19th Mar 2020 09:52
(Alliance News) - Fidelity European Values PLC on Thursday said it outperformed its benchmark in 2019 and raised its full-year payout.
Fidelity European's net asset value per share at December 31 rose 20% year-on-year to 277.19 pence from 231.77p.
Shares in the company were 0.5% higher at 188.40p each in London on Thursday morning.
The firm reported a net asset value total return of 24%, beating its benchmark, the FTSE World
Europe (ex UK) Index, which returned 20%.
The company paid 6.47p in dividends in respect to 2019, up 3.0% from 6.28p in 2018.
Fidelity European said: "Investors are clearly very concerned about the likely effects of the
coronavirus, Covid-19, on the world economy.
"The virus's behaviour is not yet fully understood. Like flu, it may well die away during the warmer summer months of the northern hemisphere. It may also reassert itself when winter returns. Investors should therefore be prepared for market fluctuations to echo these vicissitudes, and it may well be that sentiment will only fully recover once an immunising vaccine is widely available."
The company has proposed changing its name to Fidelity European Trust PLC.
"In order to clarify the company's investment proposition to investors and its strategy to grow the company, the board has concluded that the word "values" in the company's name is no longer relevant to the objective of the company," it explained.
The change of name is expected to take effect from May 12.
By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com
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