Company Announcements

BlackRock World Mining Trust Plc - Portfolio Update

BLACKROCK WORLD MINING TRUST PLC (LEI - LNFFPBEUZJBOSR6PW155 )

All information is at 30 April 2024 and unaudited.
 


Performance at month end with net income reinvested

                                                 One   Three  One   Three Five

                                                 Month Months Year  Years Years

Net asset value                                  5.1%  9.5%   -1.1% 15.7% 94.4%

Share price                                      13.0% 11.1%  -5.0% 11.0% 119.3%

MSCI ACWI Metals & Mining 30% Buffer 10/40 Index 4.8%  11.5%  7.4%  18.2% 78.1%
(Net)*

* (Total return)

Sources: BlackRock, MSCI ACWI Metals & Mining 30% Buffer 10/40 Index, Datastream



At month end


Net asset value (including income)1: 596.86p

Net asset value (capital only):      588.60p

Share price:                         584.00p

Discount to NAV2:                    2.2%

Total assets:                        £1,276.9m

Net yield3:                          5.7%

Net gearing:                         14.7%

Ordinary shares in issue:            191,183,036

Ordinary shares held in Treasury:    1,828,806

Ongoing charges4:                    0.91%

Ongoing charges5:                    0.81%



 

1 Includes net revenue of 8.26p.

2 Discount to NAV including income.

3 Based on a first interim dividend of 5.50p per share declared on 18 April 2023, a second interim dividend of 5.50p per share declared on 24 August 2023, a third interim dividend of 5.50p per share declared on 11 October 2023 and a final dividend of 17.00p per share declared on 7 March 2024 with ex date 21 March 2024 and pay date 14 May 2024 in respect of the year ended 31 December 2023.

4 The Company’s ongoing charges are calculated as a percentage of average daily net assets and using the management fee and all other operating expenses, excluding finance costs, direct transaction costs, custody transaction charges, VAT recovered, taxation and certain other non-recurring items for the year ended 31 December 2023.

5 The Company’s ongoing charges are calculated as a percentage of average daily gross assets and using the management fee and all other operating expenses, excluding finance costs, direct transaction costs, custody transaction charges, VAT recovered, taxation and certain other non-recurring items for the year ended 31 December 2023.

 


Country Analysis        Total
                        Assets (%)

Global                  64.8

United States           8.5

Canada                  8.3

Latin America           8.3

Australasia             7.7

Other Africa            4.0

Indonesia               0.6

South Africa            0.1

Net Current Liabilities -2.3

                        -----

                        100.0

                        =====



 

 


Sector Analysis         Total
                        Assets (%)

Diversified             35.9

Copper                  25.9

Gold                    17.7

Steel                   7.9

Industrial Minerals     5.1

Aluminium               3.2

Iron Ore                2.3

Uranium                 1.5

Platinum Group Metals   1.1

Nickel                  1.1

Mining Services         0.5

Zinc                    0.1

Net Current Liabilities -2.3

                        -----

                        100.0

                        =====



 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Ten largest investments

Company                 Total Assets %

Glencore                8.2

BHP:

Equity                  6.0

Royalty                 1.5

Vale:

Equity                  3.8

Debenture               2.5

Freeport-McMoRan        5.6

Anglo American          5.6

Rio Tinto               5.5

Newmont                 4.5

Teck Resources          4.0

Agnico Eagle Mines      3.4

Nucor                   3.2



 


Asset Analysis          Total Assets (%)

Equity                  99.4

Bonds                   1.5

Preferred Stock         0.9

Convertible Bonds       0.6

Option                  -0.1

Net Current Liabilities -2.3

                        -----

                        100.0

                        =====



 


Commenting on the markets, Evy Hambro and Olivia Markham, representing the
Investment Manager noted:

Performance

The Company’s NAV rose by 5.1% in April, outperforming its reference index, the
MSCI ACWI Metals and Mining 30% Buffer 10/40 Index (net return) which returned
+4.8% (performance figures in GBP).

April was a positive month for the mining sector, outperforming broader equity
markets which fell by 3.3% (in USD terms) as measured by the MSCI All Country
World Index. Inflation proving stickier than expected and rising US interest
rate expectations supported the outperformance of value sectors over growth
ones.

Meanwhile, we saw strength almost across the board in mined commodity prices as
Chinese economic data improved. For reference, the country’s manufacturing PMI
came in above 50 for the second consecutive month. Iron ore had a particularly
strong month, with the 62% fe. price rising by 15.8%. Elsewhere, base metals
were buoyant with copper, nickel and zinc prices rising by 12.8%, 15.1% and
21.7% respectively. Gold and silver prices rose by 3.7% and 6.5% respectively,
appearing to benefit from ‘safe-haven’ demand.

Turning to the companies, we saw high profile M&A activity with BHP proposing a
$39bn takeover of fellow diversified miner Anglo American. Anglo American
rejected the offer, but the market expectation is that BHP may improve its offer
or that other buyers may emerge. This proposal supports our view that existing
copper assets are currently trading significantly below replacement costs in the
listed market, making them attractive to peers and strategic buyers.

Strategy and Outlook

China has re-opened but with less impact than had been expected. Uncertainty
persists around China’s commodity demand, but we are seeing the Chinese
administration announce financial support incrementally.

Longer term, we are excited by the structural demand growth for a range of mined
commodities that will result from the low carbon transition. Meanwhile,
commodity supply is likely to be constrained by the capital discipline of recent
years, whilst inventories for many mined commodities are at historic lows.
Mining companies have low levels of debt, continue to return capital to
shareholders, but appear to be entering a higher capital expenditure phase.

We are seeing Brown to Green emerge as a key theme, where mining companies are
focusing on reducing the greenhouse gas emissions intensity associated with
their production. We expect to see a re-rating for the mining companies able to
best navigate this and are playing this in the portfolio.

22 May 2024

Latest information is available by typing www.blackrock.com/uk/brwm on the
internet. Neither the contents of the Manager’s website nor the contents of any
website accessible from hyperlinks on the Manager’s website (or any other
website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.



 





Release