Portfolio Update

BLACKROCK FRONTIERS INVESTMENT TRUST PLC All information is at 30 November 2014 and unaudited. Performance at month end with net income reinvested One Three Six One Three Since month months months year years launch* Sterling: Share price -4.0% -2.8% 1.1% 9.2% 81.2% 33.1% Net asset value -2.1% -3.7% -2.9% 9.5% 64.8% 32.0% MSCI Frontiers Index (NR) -2.5% -2.6% -1.0% 19.0% 51.5% 25.6% MSCI EM Markets (NR) 1.1% -1.7% 6.2% 5.7% 17.1% -0.6% US Dollars: Share Price -6.0% -8.4% -5.6% 4.4% 80.6% 34.0% Net asset value -4.2% -9.2% -9.3% 4.6% 64.3% 32.7% MSCI Frontiers Index (NR) -4.6% -8.2% -7.5% 13.7% 50.8% 26.1% MSCI EM Markets (NR) -1.1% -7.3% -0.8% 1.1% 16.6% -0.2% Sources: BlackRock and Standard & Poor's Micropal * 17 December 2010. At month end US Dollar: Net asset value - capital only: 180.08c Net asset value - cum income: 184.47c Sterling: Net asset value - capital only: 114.98p Net asset value - cum income: 117.78p Share price: 121.00p Total assets (including income): £177.4m Premium to cum-income NAV: 2.7% Gearing: nil Gearing range (as a % of gross assets): 0-20% Net yield*: 3.2% Ordinary shares in issue: 150,621,621 Ongoing charges**: 1.5% Ongoing charges plus taxation and performance fee: 1.5% *The Company's yield based on dividends announced in the last 12 months as at the date of the release of this announcement is 3.2% and includes the 2014 final dividend of 4.00 cents per share declared on 1 December 2014, payable to shareholders on 20 February and the 2014 interim dividend of 2.25 cents per share announced on 20 May 2014 and paid to shareholders on 4 July 2014. **Calculated as a percentage of average net assets and using expenses, excluding performance fees and interest costs for the year ended 30 September 2014. Benchmark Sector Analysis Gross assets(%)* Country Analysis Gross assets(%)* Financials 27.4 Kuwait 12.8 Consumer Staples 16.7 Pakistan 9.4 Energy 15.2 Bangladesh 9.2 Telecommunication 13.1 Sri Lanka 7.4 Consumer Discretionary 7.8 Kazakhstan 6.7 Industrials 7.2 Nigeria 6.0 Health Care 5.1 Ukraine 5.7 Utilities 3.6 Oman 5.6 Materials 1.5 Romania 5.6 Information Technology 0.3 Saudi Arabia 5.0 ----- Argentina 5.0 Total 97.9 Iraq 4.0 ----- Vietnam 3.6 Short positions -2.8 Morocco 3.1 ===== Turkmenistan 2.8 Slovenia 2.0 Other 4.0 ----- 97.9 ===== Short positions -2.8 ===== *reflects gross market exposure from contracts for difference (CFDs) Market Exposure 31.12 31.01 28.02 31.03 30.04 31.05 30.06 31.07 31.08 30.09 31.10 30.11 2013 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 % % % % % % % % % % % % Long 103.3 96.6 101.8 101.6 101.6 98.0 106.6 100.8 98.7 100.0 99.9 97.9 Short 1.5 1.7 1.8 1.7 2.0 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 0.8 1.5 2.8 Gross 104.8 98.3 103.6 103.3 103.6 99.7 108.3 102.4 100.3 100.8 101.4 100.7 Net 101.8 94.9 100.0 99.9 99.6 96.3 104.9 99.2 97.1 99.2 98.4 95.1 Ten Largest Investments Company Country of Risk % of gross assets Kuwait Food Kuwait 5.3% MHP Ukraine 5.2% Mobile Telecommunications Kuwait 5.0% Halyk Bank Kazakhstan 3.7% Hub Power Pakistan 3.6% Banco Macro Argentina 3.5% Bank Muscat Oman 3.5% BRD Societe Generale Romania 3.2% Maroc Telecom Morocco 3.1% Square Pharmaceuticals Bangladesh 3.1% Commenting on the markets, Sam Vecht, representing the Investment Manager noted: Market Performance During November, the MSCI Frontier Market Index returned -4.6% (on a US dollar basis with net income reinvested). The oil price was a significant driver of market returns in November. Since the reclassification of Qatar and United Arab Emirates, the Frontier Markets Index has had a much lower weighting in the Middle East and is less exposed to movements in the oil price. That said, the significance of the recent move in oil prices for energy exporters such as Nigeria, Kazakhstan and Kuwait was sufficient to weigh heavily on index returns and markets in the three countries fell by 11%, 8% and 6% respectively during the month. Outside the index, the Saudi Arabian market was also impacted by oil prices, falling by 14%. In contrast, the strongest market during the month was Kenya, rising by 5%. Consumers in East Africa are now able to buy diesel at less than 100 Kenyan Shillings per litre for the first time in two years. This will help curb inflation which, having reached 20% three