Results and Dividends
As shareholders will be well aware, this has been an extraordinary six months, as the world battled the pandemic spread of the COVID-19 virus. After initially imposing draconian restrictions on movement, governments are gradually relaxing social-distancing measures and, supported by unprecedented monetary and fiscal stimulus, a global economic recovery appears to be underway. Asian markets were surprisingly positive against such a challenging backdrop, with the benchmark MSCI All Countries Asia Pacific ex Japan Index rising by 18.1% in total return terms over the half year to 31 October 2020. In comparison, the Company s net asset value ( NAV ) total return was 21.4%, pleasingly ahead of the benchmark, a testament to the quality and resilience of the portfolio s holdings.