Portfolio Update

THE THROGMORTON TRUST PLC All information is at 31 August 2011 and unaudited. Performance at month end is calculated on a cum income basis One Three One Three Month Months Year Years Net asset value# -13.0% -13.4% 24.5% 63.5% Net asset value^ -13.0% -13.4% 24.5% 63.3% Net asset value^^ -10.5% -10.9% 24.8% 59.6% Share price -9.6% -10.0% 30.0% 67.6% Subscription share price -38.6% -38.7% 254.5% n/a HGSC plus AIM (ex Inv Cos) -9.4% -11.6% 13.2% 21.7% # NAV prior to costs of repaying the debentures early ^ NAV after costs of repaying the debentures early - undiluted ^^ NAV after costs of repaying debentures early - diluted Sources: BlackRock and Datastream At month end Net asset value capital only: 210.95p Net asset value capital only (diluted for subscription shares): 204.81p Net asset value incl. income: 212.48p Net asset value incl. income (diluted for subscription shares): 206.19p Share price: 179.00p Discount to NAV capital only (diluted for subscriptions shares): 12.6% Subscription share price: 29.25p Net yield: 1.7% * Total assets: £148.8m ** Net CFD portfolio as % of net asset value: 5.8% Ordinary shares in issue: 66,213,737 *** Subscription shares in issue: 6,916,589 *Calculated using prior year interim and final dividends paid. **Includes current year revenue. ***Excluding 7,400,000 shares held in treasury. Ten Largest Sector Weightings % of Total Assets Software & Computer Services 9.4 Support Services 8.1 Electronic & Electrical Equipment 7.7 Mining 7.6 Financial Services 6.6 Oil & Gas Producers 5.3 Media 5.2 Industrial Engineering 5.2 General Retailers 4.9 Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology 4.8 ---- Total 64.8 ==== Ten Largest Equity Investments (in alphabetical order)~ Company Aveva Group Bellway City of London Investment Group Elementis Fidessa Hargreaves Services Oxford Instruments Senior Spirax-Sarco Engineering Victrex Commenting on the markets, Mike Prentis and Richard Plackett, representing the Investment Manager noted: August was a difficult month for markets and the Company. The NAV on a cum income basis fell 13.0%, compared to the benchmark fall of 9.4%. The reasons for the market fall have been well documented; the main problems seem to be concerns about the level of indebtedness of various EU countries and the US, and also a lack of economic growth and job creation in these economies. Additionally, on 5 August a further 3.3 million subscription shares were converted into ordinary shares. The conversion price was 146p per share compared to the NAV per share of 220p on that day; the implied dilution being £2.4m, about 1.5% of the NAV at the start of August. 45% of underperformance during the month was due to subscription shares. Our underperformance at the stock level was not due to any fundamental deterioration in portfolio performance. Whilst we have a small holding in Topps Tiles in the long only portfolio, which reported that like for like sales had fallen 10% in recent weeks, resulting in a fall in the share price of 36%, this only had a 9 bps impact on relative performance. Most trading news was good, but the market was focussed on identifying stocks where performance might deteriorate, or where substantial gains had been made over the last few years. Our biggest relative long only portfolio detractors, none of which contributed more than 20bps to relative underperformance, included Oxford Instruments, Mecom, ITE, Hutchison China Meditech, Robert Walters and Hyder Consulting. Most of these are core holdings, and all derive their revenues internationally; they fell between 17% and 33% in absolute terms during the month. Our most significant positive relative contributor was Avocet Mining, a gold miner which is increasing both production and reserves; we had a good meeting with management. Stock selection overall was poor, accounting for just over 1% of underperformance. Sector allocation was also negative, and this was accounted for by our overweight positions in electronics and engineering companies, partly offset by our underweight position in oil and gas producers. We were net long in the CFD portfolio during the month and, unsurprisingly we lost money. Substantial losses on the long positions offset substantial gains on the short positions. As markets fell sharply in August we stepped up the derisking process in the long only portfolio. In particular we sold a number of higher risk smaller holdings, some in the resources sector, and other holdings where our conviction was not high enough for nervous markets. The net long position in the CFD portfolio was reduced to 4%. Our long only portfolio tracking error now stands at approximately 3.7%, which is lower than usual, and our portfolio beta has also been reduced slightly from about 1 to about 0.96. Despite poor sector allocation in August, from a sector point of view we retain our preference for software, electronics, engineering and healthcare companies, and remain underweight the main UK domestic sectors: retailers, leisure and food manufacturing. The resources sectors remain a significant and highly volatile part of our benchmark; we are significantly underweight oil and gas producers and have moved to a neutral position in mining companies. Our aim in recent months has been to focus increasingly on our core holdings, especially where their shares are reasonably liquid. These are, of course, our highest conviction positions. 19 September2011 ENDS Latest information is available by typing www.blackrock.co.uk/thrg 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.
Investor Meets Company
UK 100

Latest directors dealings