AGM Proposals

Montanaro UK Smlr Cos Inv Tst PLC 4 July 2001 4 July 2001 Montanaro UK Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc The Company has posted to shareholders a circular detailing proposed amendments to the fixed investment management fee and performance fee payable to Montanaro Investment Managers Limited, the Company's investment manager. As the proposed amendments constitute a related party transaction pursuant to the Listing Rules of the UK Listing Authority, they are conditional on the approval of shareholders at the Company's forthcoming annual general meeting, to be held on 31 July 2001. It is proposed to increase the Investment Manager's fixed investment management fee from monthly instalments of 1/12 of 0.5 per cent of the Company's gross assets as at close of business on the last business day of each month to monthly instalments of 1/12 of 1 per cent of the Company's gross assets. It is also proposed that the Investment Manager's entitlement to a performance fee should be amended by the introduction of a performance 'hurdle' and a 'high water mark' so that a performance fee is only payable in respect of any financial year of the Company in the event that the Company's net asset value ('NAV') as at the end of that financial year (i) is not less than the NAV of the Company as at the end of the immediately preceding financial year of the Company in respect of which the Investment Manager was entitled to a performance fee and (ii) has outperformed the Company's benchmark, currently the FTSE SmallCap (excluding investment companies) Index, during that financial year by at least 2 per cent. The maximum performance fee currently payable in respect of any financial year is 0.5 per cent of the Company's gross assets as at the end of that financial year. No change is presently proposed to be made to this maximum. If the changes proposed to be made to the Investment Manager's fixed investment management fee and performance fee had applied in respect of the financial year of the Company to 31 March 2001, the total fixed investment management fee in respect of that financial year would have been £1,024,000, in comparison to the total fixed investment management fee actually paid in respect of that financial year of £512,000. The performance fee in respect of that financial year would have been nil, in comparison to the performance fee actually payable in respect of that financial year of £487,000. Accordingly the total fees payable to the Investment Manager in the financial year to 31 March 2001 were £999,000, whereas, had the changes now proposed to the fixed investment management fee and performance fee been applied, the total fees payable would have been £1,024,000. The changes described above to the Investment Manager's fixed investment management fee and performance fee are being proposed in view of the long-term outperformance of the Company and the Investment Manager's increased resources and in order to bring those fees in line with the management and performance fees payable by investment trusts with a similar investment policy to that of the Company. The Directors further believe that it is desirable to align the interests of shareholders with that of the Investment Manager.
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