Preliminary Announcement - Half-yearly Report

Fidelity Japanese Values PLC Preliminary announcement of unaudited Half-Yearly results for the six months ended 30 June 2014 Contents Directors Reports Investment Objective and Performance Highlights 1 Financial Summary 2 Chairman's Statement 3 Manager's Half-Yearly Review 5 Twenty Largest Investments 8 Interim Management Report Principal Risks and Uncertainties 10 Related Party Transactions 10 Going Concern 10 Directors' Responsibility Statement 10 Financial Statements Income Statement 12 Reconciliation of Movements in Shareholders' Funds 14 Balance Sheet 16 Cash Flow Statement 17 Notes to the Financial Statements 18 Information for Shareholders Shareholder Information 22 Glossary of Terms 24 Investor Information 27 Warning to Shareholders 28 Investment Objective and Performance Highlights The investment objective of the Company is to achieve long term capital growth from an actively managed portfolio of securities primarily of small and medium sized Japanese companies listed or traded on Japanese stock markets. Performance - Total Return (six months to 30 June 2014) Six months to 30 June 2014 Net Asset Value ("NAV") per Ordinary Share +4.2% Ordinary Share Price +3.5% Russell Nomura Mid/Small Cap Index* (in sterling +0.9% terms) * The Company's Reference Index As at 30 June 2014 As at 30 June 2014 Equity Shareholders' Funds £93.8m Market Capitalisation £84.9m Capital Structure: Ordinary Shares of 25p each 113,954,834 Standardised Performance - Total Return (%) 01/07/13 01/07/12 01/07/11 01/07/10 01/07/09 to to to to to 30/06/14 30/06/13 30/06/12 30/06/11 30/06/10 NAV per ordinary share +1.0 +29.2 -9.9 +16.9 +16.0 Ordinary share price +3.1 +37.6 -9.5 +14.9 +11.6 Russell Nomura Mid/Small Cap +0.1 +20.5 -5.7 +3.4 +10.9 Index (in sterling terms) Sources: Fidelity and Datastream Past performance is not a guide to future returns The Company is a member of the Association of Investment Companies Financial Summary 30 31 % June December change 2014 2013 Assets Total portfolio exposure1 £108.8m £105.1m +3.5 Shareholders' funds £93.8m £90.0m +4.2 Total portfolio exposure in 16.0% 16.8% excess of shareholders' funds (gearing) NAV per ordinary share 82.32p 79.02p +4.2 Stockmarket data Russell Nomura Mid/Small 2.1748 2.1562 +0.9 Cap Index (in sterling terms) Yen/£ exchange rate 173.216 174.080 +0.5 Ordinary share price2 period end 74.50p 72.00p +3.5 period high 75.75p 80.38p period low 65.25p 50.50p Discount period end 9.5% 8.9% period high 14.3% 19.9% period low 2.8% 4.7% Six Six months months ended ended 30 30 June June 2014 2013 Results - see pages 12 and 13 Revenue loss per ordinary (0.07p) (0.09p) share Capital return per ordinary 3.38p 23.61p share Total return per ordinary 3.31p 23.52p share 1 The total exposure of the investment portfolio, including exposure to the investments underlying the long CFDs 2 The period high and low figures relate to the six months to 30 June 2014 and the year to 31 December 2013 Sources: Fidelity and Datastream Past performance is not a guide to future returns Chairman's Statement I have pleasure in presenting the Half-Yearly Report for the six months ended 30 June 2014. During the period under review, the Company's net asset value ("NAV") per share rose by 4.2%, compared to an increase of 0.9% in the Russell Nomura Mid/Small Cap Index (sterling adjusted). Over the same period the share price rose by 3.5%, resulting in a widening of the discount from 8.9% to 9.5%. As can be seen from the Attribution Analysis opposite, Index performance, stock selection and gearing all contributed to performance. Furthermore, the yen's appreciation against sterling had a positive impact. A commentary on both the portfolio and the prospects for the Japanese economy may be found in the Manager's Half-Yearly Review on pages 5 to 7. GEARING The Company continues to gear through the use of Contracts For Difference ("CFDs"). Total portfolio exposure was £108.8m as at 30 June 2014, equating to gearing of 16.0% (see page 9). SHARE REPURCHASES No ordinary shares were repurchased for cancellation in the six months to 30 June 2014 and none have been repurchased since the period end and the date of this report. Attribution Analysis Six months to 30 June 2014 (pence) NAV per share at 31 December 2013 79.02 Impact of the Index (in yen terms) +0.28 Impact of Index Income (in yen terms) +0.81 Impact of Stock Selection (relative to the Index) +1.99 Impact of Gearing +0.43 Impact of Exchange Rate +0.40 Impact of Charges -0.69 Impact of Cash +0.08 NAV per share at 30 June 2014 82.32 SUBSCRIPTION SHARES Shareholders will have recently received notice to attend a General Meeting on 26 August 2014. This meeting will seek approval for a Bonus Issue of one subscription share for every five ordinary shares held by qualifying shareholders; together with the adoption of new Articles of Association for the Company. Each subscription share gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to subscribe for one ordinary share at the end of each month from the end of September 2014 until the end of April 2016 inclusive. Each subscription share may only be exercised once. If approved, the exercise price will be based on the Company's NAV at 5pm on 26 August 2014, plus a 2% premium to such NAV, rounded up to the nearest quarter of a penny. The subscription shares will be listed on the London Stock Exchange and dealings will commence in these shares at 8.00 a.m. on 28 August 2014. REGULATORY MATTERS As stated in the Annual Report, the Board has worked with its advisors in order to achieve compliance with the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive ("AIFMD") which came into force on 22 July 2014. As a result the Board has appointed FIL Investment Services (UK) Limited (a Fidelity group company) to act as the Company's Alternative Investment Fund Manager. FIL Investment Services (UK) Limited has delegated the portfolio management to FIL Investments International who previously acted as the Company's Manager. FIL Investments International will continue to act as Company Secretary. An additional requirement of the