Final Results

Foreign & Colonial Eurotrust PLC 10 November 2004 Date: 10 November 2004 Contact: Stephen White Lisa Stanley F&C Management Limited Lansons Communications 020 7628 8000 020 7294 3692 FOREIGN & COLONIAL EUROTRUST PLC Unaudited Preliminary Statement of Results for the year ended 30 September 2004 HIGHLIGHTS • Net assets per share rose from 433.7p at 30 September 2003 to 484.4p at 30 September 2004, a gain of 11.7%. This fell slightly behind the FTSE All-World Europe Index which rose 12.7% over the same period. • Share price rose by 19.3% from 349.5p to 417.0p as the discount narrowed with the better tone to the markets and the continuation of our programme of buying back shares. • The Board is recommending an unchanged final dividend of 1.7p per share, in addition to a special dividend of 3.7p, to give a combined dividend of 5.4p. SUMMARY OF RESULTS 30 September 2004 30 September 2003 % Change Net assets £329.36m £319.83m +3.0 Net assets per share 484.41p 433.71p +11.7 Earnings per share 5.11p 6.54p -21.9 Final dividend per share 1.70p 1.70p - Special dividend per share 3.70p 4.80p -22.9 Share price 417.00p 349.50p +19.3 Extracts from the Chairman's Statement Dear Shareholder, Capital Performance Over the year to 30 September 2004, the continental European stock markets made reasonable progress. Your Company's net assets per share rose from 433.7p to 484.4p, a gain of 11.7%. This fell slightly behind the FTSE All-World Europe Index, excluding the UK and adjusted to sterling, which rose 12.7% over the same period. I am pleased to note that your Company's share price rose by 19.3% from 349.5p to 417.0p as the discount narrowed with the better tone to the markets and the continuation of our programme of buying back shares. Revenue Our gross income for the year is slightly down on that of the year before, reflecting the appreciation of Sterling against the Euro and also our decision to sell some higher yielding stocks. Expenses are slightly up as the management fee has risen with the increase in value of the portfolio. As a result, the net revenue return attributable to shareholders has fallen from £4.9m to £3.6m. Dividend As in the three previous years, the Board is declaring a special dividend and proposing a final dividend. This year, the Board is recommending an unchanged final dividend of 1.7p per share in addition to the special dividend of 3.7p, to give a combined dividend of 5.4p. This is below last year's combined dividend and reflects the fall in net revenue available for distribution. The combined dividend appears higher than earnings per share as it is based on the number of shares in issue at the Company's year end rather than the average outstanding during the year, which is the case for earnings per share. The total amount distributed corresponds to the Company's net earnings for the year. Share Buy Backs and Demand for Shares The Company bought back and cancelled 5,751,381 shares during the financial year, and a further 313,423 shares have been bought back and cancelled from the year end to date. The Board will propose to the Annual General Meeting that the Company should be granted powers to make further purchases. We continue to review the level of discount to net asset value at which your shares trade and believe that share buy backs can be an important factor in addressing supply/ demand imbalances while increasing the net asset value per share. At the end of September, there were over two thousand individuals participating in the private investor plan on a regular monthly basis. It is a very attractive way for the private investor to buy shares. We now have some 22,000 shareholders and the percentage of the Company's share capital directly owned by private individuals is over 77%. This is one of the highest levels of individual ownership in the investment trust sector, and is a feature of the Company we are keen to see continue. AGM We hope that as many shareholders as possible will attend the Annual General Meeting which will be held on Thursday 16 December at 3.00 pm at the offices of F&C Management at Exchange House, Primrose Street, London EC2A 2NY. We look forward to meeting all of you who can come. Manager On 11 October 2004 your Manager, F&C Management, merged with ISIS Asset Management. As a consequence of this merger, Mr Stephen White, the Company's lead portfolio manager, will be leaving F&C Management at the end of 2004. Stephen has been our fund manager since 1986, since when the Company's net asset value has outperformed comfortably its benchmark and its net assets have risen from £32m to £329m, making Eurotrust one of the largest continental European investment trusts. On behalf of the Board, I should like to thank him for all he has done. Following a review by the Board, management of the portfolio within