Preliminary Announcement of Results

NEWS RELEASE To: City Editors For immediate release 23 June 2010 Finsbury Worldwide Pharmaceutical Trust PLC today announces preliminary results for the year ended 31 March 2010. Financial Highlights Year ended Year ended % 31 March 2010 31 March 2009 change Shareholders' funds £346.2m £263.0m 31.6 Net asset value per share (basic) 780.8p 635.9p 22.8 Net asset value per share (diluted) (diluted for warrants/subscription shares) 752.7p 600.5p 25.3 Share price 701.5p 550.5p 27.4 Discount of share price to diluted (6.8%) (8.3%) N/A net asset value Discount of share price to basic net (10.2%) (13.4%) N/A asset value Benchmark Index* 10,094.2 8,101.0 24.6 Total expense ratio (excl. 1.0% 1.2% N/A performance fees) *Datastream World Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Index (total return, sterling adjusted) - ENDS - The following are attached: - Chairman's Statement - Review of Investments - Income Statement - Reconciliation of Movements in Shareholders' Funds - Balance Sheet - Cash Flow Statement - Notes to the Financial Statements For further information please contact: Alastair Smith Frostrow Capital LLP 020 3 008 4911 Jo Stonier Quill Communications 020 7758 2230 Martin Smith Chairman (care of the 020 3 008 4913 Company Secretary) Chairman's Statement Review of the Year and Performance I am pleased to report that during the year ended 31 March 2010 the Company's diluted net asset value per share rose by 25.3% compared to a rise of 24.6% in the Company's benchmark index during the same period. The Company benefitted from solid investment performance across its holdings, ranging from large pharmaceutical companies such as Novartis, Johnson & Johnson and Shire to emerging Hong Kong based pharmaceutical company Sinopharm and US biotechnology company Dendreon. The Company's performance in sterling terms was achieved despite the appreciation of sterling against the U.S. dollar during this period and uncertainty surrounding President Obama's U.S. healthcare reform proposals. During the year, the Company's share price rose by 27.4%, and the discount of the share price to diluted net asset value per share narrowed to close at 6.8% compared to 8.3% a year ago. This discount level at the year end was slightly wider than the 6% target, however I would like to remind shareholders that it remains possible for the share price to trade outside the discount target from time to time, the discount reflecting the balance of supply and demand for the Company's shares on any one day. Further information on the Company's investments can be found in the Review of Investments. Capital In implementing its policy of actively managing the discount by buying back shares at prices representing a discount greater than 6% to the diluted net asset value per share, if there is demand in the market for it to do so, a total of 8,508,938 shares was repurchased by the Company during the year at a cost of £48.5m (including expenses). The Company's share buy-back authority was renewed at a General Meeting held on 2 March 2010 when authority was granted to repurchase 6,716,138 shares; a total of 2,105,102 shares have so far been repurchased for treasury under this authority. I would like to remind shareholders that the Board has resolved that any shares held in treasury will be cancelled on the date of the Annual General Meeting each year and consequently all shares held in treasury on 15 July 2010 will be cancelled. Shareholder approval to renew the authority to repurchase the Company's shares will be sought at the Annual General Meeting. The final exercise date for the Company's warrants was 31 July 2009 and all of the remaining warrants in issue on that date were converted into shares. As a result, 10,745,610 new shares were issued by the Company on 5 August 2009, raising £49.9m of additional funds for the Company. On 4 September 2009, the Company undertook a bonus issue of subscription shares on the basis of one subscription share for every five ordinary shares held at that date. The subscription shares have quarterly subscription dates and so far a total of 1,019,447 new shares have been issued, raising £6.3m of additional funds for the Company, as a result of holders of subscription shares exercising their subscriptions rights. Revenue and Dividends The revenue return for the year was £4.2 million (2009: £2.4 million) and the Board, in order to maintain investment trust status, has declared an interim dividend of 8.5p per share, compared to last year's interim dividend of 5.0p per share, an increase of 70%. Based on the share price of 657.25p as at 21 June 2010 that represents a yield of 1.3%. The interim dividend will be payable on 26 July 2010 to ordinary shareholders on the register of members on 25 June 2010. The associated ex-dividend date will be 23 June 2010. Gearing The Company's borrowing requirements are met through a loan facility, which is repayable on demand, provided by the custodian Goldman Sachs & Co New York. At the time of writing a total of £24.1m of this facility has been drawn down. Alternative Investment Fund Manager (`AIFM') Directive There is currently draft legislation under consideration in Europe, the AIFM Directive, designed to regulate `alternative investment funds' including