AIFMD was to appoint a depositary on behalf of the Company to oversee the custody and cash arrangements of the Company. The Company has now appointed J.P.Morgan Europe Limited to act as the Company's Depositary. J.P.Morgan Europe Limited is part of the same group of companies as JP Morgan Chase Bank who act as the Company's current banker and custodian and will continue to do so. OUTLOOK The performance of Japanese stocks has started to improve as risk aversion has eased. Global growth is picking up and there are some signs that activity will accelerate in the coming months, led by the US. The Japanese economy is gradually recovering from the effects of April's sales tax increase and Government-led reform measures are proving to be positive from an equity perspective. Meanwhile, the improvement in corporate earnings is set to reaccelerate and valuation multiples are undemanding compared with other major markets. Of all the positive developments in recent months, we find it most encouraging that Japanese companies are increasingly shareholder friendly, as evidenced by the recent increase in share buybacks and raised dividends. Following the announcement of Japan's Stewardship Code, with which 127 institutional investors have complied, the Government is aiming to introduce a new "corporate governance code" next year. This is expected further to enforce best practice in governance by companies, whilst the Stewardship Code is limited to putting external pressure on companies through dialogue with investors to promote sustainable growth and increased dividends. None of the Government-led reforms are happening quickly, but there is, at least, some movement and recent developments are somewhat encouraging. We believe that the fundamental direction of the "New Growth Strategy" published in June 2014 is positive and that domestic macroeconomic fundamentals will continue to show improvement, if only gradual. David Robins Chairman 31 July 2014 Manager's Half-Yearly Review During the first four months of 2014, global equity markets struggled and Japan was a relative laggard. This was largely due to external factors, such as concerns about China's economy and escalating geopolitical issues. As emerging markets were sold off and global risk appetite diminished, the yen strengthened, which in turn exacerbated the decline in Japanese stock prices. In terms of domestic factors, an impending consumption tax hike increased uncertainty among investors. A certain amount of disappointment regarding the progress of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's third arrow - growth and reform policies - also played a part. More recently, however, improving US economic indicators and signs of a recovery in China, enhanced investors' confidence in the global growth outlook, while concerns about the impact of Japan's sales tax hike started to ease and earnings revisions turned positive. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the Government's revised growth strategy, which raised expectations of a reduction in the corporate tax rate and a shift in asset allocation at the Government Pension Investment Fund ("GPIF"). The Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan survey suggested that corporate sentiment was gradually recovering after the sales tax hike and underscored an increased willingness to engage in capital investment. The Japanese equity market has been making up lost ground since the end of April. Trading value has shown a modest recovery, with notable purchases of Japanese stocks by pension funds among domestic investors and a return to net buying by overseas investors. The rally was led by small-cap and value stocks, which were sold off during the first three months of the year. Their share price bounced back strongly as investors' concerns about the macroeconomic outlook receded. An increased focus on shareholder returns has also been evident. Japanese companies are undertaking share buybacks at a record pace, with ¥2.8 trillion of purchases announced so far this year compared with ¥2.9 trillion in the whole of 2013. Meanwhile, estimated annual dividends per share for the TOPIX Index have also increased, rising to the highest level since 2008. PORTFOLIO REVIEW The Company's net asset value ("NAV") rose by 4.2% to 82.32 pence per share during the review period. Meanwhile, the share price rose by 3.5% to 74.50 pence per share, resulting in the discount to NAV widening slightly. The Company outperformed its Reference Index, the Russell Nomura Mid/Small Cap Index, which only returned 0.9% (in sterling terms). The best performing stock during the review period was Sanix, which is the largest overweight position in the Company's portfolio. It is a solar power integrator that installs small-scale solar panels for both commercial and residential use. Sanix has built a unique business model that covers production of mountings, power controllers and modules, as well as the sales, installation and maintenance of the solar power generation system. The number of applications for solar power system installations is growing rapidly thanks to the Japanese Government's subsidies for purchasing clean energy. Japan Aviation Electronics was another good performer in the portfolio. It is a niche manufacturer of connectors used for smartphones and automobiles. It is benefiting from secular growth in electronic parts used for automobiles and has successfully maintained a large market share in connectors used for mobile devices. The record operating profit for the year ended March 2014 drove its share price higher towards the end of the review period. M3, which is a name familiar to our shareholders, also ranked in the top ten contributors. It has consistently added value over time since the position was initiated in 2007. It provides web-based, two-way marketing/customer support services for pharmaceutical companies and doctors. Although pharmaceutical marketing services is not a growth industry, M3 has created its own niche by changing existing business practices through the utilisation of its internet infrastructure. Elsewhere, two of the last year's