Final Results

JPMorgan Fleming US Disc IT PLC 07 March 2006 JPMORGAN FLEMING US DISCOVERY INVESTMENT TRUST plc Stock Exchange Announcement The Board of JPMorgan Fleming US Discovery Investment Trust plc is pleased to announce the Company's results for the year ended 31st December 2005. Commenting on the results the Chairman has made the following statement: Review of Performance I am delighted to report that 2005 was another excellent year for the Company. The Net Asset Value ('NAV') rose by 19.0% compared with a rise of 16.6% in the Russell 2000 index, and it would have risen by 21.3% had it not been for the breakage costs of repaying the debenture during the year (see below). Meanwhile the level of discount to net assets per share declined over the year, boosting the overall return to shareholders in sterling terms to 28.1% For many years now UK investors seem to have been disenchanted with stock markets in the USA. Yet since April 1998, when the Company switched its focus to the US micro cap market, the NAV has risen by 69.5% in sterling terms while the FTSE All-Share index has only risen by 27.0%. The investment policy pursued by Christopher Jones and his team has proven consistent and effective over the longer term. Discount Management Along with that of other investment trust shares, the discount to net asset value of the Company's shares declined during the year. Nevertheless stabilising and further reducing the discount remain among our most important objectives. As one means of achieving this the Company repurchased 80,000 ordinary shares during the year at an average discount of 15.8%, adding 0.1% to the NAV of the remaining shares. The Directors recommend that it is in the best interest of shareholders for this repurchase authority to be retained for use as appropriate and are therefore seeking its renewal for a further 18 months at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting ('AGM'). One of the Board's main aims continues to be to make the Company's strengths and its positive long term performance much more widely known. We believe the shares are an attractive investment for private client money managers who wish to diversify their clients' portfolios into an asset class which has shown good absolute and relative returns over the past seven years. We have therefore continued to work with the Company's manager and brokers to contact these potential purchasers and are pleased to see that the proportion of the Company's shares held by retail investors rose from 39% to 48% during the year. We shall continue to consider actively all means of promoting the Company to potential investors and reducing the shares' discount to underlying assets. Gearing In February 2005 the Board decided to repay the Company's 11% debenture. Despite the detrimental short-term effect on performance, we felt this step to be justified given the mismatch of currencies and the inflexible nature of the borrowing facility. In addition, the Company's US$16 million revolving credit facility was replaced with a similar one of US$35 million at the end of the year. This considerably more flexible arrangement allows the Managers much greater freedom actively to manage the gearing to enhance returns to shareholders. International Accounting Standards From 1st January 2005, International Accounting Standards ('IAS') came into force for all listed companies that prepare group accounts. All other listed companies were permitted to adopt these standards voluntarily. Rather than adopt IAS, the Company continued to follow the UK accounting framework, albeit amended for new accounting standards which were released by the UK Accounting Standards Board as the first of an IAS convergence programme. This approach is consistent with that of most other investment trust companies that do not prepare group accounts. Corporate Governance The Company operates in accordance with corporate governance best practice and the Board is committed to the highest standards applicable under the Combined Code and Association of Investment Trust Companies' Code of Corporate Governance for Investment Trusts. In order to comply with the Smith Report recommendation that the Audit Committee should not be chaired by the Chairman of the Board, I stood down from the Audit Committee during the financial year. The Board carried out a formal detailed review of the Manager in January this year. This covered the investment management, company secretarial, administrative and marketing services provided to the Company by JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Limited ('JPMAM') and included their investment performance record, management processes, investment style, resources and risk control mechanisms. After due deliberation, the Board has concluded that the continued appointment of the Manager is in the interests of shareholders. Board of Directors In accordance with the Company's Articles of Association, Mr Alan Kemp and I are required to retire from the Board by rotation at this year's AGM, and we are seeking re-election. Following the annual appraisal of the Board, which includes a review of the performance of individual directors, the other members of the Board have authorised me to say that they recommend shareholders to vote in favour of our re-election. Continuation Vote I am pleased to report