Jovian Capital Corp. Wednesday reported a wider loss for the first quarter as expenses rose.

Jovian said the net loss for the fiscal first quarter ended June 30, was $3.9 million, or 46¢ a share, compared to a loss of $2.8 million, or 35¢ a share for the corresponding period the prior year.

Revenue was $25.3 million, compared to $23.4 million in the prior year. Combined revenue from Jovian subsidiaries BetaPro and AlphaPro was $6.8 million for the period. Jovian acquired control of BetaPro in the second quarter of fiscal 2009 and AlphaPro commenced operations during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009. Exclusive of BetaPro and AlphaPro, total revenue was $18.5 million, compared to $23.4 million a year ago, as declining financial markets slashed client assets.

Client assets in portfolio companies have decreased 20%, or $3.2 billion, compared to the three months ended June 30, 2008, with $2.9 billion of the decrease coming from Jovian’s Assets Under Administration classification. However, with rebounding markets, client assets have increased by $0.8 billion since the end of fiscal 2009.

Jovian’s Assets Under Management (“AUM”) classification at the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2010, was largely consistent with the same period last year. AUM decreased slightly to $6.3 billion for the three months ended June 30, 2009, from $6.6 billion for the three months ended June 30, 2008.

Expenses for the quarter were $29.2 million, compared to $26.3 million for the same period in the prior year. Expenses for BetaPro and AlphaPro were $5.8 million for the three-month period ended June 30, 2009. Exclusive of BetaPro and AlphaPro, total expenses for the first quarter of fiscal 2010 declined by 11% to $23.4 million, from $26.3 million in the comparable period in fiscal 2009.

“During the first quarter of fiscal 2010, client assets grew, as equity markets rallied and global economies began to show early signs of a gradual recovery,” said Philip Armstrong, CEO of Jovian.

“We have also made great strides in improving the performance of our companies’ back offices and achieving greater efficiency in their cost structures, which has helped us to closely control expenses.”

The Jovian group of companies includes AlphaPro Management Inc., BetaPro Management Inc., Horizons Funds Inc., JovFunds Inc., JovFunds Management Inc., JovInvestment Management Inc., Leon Frazer & Associates Inc., MGI Financial Inc., MGI Securities Inc., MGI Securities (USA) Inc., T.E. Wealth and Felcom Data Services Inc.

IE