investment trusts. Our trade association, the Association of Investment Companies continues to work towards ensuring that the AIFM Directive is drafted to accommodate the UK investment company structure. Your Board will continue to keep shareholders informed of major developments concerning the Directive as they arise. Outlook 2009 saw a remarkable recovery in the fortunes of global markets due, in part, to radical and unprecedented stimulus packages from central governments; however, there still remains a degree of uncertainty concerning the rate of global economic recovery. The removal of the uncertainty surrounding healthcare reform in the U.S. should continue to benefit the sector and this, together with a combination of low valuations and strong earnings growth potential, continued merger and acquisition activity and a number of anticipated high profile product approvals are all positive indicators for the future. Your Board believes that the Company is well positioned to take advantage of these factors and so remains optimistic for the Company's future performance. The Board would like to thank shareholders for their continued support. I would also like to thank our Investment Manager and our Manager for their hard work during the year. Proposed Change to Investment Policy Under the Listing Rules the Company is required to seek the approval of shareholders for any material change to its investment policy and any related party transaction and so I set out below information about some proposed changes. An ordinary resolution to approve these changes will be proposed at the Company's Annual General Meeting to be held at 12 noon on Thursday, 15 July 2010 at the Barber-Surgeons Hall, Monkwell Square, Wood Street, London EC2Y 5BL. The Company's investment policy is to invest worldwide in pharmaceutical, biotechnology and related companies in the healthcare sector with the objective of achieving a high level of capital growth. Our Investment Manager believes that it would be beneficial to shareholders to broaden the definition of the healthcare sector as referred to within the investment policy, to include companies in the healthcare equipment and healthcare technology sectors and also to include companies that provide healthcare and related services. None of these three areas of the healthcare sector will represent more than 15% of the portfolio at the date of acquisition and any investment made will be subject to the Company's existing investment limitations and guidelines. As a consequence of this development, the Board is proposing a change from the Company's existing benchmark index which is the Datastream World Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Index (measured in sterling terms on a total return basis), to the MSCI World Healthcare Index (measured in sterling terms on a total return basis). Your Board believes that this index will more accurately reflect the makeup of the Company's portfolio. Your Board strongly supports the investment philosophy and approach of our Investment Manager, OrbiMed Capital LLC, and is of the view that these changes will be of benefit to shareholders. Proposed Change of Name In addition, and as a direct consequence of the proposals discussed above, a special resolution will be proposed at the Annual General Meeting to change the Company's name from Finsbury Worldwide Pharmaceutical Trust PLC to Worldwide Healthcare Trust PLC, which your Board believes more accurately describes the Company today and going forward. Martin Smith Chairman 23 June 2010 Review of Investments We present with pleasure our 15th annual Review of Investments for Finsbury Worldwide Pharmaceutical Trust PLC. Performance Review The year ended 31 March 2010 was a challenging one. With broader markets recovering after the worst financial market collapse in a generation, historic healthcare reform being passed in the U.S. and currency markets displaying continued volatility, the year certainly provided its share of headwinds. But the Company's returns proved they were surmountable. The Company's diluted net asset value per share increased by 25.3% during the year. This result compares to a return of 24.6% from our benchmark, the Datastream World Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Index (measured in sterling terms on a total return basis). Since inception in 1995, the cumulative increase of the Company's undiluted net asset value per share now measures 708% compared to a cumulative increase of 354% in the benchmark index. While not as volatile as the Company's previous financial year, there were still major currency movements in 2010. Notably, the U.S. dollar weakened against the sterling by 5.8% in the year. As a significant majority of the portfolio holdings are denominated in U.S. dollars (70% as of 31 March 2010) this had a negative drag on the Company's reported returns this year. Thus far in 2010 the dollar has appreciated significantly against sterling, providing a support for returns to date in the new financial year. Diverse Contribution to Performance Successful performance came in a variety of subsectors and geographies in 2010. First and foremost, the top contributor to performance this year was the Swiss drug giant, Novartis. A considerable amount of positive