Tag: BRLA

  • BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust posts 40% NAV growth in H1 2025

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust posts 40% NAV growth in H1 2025

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) has announced its Half Yearly Financial Report for the six months ended 30 June 2025.

    Performance record

    As at 
    30 June 
    2025 
    As at 
    31 December 
    2024 
    Net assets (US$’000)1158,734 115,962 
    Net asset value per ordinary share (US$ cents)539.02 393.78 
    Ordinary share price (mid-market) (US$ cents)2479.62 348.17 
    Ordinary share price (mid-market) (pence)350.00 278.00 
    Discount311.0% 11.6% 
    ========= ========= 
    For the 
    six months 
    ended 
    30 June 
    2025 
    For the 
    year 
    ended 
    31 December 
    2024 
    Performance (with dividends reinvested)
    Net asset value per share (US$ cents)3+40.4% -35.7% 
    Ordinary share price (mid-market) (US$ cents)2,3+41.7% -35.3% 
    Ordinary share price (mid-market) (pence)3+29.4% -34.1% 
    MSCI EM Latin America Index (net return, on a US Dollar basis)4+29.9% -26.4% 
    ========= ========= 
    For the six 
    months ended 
    30 June 2025 
    For the six 
    months ended 
    30 June 2024 

    Change 
    Revenue
    Net profit on ordinary activities after taxation (US$’000)3,142 3,786 -17.0 
    Revenue earnings per ordinary share (US$ cents)10.67 12.86 -17.0 
    ————— ————— ————— 
    Dividends per ordinary share (US$ cents)
    Quarter to 31 March5.55 7.39 -24.9 
    Quarter to 30 June6.74 6.13 +10.0 
    ————— ————— ————— 
    Total dividends payable/paid (US$ cents)12.29 13.52 -9.1 
    ========= ========= ========= 

    1    The change in net assets reflects the portfolio movements during the period and dividends paid.

    2    Based on an exchange rate of US$1.37 to £1 at 30 June 2025 and US$1.25 to £1 at 31 December 2024.

    3    Alternative Performance Measures, see Glossary contained within the Half Yearly Financial Report.

    4    The Company’s performance benchmark index (the MSCI EM Latin America Index) may be calculated on either a gross or a net return basis. Net return (NR) indices calculate the reinvestment of dividends net of withholding taxes using the tax rates applicable to non-resident institutional investors, and hence give a lower total return than indices where calculations are on a gross basis (which assumes that no withholding tax is suffered). As the Company is subject to withholding tax rates for the majority of countries in which it invests, the NR basis is felt to be the more accurate, appropriate, consistent and fair comparison for the Company.

    Chair’s statement

    Market overview
    Latin American markets were some of the strongest equity markets over the six months ending June 2025, outperforming both developed and emerging markets. The MSCI EM Latin America Index delivered a net return of +29.9%, compared to the MSCI Emerging Markets EMEA Index net return of +15.3% and an increase in the MSCI World Index net return of +9.5%. All performance figures are calculated in US Dollar terms with dividends reinvested.

    Performance
    Investment outperformance of the index was extremely strong with the Company’s net asset value per share (NAV calculations in US Dollar terms with dividends reinvested) rising by 40.4% compared to the benchmark which gained 29.9%. This strong return caught investors attention and the share price rose by 41.7% (all in US Dollar terms with income reinvested). The biggest contributor to performance was the portfolio overweight in domestic Brazil, with stock selection in real estate developers and Brazilian retailers impacting positively. Mexico, the second largest country market exposure was another market which bounced back in the first six months ended 30 June 2025, supported by a 200 basis points (bps) reduction in interest rates by the Mexican central bank year-to-date. At the same time the Mexican Peso has appreciated against the US Dollar, further supporting equity returns.

    Further information on investment performance is given in the Investment Manager’s Report below.

    Gearing
    The Board’s view is that 105% of NAV is the neutral level of gearing over the longer term and that gearing should be used actively in an approximate range of plus or minus 10% around this as measured at the time that gearing is instigated. The Board is pleased to note that the Investment Managers have used gearing actively throughout the period with a high at 108.0% of NAV in February 2025. Average gearing for the six months ended 30 June 2025 was 105.3% of NAV (year to 31 December 2024 was 107.5% of NAV).

    Dividends declared in respect of the year to 30 June 2025

    Dividend Pay date 
    Quarter to 30 September 20246.26 cents 8 November 2024 
    Quarter to 31 December 20244.92 cents 7 February 2025 
    Quarter to 31 March 20255.55 cents 15 May 2025 
    Quarter to 30 June 20256.74 cents 12 August 2025 
    ————— 
    Total23.47 cents 
    ========= 

    Revenue returns and dividends
    Revenue return for the six months ended 30 June 2025 was 10.67 cents per share (2024: 12.86 cents per share). The decrease of 17.0% was largely due to the reduction in dividends paid by portfolio companies. Under the Company’s dividend policy, dividends are calculated and paid quarterly, based on 1.25% of the US Dollar NAV at close of business on the last working day of March, June, September and December, respectively. Dividends will be financed through a combination of available net income in each financial year and revenue and capital reserves.

    The Company has declared interim dividends totalling 23.47 cents per share in respect of the twelve months to 30 June 2025 as detailed in the table on the preceding page; this represented a yield of 4.9% (calculated based on the Company’s share price of 479.62 cents per share, equivalent to the Sterling price of 350.00 pence per share translated into cents at a rate of US$1.37 prevailing at 30 June 2025). As at 30 June 2025, a balance of US$4,629,000 remained in revenue reserves. Dividends may be funded out of capital reserves to the extent that current year revenue and revenue reserves are insufficient. The Board believes that this removes pressure from the investment managers to seek a higher income yield from the underlying portfolio itself which could detract from total returns. The Board also believes the Company’s dividend policy will enhance demand for the Company’s shares and help to narrow the Company’s discount, whilst maintaining the portfolio’s ability to generate attractive total returns.

    Discount management and discount control mechanism
    The Board remains committed to taking appropriate action to ensure that the Company’s shares do not trade at a significant discount to their prevailing NAV and have sought to reduce discount volatility by offering shareholders a discount control mechanism covering the four years to 31 December 2025. This mechanism will offer shareholders a tender for 24.99% of the shares in issue excluding treasury shares (at a tender price reflecting the latest cum-income NAV less 2% and related portfolio realisation costs) in the event that the continuation vote to be put to the Company’s AGM in 2026 is approved, where either of the following conditions have been met:

    (i)      the annualised total NAV return of the Company does not exceed the annualised benchmark index (being the MSCI EM Latin America Index US Dollar (net return)) by more than 50 basis points over the four-year period from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2025 (the Calculation Period); or

    (ii)     the average daily discount to the cum-income NAV exceeds 12% as calculated with reference to the trading of the shares over the Calculation Period.

    In respect of the above conditions, the Company’s annualised total NAV return on a US Dollar basis for the period from 1 January 2022 to 30 June 2025 was 8.4%, underperforming the annualised benchmark return of 9.7% over the calculation period by 1.3% (equivalent to 130 basis points).

    The cum-income discount of the Company’s ordinary shares over the calculation period has averaged 11.2%.

    For the current six month period under review the cum-income discount has ranged from 5.2% to 16.0%, ending the period under review on a discount of 11.0% at 30 June 2025.

    The making of any tender offer pursuant to the above will be conditional upon the Company having the required shareholder authority or such shareholder authority being obtained, the Company having sufficient distributable reserves to effect the repurchase and, having regard to its continuing financial requirements, sufficient cash reserves to settle the relevant transactions with shareholders, and the Company’s continuing compliance with the Listing Rules and all other applicable laws and regulations. The Company may require a minimum level of participation in any such tender offer to be met, failing which the tender offer may be declared void.

    The Company has not bought back any shares during the six month period ended 30 June 2025 and up to the date of publication of this report.

    Portfolio management changes
    As announced on 16 April 2025, Gordon Fraser was appointed as a co-manager of the Company’s portfolio alongside Sam Vecht as lead co-manager. Gordon is a Managing Director and senior investor on BlackRock’s Fundamental Equity Global Emerging Markets Platform, with 18 years of experience investing in Emerging Markets, and the Board are pleased to welcome him in his new role. Christoph Brinkmann retired as co-manager on the same date and the Board thank him for his commitment and contribution to the Company.

    Outlook
    Equity markets in the Latin American region saw a very strong start to 2025 but despite that, they remain attractively valued on both an absolute and relative basis. Mexico is a large manufacturing area for supplying the US market and circa. 83% of Mexican exports go to the US accounting for circa. 28% of GDP though a large proportion falls under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Since January 2025 there have been several changes to export duties imposed by the US. It is difficult to know what the end tariff rate will be and what effect this will have on Mexican manufacturing. Random changes in tariff rates are difficult to manage but companies in Latin America frequently go through unexpected and volatile conditions and therefore have some practice in dealing with unusual external factors. 

    Brazil exports circa. 12% of exports to the US accounting for circa. 1.9% of GDP and therefore US exports, whilst important, aren’t dominant and Brazil already exports to many other markets including China. Their current tariff of 50% appears to have been imposed as political punishment rather than as a solution to a trade deficit. It is impossible to know how long it will continue but the small size of exports to the US reduces its impact.

    Investing in Latin America is a volatile business but the companies there are more used to these conditions than companies in more economically mature regions. Latin American economies are rich in many of the key resources the world needs and as a result their stock markets offer excellent diversification from the currently very tech driven US stock markets.

    CAROLAN DOBSON
    Chair

    11 September 2025

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla

    Investment Manager’s report

    Market Overview
    It has been an eventful first half of 2025. Amidst widespread trade disruptions, we witnessed increased geopolitical tensions across several regions, including ongoing fighting between Russia and Ukraine. Naturally, these events have contributed to increased volatility for risk assets.

    Yet, amid these global headlines, the Latin American region has quietly outperformed. Often overlooked, the region has bounced back sharply from its late 2024 lows, rising +29.9% in the first six months of 2025. The region has outperformed both Emerging and Developed Markets alike, which saw their indices rise +15.3% and +9.5%, respectively, making Latin America the best performing region year-to-date.

    Nearly all countries in the region posted positive returns. Regional heavyweight Brazil (+29.2%) had a strong six months. Whilst the market struggled in 2024, the country has strongly rebounded helped by flows into the local equity market and growing expectations that interest rates have peaked. The economy has held up well despite the high real rates, largely underpinned by household savings, strong domestic consumption and a resilient labour market. A weaker US Dollar, led by a higher risk premium in the US, has also supported the Brazilian Real (BRL).

    Mexico (+30.9%) was another market that bounced back in the first six months of 2025, supported by a 200 basis points (bps) reduction in interest rates by the central bank year-to-date. Following the most recent 50bps cut in late June, the target rate now sits at 8.0%. At the same time, the Mexican Peso has appreciated against the US Dollar, further supporting equity returns.

    Performance review and positioning
    The Company significantly outperformed its benchmark over the six-month period ending 30 June 2025, returning +40.4%. Over the same time horizon, the Company’s benchmark, the MSCI EM Latin America Index, returned +29.9% on a net basis (all figures in US Dollar terms). This marks the Company’s strongest half- yearly performance in over five years, delivering a +10.5% excess return relative to its benchmark.

    Our Brazil positioning was by far the strongest contributor to performance in the first half of the year. While Brazil suffered a tough year in 2024, driven primarily by fiscal concerns and currency weakness, the adjustments we made throughout last year have positioned us well to capture the upside so far in 2025.

    The biggest contributor to relative returns was Brazilian real estate developer, Cyrela, which rose as much as 82.1% over the period. The stock performed well after delivering strong fourth quarter results in 2024. Supermarket chain Assai also rebounded, returning 130.1%. A collection of Brazilian retailers, which we added to during the sell-off last year, has been another significant contributor to performance. Lojas Renner, Azzas 2154, and Alpargatas all contributed to performance after delivering strong first quarter earnings. XP, the Brazilian investment management platform, also did well on the back of decent results. Another stock that did well was financial technology and software solutions provider StoneCo, up 101.3%. The stock rose alongside the Brazilian market and following news of a potential acquisition of their subsidiary Linx, by Brazilian software company Totvs.

    Our exposure to precious metal stocks has also supported returns, as prices have surged with investors turning to the commodities amid heightened geopolitical tensions and growing political uncertainty in the United States. To that end, G Mining Ventures, a Canadian based gold mining firm with significant operations in Brazil, and MAG Silver, the Mexican silver miner, were both significant contributors to returns, up 55.9% and 58.7%, respectively. Off-benchmark exposure to Uruguayan fintech firm dLocal also did well, rising 52.5%.

    On the flipside, Argentinian IT services firm Globant was the worst performer during the period. The stock pulled back following a poor set of earnings and weaker than expected guidance, which in our view was due in part to management extrapolating one-off weaknesses in the first four months of the year to financial year 2025. While more aggressive peer dynamics are driving pricing pressure, we continue to see attractive risk reward for the name. An underweight to Brazilian bank Itau also weighed on returns. As a high-beta stock, the name was helped by the strong performance of the Brazilian equity market. Overweight in Becle, a Mexican producer and supplier of alcoholic beverages most famously known for their high-end tequila brand Jose Cuervo, was another detractor. Their fourth quarter 2024 earnings were weak on the back of disappointing sales volumes in the US, but we have seen some recovery since, with the first quarter of 2025 earnings coming in ahead of expectations.

    Brazilian iron ore producer Vale was another detractor. The stock fell on the back of a quarter one production miss due to heavy rainfall. We maintain conviction as we see the potential for higher dividend yields and share buybacks supporting the stock.

    In terms of portfolio changes, we have taken advantage of the strong performance in Brazil year-to-date to take profits on some of our domestic exposed names including Azzas 2154, Rede D’or and Lojas Renner. We sold out of Brazilian electric utility company Energisa and increased our exposure to the Brazilian transportation sector through buying Localiza. The stock is trading at attractive valuations and is strongly positioned relative to peers. We also added to our holding in Brazilian logistics company, Rumo, taking advantage of the share price weakness following their first quarter earnings release. We think the initial share price weakness, which was due to higher-than-expected quarter one capex numbers, was an overreaction as the full year guidance was maintained. Outside of this sector, we initiated a position in Brazilian beef producer, Minerva. We believe the recent placing will support the company’s deleveraging efforts and help facilitate an operational turnaround.

    Elsewhere, we took profits and exited miner MAG Silver. The company is being acquired by Pan American Silver and our investment case has largely played out. We also sold out of Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAPB), rotating into ASUR, another airport operator. Within Mexican financials, we reduced our overweight to Banorte, taking advantage of its strong performance year-to-date.

    We have also reduced the portfolio’s exposure to Chile, primarily through exiting CCU, a Chilean brewer, on the back of strong performance. Whilst the market has begun to price in the elections taking place in November this year, the macro backdrop remains subdued, so we prefer to maintain an underweight to this country – not least because we see greater upside in both Brazil and Mexico.

    As such, Mexico was the largest portfolio overweight at the end of the period. The largest portfolio underweight remains Chile.

    Outlook
    Although Latin American equities have performed strongly year-to-date, valuations remain attractive. In several countries, inflation has come in below expectations, interest rate expectations are falling, and earnings across multiple sectors are surpassing estimates – supporting our continued positive stance on the region.

    We see interesting bottom-up opportunities particularly in Mexico and Brazil. Whilst we have recently taken some profits on our domestic Brazil exposure, we remain positive on the country on a 12-18 month view and believe there is still room for significant upside. We favour companies with lower leverage and stronger earnings outlook. Given cheap valuations, we also see the potential for share buybacks supporting the market in 2025.

    A potential positive for the market is the growing focus on Brazil’s 2026 presidential election. Local investors are increasingly backing Tarcísio de Freitas, the Governor of São Paulo, whose fiscally disciplined administration contrasts with concerns around President Lula’s policies. Expectations of a political shift, combined with attractive valuations, could in our view continue to support the market going forward.

