.0 million syndicated revolving credit facility provided by The Royal Bank of Scotland International Limited, Societe Generale and State Street Bank International GmbH, and it expires in December 2025. The Company repaid a total of £8.4 million to the credit facility during the month of April, reducing the total drawn balance to £84.4 million at 30 April 2023. The remaining undrawn balance of the facility at 30 April 2023 was therefore £215.6 million.

In addition, the Company had cash balances of £20.8 million at 30 April 2023. Liquid resources, calculated as the total of cash balances and the undrawn balance of the credit facility, were therefore £236.4 million as at 30 April 2023.

Update from the Manager

The latest update from the Manager is available within the Latest News section of the Company website; www.abrdnpeot.co.uk.

Future announcements

The Company is expecting to announce its estimated NAV at 31 May 2023 on or around 14 June 2023.

Additional detail about APEO's NAV and investment diversification can be found on APEO's website. Neither the contents of the Company's website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Company's website is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.

For further information please contact Alan Gauld at abrdn Capital Partners LLP (0131 528 4424)

Notes:-

abrdn Private Equity Opportunities Trust plc is an investment company managed by abrdn Capital Partners LLP, the ordinary shares of which are admitted to listing by the UK Listing Authority and to trading on the Stock Exchange and which seeks to conduct its affairs so as to qualify as an investment trust under sections 1158-1165 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010. The Board of abrdn Private Equity Opportunities Trust plc is independent of abrdn plc and Phoenix Group Holdings.

The Company intends to release regular estimated NAV updates around ten business days after each month end. A breakdown of APEO's portfolio can be obtained in the latest monthly factsheet, which is published on APEO's website at:

www.abrdnpeot.co.uk