Interim Results

JP Morgan Flem Chinese Inv Tst PLC 03 June 2005 JPMORGAN FLEMING CHINESE INVESTMENT TRUST PLC STOCK EXCHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT UNAUDITED INTERIM RESULTS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31ST MARCH 2005 The Board today release the unaudited interim results of the Company for the six months to 31st March 2005. The following are comments from the Chairman: Performance I am pleased to report that the Company's total return to shareholders for the six months to 31st March 2005 was +12.4%. This return comprises the 10.4% rise in the Company's share price from 54.8p to 60.5p, and a net dividend of 1.00p per share that was paid to shareholders on 23rd December 2004. Over the same period, the Company's total return on net assets, which comprises the percentage change in net asset value with this net dividend reinvested, was +5.7%. This compares favourably with a total return for the Company's benchmark, the MSCI Golden Dragon Index (in sterling terms), of +2.9%. New Directors I am delighted to confirm the appointment of two new members of the Board, Mr Irving Koo and Madam Yujiang Zhao, both appointed on 1st February 2005. Mr Irving Koo is founder and managing director of Trion Pacific Limited, a Hong Kong-based consultancy specialising in marketing and communication solutions. He was formerly a director of Jardine Pacific Limited with specific responsibility for the group's trading and distribution activities, and more recently Group Marketing & Corporate Relations director of CLP Holdings. Madam Yujiang Zhao is currently a director and senior adviser of Mahon China, a foreign private equity management firm in China. Prior to this she was an economist at the PRC's State Commission for Restructuring the Economic Systems, helping to shape China's financial reform policies. Both Directors bring considerable knowledge of China and its surrounding economies to the Board. Shareholders will have an opportunity to meet them later in the year at the Annual General Meeting. Share Issues and Share Buybacks At the Annual General Meeting in December 2004, shareholders gave the Board the authority to issue up to an additional 6,608,700 new ordinary shares. At the time of writing, one million shares have been issued at an average premium to net asset value of 3.7%. In addition, the authority to repurchase up to 14.99% of the Company's issued share capital was renewed at the Annual General Meeting. As previously stated, repurchases will only be made in the market at prices below the prevailing net asset value per share. Since the end of the period, the Company's shares have in the main moved to trade at a small discount to their net asset value. At the time of writing, no shares have been repurchased under this authority, but the Board is prepared to repurchase shares for cancellation if the discount increases significantly and any repurchases would result in an increase to the net asset value per share. Outlook As highlighted in the Investment Manager's Report, the strength of the global economy will dominate market direction in the coming months. The focal points for the Greater China region will be the possibility of the Chinese central bank further raising interest rates and the impact of a possible slowdown of the U.S. economy. Your Board, however, remains positive about the longer-term outlook for the Chinese economy and the region's prospects in general. Nigel Melville 3rd June 2005 JPMorgan Fleming Chinese Investment Trust plc Unaudited figures for the six months ended 31st March 2005 Statement of Total Return (Unaudited) Six months to 31 March 2005 Six months to 31 March 2004 Year ended 30 September 2004 Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Realised gains on investments - 646 646 - 957 957 - 998 998 Unrealised gains/(losses) on - 1,253 1,253 - 3,674 3,674 - (503) (503) investments Transfer of warrant reserve on lapse - - - - - - - 4,556 4,556 of warrants Currency gains/(losses) on cash and short-term deposits held during the period - 10 10 - (138) (138) - (156) (156) Other capital charges - (24) (24) - (22) (22) - (37) (37) Income from investments 104 - 104 299 - 299 1,277 - 1,277 Other income 40 - 40 31 - 31 107 - 107 _______ ________ _______ _______ ________ _______ _______ ________ _______ Gross return 144 1,885 2,029 330 4,471 4,801 1,384 4,858 6,242 Management fee (200) - (200) (200) - (200) (395) - (395) Other administrative expenses (143) - (143) (181) - (181) (260) - (260) Performance fee - (175) (175) - (442) (442) - - - _______ ________ _______ _______ ________ _______ _______ ________ _______ (Loss)/return before taxation (199) 1,710 1,511 (51) 4,029 3,978 729 4,858 5,587 Taxation (7) - (7) 1 - 1 (65) - (65) _______ ________ _______ _______ ________ _______ _______ ________ _______ (Loss)/return attributable to (206) 1,710 1,504 (50) 4,029 3,979 664 4,858 5,522 shareholders (Loss)/return per ordinary share (0.31)p 2.58p 2.27p (0.08)p 6.40p 6.32p 1.03p 7.53p 8.56p Dividend per ordinary share Nil Nil 1.00p JPMorgan Fleming Chinese Investment Trust plc Unaudited figures for the year ended 31st March 2005 BALANCE SHEET 31 March 31 March 30 Sept 2005 2004 2004 £'000 £'000 £'000 Investments at valuation 38,186 39,671 36,507 Net current assets 2,876 2,952 2,537 _______ _______ _______ Total assets less current liabilities 41,062 42,623 39,044 Deferred taxation (35) - (35) _______ _______ _______ Total net assets 41,027 42,623 39,009 ======= ======= ======= Net asset value per ordinary share 61.3p 64.6p 59.0p CASH FLOW STATEMENT 2005 2004 2004 £'000 £'000 £'000 Net cash (outflow)/inflow from operating activities (81) (1) 488 Total tax recovered - 11 - Net cash inflow/(outflow) from capital expenditure and 582 (2,481) (3,802) financial investment Total equity dividends paid (661) (369) (369) Net cash inflow from financing 514 4,757 4,817 _______ _______ _______ Increase in cash for the period 354 1,917 1,134 ======= ======= ======= The above financial information does not constitute statutory accounts as defined in Section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. The comparative financial information is based on the statutory accounts for the year ended 30th September 2004. These accounts, upon which the auditors issued an unqualified opinion, have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. JPMORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT (UK) LIMITED 3rd June 2005 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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