Interim Results
JPMorgan Fleming US Disc IT PLC
12 August 2002
JPMORGAN FLEMING US DISCOVERY INVESTMENT TRUST PLC
STOCK EXCHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT
Unaudited Results for the six months ended 30th June 2002
12th August 2002
Chairman's Review
Performance and Market Review
The Company underperformed the Russell 2000 in the first half of the year with
its NAV declining -15.4% and the Russell declining 9.1%. Early in the year
investors focused on a genuine, albeit slow, economic recovery. Corporate
scandals, growing disappointment over the profits recovery, and increased global
unrest quickly overshadowed generally positive economic news. With negative
revelations from WorldCom, Xerox, and even Wal-Mart, accounting and financial
improprieties are no longer viewed as isolated incidents, and investors are
understandably wary of investing in corporate America. The first half of 2002
was marked by significant volatility, reflected in the Russell 2000 increasing
6.2% in the first quarter and decreasing 14.4% in the second quarter, for an
overall decline of 9.1%.
The portfolio was primarily hurt by the performance of the healthcare and
technology sectors, which represent just under 35% of our portfolio. The
technology sector declined 32% through six months while healthcare declined 23%.
Our stock selection in those sectors - which represent only 24% of the Russell
2000 - helped to lessen the blow, but our significant over-weighting,
particularly in healthcare, hurt our performance. Conversely, our
under-weighting in financial services also hurt performance, as that sector
advanced for the six months. Overall, our stock selection helped performance,
and we would remind shareholders that our investment strategy involves finding
the highest quality companies irrespective of sector.
Portfolio Highlights
Significant positive contributors in the first six months of 2002 were in the
top performing sectors. J&J Snack Foods, the manufacturer and marketer of ICEE,
Superpretzel, and other snack foods, advanced 89%. We believe the company had
been significantly undervalued, and as a snack food manufacturer, the stock
benefited as investors sought out more stable business models. Hilb, Rogal &
Hamilton, a property and casualty insurance broker, buoyed by a hardening
insurance market, increased 63%. J. Jill, a speciality catalog retailer of
women's apparel, advanced 76% as the company continued successfully to roll out
retail stores.
Our most disappointing returns were from technology and healthcare stocks
Pemstar, Seachange and Intermune, with the stocks dropping 83%, 74% and 57%,
respectively. Shares of Pemstar, a contract manufacturer, have been under
pressure as its communications end market stalled. Seachange, a provider of
video-on-demand systems for cable operators, also suffered as a result of end
market issues, as investors have grown concerned over certain cable operators'
capital spending abilities. Intermune, a developer of products to treat
pulmonary and infectious diseases and cancer, continued its retreat from its
December high, as investors have grown increasingly averse to the risks inherent
in biotech companies.
Market Outlook
Earlier in the year we envisaged an economic recovery later in 2002, but our
market outlook was cautious, as valuations still appeared high given the
prospective weakness in corporate earnings. The outlook for corporate earnings
at mid year remains at best mixed, with the early year strength in consumer
cyclicals beginning to falter and with little evidence of improvement elsewhere.
Until there is some concrete and broad-based recovery in discretionary corporate
spending, the market is likely to continue its downward and volatile trend.
For our micro cap portfolio, our outlook is less negative. Valuations are
reasonable and, in some cases, compelling, while the fundamentals are largely in
good shape. More generally, weak markets have historically been a good
environment for both accumulating new positions, which often take weeks or
longer to accomplish, and for adding to existing positions.
Richard Lewis
For Secretary
J.P. Morgan Fleming Asset Management (UK) Ltd.................... 020 7742 3477
JPMorgan Fleming US Discovery Investment Trust plc
Unaudited figures for the six months ended 30th June 2002
Statement of Total Return (Unaudited)
Six months to 30th June 2002 Six months to 30th June 2001 Year to 31st December 2001
Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total
£'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000
Realised (losses)/gains - (3,128) (3,128) - 2,180 2,180 - 1,861
on investments 1,861
Net change in - (10,994) (10,994) - 9,659 9,659 - 10,533 10,533
unrealised appreciation
on investments
Currency gains/(losses) - 20 20 - (98) (98) - (169) (169)
on cash and short term
deposits
Realised loss on loan - - - - (98) (98) - (87) (87)
Other capital items - 100 100 - (105) (105) - (80) (80)
Overseas dividends 345 - 345 190 - 190 292 - 292
Deposit interest 16 - 16 24 - 24 42 - 42
_______ _______ ______ ______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______
Gross return 361 (14,002) (13,641) 214 11,538 11,752 334 12,058 12,392
Management fee (483) - (483) (448) - (448) (900) - (900)
Other administrative (100) - (100) (70) - (70) (183) - (183)
expenses
Performance fee - 584 584 - 69 69 - (1,027) (1,027)
Interest payable (228) - (228) (367) - (367) (616) - (616)
_______ _______ ______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______
Return before taxation (450) (13,418) (13,868) (671) 11,607 10,936 (1,365) 11,031 9,666
Taxation (50) - (50) (31) - (31) (50) - (50)
______ _______ ______ ______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______
Return attributable to
ordinary shareholders (500) (13,418) (13,918) (702) 11,607 10,905 (1,415) 11,031 9,616
===== ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== =====
Return per ordinary (4.25)p (113.92)p (118.17)p (5.96)p 98.53p 92.57p (12.01)p 93.64p 81.63p
share
JPMorgan Fleming US Discovery Investment Trust plc
Unaudited figures for the six months ended 30th June 2002
Balance Sheet 30th June 30th June 31st December
2002 2001 2001
£'000 £'000 £'000
Investments at valuation 83,348 100,150 94,200
Net current (liabilities) / assets (637) (2,781) 3,669
Creditors: Amounts falling due after more than one year (6,226) (5,677) (7,466)
______ _______ _______
Total net assets 76,485 91,692 90,403
===== ===== =====
Net asset value per ordinary share 649.3p 778.4p 767.5p
Cash Flow Statement
Six months to Six months to Year ended
30th June 30th June 31st December
2002 2001 2001
£'000 £'000 £'000
Net cash outflow from operating activities (1,271) (942) (1,478)
Net cash outflow from returns on investments and servicing (8) (368) (721)
of finance
Total tax paid (70) - (44)
Net cash (outflow)/inflow from capital expenditure and (2,994) 1,308 7,213
financial investment
Net cash outflow from financing - (2,749) (3,200)
_______ ______ ______
(Decrease) / increase in cash for the period (4,343) (2,751) 1,770
===== ==== ====
The above financial information does not constitute statutory accounts as
defined in Section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. Statutory accounts for the
year ended 31 December 2001 have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies.
J.P. MORGAN FLEMING ASSET MANAGEMENT (UK) LIMITED
12 August 2002
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange