Interim Results
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust PLC
09 June 2005
For immediate release
9 June 2005
To: City Editors
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust PLC
Announces Interim Results for the six months to 31 March 2005
Financial Highlights: (Unaudited) (Audited) % change
31 March 2005 30 September
2004
Share price 235.0p 199.5p +17.8
Net Asset Value per share 235.9p 203.5p +15.9
Discount 0.4% 2.0% -
Shareholders' Funds £90.7m £74.2m +22.2
Market capitalisation £90.4m £72.8m +24.2
Dividend Interim paid 4.0p 1.8p +122.2
Final paid - 4.1p
Six months to One year to
31 March 2005 30 September
2004
Share price (total return) +22.0% +37.4% -
Net Asset Value per share
(total return) +20.5% +26.0% -
FTSE All-Share Index (total
return) +9.9% +15.7% -
The Chairman commented that:
• In the six months to 31 March 2005 the share price and net asset value
per share (total return) increased by 22.0% and 20.5% respectively as
against the FTSE All-Share increase of 9.9%.
• This performance maintained the Company's position as deliverer of
the highest such returns in its peer group over one year.
• Since 31 March 2005 £10.92million (gross proceeds) has been
raised by the issue of new shares at a premium to net asset value
per share of 1.5% or more. Currently the Company has a total net
asset value of £104.6million.
For and on behalf of
Close Finsbury Asset Management Limited, Secretary
8 June 2005
- ENDS -
The following are attached:
* Chairman's Statement
* Consolidated Statement of Total Return
* Consolidated Balance Sheet
* Consolidated Cash Flow Statement
* Notes to the interim accounts
For further information please contact:
Alastair Smith/Tracey Lago, 020 7426 6240/6219
Close Finsbury Asset Management Limited
Jo Stonier/Eleanor Clarke, Quill Communications 020 7618 8905
Nick Train, Lindsell Train Limited 020 7225 6400
Chairman's Statement
In my statement accompanying last year's annual report I said that your Board
believed that the changes which it initiated last year and the investment
strategy adopted by our Investment Adviser would continue to increase
shareholder value and enable your Company to grow organically thus increasing
liquidity in your shares and reducing the total expense ratio. I am pleased to
be able to report that that is exactly what has happened.
During the period under review a total of 1,972,178 Ordinary shares held in
treasury have been issued at an average discount to net asset value of 2.9%.
Furthermore, following shareholder approval at the Extraordinary General Meeting
held on 6 April 2005, 3,845,000 new Ordinary shares were issued at a premium to
net asset value (NAV) per share as a Placing and a further 725,000 new Ordinary
shares have subsequently been issued at a premium to NAV. These issues have
raised in aggregate further gross proceeds of £10.92million.
The effect of the above, which would not have been possible but for the
continuing excellent investment performance, is set out in the table below:
30 September *7 June % change
2004 2005
Share Price 199.5p 249.0p +24.8
Net asset value per share 203.5p 243.8p +19.8
(Discount)/Premium (2.0%) 2.1% -
Market capitalisation £72.8m £106.9m +46.8
*latest practicable date
As at 31 March 2005 your Company continued to deliver the highest share price
and NAV performance (total return) over the year to that date in its AITC peer
group.
International Financial Reporting Standards ('IFRS')
The Board is considering the adoption of IFRS in the coming year. When adopted
this will affect the valuations of the investments and the treatment of the
dividend in the financial statements. Further information on this is included in
the Notes to the Interim Financial Statements.
Return and Dividends
The Statement of Total Return shows a total return per Ordinary share of 36.72p
made up of a revenue return of 3.56p and a capital return of 33.16p.
An interim dividend of 4.0p (2004: 1.8p), an increase of 122.2%, was declared on
14 March 2005 and paid on 26 April 2005 to shareholders on the register at the
close of business on 29 March 2005. In accordance with the terms of the issue,
this interim dividend was not paid on the 3,845,000 new Ordinary shares detailed
above.
Investments
In the six months ended 31 March 2005 the NAV (total return) increased by 20.5%
compared with that of the FTSE All-Share Index (total return), the Company's
benchmark, of 9.9%. This represents an outperformance of 10.6%.
