Final Results

Jupiter European Opps. Trust PLC 31 August 2004 JUPITER EUROPEAN OPPORTUNITIES TRUST PLC Preliminary Announcement CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT Performance Review Another year of out-performance saw a 30.3 per cent recovery in your Company's net asset value, more than double the rise in the FTSE World Europe ex-UK Index, our benchmark, while the share price discount to net asset value narrowed from 17.7 per cent to 9.6 per cent. Since launch in November 2000 the net asset value has risen by 14.5 per cent whereas the benchmark has fallen by no less than 29.8 per cent. Performance was boosted by judicious use of our gearing facility while the dealing subsidiary, JEOT Securities, contributed a useful profit, albeit less than in the previous year. Over the year under review the euro gave back most of the previous year's gain against sterling, falling from 1.39 to 1.50. In this respect the gain in net asset value is even more impressive, and a tribute to your Manager's consistent and robust investment process. Share Repurchases Whilst the Board has given the Managers authorisation to buy back shares where appropriate, no shares were purchased for cancellation during the year. The discount has narrowed over the year and compares favourably with those of our peer group. The Board and the Managers will continue to monitor the situation and will make further share repurchases as appropriate. In order to do this, shareholders will be asked at the Annual General Meeting to approve renewed powers for the Board to buy in up to 15 per cent of the Company's issued share capital for cancellation or, as further described below, for treasury. Treasury Shares With effect from 1st December 2003, the Companies Act has been amended to permit the Company to buy up to 10 per cent of its own shares into treasury (for reissue or cancellation at a future date) as an alternative to purchasing for immediate cancellation. The Board considers that circumstances could arise in which it would be in shareholders' interests for such a power to be exercised and it has therefore given the Managers permission to use this authority. The Managers will also be permitted to reissue treasury shares for the Company's benefit subject to obtaining general approval from its shareholders. The Board believes that the responsible use of treasury shares will enable the Company to take advantage of moments of sudden volatility in the discount to net asset value at which the shares may trade for the benefit of shareholders. Any reissue of treasury shares will assist in maintaining the Company's market capitalisation; its secondary market liquidity and in reducing the Company's total expense ratio. Both the repurchase for cancellation and the use of treasury shares should assist the Managers in their objective of enhancing the net asset value of the Company's shares. The Board believes that the added flexibility afforded by the choice between immediate cancellation and the prospect of reissue of treasury shares will be a useful additional tool in the active management of the Company's investment portfolio. The Board has determined the following policies in respect of the Manager's discretion in the use of treasury shares. In the event that treasury shares are not reissued to the market within six months of their date of purchase they will automatically be cancelled. During any period in which treasury shares are held by the Company the Managers will publish both a diluted and an undiluted estimate of net asset value for its shares (to reflect their attributable value if the shares, were either to be reissued or cancelled on the date of valuation). The Managers shall not repurchase shares for treasury at a discount to net asset value of less than 10 per cent. on the date or purchase. The number of treasury shares that may be held for reissue at any one time will be limited to 10 per cent of the shares in issue. Treasury shares will only be reissued at a lesser discount to net asset value than that at which they were acquired. Any treasury shares will only be reissued at a price not less than the market bid price at the time of sale. The Board has considered carefully the pros and cons of restricting the reissue of treasury shares at prices in excess of their net asset value and has concluded that the maximum flexibility for the Managers in the use of this facility is in the interests of shareholders. In any event, the Board would be free to issue either treasury or new shares at prices in excess of net asset value if the opportunity were to arise. Accordingly shareholders will also be asked at the Annual General Meeting to approve resolution 6 which will disapply the statutory pre-emption rights, this will enable the Company to sell shares held in treasury (or issue new shares for cash) without having to make a pro rata offer to all shareholders. Board Changes Shareholders will doubtless be aware of the greater attention being paid by the Boards of listed companies, including investment trusts, to corporate governance. In many respects this is a commendable development, but it also has unfortunate consequences. Having regard to the new Stock Exchange Listing Rules, which are due to come into effect on 1st April next year and the Combined Code on Corporate Governance, James D'Albiac as a director of two investment trusts managed by Jupiter Asset Management Limited has decided to retire from our Board at the Annual General Meeting. James has been a director of your Company since inception. We shall miss his wise counsel, attention to detail, and ability (in cricketing parlance) to bowl cunningly flighted, apparently innocuous, but deadly balls out of a dark background - in other words, to keep his fellow directors and the Managers up to the mark. We wish him every future success. Our regret at his departure is tempered by the knowledge that his successor, and the Jupiter representative on our Board, will be Alex Darwall, who manages your Company's investments on a day to day basis and who has a sizeable personal investment in its shares. According to an internal Treasury memorandum, "all the major uncertainties lie in the future". Currently these include acts of terrorism, the price of oil, rising interest rates and the Chinese economy, to name but a few. The European Union has recently taken