pipeline and earnings news flowed throughout the year. We also believe the truly diversified healthcare platform that Novartis is building (pharmaceuticals, generics, vaccines, and consumer) is finally being rewarded by investors. The addition of ophthalmology leader, Alcon, to the Novartis group adds another diverse element to the business. The number two contributor in 2010 came as a result of a Chinese initial-public-offering ("IPO") involving a leading pharmaceutical distributor, Sinopharm. Since the IPO in September of 2009, the stock has more than doubled. Sinopharm's business model of aggressive acquisitions in this space has been well rewarded. We expect future growth rates to remain very attractive. Another top contributor during the year was Dendreon, the maker of a novel therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of prostate cancer, Provenge. This U.S.-based company announced stellar data in April 2009 that convinced us that Provenge will be a "blockbuster product". The stock remains a core holding in the portfolio and it has, in our view, a good chance of being acquired by a large drug company. Our fourth biggest contributor in 2010 was a UK company, Shire Pharmaceuticals. This underappreciated growth story together with solid business fundamentals finally received some recognition this past year, in terms of share price appreciation. Finally, rounding out the top five contributors to performance was the U.S.-based global healthcare leader, Johnson & Johnson. Like Novartis, the share price increase was in part due to the diverse nature of the company, with exposure to pharmaceuticals, devices, diagnostics, and consumer markets. However, Johnson & Johnson is also the first of the major pharmas to emerge from its "patent cliff", which for them was in 2009 and 2010 compared to the industry low point in 2012. With few remaining patent concerns coupled with a strong earnings recovery, J&J boasts possibly the best new product flow of any major pharmaceutical company and yet still possesses a pipeline with several potential blockbusters in late stage development. The only significant area of weak performance in the portfolio came from major biotechnology companies. While we continue to believe that current valuations are at historical lows, a number of company-specific events have led this group of companies to underperform other segments of healthcare. For example, Genzyme, a flagship biotechnology company, has been beset by manufacturing challenges that have prevented the company from producing several key products in sufficient quantities. We continue to believe that the depressed valuations of these companies will eventually be recognised either by financial investors or strategic acquirers. Healthcare Reform Passes - Finally Since Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States in January 2009, a major focus for investors has been the potential legislative changes to the U.S. healthcare system. It has taken just over one year for the speculation to become law: March 2010 bore witness to an historic event in the United States as a major healthcare reform bill was passed by both the House and Senate and signed into law by President Obama. We believe this to be a net positive for the healthcare sector and in particular the pharmaceutical industry. While there may be some near term earnings pressure on the margin for some pharmaceutical companies, in the long term the addition of 30 million new entrants into the healthcare insurance and drug coverage markets will benefit the industry. Importantly, this bill contains no provisions that will impose price controls or introduce the federal government as a major buyer of drugs, a scenario that was considered by many as the worst case scenario. In fact, the term "reform" as applied to this legislation is somewhat misleading. Rather, this new law essentially expands the current Medicaid and Medicare programmes, simply allowing more individuals to qualify. While pharmaceutical companies had to help pay for this expansion through increased drug rebates to both programmes, it is expected to cost the industry only $8 billion per year over 10 years (or $80 billion of the nearly $1 trillion total price tag). Note that the U.S. pharmaceutical market reached over $300 billion in 2009. Thus, we believe that over time, the additional lives under coverage and the commensurate increase in drug consumption will more than offset any rebate pressure. Mergers and Acquisitions to Continue This year saw additional mergers and acquisitions, some of which certainly aided in our performance. Most notable was the announced take-over-bid for OSI Pharmaceuticals of New York by the Japanese global pharmaceutical player, Astellas. OSI Pharmacuticals is a leader in oncology, a therapeutic class that is deemed as a "must have" for pharmaceutical companies. The bid was for nearly $3 billion, representing a 41% premium to the company valuation prior to the acquisition offer. Headwinds facing the major pharmaceutical companies are reaching their zenith, with patent expirations and poor product pipelines taking their toll. As a result we expect further acquisitions of biotechnology companies by pharmaceutical companies. We also expect a pause in major pharmaceutical company