major detractors, Gulliver International (used car retailer) and Fuji Kyuko (passenger rail and coach services), ranked in the top ten contributors for the period under review. Conversely, the single largest detractor was Livesense, which operates job placement and rental apartment search websites. Although the company was well-positioned to benefit from increasing job offers, its profits came under pressure from a decline in successful job placements and rising advertisement costs. As we did not see any near-term improvement in their cost structure, we closed the position in Livesense. Stock selection in the machinery and chemicals sectors also fared less well. Nuflare Technology (semiconductor production equipment), fell on near-term earnings disappointments, but its overweight position has been maintained. Its valuation remains cheap and we expect its dominant global market share in mask writers to drive long-term growth. In the chemicals sector, an insecticide producer, Nihon Nohyaku, experienced a correction after its share price more than tripled in 2013. However, we see no change in its fundamentals. Nihon Nohyaku is enjoying strong sales growth with a product called Belt which is distributed globally by Bayer. During the review period, the portfolio maintained a balance between domestic consumer services and pro-cyclical manufacturers. We maintained a strong sell discipline, actively trimming positions when further upside appeared limited. For example, the Company capitalised on the strong performance of Lintec (niche producer of pressure-sensitive adhesives) to take profits, while the positions in Tokuyama (electronic materials and chemical producer) and Livesense (job placement agency) were closed because of mid-term earnings disappointments. Also, electronic component producers, Taiyo Yuden and Nichicon, were sold, as their earnings growth momentum appears to be weaker than expected in the near term. In the meantime, overweight positions were initiated in other electronic component makers such as Rohm and Dai-Ichi Seiko, whose share price valuations had not fully reflected their earnings recovery. The Company has continued to maintain an overweight stance in services companies and retailers. Share price weakness due to concerns about the impact of April's sales tax hike provided us with opportunities to build positions in e-commerce operator Rakuten and drug store chain operator Sugi Holdings. Rakuten is well positioned to gain domestic market share through its hybrid business model of financial services and online shopping. Sugi maintains strong top-line and operating-profit growth momentum, as well as double-digit returns on equity. OUTLOOK As concerns about the macro- and microeconomic repercussions of April's sales tax hike have eased, the investment environment for Japanese stocks has become more favourable. Indeed, some leading economic indicators have started to recover and earnings revisions have turned positive after bottoming out in mid-April. Valuation multiples have largely reverted to pre-Abenomics (economic policies advocated by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe) levels and Japanese stocks appear cheap relative to other developed markets. Furthermore, the Abe Government's recently unveiled `New Growth Strategy' contains a number of meaningful proposals from an equity perspective, including improvements in corporate governance, reform of the GPIF and phased reductions in the corporate tax rate. At a macroeconomic level, there are increasing signs that Japan is emerging from its protracted deflationary cycle. The corporate sector also appears to be weathering the recent consumption tax hike relatively well. Whilst a reactionary post-hike contraction is anticipated in the April-June statistics (according to consensus estimates), real GDP contracted by 4.4% annualised, the economy is expected to return to an upward trend in the third quarter, supported by improvements in employment and private capital investment, as well as a gradual pickup in exports. In the absence of any sudden changes, the potential for further monetary easing by the Bank of Japan in the short-term appears low given Governor Haruhiko Kuroda's relatively optimistic view of the price outlook. After declining since the start of the year, the earnings revision index recently moved back into positive territory. Consensus forecasts initially declined in response to companies' extremely conservative guidance. However, sentiment is gradually improving. Aggregate profits are set to increase for a third consecutive year in fiscal 2014, as the impact of the sales tax hike wanes, Japan steadily exits deflation and the US economic recovery gains traction. Meanwhile, a proposed cut in the effective corporate tax rate to below 30% could be a major positive for the equity market. Government-led measures to enhance corporate governance and encourage a shift toward equity allocation by the GPIF could also ignite substantial equity inflows. A combination of rising earnings per share and market underperformance in the first half of the year means that Japanese equities have been derated. The forward price-to-earnings ratio now compares favourably with other developed markets. Given a turnaround in the investment environment and positive policy developments, such as the Government's new growth strategies, Japan remains on the right track. FIL Investments International 31 July 2014 Twenty Largest Investments as at 30 June 2014 Twenty Largest Investments, including Exposure Fair Total long CFDs £'000 Value1 Exposure2 £'000 % Sanix 3,957 3,957 3.6 Solar power integrator M3 (CFD) 3,841 2,087 3.5 Provider of medical related internet services Seria 3,613 3,613 3.3 Operator of `100 yen' chain stores throughout Japan Tosho 3,277 3,277 3.0 Operator of sports club facilities, hotels and golf courses WirelessGate 2,621 2,621 2.4 Provider of high-speed wireless communication services Fuji Kyuko 2,341 2,341 2.2 Provider of passenger rail and coach services N Field 2,299 2,299 2.1 Provider of home care services Japan Aviation Electronics 2,249 2,249 2.1 Manufacturer of