Portfolio Update

BLACKROCK FRONTIERS INVESTMENT TRUST PLC (LEI: 5493003K5E043LHLO706)

All information is at 30 September 2019 and unaudited.

Performance at month end with net income reinvested.

	One  month	Three months	One  year	Three  years	Five  years	Since  Launch*
Sterling:
Share price	-0.6	-3.6	-0.9	15.0	23.4	77.1
Net asset value	0.1	-3.1	4.1	17.7	31.5	84.7
Benchmark (NR)**	-1.4	-2.9	5.8	35.3	29.2	70.6
MSCI Frontiers Index (NR)	-3.1	2.1	12.0	29.2	23.4	64.0
MSCI Emerging Markets Index (NR)	0.7	-1.1	3.7	25.5	47.6	41.5
US Dollars:
Share price	0.6	-6.7	-6.3	9.2	-6.0	40.6
Net asset value	1.2	-6.2	-1.6	11.7	0.2	46.4
Benchmark (NR)**	-0.2	-6.0	0.0	28.4	-1.8	35.9
MSCI Frontiers Index (NR)	-2.0	-1.1	5.9	22.6	-6.2	29.6
MSCI Emerging Markets Index (NR)	1.9	-4.2	-2.0	19.0	12.2	11.8

Sources: BlackRock and Standard & Poor’s Micropal

* 17 December 2010.

** The Company’s benchmark changed from MSCI Frontier Markets Index to MSCI Emerging ex Selected Countries + Frontier Markets + Saudi Arabia Index (net total return, USD) effective 1/4/2018.
 

At month end
US Dollar
Net asset value - capital only:	161.17c
Net asset value - cum income:	166.41c
Sterling:
Net asset value - capital only:	130.79p
Net asset value - cum income:	135.04p
Share price:	132.00p
Total assets (including income):	£325.0m
Discount to cum-income NAV:	2.3%
Gearing:	nil
Gearing range (as a % of gross assets):	0-20%
Net yield*:	5.0%
Ordinary shares in issue:	240,672,801
Ongoing charges**:	1.4%
Ongoing charges plus taxation and performance fee:	1.4%

*The Company’s yield based on dividends announced in the last 12 months as at the date of the release of this announcement is 5.0% and includes the 2018 final dividend of 4.40 cents per share and special dividend of 1.0 cents per share, both of which were declared on 11 December 2018 and were paid to shareholders on 7 February 2019. Also included is the 2019 interim dividend of 3.00 cents per share announced on 30 May 2019 and paid to shareholders on 28 June 2019.

**Calculated as a percentage of average net assets and using expenses, excluding performance fees and interest costs for the year ended 30 September 2018.

Sector Analysis	Gross market value as a % of net assets		Country Analysis	Gross market value as a % of net assets
Financials	23.0		Indonesia	13.1
Consumer Staples	14.2		Thailand	12.1
Industrials	13.6		Egypt	10.2
Consumer Discretionary	13.3		Vietnam	9.9
Real Estate	13.3		United Arab Emirates	9.1
Energy	10.0		Malaysia	5.8
Materials	9.9		Philippines	5.6
Health Care	5.2		Kazakhstan	5.2
Communication Services	4.0		Turkey	5.2
Utilities	1.8		Saudi Arabia	4.6
Information Technology	1.8		Romania	4.1
	-----		Pakistan	3.9
	110.1		Nigeria	3.7
Short positions	-----		Greece	3.0
	-4.1		Colombia	2.3
	=====		PAN-Africa	2.3
			Ukraine	2.2
			Qatar	2.2
			Chile	1.9
			Argentina	1.7
			Kenya	1.1
			Poland	0.7
			Morocco	0.2
				-----
			Total	110.1
				-----
			Short positions	-4.1
				=====

*reflects gross market exposure from contracts for difference (CFDs).

