Interim Management Statement

RNS Number : 2935A
Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund PLC
28 January 2011
 



SCHRODER UK MID CAP FUND PLC

 

Interim Management Statement for the Quarter Ended 31 December 2010

 

The Board of Schroder UK Mid & Small Cap Fund Plc ("the Company") is pleased to announce its Interim Management Statement as required by the UK Listing Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules. This Statement is in respect of the period from 1 October 2010 to 31 December 2010.

 

Investment Objective

 

As detailed below, a change in the Company's investment objective was approved by shareholders at a General Meeting held on 26 January 2011. The Company's revised investment objective is to invest in mid cap equities, with the aim of providing a total return in excess of the FTSE Mid 250 Index (ex Investment Companies).

 

Material Events or Transactions

 

General Meeting/Change to Investment Objective and Policy and Company Name

 

A General Meeting of the Company was held on 26 January 2011 at which resolutions proposing the adoption of a revised investment objective and policy and a change in the Company's name to Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund plc were duly passed. Full details of the resolutions put to the General Meeting and the Company's revised investment objective and policy, together with the rational behind such revisions, are set out in a Circular to shareholders dated 30 December 2010, which is available to download from the Company's website, www.schroderukmidandsmallcapfund.com.

 

A Certificate of Incorporation on Change of Name has been issued by the Registrar of Companies and the change of name of the Company to Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund plc is effective from 26 January 2011. The Company's website address will be amended to reflect the change of name and details of the new address will be released when it goes live. The Company's shares now trade on the London Stock Exchange under the new name. The Company's London Stock Exchange TIDM code (ticker), "SCP" remains unchanged.

 

Annual General Meeting/Directorate Changes

 

The Annual General Meeting of the Company was held on 26 January 2011. All resolutions set out in the Notice of Meeting were duly passed by shareholders, including the election of two new Directors, Mr Robert Rickman and Mr Eric Sanderson.

 

Mr Robert Rickman, aged 53, is a founding partner of the Rockley Group, making and managing technology based investments worldwide and particularly in China. He is an independent non-executive director of AIM-listed Cambium Global Timberlands Ltd and of the Close Brothers trading companies. From 2001 until 2007 he was a Director and latterly Chairman of the AIM-listed Highland Timber PLC. Mr Rickman was a director of telecoms and datacoms equipment manufacturer Bookham Technology PLC from 1994 to 2004, during which time the company was listed on the LSE and NASDAQ. He is currently chairman of the property and finance committee of Modern Art Oxford.

 

Mr Eric Sanderson, aged 59, is a Chartered Accountant and a Banker and was Chief Executive of British Linen Bank from 1989 to 1998 and a member of the Management Board of Bank of Scotland in his role as Head of Group Treasury Operations from 1997 to 1999. He was also formerly Chairman of MyTravel Group PLC and of Dunedin Fund Managers Limited and has held a number of non-executive Board positions. He is presently Chairman of MWB Group Holdings PLC, Chairman of the Court of The University of Dundee and a non-executive director of First Milk Limited, where he is also Chairman of the Audit Committee.

 

Also as part of the refreshment of the Board, Mr Malcolm Coubrough retired as a Director of the Company at the Annual General Meeting and did not seek re-election. The Directors extend their gratitude for the invaluable contribution that Malcolm has made to the success of the Company over the last 13 years.

 

There have been no other material events or transactions that have taken place in respect of the Company between 1 October 2010 and the date of publication of this Statement.

 

Final Dividend for the year ended 30 September 2010

 

A final dividend of 5.83p net per share for the year ended 30 September 2010 is payable on 31 January 2011 to shareholders on the register on 14 January 2011.

 

Company Statistics as at 31 December 2010

 

Net Assets

£108.7m

Net Asset Value per Ordinary Share (ex Income)

293.68p

Share Price

246.00p

Discount (ex Income)

16.24%

Number of Portfolio Holdings

77

Gearing

2.7%

Yield

2.4

 

Cumulative Performance to 31 December 2010 (%)

 

 

 

Performance over

3 months

6 months

1 year

 

Share Price (Total Return)

9.1

28.1

35.5

Net Asset Value (Total Return)

9.8

28.1

28.4

FTSE All Share ex-ITs ex-FTSE 100 Total Return Index

10.2

25.3

27.1

 

Data Source: Fundamental Data

 

Portfolio Information as at 31 December 2010

 

Ten Largest Holdings

 

Stock Name

Sector Classification

 

 

Market Value (£)

% of NAV

Elementis

Basic Materials

3,348,000

3.02

Premier Oil

Oil & Gas

3,299,700

2.95

John Wood Group

Oil & Gas

2,790,000

2.49

Travis Perkins

Industrials

2,358,870

2.11

Domino Printing

Industrials

2,275,000

2.03

ITE Group

Consumer Services

2,269,800

2.03

Ashtead Group

Industrials

2,245,100

2.01

Kier Group

Industrials

2,128,713

1.90

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels

Consumer Services

2,075,141

1.85

Dechra Pharmaceuticals

Healthcare

2,063,485

1.84

 

Sector Allocation

 

Sector

% of NAV

 

Industrials

38.83

Consumer Services

16.76

Oil & Gas

11.27

Consumer Goods

9.29

Financials

7.98

Basic Materials

7.12

Technology

6.91

Healthcare

3.52

Telecommunications

1.02

Other Net Liabilities

(2.70)

 

Changes to Share Capital during the Quarter Ended 31 December 2010

 

There were no changes to the Company's share capital during the quarter. There remain a total of 36,143,690 ordinary shares of 25p each in issue, each carrying one voting right. No shares are held in treasury.

 

Company Information as at 31 December 2010

 

SEDOL Code

0610841

Sector

Equity Investment Instruments

Launch Date

25 April 1994

Financial Year End

30 September

Next Dividend Payment  Date

31 January 2011

 

Enquiries:

Louise Richard

Schroder Investment Management Limited

Company Secretary

Tel: 020 7658 6501

 

28 January 2011


This information is provided by RNS
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