BLACKROCK LATIN AMERICAN INVESTMENT TRUST PLC
All information is at 31 July 2014 and unaudited.
Performance at month end with net income reinvested
One Three One Three Five ^^Since
month months year years years 31.03.06
Sterling:
Net asset value^ 1.8% 6.0% 0.6% -18.2% 23.9% 69.5%
Share price 2.9% 4.3% 5.6% -15.4% 22.0% 63.6%
MSCI EM Latin America 2.3% 5.2% 0.2% -15.1% 20.6% 82.1%
US Dollars:
Net asset value^ 0.5% 6.0% 12.1% -15.7% 26.4% 65.3%
Share price 1.6% 4.3% 17.7% -12.8% 24.4% 59.4%
MSCI EM Latin America 1.1% 5.2% 11.6% -12.7% 22.8% 77.3%
^cum income
^^Date which BlackRock took over the investment management of the Company.
Sources: BlackRock, Standard & Poor's Micropal
At month end
Net asset value - capital only: 500.02p
Net asset value - cum income: 512.01p
Share price: 467.00p
Total Assets#: £201.8m
Discount(share price to cum income NAV): 8.8%
Average discount* over the month - cum income: 10.2%
Gearing at month end**: 0.2%
Gearing range (as a % of net assets): 0-25%
Net yield##: 3.8%
Ordinary shares in issue***: 39,369,620
Ongoing charges****: 1.1%
#Total assets include current year revenue.
## calculated using total dividends declared for the financial year ended 31
December 2013 as a percentage of month end share price.
*The discount is calculated using the cum income NAV (expressed in sterling
terms).
**Gearing is calculated using debt at par, less cash and cash equivalents and
fixed interest investments as a percentage of net assets.
***Excluding 2,071,662 shares held in treasury.
**** Calculated as a percentage of average net assets and using expenses,
excluding performance fees and interest costs for the year ended 31 December
2013.
Geographic Exposure
% % of
Total Equity MSCI EM Latin
Assets Portfolio* American Index
Brazil 61.9 61.9 57.8
Mexico 28.0 28.0 27.0
Peru 6.2 6.2 2.3
Colombia 1.7 1.7 5.3
Chile 1.6 1.6 7.6
Argentina 0.6 0.6 0.0
Net current assets (inc.Fixed interest) 0.0 0.0 0.0
----- ----- -----
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0
----- ----- -----
*excluding net current assets & fixed interest
Sector
% of Total Assets % of benchmark
Consumer Discretionary 11.9 6.7
Consumer Staples 19.8 17.2
Energy 11.9 10.6
Financials 32.0 28.6
Fixed Income 0.5 0.0
Health Care 0.0 0.7
Information Technology 0.0 1.8
Industrials 7.6 6.0
Materials 11.9 16.0
Telecommunication Services 3.3 6.9
Utilities 1.6 5.5
Net current assets (0.5) 0.0
----- -----
Total 100.0 100.0
----- -----
Ten Largest Equity Investments (in percentage order)
Company Country of Risk % of equity portfolio % of benchmark
Itau Unibanco Brazil 8.8 5.4
Petrobras Brazil 7.6 7.5
Banco Bradesco Brazil 4.9 5.4
AmBev Brazil 4.7 4.1
BB Seguridade Brazil 4.6 1.3
Vale Brazil 4.6 5.5
Kroton Educacional Brazil 3.8 1.2
BRF Brazil 3.6 2.0
Creditcorp Peru 3.4 1.3
America Movil Mexico 3.3 5.1
Commenting on the markets, Will Landers, representing the investment
Manager noted;
Performance
For the month of July 2014, the Company's NAV increased by 1.8% (undiluted NAV)
and the share price increased by 2.9% while the Company's benchmark, the MSCI
EM Latin America Free Index, increased by 2.3% (all in sterling terms with net
income reinvested).
Positive contributions to performance stemmed primarily from an underweight to
Chile. Chile underperformed as a result of disappointing economic growth data,
heightened by the proposed fiscal reform. The largest positive contributions
came from an overweight to Itau and not owning credit card acquirer Cielo.
Weighing on performance was stock selection in Mexico. The largest individual
detractor for the month was America Movil, which performed well, and where we
had a lower exposure than the benchmark. An overweight to Brazilian fuel
distributor Cosan also weighed on performance.
Transactions/Gearing
During the month we added to our position in America Movil as we viewed their
move to reduce assets to comply voluntarily with recent regulatory changes as a
positive. This was funded by reducing Televisa, one of the better performing
large cap stocks in Mexico year-to-date, which we feel could be negatively
impacted given the increased potential for competition on the wireless side of
their business. We also added to Gentera and Buenaventura. These moves were
funded by reducing exposure to Banco do Brasil and exiting Santander Chile.
Net gearing was approximately 2.1% at the end of July.
Positioning
We retain a higher than benchmark exposure to Brazil as the potential for an
opposition victory in October's presidential elections grows. The performance
of the Brazilian market should continue to be impacted by polling results as we
move towards election day on October 5th. Valuations in Mexico remain
unattractive in our view. In Mexico, there has been positive movement on
secondary laws necessary for energy reform to move forward. However, we would
need to see more evidence of an economic recovery before adding any more to the
fund's Mexican exposure. In the Andean region we continue to favour Peru over
Chile and Colombia.
18 August 2014
ENDS
Latest information is available by typing www.blackrock.co.uk/brla 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 the Manager's website (or any other
website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.
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