    The select tariffs introduced by the US on Brazil and Mexico have not altered our long-term outlook on these markets. Over the past decade, Brazil’s exports to the US have declined, while trade with other partners, most significantly China, has increased, limiting the impact of any such tariffs. China has become Brazil’s main trading partner, benefitting Brazil’s export sector, with purchases reaching about US$94 billion last year, driven largely by demand for iron ore, soybeans and beef. The relationship has also expanded through Chinese investment, including funding to upgrade the Port of Santos and finance major rail projects aimed at improving Brazil’s export infrastructure and facilitating greater agricultural trade.

    For Mexico, the vast majority of bilateral trade falls under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), likely limiting the impact for now. We also do not believe that threats that some investors worry about are likely to materialise. This is based on two primary observations: first, the US is heavily dependent on Mexico due to their interlinked supply chains, and second, Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum, has proven to be a pragmatic and skilled negotiator.

    As we have communicated to shareholders before, we believe investing in Latin America requires patience and the discipline to maintain, or even add to, positions when others are heading for the exit. While 2024 was a challenging year for the portfolio, we made selective changes and chose not to significantly reduce exposure, particularly within Brazil, as we remained confident in a better outlook for 2025. It is important to re-iterate that, whilst volatility will occur from time to time, staying invested through the cycle is often key to capturing the long-term value that the region can offer.

    SAM VECHT
    AND GORDON FRASER
    BLACKROCK INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT (UK) LIMITED

    11 September 2025

    Portfolio analysis as at 30 June 2025

    Geographical weighting (gross market exposure) vs MSCI EM Latin America Index

    % of net assetsMSCI EM Latin America Index
    Brazil60.060.9
    Mexico31.727.0
    Multi-country3.00.0
    Argentina2.00.0
    Chile1.86.3
    Colombia0.01.6
    Peru0.04.2

    Sources: BlackRock and MSCI.

    Sector allocation (gross market exposure) vs MSCI EM Latin America Index

    % of net assetsMSCI EM Latin America Index
    Financials23.535.1
    Materials  17.815.9
    Consumer Staples14.513.8
    Industrials13.110.3
    Consumer Discretionary11.71.6
    Health Care6.20.8
    Energy5.69.2
    Real Estate4.11.2
    Information Technology2.00.7
    Communication Services0.03.8
    Utilities0.07.7

    Sources: BlackRock and MSCI.

    Ten largest investments

    Together, the ten largest investments represented 48.5% of the Company’s portfolio as at 30 June 2025 (31 December 2024: 52.0%).

    1. Vale (2024: 1st)
    Sector: Materials
    Market value – American depositary share (ADS): US$10,991,000
    Market value – ordinary shares: US$1,651,000
    Share of investments: 8.1% (2024: 9.2%)

    is one of the world’s largest mining groups, with other business in logistics, energy and steelmaking. Vale is the world’s largest producer of iron ore and nickel but also operates in the coal, copper, manganese and ferro-alloys sectors.

    2. Grupo México (2024: 5th)
    Sector: Materials
    Market value – ordinary shares: US$9,139,000
    Share of investments: 5.9% (2024: 4.5%)

    is a Mexican mining and transport conglomerate. The company engages in copper production, freight transportation and infrastructure businesses worldwide.

    3. Petrobrás (2024: 2nd)
    Sector: Energy
    Market value – American depositary receipt (ADR): US$4,241,000
    Market value – preference shares ADR: US$3,220,000
    Market value – ordinary shares: US$1,519,000
    Share of investments: 5.7% (2024: 7.6%)

    is a Brazilian integrated oil and gas group, operating in the exploration and production, refining, marketing, transportation, petrochemicals, oil product distribution, natural gas, electricity, chemical-gas and biofuel segments of the industry. The group controls significant assets across Africa, North and South America, Europe and Asia, with a majority of production based in Brazil.

    4. Walmart de México y Centroamérica (2024: 4th)
    Sector: Consumer Staples
    Market value – ordinary shares: US$7,494,000
    Share of investments: 4.8% (2024: 5.9%)

    is also known as Walmex, it is the Mexican and Central American Walmart division.

    5. FEMSA (2024: 31st)
    Sector: Consumer Staples
    Market value – ordinary shares: US$5,518,000
    Market value – American depositary receipt (ADR): US$1,408,000
    Share of net assets: 4.4% (2024: 1.2%)

    is a Mexican multinational company based in Monterrey. It operates Coca-Cola FEMSA, the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottler and owns the OXXO convenience store chain.

    6. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (2024: 30th)
    Sector: Industrials
    Market value – ordinary shares: US$6,735,000
    Share of net assets: 4.3% (2024: 1.2%)

    is a Mexican airport operator managing airports in southeastern Mexico, Colombia and Puerto Rico. It provides both aeronautical services like passenger handling and non-aeronautical services such as retail and parking.

    7. Grupo Financiero Banorte (2024: 3rd)
    Sector: Financials
    Market value – ordinary shares: US$6,321,000
    Share of net assets: 4.0% (2024: 6.8%)

    is a Mexican banking and financial services holding company and is one of the largest financial groups in the country. It operates as a universal bank and provides a wide array of products and services through its broker dealer, annuities and insurance companies, retirements savings funds (Afore), mutual funds, leasing and factoring company and warehousing.

    8. XP (2024: 8th)
    Sector: Financials
    Market value – ordinary shares: US$6,256,000
    Share of net assets: 4.0% (2024: 3.7%)

    is a Brazilian investment management company that offers a range of financial products and services, including brokerage, asset management and wealth management solutions.

    9. B3 (2024: 6th)
    Sector: Financials
    Market value – ordinary shares: US$5,817,000
    Share of net assets: 3.7% (2024: 4.0%)

    is a stock exchange located in Brazil, providing trading services in an exchange and OTC environment. B3’s scope of activities include the creation and management of trading systems, clearing, settlement, deposit and registration for the main classes of securities, from equities and corporate fixed income securities to currency derivatives, structured transactions and interest rates, and agricultural commodities. B3 also acts as a central counterparty for most of the trades carried out in its markets and offers central depository and registration services.

    10. Rede D’or Sao Luiz (2024: 7th)
    Sector: Health Care
    Market value – ordinary shares: US$5,598,000
    Share of net assets: 3.6% (2024: 3.8%)

    is a Brazilian hospital chain. The company offers medical and hospital care services in various areas, including women’s healthcare, oncology, dermatology, gastroenterology, neurology, psychology, urology and reproductive medicine.

    All percentages reflect the value of the holding as a percentage of total investments. For this purpose, where more than one class of securities is held, these have been aggregated.

    The percentages in brackets represent the value of the holding as at 31 December 2024.

    Portfolio of investments as at 30 June 2025

    Market 
    value 
    US$’000 
     
    % of 
    investments 
    Brazil
    Vale – ADS10,991 }8.1 
    Vale1,651 
    Petrobrás – ADR4,241 }5.7 
    Petrobrás – preference shares ADR3,220 
    Petrobrás1,519 
    XP6,256 4.0 
    B35,817 3.7 
    Rede D’or Sao Luiz5,598 3.6 
    Nu Holdings5,598 3.6 
    Lojas Renner5,551 3.5 
    Rumo5,193 3.3 
    Localiza Rent A Car4,788 3.1 
    Itaú Unibanco – ADR4,747 3.0 
    Hapvida Participacoes4,278 2.7 
    StoneCo3,678 2.4 
    Banco Bradesco – ADR3,676 2.4 
    EZTEC Empreendimentos e Participacoes3,633 2.3 
    Cyrela Brazil Realty3,270 2.1 
    Alpargatas3,175 2.0 
    Minerva Foods3,052 2.0 
    Azza Consultancy Services2,876 1.8 
    Sendas Distribuidora2,464 1.6 
    ————— ————— 
    95,272 60.9 
    ========= ========= 
    Mexico
    Grupo México9,139 5.9 
    Walmart de México y Centroamérica7,494 4.8 
    FEMSA5,518 }4.4 
    FEMSA – ADR1,408 
    Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste6,735 4.3 
    Grupo Financiero Banorte6,321 4.0 
    Corporación Inmobiliaria Vesta4,297 2.8 
    PINFRA4,061 2.6 
    Becle Sab De3,172 2.0 
    Fibra Uno Administracion – REIT2,230 1.4 
    ————— ————— 
    50,375 32.2 
    ========= ========= 
    Multi-Country
    Ero Copper Corp3,563 2.3 
    dLocal1,218 0.8 
    ————— ————— 
    4,781 3.1 
    ========= ========= 
    Argentina
    Globant3,131 2.0 
    ————— ————— 
    3,131 2.0 
    ========= ========= 
    Chile
    Sociedad Química Y Minera – ADR2,855 1.8 
    ————— ————— 
    2,855 1.8 
    ========= ========= 
    Total investments156,414 100.0 
    ========= ========= 

    All investments are in equity shares unless otherwise stated.

    The total number of investments held at 30 June 2025 was 36 (31 December 2024: 39). At 30 June 2025, the Company did not hold any equity interests comprising more than 3% of any company’s share capital (31 December 2024: none).

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla

  • BlackRock Latin American Trust delivers 5.9% April NAV gain

    BlackRock Latin American Trust delivers 5.9% April NAV gain

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) has announced its latest portfolio update.

    All information is at 30 April 2025 and unaudited. 

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla

    Performance at month end with net income reinvested

     One
    month
    %
    Three
    months
    %
    One
    year
    %
    Three
    years
    %
    Five
    years
    %
    Sterling:     
    Net asset value^5.95.3-14.41.652.9
    Share price3.74.1-12.9-6.349.8
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    3.32.4-10.38.865.9
    US Dollars:     
    Net asset value^9.613.2-8.68.162.0
    Share price7.411.9-7.1-0.258.8
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    6.910.0-4.315.875.7

    ^cum income

    ^^The Company’s performance benchmark (the MSCI EM Latin America Index) may be calculated on either a Gross or a Net return basis. Net return (NR) indices calculate the reinvestment of dividends net of withholding taxes using the tax rates applicable to non-resident institutional investors, and hence give a lower total return than indices where calculations are on a Gross basis (which assumes that no withholding tax is suffered). As the Company is subject to withholding tax rates for the majority of countries in which it invests, the NR basis is felt to be the most accurate, appropriate, consistent and fair comparison for the Company.

    Sources: BlackRock, Standard & Poor’s Micropal

    At month end

    Net asset value – capital only:358.48p
    Net asset value – including income:359.92p
    Share price:313.00p
    Total assets#:£116.1m
    Discount (share price to cum income NAV):13.0%
    Average discount* over the month – cum income:11.7%
    Net Gearing at month end**:7.0%
    Gearing range (as a % of net assets):0-25%
    Net yield##:5.5%
    Ordinary shares in issue(excluding 2,181,662 shares held in treasury):29,448,641
    Ongoing charges***:1.23%

    #Total assets include current year revenue.

    ##The yield of 5.5% is calculated based on total dividends declared in the last 12 months as at the date of this announcement as set out below (totalling 22.86 cents per share) and using a share price of 418.07 US cents per share (equivalent to the sterling price of 313.00 pence per share translated in to US cents at the rate prevailing at 30 April 2025 of $1.3357 dollars to £1.00).

    2024 Q2 Interim dividend of 6.13 cents per share (Paid on 08 August 2024)

    2024 Q3 Interim dividend of 6.26 cents per share (Paid 08 November 2024)

    2024 Q4 Interim dividend of 4.92 cents per share (Paid on 07 February 2025)

    2025 Q1 Interim dividend of 5.55 cents per share (Payable on 15 May 2025)

    *The discount is calculated using the cum income NAV (expressed in sterling terms).

    **Net cash/net gearing is calculated using debt at par, less cash and cash equivalents and fixed interest investments as a percentage of net assets.

    *** 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 non-recurring items for the year ended 31 December 2024. 

    Geographic Exposure% of Total Assets% of Equity Portfolio *MSCI EM Latin America Index
    Brazil57.358.660.4
    Mexico32.633.427.6
    Multi-Country3.53.50.0
    Argentina2.62.70.0
    Chile1.81.86.3
    Peru0.00.04.0
    Columbia0.00.01.7
    Net current assets (inc. fixed interest)2.20.00.0
     —–—–—–
    Total100.0100.0100.0
     ===============

    ^Total assets for the purposes of these calculations exclude bank overdrafts, and the net current assets figure shown in the table above therefore excludes bank overdrafts equivalent to 9.5% of the Company’s net asset value.

    Sector% of Equity Portfolio*% of Benchmark*
    Financials24.534.8
    Materials18.315.5
    Consumer Discretionary13.91.5
    Consumer Staples13.015.2
    Industrials8.210.3
    Health Care6.80.8
    Real Estate5.71.2
    Energy5.48.7
    Information Technology2.70.5
    Utilities1.57.7
    Communication Services0.03.8
     —–—–
    Total100.0100.0
     ==========

    *excluding net current assets & fixed interest


    Company
    Country of Risk% of
    Equity Portfolio
    % of
    Benchmark
    Vale:Brazil  
       ADS 6.4 
       Equity 1.15.7
    Petrobrás:Brazil
       Equity0.9
       Equity ADR2.53.5
       Preference Shares ADR2.04.0
    Grupo MéxicoMexico5.22.7
    Grupo Financiero BanorteMexico5.03.7
    Walmart de México y CentroaméricaMexico4.82.8
    FEMSA:Mexico  
       ADR 1.0 
       Equity 3.73.1
    Rede D’or Sao LuizBrazil4.20.8
    XPBrazil4.11.0
    Nu Holdings LtdBrazil3.76.6
    B3Brazil3.42.2

    Commenting on the markets, Sam Vecht and Gordon Fraser, representing the Investment Manager noted;

    The Company’s NAV rose by +5.9% in April, outperforming the benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Latin America Index, which returned +3.3% on a net basis over the same period. All performance figures are in sterling terms with dividends reinvested.1

    Emerging Markets had another positive month in April, gaining +1.0%, and once again outperforming US and Developed Markets equities despite heightened trade policy uncertainty. Latin America (+6.3%) was the best performing region. Mexico led the way with a +12.3% gain, driven by a relatively low 7%-8% accumulated tariff compared to around 28% in Asia and 20% in Europe. The market was also bolstered by strong exports in the manufacturing sector in the first quarter, as companies front-loaded ahead of tariffs. Meanwhile, Brazil’s market saw a +4.3% increase in April.

    At the portfolio level, security selection in Brazil and an overweight position to Mexico were the largest contributors. On the other hand, security selection in Chile hurt.

    From a security lens, an overweight position to Brazilian footwear retailer, Azzas 2154, was the largest contributor, rebounding from March lows. Another stock that did well was financial technology and software solutions provider, StoneCo. An underweight position to Brazilian state-owned oil producer, Petrobras, was another relative contributor. The oil price experienced a sharp drop amidst Donald Trump’s tariff threats and concerns around their potential impact on global growth. Lojas Renner, the Brazilian retailer, was also additive to relative returns after a broker upgrade.

    On the flipside, the biggest detractor over the month was our overweight position in Brazilian real estate developer, EZ Tec. Whilst the first quarter operational data was decent, the number fell short of buy-side expectations. Brazilian iron ore producer, Vale, was another detractor as the stock fell on the back of a 1Q production miss following heavy rainfall. 

    Portfolio positioning remained largely unchanged in April. We took profits in B3 and Bradesco, as the stocks have delivered strong relative returns over the past two months while we topped up our position in NU Holdings, which has lagged. We continued to add to our holding in IT services company Globant, on the view that the stock looked oversold ahead of the US tariff announcement. 

    Mexico remains the largest portfolio overweight as of April end, while Chile is the largest underweight. 

