Final Results

Fleming Smaller Co's Inv. Trust PLC 22 October 2002 The Fleming Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc Stock Exchange Announcement The Board of The Fleming Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc today release the unaudited results for the year to 31st July 2002 as follows: Year Under Review It has been a disappointing year for equity investors, with UK equity markets performing particularly poorly in the latter part of the year under review. Against this background. The Fleming Smaller Companies Investment Trust produced a net asset value total return for the year of -26.8% compared with -21.8% for the benchmark index, the FTSE Small Cap Index ex Investment Trusts. The underperformance on a total return basis can be attributed partly to the Company's gearing, and partly to a small number of unexpectedly poor results announced by portfolio companies. Nonetheless, it should be noted that the underlying performance of the portfolio excluding gearing, was in fact ahead of the benchmark index over the period. The widening of the discount at which the shares trade to their net asset value during the year was broadly in line with other investment trusts in this sector, but is disappointing and reflects a move by some institutional investors to the more liquid, larger stocks in difficult market conditions. Since the year-end the share price has continued to fall in particularly difficult market conditions from 164p to 146p at the time of writing, and the net asset value per share from 207p to 183p. The discount to net asset value remained broadly unchanged over the period at 20.5%. It is however encouraging that over this two-month period the investment managers outperformed the benchmark index by some 2.3% on a total return basis. The sector weightings have not changed significantly since the year-end, but on balance the portfolio is marginally more defensive with reduced weightings in general industrials and information technology and a reduction in the under-weighting in cyclical services. Gearing The total borrowings of the Company have as a percentage of gross assets been kept within a 10-16% range over the last 3 years and this reflects the Board's view that strategic gearing should be beneficial to shareholders in the long term. Although the investment manager has access to borrowings that would, if they had been fully utilised at the year-end, enable the Company to be 23% geared, the Board has historically set guidelines to the extent that they can be used. These guidelines currently restrict the maximum gearing to 20% of gross assets. The Board has made arrangements for the £7.5m loan that is due to be repaid in January to be renewed for a further 3-year period in addition to retaining the other loan facilities of £10m that are currently not being utilised, for use when market conditions improve. It should be noted that all the loan facilities incur floating rates of interest and the loans could, if the Board so wished, be cancelled in part or in whole with no penalty costs. Revenue and Dividends With earnings per share for the year at 3.10p, the Directors are recommending a final dividend of 3.00p per share (2001: 2.30p), an increase of 30.4% which, if approved by shareholders, will be payable on 25th November 2002 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 1st November 2002. Investment Policy The investment policy remains unchanged. It is to achieve returns for shareholders consistently above the stated benchmark index over the medium term from a diversified portfolio of UK smaller companies while retaining a lower quartile risk profile. Continuation Vote As the Company is approaching its third continuation vote which is required in the Articles of Association every three years, the Board has been evaluating the performance and progress of the Company over the last year and over a longer period, particularly since JPMF were appointed managers (Feb 1996) and since the last continuation vote (July 1999). The table below shows that the Company has been a consistent out-performer over these periods, and was ranked 11th out of 24 funds since July 1999 as measured by the Association of Investment Trust Companies (AITC). The AITC do not provide performance figures over the longer period shown but over five years to 31st July 2002 it is ranked 7th out of 24, and over 10 years 7th out of 16. 29th February 1996 to 31st July 31st July 1999 to 31st July 2002 2002 Net asset value - total return +41.3% -14.9% Benchmark- total return +23.0% -16.8% Share price - total return +44.1% -16.9% In the period since the last continuation vote the net asset value performance each year against the benchmark has been as follows:- 1999-2000: +19.5% 2000-2001: -4.7% 2001-2002: -5.0% The Directors recommend that shareholders vote in favour of the resolution that will be put to shareholders at the Annual General Meeting that the Company continue in existence for a further three year period, as they intend to do so in respect of their own holdings. Investment Philosophy The investment philosophy employed by the investment managers has remained unchanged over the whole period. The Company has been run in a consistent style by a stable team of portfolio managers. The investment process is one of bottom up stock selection, combined with disciplined portfolio construction and risk controls. The investment managers look for securities that exhibit a combination of factors that are proven to outperform over time. Examples of these factors include value, high earnings growth rates, and stocks where earnings expectations are being upgraded. The investment managers validate that these factors exist for each stock through their own research, and that the companies they invest in are financially sound. Tight risk controls are maintained, and the final portfolio is diversified, with no single security or sector being allowed to rise to too great a