Performance at Month End

Merrill Lynch World Mining Tst PLC 15 December 2004 MERRILL LYNCH WORLD MINING TRUST plc All information is at 30 November 2004 and unaudited. Performance at month end with net income reinvested One Three One Three Five month months year years years Net asset value (undiluted) 5.8% 15.3% 13.7% 119.7% 150.1% Net asset value (diluted) 4.9% 13.2% - - - Share price* 10.3% 16.8% 8.9% 147.8% 171.1% HSBC Global Mining Index 5.3% 11.4% 13.1% 60.8% 85.4% Sources: Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, HSBC Global Mining Index, Datastream *Performance includes the warrant reinvestment, assuming the bonus warrant entitlement per share was sold and reinvested on the first day of trading. At month end Net asset value Undiluted: 246.20p Includes net revenue of: 3.02p Fully diluted: 241.67p Share price: 219.25p Discount to diluted NAV: 9.3% Warrant price: 13.00p Net yield: 0.8% Total assets: £417.9m Gearing: 5.6% Ordinary shares in issue: 162,800,000 Warrants in issue: 32,559,564 Sector % Total Assets Country % Total Assets Analysis Analysis Diversified 47.4 Latin America 22.2 Base Metals 24.5 Global 19.8 Gold 12.8 Canada 15.9 Silver/Diamonds 6.2 Australasia 12.4 Platinum 5.5 South Africa 11.9 Industrial Minerals 4.5 China 5.8 Other 1.1 Europe 4.3 Net current liabilities (2.0) USA 3.6 Other Africa 2.9 India 1.9 Laos 1.0 Indonesia 0.3 Net current liabilities (2.0) 100.0 100.0 Ten Largest Equity Investments Company % of Total Assets Region of Risk CVRD 8.8 Latin America Rio Tinto 7.3 Global BHP Billiton 6.6 Global Minas Buenaventura 5.5 Latin America Falconbridge 5.0 Canada Impala Platinum 4.7 South Africa Aber Diamond 4.3 Canada WMC 4.1 Australia Xstrata 4.0 Global Alumina 3.9 Canada Total 54.2 Commenting on the markets, Graham Birch, representing the Investment Manager noted: Metals markets performed strongly during November. Metal prices rallied from their October lows, apparently driven by the end of hedge fund related selling in October and a return in demand from consumers. The MG Base Metal Index closed the month up by 6.3%. LME inventories continued their decline, with copper stocks having the largest fall (down 26%). Mining shares were buoyed by the higher commodity prices, such that the HSBC Global Mining Index closed up 5.3% (in sterling terms). Corporate activity dominated the mining sector this month. Harmony's hostile takeover bid for Gold Fields continued to develop with the company obtaining 11.8% of Gold Fields. With Norilsk's 20% holding in Gold Fields, Harmony is going ahead with an offer on the remainder of Gold Fields' stock. Harmony constitutes 1.8% and Gold Fields 3.2% of the Trust. The other key transaction is Xstrata's offer for WMC Resources. During the month Xstrata tabled their full offer which was again rejected by the Board of WMC Resources. With the shares of WMC trading well above the A$6.35 per share cash offer it appears the market does not expect the existing offer to be successful. WMC continues to update the market on the development options for its expansion at Olympic Dam. As part of this process the company announced a 29% increase in resources at this key asset. WMC (4.1% of Trust) rose by 6.8% during the month and Xstrata (4.0% of the Trust) rose by 12.5%. Of other interest to the Trust, Iluka Resources, an Australian mineral sands producer, released encouraging exploration drilling results in the South Australian Eucla Basin. As a result, the company's share price rose by 19.4% over the month. Iluka makes up 2.7% of the Trust. Declining inventories, limited supply-side growth and seasonally stronger demand have lead to considerable tightness in the market for most base metals. Despite the higher than normal volatility, metal prices remain at attractive levels and with deficits likely to continue into next year, mining equities still appear attractively priced. As a result, the Trust's gearing has been maintained and the Trust is structured to perform well in a buoyant environment, although December so far has been somewhat disappointing. Latest information is available by typing www.mlim.co.uk/its on the internet, 'MLIMINDEX' on Reuters, 'MLIM' on Bloomberg or '8800' on Topic 3 (ICV terminal). 15 December 2004 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange ISLSEFE
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