    Outlook

    With Donald Trump securing a second term, there is potential for an acceleration in the already shifting geopolitical landscape. The President has been clear on his “America First” policy since his inauguration, which in our view is supportive of our “World in 3” narrative where we see a world splitting into three groups: those aligned with China, those aligned with the US and the rest (neutrals). Markets have entered a new regime where there is greater division of geopolitical ideology. Trade lines and supply chains are being redrawn, and ‘neutral’ countries, many of which are in Latin America, stand to benefit from this economic fragmentation.

    Year-to-date, Latin America has outperformed broader MSCI Emerging Markets Index by as much as 16%, and the MSCI World Index by 20%, proving to be an unlikely defensive candidate amid an increasingly volatile world. Despite this run, Latin American equities are still cheap – notably, the MSCI Emerging Market Latin America Index is currently trading at a discount to both broader Emering Markets and the US. Yet, the region is still broadly out of favour.

    We see interesting bottom-up opportunities particularly in Mexico and Brazil. In Mexico, we do not see a major change in the secular trend of nearshoring of supply chains, as Mexico will remain a much cheaper location to manufacture than the United States. Sheinbaum’s pragmatic approach to trade negotiations underscores this view.

    In Brazil, we favour companies with lower leverage and stronger earnings outlook.  Given cheap valuations, we also see the potential for share buybacks supporting the market in 2025.

    1Source: BlackRock, as of 30 April 2025.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla

  • BlackRock Latin American Trust beats benchmark in March

    BlackRock Latin American Trust beats benchmark in March

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) has announced its latest portfolio update.

    All information is at 31 March 2025 and unaudited.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla

    Performance at month end with net income reinvested

     One
    month
    %
    Three
    months
    %
    One
    year
    %
    Three
    years
    %
    Five
    years
    %
    Sterling:     
    Net asset value^4.110.8-22.7-13.152.6
    Share price-0.311.6-19.2-15.945.3
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    2.39.4-15.4-3.967.8
    US Dollars:     
    Net asset value^6.814.2-21.1-14.858.9
    Share price2.215.0-17.5-17.651.2
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    4.812.7-13.6-5.874.7

    ^cum income

    ^^The Company’s performance benchmark (the MSCI EM Latin America Index) may be calculated on either a Gross or a Net return basis. Net return (NR) indices calculate the reinvestment of dividends net of withholding taxes using the tax rates applicable to non-resident institutional investors, and hence give a lower total return than indices where calculations are on a Gross basis (which assumes that no withholding tax is suffered). As the Company is subject to withholding tax rates for the majority of countries in which it invests, the NR basis is felt to be the most accurate, appropriate, consistent and fair comparison for the Company.

    Sources: BlackRock, Standard & Poor’s Micropal

    At month end

    Net asset value – capital only:341.35p
    Net asset value – including income:344.16p
    Share price:306.00p
    Total assets#:£107.6m
    Discount (share price to cum income NAV):11.1%
    Average discount* over the month – cum income:10.6%
    Net Gearing at month end**:7.6%
    Gearing range (as a % of net assets):0-25%
    Net yield##:5.8%
    Ordinary shares in issue(excluding 2,181,662 shares held in treasury):29,448,641
    Ongoing charges***:1.23%

    #Total assets include current year revenue.

    ##The yield of 5.8% is calculated based on total dividends declared in the last 12 months as at the date of this announcement as set out below (totalling 22.86 cents per share) and using a share price of 394.97 US cents per share (equivalent to the sterling price of 306.00 pence per share translated in to US cents at the rate prevailing at 31 March 2025 of $1.2908 dollars to £1.00).

    2024 Q2 Interim dividend of 6.13 cents per share (Paid on 08 August 2024)

    2024 Q3 Interim dividend of 6.26 cents per share (Paid 08 November 2024)

    2024 Q4 Interim dividend of 4.92 cents per share (Paid on 07 February 2025)

    2025 Q1 Interim dividend of 5.55 cents per share (Payable on 15 May 2025)

    *The discount is calculated using the cum income NAV (expressed in sterling terms).

    **Net cash/net gearing is calculated using debt at par, less cash and cash equivalents and fixed interest investments as a percentage of net assets.

    *** 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 non-recurring items for the year ended 31 December 2024.

    Geographic Exposure% of Total Assets% of Equity Portfolio *MSCI EM Latin America Index
    Brazil60.459.761.5
    Mexico31.631.226.1
    Multi-Country4.34.20.0
    Argentina2.72.60.0
    Chile2.32.36.6
    Peru0.00.04.1
    Columbia0.00.01.7
    Net current liabilities (inc. fixed interest)-1.30.00.0
     —–—–—–
    Total100.0100.0100.0
     ===============

    ^Total liabilities for the purposes of these calculations exclude bank overdrafts, and the net current assets figure shown in the table above therefore excludes bank overdrafts equivalent to 6.2% of the Company’s net asset value.

    Sector% of Equity Portfolio*% of Benchmark*
    Financials22.332.3
    Materials20.916.9
    Consumer Discretionary14.51.5
    Consumer Staples12.214.4
    Energy7.311.3
    Industrials7.310.4
    Health Care6.60.7
    Real Estate4.91.2
    Information Technology2.60.5
    Utilities1.47.4
    Communication Services0.03.4
     —–—–
    Total100.0100.0
     ==========

    *excluding net current liabilities & fixed interest


    Company
    Country of Risk% of
    Equity Portfolio
    % of
    Benchmark
    Vale:Brazil  
       ADS 7.5 
       Equity 1.26.4
    Petrobrás:Brazil
       Equity1.2
       Equity ADR3.54.7
       Preference Shares ADR2.65.2
    Grupo MéxicoMexico5.42.8
    FEMSA:Mexico  
       ADR 0.9 
       Equity 3.83.0
    Walmart de México y CentroaméricaMexico4.52.6
    Grupo Financiero BanorteMexico4.33.2
    Rede D’or Sao LuizBrazil4.00.7
    B3Brazil3.72.0
    XPBrazil3.70.9
    Cyrela Brazil RealtyBrazil3.70.0

    Commenting on the markets, Sam Vecht and Christoph Brinkmann, representing the Investment Manager noted;

    The Company’s NAV rose by +4.1% in March, outperforming the benchmark, MSCI Emerging Markets Latin America Index, which returned +2.3% on a net basis over the same period. All performance figures are in sterling terms with dividends reinvested.1

    Emerging Markets rose 0.6% in March outperforming Developed Markets by  over 5%, the highest margin since November 2022. Performance in Latin America was primarily driven by the returns seen in  Brazil (6.5% month on month), Peru (4.9%) and Chile (4.2%).

    At the portfolio level, security selection in Brazil and Mexico were the largest contributors to performance during the month. On the other hand, an off-benchmark exposure to Argentinian IT stock detracted.

    From a security lens, overweight positions to a collection of Brazilian real estate developers was the largest contributor to returns over the month. Both EZ Tec and Cyrela performed well after delivering strong fourth quarter 2024 results, where the latter reported net revenues ahead of consensus estimates. B3, the Brazilian stock exchange, also contributed. The stock bounced following a favourable ruling from Brazil’s Administrative Tax Appeals Board, annulling fines imposed by the Brazilian tax authorities. Our underweight position to digital banking platform provider, NU Holdings, also continued to aid relative performance during March.

    On the flipside, our overweight position in IT services firm, Globant, was the worst performer over the month. The IT services sector more broadly performed poorly on the back of US growth concerns. XP, the Brazilian investment management platform, was another detractor amidst a short seller report accusing the company of financial misconduct. We believe the allegations to be unfounded and therefore currently have maintained our position. Our underweight position to JBS, a Brazilian meatpacker, also detracted. The company’s share price jumped to a 5-year high following news of a potential listing in New York.

    We made few changes to the portfolio in March. We took profits and reduced our position to Mexican miner, MAG Silver. We also reduced our exposure to B3 following strong performance. We took advantage of the global sell-off in the IT services sector to add further to our Globant position. We also added to Azzas 2154 as we believe the stock was oversold.

    Mexico remains the largest portfolio overweight as of March end, while Peru is the largest underweight.

    Outlook

    With Donald Trump securing a second term, there is potential for an acceleration in the already shifting geopolitical landscape. The President has been clear on his “America First” policy since his inauguration, which in our view is supportive of our “World in 3” narrative where we see a world splitting into three groups: those aligned with China, those aligned with the US and the rest (neutrals). We believe that neutral countries, many of which are in Latin America, will continue to benefit from increased geopolitical polarization through increased FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) as new alliances are forged.

    Meanwhile, at a macroeconomic level, the Brazilian Real, which declined by more than 20% in 2024, has made a broad range of Brazilian exports much more competitive. This, together with higher interest rates, might lead to a decline in economic activity, less pressure on inflation and thus lower interest rates down the line. This in turn should lift the multiples of equities. Given cheap valuations, we also see the potential for share buybacks supporting the market in 2025. As such, we see several bottom-up opportunities in domestic Brazil, focusing on companies with lower leverage and stronger earnings outlook.

    Due to the volatility Mexico faced in 2024, the Mexican central bank had been relatively cautious in reducing rates. As we entered 2025, we anticipated further rate cuts, which most recently materialized in a 50 basis points cut in March, bringing the policy rate down to 9%. We see scope for further rate cuts in 2025, which should support asset price performance. Furthermore, despite the claims of the media, we do not see a major change in the secular trend of nearshoring of supply chains, as Mexico will remain a much cheaper location to manufacture than the United States. Mexico therefore remains our biggest overweight in the fund.

    The portfolio is underweight the rest of Latin America to fund these high conviction positions in Brazil and Mexico.

    1Source: BlackRock, as of 31 March 2025.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla

  • BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust declares first quarterly interim dividend

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust declares first quarterly interim dividend

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) has announced the first quarterly interim dividend in respect of the financial year to 31 December 2025 of 5.55 cents per ordinary share. The dividend is payable on 15 May 2025 to holders of ordinary shares on the register at the close of business on 11 April 2025 (ex-dividend date is 10 April 2025).

    As set out in BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust’s dividend policy, this quarterly dividend has been calculated based on 1.25% of the Company’s NAV at close of business on 31 March 2025 (being the last business day of the calendar quarter) which was 444.25 cents per ordinary share.

  • BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust outperforms benchmark with NAV of +11.5%

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust outperforms benchmark with NAV of +11.5%

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) has announced its latest portfolio update.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla

    All information is at 31 January 2025 and unaudited.

    Performance at month end with net income reinvested

     One
    month
    %
    Three
    months
    %
    One
    year
    %
    Three
    years
    %
    Five
    years
    %
    Sterling:     
    Net asset value^11.5-3.0-21.44.3-12.5
    Share price11.2-0.8-20.73.3-15.4
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    10.40.5-13.217.23.8
    US Dollars:     
    Net asset value^10.6-6.2-23.3-3.4-17.5
    Share price10.3-4.1-22.6-4.3-20.3
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    9.5-2.8-15.38.5-2.2

    ^cum income

    ^^The Company’s performance benchmark (the MSCI EM Latin America Index) may be calculated on either a Gross or a Net return basis. Net return (NR) indices calculate the reinvestment of dividends net of withholding taxes using the tax rates applicable to non-resident institutional investors, and hence give a lower total return than indices where calculations are on a Gross basis (which assumes that no withholding tax is suffered). As the Company is subject to withholding tax rates for the majority of countries in which it invests, the NR basis is felt to be the most accurate, appropriate, consistent and fair comparison for the Company.

    Sources: BlackRock, Standard & Poor’s Micropal

    At month end

    Net asset value – capital only:344.21p
    Net asset value – including income:346.29p
    Share price:305.00p
    Total assets#:£107.4m
    Discount (share price to cum income NAV):11.9%
    Average discount* over the month – cum income:10.8%
    Net Gearing at month end**:5.1%
    Gearing range (as a % of net assets):0-25%
    Net yield##:6.5%
    Ordinary shares in issue(excluding 2,181,662 shares held in treasury):29,448,641
    Ongoing charges***:1.13%

    #Total assets include current year revenue.

    ##The yield of 6.5% is calculated based on total dividends declared in the last 12 months as at the date of this announcement as set out below (totalling 24.70 cents per share) and using a share price of 378.98 US cents per share (equivalent to the sterling price of 305.00 pence per share translated in to US cents at the rate prevailing at 31 January 2025 of $1.2425 dollars to £1.00).

    2024 Q1 Interim dividend of 7.39 cents per share (paid on 13 May 2024)

    2024 Q2 Interim dividend of 6.13 cents per share (paid on 08 August 2024)

    2024 Q3 Interim dividend of 6.26 cents per share (paid 08 November 2024)

    2024 Q4 Interim dividend of 4.92 cents per share (to be paid on 07 February 2025)

    *The discount is calculated using the cum income NAV (expressed in sterling terms).

    **Net cash/net gearing is calculated using debt at par, less cash and cash equivalents and fixed interest investments as a percentage of net assets.

    *** 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 non-recurring items for the year ended 31 December 2023.

    Geographic Exposure% of Total Assets% of Equity Portfolio *MSCI EM Latin America Index
    Brazil62.963.063.0
    Mexico31.231.325.2
    Chile4.14.16.2
    Multi-Country1.61.60.0
    Colombia0.00.01.6
    Peru0.00.04.0
    Net current assets (inc. fixed interest)0.20.00.0
     —–—–—–
    Total100.0100.0100.0
     ===============
        

    ^Total assets for the purposes of these calculations exclude bank overdrafts, and the net current assets figure shown in the table above therefore excludes bank overdrafts equivalent to 5.3% of the Company’s net asset value.

    Sector% of Equity Portfolio*% of Benchmark*
    Materials22.416.6
    Financials22.033.0
    Consumer Staples14.813.2
    Consumer Discretionary14.11.6
    Industrials8.010.6
    Energy7.611.7
    Health Care7.01.3
    Real Estate2.61.1
    Utilities1.56.8
    Communication Services0.03.5
    Information Technology0.00.6
     —–—–
    Total100.0100.0
     ==========

    *excluding net current assets & fixed interest


    Company
    Country of Risk% of
    Equity Portfolio
    % of
    Benchmark
    Vale:Brazil  
       ADS 7.6 
       Equity 1.25.7
    Petrobrás:Brazil
       Equity1.3
       Equity ADR3.64.8
       Preference Shares ADR2.75.2
    Walmart de México y CentroaméricaMexico5.32.5
    Grupo Financiero BanorteMexico5.03.2
    Grupo MéxicoMexico4.92.8
    FEMSA:Mexico  
       ADR 0.9 
       Equity 3.42.7
    B3Brazil4.21.9
    Rede D’or Sao LuizBrazil4.10.7
    XPBrazil3.90.9
    Cyrela Brazil RealtyBrazil3.70.0
        

    Commenting on the markets, Sam Vecht and Christoph Brinkmann, representing the Investment Manager noted;

    The Company’s NAV rose +11.5% in January, outperforming the benchmark, MSCI Emering Markets Latin America Index, which returned +10.4% on a net basis over the same period. All performance figures are in sterling terms with dividends reinvested.1

    Emerging Markets (+1.8%) posted moderate gains in January, but still underperformed Developed Markets which rose +3.6%. Latin America recorded a strong recovery in January at +9.5%, led by Colombia (+21.2%). Chile also performed well, rising by 8.8%. In Chile, the pension reform was approved by the Chamber of Deputies with 110 votes in favour and 38 against, thereby bypassing a mixed commission. The proposal now advances to the Constitutional Court for review before it can be enacted into law. Brazil also saw a welcome reversal after a tough 2024, outperforming both Latin America and broader Emerging Markets by posting gains of +12.4% over the month.

    At the portfolio level, stock selection in Brazil and an underweight to Peru were the key positive contributors to performance. On the other hand, an overweight to Mexico and an underweight to Colombia hurt.