years ago, is now approaching 6%. The Pakistani market also rose in November, up by 1.4%. The fall in oil prices will reduce Pakistan's current account deficit, the funding of which had come under pressure recently following the delay in the privatisation pipeline. In addition, the government is likely to be able to reduce energy subsidies more easily in this environment, a key demand of the IMF. Bangladesh fell this month, down by 14%, despite its status as an energy importer. The market has enjoyed a strong run in 2014, up by 40% year to date, and short-term profit taking weighed on equities during November. Subsequent to the month end, the market has resumed its positive trajectory. Company performance In November, the BlackRock Frontiers Investment Trust's NAV fell by 4.2%, outperforming the benchmark by 0.4%. (All calculations on a US dollar basis with net income reinvested.) Despite the weakness of the overall index, the Company benefitted from positions which enjoyed a strong month. This included Bangladeshi biscuit producer, Olympic Industries, which rose by 11%. The company has a superior distribution model, benefitting from its greater scale and cheaper financing, relative to peers. Hub Power in Pakistan was also a strong performer, rising by 9%. Investors expected the company to benefit indirectly from the fall in oil price which should slow further build up of circular debt within the energy sector in Pakistan. Relative performance was boosted by underweight positions, particularly in Nigeria. 95% of Nigeria's exports are oil related which has led to significant deterioration in the balance of payments position in recent months. We remain of the view that it is not possible to control both the price and quantity of money and so expect that either the exchange rate will weaken significantly or domestic interest rates will be increased substantially. We retained some oil exposure in Iraq and Turkmenistan where we believe that companies continue to be priced attractively despite the fall in oil price and this detracted from performance during November. Portfolio Activity We initiated a position in IT services company, EPAM. Shares in the company, which has the majority of its operations based in Belarus and Ukraine, have suffered from the increased perception of risk across the former Soviet Union states. Despite this, the company is growing quickly, is benefitting from the weakness in the ruble and is trading at a significant discount to Indian peers. Outlook While we did not expect the oil price to fall as sharply as it has, we are strongly of the view that the appropriate portfolio, in any asset class, with oil at $110 per barrel is not the right portfolio for a world with oil at $65 per barrel. We note that during the last year the percentage of the portfolio in either direct oil exposure or listed in oil exporting countries has been reduced by over 25%. At the same time there has been a corresponding increase in exposure to countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and Vietnam which benefit substantially from lower oil prices. That said, the Company continues to hold positions in companies based in energy exporting countries which do have strong underlying fundamentals that we believe are significantly under-priced. With correlations between Frontier Markets and Emerging/Developed Markets remaining at low levels, we believe that Frontier Markets offer substantial diversification benefits for international investors. Despite recent headwinds, we believe Frontier Markets represent a compelling opportunity for long-term investors. In addition, the combination of the countries with the fastest growing GDP, the best demographic profiles, the lowest government debt and a substantial commodity endowment where it is possible to invest in companies on some of the lowest valuations in the world provides an unrivalled investment opportunity. 11 December 2014 ENDS Latest information is available by typing www.blackrock.co.uk/brfi on the internet, "BLRKINDEX" on Reuters, "BLRK" on Bloomberg or "8800" on Topic 3 (ICV terminal). Neither the contents of the Manager's website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on BlackRock's website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.
UK 100

Latest directors dealings