Final Results

JPMorgan Eur Fldglng Inv Trust PLC 08 June 2007 STOCK EXCHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT JPMORGAN EUROPEAN FLEDGELING INVESTMENT TRUST PLC PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT OF FINAL RESULTS The Company today announces its results for the year to 31st March 2007. This has been my first year as Chairman and I am delighted to report that the Company has again returned an excellent performance both in absolute and relative terms. This is the third successive year in which the Company has outperformed its benchmark in its return on net assets and the fourth successive year it has outperformed by way of total return to shareholders. Over the year to 31st March 2007 the Company's total return on net assets (i.e. with net income reinvested) was +23.7%, which compares favourably with a return of +19.5% on the same basis from the Company's benchmark, the HSBC Smaller European Companies (ex UK) Total Return Index in Sterling Terms. The share price total return to shareholders during the year was +26.6%. The discount to net asset value narrowed during the year from 10.3% to 8.2%. The average weekly discount during the year was 10.7%. Most of the outperformance of 4.2% achieved by the investment managers was a result of their stock selection ability with modest positive contributions coming from the Company's gearing and currency. This outperformance of 4.2%, when added to the benchmark return of 19.5%, gives the return on net assets of 23.7%. The total return to shareholders of 26.6% takes into account all other factors, the most important of which was 2.9% added through the impact of the decrease in the discount at which the Company's shares trade. The Board pays close attention to keeping the level of this discount down to the lowest extent possible. At the Annual General Meetings in 2005 and 2006 shareholders approved a resolution to enable the Company to sell shares from treasury at a discount to net asset value. The Board believes that there are benefits in having the ability to reissue, rather than cancel, shares bought in the market. Its use can improve liquidity in the Company's shares, help manage any imbalance between the supply and demand, reduce the volatility and absolute levels of the discount and enhance the net asset value by selling shares at a narrower discount than that at which they were purchased. During the year, as in the previous year, the Board was able use its ability to buy shares into treasury and then reissue them to good effect for shareholders. Between 5th May 2006 and 14th September 2006 1.88 million shares were bought into treasury at an average discount of 11.7% to the share price. Then with increased demand for the Company's shares during the first quarter of 2007, a total of 450,000 shares were reissued from treasury and sold back into the market at a lower average discount of 7.0%. This provided a modest positive contribution of 0.3% to the total return for the year. The Board is requesting that shareholders renew the authority for use of treasury shares at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. It is important to note that, as previously, the Board will maintain the policy of constraining the Company's ability to sell treasury shares, by imposing a strict limit to the dilution associated with the sale at a discount to a maximum of 0.5% of net asset value in any year. At the Nomination Committee meeting held earlier this year, the Directors carried out their annual evaluation of the Board and its Committees, the Directors and the Chairman. The Board takes this review seriously and views it as an effective means of evaluating the continuing efficacy of the Board. In accordance with the Company's Articles of Association, I will be the Director retiring by rotation at this year's AGM. A Nomination Committee of the Board met to consider my qualifications, performance and contribution to the Board. I am pleased to report that the Nomination Committee recommends to shareholders that I should be re-elected, and I am also pleased to stand for re-election. In addition, Jacques Drossaert also retires from the Board and, after eight years of service, will not be seeking re-election. On the behalf of the Board, I would like to express our sincere thanks and gratitude to Jacques as he has been a strong and valuable member of the Board throughout his years of service. We wish him all the very best for the future. The Board also carried out a formal detailed review of the Manager during the year. This covered the investment management, company secretarial, administrative and marketing services provided to the Company by JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Limited ('JPMAM') and took into account their investment performance record, management processes, investment style, resources and risk control mechanisms. The Board concluded that it is fully satisfied with the performance of the Manager and its continued appointment on the existing terms is very much in the interests of shareholders as a whole. The Company operates in accordance with corporate governance best practice and the Board is committed to the highest standards of corporate governance as applicable to investment trust companies. At the beginning of the year under review there were significant changes in the structure of the team at UBS, the Company's broker. As a result the Board decided to review this role and various brokers specialising in this sector were invited to present their services. As a result the Board subsequently appointed Cenkos Securities Limited as the Company's broker. The Directors and I very much look forward to welcoming you to the Company's AGM which will be held on 13th July 2007 at 12 noon. The venue will be The Library, JPMorgan, 60 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0JP. The investment managers will make a presentation reviewing the past year and commenting on the outlook for the current year. The Board is somewhat cautious on the outlook for the market in general following this extended period of good performance, particularly in the small cap asset class, but it has considerable confidence that the investment managers will continue to add value through their stock picking abilities. Elisabeth Airey