Genesis Emerging shareholders to miss out on dividend

London investment fund Genesis Emerging said directors did not recommend shareholders receive a dividend payment after releasing its half-year results despite an increase in profits.

Total profit for the period came to $146m for the six months to December 31st 2012, compared to a total loss of $210m for the same period the previous year.

The company said the investment environment was "rather uncertain" over the period but equity markets performed "reasonably well".

The fund's net asset value per share rose 9.6% in sterling terms for the half-year, marginally underperforming the MSCI Emerging Markets Index which increased by 10%.

The share price rose by 14.8% over the same period, partly driven by significant additional purchases by one of the fund's major shareholders. It was also supported by a general trend of considerable interest from investors in emerging markets.

As a result shares traded briefly at a small premium to its net asset value in mid-October, before the discount moved back towards more typical levels, ending the period at 3.3%.

At the end of the six months, the value of equity shareholders' funds increased to $1.2bn from $1.0bn at June 30th. The equity per participating preference share came to $9.10, compared to $8.02 at the end of the previous half.

Genesis said it remained wary of principal risks and uncertainties as it tries to achieve capital growth over the medium to long term through investments in equity securities quoted on emerging markets.

"The main risks to the value of its assets arising from the fund's investment in financial instruments are unanticipated adverse changes in market prices and foreign currency exchange rates and an absence of liquidity," the company said.

The group will try to manage the risk of price fluctuations by diversifying its investments geographically.

Looking ahead, Genesis said it believes the environment will remain challenging for investors during 2013.

Genesis will employ a long-term perspective to investments as opposed to trying to achieve returns in the short run.

RD