mergers following the completion this year of two such transactions, namely Pfizer/ Wyeth and Merck/Schering-Plough. We anticipate that diversification plays will continue, however, such as the Novartis takeover of Alcon. We suspect generic drug manufactures could come into focus as acquisition targets for major pharmaceutical companies. Our Strategy for 2010 and Beyond Looking ahead, we are optimistic about the prospects for performance in the coming fiscal year. Low valuations across sub-sectors and the strong earnings growth potential of our holdings has historically been a rewarding combination. We will continue to be selective with regard to the pharmaceutical sector due to sector related challenges, and to focus on companies with new products, earnings growth, diversification of revenues and attractive valuations. Healthy dividend yields and acquisition potential are also potential aspects for our investment theses in this area. One area in which we have increased our exposure is generic drug manufacturers. We think this sector is on a secular global growth trajectory and we have thus made substantial strategic investments in generic pharma companies in the U.S. and Asia. We believe the Japanese generic drug market is in the nascent stages and represents a compelling long term growth investment opportunity. With regard to biotechnology, we remain optimistic for the major capitalisation companies. Following a difficult year, valuations are near generational lows, despite excellent growth potential and very limited patent exposure (unlike some of their pharmaceutical company peers). For specialty companies, we continue to favour those with novel product opportunities for major unmet medical needs with near term regulatory and commercial objectives. We are focused in areas such as oncology, rheumatology, antivirals, and neuroscience. These companies also are high probability targets for acquisitions. Our geographic exposure continues to place significant emphasis on our holdings in North America, with 70% of the portfolio in that region. The balance of our exposure resides in Europe (19%), Asia (8%) and Israel (3%). Finally, we believe that the proposed change to the Company's investment policy, as described in the Chairman's Statement, will be of benefit to shareholders and plays to OrbiMed's strengths as we have significant expertise in these areas of the healthcare sector. Samuel D Isaly OrbiMed Capital LLC Investment Manager 23 June 2010 Income Statement for the year ended 31 March 2010 Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total 2010 2010 2010 2009 2009 2009 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Gains on investments held at fair value through profit or loss - 76,180 76,180 - 76,505 76,505 Exchange gains/(losses) on - 3,946 3,946 - (12,042) (12,042) currency balances Income from investments held at fair value through profit or loss (note 2) 5,825 - 5,825 4,018 - 4,018 Investment management, management and performance fees (note 3) (133) (5,025) (5,158) (116) (2,436) (2,552) Other expenses (506) - (506) (588) - (588) Net return before finance charges and taxation 5,186 75,101 80,287 3,314 62,027 65,341 Finance costs (11) (212) (223) (29) (543) (572) Net return before taxation 5,175 74,889 80,064 3,285 61,484 64,769 Taxation on net return on (965) 303 (662) (866) 360 (506) ordinary activities Net return after taxation 4,210 75,192 79,402 2,419 61,844 64,263 Return per share - basic (note 9.5p 170.5p 180.0p 5.5p 141.4p 146.9p 4) Return per share - diluted 9.5p 170.5p 180.0p 5.4p 138.2p 143.6p (note 4) The "Total" column of this statement is the Income Statement of the Company. The "Revenue" and "Capital" columns are supplementary to this and are prepared under guidance by the Association of Investment Companies. All revenue and capital items in the above statement derive from continuing operations. The Company has no recognised gains and losses other than those disclosed in the Income Statement and Reconciliation of Movements in Shareholders' Funds. Accordingly, no separate Statement of Total Recognised Gains and Losses has been presented. No operations were acquired or discontinued in the year. Reconciliation of Movements in Shareholders' Funds For the year ended 31 March 2010 Ordinary Subscription Share Capital share share premium Warrant Capital redemption Revenue capital capital account reserve reserve reserve reserve Total £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 At 31 March 2009 11,105 - 117,706 7,417 118,709 3,678 4,402 263,017 Net return on ordinary activities after taxation - - - - 75,192 - 4,210 79,402 Dividend paid in respect of year ended 31 March 2009 - - - - - - (1,982) (1,982) Proceeds from warrant exercise 2,686 - 47,174 - - - - 49,860 Transfer from warrant reserve following exercise of warrants Subscription shares - - 7,417 (7,417) - - - - issued less issue costs Subscription shares - 97 - - (295) - - (198) exercised for ordinary shares 184 (7) 4,351 - 7 - - 4,535 Shares purchased including expenses (1,331) - - - (48,453) 1,331 - (48,453) At 31 March 2010 12,644 90 176,648 - 145,160 5,009 6,630 346,181 For the year ended 31 March 2009 Ordinary Subscription Share Capital share Share premium Warrant Capital redemption Revenue capital Capital account