    From a security lens, a collection of domestic Brazilian names did well. The biggest contributor to returns over the month was an overweight to Cyrela, the Brazilian real estate developer. The company rose on the back of strong fourth quarter 2024 operating data that showed a +90% increase in sales year-on-year. Another stock that did well was Azzas 2154, the Brazilian footwear retailer, rising with the Brazilian stock market. Not owning Mexican telecom company América Móvil was also additive, as the stock declined following broker downgrades. An overweight position in EZ Tec, a Brazilian homebuilder, also helped as the stock bounced back following a weak December.

    On the flipside, an overweight position in Becle, a Mexican tequila producer, was the largest detractor on the back of disappointing sales volumes in the US and poor fourth quarter 2024 guidance from the company. Our underweight to NU Holdings, a Brazilian digital banking platform provider, was another detractor. While the underweight has been additive to returns over the past months, the stock rebounded somewhat along with the Brazilian market. An overweight to Walmart Mexico also hurt returns in January, as the consumption outlook in Mexico remains lacklustre.

    We made few changes to the portfolio in January. In Mexico, we rotated some exposure from Banorte to convenience store operator FEMSA. FEMSA has underperformed, but is a defensive position with a sizeable USD cash position on its balance sheet. We initiated a position in Ero Copper, which is a Canadian copper miner with their main operations in Brazil, reflecting the team’s positive view on the commodity. We also exited IRB, the Brazilian reinsurance company, after the stock reached our target price.

    Mexico is the largest portfolio overweight as at the end of January. Brazil is our second largest overweight. On the other hand, the largest underweight is Peru. The second largest portfolio underweight is Chile. 

    Outlook

    We remain optimistic about the outlook for Latin America. While 2024 has been a difficult year for the region, we are now entering 2025 with many asset prices trading at attractive levels. Robust growth in the US paired with the election of Donald Trump has catapulted bond yields in the US higher over the recent months, despite the reduction in rates by the US central bank. This has been a headwind for asset prices outside the US.

    However, as contrarian investors, we always like to ask ourselves the question, how much is already priced in?

    We believe the answer to that question is: a lot. In Brazil, many stocks trade on single-digit multiples while paying double-digit dividend yields. For instance, Cyrela, the Brazilian real estate developer and a big holding of ours, trades on 4x price-to-earnings and pays an 11% dividend yield (consensus estimates). 5-year inflation-protected bonds in Brazil now offer a yield north of 7% and two year sovereign bonds have a nominal yield of circa 15%. The Brazilian Real also  declined by 23% in 2024, making Brazilian exports much more competitive.

    However, there is a reason why Brazilian assets trade at these cheap multiples. In Brazil, it is all about fiscal. While one can argue that the primary deficit that the Brazilian government has achieved in 2024 is not that bad relative to initial expectations, the quality of the result is questionable. This outcome was largely driven by significant pressure from financial markets and includes numerous one-off revenues. As a result, the Brazilian government has lost credibility and local and foreign investors now require a much higher return to keep lending to the government.

    We remain firm believers in our macro process. In line with our process, we believe that these elevated rates will lead to a decline in economic activity, less pressure on inflation and thus lower interest rates down the line. This in turn should lift the multiples of equities. At the same time, the currency is supported by competitive exports and lower economic activity will keep a lid on imports. Any improvement on the fiscal side would jumpstart a recovery in asset prices and we think it is in the government’s interest to bring rates down. However, as a result of these elevated rates, we have reduced our exposure to levered companies within the country which we believe will fare better in 2025. 

    Mexico is another country that struggled in 2024 in terms of asset price performance, albeit for different reasons than Brazil. While in Brazil it is all about fiscal, in Mexico the government has hurt asset price performance by announcing a highly controversial judicial reform that raises question marks about future judicial independence and the rule of law. Trump’s election victory and his vocal criticism of Mexico exacerbated the challenges later in the year. However, similar to Brazil, we believe that much of this is already reflected in the pricing of Mexican assets.

    Due to the volatility that Mexico has faced in 2024, the Mexican central bank has been relatively more cautious in reducing rates, finishing the year with its benchmark rate still at 10%, even though inflation has receded to around 4%. We therefore see scope for rate cuts to accelerate in 2025 and support asset price performance. Meanwhile, Banorte, one of Mexico’s largest lenders and a key holding of ours, trades on 7x price-to-earnings and pays an 8% dividend (consensus estimates). Furthermore, despite all the noise from the northern border, we do not see a change in the secular trend of nearshoring of supply chains, even if Trump applies tariffs as a negotiation tactic. Mexico therefore remains our biggest overweight in the portfolio.

    The portfolio is underweight the rest of Latin America to fund these high conviction positions in Brazil and Mexico. Peru, Chile and Colombia have all seen the benefits of lower interest rates in 2024. In our view, Mexico is bound to catch up to that and Brazil is so cheap that any minor improvement could result in a market rally. We are also firm believers that investing in Latin America demands patience and the ability to hold and increase portfolio positions when others in the market are retreating.

    Regarding Argentina, we are happy to see that the country is back on a path towards economic orthodoxy, which we believe will significantly benefit society in the medium term. We also acknowledge that we have been too sceptical regarding what Milei will achieve in his first year in power. However, part of the government’s strategy involves tolerating an overvalued exchange rate to achieve the primary goal of keeping inflation low. This approach comes at the expense of accumulating much-needed US dollar reserves. The fact that Argentinians are traveling to neighbouring countries such as Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil for holidays is a classic sign that the exchange rate may be misaligned. The government is aware of this and is pursuing their policy for a reason, but we believe the situation is very delicate, and we are uncertain whether all foreign investors are fully aware of the risks involved.

    1Source: BlackRock, as of 31 January 2025.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla

  • BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust declares interim dividend of 4.92 cents

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust declares interim dividend of 4.92 cents

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) has announced the fourth quarterly interim dividend in respect of the financial year to 31 December 2024 of 4.92 cents per ordinary share. The dividend is payable on 7 February 2025 to holders of ordinary shares on the register at the close of business on 10 January 2025 (ex-dividend date is 9 January 2025).

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla

    As set out in the Company’s dividend policy, this quarterly dividend has been calculated based on 1.25% of the Company’s NAV at close of business on 31 December 2024 (being the last business day of the calendar quarter) which was 393.75 cents per ordinary share.

  • BlackRock Latin American Trust: Investment opportunities, performance and market dynamics (LON:BRLA)

    BlackRock Latin American Trust: Investment opportunities, performance and market dynamics (LON:BRLA)

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) is the topic of conversation when Kepler Trust Intelligence’s Head of Investment Companies Research Thomas McMahon caught up with DirectorsTalk for an exclusive interview.

    Q1: Thomas, could you just start by telling us more about BlackRock Latin America and what they do?

    A1: BlackRock Latin America invests, as the name suggests, in Central and South America. What this means in practice is the portfolio is dominated by Brazilian and Mexican equities so Brazil makes up around 65% of the regional index and Mexico around 25%. So they’re always very key weights in the portfolio.

    It can also invest in countries like Chile, Peru, and Colombia, and will sometimes take off-benchmark positions in frontier markets such as Argentina.

    I think an interesting thing to note is that if you invest in emerging markets through a mainstream emerging market fund, you’ll very likely have almost no exposure to this region. So if we look at the MCI Emerging Market Index, less than 5% is allocated to Brazil and so this is a pretty glaring emission, I think, for many investors’ portfolios, which makes this trust quite interesting.

    Q2: Why do you think the trust is attractive to investors?

    A2: There are a number of reasons why Latin America is an interesting place to invest in the long term.

    The first is, I think, geopolitics so we’ve increasingly seen world trade shift around two axes, the US and China, and Latin American countries generally sit between those two camps and are able to maintain good political and good economic ties with both countries. This means they’re in a strong position to get the business of multinationals, which are, looking for different places to site their manufacturing and other activities that aren’t so tied to China. Mexico in particular has really benefited from this in the last few years.

    I think also we should remember the basic reason that people often invest in emerging markets, which is rapid economic development, so in Latin America, 70% of people still don’t have a bank account, which obviously provides huge growth potential for financial services companies that can take that business. A good example of successful stock in that area is Nubank, an online bank, which is the largest company in Brazil at the moment.

    I think I would also point to the dividend when it comes to this trust specifically so they will pay 1.25% of NAV each quarter in a dividend, so 5% annualized of NAV, this can be paid from income or capital. So in other words, the managers are able to focus on the best total return potential, which does bring a significant income in Latin America, but the board can supplement that with payments from capital reserves.

    So, lots of growth drivers, and then also a high income as well.

    Q3: So, how has the trust performed recently?

    A3: 2022 and 2023 were both really good years for the region, up around 21% and up around 30%, and the trust did very well as a result.

    So, sterling strength was very significant in 2022 and very beneficial to returns but over the whole period, I think it was this reshoring trend that really boosted the region, along with expectations of interest rate cuts, particularly in Brazil, but across the region really, which really boosted activity over ‘23.

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust itself outperformed, thanks partly to being overweight, Brazilian domestic stocks in anticipation of rate cuts.

    So those are two very good years.

    2024 has been a difficult year. At the time of recording this, both Trust and Index are down around 20% or so, a few things have happened. Firstly, domestic politics have been a bit more difficult, there’s an election in Mexico and then in Brazil, the Central Bank has had to raise rates in the last month or two. So, those things have been issues, and then of course, we’ve had the election of Donald Trump, which has raised questions around trade policy and tariffs and so on. So, there’s been some uncertainty weighing on the market.

    I think it’s a good reminder that Latin America has always been a very volatile region, politics, macroeconomics, currency, commodity exposure, which is very significant in the region. All of these things create volatility, and BRLA itself tends to be geared, which obviously magnifies that so I think that’s the risk to be borne in mind. At the same time, the long-term growth drives are still in place and of course, after a sell-off, the market’s cheaper.

  • BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust Insights from Thomas McMahon on Opportunities and Risks (Video)

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust Insights from Thomas McMahon on Opportunities and Risks (Video)

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust (LON:BLRA) is the topic of conversation when Kepler Trust Intelligence, Thomas McMahon Head of Investment Companies Research joins DirectorsTalk.

    In this interview, Thomas McMahon, Head of Investment Companies Research at Kepler Trust Intelligence, provides an in-depth look at the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust. The conversation explores the trust’s investment focus, predominantly in Brazil and Mexico, and discusses the growth opportunities Latin America presents. McMahon also highlights key factors such as geopolitical advantages, rapid economic development, and the trust’s strong dividend policy, alongside a candid discussion of the region’s inherent volatility and recent performance.

    The BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust seeks to deliver long-term capital growth and a compelling total return by investing in securities across Latin America. The trust combines the potential for robust growth with income generation, making it a noteworthy option for investors aiming to diversify into this dynamic region.

  • BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust optimistic outlook for Latin America

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust optimistic outlook for Latin America

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) has announced its latest portfolio update.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla

    All information is at 30 September 2024 and unaudited.
     

    Performance at month end with net income reinvested

     One
    month
    %
    Three
    months
    %
    One
    year
    %
    Three
    years
    %
    Five
    years
    %
    Sterling:     
    Net asset value^-3.6-2.5-14.614.3-6.0
    Share price-5.2-4.5-13.014.3-4.4
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    -1.9-2.2-6.423.71.7
    US Dollars:     
    Net asset value^-1.63.4-6.113.72.4
    Share price-3.31.3-4.513.74.2
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    0.13.72.823.010.7

    ^cum income

    ^^The Company’s performance benchmark (the MSCI EM Latin America Index) may be calculated on either a Gross or a Net return basis. Net return (NR) indices calculate the reinvestment of dividends net of withholding taxes using the tax rates applicable to non-resident institutional investors, and hence give a lower total return than indices where calculations are on a Gross basis (which assumes that no withholding tax is suffered). As the Company is subject to withholding tax rates for the majority of countries in which it invests, the NR basis is felt to be the most accurate, appropriate, consistent and fair comparison for the Company.

    Sources: BlackRock, Standard & Poor’s Micropal

    At month end

    Net asset value – capital only:368.99p
    Net asset value – including income:373.47p
    Share price:326.00p
    Total assets#:£114.1m
    Discount (share price to cum income NAV):12.7%
    Average discount* over the month – cum income:13.0%
    Net Gearing at month end**:3.5%
    Gearing range (as a % of net assets):0-25%
    Net yield##:6.5%
    Ordinary shares in issue(excluding 2,181,662 shares held in treasury):29,448,641
    Ongoing charges***:1.13%

    #Total assets include current year revenue.

    ##The yield of 6.5% is calculated based on total dividends declared in the last 12 months as at the date of this announcement as set out below (totalling 27.83 cents per share) and using a share price of 437.28 US cents per share (equivalent to the sterling price of 326.00 pence per share translated in to US cents at the rate prevailing at 30 September 2024 of $1.341 dollars to £1.00).

    2023 Q4 Interim dividend of 8.05 cents per share (Paid on 09 February 2024)

    2024 Q1 Interim dividend of 7.39 cents per share (Paid on 13 May 2024)

    2024 Q2 Interim dividend of 6.13 cents per share (Paid on 08 August 2024)

    2024 Q3 Interim dividend of 6.26 cents per share (Payable 08 November 2024)

    *The discount is calculated using the cum income NAV (expressed in sterling terms).

    **Net cash/net gearing is calculated using debt at par, less cash and cash equivalents and fixed interest investments as a percentage of net assets.

    *** 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 non-recurring items for the year ended 31 December 2023.

    Geographic Exposure% of Total Assets% of Equity Portfolio *MSCI EM Latin America Index
    Brazil60.961.164.3
    Mexico30.330.425.0
    Chile4.04.15.5
    Multi-International2.62.60.0
    Argentina1.11.00.0
    Colombia0.80.81.3
    Peru0.00.03.9
    Net current Assets (inc. fixed interest)0.30.00.0
     —–—–—–
    Total100.0100.0100.0
     ===============

    ^Total assets for the purposes of these calculations exclude bank overdrafts, and the net current assets figure shown in the table above therefore excludes bank overdrafts equivalent to 3.8% of the Company’s net asset value.

    Sector% of Equity Portfolio*% of Benchmark*
    Financials28.232.5
    Materials16.317.3
    Industrials14.89.8
    Consumer Staples14.214.1
    Consumer Discretionary10.01.6
    Energy6.711.0
    Health Care6.21.6
    Real Estate2.61.1
    Information Technology1.00.5
    Communication Services0.03.8
    Utilities0.06.7
     —–—–
    Total100.0100.0
     ==========
       

    *excluding net current assets & fixed interest


    Company
    Country of Risk% of
    Equity Portfolio
    % of
    Benchmark
    ValeBrazil  
       ADSBrazil8.0 
       EquityBrazil1.06.4
    Petrobrás:Brazil
       Equity1.1
       Equity ADR3.24.3
       Preference Shares ADR2.44.8
    Grupo Financiero BanorteMexico6.23.0
    Banco Bradesco:Brazil  
       Equity ADR 3.10.6
       Preference Shares 2.22.3
    Walmart de México y CentroaméricaMexico5.02.5
    Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico – ADSMexico4.61.1
    B3Brazil4.41.7
    XPBrazil3.51.1
    Hapvida ParticipacoesBrazil3.40.6
    RumoBrazil3.30.8

    Commenting on the markets, Sam Vecht and Christoph Brinkmann, representing the Investment Manager noted;

    The Company’s NAV fell -3.6% in September, underperforming the benchmark, MSCI Emerging Markets Latin America Index, which returned -1.9% on a net basis over the same period. All performance figures are in sterling terms with dividends reinvested.1

    Emerging Markets rallied +6.4%, significantly outpacing Developed Markets (+1.7%) in September, driven by an improving macro backdrop across regions. The Federal Reserve (the Fed) began its easing cycle a 50bps cut, signaling that they are comfortable with the outlook for inflation and focusing on the recently weakening labor market data. The performance for Emering Markets in general was further bolstered by stimulus hopes in China towards the end of the month. Latin America lagged Emerging Markets and finished the month flat (-0.1%), driven by negative returns in Brazil (-1.0%) and Colombia (-5.2%). Brazil’s Copom (monetary policy committee) moved opposite to the Fed’s more dovish action by raising rates 25bps to 10.75% to address the recent increase in inflation expectations on the back of fiscal concerns. This has dampened the effects of US easing and China stimulus. Mexico gained +1.1% in September as the central bank cut rates by 25bps but refrained from providing too much forward guidance on the back of uncertainty surrounding both domestic and external factors impacting growth. It is worth mentioning that AMLO’s (Andrés Manuel López Obrador) judicial reform was passed, though attention has now shifted to president-elect Sheinbaum’s anticipated inauguration speech and the shape of her policy agenda.

