The members present their annual report and audited financial statements of Zeno Equity Partners LLP for the year ended 31 December 2024.
Zeno Equity Partners LLP (“Zeno”) provides investment advisory and investment management services to offshore funds, specialising in an equity strategy. The firm is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The revenues of the partnership normalized after a strong performance in the prior year, decreasing by 17% following a 25% increase in 2023. Nonetheless, the business performed well and continued to generate performance fees. Costs decreased by 7% in aggregate, leading to a decline in profits of 19%.
Zeno ended 2024 with five members and four employees. Of these five members, three are appointed as Senior Management.
The Senior Management convenes on a consistent basis to discuss the key risks facing the business. The partnership engages in regular risk management practices to mitigate market, regulatory, legal, operational and liquidity risks. These include, but are not limited to, stress-testing and seeking consultation from specialist advisors.
The members remain confident about the future of the partnership.
The members' drawing policy allows each member to draw a proportion of their profit share,subject to the cash requirements of the business.
A member's capital requirement is not directly linked to their share of profit and the financing requirement of the limited liability partnership. There is no opportunity for appreciation of the capital subscribed. Just as incoming members introduce their capital at "par", so the retiring members are repaid their capital at "par".
The designated members who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:
As the LLP has not consumed more than 40,000 kWh of energy in this reporting period, it qualifies as a low energy user under these regulations and is not required to report on its emissions, energy consumption or energy efficiency activities.
The members are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
Company law (as applied by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Accounts and Audit) (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2008) requires the members to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the members have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. Under company law (as applied by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Accounts and Audit) (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2008) the members must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the limited liability partnership and of the profit or loss of the limited liability partnership for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the members are required to:
select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements.
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the limited liability partnership will continue in business.
The members are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the limited liability partnership’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the limited liability partnership and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006 (as applied by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Accounts and Audit) (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2008). They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the limited liability partnership and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
We have audited the financial statements of Zeno Equity Partners LLP (the 'limited liability partnership') for the year ended 31 December 2024 which comprise the statement of comprehensive income, the statement of financial position, the reconciliation of members' interests, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Basis for opinion
Conclusions relating to going concern
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the members' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the limited liability partnership’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the members with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows:
the engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
we identified the laws and regulations applicable to the LLP through discussions with members and other management, and from our commercial knowledge and experience of the financial services sector;
we focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the LLP, including the Companies Act 2006, the Statement of Recommended Practice for LLP’s, FCA regulations as applicable to the LLP, and taxation legislation;
we assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making enquiries of management and inspecting relevant correspondence; and
identified laws and regulations were communicated within the audit team regularly and the team remained alert to instances of non-compliance throughout the audit.
We assessed the susceptibility of the LLP's financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:
making enquiries of management as to where they considered there was susceptibility to fraud, their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud; and
considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations.
To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:
performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships;
tested journal entries to identify unusual transactions; and
investigated the rationale behind significant or unusual transactions.
In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:
agreeing financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation;
enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims; and
reviewing correspondence with the FCA and the LLP’s legal advisors.
There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the members and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.
A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the limited liability partnership's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 as applied by the Limited Liability Partnerships (Accounts and Audit) (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the limited liability partnership's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the limited liability partnership and the limited liability partnership's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
The income statement has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.
Zeno Equity Partners LLP is a limited liability partnership incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office and principal place of business is 272 Kings Road, 3rd Floor, College House, London, SW3 5AW.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice "Accounting by Limited Liability Partnerships" issued in December 2021, together with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the limited liability partnership. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the members have a reasonable expectation that the limited liability partnership has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the members continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Turnover represents the amounts receivable for research and advisory, management and performance fees net of VAT and is recognised in the period in which it is earned.
Other operating income
Other operating income relates to recharged administration expenses charged to third parties.
Members' participation rights are the rights of a member against the LLP that arise under the members' agreement (for example, in respect of amounts subscribed or otherwise contributed remuneration and profits).
Members' participation rights in the earnings or assets of the LLP are analysed between those that are, from the LLP's perspective, either a financial liability or equity, in accordance with section 22 of FRS 102. A member's participation rights including amounts subscribed or otherwise contributed by members, for example members' capital, are classed as liabilities unless the LLP has an unconditional right to refuse payment to members, in which case they are classified as equity.
All amounts due to members that are classified as liabilities are presented within 'Loans and other debts due to members' and, where such an amount relates to current year profits, they are recognised within ‘Members' remuneration charged as an expense’ in arriving at the relevant year’s result. Undivided amounts that are classified as equity are shown within ‘Members' other interests’. Amounts recoverable from members are presented as debtors and shown as amounts due from members within members’ interests.
