Final Results

JPMorgan Fleming Emerge Mkts IT PLC 22 September 2003 JPMORGAN FLEMING EMERGING MARKETS INVESTMENT TRUST PLC STOCK EXCHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT The Board today announces the preliminary results of the Company for the year ended 30th June 2003. Chairman's Statement As we all know this has been a difficult year for shareholders. In the period our shareholders have seen both our Net Asset Value ('NAV') and our share price fall by 3.8 percent overall. Our benchmark has declined in the same period by 1.5 percent. Last year we saw extreme volatility with a similar flat performance and this year we have seen a long period of a down market largely reversed in the latter months of the year. Shareholders cannot be gratified with this overall decline but may perhaps take some comfort in the fact that in the comparable period the MSCI World index declined by 9.8 percent. This follows a continuing trend where emerging markets have outperformed traditional ones and investor appetite for our markets has grown. Since our year end, all this momentum has continued in our favour giving us a fair wind for the coming year, with our relative performance also improving versus the benchmark. In managing our risk, the Board believes it is currently more appropriate to focus entirely on our portfolio risk rather than add to this with risks associated with managing debt. Accordingly, we decided to reduce the gearing we have carried for some years to zero at the year end. We remain fully invested, however. The Board has agreed a new fee arrangement with the Manager which becomes effective from 1st July 2003. The existing 1.25% management fee will be replaced with a 1.00% management fee on total assets less current liabilities combined with a performance related fee element linked to outperformance versus the benchmark. Under the new arrangements, the Manager can earn a fee equal to 10% of the outperformance of the benchmark. However the Board has put in place certain conditions whereby this fee, whenever earned, will be paid to the Manager only in a year when there has been a positive absolute NAV return to shareholders. We believe that the revised fee arrangements more closely align the interests of shareholders and the Manager in delivering and rewarding superior investment performance whilst recognising the sensitivity of shareholders to rewarding the Manager in falling markets. In this context, shareholders should note that the Manager is required to outperform the benchmark by more than 2.5% per annum, net of fees and other expenses, in order to earn a total fee equivalent to its previous management fee. The size of market discount to NAV at which your Company has traded has followed a similar down and up pattern. We have seen once again strengthening markets doing wonders to our discount level but in the earlier declining market our liquidity was much reduced and the levels widened. However, the Board did not believe there was an appropriate occasion to use its buyback powers and thus during the year no shares were bought back. At the Annual General Meeting we shall nevertheless be requesting a renewal of the buyback mandate - which may well become a useful tool in the year ahead. The Board has considered the various recommendations concerning corporate governance which have been debated over the last year in various forms. We believe that we already comply with the principles of corporate governance for investment trusts as outlined in the AITC's Code, and welcome the forthcoming revised Combined Code which will establish best practice for all public companies. At the Annual General Meeting Mr Anatole Kaletsky will seek election by shareholders as a new member of the Board. Mr Kaletsky has had a distinguished career as a journalist and economist and has a significant amount of emerging market experience. He will be well known to shareholders for his columns in The Times newspaper. His perspectives will add considerable value to your Board and I welcome him wholeheartedly. I have served 9 years on your Board and believe that the time has therefore come to step down. It has been a most stimulating, if not always rewarding time. I am delighted that Dr Roy Reynolds has agreed to take over as your Chairman and he is surely very well qualified to lead your Company forward. As already alluded to, we go into this next year with some momentum and with emerging markets looking set to continue to outperform. The investment outlook is improving, if still uncertain. All in all, an appropriate time to be leaving your Company in good hands. Roger Murray Chairman 22nd September 2003 For further information, please contact: Philip Jones J.P. Morgan Fleming Asset Management (UK) Limited, 020 7742 7214 Secretary to the Company JPMorgan Fleming Emerging Markets Investment Trust plc Unaudited figures for the year ended 30 June 2003 Statement of Total Return (Unaudited) Year ended 30 June 2003 Year ended 30 June 2002 Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Realised losses on investments - (5,140) (5,140) - (3,117) (3,117) Net change in unrealised appreciation - (259) (259) - (5,893) (5,893) Currency losses on cash and short-term deposits held during the year - (465) (465) - (438) (438) Unrealised currency gains on US Dollar loan - - - - 1,320 1,320 Realised gain on repayment of US Dollar loan - 729 729 - - - Other capital charges - (16) (16) - (20) (20) Income from investments 2,950 - 2,950 2,915 - 2,915 Other income 63 - 63 95 - 95 _______ ________ _______ ______ _______ ________ Gross return 3,013 (5,151) (2,138) 3,010 (8,148) (5,138) Management fee (1,423) - (1,423) (1,790) - (1,790) Other administrative expenses (437) - (437) (315) - (315) Interest payable (229) - (229) (849) - (849) _______ _______ _______ ______ _______ _______ Net return/(loss) before taxation 924 (5,151) (4,227) 56 (8,148) (8,092) Taxation (297) - (297) (259) 30 (229) _______ _______ _______ ______ _______ _______ Transfer to/(from) reserves 627 (5,151) (4,524) (203) (8,118) (8,321) Return/(loss) per ordinary share 0.69p (5.71)p (5.02)p (0.22)p (8.98)p (9.20)p JPMorgan Fleming Emerging Markets Investment Trust plc Unaudited figures for the period ended 30 June 2003 BALANCE SHEET 30 June 30 June 2003 2002 £'000 £'000 Investments at valuation 115,549 129,347 Net current assets/(liabilities) 307 (8,967) _______ _______ Total net assets 115,856 120,380 ======= ======= Net asset value per share 128.5p 133.5p CASH FLOW STATEMENT 2003 2002 £'000 £'000 Net cash inflow from operating activities 474 479 Net cash outflow from returns on investments and servicing of (849) finance (229) Total tax recovered 1 77 Net cash inflow from capital expenditure and financial investment 8,401 5,101 Net cash outflow from financing (12,049) (1,216) _______ ______ (Decrease)/increase in cash in the year (3,402) 3,592 ======= ======= 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 June 2002. These accounts, upon which the auditors issued an unqualified opinion, have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. J.P. MORGAN FLEMING ASSET MANAGEMENT (UK) LIMITED 22nd September 2003 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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