Chairman 8th June 2007 For further information: Hilary Lowe........................................................020 7742 6000 For and on behalf of JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Limited JPMorgan European Fledgeling Investment Trust plc Unaudited figures for the year ended 31st March 2007 Income Statement (Unaudited) (Audited) Year ended 31st March 2007 Year ended 31st March 2006 Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Gains from investments held at fair value through profit or loss - 82,133 82,133 - 150,961 150,961 Net foreign currency gains - 234 234 - 233 233 Income from investments 7,660 - 7,660 4,667 - 4,667 Other interest receivable and similar income 107 - 107 231 - 231 Gross return 7,767 82,367 90,134 4,898 151,194 156,092 Management fee (4,372) - (4,372) (3,159) - (3,159) Other administrative expenses (613) - (613) (592) - (592) Net return on ordinary activities before finance costs and taxation 2,782 82,367 85,149 1,147 151,194 152,341 Finance costs (924) - (924) (525) - (525) Net return on ordinary activities before taxation 1,858 82,367 84,225 622 151,194 151,816 Taxation (579) - (579) (406) - (406) Net return on ordinary activities after taxation 1,279 82,367 83,646 216 151,194 151,410 Return per share (note 2) 2.49p 160.58p 163.07p 0.41p 286.38p 286.79p All revenue and capital items in the above statement derive from continuing operations. No operations were acquired or discontinued in the year. The 'Total' column of this statement is the profit and loss account of the Company and the 'Revenue' and 'Capital' columns represent supplementary information. The 'Total' column represents all the information that is required to be disclosed in a 'Statement of Total Recognised Gains and Losses (STRGL)'. For this reason a STRGL has not been presented. JPMorgan European Fledgeling Investment Trust plc Unaudited figures for the year ended 31st March 2007 Reconciliation of Movements in Shareholders' Funds (Unaudited) Called up Capital Share Share redemption Other Capital Revenue capital premium reserve reserve reserve reserve Total £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 At 31st March 2005 13,391 - 2,245 30,564 188,633 (8,899) 225,934 Adjustment to opening shareholders' funds at 1st April 2005 to reflect the adoption of bid prices - - - - (752) - (752) Repurchase of shares into - - - (1,623) - - (1,623) treasury Sale of shares from treasury - 91 - 675 - - 766 Shares bought back and (196) - 196 (2,765) - - (2,765) cancelled Total return from ordinary activities - - - - 151,194 216 151,410 At 31st March 2006 13,195 91 2,441 26,851 339,075 (8,683) 372,970 Repurchase of shares into - - - (11,195) - - (11,195) treasury Sale of shares from treasury - 1,221 - 3,602 - - 4,823 Total return from ordinary activities - - - - 82,367 1,279 83,646 At 31st March 2007 13,195 1,312 2,441 19,258 421,442 (7,404) 450,244 JPMorgan European Fledgeling Investment Trust plc Unaudited figures for the year ended 31st March 2007 BALANCE SHEET (Unaudited) (Audited) 31st March 2007 31st March 2006 £'000 £'000 Fixed assets Investments at fair value through profit or loss 433,219 387,213 Investment in liquidity fund at fair value through profit or loss 12,736 - _______ Total portfolio 445,955 387,213 Current assets Debtors 11,123 10,098 Cash and short term deposits 305 2,417 _______ _______ 11,428 12,515 Creditors : amounts falling due within one year (7,139) (26,758) Net current assets/ (liabilities) 4,289 (14,243) _______ _______ Total assets less current liabilities 450,244 372,970 _______ _______ Total net assets 450,244 372,970 ===== ===== Capital and reserves Called up share capital 13,195 13,195 Share premium 1,312 91 Capital redemption reserve 2,441 2,441 Other reserve 19,258 26,851 Capital reserve 421,442 339,075 Revenue reserve (7,404) (8,683) _______ _______ Shareholders' funds 450,244 372,970 ===== ===== Net asset value per share (note 3) 876.8p 709.0p CASH FLOW STATEMENT (Unaudited) (Audited) 31st March 2007 31st March 2006 £'000 £'000 Net cash inflow from operating activities 1,848 553 Net cash outflow from returns on investments and servicing of (925) (556) finance Overseas tax recovered 124 184 Net cash inflow from capital expenditure and financial investment 14,650 15,757 Net cash outflow from financing (17,813) (27,547) _______ ______ Decrease in cash for the year (2,116) (11,609) ===== ==== Notes to the Accounts 1. Accounting policies The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 1985, United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice ('UK GAAP') and with the Statement of Recommended Practice 'Financial Statements of Investment Trust Companies' dated 31st December 2005. All of the Company's operations are of a continuing nature. 2. Return per share (Unaudited) (Audited) 31st March 2007 31st March 2006 £'000 £'000 Return per share is based on the following: Revenue return 1,279 216 Capital return 82,367 151,194 Total return 83,646 151,410 Weighted average number of shares in issue 51,293,172 52,794,594 Revenue return per ordinary share 2.49p 0.41p Capital return per ordinary share 160.58p 286.38p Total return per ordinary share 163.07p 286.79p 3. Net asset value per share The net asset value per share is based on the net assets attributable to the ordinary shareholders of £450,244,000 (2006: £372,970,000) and on the 51,350,198 (2006: 52,606,517) shares in issue at the year end, excluding shares held in treasury. 4. Status of preliminary announcement The financial information set out in this preliminary announcement does not constitute the Company's statutory accounts for the years ended 31st March 2007 or 2006. The statutory accounts for the year ended 31st March 2007 have not been delivered to the Registrar of Companies, nor have the auditors yet reported on them. The statutory accounts for the year ended 31st March 2007 will be finalised on the basis of the information presented by the Directors in this preliminary announcement and will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies following the approval of the accounts by the Board of Directors. 8th June 2007 JPMORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT (UK) LIMITED This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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