This outperformance is accounted for by exceptional gains from some of the major
portfolio investments. For instance, A.G. Barr, Cadbury Schweppes, Reuters and
Wolverhampton & Dudley Brewery, comprising together nearly 29.0% of net assets
at the end of March 2005, each rose by 25.0% or more. In addition, another four
holdings, Sage, Young & Co, Fullers and Euromoney, representing another near
10.0% of assets, registered 20.0% plus gains. In total, 66.0% of the portfolio
by closing value outperformed the market over the period under review. The best
performer in the portfolio was London Stock Exchange, which rose 31.0% in the
period, on a finally confirmed bid approach from the Deutsche Bourse. The
preference shares, that amount to 15.2% of net assets, all delivered capital
gains over the half year, led by the Warburg holding, up 12.0%, that, combined
with their dividends, yielded double digit annualised returns.
Borrowings
Your Company has a committed revolving credit facility of £20m for a fixed term
expiring in December 2008.
At 31 March 2005, £17.5 million was drawn down under the committed facility
which is subject to a variable rate of interest but which is capable of being
fixed at any time.
The Board
I am glad to report that Anthony Townsend rejoined the Board on 1 February 2005.
The Board looks forward to Anthony's welcome contribution in particular on
corporate finance matters and from his experience in the investment trust
industry.
Outlook
Your Board intends to grow your Company by issuing new shares at a premium to
net asset value per share as demand for your Company's shares requires in
accordance with the powers it has been given by shareholders. Its ability to do
so will depend on the continuation of the good investment performance, which it
has been enjoying, and to some extent on the performance of the market generally
from which your Company cannot be totally immune.
Michael Reeve
Chairman
8 June 2005
Consolidated Statement of Total Return
Incorporating the revenue account for the six months ended 31 March 2005
(Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited)
Six months Six months Year ended
ended ended 30 September
31 March 2005 31 March 2004 2004
Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total
£'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000
------------- ------- ------ ------ ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
Gains on
investments - 13,019 13,019 - 8,766 8,766 - 14,617 14,617
Income (note
2) 1,821 - 1,821 1,385 - 1,385 3,283 - 3,283
Investment
management
fees (note 3) (107) (218) (325) (81) (163) (244) (163) (332) (495)
Other (215) - (215) (246) - (246) (631) - (631)
expenses ------- ------ ------ ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
-------------
Net return
before
finance
costs and 1,499 12,801 14,300 1,058 8,603 9,661 2,489 14,285 16,774
taxation
Interest
payable and
similar
charges (note
4) (161) (326) (487) (72) (147) (219) (212) (430) (642)
------------- ------- ------ ------ ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
Return on
ordinary
activities
before
taxation 1,338 12,475 13,813 986 8,456 9,442 2,277 13,855 16,132
Taxation on - - - - - - - - -
ordinary ------- ------ ------ ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
activities
-------------
Return on
ordinary
activities
after tax for
the financial
period/year 1,338 12,475 13,813 986 8,456 9,442 2,277 13,855 16,132
Dividends in
respect of
equity shares (1,565) - (1,565) (699) - (699) (2,132) - (2,132)
------------- ------- ------ ------ ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
Transfer
(from)/to (227) 12,475 12,248 287 8,456 8,743 145 13,855 14,000
reserves
------------- ------- ------ ------ ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
Return per
Ordinary
share 3.56p 33.16p 36.72p 2.54p 21.76p 24.30p 6.12p 37.27p 43.39p
(note 5) ------- ------ ------ ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
-------------
Consolidated Balance Sheet
As at 31 March 2005
(Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited)
31 March 2005 31 March 2004 30 September
2004
£'000 £'000 £'000
---------------- ------------ ----------- -------------
Fixed asset investments 108,455 82,128 90,539
---------------- ------------ ----------- -------------
Current assets
Debtors 1,194 708 530
Cash at bank 287 166 251
---------------- ------------ ----------- -------------
1,481 874 781
Creditors
Amounts falling due within
one year (19,223) (9,851) (17,090)
---------------- ------------ ----------- -------------
Net current liabilities (17,742) (8,977) (16,309)
---------------- ------------ ----------- -------------
Net assets 90,713 73,151 74,230
---------------- ------------ ----------- -------------
Capital and reserves
Called up share capital 9,614 9,714 9,614
Share premium 842 - 121
Special reserve 15,938 13,160 12,424
Capital redemption reserve 3,453 3,353 3,453
Capital reserve- realised 40,918 38,769 34,159
Capital reserve -
unrealised 18,363 6,201 12,647
Revenue reserve 1,585 1,954 1,812