electrical connectors and aerospace equipment Rohm (CFD) 2,187 147 2.0 Manufacturer and distributor of electronic components Stanley Electric 2,168 2,168 2.0 Manufacturer and distributor of automobile equipment Hamamatsu Photonics 2,145 2,145 2.0 Manufacturer and distributor of imaging equipment Gulliver International 2,084 2,084 1.9 Distributor of used cars Sekisui Chemical (CFD) 2,034 644 1.9 Producer of housing materials, plastics and flat panel displays Sumitomo Electric Industries (CFD) 1,957 274 1.8 Manufacturer of electric wire and optical fibre cables Hikari Tsushin 1,918 1,918 1.8 Retailer of electronic devices Nihon Nohyaku 1,827 1,827 1.7 Manufacturer of agrochemical and pharmaceutical products Round One 1,675 1,675 1.5 Operator of community leisure facilities AEON Mall 1,663 1,663 1.5 Specialist shopping mall developer Brother Industries 1,642 1,642 1.5 Manufacturer of office equipment and supplies Anritsu Company (CFD) 1,596 (448) 1.5 Manufacturer of test and measurement equipment Twenty Largest Investments 47,094 38,183 43.3 Other Investments 61,733 53,400 56.7 Total Portfolio (including long CFDs) 108,827 91,583 100.0 GEARING as at 30 June 2014 £'000 Exposure to Investments 87,284 Exposure to long CFDs 21,543 Total portfolio exposure 108,827 Shareholders' funds 93,813 Total portfolio exposure in excess of shareholders' funds 16.0% 1 Fair value represents the carrying value in the Balance Sheet on page 16 2 % of the total exposure of the investment portfolio, including exposure to the investments underlying the long CFDs Interim Management Report The Company is required to make the following disclosures in its Half-Yearly Report: PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES The Board, with the assistance of the Manager, has developed a risk matrix which, as part of the risk management and internal control process, identifies the key risks that the Company faces. The principal risks and uncertainties faced by the Company continue to fall into the following categories: market risk, performance risk, discount control risk, currency risk, gearing risk, tax and regulatory risks, operational risks and financial instrument risks. Information on each of these risks can be found in the Strategic Report section within the Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2013. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS There have been no related party transactions during the six month period to 30 June 2014. GOING CONCERN The Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus they continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements as outlined in the Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2013. The next continuation vote will be put to shareholders at the Annual General Meeting in 2016. DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT The Directors confirm to the best of their knowledge that: a) the condensed set of financial statements contained within the Half-Yearly Financial Report has been prepared in accordance with the UK Accounting Standards Board's Statement `Half-Yearly Financial Reports'; and gives a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and net return of the Company as required by the UK Listing Authority Disclosure and Transparency Rules ("DTR") 4.2.4R; and b) the Interim Management Report (which incorporates the Chairman's Statement and Manager's Half-Yearly Review on pages 3 to 7) includes a fair review of the information required by DTR Rules 4.2.7R and 4.2.8R. The Half-Yearly Financial Report has not been audited or reviewed by the Company's Independent Auditor. The Half-Yearly Financial Report was approved by the Board on 31 July 2014 and the above responsibility statement was signed on its behalf by David Robins, Chairman. Income Statement year six months ended months ended 31.12.13 ended 30.06.14 audited 30.06.13 unaudited unaudited revenue capital total revenue capital total revenue capital total Notes £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Gains on - 4,171 4,171 - 13,932 13,932 - 19,064 19,064 investments designated at fair value through profit or loss (Losses)/gains - (261) (261) - 9,665 9,665 - 6,608 6,608 on derivative instruments held at fair value through profit or loss Income 2 771 - 771 1,440 - 1,440 836 - 836 Investment (459) - (459) (1,076) - (1,076) (534) - (534) management fee Other expenses (292) - (292) (479) - (479) (276) - (276) Exchange losses (7) (57) (64) (59) (654) (713) (37) (107) (144) on other net assets ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ Net return/ 13 3,853 3,866 (174) 22,943 22,769 (11) 25,565 25,554 (loss) before finance costs and taxation Finance costs (37) - (37) (73) - (73) (36) - (36) ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ Net (loss)/ (24) 3,853 3,829 (247) 22,943 22,696 (47) 25,565 25,518 return on ordinary activities before taxation Taxation on 3 (58) - (58) (84) - (84) (48) - (48) (loss)/return on ordinary activities ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ Net (loss)/ (82) 3,853 3,771 (331) 22,943 22,612 (95) 25,565 25,470 return on ordinary activities after taxation for the period ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== (Loss)/return 4 (0.07p) 3.38p 3.31p (0.30p) 20.64p 20.34p (0.09p) 23.61p 23.52p per ordinary share - undiluted and diluted ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== A Statement of Total Recognised Gains and Losses has not been prepared as there are no gains and losses other than those reported in this Income Statement. The total column of the Income Statement is the profit and loss account of the Company. All revenue and capital items in the above statement derive from continuing operations. No operations were acquired or discontinued in the period. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Association of Investment Companies Statement of Recommended Practice issued in January 2009. Reconciliation of Movements in Shareholders' Funds Note share share Capital other capital revenue total capital premium redemption reserve reserve reserve equity £'000 account reserve £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Opening 25,068 703 2,596 57,627 (14,489) (13,471) 58,034 shareholders' funds at 1 January 2013 Issue of 5 4,308 5,170 - - - - 9,478 ordinary shares on exercise of rights attached to subscription shares Exercise of 5 (862) 862 - - - - - rights attached to subscription shares and conversion into ordinary shares Repurchase of 5 (25) - 25 (59) - - (59) ordinary shares Net return/ - - - - 25,565 (95) 25,470 (loss) on ordinary activities after taxation for the period ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Closing 28,489 6,735 2,621 57,568 11,076 (13,566) 92,923 shareholders' funds at 30 June 2013 ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== Opening 25,068 703 2,596 57,627 (14,489) (13,471) 58,034 shareholders' funds at 1 January 2013 Issue of 5 4,308 5,147 - - - - 9,455 ordinary shares on exercise of rights attached to subscription shares Exercise of 5 (862) 862 - - - - - rights attached to subscription shares and conversion into ordinary shares Repurchase of 5 (25) - 25 (59) - - (59) ordinary shares Net return/ - - - - 22,943 (331) 22,612 (loss) on ordinary activities after taxation for the year ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Closing 28,489 6,712 2,621 57,568 8,454 (13,802) 90,042 shareholders' funds at 31 December 2013 ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== Opening 28,489 6,712 2,621 57,568 8,454 (13,802) 90,042 shareholders' funds at 1 January 2014 Net return/ - - - - 3,853 (82) 3,771 (loss) on ordinary activities after taxation for the period ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Closing 28,489 6,712 2,621 57,568 12,307 (13,884) 93,813 shareholders' funds at 30 June 2014 ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== Balance Sheet Company number 2885584 30.06.14 31.12.13 30.06.13 unaudited audited unaudited Notes £'000 £'000 £'000 Fixed assets Investments designated at fair 87,284 84,031 84,040 value through profit or loss ---------- ---------- ---------- Current assets Derivative assets held at fair 4,892 6,263 7,938 value through profit or loss Debtors 759 309 2,705 Cash at bank 2,416 662 742 ---------- ---------- ---------- 8,067 7,234 11,385 ---------- ---------- ---------- Creditors Derivative liabilities held at (593) (421) (444) fair value through profit or loss Other creditors (945) (802) (2,058) ---------- ---------- ---------- (1,538) (1,223) (2,502) ---------- ---------- ---------- Net current assets 6,529 6,011 8,883 ---------- ---------- ---------- Total net assets 93,813 90,042 92,923 ========== ========== ========== Capital and reserves Share capital 5 28,489 28,489 28,489 Share premium account 6,712 6,712 6,735 Capital redemption reserve 2,621 2,621 2,621 Other reserve 57,568 57,568 57,568 Capital reserve 12,307 8,454 11,076 Revenue reserve (13,884) (13,802) (13,566) ---------- ---------- ---------- Total equity shareholders' 93,813 90,042 92,923 funds ========== ========== ========== Net asset value per ordinary 6 82.32p 79.02p 81.54p share ========== ========== ========== Cash Flow Statement six year six months ended months ended 31.12.13 ended 30.06.14 30.06.13 unaudited audited unaudited £'000 £'000 £'000 Operating activities Investment income received 378 979 426 Income received on long CFDs 196 278 172 Investment management fee paid (486) (992) (444) Directors' fees paid (56) (82) (56) Other cash payments (219) (272) (383) ---------- ---------- ---------- Net cash outflow from operating (187) (89) (285) activities ---------- ---------- ---------- Servicing of finance Interest paid on long CFDs (37) (73) (36) ---------- ---------- ---------- Net cash outflow from servicing of (37) (73) (36) finance ---------- ---------- ---------- Financial investments Purchase of investments (22,822) (98,848) (58,555) Disposal of investments 23,575 84,792 48,877 ---------- ---------- ---------- Net cash inflow/(outflow) from 753 (14,056) (9,678) financial investments ---------- ---------- ---------- Derivative activities Proceeds from long CFD positions 1,282 5,463 754 closed ---------- ---------- ---------- Net cash inflow from derivative 1,282 5,463 754 instruments ---------- ---------- ---------- Net cash inflow/(outflow) before 1,811 (8,755) (9,245) financing ---------- ---------- ---------- Financing Exercise of rights attached to - 9,456 9,479 subscription shares Repurchase of ordinary shares - (59) (59) ---------- ---------- ---------- Net cash inflow from financing - 9,397 9,420 ---------- ---------- ---------- Increase in cash 1,811 642 175 ========== ========== ========== Reconciliation of net cash movements to movement in net funds Net funds at the beginning of the 662 674 674 period ---------- ---------- ---------- Net cash inflow 1,811 642 175 Exchange movements (57) (654) (107) ---------- ---------- ---------- Change in net funds 1,754 (12) 68 ---------- ---------- ---------- Net funds at the end of the period 2,416 662 742 ========== ========== ========== Notes to the Financial Statements 1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES The half-yearly financial statements have been prepared on the basis of the accounting policies set out in the Company's annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2013. 30.06.14 31.12.13 30.06.13 unaudited audited unaudited £'000 £'000 £'000 2 INCOME Income from investments designated at fair value through profit or loss Overseas dividends 586 1,138 671 Income from derivatives held at fair value through profit or loss Dividends on long CFDs 185 302 165 ---------- ---------- ---------- Total income 771 1,440 836 ========== ========== ========== 30.06.14 31.12.13 30.06.13 unaudited audited unaudited £'000 £'000 £'000 3 TAXATION ON (LOSS)/RETURN ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES Overseas taxation suffered 58 84 48 ========== ========= ========== = 4 (LOSS)/RETURN PER ORDINARY SHARE - UNDILUTED AND DILUTED The (loss)/return per ordinary share is based on the net (loss)/return on ordinary activities after taxation for the period divided by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the period. There are no diluted (losses)/returns in the period because there were no subscription shares in issue during the period. There were no diluted (losses)/returns in the year ended 31 December 2013 or the half-year ended 30 June 2013 because the average ordinary share price in the period, prior to all the subscription share rights being exercised, was below the exercise price of the subscription shares. 