Market Exposure
 

	31.10  2018     %	30.11  2018     %	31.12  2018     %	31.01  2019     %	28.02  2019     %	31.03  2019     %	30.04  2019     %	31.05  2019     %	30.06  2019     %	31.07  2019     %	31.08  2019     %	30.09  2019     %
Long	107.8	108.1	109.3	115.1	112.9	113.1	116.0	111.0	114.1	117.0	111.5	110.1
Short	6.8	8.6	8.6	7.3	6.7	6.6	6.6	8.8	8.1	5.1	4.2	4.1
Gross	114.6	116.7	117.9	122.4	119.6	119.7	122.6	119.8	122.2	122.1	115.7	114.2
Net	101.0	99.5	100.7	107.8	106.2	106.5	109.4	102.2	106.0	111.9	107.3	106.0

Ten Largest Investments

Company	Country of Risk	Gross market value as a % of net assets
Astra International	Indonesia	3.5
Charoen Pokphand Food	Thailand	3.2
Vincom Retail	Vietnam	3.1
PTT Global Chemical	Thailand	3.1
Eastern Tobacco	Egypt	3.0
LT Group	Philippines	2.9
Mobile World	Vietnam	2.7
Emaar Development	United Arab Emirates	2.6
Orascom Construction	Egypt	2.6
Bank of the Philippine Islands	Philippines	2.5

Commenting on the markets, Sam Vecht and Emily Fletcher, representing the Investment Manager noted:

 

The Company’s NAV returned +1.2%¹ versus its benchmark the MSCI Emerging ex Selected Countries + Frontier Markets + Saudi Arabia Index (“Benchmark Index”), which was down 0.2% in August².  For reference, the MSCI Frontiers Index was down 2.0%², and the MSCI Emerging Markets Index was up 1.9% over the same period (all performance figures are on a US Dollar basis with net income reinvested).

Stock selection in Chile, Egypt and UAE (United Arab Emirates), were among the largest contributors to Company’s returns in September. Chilean airline, LatAm Airlines (+33%), was the month’s top performer, benefitting from regional competitor Avianca’s bankruptcy, and a recent bid from Delta to acquire a 20% stake of the company. Egypt saw a re-rating, supported by falling inflation which has allowed the central bank to cut rates. Positions in tobacco, namely Eastern Co. (+13%), and construction firm, Orascom Construction (+15%), contributed positively, the latter of which posted strong half yearly results and continues to see a build-up in their order book. UAE hospital operator, NMC (+10%), performed well on the back of positive half yearly results, which show better cash flow conversion and improvements in corporate governance.

On the other hand, Thai, Kazakh, and Indonesian positioning detracted the most over the month. Thai staple name, CP Foods (-11%), detracted amid weak chicken prices. Indonesian cement producer, Semen Indonesia (-9%), fell back from recent highs. Kazakh uranium miner, Kazatamprom (-12%), also weighed on returns as the parent company announced a placing of shares in the market.

The first half of September brought a significant style rotation in equity markets, most stark in the US with a multiple standard deviation move over a matter of days. The move in Emerging Markets, though more muted, was notable. Positioning remained relatively unchanged, however, we did make some notable stock specific trades through September. In Poland, we exited exiting copper miner, KGHM, on concerns of global growth deterioration and also sold our position in Alior Bank, as corporate asset quality issues persist.  On the other hand, we rotated capital into Thai petrochemical company, PTT Global Chemical where we think valuation has hit trough levels and the dividend yield remains attractive.  We added a new position in the Philippines, Bloomberry Resorts, an integrated casino, entertainment and hotel complex. The Philippines is one of our preferred countries from a macro perspective where we think that economic growth will be supported by recent rate cuts and RRR (reserve requirement ratio) cuts by the BSP (The Bangko Sentral) and a number of stocks look attractively valued.

We see significant value in the smaller emerging and frontier markets and see the markets well supported by the lower rate environment. We note that a lot of stocks in our universe are trading at extreme valuations, which we view as an opportunity to invest in a wide subset of countries which exhibit good growth, have low government debt levels, and are home to companies with strong cash flow and high dividend yields, trading on some of the lowest valuations in the world.

Sources:

¹BlackRock as at 30 September 2019

²MSCI as at 30 September 2019

21 October 2019

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.