reserve reserve reserve reserve Total £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 At 31 March 2008 11,772 - 117,639 7,426 81,611 3,008 3,327 224,783 Net return on ordinary - - - - 61,844 - 2,419 64,263 activities after taxation Dividend paid in respect of year ended 31 March - - - - - - (1,344) (1,344) 2008 Proceeds from warrant exercise 3 - 58 - - - - 61 Transfer from warrant reserve following exercise - - 9 (9) - - - - of warrants Shares purchased including expenses (670) - - - (24,746) 670 - (24,746) At 31 March 2009 11,105 - 117,706 7,417 118,709 3,678 4,402 263,017 Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2010 2010 2009 £'000 £'000 Fixed Assets Investments held at fair value through profit or 383,599 294,928 loss Derivative- OTC swaps - 10,321 383,599 305,249 Current assets Debtors 1,757 1,307 Derivative - financial instruments 628 - Cash at bank - 9,979 2,385 11,286 Current liabilities Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (39,803) (52,564) Derivative - financial instruments - (954) (39,803) (53,518) Net current liabilities (37,418) (42,232) Total net assets 346,181 263,017 Capital and reserves Ordinary share capital 12,644 11,105 Subscription share capital 90 - Share premium account 176,648 117,706 Warrant reserve - 7,417 Capital reserve 145,160 118,709 Capital redemption reserve 5,009 3,678 Revenue reserve 6,630 4,402 Total shareholders' funds 346,181 263,017 Net asset value per share - basic (note 6) 780.8p 635.9p Net asset value per share - diluted (note 6) 752.7p 600.5p Cash Flow Statement for the year ended 31 March 2010 2010 2009 £'000 £'000 Net cash inflow/(outflow) from operating 2,108 (61) activities Servicing of finance Interest paid (223) (582) Taxation Taxation recovered 93 91 Financial investments Purchases of investments and derivatives (265,795) (251,520) Sales of investments and derivatives 250,859 257,286 Net cash (outflow)/inflow from financial (14,936) 5,766 investment Equity dividends paid (1,982) (1,344) Net cash (outflow)/inflow before financing (14,940) 3,870 Financing Issue of ordinary shares - 61 Proceeds from exercise of warrants 49,860 - Subscription share issue costs (198) - Purchase of own shares (49,061) (25,068) Subscription shares exercised for ordinary 4,535 - shares Repayment of short term loans - (14,813) Net cash inflow/(outflow) from financing 5,136 (39,820) Decrease in cash for the year (9,804) (35,950) Notes to the Financial Statements: 1 Accounting Policies The principal accounting policies, all of which have been applied consistently throughout the year in the preparation of these preliminary results, are on the same basis as the statutory accounts of the Company, and are set out below: (a) Basis of Preparation The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United Kingdom generally accepted accounting standards (UK GAAP) and with the Statement of Recommended Practice `Financial Statements of Investment Trust Companies' dated January 2009 (the `SORP'). The Company's financial statements are presented in sterling. All values are rounded to the nearest thousand pounds (£'000) except where otherwise indicated. (b) Investments held at fair value through profit or loss Listed investments have been designated by the Board as held at fair value through profit or loss and accordingly are valued at fair value, deemed to be bid market prices. Unquoted investments have also been designated by the Board as held at fair value through profit or loss, and are valued by the Directors using primary valuation techniques such as earnings multiples, option pricing models, discounted cash flow analysis and recent transactions. Changes in the fair value of investments held at fair value through profit or loss and gains and losses on disposal are recognised in the Income Statement as `gains or losses on investments held at fair value through profit or loss'. Also included within this caption are transaction costs in relation to the purchase or sale of investments, including the difference between the purchase price of an investment and its bid price at the date of purchase. All purchases and sales are accounted for on a trade date basis. The Company has classified its financial assets designated at fair value through profit or loss and the fair value of derivative financial instruments using fair value hierarchy that reflects the significance of the inputs used in making the fair value measurements. The hierarchy has the following levels: Level 1 - quoted prices (unadjusted in active markets for identical assets or liabilities: Level 2 - inputs other than quoted prices included with Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly (i.e. as prices) or indirectly (i.e. derived from prices); and Level 3 - inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on observable market data (unobservable inputs). (c) Investment Income Dividends receivable on equity shares are recognised on the ex-dividend date. Where no ex-dividend date is quoted, dividends are recognised when the Company's right to receive payment is established. Income from fixed interest securities is recognised on a time apportionment basis so as to reflect the effective interest rate. Deposit interest is accounted for on an accruals basis. (d) Expenses All expenses are