F&C Management is passing to Davina Curling and the period of notice under the Management Agreement is reduced from 12 months to 3 months with effect from 30 November 2004. Directors Baron Zweder van Hovell and Mr Antony Dick will both be retiring at the AGM. Zweder joined the Board in 1981 and Antony in 1989, at the time of the merger between Foreign & Colonial Eurotrust and Nordic Investment Trust, having been chairman of the latter. Antony has since been chairman of our audit committee. I should like to thank them both for their generous and valued contributions to the success of the Company. Douglas McDougall CHAIRMAN November 2004 Balance Sheet at 30 September 2004 2003 £'000s £'000s Fixed assets Investments 353,186 330,054 Current assets Debtors 2,065 1,360 Taxation recoverable 304 568 Short-term deposits - 7,010 Cash at bank 1,281 677 3,650 9,615 Current liabilities Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Foreign currency loans (20,728) (12,617) Other (6,748) (7,221) (27,476) (19,838) Net current liabilities (23,826) (10,223) Net assets 329,360 319,831 Capital and Reserves Called up equity share capital 16,998 18,436 Capital redemption reserve 1,813 375 Share premium 123,749 123,749 Capital reserves 183,271 173,766 Revenue reserve 3,529 3,505 Total equity shareholders' funds 329,360 319,831 Net asset value per ordinary share - pence 484.41 433.71 The geographical distribution of investments at 30 September 2004 was: France - 30.7%, Germany - 18.7%, Switzerland - 18.1%, Netherlands - 11.8%, Spain - 5.1%, Sweden - 4.3%, Italy - 4.3%, Finland - 3.5%, Eire - 1.7%, United Kingdom - 1.1%, Denmark - 0.4%, Greece - 0.3%. Statement of Total Return (incorporating the Revenue Account*) for the year ended 30 September 2004 2003 Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total £'000s £'000s £'000s £'000s £'000s £'000s Gains on investments - 32,629 32,629 - 60,728 60,728 Exchange (losses)/gains (32) (70) (102) 40 (939) (899) Income 8,358 - 8,358 9,276 - 9,276 Management fee (2,062) - (2,062) (1,818) - (1,818) Other expenses (707) (26) (733) (759) (25) (784) Net return before finance costs and taxation 5,557 32,533 38,090 6,739 59,764 66,503 Interest payable and similar charges (446) - (446) (341) - (341) Return on ordinary activities before taxation 5,111 32,533 37,644 6,398 59,764 66,162 Taxation on ordinary activities (1,488) - (1,488) (1,534) - (1,534) Return attributable to equity shareholders 3,623 32,533 36,156 4,864 59,764 64,628 Dividends on ordinary shares (equity) Proposed final of 1.7p (2003: 1.7p) (1,133) - (1,133) (1,251) - (1,251) Special dividend of 3.7p (2003: 4.8p) (2,466) - (2,466) (3,534) - (3,534) Amount transferred to reserves 24 32,533 32,557 79 59,764 59,843 Return per ordinary share - pence 5.11 45.92 51.03 6.54 80.39 86.93 * The revenue column of this statement is the profit and loss account of the Company. All revenue and capital items in the above statement derive from continuing operations. Cash Flow Statement For the year ended 30 September 2004 2003 £'000s £'000s Net cash inflow from operating activities 5,649 6,685 Net cash outflow from servicing of finance (388) (314) Taxation paid (1,557) (887) Net cash inflow from financial investment 9,599 5,292 Equity dividends paid (4,720) (3,526) Net cash inflow before use of liquid resources and financing 8,583 7,250 (Decrease)/increase in short-term deposits 6,944 (7,088) Net cash outflow from financing (13,938) (175) Increase/(decrease) in cash 1,589 (13) Notes The Directors propose a final dividend of 1.7p (2003 - 1.7p) per share payable on 21 December 2004 to shareholders on the register at close of business on 19 November 2004. The Directors have declared on 9 November 2004 a special dividend of 3.7p (2003 - 4.8p) per share payable on 21 December 2004 to shareholders on the register at close of business on 19 November 2004. The above financial information comprises non-statutory accounts within the meaning of section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. The financial information for the year ended 30 September 2003 has been extracted from published accounts for the year ended 30 September 2003 that have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies and on which the report of the auditors has been unqualified. The Annual General Meeting will be held at Exchange House, Primrose Street, London EC2A 2NY on Thursday 16 December 2004 at 3.00 p.m. The Report and Accounts will be posted to shareholders in mid November 2004. Copies may be obtained during normal business hours from the Company's Registered Office, Exchange House, Primrose Street, London EC2A 2NY. By order of the Board F&C Management Limited, Secretary 9 November 2004 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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