    At the portfolio level, an off-benchmark exposure to engineering solutions provider Seatrium, and security selection in Chile, were the key positive contributors to performance. On the other hand, stock picking in Brazil and Mexico hurt us over the month.

    From a security lens, an underweight position to NU Holdings was the biggest contributor to performance over the month. The company was added to the MSCI Emerging Markets Latin America Index during the August 2024 index review, but the share price has declined since, likely due to its elevated valuation. Another positive contributor was Seatrium, the Singapore based engineering solutions provider which is building offshore oil equipment for Brazilian state-owned oil producer, Petrobras. Our overweight position to Brazilian retailer, Renner, also helped performance for the second month in a row. Brazilian iron ore producer, Vale, was another strong performer on the back of stimulus hopes from China and recently upgrading their full year production outlook.

    On the flipside, an overweight position to Brazilian stock exchange, B3, detracted from performance during the month, primarily due to the recent 25bps rate hike by the Brazilian central bank. Our overweight position in the Brazilian supermarket chain, Assai, was another detractor. As a highly leveraged company, Assai’s performance has been negatively impacted by the rate hike in Brazil. Azzas 2154 also detracted. The Brazilian footwear retailer recently merged with fashion retailer, Soma. As part of the merger, some executives have recently left the firm, which has created some noise among investors. However, we do not see this development as central to the future success of the business.

    We made some changes to the portfolio in September. We continued to reduce our overall exposure to Brazil, trimming our holding in Petrobras to reflect concerns around increasing global oil supply amind tepid demand. We rotated some exposure from Bradesco into XP due to relative performance. We exited off-benchmark holding, Copa Airlines, reflecting analyst conviction. We increased our exposure to Mexico, as the macroeconomic setup still looks favourable with a good external balance and high carry, by re-initiating a position in convenience store operator, FEMSA.

    Mexico is the largest portfolio overweight as at the end of September. Multi-country appears as our second largest overweight due to an off-benchmark holding in engineering solutions provider, Seatrium. On the other hand, the largest underweight is Panama. The second largest portfolio underweight is Peru due to its political and economic uncertainty.

    Outlook

    We remain optimistic about the outlook for Latin America. The start of the Fed’s easing cycle should be supportive for Latin America, particularly amid reassurance that the 50bps cut was to pre-emptively manage slowing growth and labour dynamics. Whilst the September index performance has been mixed, we maintain conviction that fundamentals remain robust and that stronger growth, now coupled with greater policy flexibility, should result in reduced risk premia. In addition, the whole region is benefitting from being relatively isolated from global geopolitical conflicts. We believe that this will lead to both an increase in foreign direct investment and an increase in allocation from investors across the region.  

    In Brazil, whilst, contra to our initial thesis, the central bank embarked on a tightening phase to get ahead of persistent inflation, we are still excited about the bottom-up opportunities within the market as earnings have been strong across sectors. Real rates remain high and if policy makers are able to stem investor concerns surrounding recent fiscal slippage, we would expect to see a reversal in monetary policy that would drive the top down support we have patiently been waiting for. We have trimmed risk at the margin, particularly in the more rate sensitive exposures, and would look to add as rates peak once again.

    We remain positive on the outlook for the Mexican economy as it is a key beneficiary of the friend-shoring of global supply chains. Mexico remains defensive as both fiscal and the current accounts are in order. The outcome of the presidential elections in early June has created a lot of volatility for Mexican financial assets, with the Peso depreciating significantly. Investors are concerned that the landslide win of president-elect Sheinbaum and the Morena party will result in reduced checks and balances for the government. The passing of the controversial judicial reform in early September is a good example of this. We are certainly concerned about the implications of the reform for judicial independence. We have visited Mexico in the week after the election to meet with investors, business owners and political advisors. Our conclusion from that trip is that we believe the government will remain relatively pragmatic and fiscally prudent, as it has been during AMLO’s term. We have therefore used the market correction to add to certain positions.

    1Source: BlackRock, as of 30 September 2024.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla

  • BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust declares interim dividend of 6.26 cents

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust declares interim dividend of 6.26 cents

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) has announced the third quarterly interim dividend in respect of the financial year to 31 December 2024 of 6.26 cents per ordinary share. The dividend is payable on 8 November 2024 to holders of ordinary shares on the register at the close of business on 11 October 2024 (ex-dividend date is 10 October 2024).

    As set out in the Company’s dividend policy, this quarterly dividend has been calculated based on 1.25% of the Company’s NAV at close of business on 30 September 2024 (being the last business day of the calendar quarter) which was 500.96 cents per ordinary share.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla    

  • BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust NAV rose +2.9%, significantly outperforming the benchmark

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust NAV rose +2.9%, significantly outperforming the benchmark

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) has announced its latest portfolio update.

    All information is at 31 August 2024 and unaudited.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla     

    Performance at month end with net income reinvested

     One
    month
    %
    Three
    months
    %
    One
    year
    %
    Three
    years
    %
    Five
    years
    %
    Sterling:     
    Net asset value^2.9-7.2-10.68.2-1.5
    Share price0.3-5.3-9.412.24.1
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    0.2-5.7-3.215.45.1
    US Dollars:     
    Net asset value^5.2-4.2-7.33.36.4
    Share price2.6-2.2-6.07.112.4
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    2.6-2.70.410.213.5

    ^cum income

    ^^The Company’s performance benchmark (the MSCI EM Latin America Index) may be calculated on either a Gross or a Net return basis. Net return (NR) indices calculate the reinvestment of dividends net of withholding taxes using the tax rates applicable to non-resident institutional investors, and hence give a lower total return than indices where calculations are on a Gross basis (which assumes that no withholding tax is suffered). As the Company is subject to withholding tax rates for the majority of countries in which it invests, the NR basis is felt to be the most accurate, appropriate, consistent and fair comparison for the Company.

    Sources: BlackRock, Standard & Poor’s Micropal

    At month end

    Net asset value – capital only:382.52p
    Net asset value – including income:387.29p
    Share price:344.00p
    Total assets#:£122.7m
    Discount (share price to cum income NAV):11.2%
    Average discount* over the month – cum income:10.9%
    Net Gearing at month end**:8.6%
    Gearing range (as a % of net assets):0-25%
    Net yield##:6.3%
    Ordinary shares in issue(excluding 2,181,662 shares held in treasury):29,448,641
    Ongoing charges***:1.13%

    #Total assets include current year revenue.

    ##The yield of 6.3% is calculated based on total dividends declared in the last 12 months as at the date of this announcement as set out below (totalling 28.59 cents per share) and using a share price of 452.10 US cents per share (equivalent to the sterling price of 344.00 pence per share translated in to US cents at the rate prevailing at 31 August 2024 of $1.314 dollars to £1.00).

    2023 Q3 Interim dividend of 7.02 cents per share (Paid on 09 November 2023)

    2023 Q4 Interim dividend of 8.05 cents per share (Paid on 09 February 2024)

    2024 Q1 Interim dividend of 7.39 cents per share (Paid on 13 May 2024)

    2024 Q2 Interim dividend of 6.13 cents per share (Paid on 08 August 2024)

    *The discount is calculated using the cum income NAV (expressed in sterling terms).

    **Net cash/net gearing is calculated using debt at par, less cash and cash equivalents and fixed interest investments as a percentage of net assets.

    *** 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 non-recurring items for the year ended 31 December 2023.

    Geographic Exposure% of Total Assets% of Equity Portfolio *MSCI EM Latin America Index
    Brazil60.059.561.3
    Mexico28.728.427.2
    Chile3.63.66.0
    Multi-International3.33.20.0
    Colombia2.02.01.4
    Argentina1.91.90.0
    Panama1.41.40.0
    Peru0.00.04.1
    Net current Liabilities (inc. fixed interest)-0.90.00.0
     —–—–—–
    Total100.0100.0100.0
     ===============

    ^Total assets for the purposes of these calculations exclude bank overdrafts, and the net current assets figure shown in the table above therefore excludes bank overdrafts equivalent to 7.6% of the Company’s net asset value.

    Sector% of Equity Portfolio*% of Benchmark*
    Financials28.526.6
    Materials15.017.6
    Industrials14.69.6
    Consumer Staples13.615.8
    Consumer Discretionary9.62.3
    Energy8.513.1
    Health Care5.91.6
    Real Estate2.41.2
    Information Technology1.90.5
    Communication Services0.04.1
    Utilities0.07.6
     —–—–
    Total100.0100.0
     ==========

    *excluding net current assets & fixed interest


    Company
    Country of Risk% of
    Equity Portfolio
    % of
    Benchmark
    Petrobrás:Brazil
       Equity2.0
       Equity ADR4.15.0
       Preference Shares ADR2.45.9
    ValeBrazil  
       ADSBrazil6.5 
       EquityBrazil0.86.4
    Banco Bradesco:Brazil  
       Equity ADR 3.50.7
       Preference Shares 2.12.6
    Grupo Financiero BanorteMexico5.33.2
    Walmart de México y CentroaméricaMexico5.03.0
    B3Brazil4.72.2
    Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico – ADSMexico4.41.2
    Hapvida ParticipacoesBrazil3.30.7
    XPBrazil2.90.0
    Azza Consultancy Services LtdBrazil2.80.0

    Commenting on the markets, Sam Vecht and Christoph Brinkmann, representing the Investment Manager noted;

    The Company’s NAV rose +2.9% in August, significantly outperforming the benchmark, MSCI Emerging Markets Latin America Index, which returned +0.2% on a net basis over the same period. All performance figures are in sterling terms with dividends reinvested.1

    Emerging markets posted modest gains of +1.6%, continuing to underperform Developed Markets (+2.5%). The month began with a sharp equity sell-off driven by two macro events: a weaker-than-expected US labour market report, raising recession fears, and a BOJ (Bank of Japan) rate hike that led to a sharp appreciation of the JPY and a carry trade unwind. This resulted in the largest intraday spike in the VIX (volatility index) since 1990. Despite these initial shocks, Emerging Markets recovered as US recession fears eased with better growth and inflation data. Latin America posted positive returns, outperforming GEM (Global Emerging Markets). The gains were primarily driven by strong performance in Brazil (6.7% m/m) and Chile (3.4% m/m), both of which outperformed Developed Markets . Argentina (off-index) was the best performer of the month, with a 16.3% m/m increase. Conversely, Mexico, Peru and Colombia underperformed the region. Despite positive returns in August, Latin America remains the worst-performing region year-to-date among global regions, down 12.6%.

    At the portfolio level, our overweight and stock selection in Brazil and our stock picks in Mexico were the key positive contributors to performance. On the other hand, stock picking in Chile hurt us on the margin over the month.

    From a security lens, IRB, the Brazilian reinsurance company, was the largest contributor over the month, reversing losses from July. an overweight position to Brazilian bank, Bradesco, was another significant contributor. The company reported a beat on 2Q earnings with a lower cost of risk. Renner, the Brazilian retailer, also helped returns after delivering strong 2Q results driven by earnings growth and improving sentiment around the company’s financial condition. Another strong performer was the Brazilian stock exchange B3. In addition to delivering a small beat on 2Q earnings, the stock also rose in tandem with the Brazilian market as it is a market proxy.

    On the flipside, an overweight to Brazilian footwear manufacturer, Alpargatas, detracted, despite delivering strong second quarter results. We maintain conviction in the name and used the weakness to top up our position. The Mexican market fell more broadly, impacting beta sensitive stocks like Banorte, which was the second largest detractor to performance in August. An overweight position in Brazilian truck leasing company, Vamos, also detracted. Whilst 2Q results were a miss, we think the company is in a good position to grow given its high market share in untapped markets in Brazil.

    We made some changes to the portfolio in August. We reduced overall exposure to Brazil, trimming into recent strength and taking profit on names like B3, Bradesco and Renner. Within Brazil, we also added to investment management platform XP and financial technology and software solutions provider, StoneCo. XP has made a lot of progress to make the business more efficient (in response to higher interest rates), while Stone is benefitting from cyclically strong payment volumes. We initiated a holding in Seatrium, a Singapore based engineering solutions provider which is building offshore oil equipment for Brazilian state-owned oil producer, Petrobras. Elsewhere, we added to gold miner, Franco-Nevada, which would benefit significantly from a restarting of the Cobre Panama copper mine.

    Mexico is the largest portfolio overweight as at the end of August. Multi-country appears as our second largest overweight due to off-benchmark holdings in miner, Franco-Nevada and engineering solutions provider, Seatrium. On the other hand, we remain underweight in Peru due to its political and economic uncertainty. The second largest portfolio underweight is Chile.

    Outlook

    We remain optimistic about the outlook for Latin America. Central banks have been proactive in increasing interest rates to help control inflation, which has fallen significantly across the region. As such we have started to see central banks beginning to lower interest rates, which is supporting both economic activity and asset prices. In addition, the whole region is benefitting from being relatively isolated from global geopolitical conflicts. We believe that this will lead to both an increase in foreign direct investment and an increase in allocation from investors across the region.  

    Brazil is the highlight of this thesis, with the central bank having already cut the policy rate considerably and economic activity improving strongly, while realized inflation remains benign. However, fiscal trends have disappointed in the first half of the year, which has led to higher inflation expectations and a sell-off in both the currency and interest rates. In response to this, the Brazilian central bank will likely pause its rate cutting cycle and instead hike interest rates in the short term to prevent the currency from selling off further. We remain comfortable with our equity positioning because the underlying earnings trends are positive, driven by the strong economic activity.

    We remain positive on the outlook for the Mexican economy as it is a key beneficiary of the friend-shoring of global supply chains. Mexico remains defensive as both fiscal and the current accounts are in order. The outcome of the presidential elections in early June has created a lot of volatility for Mexican financial assets, with the Peso depreciating significantly. Investors are concerned that the landslide win of president-elect Sheinbaum and the Morena party will result in reduced checks and balances for the government. The passing of the controversial judicial reform in early September is a good example of this. We are certainly concerned about the implications of the reform for judicial independence. We have visited Mexico in the week after the election to meet with investors, business owners and political advisors. Our conclusion from that trip is that we believe the government will remain relatively pragmatic and fiscally prudent, as it has been during AMLO’s term. We have therefore used the market correction to add to certain positions.

    We continue to closely monitor the political and economic situation in Argentina, after libertarian Javier Milei unexpectedly won the presidential elections in November 2023. Milei is facing a very difficult situation, with inflation around 270% year-on-year, FX reserves depleted and multiple economic imbalances. To further gauge sentiment on the ground, we travelled to the country in January 2024. The trip further instilled our cautious view on the economic outlook for the country, and we see no fundamental reasons as to why we would want to buy this market now. We have become incrementally more cautious on Argentina over the past month, as the weakening of the informal exchange rate suggests that the official exchange rate might be overvalued. Therefore, we see the risk of another exchange rate devaluation, which could reignite inflationary pressures.