30.06.14 31.12.13 30.06.13 unaudited audited unaudited £'000 £'000 £'000 Net revenue loss on ordinary (82) (331) (95) activities after taxation for the period Net capital return on ordinary 3,853 22,943 25,565 activities after taxation for the period ---------- ---------- ---------- Net total return on ordinary 3,771 22,612 25,470 activities after taxation for the period ========== ========== ========== Weighted average number of 113,954,834 111,140,691 108,279,905 ordinary shares in issue during the period ========== ========== ========== 30.06.14 31.12.13 30.06.13 unaudited audited unaudited pence pence pence Revenue loss per ordinary share (0.07) (0.30) (0.09) Capital return per ordinary 3.38 20.64 23.61 share ---------- ---------- ---------- Total return per ordinary share 3.31 20.34 23.52 ========== ========== ========== 30.06.14 31.12.13 30.06.13 unaudited audited unaudited Number £'000 Number £'000 Number £'000 of of of shares shares shares 5 SHARE CAPITAL Issued, allotted and fully paid: Ordinary shares of 25 pence each Beginning of 113,954,834 28,489 96,822,685 24,206 96,822,685 24,206 the period Issue of - - 17,232,149 4,308 17,232,149 4,308 ordinary shares on the conversion of rights attached to subscription shares Repurchase - - (100,000) (25) (100,000) (25) of ordinary shares ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- End of the 113,954,834 28,489 113,954,834 28,489 113,954,834 28,489 period ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== Issued, allotted and fully paid: Subscription shares of 5 pence each (2009 Issue) Beginning of - - 17,232,149 862 17,232,149 862 the period Exercise of - - (17,232,149) (862) (17,232,149) (862) rights attached to subscription shares and conversion into ordinary shares ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- End of the - - - - - - period ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== Total share 28,489 28,489 28,489 capital ========== ========== ========== The subscription shares (2009 Issue) were issued as a bonus issue to ordinary shareholders on 11 November 2009 on the basis of one subscription share for every five ordinary shares held. Each subscription share gave the holder the right, but not the obligation, to subscribe for one ordinary share upon payment of the subscription price of 55 pence per subscription share, on the last business day of each month, commenced in February 2010. The final date to exercise these rights was 28 February 2013. After 28 February 2013, the Company appointed a trustee who exercised all the remaining rights attached to the subscription shares that had not been exercised by shareholders. The resulting ordinary shares were sold in the market and the profits of this sale, being the net proceeds less the 55 pence per share cost of exercising the rights and after deduction of expenses and fees, were paid to the holders of those outstanding subscription shares. 6 NET ASSET VALUE PER ORDINARY SHARE The net asset value per ordinary share is based on net assets of £93,813,000 (31 December 2013: £90,042,000 and 30 June 2013: £92,923,000) and on 113,954,834 (31 December 2013: 113,954,834 and 30 June 2013: 113,954,834) ordinary shares, being the number of ordinary shares in issue at the period end. There are no diluted net asset values per ordinary share because there were no subscription shares in issue at any of the period ends. 7 INVESTMENT TRANSACTION COSTS Transaction costs are incurred on the acquisition and disposal of investments. These are included in the gains on investments designated at fair value through profit or loss in the capital column of the Income Statement and are summarised below: 30.06.14 31.12.13 30.06.13 unaudited audited unaudited £'000 £'000 £'000 Purchases 25 101 62 Sales 24 79 48 ---------- ---------- ---------- 49 180 110 ========== ========== ========== 8 UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The results for the six months ended 30 June 2014 and 30 June 2013, which are unaudited, constitute non-statutory accounts within the meaning of Section 435 of the Companies Act 2006. The figures and financial information for the year ended 31 December 2013 are extracted from the latest published financial statements. These financial statements, on which the Independent Auditor gave an unqualified report, have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. Shareholder Information CONTACT INFORMATION Private Investors: call free on 0800 41 41 10 9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday. Financial advisers: can call free on 0800 41 41 81 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. www.fidelity.co.uk/its Existing shareholders who have a specific query regarding their holding or need to provide updated information, for example a change of address, should contact the appropriate administrator. Holders of ordinary shares Capita Asset Services, Registrars to Fidelity Japanese Values PLC, The Registry, 34 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 4TU. Telephone: 020 8639 3399. Lines are open from 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday). Email: shareholderenquiries@capita.co.uk. Details of individual shareholdings and other information can also be obtained from the Registrars' website: www.capitaassetservices.com Fidelity Share Plan investors Fidelity Investment Trust Share Plan, PO Box 12062, Mellon House, Ingrave Road, Brentwood, Essex CM14 9LX. Telephone: 0845 358 1107 (calls to this number are charged at 3.95p per minute from a BT landline. Other telephone service providers' costs may vary). Fidelity ISA investors Private investors call free on 0800 41 41 10 and financial advisers call free on 0800 41 41 81, or by writing to: UK Customer Service, Fidelity Worldwide Investment, Oakhill House, 130 