Final Results
Henderson Smaller Cos Inv Tst PLC
15 July 2002
15 July 2002
THE HENDERSON SMALLER COMPANIES INVESTMENT TRUST PLC
Unaudited Preliminary Group Results for the year ended 31 May 2002
The Chairman's Statement:
Last year we reported stockmarket volatility, and warned of more to come. Our
cautious outlook turned out to be correct, as the downturn in technology stocks
accelerated, and action was taken to rebalance the portfolio. In spite of these
warnings, it gives me no satisfaction to report a 45% drop in net asset value.
Our valuations are now considerably lower. Conditions have not, however, changed
to the extent that this causes us to alter our philosophy - which is the
commitment to growth. The fundamentals of our approach have been reviewed, and
we have adjusted the portfolio to suit difficult times.
Dividend The growth companies we invest in tend to retain the bulk of their
earnings. Capital growth, not income, is our priority. In general we expect to
pay only nominal dividends, and propose for this year once again a single and
final dividend of 0.5p, paid out of reserves.
Share buy-backs We continue to monitor our discount. During the year we
purchased 26.1 million shares for cancellation at a favourable discount,
representing 16.1% of those in issue on 31 May 2001. These buy-backs enhanced
net asset value by £9.9 million. Since the year end we have bought back a
further 2.4 million shares, and our buy-back authority was renewed at the EGM on
26 June 2002.
Prospects A great deal of bad news is out, and the prevailing gloom is already
discounted in our share price. While the short term is painful for us all, I can
only restate our continued confidence in the strategy. We will be monitoring
performance very closely.
P H G Cadbury
Chairman
12 July 2002
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THE HENDERSON SMALLER COMPANIES INVESTMENT TRUST PLC
Unaudited Preliminary Group Results for the year ended 31 May 2002
Group Statement of Total Return (incorporating the consolidated revenue account)
Year ended 31 May 2002 Year ended 31 May 2001
Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total
£'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000
Total capital - (240,230) (240,230) - (162,352) (162,352)
losses from
investments
Income from 4,592 - 4,592 4,506 - 4,506
fixed asset
investments
Other 111 - 111 926 - 926
interest
receivable
and similar
income
------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- -------------
Gross revenue 4,703 (240,230) (235,527) 5,432 (162,352) (156,920)
and capital
losses
Management (2,734) - (2,734) (3,022) - (3,022)
fee
Other (352) - (352) (344) - (344)
administrative
expenses
Irrecoverable (416) - (416) (512) - (512)
VAT
------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- -------------
Net
return/(loss)
on ordinary
activities
before 1,201 (240,230) (239,029) 1,554 (162,352) (160,798)
interest
payable and
taxation
Interest (2,381) - (2,381) (2,123) - (2,123)
payable
------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- -------------
Net loss on
ordinary
activities
before (1,180) (240,230) (241,410) (569) (162,352) (162,921)
taxation
Taxation on (1) - (1) - - -
net return on
ordinary
activities
------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- -------------
Net loss on
ordinary
activities
after (1,181) (240,230) (241,411) (569) (162,352) (162,921)
taxation
------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- -------------
Dividends -
ordinary
shares
Final: 0.50p (654) - (654) (810) - (810)
(2001: 0.50p)
------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- -------------
Transfer from (1,835) (240,230) (242,065) (1,379) (162,352) (163,731)
reserves
======= ======= ======= ======= ======= =======
Loss per (0.77)p (157.34)p (158.11)p (0.34)p (95.91)p (96.25)p
ordinary
share
======= ======= ======= ======= ======= =======
The revenue columns of this statement represent the consolidated revenue
accounts of the Group
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THE HENDERSON SMALLER COMPANIES INVESTMENT TRUST PLC
Unaudited Preliminary Group Results for the year ended 31 May 2002
Balance Sheets Group Group Company Company
2002 2001 2002 2001
£'000 £'000 £'000 £'000
Fixed asset investments
United Kingdom listed investments at market value 255,208 518,103 255,208 518,103
AIM investments at market value 16,248 30,036 16,248 30,036
Unquoted investments at directors' valuation 1,907 2,250 1,907 2,250
Subsidiary undertaking - - 2,272 3,960
------------- ------------- ------------- -------------
273,363 550,389 275,635 554,349
------------- ------------- ------------- -------------
Current assets
Debtors 1,815 1,370 1,815 2,066
Cash at bank and short term deposits 40 16,876 38 15,785
------------- ------------- ------------- -------------
1,855 18,246 1,853 17,851
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (8,935) (15,434) (11,205) (18,999)
------------- ------------- ------------- -------------
Net current (liabilities)/assets (7,080) 2,812 (9,352) (1,148)
------------- ------------- ------------- -------------
Total assets less current liabilities 266,283 553,201 266,283 553,201
Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year (20,000) (20,000) (20,000) (20,000)
------------- ------------- ------------- -------------