    The recent data in the United States supports our thesis that the US labour market is slowing down, enabling the Federal Reserve to start easing interest rates in September. This should be supportive for Emerging Market carry countries, including Latin America.

    1Source: BlackRock, as of 31 August 2024.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla    

  • BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust: A Promising Opportunity in Latin America

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust: A Promising Opportunity in Latin America

    The BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust (LON:BRLA) offers an exciting opportunity for investors looking to tap into the dynamic and evolving markets of Latin America. Managed by seasoned professionals Sam Vecht and Christoph Brinkmann, BRLA is poised to leverage the unique economic and geopolitical advantages of the region. Despite the challenges of 2024, the trust continues to exhibit resilience and potential for growth.

    Positive Outlook for Latin America

    Latin America stands out with a promising economic outlook compared to advanced economies. The proactive monetary policies of Latin American central banks, which have effectively combated inflation, are now shifting towards lowering interest rates. This move is expected to bolster economic activity and enhance asset prices, making the region increasingly attractive to both foreign and local investors.

    BRLA’s Strategic Focus

    BRLA’s managers remain optimistic about the trust’s prospects. Sam Vecht highlighted that while 2023 was an exceptional year for BRLA, outperforming other regions and emerging markets, 2024 has posed new challenges. Nonetheless, the managers have maintained a stable portfolio, favouring domestic-focused businesses in consumer discretionary, consumer staples, and financial sectors .

    The trust’s strategy includes a diversified portfolio that covers major markets like Brazil and Mexico, as well as promising opportunities in smaller countries such as Argentina and Panama. This approach allows BRLA to capitalise on undervalued markets and emerging growth sectors .

    Attractive Valuations and Yield

    BRLA offers compelling value with its equity holdings trading at modest valuations compared to both historical standards and other global regions. The MSCI Latin America Index trades at a significant discount relative to the MSCI All-World Index, presenting a lucrative entry point for investors. Additionally, the trust provides a robust dividend yield, which is significantly higher than many developed market counterparts .

    The trust’s quarterly dividends, based on 1.25% of its calendar quarter-end US dollar NAV, are designed to appeal to income-oriented investors. This distribution policy ensures a balance between income generation and capital growth, making BRLA an attractive option for a wide range of investors .

    Performance and Portfolio Highlights

    In FY23, BRLA achieved impressive returns with its NAV and share price total returns significantly outpacing the MSCI EM Latin America Index. The trust’s performance was driven by successful stock selections, particularly in Mexico and the industrials and materials sectors .

    BRLA’s portfolio is carefully curated to include high-potential stocks across various sectors. Notable holdings include Petrobras, Vale, and Grupo Financiero Banorte, which collectively represent a substantial portion of the fund’s assets. The trust’s managers continuously seek value by adjusting holdings and incorporating promising new investments such as Promotora y Operadora de Infraestructura and Kimberly-Clark de México .

    Commitment to ESG

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust is committed to incorporating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria into its investment process. The trust actively engages with portfolio companies to improve their ESG practices, recognising the significant room for enhancement in Latin America. This commitment not only aligns with global best practices but also aims to generate better outcomes for shareholders through responsible investing .

    Final Thoughts

    The BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust presents a compelling case for investors seeking exposure to the growth potential of Latin America. With experienced management, a strategic focus on undervalued and high-potential markets, and a commitment to sustainable practices, BRLA is well-positioned to deliver attractive returns. The proactive approach to managing interest rates and the region’s geopolitical neutrality further enhance the investment appeal of this trust.

  • BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust NAV rose +1.4% in March, outperforming benchmark

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust NAV rose +1.4% in March, outperforming benchmark

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) has announced its latest portfolio update.

    All information is at 31 March 2024 and unaudited.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla    

    Performance at month end with net income reinvested

     One
    month
    %
    Three
    months
    %
    One
    year
    %
    Three
    years
    %
    Five
    years
    %
    Sterling:     
    Net asset value^1.4-6.222.638.116.9
    Share price1.5-9.020.232.520.0
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    1.2-3.120.047.223.6
    US Dollars:     
    Net asset value^1.2-7.025.326.413.4
    Share price1.4-9.822.721.416.4
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    1.0-4.022.634.819.8

    ^cum income

    ^^The Company’s performance benchmark (the MSCI EM Latin America Index) may be calculated on either a Gross or a Net return basis. Net return (NR) indices calculate the reinvestment of dividends net of withholding taxes using the tax rates applicable to non-resident institutional investors, and hence give a lower total return than indices where calculations are on a Gross basis (which assumes that no withholding tax is suffered). As the Company is subject to withholding tax rates for the majority of countries in which it invests, the NR basis is felt to be the most accurate, appropriate, consistent and fair comparison for the Company.

    Sources: BlackRock, Standard & Poor’s Micropal

    At month end

    Net asset value – capital only:465.65p
    Net asset value – including income:468.08p
    Share price:401.00p
    Total assets#:£144.1m
    Discount (share price to cum income NAV):14.3%
    Average discount* over the month – cum income:13.4%
    Net Gearing at month end**:4.5%
    Gearing range (as a % of net assets):0-25%
    Net yield##:5.9%
    Ordinary shares in issue(excluding 2,181,662 shares held in treasury):29,448,641
    Ongoing charges***:1.13%

    #Total assets include current year revenue.

    ##The yield of 5.9% is calculated based on total dividends declared in the last 12 months as at the date of this announcement as set out below (totalling 30.00 cents per share) and using a share price of 506.56 US cents per share (equivalent to the sterling price of 401.00 pence per share translated in to US cents at the rate prevailing at 31 March 2024 of $1.263 dollars to £1.00).

    2023 Q2 Interim dividend of 7.54 cents per share (Paid on 11 August 2023)

    2023 Q3 Interim dividend of 7.02 cents per share (Paid on 09 November 2023)

    2023 Q4 Interim dividend of 8.05 cents per share (Paid on 09 February 2024)

    2024 Q1 Interim dividend of 7.39 cents per share (To be paid on 16 May 2024)

    *The discount is calculated using the cum income NAV (expressed in sterling terms).

    **Net cash/net gearing is calculated using debt at par, less cash and cash equivalents and fixed interest investments as a percentage of net assets.

    *** 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 non-recurring items for the year ended 31 December 2023.

    Geographic Exposure% of Total Assets% of Equity Portfolio *MSCI EM Latin America Index
    Brazil58.258.259.1
    Mexico27.827.830.5
    Chile5.75.75.4
    Colombia2.72.71.3
    Multi-Country2.12.10.0
    Argentina1.81.80.0
    Panama1.71.70.0
    Peru0.00.03.7
    Net current Liabilities (inc. fixed interest)-0.00.00.0
     —–—–—–
    Total100.0100.0100.0
     ===============

    ^Total assets for the purposes of these calculations exclude bank overdrafts, and the net current assets figure shown in the table above therefore excludes bank overdrafts equivalent to 4.5% of the Company’s net asset value.

    Sector% of Equity Portfolio*% of Benchmark*
    Financials22.126.5
    Consumer Staples18.816.3
    Materials17.217.8
    Consumer Discretionary12.52.0
    Industrials12.010.3
    Energy7.513.0
    Health Care3.81.4
    Real Estate2.31.3
    Communication Services2.04.1
    Information Technology1.80.4
    Utilites0.06.9
     —–—–
    Total100.0100.0
     ==========
       

    *excluding net current assets & fixed interest


    Company
    Country of Risk% of
    Equity Portfolio
    % of
    Benchmark
    Vale – ADSBrazil8.16.5
    Petrobrás:Brazil
       Equity2.0
       Equity ADR3.24.5
       Preference Shares ADR2.35.6
    Walmart de México y CentroaméricaMexico6.93.3
    Banco Bradesco:Brazil  
       Equity ADR 3.90.6
       Preference Shares 1.92.4
    AmBev:   
       EquityBrazil0.7 
       Equity ADRBrazil3.51.8
    Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico – ADSMexico3.90.9
    B3Brazil3.82.1
    Lojas RennerBrazil3.50.5
    Itaú Unibanco – ADRBrazil3.55.3
    Grupo Financiero BanorteMexico3.54.3
        
        
     

    Commenting on the markets, Sam Vecht and Christoph Brinkmann, representing the Investment Manager noted;

    The Company’s NAV rose +1.4% in March, outperforming the benchmark, MSCI EM Latin America Index, which returned 1.2% on a net basis over the same period. All performance figures are in sterling terms with dividends reinvested.

    Emerging markets more broadly continued their strong run from February, gaining +2.5% in March. Latin America finished the month up +1.1%. Brazil (-1.8%) was the major driver of muted returns on softer economic data. However, all the other Latin American countries posted positive returns. Argentina was the strongest performer(+12.7%), followed by Colombia (+10.6%), Peru (+10.4%), Mexico (+5.4%) and Chile (+2.1%).

    At the portfolio level, our off-benchmark holding in an Ecuadorian gold miner was the key contributor to performance, alongside our Chilean Materials exposure. On the other hand, having no exposure to Peru hurt relative returns. Stock selection in the Brazilian Materials sector also hurt returns.

    From a security lens, Mexican silver miner, Mag Silver, was the largest contributor over the month followed by Ecuadorian gold miner, Lundin Gold. Both stocks have been propelled higher by rising gold and silver prices.

    Overweight in Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAPB) also helped returns on the back of better-than-expected passenger traffic numbers along with a strong Mexican Peso. Lojas Renner, a Brazilian apparel chain, also contributed to performance as the market is starting to anticipate a turnaround in sales and consumer credit (due to declining interest rates).

    On the flipside, not owning Peruvian miner Southern Copper weighed on performance. The Peruvian market has done well and the stock has also been supported by strong copper prices. We currently have no holdings in the country and maintain our cautious stance due to the political and economic uncertainty. No exposure to Mexican cement producer, Cemex, also weighed on returns. While Alpargatas, a Brazilian footwear manufacturer, was among the top contributors in February, the stock pulled back in March, detracting from portfolio performance.

    We made some changes to the portfolio in March. In Argentina, we exited steel pipe manufacturer, Tenaris as our investment case has played out. We also further diversified our bets by adding to IT services company Globant. We added to our holding in Brazilian retailer Lojas Renner as our conviction in our thesis is increasing. We are starting to see tentative signs that the credit book is finally turning around.

    We reduced our overweight position in Cuervo, a Mexican producer and supplier of alcoholic beverages most famously known for their high-end tequila brand Jose Cuervo, to take profits. We also switched some of our position in FEMSA into Walmex, as we are concerned the former will deliver weak 1Q24 results on the back of labor cost pressure in Mexico.

    Multi-Country appears as our largest overweight, due to our holding in Lundin Gold, a Canadian based mining company with operations in Ecuador. Argentina is our second largest portfolio overweight, driven by one off-benchmark holding (with no exposure to domestic Argentina). On the other hand, we remain underweight in Peru due to its political and economic uncertainty. The second largest portfolio underweight is Mexico.

    Outlook

    We remain optimistic about the outlook for Latin America. Central banks have been proactive in increasing interest rates to help control inflation, which has fallen significantly across the region. As such we have started to see central banks beginning to lower interest rates, which should support both economic activity and asset prices. In addition, the whole region is benefitting from being relatively isolated from global geopolitical conflicts. We believe that this will lead to both an increase in foreign direct investment and an increase in allocation from investors across the region.  

    Brazil is the showcase of this thesis – with the central bank cutting the policy rate considerably. We anticipate further reductions, particularly if the Federal Reserve ceases its own rate hikes. The government’s fiscal framework being more orthodox than market expectations has helped to reduce uncertainty regarding the fiscal outlook and was key for confidence. We expect further upside to the equity market in the next 12-18 months as local capital starts flowing into the market.  

    We remain positive on the outlook for the Mexican economy as it is a key beneficiary of the friend-shoring of global supply chains. Mexico remains defensive as both fiscal and the current accounts are in order. While our view remains positive, we have taken profits after a strong relative performance, solely because we see even more upside in other Latin American markets such as Brazil. We also note that the Mexican economy will be relatively more sensitive to a potential slowdown in economic activity in the United States.

    We continue to closely monitor the political and economic situation in Argentina, after libertarian Javier Milei unexpectedly won the presidential elections in November. Milei is facing a very difficult situation, with inflation above 250% year-on-year, FX reserves depleted and multiple economic imbalances. To further gauge sentiment on the ground, we travelled to the country in January. The trip further instilled our cautious view on the economic outlook for the country, and we see no fundamental reasons as to why we would want to buy this market now.

    We acknowledge the strengths of the data in the United States, but we believe that, ultimately, the domestic economic outlook in the Latin American countries will be the key driver of local interest rates. We therefore maintain conviction in the Company’s positioning in rate-sensitive domestic stocks. In addition to that, after three months of very strong labor market data and higher-than-expected inflation data in the United States, we believe there is a high probability that both measures will soften going forward. This view is predicated on leading indicators such as hiring intentions and high-frequency pricing data. If this view would prove to be correct, there should be less pressure from rising rates in the United States.

    1Source: BlackRock, as of 31 March 2024.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla   

  • BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust Portfolio Update – February 2024

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust Portfolio Update – February 2024

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) has announced its latest portfolio update.

    All information is at 29 February 2024 and unaudited.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla   

    Performance at month end with net income reinvested

     One
    month
    %
    Three
    months
    %
    One
    year
    %
    Three
    years
    %
    Five
    years
    %
    Sterling:     
    Net asset value^-0.3-0.818.943.113.5
    Share price-2.90.714.235.916.4
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    0.53.017.154.221.5
    US Dollars:     
    Net asset value^-0.9-0.924.229.58.0
    Share price-3.60.619.323.010.7
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    -0.22.922.439.515.5

    ^cum income

    ^^The Company’s performance benchmark (the MSCI EM Latin America Index) may be calculated on either a Gross or a Net return basis. Net return (NR) indices calculate the reinvestment of dividends net of withholding taxes using the tax rates applicable to non-resident institutional investors, and hence give a lower total return than indices where calculations are on a Gross basis (which assumes that no withholding tax is suffered). As the Company is subject to withholding tax rates for the majority of countries in which it invests, the NR basis is felt to be the most accurate, appropriate, consistent and fair comparison for the Company.

    Sources: BlackRock, Standard & Poor’s Micropal

    At month end

    Net asset value – capital only:457.87p
    Net asset value – including income:461.79p
    Share price:395.00p
    Total assets#:£142.7m
    Discount (share price to cum income NAV):14.5%
    Average discount* over the month – cum income:12.5%
    Net Gearing at month end**:5.8%
    Gearing range (as a % of net assets):0-25%
    Net yield##:5.8%
    Ordinary shares in issue(excluding 2,181,662 shares held in treasury):29,448,641
    Ongoing charges***:1.13%

    #Total assets include current year revenue.

    ##The yield of 5.8% is calculated based on total dividends declared in the last 12 months as at the date of this announcement as set out below (totalling 28.82 cents per share) and using a share price of 499.66 US cents per share (equivalent to the sterling price of 395.00 pence per share translated in to US cents at the rate prevailing at 29 February 2024 of $1.265 dollars to £1.00).

    2023 Q1 Interim dividend of 6.21 cents per share (Paid on 16 May 2023)

    2023 Q2 Interim dividend of 7.54 cents per share (Paid on 11 August 2023)

    2023 Q3 Interim dividend of 7.02 cents per share (Paid on 09 November 2023)

    2024 Q4 Interim dividend of 8.05 cents per share (Paid on 09 February 2024)

    *The discount is calculated using the cum income NAV (expressed in sterling terms).

    **Net cash/net gearing is calculated using debt at par, less cash and cash equivalents and fixed interest investments as a percentage of net assets.