in 10 new members and is becoming increasingly difficult to manage, in spite of the best efforts of Brussels bureaucrats. The world economy continues to grow, while company profits and dividends are rising, although the major equity market indices show very little advance over 2004 to date. On this basis, equities in general offer better value than at the start of the year, and we are hopeful that your Company's portfolio will continue to outperform. H M Priestley Chairman 31st August 2004 MANAGER'S REVIEW The background for equities was favourable during the year under review. The FTSE All World equity index rose by 8% (in sterling). The S&P 500 rose by only 3.9%; Japan and the emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe and China performed strongly. The FTSE World Europe ex-UK index rose by 12.6%. Given that Europe has one of the weakest economic records in regional terms, this shows what a complicated connection there is between macro economic factors and stock market performance. Notwithstanding this favourable backdrop there is no doubt that your Company's performance depends above all on our ability to pick stocks. The investment process remains the same: we endeavour to invest in companies with a good record, proven product and business model, combined with evidence of entrepreneurial drive and the prospect of above average growth opportunities. We seek to find companies that have a truly advantageous point of differentiation; companies whose success depends as far as reasonably possible on their own efforts. Market fashions have some influence over shorter term performance but over a longer term investment period the fundamental qualities, or otherwise, of a company are recognised by the stock market. There were a number of interrelated reasons for the rise in equity markets. A major concern for investors had been the possibility of deflation. But these fears subsided as demand, especially in the US, strengthened and corporates regained some pricing power. This, together with strong productivity progress, amounted to a favourable set of circumstances for equity markets. Moreover, interest rates remain low by historic standards even if European inflation is stuck just above the European Central Bank's 2% target. A further fillip came from the strong economic growth in China and the emerging economies of Central and Eastern Europe. After years of stagnation the Japanese economy is now showing signs of growth once more. However, economic growth remains comparatively sluggish in Europe. Mainstream economists expect less than 2% growth in 2004 and again in 2005. The root cause of this poor performance is the weak productivity advance. The OECD and the ECB estimate that European productivity growth is running at 1.2-1.5%. This compares with a figure of 2.5% in the US, according to the OECD. Restrictive labour practices remain an enduring obstacle to progress in the EU, and the latest manifestation of this is the increasingly protectionist actions by European governments. Both the French and German governments have tried to interfere in a range of industrial and commercial restructurings in the private sector. Such intervention by politicians is clearly to the detriment of owners' interests and Europe's reputation. The EU Commission's response to this political interference is one of initial fulmination giving way to acquiescence. One of the results of this is that unemployment remains at high levels. Economic forecasts estimate that eurozone unemployment will, at 8.8% in 2004, remain broadly at the same level as in 2003. Europe has had other difficulties including sharply rising commodity prices, notably that of oil. The oil price has, roughly, doubled since its sub $20 a barrel price of December 2001. Despite all these factors European equity markets have performed relatively well. Part of the explanation lies in the fact that many of the best European companies are increasingly global and therefore less than ever before tied to the fortunes of Europe. Another important factor is the strength of the euro against the US dollar. Over the period under review the US dollar has fallen by 3.7% against the euro largely because of concerns that America's deficits are unsustainable. One stimulus to European performance was the accession of ten countries to the EU in May of this year which is an exciting development but exacerbates the tensions between protectionist and free trade interests. Given our consistent investment process it is not surprising that turnover in the portfolio is relatively low. Our changes made to your portfolio reflect this process rather than stock market fashions. The main sales were those of Matalan, Stedim, Depfa Bank, TDC and UFF. Other sales included Waterford Wedgwood. We reduced positions in Dassault Systemes and Imerys. These stocks were sold either because of disappointing news or because valuations became too demanding. Other positions that were bought and sold in the period included Stada, the German drug generics company, SES Global and MTG. Important purchases included Clarins, the French skincare and cosmetics company; FMC the German renal care company; ebookers, the online ticketing company; Repsol, the Spanish oil company; and Oriflame the Swedish based direct selling cosmetics company. We increased positions in Medion, DNB, Numico, and Essilor. The relatively good performance of the fund came from a number of stocks, across a range of sectors. Geographic considerations play little part in our investment process as most of your Company's investments compete on the international stage. Returns were improved by gearing the portfolio. The level of gearing is determined by the manager's confidence in finding attractive investment opportunities. Your Company's borrowings, which were € 23.6m at the start of the period under review, were reduced to €7.5m by the end of 2003. Borrowings were then increased to €14.7m in February 2004. The trading subsidiary reported an overall profit of £648,000 after losses of £384,000 from short positions. As ever our focus is trying to identify great companies, ones whose success depends as far as possible on their own efforts. Such companies tend to perform well in a range of different economic circumstances. Even if challenges remain at the 'macro' level, the realisation that great companies exist