Total net assets 246,283 533,201 246,283 533,201
======== ======== ======== ========
Capital and reserves
Called-up share capital 34,004 40,531 34,004 40,531
Other capital reserves 208,472 487,028 210,744 490,988
Revenue reserve 3,807 5,642 1,535 1,682
------------- ------------- ------------- -------------
Shareholders' funds (including non-equity
interests of £9,000; 2001: £9,000) 246,283 533,201 246,283 533,201
======== ======== ======== ========
Net asset value per ordinary share 181.1p 328.9p 181.1p 328.9p
======== ======== ======== ========
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THE HENDERSON SMALLER COMPANIES INVESTMENT TRUST PLC
Unaudited Preliminary Group Results for the year ended 31 May 2002
Group Cash Flow Statement 2002 2002 2001 2001
£'000 £'000 £'000 £'000
Net cash inflow from operating activities 1,282 1,284
Servicing of finance
Debenture interest paid (2,100) (3,150)
Bank overdraft and loan interest paid (261) (23)
------------- -------------
Net cash outflow from servicing of finance (2,361) (3,173)
Taxation
UK tax recovered - 10
Overseas tax recovered - 33
------------- -------------
Net tax recovered - 43
Financial investment
Purchases of investments (115,920) (117,448)
Sales of investments 137,809 129,405
------------- -------------
Net cash inflow from financial investment 21,889 11,957
Equity dividends paid (784) (852)
Management of liquid resources
Cash withdrawn from deposit 10,000 10,000
Financing
Purchase of ordinary shares (44,863) (25,038)
Drawdown of loans 8,000 -
------------- -------------
(36,863) (25,038)
------------- -------------
Decrease in cash (6,837) (5,779)
======== ========
Reconciliation of net cash flow to movements in net (debt)/funds
Decrease in cash as above (6,837) (5,779)
Cash inflow from management of liquid resources (10,000) (10,000)
Cash inflow from debt financing (8,000) -
------------- -------------
Change in net debt resulting from cash flows (24,837) (15,779)
Exchange movements 1 1
------------- -------------
Movement in net debt in the year (24,836) (15,778)
Net (debt)/funds as at 1 June (3,124) 12,654
------------- -------------
Net debt at 31 May (27,960) (3,124)
======== ========
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THE HENDERSON SMALLER COMPANIES INVESTMENT TRUST PLC
Unaudited Preliminary Group Results for the year ended 31 May 2002
Notes:
1. Loss per ordinary share
The revenue loss per ordinary share is based on the losses
attributable to the ordinary shares of £1,181,000 (2001: £569,000) and
on the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the
year of 152,680,943 (2001: 169,276,109).
The capital loss per ordinary share is based on the net capital losses
for the year of £240,230,000 (2001: £162,352,000) and on the weighted
average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year of
152,680,943 (2001: 169,276,109).
2. Issued Share Capital
There were 135,980,999 shares of 25p in issue at 31 May 2002 (31 May
2001: 162,089,094).
3. Dividend
The recommended final dividend of 0.5p per ordinary share, subject
to approval at the Annual General Meeting, will be paid on 1 October
2002 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 6
September 2002.
The final dividend accrued in respect of the year ended 31 May 2002, at
0.5p per ordinary share, amounts to £680,000. The buy-backs of the
Company's ordinary shares, after 31 May 2001 but before the record date
of the final dividend for the year ended on that date, resulted in a
write-back of £26,000 for dividends accrued in respect of the year ended
31 May 2001 but not in the event payable. The £654,000 shown is the sum
of these two figures.
4. Basis of consolidation
The Group accounts consolidate the accounts of the Company and of
its wholly owned subsidiary undertaking, Henderson Smaller Companies
Finance Limited.
5. 2002 Accounts
The preliminary figures for the year ended 31 May 2002 are an
extract from the Group's accounts for that year. These accounts have not
yet been delivered to the Registrar of Companies, nor have the auditors
yet reported on them.
6. 2001 Accounts
The figures and financial information for the year ended 31 May
2001 are an extract of the latest published accounts and do not
constitute the statutory accounts for that year. These accounts 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 section 237(3) of the Companies Act 1985.
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THE HENDERSON SMALLER COMPANIES INVESTMENT TRUST PLC
Unaudited Preliminary Group Results for the year ended 31 May 2002
7. Annual General Meeting
The full annual report and accounts will be posted to shareholders
in late August 2002 and copies will be available thereafter from the
Secretary at the Company's Registered Office, 4 Broadgate, London EC2M
2DA. The Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday 27 September 2002
at 2.00 pm.
- ENDS -
For further information please contact :
John Alexander or Mark Vickery
The Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc Henderson Press Office
Telephone: 020 7818 4340 Telephone: 020 7818 4222
Andrew Stack
The Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc
Telephone: 020 7818 4351
Stephen Westwood
Head of Investment Trusts
Henderson Global Investors
020 7818 5517
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange