• NAV at the year end of 44.41p per share (2020: 46.35p), after dividend payments totalling 3.00p per share during the year
• Deployment of £6.91 million during the year, including new investments in 20 private and AIM quoted companies
The financial year to 28 February 2021 has been a period of significant challenge and uncertainty dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This public health crisis has had a wide-reaching impact across our society, and the Directors thoughts are with all of those who have been affected.
Despite the economic disruption experienced during the year, it is encouraging to report that your Company has continued to make positive progress, with NAV total return increasing to 144.32p per share. This reflects the strength and resilience of the investee portfolio, where most companies successfully adjusted their business models to enable them to continue to operate under the lockdown restrictions. Further progress
Introduction I am pleased to report that the performance of both the Company s Growth and Income shares have improved significantly in the reporting period. The markets we invest in have had a buoyant year. The Benchmark return for both share classes (MSCI Europe ex UK Index in sterling terms) was up 33.5% the year under review and both of the Company s share classes comfortably outperformed the benchmark. Throughout the year, with the ongoing disruption caused by Covid-19, I am pleased to report that the operations and control environment of the Company continued to work well despite the unprecedented change to working practices.
FINANCIAL AND PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS OBJECTIVE To provide Shareholders with long-term returns through capital and income growth by investing predominantly in a portfolio of UK listed companies. POLICY Phoenix Asset Management Partners Limited (Phoenix) was appointed Investment Manager on 28 January 2016. Phoenix currently seeks to achieve the Objective by investing, primarily, in a portfolio of UK listed equities. The portfolio will remain relatively concentrated. The exact number of individual holdings will vary over time but typically the portfolio will consist of 15 to 20 holdings. The Investment Policy of the Company can be found below. BENCHMARK DIVIDEND The Board proposes to pay a final dividend of 0.55p per Ordinary Share (2019: 4.5p) to be paid on 2 July 2021 to Shareholders who appear on the register as at 11 June 2021, with an ex-dividend date of 10 June 2021. During the year the Company s revenue