underpins our confidence for the future. Alex Darwall Manager Jupiter Asset Management Limited CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF TOTAL RETURN (Incorporating the Revenue Account) for the year ended 31st May 2004 2004 2003 Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Realised gains/ (losses) - 1,575 1,575 - (468) (468) on investments Increase/ (decrease) in unrealised appreciation - 17,371 17,371 - (5,670) (5,670) of fixed asset investments ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ Total capital gains/(losses) on investments - 18,946 18,946 - (6,138) (6,138) Foreign exchange gains/(losses) on loan - 901 901 - (1,798) (1,798) Other exchange (losses)/gains - (62) (62) - 12 12 Income 2,584 - 2,584 2,942 - 2,942 Investment management fee (811) - (811) (649) - (649) Other expenses (389) - (389) (382) - (382) ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ Net return /(loss) before finance costs 1,384 19,785 21,169 1,911 (7,924) (6,013) and taxation Interest payable (363) - (363) (471) - (471) ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ Return / (loss) on ordinary activities 1,021 19,785 20,806 1,440 (7,924) (6,484) before tax Tax on ordinary activities (297) - (297) (229) - (229) ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ Return/(loss) on ordinary activities after 724 19,785 20,509 1,211 (7,924) (6,713) tax ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ Return/(loss) per Ordinary share 0.89p 24.53p 25.42p 1.48p (9.67)p (8.19)p The revenue column of this statement is the profit and loss account of the Group. All revenue and capital items in the above statement derive from continuing operations. No operations were acquired or discontinued during the year. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET as at 31st May 2004 2004 2003 £'000 £'000 Fixed assets Investments 93,335 80,578 ________ ________ Current assets Investments 1,070 4,145 Debtors 1,148 1,689 Cash at bank 2,821 130 ________ ________ 5,039 5,964 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (459) (1,950) ________ ________ Net current assets 4,580 4,014 ________ ________ Total assets less current liabilities 97,915 84,592 Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year (9,791) (16,977) ________ ________ Net assets 88,124 67,615 ________ ________ Capital and reserves Called up share capital 807 807 Share premium 38,843 38,843 Special reserve 37,597 37,597 Redemption reserve 22 22 Capital reserve - realised (6,028) (7,541) Capital reserve - unrealised 16,291 (1,981) Revenue reserve 592 (132) ________ ________ Total equity shareholders' funds 88,124 67,615 ________ ________ Net asset value per ordinary share 109.25p 83.82p Approved by the Board of Directors on 31st August 2004 and signed on its behalf. H M Priestley Chairman CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT for the year ended 31st May 2004 2004 2003 £'000 £'000 Operating activities Net cash inflow from operating activities 4,487 928 _______ _______ Servicing of finance Interest paid (390) (525) _______ _______ Net cash outflow from servicing of finance (390) (525) _______ _______ Taxation Net tax paid (411) (106) _______ _______ Capital expenditure and financial investment Purchase of fixed asset investments (31,519) (56,147) Sale of fixed asset investments 38,391 53,950 _______ _______ Net cash inflow/(outflow) from capital expenditure and financial investment 6,872 (2,197) _______ _______ Net cash inflow/(outflow) before financing 10,558 (1,900) _______ _______ Financing Long term loan received 4,925 10,016 Long term loan repaid (11,210) (10,291) Shares repurchased and cancelled - (1,246) _______ _______ Net cash outflow from financing (6,285) (1,521) _______ _______ Increase/(decrease) in cash 4,273 (3,421) NOTES 1. Income 2004 2003 Group Group £'000 £'000 Income from investments Dividend from United Kingdom companies 414 262 UK unfranked investment income - 130 Scrip dividends 10 - Dividend from overseas companies 1,251 930 1,675 1,322 Other income Deposit interest 52 31 Profit on dealings by subsidiary 857 1,589 909 1,620 Total income 2,584 2,942 Total income comprises Dividends 1,675 1,192 Interest 52 161 Other income 857 1,589 2,584 2,942 Income from investments Listed in the UK 414 392 Listed overseas 1,261 930 1,675 1,322 2. Reconciliation of consolidated operating profit to net cash outflow from operating activities 2004 2003 Group Group £'000 £'000 Net revenue before finance costs and taxation 1,384 1,911 Decrease in prepayments and accrued income - 9 Decrease/(increase) in current asset investments 3,075 (979) Increase/(decrease) in other creditors and accruals 28 (13) ______ ______ 4,487 928 3. Creditors : amounts falling due after more than one year 2004 2003 Group & Company Group & Company £'000 £'000 Bank loan 9,791 16,977 The Company's bank loan is with Commerzbank AG, London with a loan facility available up to a maximum of 45% of the Group's total assets but not exceeding £30 million. The amount outstanding at 31st May 2004 was £9.791 million (€14.7 million) (2003: £16.977 million (€23.65 million)). The interest rate is variable and is linked to Euribor plus a margin of 0.8% p.a. The latest all-in rate being applied to the loan is 2.918% p.a. (2003: 3.276%). The Annual General Meeting of the Company has been convened for Thursday 23rd September 2004. The preliminary announcement is prepared on the same basis as set out in the Statutory Accounts for the year ended 31st May 2004 and was approved by the Board of Directors on 31st August 2004. The above financial information does not constitute statutory accounts as defined in section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. The Auditors have reported on the Statutory accounts for the year ended 31st May 2004; their report was unqualified, and did not contain statements under s237(2) or (3) Companies Act 1985. Statutory accounts for the year ended 31st May 2004 including an unqualified audit report will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies in due course. The Annual Report and Accounts are expected to be posted to all registered shareholders shortly and copies may be obtained from the registered office of the Company at 1 Grosvenor Place, London SW1X 7JJ. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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