accounted for on an accruals basis. Expenses are charged through the income account (revenue) except as follows: (i) expenses which are incidental to the acquisition or disposal of an investment are categorised as fixed assets at fair value through profit or loss and are charged to capital; and Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Accounting Policies (continued) (ii) expenses are charged to the capital column of the Income Statement where a connection with the maintenance or enhancement of the value of the investments can be demonstrated. In this respect the investment management and management fees, have been charged to the Income Statement in line with the Board's expected long-term split of returns, in the form of capital gains and income, from the Company's portfolio. As a result 5% of the investment management and management fees are charged to the revenue column of the Income Statement and 95% are charged to the capital column of the Income Statement. Any performance fee accrued or paid is charged in full to the capital column of the Income Statement. (e) Finance costs Finance costs are accounted for on an accruals basis. Finance costs are charged to the Income Statement in line with the Board's expected long-term split of returns, in the form of capital gains and income, from the Company's portfolio. As a result 5% of the finance costs are charged to revenue and 95% are charged to capital. Finance charges, if applicable, including interest payable and premiums on settlement or redemption, are accounted for on an accruals basis in the Income Statement using the effective interest rate method and are added to the carrying amount of the instrument to the extent that they are not settled in the period in which they arise. (f) Taxation The tax effect of different items of expenditure is allocated between capital and revenue using the marginal basis. Deferred taxation is provided for on all timing differences that have originated but not reversed by the Balance Sheet date other than those differences regarded as permanent. This is subject to deferred tax assets only being recognised if it is considered more likely than not that there will be suitable profits from which the reversal of timing differences can be deducted. Any liability to deferred tax is provided for at the average rate of tax expected to apply. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are not discounted to reflect the time value of money. (g) Foreign currency The results and financial position of the Company are expressed in sterling, which is the functional and presentational currency of the Company. Sterling is the functional currency because it is the currency of the primary economic environment in which the Company operates. Transactions recorded in overseas currencies during the year are translated into sterling at the appropriate daily exchange rates. Assets and liabilities denominated in overseas currencies at the Balance Sheet date are translated into sterling at the exchange rates ruling at the date. Any gains or losses on the translation of foreign currency balances, whether realised or unrealised, are taken to the capital or the revenue column of the Income Statement, depending on whether the gain or loss is of a capital or revenue nature. (h) Derivative Financial instruments The Company uses derivative financial instruments (namely put and call options). The merits and rationale behind such strategies are to enhance the capital return of the portfolio, facilitate management of the portfolio volatility and improve the risk-return profile of the Company relative to its benchmark. All derivative instruments are valued at fair value in the Balance Sheet in accordance with FRS 26: `Financial Instruments: Measurement.' Each investment in options is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are all deemed to be capital in nature. As such, all gains and losses on the above strategies have been debited or credited to the capital column of the Income Statement. Notes to the Financial Statements (continued): Accounting Policies (continued) All gains and losses on the over-the counter (OTC) equity swap during the swap term are accounted for as investment holding gains or losses on investments. Where there has been a re-positioning of the swap, gains and losses are accounted for on a realised basis. All such gains and losses have been debited and credited to the capital column of the Income Statement. i) Capital Reserves The following are transferred to this reserve: - gains and losses on the realisation of investments; - realised exchange differences of a capital nature; - expenses, together with the related taxation effect, in accordance with the above policies; - increases and decreases in the valuation of investments held at the year end; and - unrealised exchange differences of a capital nature. 2 Income from investments held at fair value through profit or loss 2010 2009 £'000 £'000 Income from investments UK listed dividends - 212 Overseas dividends 4,612 3,594 Money market dividend - 48 Fixed interest income 1,151 71 5,763 3,925 Other income Deposit interest 5 93 Interest received from VAT recovery 57 - Total income from investments held at fair value through profit or loss 5,825 4,018 Total income comprises Dividends 4,612 3,854 Interest 1,213 164 5,825 4,018 Notes to the Financial Statements (continued): 3 Investment management, management and performance fees Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total 2010 2010 2010 2009 2009 2009 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Investment management fee 96 1,828 1,924 83 1,584 1,667 Management fee 37 693 730 33 628 661 Refund of VAT previously paid on Management fees - (255) (255) - - - Performance fee accrual - 2,759 2,759 - 224 224 133 5,025 5,158 116 2,436 2,552 In accordance with the performance fee arrangements currently in place no performance fee was paid during the year ended 31 March 2010 (2009: nil). At the year end a performance fee of £2,759,000 was accrued, in addition, the performance fee of £224,000 accrued at 31 March 2009 crystallised and became payable post the year end. Of the £224,000 fee payable, £204,000 is payable to the Investment Manager and £20,000 is payable to the Manager. 4 Return per share 2010 2009 £'000 £'000 The return per share is based on the following figures: Revenue return 4,210 2,419 Capital return 75,192 61,844 Total return 79,402 64,263 Weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year - 44,122,846 43,756,755 basic Revenue return per share 9.5p 5.5p Capital return per share 170.5p 141.4p Total return per share - basic 180.0p 146.9p Weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year - 44,122,846 44,764,156 diluted Revenue return per share 9.5p* 5.4p Capital return per share 170.5p* 138.2p Total return per share - diluted 180.0p* 143.6p * dilution not applicable 5 Interim dividend Under UK GAAP, final dividends are not recognised until they are approved by shareholders and interim dividends are not recognised until they are paid. They are also debited directly from reserves. Amounts recognised as distributable to ordinary shareholders for the year ended 31 March 2010 were as follows: 2010 2009 £'000 £'000 Interim dividend in respect of the year ended 31 1,982 - March 2009 Interim dividend in respect of the year ended 31 - 1,344 March 2008 1,982 1,344 Notes the Financial Statements (continued): In respect of the year ended 31 March 2010, an interim dividend of 8.5p per share (2009: interim dividend of 5.0p per share) has been declared. The aggregate cost of this dividend based on the number of shares in issue at 21 June 2010 is estimated to be £3,653,000. In accordance with FRS 21 this dividend will be reflected in the interim accounts as at 30 September 2010. Total dividends payable in respect of the financial year, which is the basis on which the requirements of s842 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 are considered, are set out below: 2010 2009 £'000 £'000 Revenue available for distribution by way of dividend for the year 4,210 2,419 Dividends for the year ended 31 March (3,653) (1,982) 557 437 * based on 42,979,817 shares in issue as at 21 June 2010. 6 Net asset value per share 2010 2009 Net asset value per share - basic 780.8p 635.9p Net asset value pre share - diluted for subscription shares/warrants 752.7p 600.5p The net asset value per share is based on the assets attributable to equity shareholders of £346,181,000 (2009: £263,017,000) and on the number of shares in issue at the year end of 44,336,756 (excluding shares held in treasury) (2009: 41,361,431). As at 31 March 2010, there were 8,992,307 subscription shares in issue (2009: 10,745,610 warrants). The diluted net asset value per share assumes all outstanding subscription shares are exercised at 614p resulting in assets attributable to equity shareholders of £401,394,000 and on 53,329,063 shares (2009: assumed all outstanding warrants were exercised at 464p resulting in assets attributable to shareholders of £312,877,000 and on 52,107,041 shares). As at 31 March 2010, the Company held 6,239,416 shares in treasury (2009: 3,058,050). The treasury shares were not dilutive at 31 March 2010. 7 Financial Information This preliminary statement is not the Company's statutory accounts. The above results for 2010 have been agreed with the Auditors and are an abridged version of the Company's full draft accounts which have not yet been filed with the Registrar of Companies. The 2010 accounts received an audit report which was unqualified did not include a reference to any matter to which the auditors drew attention without qualifying the report, and did not contain statements under Section 498 of the Companies Act 2006. The statutory accounts for the year ended 31 March 2009 have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies and those for 31 March 2010 will be despatched to shareholders shortly. The 2009 accounts received an audit report which was unqualified did not include a reference to any matter to which the auditors drew attention without qualifying the report, and did not contain statements under Section 237 (2) and (3) of the Companies Act 1985. This preliminary announcement of the Company has been prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (UK GAAP) and using the same accounting policies as those in the last published annual accounts, being those to 31 March 2009. Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary 23 June 2010
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