Interim Results

Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon PLC 30 August 2002 BAILLIE GIFFORD SHIN NIPPON PLC Results for the six months to 31 July 2002 Net Asset Value per share rose by 3.8% compared to an increase of 6.4% in its comparative index in sterling terms (a weighted index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange Second Section, TOPIX Small and JASDAQ OTC). Over the period the discount narrowed to 13.0% giving a return to shareholders of 10.9% whilst the main TOPIX index rose only 0.4% and most global markets saw substantial falls. • The Japanese economy is showing signs of recovery and smaller companies are performing well. The Japanese economy has been recovering from the slowdown experienced in 2001. Smaller companies continue to perform better operationally than larger ones being able to take advantage of domestic growth opportunities whist at the same time continuing to cut costs. • Portfolio Structure: The structure of the portfolio has remained stable over the past six months with the largest overweight position being in the service sector where there continues to be genuine growth opportunities. The portfolio is also overweight in the non-bank financial and specialty retailer sectors and underweight in smokestack manufacturing. The outlook for smaller Japanese companies remains positive. Valuations in Japan are now more in line with international markets than they have been since the mid 1980s. Smaller companies sell on significant discounts to their larger peers and possess the ability to grow sales, profits and cash flows throughout the economic cycle. The Managers are optimistic about achieving good returns from this area of the Japanese stockmarket. Reflecting this outlook, net gearing at the end of July stood at 19.1%. 29th August 2002 Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon PLC (Shin Nippon) aims to achieve capital growth principally through investment in small Japanese companies which are believed to have above average prospects for capital growth. The Company has total assets of £50 million. An ISA and Share Plan are available. Shin Nippon is managed by Baillie Gifford & Co., the leading independent Edinburgh based fund management group with over £20 billion under management and advice. - ends - For further information please contact: Mark Urquhart, Manager Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon PLC 0131 222 4000 Mike Lord, Director Broadgate Marketing 0171 726 6111 Baillie Gifford & Co. is regulated by IMRO. BAILLIE GIFFORD SHIN NIPPON PLC Interim Report The six months since January 2002 have seen a rise of 3.8% in Shin Nippon's Net Asset Value which compares to a 6.4% increase in sterling terms in the weighted index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange Second Section, TOPIX Small and JASDAQ OTC. Over the same period the broad TOPIX Index rose 0.4% in sterling terms. With the discount on the shares narrowing over the six months from 18.6% to 13.0%, the share price return to shareholders was 10.9%. Japan has performed better than other global markets over these six months. Some of the explanation for Japan's resilience may lie in the lack of new accounting concerns which have blighted other markets: with a small number of mergers and acquisitions having occurred in Japan, there are far fewer financial skeletons in the cupboard and there are fewer worries over option dilution on Japanese earnings with very few companies having any significant exposure. Small companies have performed better than large ones. Many of them are immune to the vagaries of the global economy and can benefit from domestic growth opportunities whilst continuing to cut costs yielding robust profit growth in the fiscal year to March 2002. The Japanese economy has been recovering from the significant slowdown experienced in 2001. Manufacturing companies reacted to the fall in demand by cutting capacity significantly with a fall in excess of 4% in 2001. Whilst the data has shown that Japan has passed a cyclical bottom, the pace of the recovery is difficult to discern with much depending on whether the US avoids a double dip recession. The service sector continues to show positive growth and accounts for the largest sectoral weighting in Shin Nippon with many companies enjoying secular growth independent of overall economic activity. Real consumption is roughly flat when price deflation is factored in and there have been several pieces of data suggesting that deflationary pressures are easing which could have a significant effect on nominal