Portfolio Update

BLACKROCK FRONTIERS INVESTMENT TRUST PLC All information is at 31 July 2014 and unaudited. Performance at month end with net income reinvested One Three Six One Three Since month months months year years launch* Sterling: Share price 7.0% 8.3% 11.9% 16.7% 61.0% 40.3% Net asset value -0.2% 3.7% 6.4% 11.1% 51.3% 34.5% MSCI Frontiers Index (NR) 3.0% 7.7% 18.0% 18.3% 44.1% 28.0% MSCI EM Markets (NR) 3.2% 8.3% 12.6% 3.6% -1.6% -2.8% US Dollars: Share Price 5.7% 8.3% 14.9% 29.9% 65.8% 52.2% Net asset value -1.5% 3.7% 9.4% 23.7% 55.8% 45.8% MSCI Frontiers Index (NR) 1.7% 7.7% 21.3% 31.7% 48.2% 38.6% MSCI EM Markets (NR) 1.9% 8.3% 15.7% 15.3% 1.2% 5.3% Sources: BlackRock and Standard & Poor's Micropal * 17 December 2010. At month end US Dollar: Net asset value - capital only: 198.98c Net asset value - cum income: 202.71c Sterling: Net asset value - capital only: 117.86p Net asset value - cum income: 120.07p Share price: 127.50p Total assets (including income): £180.9m Premium to cum-income NAV: 6.2% Gearing: nil Gearing range (as a % of gross assets): 0-20% Net yield: 1.0% Ordinary shares in issue: 150,621,621 Ongoing charges**: 1.6% Ongoing charges plus taxation and performance fee: 2.6% *The Company's yield based on dividends announced in the last 12 months as at the date of the release of this announcement is 1.1% and includes the 2014 interim dividend of 2.25 cents per share announced on 20 May 2014 and payable to shareholders on 4 July 2014. However, as previously announced, a special dividend of 3.40c per share (representing the Company's earnings for the period from 1 April 2013 to 30 September 2013) was paid early in 2013 to avoid revenue dilution as a result of the Company's C-Share issue which was completed on 29 September 2013. If this dividend had been paid as a final dividend for 2013, the Company's yield would be 2.6%. ** Calculated as a percentage of average net assets and using expenses, excluding performance fees and interest costs for the year ended 30 September 2013. Benchmark Sector Analysis Gross assets(%)* Country Analysis Gross assets(%)* Financials 30.3 Kuwait 12.5 Energy 17.4 Nigeria 12.2 Telecommunications 12.7 Pakistan 7.6 Consumer Staples 12.5 Saudi Arabia 6.8 Consumer Discretionary 8.7 Bangladesh 6.6 Industrials 6.4 Sri Lanka 6.2 Health Care 5.2 Romania 5.8 Materials 2.9 Iraq 5.8 Utilities 2.5 Oman 5.3 Information Technology 2.2 Kazakhstan 5.1 ----- Ukraine 4.6 Total 100.8 Argentina 4.2 ----- Vietnam 3.6 Short positions -1.6 Turkmenistan 2.8 ===== Morocco 2.7 Brazil 2.2 Other 6.8 ----- 100.8 ===== Short positions -1.6 ===== *reflects gross market exposure from contracts for difference (CFDs) Market Exposure 31.08 30.09 31.10 30.11 31.12 31.01 28.02 31.03 30.04 31.05 30.06 31.07 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 % % % % % % % % % % % % Long 98.9 98.8 100.4 100.5 103.3 96.6 101.8 101.6 101.6 98.0 106.6 100.8 Short 3.3 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.7 1.8 1.7 2.0 1.7 1.7 1.6 Gross 102.2 100.2 102.0 102.1 104.8 98.3 103.6 103.3 103.6 99.7 108.3 102.4 Net 95.6 97.4 98.8 98.9 101.8 94.9 100.0 99.9 99.6 96.3 104.9 99.2 Ten Largest Equity Investments Company Country of Risk % of gross assets Kuwait Food Kuwait 5.5% Mobile Telecommunications Kuwait 4.8% Zenith Bank Nigeria 4.7% Genel Energy Iraq 3.9% Halyk Bank Kazakhstan 3.7% MHP Ukraine 3.5% BRD Romania 3.5% Herfy Food Services Saudi Arabia 3.2% Bank Muscat Oman 3.1% Dragon Oil Turkmenistan 2.8% Commenting on the markets, Sam Vecht, representing the Investment Manager noted: Markets In July, the MSCI Frontier Markets Index returned 1.7%, performing broadly in line with mainstream Emerging Markets. (All calculations in US dollars with net income reinvested.) Saudi Arabia was the strongest performing market during the month, rising 7%. The market cheered as the government approved the full opening of the stock market to qualified foreign investors by the first half of 2015. Argentina performed well, rising 6% despite defaulting on its debt for the second time in 15 years. This default was markedly different to the 2001 episode. Unlike then, Argentina did have the ability to meet its obligations but elected not to; the unwillingness to pay stems from the legal demands for payment from the holders of un-restructured bonds from 2001. A long-running legal dispute between Argentina and the 'hold-outs' precipitated the default. Sri Lanka continued its strong run of performance, rising 6% in July as economic reforms progressed. The Colombo All-share index is now up 17% this year. The performance of the stock market reflects favourable economic and liquidity conditions, with GDP expected to grow 7% this year, yet with a significant