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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