Tonbridge Road, Hildenborough, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 9DZ. General enquiries should be made to Fidelity, FIL Investments International, the Secretary, at the Company's registered office: FIL Investments International, Investment Trusts, Beech Gate, Millfield Lane, Lower Kingswood, Tadworth, Surrey KT20 6RP. Telephone: 01732 36 11 44 Fax: 01737 83 68 92 www.fidelity.co.uk/its FINANCIAL CALENDAR 30 June 2014 - Half-Yearly period end July 2014 - Announcement of Half-Yearly results August 2014 - Publication of Half-Yearly report 31 December 2014 - Financial year end March/April 2015 - Publication of Annual Report May 2015 - Annual General Meeting Shareholder Information Board, Manager and Advisors BOARD OF DIRECTORS David Robins (Chairman) David Miller, OBE (Senior Independent Director) Sir Laurie Magnus (Audit Committee Chairman) Simon Fraser Philip Kay ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT FUND MANAGER (AIFM) FIL Investment Services (UK) Limited Beech Gate Millfield Lane Lower Kingswood Tadworth Surrey KT20 6RP PORTFOLIO MANAGER, SECRETARY AND REGISTERED OFFICE FIL Investments International Beech Gate Millfield Lane Lower Kingswood Tadworth Surrey KT20 6RP FINANCIAL ADVISERS AND STOCKBROKERS Canaccord Genuity 88 Wood Street London EC2V 7QR INDEPENDENT AUDITOR Grant Thornton UK LLP Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor 30 Finsbury Square London EC2P 2YU BANKERS AND CUSTODIAN JPMorgan Chase Bank (London Branch) 125 London Wall London EC2Y 5AJ DEPOSITARY J.P. Morgan Europe Limited 25 Bank Street London E14 5JP REGISTRARS Capita Asset Services The Registry 34 Beckenham Road Beckenham Kent BR3 4TU LAWYERS Slaughter and May One Bunhill Row London EC1Y 8YY Speechly Bircham LLP 6 New Street Square London EC4A 3LX Glossary of Terms AIF Alternative Investment Fund. The Company is an AIF. AIFM Alternative Investment Fund Manager. The Board has appointed FIL Investment Services (UK) Limited to act as the Company's AIFM. AIFMD The Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive is a European Union Directive and came into force on 22 July 2013. The implementation date was 22 July 2014. CONTRACT FOR DIFFERENCE (CFD) A Contract For Difference is a derivative. It is a contract between the Company and an investment bank at the end of which the parties exchange the difference between the opening price and the closing price of the underlying asset of the specified financial instrument. It does not involve the Company buying or selling the underlying asset, only agreeing to receive or pay the movement in its share price. A Contract For Difference allows the Company to gain access to the movement in the share price by depositing a small amount of cash known as margin. The Company may reason that the asset price will rise, by buying ("long" position) or fall, by selling ("short" position). If the Company holds long positions, dividends are received and interest is paid. If the Company holds short positions, dividends are paid and interest is received. The Company only uses long Contracts For Difference. DERIVATIVES Financial instruments whose value is derived from the value of an underlying asset. The main categories of derivatives are Contracts For Difference, futures and options. DISCOUNT If the share price of the Company is lower than the net asset value per share, the Company's shares are said to be trading at a discount. The discount is shown as a percentage of the net asset value. The opposite of a discount is a premium. It is more common for an investment trust's shares to trade at a discount than a premium. FAIR VALUE The fair value is the best estimate of the value of the investments, including derivatives, at a point in time and this is measured as: • Listed investments valued at bid prices, or last market prices, where available, otherwise at published price quotations; • Unlisted investments valued using an appropriate valuation technique in the absence of an active market; and • Contracts For Difference valued as the difference between the settlement price of the contract and the value of the underlying shares in the contract (unrealised gains or losses). GEARING Gearing describes the level of a Company's exposure and is expressed as a percentage of shareholders' funds. It reflects the amount of exposure the Company uses to invest in the market. It can be through the use of bank loans, bank overdrafts or derivatives in order to increase a Company's exposure to investments. If assets rise in value, gearing magnifies the return to ordinary shareholders. Correspondingly, if the assets fall in value, gearing magnifies the fall. The Company uses long Contracts For Difference to gain exposure to the price movements of shares without buying the underlying shares directly. GEARING PERCENTAGE In a simple example, if a company has £100 million of net assets and a total portfolio of £108 million, with £8 million of borrowings (either via bank loans or long derivatives) then the shareholders' funds are 8% geared. Normally, the higher the gearing percentage, the more sensitive the Company's shares will be to movements up and down in the value of the investment portfolio. HEDGING A strategy aimed at minimising or eliminating the risk or loss through adverse movements, normally involving positions in two different markets, with one offsetting the other. The Company uses derivatives for gearing and investment rather than hedging purposes. NET ASSET VALUE (NAV) Net asset value is sometimes also described as "shareholders' funds", and represents the total value of the Company's assets less the total value of its liabilities. NAV ASSET VALUE PER ORDINARY SHARE Represents the net asset value divided by the number of ordinary shares in issue. PREMIUM If the share price of the Company is higher than the net asset value per share, the Company's shares are said to be trading at a premium. The premium is shown as a percentage of the net asset value. The opposite of a premium is a discount. REFERENCE INDEX Russell Nomura Mid/Small Cap Index against which the performance of the Company is measured. RETURN The return