Trading Update

RNS Number : 5197F

City of London Investment Group PLC

18 June 2012

 



18 June 2012

 

 

CITY OF LONDON INVESTMENT GROUP PLC

("City of London" or "the Group")

TRADING UPDATE

for the Year to 31 May 2012

City of London (LSE: CLIG), a leading emerging markets asset management group, provides a trading update for its financial year ended 31 May 2012. The numbers that follow are all unaudited.

Funds under management were US$4.48 billion (£2.91 billion) at 31 May 2012 (2011: US$5.82 billion or £3.54 billion), representing a 23% decrease in US$ terms and an 18% decrease in sterling terms.  Over the same period (31 May 2011 to 31 May 2012) the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (MXEF) decreased by 20% in US$ terms. The majority of this decline occurred in the last quarter of the financial year (29 February to 31 May 2012), during which period MXEF decreased by 15%.

For the year to 31 May 2012, City of London expects that pre-tax profits will be approximately £11.5 million (2011: £13.1 million), and that profits after an anticipated tax charge of £3.0 million (26% of pre-tax profits) will be approximately £8.5 million (2011: profits of £8.8 million after a tax charge of £4.3 million, representing 33% of pre-tax profit). Basic and fully diluted earnings per share are expected to be 33.8p and 32.8p respectively (2011: 35.1p and 34.0p).

The Group's dividend policy - to pay dividends which are covered approximately 1.5 times by earnings per share - remains unchanged.  The Board is recommending a final dividend of 16p per share (2011: 16p), which would bring the total for the year to 24p (2011: 24p), covered 1.41 times by earnings per share (2011: 1.46 times).

From a low of 831 in October, MXEF recovered to a ten month high of 1,079 on 2 March 2012, and in general Emerging Markets during that period performed well and exhibited relatively low volatility. Since then volatility has increased and markets have fallen back, such that MXEF is now at or around the calendar year end level of 917. This volatility has put risk aversion back into the spotlight, but our clients have continued to take a long term view, and net withdrawals over the financial year have totalled less than $200 million.

Investment performance has benefitted from an increased focus on corporate governance issues, which has led to a significant number of tenders, buy-backs, and other discount reducing transactions in some of the closed end funds in which we are invested. The momentum of corporate activity in this respect offers encouraging signs that discounts will continue to contract from the very wide levels which have been a feature in recent months.

Diversification efforts continue to prioritise the Developed closed end fund strategy, with the third anniversary of the launch of this product in September 2012 representing a significant milestone with respect to marketing opportunities, particularly within the context of the consultant universe. The product continues to exhibit consistent outperformance. The Frontier Emerging Markets Fund has also consistently outperformed its benchmark since its inception in 2005, and is now beginning to attract the attention of investment consultants and institutional prospects.

City of London Investment Management Company Limited (CLIM) was recently notified by the China Securities Regulatory Commission of approval in principle for a Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor account allocation of $100 million.  CLIM's China A Share Fund has been invested in Chinese A Shares since 2003 and has generated first quartile performance over all annualised periods since inception, and we believe this Fund's track record will allow for new marketing opportunities.

Having announced his intention to sell shares at given price levels, Barry Olliff has since the start of 2010 sold 500,000 shares at 310p, 500,000 at 350p and 500,000 at 400p. In December 2010 he gifted 500,000 shares to The Newlin Foundation, which subsequently sold 27,793 of those shares. It is now intended that a further 472,207 shares will be made available for sale at 450p, and then 500,000  at 500p, with these sales being satisfied out of the combined holdings of Mr Olliff and the Newlin Foundation.

City of London Investment Group expects to announce final full year results for the year to 31 May 2012 on 3 September 2012.  The Company's Annual General Meeting date and final dividend payment dates are expected to be 1 October 2012 and 19 October 2012 respectively.

Summary and unaudited trading update
	Year to 31 May
	2012	2011
Funds under Management (at period end)	US$4.5bn	US$5.8bn
Turnover (plus investment income)	£34.6m	£36.7m
Administrative expenses, commission payable, and profit-share	£23.1m	£23.2m
Listing costs	-	£0.4m
Profit before tax	£11.5m	£13.1m
Profit after tax	£8.5m	£8.8m
Profit per share, basic	33.8p	35.1p
Profit per share, diluted	32.8p	34.0p

Financials - consolidated income statement
	Year to 31 May
£'000	2012	2011
Fee income	34,142	36,494
Interest & other	428	201
Finder's commission	(5,195)	(5,785)
Custody & Administration	(1,433)	(1,158)
Total net income	27,942	29,752
Costs:
Human resources	6,763	5,965
Premises	628	600
Communications & IT	1,619	1,699
Business development	909	673
General	1,135	1,159
Total costs	11,054	10,096
Operating profit	16,888	19,656
Profit-share	5,424	6,069
Listing costs	-	438
Pre-tax profit	11,464	13,149
Tax	(2,964)	(4,380)
Post-tax profit	8,500	8,769
Dividends (prior year final plus current year interim)	(6,052)	(5,787)
Retained	2,448	2,982

For further information, please visit www.citlon.co.uk or contact:

Doug Allison (Finance Director)	Simon Hudson / Kelsey Traynor
City of London Investment Group PLC	Tavistock Communications
Tel: [phone]	Tel: [phone]
Claes Spang	Martin Green
Singer Capital Markets Limited	Canaccord Genuity Limited
Financial Adviser & Joint Broker	Joint Broker
Tel: [phone]	Tel: [phone]

This announcement contains forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results and business of City of London Investment Group PLC. By their nature, forward looking statements involve risk and uncertainty and there may be subsequent variations to estimates. City of London Investment Group PLC's actual future results may differ materially from the results expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. Nothing in this announcement should be construed as or is intended to be a solicitation for or an offer to provide investment advisory services.

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