Drawings are treated as payments on account of profit allocation and are only repayable to the LLP in so far as there are insufficient profits to allocate against such drawings. Any drawings in excess of total profits allocated would be included within 'amounts due from members' within debtors.
A member's capital requirement is linked to their share of profit and the financing requirement of the limited liability partnership. There is no opportunity for appreciation in capital subscribed. Just as incoming members introduce their capital at "par", so the retiring members are repaid their capital at "par".
Profits are divided only after a decision by the LLP or its representative, so the LLP has an unconditional right to refuse payment. Such profits are classed as equity rather than as liabilities. They are therefore shown as a residual amount available for discretionary division among members in arriving at the result for the year and are shown as appropriations of equity when they are allocated.
The members’ agreement limits the amount of losses that can be allocated to and recovered from members to the pro-rata amount of undrawn profits remaining in the LLP. Losses are therefore only allocated, in the profit sharing ratios, to the extent that they would not create or increase a debtor balance for any member. Where losses are in excess of undrawn profits these are retained in equity until such time as a decision is made to allocate them in accordance with the members agreement.
Once an unavoidable obligation has been created in favour of members through allocation of profits or other means, any undrawn profits remaining at the reporting date are shown as ‘Loans and other debts due to members’ to the extent they exceed debts due from a specific member.
Tangible fixed assets are measured at cost net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the income statement.
The assets' residual lives and useful lives are reviewed and adjusted, if appropriate, at the end of each reporting period. The effect of any change is accounted for prospectively.
At each reporting end date, the limited liability partnership reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any). An impairment loss is recognised immediately in profit or loss.
Recognised impairment losses are reversed if, and only if, the reasons for the impairment loss have ceased to apply. Where an impairment loss subsequently reverses, the carrying amount of the asset is increased to the revised estimate of its recoverable amount, but so that the increased carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined had no impairment loss been recognised for the asset prior years. A reversal of an impairment loss is recognised immediately in profit or loss.
Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and include cash at bank.
The limited liability partnership has chosen to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the limited liability partnership's statement of financial position when the limited liability partnership becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset and the net amounts presented in the financial statements when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include amounts owed by members and other debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest.
Financial assets, other than those held at fair value through profit and loss, are assessed for indicators of impairment at each reporting end date.
Financial assets are impaired where there is objective evidence that, as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the financial asset, the estimated future cash flows have been affected. If an asset is impaired, the impairment loss is the difference between the carrying amount and the present value of the estimated cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate. The impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss.
If there is a decrease in the impairment loss arising from an event occurring after the impairment was recognised, the impairment is reversed. The reversal is such that the current carrying amount does not exceed what the carrying amount would have been, had the impairment not previously been recognised. The impairment reversal is recognised in profit or loss.
Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the limited liability partnership transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.
Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the limited liability partnership after deducting all of its liabilities.
Basic financial liabilities, including trade and other creditors are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Accounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Derivatives, including interest rate swaps and forward foreign exchange contracts, are not basic financial instruments. Derivatives are initially recognised at fair value on the date a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently re-measured at their fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are recognised in profit or loss in finance costs or finance income as appropriate, unless hedge accounting is applied and the hedge is a cash flow hedge.
Debt instruments that do not meet the conditions in FRS 102 paragraph 11.9 are subsequently measured at fair value through profit or loss. Debt instruments may be designated as fair value through profit or loss to eliminate or reduce an accounting mismatch or if the instruments are measured and their performance evaluated on a fair value basis in accordance with a documented risk management or investment strategy.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the limited liability partnership’s obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense in the period in which they are incurred.
Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged to income on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease.
Transactions in currencies other than pounds sterling are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing at the dates of the transactions. At each reporting end date, monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rates prevailing on the reporting end date. Gains and losses arising on translation in the period are included in profit or loss.
Retirement benefits
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
In the application of the limited liability partnership’s accounting policies, the members are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
It is the opinion of the members that there are no items included in the financial statements which are the result of critical judgements or key estimates and assumptions.
The total turnover of the limited liability partnership for the year has been derived from its principal activity wholly undertaken in the United Kingdom.
The average number of persons (excluding members) employed by the partnership during the year was:
Their aggregate remuneration comprised:
The limited liability partnership operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the limited liability partnership in an independently administered fund.
At the reporting end date the limited liability partnership had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:
During the year the rental expense charged to the profit and loss account was £164,687 (2023: £164,687)
Key management personnel
The designated member who has authority for planning, directing and controlling the activities of the limited liability partnership is considered to be key management personnel. Aggregate compensation in respect of this individual is £2,823,666 (2023: £3,326,019).