generated in the period from the investments: • Revenue Return reflects the dividends and interest from investments and other income net of revenue expenses, finance costs and taxation; • Capital Return reflects the return on capital, excluding any revenue returns; • Total Return reflects the aggregate of capital and revenue returns in the period. SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS Shareholders' funds are also described as "net asset value" and represent the total value of the Company's assets less the total value of its liabilities. SUBSCRIPTION SHARES (2009 ISSUE) The subscription shares were issued as a bonus issue to ordinary shareholders on 11 November 2009 on the basis of one subscription share for every five ordinary shares held. The final date to exercise the rights attached to the subscription shares was 28 February 2013. TOTAL PORTFOLIO EXPOSURE The total of fixed asset investments at fair value plus the fair value of the underlying securities within the Contracts For Difference. TOTAL RETURN PERFORMANCE The return on the share price or net asset value per share taking into account the rise and fall of share prices and the dividends paid to shareholders. Any dividends received by the shareholder are assumed to have been reinvested in additional shares (for share price total return) or the Company's assets (for net asset value total return). Investor Information The Fidelity Individual Savings Account ("ISA") and Junior ISA are offered and managed by Financial Administration Services Limited. The Fidelity Investment Trust Share Plan is managed by FIL Investments International. Both companies are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The Fidelity Investment Trust Share Plan is administered by The Bank of New York Mellon and shares will be held in the name of The Bank of New York Nominees Limited. The value of savings and eligibility to invest in an ISA will depend on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. With effect from 22 July 2014, Fidelity's investment trusts are managed by FIL Investment Services (UK) Limited, the Alternative Investment Fund Manager. They were previously managed by FIL Investments International. Fidelity only gives information about its own products and services and does not provide investment advice based on individual circumstances. Should you wish to seek advice, please contact a Financial Adviser. Please note that the value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise and the investor may not get back the amount originally invested. Past performance is not a guide to future returns. For funds that invest in overseas markets, changes in currency exchange rates may affect the value of your investment. Investing in small and emerging markets can be more volatile than other more developed markets. Reference in this document to specific securities should not be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell these securities, but is included for the purposes of illustration only. Investees should also note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon by Fidelity. Issued by Fidelity Japanese Values PLC. Fidelity, Fidelity Worldwide Investment, the Fidelity Worldwide Investment logo and symbol are trademarks of FIL Limited. The content of websites referred to in this document do not form part of this Half-Yearly Report. Warning to Shareholders SHARE FRAUD WARNING Share fraud includes scams where investors are called out of the blue and offered shares that often turn out to be worthless or non-existent, or an inflated price for shares they own. These calls come from fraudsters operating in `boiler rooms' that are mostly based abroad. While high profits are promised, those who buy or sell shares in this way usually lose their money. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has found most share fraud victims are experienced investors who lose an average of £20,000, with around £200m lost in the UK each year. PROTECT YOURSELF If you are offered unsolicited investment advice, discounted shares, a premium price for shares you own, or free company or research reports, you should take these steps before handing over any money: 1. Get the name of the person and organisation contacting you. 2. Check the FCA Register at www.fca.org.uk/register/ to ensure they are authorised. 3. Use the details on the FCA Register to contact the firm. 4. Call the FCA Consumer Helpline on 0800 111 6768 if there are no contact details on the Register or you are told they are out of date. 5. Search the FCA's website list of unauthorised firms and individuals to avoid doing business with. 6. REMEMBER: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! If you use an unauthorised firm to buy or sell shares or other investments, you will not have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service or Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if things go wrong. REPORT A SCAM If you are approached about a share scam you should tell the FCA using the share fraud reporting form at www.fca.org.uk/scams, where you can find out about the latest investment scams. You can also call the Consumer Helpline on 0800 111 6768. If you have already paid money to share fraudsters you should contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 Fidelity, Fidelity Worldwide Investment, the Fidelity Worldwide Investment logo and symbol are trademarks of FIL Limited Printed on FSC® certified paper. 100% of the inks used are vegetable oil based 95% of press chemicals are recycled for further use and on average 99% of any waste associated with this production will be recycled. The FSC® logo identifies products which contain wood from well-managed forests certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council®. This document is printed on Cocoon Silk; a paper made using 50% recycled fibre from genuine waste paper and 50% virgin fibre. The unavoidable carbon emissions generated during the manufacture and delivery of this document, have been reduced to net zero through a verified, carbon offsetting project.

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