    *** 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 non-recurring items for the year ended 31 December 2023.

    Geographic Exposure% of Total Assets% of Equity Portfolio *MSCI EM Latin America Index
    Brazil60.059.560.8
    Mexico27.026.729.2
    Chile5.65.55.4
    Argentina2.62.60.0
    Colombia2.52.51.2
    Panama1.61.60.0
    Multi-Country1.61.60.0
    Peru0.00.03.4
    Net current Liabilities (inc. fixed interest)-0.90.00.0
     —–—–—–
    Total100.0100.0100.0
     ===============

    ^Total assets for the purposes of these calculations exclude bank overdrafts, and the net current assets figure shown in the table above therefore excludes bank overdrafts equivalent to 4.9% of the Company’s net asset value.

    Sector% of Equity Portfolio*% of Benchmark*
    Financials22.626.3
    Consumer Staples18.216.0
    Materials16.317.2
    Industrials11.710.2
    Consumer Discretionary10.92.0
    Energy10.313.8
    Health Care3.81.4
    Real Estate2.61.3
    Communication Services2.14.2
    Information Technology1.50.5
    Utilites0.07.1
     —–—–
    Total100.0100.0
     ==========
       

    *excluding net current assets & fixed interest


    Company
    Country of Risk% of
    Equity Portfolio
    % of
    Benchmark
    Petrobrás:Brazil
       Equity2.2
       Equity ADR3.54.9
       Preference Shares ADR3.56.1
    Vale – ADSBrazil8.97.2
    Walmart de México y CentroaméricaMexico5.93.3
    Banco Bradesco:Brazil  
       Equity ADR 3.80.6
       Preference Shares 1.92.3
    B3Brazil4.12.4
    AmBev:   
       EquityBrazil0.8 
       Equity ADRBrazil3.11.9
    FEMSA – ADRMexico3.63.8
    Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico – ADSMexico3.60.9
    Itaú Unibanco – ADRBrazil3.45.2
    Grupo Financiero BanorteMexico3.44.2
     

    Commenting on the markets, Sam Vecht and Christoph Brinkmann, representing the Investment Manager noted;

    The Company’s NAV fell -0.3% in February, underperforming the benchmark, MSCI EM Latin America Index, which returned 0.5% on a net basis over the same period. All performance figures are in sterling terms with dividends reinvested.

    Emerging markets more broadly almost fully recovered from January weakness, gaining +4.6% in February and broke its four-month streak to marginally outperform developed markets (+4.1%) by +0.5%. Latin American markets lagged the rest of emerging markets, finishing the month flat (-0.5%). Mexico (-3.1%) and Argentina (-2.9%) led declines, whilst Peru (+6.1%) and Chile (+6.0%) were at the top of the table.

    At the portfolio level, our overweight and stock selection within the Consumer Staples space in Mexico was the key contributor to performance, alongside our Chilean Industrials exposure. On the other hand, stock selection in the Brazilian Financials sector hurt relative returns. Having no exposure to Peru was another drag over the period.

    From a security lens, Chilean lithium producer, SQM, was the largest contributor over the month, reversing some of the January losses. Alpargatas, a Brazilian footwear manufacturer, was another strong performer after 4Q23 results indicate that their inventories continue to improve. An overweight position in Becle, a Mexican producer and supplier of alcoholic beverages most famously known for their high-end tequila brand Jose Cuervo, also helped returns. The company delivered strong 4Q results, beating consensus by 15%. The portfolio’s performance was also supported by an off-benchmark exposure in Argentina through steel pipe manufacturer, Tenaris. The stock rose following a 4Q (EBITDA) beat, where results had been helped by an increase in shipment to the Middle East and for offshore pipeline projects.

    On the flipside, Banco Bradesco was the worst performing stock over the month. The stock sold off after an earnings miss amid high credit costs, and weaker 2024 guidance. While it has taken longer than expected, we continue to believe they will benefit from falling rates in Brazil. A lack of exposure to Peruvian bank, Credicorp, was another detractor as the company’s FY24 guidance was better than consensus. While not having a holding in Brazilian electric equipment firm, WEG, was one of the top contributors in January, this hurt returns in February. The company reported better-than-expected results due to a one-off tax-gain. We maintain our cautious stance on the name as we see sequential margin deterioration going forward.

    We made few changes to the portfolio in February. We continued to reduce our exposure to Mexican convenience store operator FEMSA, as our investment case has largely played out and as we see margin pressure at their core convenience store Oxxo. We traded against relative performance by trimming our exposure to Brazilian bank Itau and used the proceeds to top up our holding in Bradesco following poor results. We think the performance and valuation differential between the two banks is too large. We re-initiated a position in Brazilian investment management platform, XP Inc, as the company has strong operating leverage to falling interest rates.

    Argentina continues to the be largest portfolio overweight, driven by two off-benchmark holdings (with no exposure to domestic Argentina). Panama appears as our second largest overweight, due to our off-benchmark holding in Copa Airlines. On the other hand, we remain underweight in Peru due to its political and economic uncertainty. The second largest portfolio underweight is Mexico.

    Outlook

    We remain optimistic about the outlook for Latin America. Central banks have been proactive in increasing interest rates to help control inflation, which has fallen significantly across the region. As such we have started to see central banks beginning to lower interest rates, which should support both economic activity and asset prices. In addition, the whole region is benefitting from being relatively isolated from global geopolitical conflicts. We believe that this will lead to both an increase in foreign direct investment and an increase in allocation from investors across the region.  

    Brazil is the showcase of this thesis – with the central bank cutting the policy rate considerably. We anticipate further reductions, particularly if the Federal Reserve ceases its own rate hikes. The government’s fiscal framework being more orthodox than market expectations has helped to reduce uncertainty regarding the fiscal outlook and was key for confidence. We expect further upside to the equity market in the next 12-18 months as local capital starts flowing into the market.  

    We remain positive on the outlook for the Mexican economy as it is a key beneficiary of the friend-shoring of global supply chains. Mexico remains defensive as both fiscal and the current accounts are in order. While our view remains positive, we have taken profits after a strong relative performance, solely because we see even more upside in other Latin American markets such as Brazil. We also note that the Mexican economy will be relatively more sensitive to a potential slowdown in economic activity in the United States.

    We continue to closely monitor the political and economic situation in Argentina, after libertarian Javier Milei unexpectedly won the presidential elections in November. Milei is facing a very difficult situation, with inflation above 200% year-on-year, FX reserves depleted and multiple economic imbalances. To further gauge sentiment on the ground, we travelled to the country in January. The trip further instilled our cautious view on the economic outlook for the country, and we see no fundamental reasons as to why we would want to buy this market now.

    1Source: BlackRock, as of 29 February 2024.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla  

  • BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust delivering strong absolute returns

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust delivering strong absolute returns

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) has announced its Annual Results Announcement for the year ended 31 December 2023.

    PERFORMANCE RECORD

    As atAs at
    31 December31 December
    20232022
    Net assets (US$’000)1189,719148,111
    Net asset value per ordinary share (US$ cents)644.24502.95
    Ordinary share price (mid-market) (US$ cents)2569.84457.10
    Ordinary share price (mid-market) (pence)447.00380.00
    Discount311.5%9.1%
    For the yearFor the year
    endedended
    31 December31 December
    20232022
    Performance (with dividends reinvested)
    Net asset value per share (US$ cents)337.8%6.6%
    Ordinary share price (mid-market) (US$ cents)2,335.3%4.7%
    Ordinary share price (mid-market) (pence)327.6%18.0%
    MSCI EM Latin America Index (net return, on a US Dollar basis)432.7%8.9%
    For theFor the
    year endedyear ended
    31 December31 December
    20232022Change %
    Revenue
    Net profit on ordinary activities after taxation (US$’000)8,96713,842–35.2
    Revenue earnings per ordinary share (US$ cents)30.4541.48–26.6
    Dividends per ordinary share (US$ cents)
    Quarter to 31 March6.217.76–20.0
    Quarter to 30 June7.545.74+31.4
    Quarter to 30 September7.026.08+15.5
    Quarter to 31 December8.056.29+28.0
    Special dividend513.00n/a
    Total dividends payable/paid28.8238.87–25.9

    Sources: BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited and Datastream.

    Performance figures are calculated in US Dollar terms with dividends reinvested.

    1     The change in net assets reflects the portfolio movements during the year and dividends paid.

    2     Based on an exchange rate of US$1.27 to £1 at 31 December 2023 and US$1.20 to £1 at 31 December 2022.

    3     Alternative Performance Measures, see Glossary contained within the Annual Report and Financial Statements.

    4     The Company’s performance benchmark index (the MSCI EM Latin America Index) may be calculated on either a gross or a net return basis. Net return (NR) indices calculate the reinvestment of dividends net of withholding taxes using the tax rates applicable to non-resident institutional investors, and hence give a lower total return than indices where calculations are on a gross basis (which assumes that no withholding tax is suffered). As the Company is subject to withholding tax rates for the majority of countries in which it invests, the NR basis is felt to be the more accurate, appropriate, consistent and fair comparison for the Company.

    5     During the year ended 31 December 2022, revenue earned by the Company was enhanced by a number of stock and special dividends, coupled with the effect of the tender offer reducing the number of ordinary shares in issue post May 2022. In order to maintain investment trust status, which requires the distribution of 85% of the Company’s revenue, the Board announced the payment of an additional dividend of 13.00 cents per ordinary share for the financial year to 31 December 2022.

    CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT

    Dear Shareholder,

    I am pleased to present the Annual Report to shareholders for the year ended 31 December 2023, which has delivered strong absolute returns and as I shall discuss below, provided grounds for optimism in the outlook for Latin American equities.

    MARKET OVERVIEW

    Latin American markets have significantly outperformed both developed market and the MSCI Emerging Markets indices over the year under review, with the MSCI EM Latin America Index net return of 32.7% in US Dollar terms, compared to a rise in the MSCI Emerging Markets EMEA Index net return of 8.6% in US Dollar terms and an increase in the MSCI World Index net return of 24.4% in US Dollar terms.

    PERFORMANCE

    Over the year ended 31 December 2023 the Company’s net asset value per share, with dividends reinvested rose by 37.8% in US Dollar terms, which compares to the benchmark returns with dividends reinvested of 32.7%. The share price rose by 35.3% in US Dollar terms (but increased by 27.6% in Sterling terms). The outperformance was driven by good stock selection across a range of markets, most notably driven by stock selection in Mexico, as the country has been and continues to be a key beneficiary from the shifting of global supply chains and coupled with a prudential fiscal policy and a strong export sector, Mexico has replaced China as America’s largest trade partner. The stock selection in Brazil was also a contributing factor to performance, the portfolio was overweight in domestic Brazil, this positioning reflected the Investment Manager’s view that interest rates were excessively high, with their expectation for interest rates to be cut during the year which has seen this increasingly being priced by the market in Brazil which has been a strong contributor to the portfolio’s returns.

    GEARING

    The Board’s view is that 105% of NAV is the neutral level of gearing over the longer term and that gearing should be used actively in an approximate range of plus or minus 10% around this as measured at the time that gearing is instigated. The Board is pleased to note that over the year the portfolio managers have used gearing actively with a low of 100.3% in May 2023 and a high of 108.9% of NAV in January 2023. Average gearing for the year to 31 December 2023 was 103.1% of NAV.

    REVENUE RETURNS AND DIVIDENDS

    Total revenue return for the year was 30.45 cents per share (2022: 41.48 cents per share). The decrease of 26.6% was largely due to the reduction in dividends paid by portfolio companies. Under the Company’s dividend policy dividends are calculated and paid quarterly, based on 1.25% of the US Dollar NAV at close of business on the last working day of March, June, September and December respectively.

    Information in respect of the payment timetable is set out in the Annual Report and Financial Statements. Dividends will be financed through a combination of available net income in each financial year and revenue and capital reserves. The Company has declared interim dividends totalling 28.82 cents per share in respect of the year ended 31 December 2023 (2022: 38.87 cents per share) as detailed in the table below; this represented a yield of 5.1% based on the Company’s share price at 31 December 2023.

    Dividends declared in respect of the year ended 31 December 2023

    DividendPay date
    Quarter to 31 March 20236.21 cents16 May 2023
    Quarter to 30 June 20237.54 cents11 August 2023
    Quarter to 30 September 20237.02 cents9 November 2023
    Quarter to 31 December 20238.05 cents9 February 2024
    Total28. 82 cents

    The dividends paid and declared by the Company in 2023 have been funded from current year revenue and brought forward revenue reserves. As at 31 December 2023, a balance of US$5,876,000 remained in revenue reserves, which is sufficient to cover approximately two and a half quarterly dividend payments at the most recently declared dividend rate of 8.05 cents per share.

    Dividends may be funded out of capital reserves to the extent that current year revenue and revenue reserves are insufficient. The current and previous years dividends have been funded from the high levels of income generated by the portfolio companies and revenue reserves. Next year it is anticipated that capital reserves may be utilised to supplement the dividend if there is lower income received from the underlying portfolio companies. The Board believes that this removes pressure from the portfolio managers to seek a higher income yield from the underlying portfolio itself which could detract from total returns. The Board also believes the Company’s dividend policy will enhance demand for the Company’s shares and help to narrow the Company’s discount, whilst maintaining the portfolio’s ability to generate attractive total returns. It is promising to note that since the dividend policy was introduced in 2018, the Company’s discount has narrowed from an average of 13.5% for the two-year period preceding the introduction of the new policy on 13 March 2018 to 11.5% as at 31 December 2023.

    ESG AND SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT

    As a Board we believe that good Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) behaviour by the companies we invest in is important to the long-term financial success of our Company and believe we should be active in encouraging the companies we invest in to adopt good standards of governance. Accordingly, the board travelled to Sao Paulo last year to meet a number of the companies we invest in to discuss their governance policies. We also travelled to Brasilia and met a number of government officials and politicians to learn more about current approaches to the rainforest and Brazil’s role as a large producer of vital food, timber, minerals and oil.

    The Board receives regular reporting from the portfolio managers on ESG matters and extensive analysis of our portfolio’s ESG footprint and actively engages with the portfolio managers to discuss when significant engagement may be required with the management teams of our Company’s portfolio holdings. The portfolio managers are supported by the extensive ESG resources within BlackRock and devote a considerable amount of time to understanding the ESG risks and opportunities facing companies and industries in the portfolio. The Company does not seek to become an Article 8 or 9 company under the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation legislation and does not intend to seek to have one of the 4 sustainability labels under the FCA’s Sustainability Disclosure Requirements regime. However, consideration of ESG analytics, data and insights is integrated into the investment process when weighing up the risk and reward benefits and there is more information in relation to BlackRock’s approach to ESG integration contained within the Annual Report and Financial Statements.

    DISCOUNT MANAGEMENT AND NEW DISCOUNT CONTROL MECHANCISM

    The Board remains committed to taking appropriate action to ensure that the Company’s shares do not trade at a significant discount to their prevailing NAV and have sought to reduce discount volatility by offering shareholders a new discount control mechanism covering the four years to 31 December 2025. This mechanism will offer shareholders a tender for 24.99% of the shares in issue excluding treasury shares (at a tender price reflecting the latest cum-income NAV less 2% and related portfolio realisation costs) in the event that the continuation vote to be put to the Company’s AGM in 2026 is approved, where either of the following conditions have been met:

    (i)   the annualised total NAV return of the Company does not exceed the annualised benchmark index (being the MSCI EM Latin America Index) US Dollar (net return) by more than 50 basis points over the four-year period from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2025 (the Calculation Period); or

    (ii)  the average daily discount to the cum-income NAV exceeds 12% as calculated with reference to the trading of the shares over the Calculation Period.

    In respect of the above conditions, the Company’s annualised total NAV return on a US Dollar basis for the year ended 31 December 2023 was +21.2%, outperforming the annualised benchmark return of +20.2% over the year by 1.0% (equivalent to 100 basis points).

    The cum-income discount of the Company’s ordinary shares over the calculation period has averaged 10.8%.