---------------- ------------ ----------- -------------
Total shareholders' funds 90,713 73,151 74,230
---------------- ------------ ----------- -------------
Net asset value per
Ordinary share 235.9p 188.3p 203.5p
---------------- ------------ ----------- -------------
Consolidated Cash Flow Statement
For the six months ended 31 March 2005
(Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited)
Six months Six months Year ended
ended ended 30 September
31 March 2005 31 March 2004 2004
£'000 £'000 £'000
----------------- ------------ ------------ -------------
Net cash inflow from
operating activities 593 503 1,952
Servicing of finance
Loan and bank overdraft
interest paid (472) (188) (577)
Financial investment
Purchase of investments (17,526) (3,403) (10,169)
Sale of investments 12,478 3,212 7,567
----------------- ------------ ------------ -------------
Net cash outflow from
financial investment (5,048) (191) (2,602)
Equity dividends paid (1,523) (1,243) (1,879)
Financing
Purchase and cancellation
of own shares - - (736)
Shares purchased and held
in Treasury - - (7,013)
Treasury shares sold 4,236 - 3,571
Drawdown of loans 2,250 300 6,550
----------------- ------------ ------------ -------------
Increase/(decrease) in
cash 36 (819) (734)
----------------- ------------ ------------ -------------
Reconciliation of net cash flow to
movement in net debt
Increase/(decrease) in
cash resulting from
cashflows 36 (819) (734)
Increase in debt (2,250) (300) (6,550)
----------------- ------------ ------------ -------------
Movement in debt (2,214) (1,119) (7,284)
Net debt at start of
period/year (14,999) (7,715) (7,715)
----------------- ------------ ------------ -------------
Net debt at end of
period/year (17,213) (8,834) (14,999)
----------------- ------------ ------------ -------------
Notes to the interim accounts
1. Revenue Account
The revenue column of the Consolidated Statement of Total Return represents the
profit and loss account of the Group.
2. Income
Six months Six months Year ended
ended ended 30 September
31 March 2005 31 March 2004 2004
£'000 £'000 £'000
Investment income 1,788 1,379 3,265
Bank interest 33 6 18
---------- ---------- -----------
Total 1,821 1,385 3,283
---------- ---------- -----------
3. Investment management fees
Six months Six months Year ended
ended ended 30 September
31 March 2005 31 March 2004 2004
£'000 £'000 £'000
Investment management fee 277 208 421
Irrecoverable VAT thereon 48 36 74
----------- ---------- -----------
Total 325 244 495
----------- ---------- -----------
4. Interest payable and similar charges
Six months Six months Year ended
ended ended 30 September
31 March 2005 31 March 2004 2004
£'000 £'000 £'000
Interest payable on revolving credit 480 210 615
facility
Other bank interest 7 9 27
---------- ---------- -----------
Total 487 219 642
---------- ---------- -----------
5. Return per Ordinary share
The revenue return per Ordinary share is calculated by dividing the net
revenue return of £1,338,000 (six months ended 31 March 2004: return of
£986,000; year ended 30 September 2004: return of £2,277,000) by 37,616,627
(six months ended 31 March 2004: 38,856,430; year ended 30 September 2004:
37,177,663), being the weighted average number of Ordinary shares in issue.
The capital return per Ordinary share is calculated by dividing the net
capital return attributable to Ordinary shareholders of £12,475,000 (six
months ended 31 March 2004: return of £8,456,000; year ended 30 September
2004: return of £13,855,000) by the weighted average number of Ordinary
shares in issue, as above.
6. International Financial Reporting Standards ('IFRS')
The financial statements are currently prepared in accordance with UK GAAP.
If IFRS had been applied as at 31 March 2005, the main effect would be the
valuation of investments on a fair value (bid) basis, and the exclusion of
the proposed dividend. As an indication of the effect of this, if
investments were valued on a bid, as opposed to mid, basis the effect on the
net asset value (NAV) would be a reduction in the investment value of
£29,000.
The effect of excluding the proposed dividend from the financial statements
would increase both shareholders funds and revenue retained by £1,565,000
and, with investments at bid, result in a increase to the NAV of £1,536,000.
7. Comparative information
The figures and financial information for the year ended 30 September 2004
are an extract from the latest published financial statements and do not
constitute statutory financial statements for that year. Those financial
statements have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies and included
the report of the auditors which was unqualified and did not contain a
statement under either section 237(2) or 237(3) of the Companies Act 1985.
The interim accounts have been neither audited nor reviewed by the Company's
auditors. They have been prepared using the same accounting policies as
those adopted in the financial statements for the year ended 30 September
2004.
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