profits. The biggest area of disappointment over the last six months has been the continued lack of reform under Prime Minister Koizumi with a delay to the removal of deposit insurance and a watering down of proposals to privatise the Post Office. There have, however, been several ad-hoc announcements which are encouraging such as severing the link between taxes and spending in areas such as roads and the announcement that the Housing Loan Corporation will be abolished removing an anachronistic presence from the housing market. Companies, on the other hand, continue to restructure their own operations and there remains a significant opportunity for self-generated earnings growth through cost cutting. The structure of the portfolio has remained fairly stable over the course of the last six months with the largest overweight position in the service sector where we continue to find genuine growth stocks and other overweights in non-bank financials and speciality retailers. We remain underweight in the smokestack manufacturing sector where many Japanese companies are facing intense Asian competition and in the food sector where deflation is still intense. That said, we have been increasing the cyclicality of the portfolio with selected additions such as Hokuetsu Paper where we believe there is a significant industry improvement and Kurita Water - a water purification company - which should benefit from the move to tighter environmental regulations. In terms of the stockmarket, valuations in Japan are now more in line with international markets than they have been since the mid 1980s especially when one takes into account potential options dilution in other markets. Small companies in Japan continue to sell on significant discounts to their larger peers. Many such companies possess the valuable ability to grow their sales, profits and cash flows throughout the economic cycle and we are optimistic about continued good returns from this area of the Japanese stockmarket. Reflecting this outlook, net gearing at the end of July stood at 19.1%. The following is an interim statement for the six months ended 31 July 2002 which has been neither reviewed nor audited by the auditors. This statement is being printed and will be sent to all shareholders on 12 September 2002. Copies will be available for inspection at the Registered Office of the Company or may be obtained on request from the Managers and Secretaries after that date. BAILLIE GIFFORD SHIN NIPPON PLC STATEMENT OF TOTAL RETURN (unaudited and incorporating the revenue account*) for the six months ended for the six months ended for the year ended 31 July 2002 31 July 2001 31 January 2002 Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Realised (losses)/ gains on investments - (1,862) (1,862) - 872 872 - (378) (378) Unrealised gains/(losses) on investments - 3,466 3,466 - (470) (470) - (10,755) (10,755) Currency gains/(losses) - 2 2 - (4) (4) - 391 391 (note 1) Income 244 - 244 319 - 319 451 - 451 Investment management fee (208) - (208) (263) - (263) (473) - (473) Other administrative (63) - (63) (90) - (90) (168) - (168) expenses Net return before finance costs and taxation (27) 1,606 1,579 (34) 398 364 (190) (10,742) (10,932) Finance costs of (107) - (107) (107) - (107) (214) - (214) borrowings Return on ordinary activities before (134) 1,606 1,472 (141) 398 257 (404) (10,742) (11,146) taxation Tax on ordinary (36) - (36) (32) - (32) (51) - (51) activities Return on ordinary activities after taxation (170) 1,606 1,436 (173) 398 225 (455) (10,742) (11,197) Transfer (from)/to reserves (170) 1,606 1,436 (173) 398 225 (455) (10,742) (11,197) Return per ordinary share (0.55p) 5.20p 4.65p (0.55p) 1.27p 0.72p (1.46p) (34.37p) (35.83p) (note 3) * The revenue column of this statement is the profit and loss account of the Company. All revenue and capital items in the above statement derive from continuing operations. BAILLIE GIFFORD SHIN NIPPON PLC SUMMARISED BALANCE SHEET at 31 July 2002 (unaudited) 31 July 2002 31 July 2001 31 January 2002 £'000 £'000 £'000 NET ASSETS Listed Japanese equities 34,504 42,282 32,693 Unlisted equities - traded on the OTC/ Nasdaq 12,262 11,101 9,819 Japan markets Unlisted equities - Directors' valuation 694 1,451 1,085 Total fixed asset investments 47,460 54,834 43,597 Net liquid assets 2,842 5,795 4,629 Total assets (before deduction of bank loans) 50,302 60,629 48,226 Bank loans (note 4) (10,690) (10,675) (10,050) 39,612 49,954 38,176 CAPITAL AND RESERVES Called-up share capital 3,090 3,125 3,090 Capital reserves 40,185 50,040 38,579 Revenue reserve (3,663) (3,211) (3,493) EQUITY SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS 39,612 49,954 38,176 NET ASSET VALUE PER ORDINARY SHARE (note 5) 128.2p 159.9p 123.5p Ordinary shares in issue (note 6) 30,900,492 31,250,492 30,900,492 BAILLIE GIFFORD SHIN NIPPON PLC SUMMARISED CASH FLOW STATEMENT (unaudited) Six months Six months to Year to to 31 July 2002 31 July 2001 31 January 2002 £'000 £'000 £'000 NET CASH OUTFLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES (52) (80) (226) NET CASH OUTFLOW FROM SERVICING OF FINANCE (126) (133) (224) TOTAL TAX PAID (34) (29) (51) FINANCIAL INVESTMENT Acquisitions of investments (10,693) (14,621) (29,046) Disposals of investments 9,098 8,769 22,379 Realised currency gains/(losses) 98 (512) (742) NET CASH OUTFLOW FROM FINANCIAL INVESTMENT (1,497) (6,364) (7,409) NET CASH OUTFLOW BEFORE FINANCING (1,709) (6,606) (7,910) FINANCING Net inflow from bank loans 544 - - Shares purchased for cancellation - (597) (953) NET CASH INFLOW/(OUTFLOW) FROM FINANCING 544 (597) (953) DECREASE IN CASH (1,165) (7,203) (8,863) RECONCILIATION OF NET CASH FLOW TO MOVEMENT IN NET DEBT Decrease in cash in the period (1,165) (7,203) (8,863) Net inflow from bank loans (544) - - Exchange movement on bank loans (96) 508 1,133 MOVEMENT IN NET DEBT IN THE PERIOD (1,805) (6,695) (7,730) NET (DEBT)/FUNDS AT START OF PERIOD (5,753) 1,977 1,977 NET DEBT AT END OF PERIOD (7,558) (4,718) (5,753) BAILLIE GIFFORD SHIN NIPPON PLC TWENTY LARGEST EQUITY HOLDINGS at 31 July 2002 Business Market value % of total Name £'000 assets Kose Cosmetics 1,643 3.2 USS Company Second-hand cars 1,543 3.1 * Cawachi Drugstore chain 1,455 2.9 Nissin Consumer loans and business finance 1,437 2.9 Yamada Denki Consumer electronics retailer 1,397 2.8 * Kappa Create Revolving sushi restaurants 1,354 2.7 * Goodwill Group Nursing care and temporary workers 1,317 2.6 * Fuji Seal Packaging and shrink-wrap materials 1,279 2.5 Aeon Credit Service Credit card company 1,270 2.5 Bandai Makers of toys, cartoons and character goods 1,173 2.3 Hokuto Mushroom cultivator 1,103 2.2 Eneserve Corporation Alternative power generation 1,084 2.2 Koei Games software 1,078 2.1 * LeoPalace21 Condominium developer and renter 1,035 2.0 Takuma Waste incinerator manufacturer 983 2.0 Daiei OMC Credit card company 909 1.8 * Nissin Healthcare Food Food catering for hospitals 889 1.8 Sumisho Lease Specialist leasing operator 884 1.8 C Two Network Supermarket chain 884 1.7 Taiyo Ink Manufacturing Maker of specialist inks 864 1.7 23,581 46.8 * Denotes unlisted holding traded on the OTC/Nasdaq Japan markets. BAILLIE GIFFORD SHIN NIPPON PLC NOTES 31 July 2002 31 July 2001 31 January 2002 £'000 £'000 £'000 1. Currency gains/(losses) Realised exchange differences 64 (512) (742) Movement in unrealised exchange differences (62) 508 1,133 2 (4) 391 2. No interim dividend will be declared. 3. Return per ordinary share Revenue return (170) (173) (455) Capital return 1,606 398 (10,742) Return per ordinary share is based on the above totals of revenue and capital and on 30,900,492 (31 July 2001 - 31,395,154; 31 January 2002 - 31,253,095) ordinary shares, being the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the period. 4. Bank loans of £10.7 million (Y2.0 billion) have been drawn down under yen loan facilities which are repayable between August 2004 and July 2007 (31 July 2001 - £10.7 million (Y1.9 billion); 31 January 2002 - £10.1 million (Y1.9 billion)). 5. There was no dilution to net asset value per share at any date. The 2,517,896 outstanding warrants at 31 July 2002 are exercisable at 200p in any of the remaining years 2003 to 2005. No warrants were exercised during the period. 6. The Company's authority to buy back its own ordinary shares was renewed at the AGM in May 2002 in respect of 4,631,983 ordinary shares (equivalent to 14.99% of its share capital at that date). No ordinary shares have been bought back since the year end and, therefore, at 31 July 2002 the Company's authority to buy back its own shares remained unchanged at 4,631,983 ordinary shares. 7. The financial information for the year ended 31 January 2002 has been extracted from the full accounts, which have been filed with the Registrar of Companies and which contain an unqualified Auditors' Report. 8. The accounting policies applied in calculating the interim figures are consistent with those used in the Annual Financial Statements. The Interim Report was approved by the Board on 29 August 2002. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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