Unfortunately I have to agree with
@jim.rogers on this one. The Australian Financial industry is something of a minefield. The way things are at the moment you may have better luck investing your money with that nice Nigerian gentleman who emailed you last week.
Speaking as a fellow holder in HML, I do not believe the published NTA. I believe the money is gone.
In a nutshell:
HML's investment manager is JBL. Stuart McAuliffe sits on the board of both companies, thereby making them related parties (but good luck telling him that).
JBL has invested most of HML's money (over 90%) in unlisted assets. One of these unlisted assets includes JBFG which was revalued to over 16,000% of its purchase price within 3 months of HML purchasing it.
HML was charged performance fees for this spectacular increase in valuation.
HML continues to be charged management fees based upon the overly optimistic valuation of JBFG.
HML shareholders patiently wait for some government department to grow a pair and intervene.
What's being done about it:
ASX has suspended both HML and BHD from trading.
NSX has suspended JBL from trading.
ASIC appears to be either unwilling or unable to take any action against the directors responsible for these highly questionable transactions.
A shareholder activist group has elected new directors to the board of BHD in order to salvage what can be salvaged, but JBL are not letting go of BHD's purse strings without a fight and it's safe to assume that the former directors are not cooperating with the handover process.
A number of HML and BHD shareholders have lodged numerous complaints with various regulatory entities including ASIC, Takeovers Panel, Federal Members of Parliament, Treasurer, Ombudsman, etc. apparently to no avail.
See links to threads below for more information including the official queries from NSX and JBL's responses. Maybe sit down and pour yourself a drink first though.
Queries for JBL from NSX:
https://hotcopper.com.au/threads/jbl-suspension-from-nsx-and-queries-from-nsx.4714275/Reasons for HML & BHD suspensions from ASX:
https://hotcopper.com.au/threads/ann-reasons-for-suspension.4822090/