proportion of the fund. An effect of this is that while less risk is represented by individual stocks, more is embodied by the style factors such as value, and earnings momentum. The number of stocks in the portfolio over the period has been approximately 140. Directors In August 2002, the Board was pleased to announce that David Thompson had been appointed to the Board. Mr Thompson is chairman of The Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries PLC and shareholders will be asked to confirm his appointment at the Annual General Meeting. Authority to Repurchase the Company's Shares At last year's Annual General Meeting shareholders gave the Directors authority to repurchase the Company's shares for cancellation. No such repurchases took place during the year under review, but following the year end the Directors took advantage of the widening discount and purchased 50,000 shares for cancellation at a discount of 25%. This transaction enhanced the net asset value per share, albeit only by a small amount due to the small number of shares concerned. The Board will continue to use the authority as and when appropriate. The renewal of this authority will be proposed at the Annual General Meeting. Proposal to Change the Company's Name Following the take-over of Flemings by Chase Manhattan and the subsequent merger with JPMorgan, shareholders will have noticed the change in the name of the Manager of the Company's assets and the subsequent promotion of the new brand name. The Directors propose that the Company change its name to 'JPMorgan Fleming Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc' to align the management of the Company with the new brand, to ensure the Company benefits from the increasing strength of the JP Morgan Fleming brand. Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting this year will be held at 60 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y at 11am on Thursday 28th November 2002. The format of the meeting will be similar to those of recent years and will include an investment presentation from the representatives of the managers, Ross Hollyman and Georgina Brittain as well as an opportunity for shareholders to meet and question the Directors. Outlook The volatility within stockmarkets has not reduced and is not expected to decline in the near future. However, the outlook for the UK economy is relatively benign, with both interest rates and inflation set to remain low, and GDP growth set to continue at a steady pace. While investor confidence generally has undoubtedly been undermined by the wave of accounting scandals in the US and by the prospect of hostilities against Iraq, there are signs of good investment value emerging in the smaller company sector. The Company is well placed and has the flexibility to take advantage of the expected improvement in values. Strone Macpherson Chairman 22nd October 2002 The Fleming Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc Unaudited figures for the year ended 31 July 2002 Statement of Total Return (Unaudited) Year ended 31 July 2002 Year ended 31 July 2001 Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Realised losses on investments - (9,874) (9,874) - (8,088) (8,088) Decrease in unrealised depreciation - (10,367) (10,367) - (12,422) (12,422) Net losses on currency transactions - - - - (4) (4) Other capital charges - (20) (20) - - - Income from investments 1,664 - 1,664 1,705 - 1,705 Other Income 157 - 157 99 - 99 _______ ________ _______ ______ _______ ________ Gross return 1,821 (20,261) (18,440) 1,804 (20,514) (18,710) Management fee (386) (386) (772) (493) (493) (986) Other administrative expenses (228) - (228) (204) - (204) Interest payable (359) (359) (718) (467) (467) (934) _______ _______ _______ ______ _______ _______ Return before taxation 848 (21,006) (20,158) 640 (21,474) (20,834) Taxation (21) 21 - (13) 13 - _______ _______ _______ ______ _______ _______ Return after taxation 827 (20,985) (20,158) 627 (21,461) (20,834) Dividends payable (800) - (800) (613) - (613) _______ _______ _______ ______ _______ _______ Return attributable to ordinary shareholders 27 (20,985) (20,958) 14 (21,461) (21,447) _______ _______ _______ ______ _______ _______ Return per ordinary share 3.10p (78.70)p (75.60)p 2.35p (80.48)p (78.13)p The Fleming Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc Unaudited figures for the year ended 31 July 2002 BALANCE SHEET 31 July 31 July 2002 2001 £'000 £'000 Investments at valuation 65,963 91,021 Net current (liabilities)assets (5,759) 2,641 Long term loan (5,000) (17,500) _______ _______ Total net assets 55,204 76,162 ===== ===== Net asset value per share Ordinary shares 207.0p 285.6p CASH FLOW STATEMENT 2002 2001 £'000 £'000 Net cash inflow from operating activities 719 542 Net cash outflow from servicing of finance (780) (919) Net cash inflow/(outflow) from capital expenditure and financial investment 6,037 (2,770) Dividends paid (613) (613) Net cash (outflow)/inflow from financing (5,000) 6,000 _______ ______ Increase in cash for the period 363 2,240 ===== ==== The above financial information does not constitute statutory accounts for the years ended 31 July 2002 or 2001. The financial information for the year ended 31 July 2001 is derived from the statutory accounts for that year that have been delivered to the Registrars of Companies. The auditors reported on those accounts; their report was unqualified and did not contain a statement under s237(2) or (3) Companies 1985. The statutory accounts for the year ended 31 July 2002 will be finalised on the basis of the financial information presented by the directors in this preliminary announcement and will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies following the company's annual general meeting. J.P. MORGAN FLEMING ASSET MANAGEMENT (UK) LIMITED 22nd October 2002 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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