History
The company's key subsidiary, the Falkland Islands Company (FIC), was incorporated in 1851 and received its Royal Charter on 10 January 1852. Established with an authorised capital of £100,000, its purpose was to engage in agricultural and general trading activities. It established shops and a shipping line, and by 1945 it owned 1.2 million acres (4,900 km²) in the Falklands and a flock of 300,000 sheep. It first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1962. In 1972, it was acquired by The Dundee Perth and London Shipping Company, and two further changes of ownership occurred before it became independent again as Falkland Islands Holdings in 1997.
FIH sold its agricultural holdings to the Falkland Islands Government in 1991.
In 2004 FIH diversified by acquiring minority stakes in Falkland Gold and Minerals Limited (FGML) and Falkland Oil and Gas Limited (FOGL), which were both established to exploit potential mineral developments in the Falklands. (It has since sold its stake in Falkland Gold and Minerals Limited for a profit of ₤0.5m.)
In 2004 FIH also bought the Portsmouth Harbour Ferry Company (PHFC) which operates the passenger ferry across the mouth of Portsmouth Harbour in England.
In 2008, FIH bought Momart, a UK company which handles and stores fine art and antiquities.
Read more about this topic: Falkland Islands Holdings
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