Interim Results - Amendment
Foreign&Colonial Enterprise Tst PLC
25 August 2000
The issuer has made the following amendment to the Interim Results
announcement released on 9 August 2000 at 14.13 under RNS No 2281P.
The interim results issued on 9 August 2000 contained comparatives in the
Consolidated Statement of Total Return which had not been restated for the
effects of FRS 16 'Current Taxation'. The figures previously reported for the
period to 30 June 2000 have not changed.
The effect of the change in accounting policy is to decrease both income and
the tax charge by £192,000 for the six months to 30 June 1999 and £310,000 for
the twelve months to 31 December 1999. There is no change to the revenue
return attributable to equity shareholders for either of these periods.
Neither is there any change in the net asset value attributable to equity
shareholders.
The restated Consolidated Statement of Total Return has been amended below.
All other details remain unchanged.
The full corrected version is shown below.
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FOREIGN & COLONIAL ENTERPRISE TRUST PLC
UNAUDITED RESULTS FOR THE HALF YEAR
TO 30 JUNE 2000
SUMMARY
30 Jun 31 Dec % change to
2000 1999 30 Jun 2000
Shareholders' Funds £304.3m £299.2m +1.7%
Net Assets per Share 323.6p 318.1p +1.7%
Share price 291.5p 323.0p -9.8%
KEY POINTS
Shareholders' funds increased by 1.7% to £304.3 million
Investments made and new commitments totalled £74.3 million
Realisations from the investment portfolio totalled £34.6 million
Commenting on the results, John Sclater, Chairman, said:
'In the six months to 30 June 2000 the net assets attributable to shareholders
of Foreign & Colonial Enterprise Trust ('FACET') rose by 1.7% to £304.3
million (323.6p per share). FACET's share price fell by 9.8% to 291.5p.
These movements compare with the fall of 6.6% in the FTSE All-Share Index in
the period.
At 31 December 1999 FACET's share price was at a premium of 1.5% to underlying
net asset value. Following the fall in the share price the shares had moved
to a discount of 9.9% on 30 June 2000. This was against the trend for other
investment trusts in our sector, where the average discount to net assets for
investment trusts specialising in unquoted investments (excluding 3i) narrowed
from 12.3% to 4.2%.
The Investment Portfolio
Underlying the relatively small overall movement in net asset value in the
period there were some substantial changes in the valuations of individual
investments.
The largest investment at the beginning of the year was Computacenter in which
FACET held 5.8 million shares with a value of £59.5 million. The
Computacenter share price has been highly volatile, moving from £10.18 on 31
December 1999 to a peak of £15.02 in February and subsequently falling to
£3.78 on 30 June 2000. We believe that this volatility was partly a
reflection of the general volatility in the technology sector and partly the
consequence of a trading statement released in June. We sold 1.0 million
Computacenter shares between March and May at an average price of £13.39,
generating £13.4 million in proceeds. Taking into account the share sales,
the overall negative effect of Computacenter on FACET's net asset value was
£27.8 million in the period. By a small margin Computacenter remained FACET's
largest investment at 30 June 2000 with a value of £18.3 million.
While the recent share price performance of Computacenter is disappointing, it
should be put into a longer term context. Since FACET first invested in
Computacenter in 1985 the total cost of its investments in the company has
been £2.3 million. This compares with the total of £69.3 million which has so
far been realised in cash from the investment and the overall value of £87.6
million taking into account the valuation of the residual holding at 30 June
2000.
Elsewhere in the investment portfolio there were overall net realised and
unrealised gains of £31.8 million which more than compensated for the fall in
the value of Computacenter. The most significant movements in the unquoted
portfolio were in SBJ Group, where the valuation has increased by £8.1
million, and in Clinovia where the valuation was increased by £6.0 million to
reflect the gain realised from its sale in early July.
New Investments and Realisations
In the six months to 30 June 2000 £34.7 million was invested in cash and a
further £39.6 million was committed to the investment portfolio. There has
been a significant increase in the rate of investment, with overall
commitments to the investment portfolio in the period exceeding the total
amount invested in the whole of 1999. This reflects both a stronger flow of
new investment opportunities and the widening of FACET's investment policy
which was described in the 1999 annual report.
Cash realisations from the investment portfolio totalled £34.6 million of
which £13.4 million came from the sales of Computacenter shares described
above. A total of £7.9 million was realised from the unquoted portfolio.
Liquidity
FACET's liquid assets are available both for new investments and to meet
undrawn commitments to the existing portfolio which totalled £52.6 million at
30 June 2000 compared with £15.9 million at the beginning of the year. At 31
December 1999 FACET had net liquid assets of £88.1 million. At 30 June 2000
this total was little changed at £87.7 million, but the composition had
changed significantly. In the 1999 annual report we stated that we might
index part of FACET's surplus liquidity to the UK stockmarket. We have now
done this by investing £60.3 million in a portfolio designed to track the FTSE
350. This portfolio was established in March and was valued at £58.7 million
at 30 June 2000.
Outlook
We believe that FACET's net asset value performance in the first half of the
year has been satisfactory in generally difficult markets. The share price
has, however, been weak. Following a further fall since 30 June 2000 the
share price has moved to a significant discount to underlying net assets for
the first time in over four years. At the Annual General Meeting in April
shareholders gave the Company powers to buy back up to 14.9% of its shares,
and we shall begin to use these powers if we believe that it is in
shareholders' interests to do so.
We have been encouraged by the increase in the rate of investment in the first
six months of the year and the resulting greater exposure to unquoted
companies. We shall continue to look for attractive new investments in the
second half. Looking beyond any short term movements in quoted markets, we
remain confident in the overall prospects for the portfolio.'
For further information, please contact:
James Nelson / William Eccles
F&C Ventures Tel: 020 7825 5300
FOREIGN & COLONIAL ENTERPRISE TRUST PLC
UNAUDITED RESULTS FOR THE HALF YEAR TO 30 JUNE
Consolidated Assets 30 Jun 31 Dec
2000 1999 1999
£'000s £'000s £'000s
Listed investments 109,888 108,861 136,460
Unlisted investments at directors' valuation 106,718 63,623 74,654
Portfolio investments 216,606 172,484 211,114
Zero coupon preference shares 12,228 11,995 12,008
FTSE 350 Index fund 58,695 - -
Total investments 287,529 184,479 223,122
Net current assets 21,422 80,601 80,934
Total assets less current liabilities 308,951 265,080 304,056
Minority interest (4,619) (1,197) (4,862)
Net assets attributable to ordinary shareholders 304,332 263,883 299,194
Net asset value per share 323.6p 280.6p 318.1p
Geographical distribution of investments Continental North
at 30 June 2000 UK Europe America Total
% % % %
Listed 40% - 1% 41%
Unlisted 45% 12% 2% 59%
85% 12% 3% 100%
Consolidated Statement of Total Return 30 Jun 31 Dec
(incorporating the Revenue Account) 2000 1999* 1999*
£'000s £'000s £'000s
Revenue Return
Income 3,707 4,108 8,215
Investment management fee (676) (561) (1,200)
Other expenses (430) (225) (1,002)
Net return before finance costs and taxation 2,601 3,322 6,013
Interest payable and similar charges (16) (29) (54)
Return on ordinary activities before tax 2,585 3,293 5,959
Tax on ordinary activities (263) (760) (1,099)
Return attributable to equity shareholders 2,322 2,533 4,860
Dividends in respect of ordinary
shares (equity) - - (4,044)
Transfer to reserves 2,322 2,533 816
Capital Return
Gains on investments 4,220 9,860 51,912
Investment management fee (2,029) (1,684) (3,600)
Other expenses (212) 173 209
Tax on ordinary activities 614 522 1,089
2,593 8,871 49,610
Minority interests 222 (76) (3,787)
Net capital return 2,815 8,795 45,823
Total Return 5,137 11,328 46,639
Revenue return per ordinary share 2.47p 2.70p 5.17p
Capital return per ordinary share 2.99p 9.35p 48.72p
Total return per ordinary share 5.46p 12.05p 53.89p
* restated to comply with FRS 16 ' Current Taxation'.
Consolidated Cash Flow Statement 30 Jun 31 Dec
2000 1999 1999
£'000s £'000s £'000s
Net cash inflow from operating activities 129 1,385 2,546
Returns on investments and servicing of finance (30) - (58)
Taxation - (2) (239)
Acquisitions and disposals (60,363) 3,272 6,698
Equity dividends paid (4,044) (4,044) (4,044)
Management of liquid resources 48,512 20,363 27,378
Net cash outflow before financing (15,796) 20,974 32,281
Financing 13 (71) (147)
(Decrease)/increase in cash (15,783) 20,903 32,134
Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net debt
(Decrease)/increase in cash (15,783) 20,903 32,134
Cash inflow from change in liquid resources (48,512) (20,363) (27,378)
Change in net liquid funds resulting from cash
flows (64,295) 540 4,756
Exchange difference 524 173 209
Movement of net liquid funds (63,771) 713 4,965
Net liquid funds at 1 January 84,760 79,795 79,795
Net liquid funds 30 June/31 December 20,989 80,508 84,760
Reconciliation of operating profit to net cash flow from operating activities
Net revenue on ordinary activities before taxation 2,585 3,485 6,269
Add back interest payable 16 29 54
Income before interest payable and taxation 2,601 3,514 6,323
Decrease/(increase) in debtors 288 (135) (243)
(Decrease)/increase in creditors (226) (10) 622
Income capitalised (304) - -
Tax on investment income within income (201) (300) (556)
Management fee charged to capital (2,029) (1,684) (3,600)
Net cash inflow from operating activities 129 1,385 2,546
The abridged financial statements at 31 December 1999 have been compiled from
the latest published accounts. Those accounts have delivered to the Registrar
of Companies: the report of the auditors thereon was unqualified.
Copies of the interim Report will be posted to all shareholders on or around
23 August 2000 and copies may be obtained during normal business hours from
the Company's registered office, Exchange House, Primrose Street, London, EC2A
2NY thereafter.
By order of the Board Registered Office
Foreign & Colonial Management Limited Exchange House
Secretary Primrose Street
London EC2A 2NY
Tel: 020 7628 8000
EDITORS' NOTE
Foreign & Colonial Enterprise Trust PLC ('FACET')
FACET is a UK listed investment trust whose investment objective is to provide
shareholders with long term capital growth through investment in unquoted and
smaller quoted companies.
F&C Ventures Limited - The Manager
F&C Ventures, the manager of Foreign & Colonial Enterprise Trust PLC, has a
long established position in the private equity market and extensive
experience of making unquoted investments. It invests in companies at all
stages of development with particular emphasis on finance for expansion,
acquisitions and management buy-outs.