moderation in inflation. Kazakhstan also performed well, following a 12% share price rally in index heavyweight, Kazmunaigas (KMG). The state owned oil major announced that they had received a 'highly preliminary approach' from its parent company to buy out minority shareholders at $18.95 per GDR. This implied a 15% premium to the share price prior to the announcement. Bulgaria was one of the weaker performers during July, falling a further 5%, after falling 10% in June, following the collapse of the country's fourth largest lender. Although the rest of the banking sector remains well-capitalised, the Bulgarian National Bank entered into talks with the European Central Bank with a view to joining the European Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM). Portfolio In July, the BlackRock Frontiers Investment Trust returned -1.5%, underperforming the benchmark by 3.2%(on a US dollar basis with net income reinvested). The largest detractors to relative performance were positions in companies with oil exploration exposure to Iraq. Gulf Keystone fell nearly 30% over the month, reversing a rise of 20% in June. The deteriorating security situation in Iraq weighed on investor sentiment. This has not changed our positive view on the portfolio's exposures in Northern Iraq. Ukrainian food producer, MHP, was also a detractor. The stock corrected in sympathy with renewed Russian tensions following the tragic crash of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, near the Russian-Ukrainian border. In addition, the stock reacted to a government proposal to reduce agricultural subsidies available to the company; the proposal was subsequently changed to exclude changes to the agricultural tax regime. Pakistan and Kuwait were positive contributors to performance. The Company's new position in the Pakistan financial, United Bank Ltd, performed well, following the privatization in June. The Company's largest position, Kuwait Food (also known as Americana) was a strong performer following bid speculation from private equity groups. The has held the position since inception, given the material undervaluation of Kuwait Food's pan-regional quick service restaurant franchise relative to regional and global peers. Kuwait Food's share price declined in both 2011 and 2012, before rising by 150%, reminding us of the adage that it is often challenging to predict the exact timing of when the prices of undervalued stocks finally catch up with their deserved rating. Activity The Company initiated a position in Kazakhstan oil major Kazmunaigas, given the high likelihood of a minority buyout from the parent company. The presence of independent directors is likely to ensure a favourable outcome for minority shareholders. We also reduced the position in Argentinian Financial, Banco Macro, following the strong share price run and the benign share price reaction to the Argentinian default. Outlook Record low bond yields have been anchored by declining US treasury issuance amidst quantitative easing, which is likely to end completely this year. While sovereign bond yields are likely to remain anchored by a low interest rate regime, previous shifts in the Federal Reserve's monetary regime have been turbulent for high yield credit assets and economies that are dependent on foreign bond financing. High yield credit issuance has hit record levels in recent months - US$133bn alone in the second quarter of 2014, while issuance of covenant light loans has grown exponentially. Saudi Arabia has been the largest overweight position in the Company for a considerable period of time. The opening up of the Saudi stock market to qualified foreign participation does not surprise us. Saudi Arabia has been quietly reforming its capital markets and business environment. There is tremendous scope for increased foreign participation in the market from current low levels given the depth of available sectors, liquidity, and fairly high dividend yield and pay-out ratios. The potential impact in coming years will be comparable to that of Asian markets such as Korea and India when they opened up to foreign ownership in the early 1990s. Like Saudi Arabia, both stock markets were substantially under-represented in global indices and capital pools despite the scale of the markets. 20 August 2014 ENDS Latest information is available by typing www.blackrock.co.uk/brfi on the internet, "BLRKINDEX" on Reuters, "BLRK" on Bloomberg or "8800" on Topic 3 (ICV terminal). Neither the contents of the Manager's website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on BlackRock's website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.
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