Good morning, welcome to the second annual general meeting of Wilson Investment Fund Ltd (WIL). Thank you for your attendance and for your support since we listed on 19th August 2003. My name is Geoff Wilson, I am chairman of the board of directors and I will be chairing this meeting today. I would like to introduce the other members of the board Matthew Kidman, John Abernethy and Julian Gosse.
2.MISSION
WIL is an investment company whose mission is to provide superior returns to its investors over the medium to long term. WIL is managed by MAM Pty Ltd (MAM). MAM is owned by entities associated with Geoff Wilson and Matthew Kidman.
3.PERFORMANCE
We are happy to report on the Company's performance in its second year of operation. In the year to June 2005 WIL made an operating profit before tax of $6.0 million and an after tax profit of $4.8 million. For the year, dividends paid and declared totaled 4.0 cents per share fully franked, equivalent to $5.7 million. The current year has started solidly with the gross portfolio increasing by 6% in the 4 months to October 2005. The building of the equity portfolio has taken longer than expected, primarily due to the strength in the Australian equity market. Opportunities to buy real long-term value have been scarce. The slower than expected building of the portfolio has been frustrating for the Board, the Manager, and the shareholders. At June 2004, 22.8% of the portfolio was invested in the market. At October 2004, that figure was 28.1%. At June 2005, it was 52.1%, and at October 2005 it was 61.9%. We believe it is in the best interests of the Company to err on the side of caution.
4.OBJECTIVES These are to: Achieve a high real rate of return, comprising both income and capital. Preserve capital, and Deliver investors a secure income stream in the form of fully franked dividends.
5.INVESTMENT PHILISOPHY
The focus of the manager is to undertake extensive research and invest using a disciplined approach. The manager believes to buy assets at a sizeable discount to their assessed value requires patience. Since WIL's inception to 31 October 2005 the manager has undertaken over 1725 interviews with the management of listed companies. The manager is using two methods to invest: Research driven - which involves the rating of a company with respect to its management, earnings growth, valuation and industry position and then identifying a catalyst which will change the valuation before investing, and Investment driven - which requires investing in a company with a sustainable business model, a track record of profit and dividends, acceptable financial risk and a strong return on equity. Once the above characteristics have been identified the timing of the purchase is paramount. The manager has been conservative with this timing.
6. DISCOUNT TO NTA
Since listing I have been asked by a number of shareholders why the share price has not risen with the increase in NTA. We believe this phenomenon will change over time with the establishment of a performance track record as a public company. The pre-tax NTA as at 31 October 2004 has increased to approximately $1.08.
7. CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
On the 29th March 2005, the board announced a second share buyback of 10% of issued capital or approximately 14,655,794 shares. The Board is of the belief that WIL's current share price of $0.915, a 15.3% discount to the October pre-tax value of its portfolio, represents exceptional value. The buyback of shares at below asset backing will increase the asset backing for the remaining shareholders. This mechanism is providing liquidity for impatient investors while rewarding all other patient shareholders. At the close of the market on 14 November 2005, 11,739,462 shares have been bought back.
8. GOAL Our goal is to deliver a return of 15-20% per annum for our shareholders. This would ideally be achieved with a portfolio of 25 to 30 companies that are growing earnings at 15-25% per annum, trading on a low price earnings multiple, are well managed and have a strong position in a growth industry. The problem is, companies with all these characteristics are hard to find. We will always be looking!
9. DIVIDEND POLICY
The board is committed to increasing the ordinary dividend paid each year and paying all franking credits when available. After the sound start to the current year it is anticipated dividends will be increased, assuming adequate profitability, and that franking credits are available.
WIL Price at posting:
0.0¢ Sentiment: None Disclosure: Not Held