that the continuation vote at last year's Annual General Meeting ('AGM') was approved by a substantial majority, thereby enabling the Company to remain in existence for a further five years. Change of Company Name In light of the change of our Manager's name from J.P. Morgan Fleming Asset Management (UK) Limited to JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Limited on 3rd May 2005, your Board considers it appropriate that the Company's name be changed to JPMorgan US Discovery Investment Trust plc. The Board will therefore propose a resolution to change the Company's name at the forthcoming AGM. Annual General Meeting This year's AGM will be held on 27th April 2006 at 12 noon at The Library, JPMorgan, 60 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y OJP. As in previous years, in addition to the formal part of the meeting there will be a presentation from Christopher Jones, head of the team responsible for managing the portfolio, who will answer questions on the portfolio and performance. There will also be an opportunity to meet him, the Board and representatives of JPMAM. Robin Lewis Chairman 7th March 2006 JPMorgan Fleming US Discovery Investment Trust plc Unaudited figures for the year ended 31 December 2005 Income Statement (Unaudited) Year ended 31 December 2005 Year ended 31 December 2004 Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total Return Return Return Return Return Return £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Realised gains on investments - 1,601 1,601 - 1,650 1,650 Unrealised gains on investments - 17,048 17,048 - 7,979 7,979 Currency gains/(losses) on cash and short-term deposits held during the year - 90 90 - (250) (250) Other capital charges - (9) (9) - (7) (7) Income from investments 307 - 307 294 - 294 Other income 78 - 78 24 - 24 _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Gross revenue and capital return 385 18,730 19,115 318 9,372 9,690 Management fee (89) (800) (889) (86) (776) (862) Performance fee - (661) (661) - (237) (237) Other administrative expenses (336) - (336) (287) - (287) _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Net (loss)/return before finance charges and (40) 17,269 17,229 (55) 8,359 8,304 taxation Finance charges (15) (2,039) (2,054) (48) (429) (477) _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Net (loss)/return before taxation (55) 15,230 15,175 (103) 7,930 7,827 Taxation (44) - (44) (43) - (43) _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Transfer (from)/to reserves (99) 15,230 15,131 (146) 7,930 7,784 (Loss)/return per ordinary share (0.97)p 149.38p 148.41p (1.35)p 73.51p 72.16p JPMorgan Fleming US Discovery Investment Trust plc Unaudited figures for the year ended 31 December 2005 Reconciliation of Movements in Shareholders' Funds (Unaudited) Capital Capital Capital reserve reserve redemption Share realised unrealised reserve Revenue Capital reserve Total £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 At 31st Decmber 2003 2,791 71,727 8,263 351 (4,306) 78,826 Shares bought back and cancelled (231) (5,156) - 231 - (5,156) Net capital return from ordinary - 5,031 2,899 - - 7,930 activities Net revenue loss from ordinary - - - - (146) (146) activities _______ ________ _______ _______ _______ ________ At 31st December 2004 2,560 71,602 11,162 582 (4,452) 81,454 Shares bought back and cancelled (20) (557) - 20 - (557) Net capital return from ordinary - 1,491 13,739 - - 15,230 activities Net revenue loss from ordinary - - - - (99) (99) activities _______ ________ _______ _______ _______ ________ At 31st December 2005 2,540 72,536 24,901 602 (4,551) 96,028 JPMorgan Fleming US Discovery Investment Trust plc Unaudited figures for the year ended 31 December 2005 BALANCE SHEET 31 December 31 December 2005 2004 Fixed assets £'000 £'000 Investments at fair value through profit or loss 100,628 82,422 Net current (liabilities)/assets (2,794) 5,228 _______ _______ Total assets less current liabilities 97,834 87,650 Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year - (4,007) Performance fee payable (1,806) (2,189) _______ _______ TOTAL NET ASSETS 96,028 81,454 ===== ===== NAV per ordinary share 945.2p 795.5p CASH FLOW STATEMENT 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Net cash outflow from operating activities (1,653) (1,719) Net cash outflow from returns on investments and servicing of (2,039) (669) finance Net cash outflow from taxation (28) - Net cash inflow from capital expenditure and financial investment 1,707 11,214 Net cash outflow from financing (2,794) (5,156) _______ _______ (Decrease)/ increase in cash for the year (4,807) 3,670 ===== ===== The above financial information does not constitute statutory accounts as defined in Section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. The comparative financial information is based on the statutory accounts for the year ended 31st December 2004. These accounts, upon which the auditors issued an unqualified opinion, have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The preliminary announcement is prepared on the same basis as the previous year's annual accounts. JPMORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT (UK) LIMITED 7th March 2006 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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