    For the current year the cum-income discount has ranged from 6.8% to 18.6%, ending the year on a discount of 11.5% at 31 December 2023.

    The Company has not bought back any shares during the year ended 31 December 2023 and up to the date of publication of this report.

    BOARD COMPOSITION

    As previously advised in last year’s Annual Report, Professor Doctor did not seek re-election at the 2023 AGM. The Board wishes to thank Professor Doctor for her many years of excellent service, we wish her the best for the future.

    ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

    The Company’s Annual General Meeting will be held in person at the offices of BlackRock at 12 Throgmorton Avenue, London EC2N 2DL on Wednesday, 22 May 2024 at 12.00 noon. Details of the business of the meeting are set out in the Notice of Annual General Meeting contained within the Annual Report and Financial Statements.

    The Board very much looks forward to meeting shareholders and answering any question you may have on the day. We hope you can attend this year’s AGM; a buffet lunch will be made available to shareholders who have attended the AGM.

    OUTLOOK

    Following the Board’s visit to Brazil in November 2023, it was encouraging to see the positive market sentiment for a range of the portfolio companies operating in Brazil. The Brazilian Government had embarked on some significant tax reforms which should allow businesses to operate more efficiently. The government’s continued prudent fiscal policy should enable the country’s central bank to decrease interest rates further which in turn should help stimulate the domestic economy.

    The geopolitical environment is currently changing with three blocks emerging, US aligned, China aligned and the non-aligned, who are benefiting from trading with both of the other blocks. The markets in the Latin American region have managed to remain somewhat removed from the global geopolitical conflicts and so far, have been able to benefit from significant opportunities for direct investment as governments and businesses globally re-think supply chain configuration and seek to diversify risk away from countries more prone to geopolitical fallouts. The region is rich in natural resources of crude oil and natural gas and is also a major source of copper and lithium which are critical materials for the green energy transition. Not only is Latin America rich in natural resources, it is also an agricultural powerhouse. The region accounts for close to 25%1 of global exports in agricultural and fisheries products, and its significance in the global food supply chain is anticipated to increase in the future. The Board is optimistic for the outlook for Latin American equities.

    Carolan Dobson

    Chairman

    26 March 2024

    Source: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/01/latin-america-solution-food-insecurity

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla  

    INVESTMENT MANAGER’S REPORT

    MARKET OVERVIEW

    The MSCI EM Latin America Index gained +32.7% during 2023, significantly outperforming other Emerging Market (EM) regions. For reference, both the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions posted mid-single digit returns with the MSCI AC Asia Pacific ex Japan index up 4.6% while the MSCI Emerging Markets EMEA Index climbed 8.6% in 2023. The region also outperformed the MSCI USA Index, which was up 27.1%, and Developed Market equities, as represented by the MSCI World Index, up 24.4%. All performance figures are calculated in US Dollar terms with dividends reinvested.

    All markets within our universe generated positive returns in 2023. Argentina was the standout performer, returning 65.7%, making it the best performing market globally. The market surged after libertarian Javier Milei picked up a majority of the votes, and finished ahead of Sergio Massa, the incumbent Finance Minister, in the elections that concluded on 19 November 2023. Javier Milei’s unexpected victory instilled cautious optimism in the market about the country’s potential for economic reform and the possibility of central bank orthodoxy.

    In Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sworn in as president on 1 January 2023. While the Brazilian market experienced some turmoil in the first half of the year, mainly due to concerns around fiscal prudency and lower activity resulting from elevated interest rates, the market bounced back in the latter half of the year, rising 32.7% in 2023. A large portion of the rally can be attributed to the much-awaited rate cuts, which finally began in August, when the central bank cut its policy rate by 50 basis points in response to falling inflation. The market continued to trend upwards in the latter half of the year, as the increased likelihood for rate cuts in the United States of America (US) should provide room for the central bank to ease more aggressively in 2024.

    Mexico was yet another market that performed well in 2023, rising 40.9%. The market has benefitted from a gradual fall in inflation and resulting interest rate cut expectations. Performance had been further buoyed by a stronger than expected US market. It is also worth pointing out that the country has been and continues to be, a relative beneficiary of increased geopolitical tensions, as countries such as the US are looking to diversify their supply chains away from China. In 2023, Mexico also overtook China to become the US’ largest trading partner.

    Political and social unrest has been the dominating picture of the Chilean and Peruvian markets throughout much of 2023, where both countries ended the year flat. In December, the Chilean population rejected the suggested changes to their constitution, for the second year in a row. This marks an end to the constitutional saga, for now, that has been ongoing since 2019. In Colombia, we note the improvement in the country’s external balance.

    PERFORMANCE REVIEW AND POSITIONING

    The Company outperformed its benchmark over the 12-month period ending 31 December 2023, returning +37.8% in US Dollar terms. Over the same time horizon, the Company’s benchmark, the MSCI Latin America Index, returned +32.7% on a net basis in US Dollar terms.

    Over the period, the Company generated positive returns in a number of countries. The most notable outperformer was Mexico, driven by strong stock selection. Our positioning in Brazil was a reflection of the view that interest rates would come down, a view that played out in the latter half of the year as the central bank cut its policy rate for the first time in three years. It has since continued to cut in response to a normalisation in inflation, which has supported our domestic positioning in particular. Colombian exposure also contributed positively. On the flipside, Argentina exposure detracted on the margin. From a sector lens, the best performing sectors were industrials and materials while consumer staples and health care detracted from performance.

    Our position in Vale, a Brazilian iron ore miner, was the largest contributor to relative returns over the year. Our underweight position in the company throughout the first half of 2023 was supportive to Company performance as iron ore prices declined on the back of disappointing commodity demand in China. As we became incrementally more positive on the name, and due to its relative weakness, we added to the position in the latter half of the year which proved timely. Rate sensitive names in Brazil have also done well with investment management platform XP and off-benchmark exposure to low-income homebuilder MRV Engenharia amongst the top contributors. For XP, in addition to delivering strong results, the company is also benefitting from increased flows from fixed income to equities as rates come down. In the case of MRV Engenharia, lower rates entail more affordable housing and lower costs on interest which is beneficial as this is a highly levered name. No exposure to WEG, a Brazilian electric equipment company, has also contributed to relative returns. The company has been faced with sequential growth challenges, particularly due to a solar demand slowdown in Brazil which is impacting the company’s outlook.

    In Mexico, our overweight position in consumer company FEMSA, was supportive of relative returns, with a strong operating environment at its core convenience store business Oxxo. Cemex, the Mexican cement producer, was another contributor on a relative basis. Being underweight the stock helped the portfolio’s relative returns as the stock declined on fears of rising input costs. Another significant outperformer was Fibra Uno Administracion, the Mexican real estate operator. This is a stock that has continued to benefit from the nearshoring theme, i.e. increased foreign investment and demand for industrial properties. The stock also rose following the announcement of a potential IPO where the company would carve out a new vehicle of their industrial real estate assets.

    Elsewhere in the region, Ecopetrol, a petroleum producer in Colombia, outperformed. Chilean lithium producer Sociedad Quimica Y Minera (SQM) was another strong performer during the last month of the year as the stock rose in anticipation of the announcement of the partnership with state entity Codelco, which has extended their mining lease in the Atacama until 2060.

    While Brazil exposure has benefitted the Company more broadly, some names lagged with supermarket chain Assai being the biggest detractor over the period. The company sold off earlier in the year after its majority shareholder, Casino, showed signs of weak liquidity. This weighed on the stock after an announcement that Casino would be selling a portion of its shares. Brazilian retailers Arezzo and Grupo De Moda Soma (Soma) also hurt relative returns over the period as the retail sector was negatively impacted by the announcement of a tax reform, which could be margin dilutive for the sector. We maintain conviction in these names and believe that continued rate cuts from the central bank should be supportive for domestic consumption. Elsewhere, overweight position in Mexican silver miner MAG Silver Corp also detracted amid declining silver prices.

    Over the period, we have taken advantage of the strong performance in Brazil to take profits in names that have outperformed or where our investment thesis has played out. We exited our position in Gerdau, a steel producer, and rotated this into iron ore producer Vale on a relative performance basis. We also exited XP following strong performance. As we believe continued rate cuts in Brazil should be supportive for domestic consumption, we initiated holdings in retailers Soma and Lojas Renner. For Soma specifically, we believe that mistakes made in the previous cycles have been overly penalized by the market, and we believe that their brand Farm Rio is one of the strongest brands in Brazil.

    We also made some changes to our Mexican book. We exited Cemex, the Mexican cement producer, and used some of the proceeds to top up our holding in Walmart de Mexico y Centroamerica (Walmex). The latter has underperformed on cost pressures and disinflation, but we believe the negative earnings revisions are coming to an end. We also trimmed our exposure to rate sensitive bank Grupo Financiero Banorte. In Colombia, we initiated a position in bank Bancolombia on the back of cheap valuation and as the Colombian government has shown more signs of orthodoxy than initially expected. We took profits and exited Colombian oil & gas company Ecopetrol as our investment thesis has played out and as we are getting incrementally more negative on the outlook for oil prices. We also took some profits in Globant, the Argentinian IT services company, following strong performance.

    We ended the year with Argentina as the largest portfolio overweight, driven by two off-benchmark holdings. Our second largest overweight position is in Panama, driven by an off-benchmark holding in the industrials sector. On the other hand, we remain underweight in Peru due to its ongoing political and economic uncertainty. We remain optimistic about the outlook for Brazil and have been selective in our positioning, with a preference for domestic businesses that will benefit more from further rate cuts.

    OUTLOOK

    We believe that global markets are starting to feel the impact of higher interest rates, noting slowing credit growth as evidence that a demand slowdown may be imminent in developed markets. When combined with a Chinese economy which is struggling to find its footing we find it difficult to see where a meaningful pick up in global growth could come from. On the other hand, we observe stronger fundamentals in EM, particularly in Latin America, as inflation has decreased and central banks have eased monetary policies across many of our markets. This is typically a good set up as domestic economies should see a cyclical improvement.

    We are especially positive about the outlook for Brazil. We believe that the combination of a benign outlook for inflation and a relatively prudent fiscal policy by the government will enable the central bank to decrease interest rates faster than market participants currently expect. We expect further upside to the equity market in the next 12-18 months as local capital starts flowing back into the market.

    We remain positive on the outlook for the Mexican economy as it is a key beneficiary of the ‘friend-shoring’ of global supply chains. Mexico remains defensive as both fiscal and the current accounts are in order. While our view remains positive, we have taken some profits after a strong relative performance, solely because we see even more upside in other Latin American markets such as Brazil. We also note that the Mexican economy will be relatively more sensitive to a potential slowdown in economic activity in the United States.

    We continue to closely monitor the political and economic situation in Argentina, after libertarian Javier Milei unexpectedly won the presidential elections in November. Milei is facing a very difficult situation, with inflation at 210% year on year, foreign exchange reserves depleted and multiple economic imbalances. The country needs to go through a painful adjustment process and we worry about the hardship that this inflicts on society. We are hopeful that the country comes out stronger after the adjustment process, but we have limited exposure to the Argentinian economy for now.

    We remain optimistic about the outlook for Latin America. Central banks have been proactive in increasing interest rates to help control inflation, which has fallen significantly across the region. As such we have started to see central banks beginning to lower interest rates, which should support both economic activity and asset prices. In addition, the whole region is benefitting from being relatively isolated from global geopolitical conflicts. In a world splitting into three groups: those aligned with China, those aligned with the US and the rest, the latter group which have been coined as the “Transactional 25”, are uniquely positioned to benefit from their ability to trade with both blocs. We are already seeing an increase in their share of global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows, with the prime example being Mexico. Although some investor attention in 2024 may focus on the political and social challenges in countries such as Ecuador, Guyana and Panama, we maintain that the region when taken as a whole, appears to be a more attractive investment destination than many in the market currently believe.  

    Sam Vecht and Christoph Brinkmann
    BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited
    26 March 2024

    TEN LARGEST INVESTMENTS

    as at 31 December 2023

    Together, the ten largest investments represented 55.3% of total investments of the Company’s portfolio as at 31 December 2023 (2022: 53.5%).

    1  Vale (2022: 1st)
    Materials
    Market value – American depositary share (ADS): US$18,331,000
    Share of investments: 9.6% (2022: 9.5%)
    is one of the world’s largest mining groups, with other businesses in logistics, energy and steelmaking. Vale is the world’s largest producer of iron ore and nickel but also operates in the coal, copper, manganese and ferro-alloys sectors.

    2  Petrobrás (2022: 2nd)
    Energy
    Market value – American depositary receipt (ADR): US$6,666,000
    Market value – preference shares ADR: US$6,091,000
    Market value – ordinary shares: US$3,705,000
    Share of investments: 8.6% (2022: 7.1%)
    is a Brazilian integrated oil and gas group, operating in the exploration and production, refining, marketing, transportation, petrochemicals, oil product distribution, natural gas, electricity, chemical-gas and biofuel segments of the industry. The group controls significant assets across Africa, North and South America, Europe and Asia, with a majority of production based in Brazil.

    3  Banco Bradesco (2022: 6th)
    Financials
    Market value – ADR: US$8,726,000
    Market value – preference shares: US$3,276,000
    Share of investments: 6.2% (2022: 5.1%)
    is one of Brazil’s largest private sector banks. The bank divides its operations into two main areas – banking and insurance services and management of complementary private pension plans and saving bonds.

    4  Walmart de México y Centroamérica (2022: 21st)
    Consumer Staples
    Market value – ordinary shares: US$11,317,000
    Share of investments: 5.9% (2022: 1.9%)
    is also known as Walmex, it is the Mexican and Central American Walmart division.

    5  B3 (2022: 5th)
    Financials
    Market value – ordinary shares: US$9,814,000
    Share of investments: 5.1% (2022: 5.2%)
    is a stock exchange located in Brazil, providing trading services in an exchange and OTC environment. B3’s scope of activities include the creation and management of trading systems, clearing, settlement, deposit and registration for the main classes of securities, from equities and corporate fixed income securities to currency derivatives, structured transactions and interest rates, and agricultural commodities. B3 also acts as a central counterparty for most of the trades carried out in its markets and offers central depository and registration services.

    6  FEMSA (2022: 3rd)
    Consumer Staples
    Market value – ADR: US$9,126,000
    Share of investments: 4.8% (2022: 6.0%)
    is a Mexican beverages group which engages in the production, distribution, and marketing of beverages. The firm also produces, markets, sells, and distributes Coca-Cola trademark beverages, including sparkling beverages.

    7  AmBev (2022: 4th)
    Consumer Staples
    Market value – ADR: US$6,394,000
    Market value – ordinary shares: US$1,542,000
    Share of investments: 4.2% (2022: 5.3%)
    is a Brazilian brewing group which engages in the production, distribution, and sale of beverages. Its products include beer, carbonated soft drinks and other non-alcoholic and non-carbonated products with operations in Brazil, Central America, the Caribbean and Canada.

    8  Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (2022: 14th)
    Industrials
    Market value – ADS: US$7,694,000
    Share of investments: 4.0% (2022: 2.3%)
    is a Mexican airport operator headquartered in Guadalajara, Mexico. The company holds concessions to operate, maintain and develop approximately 10 international airports in the Pacific and Central regions of Mexico, and an international airport in Jamaica.

    9  Itaú Unibanco (2022: 7th)
    Financials
    Market value – ADR: US$7,208,000
    Share of investments: 3.8% (2022: 4.9%)
    is a Brazilian financial services group that services individual and corporate clients in Brazil and abroad. Itaú Unibanco was formed through the merger of Banco Itaú and Unibanco in 2008. It operates in the retail banking and wholesale banking segments.

    10  Grupo Financiero Banorte (2022: 8th)
    Financials
    Market value – ordinary shares: US$5,966,000
    Share of investments: 3.1% (2022: 4.8%)
    is a Mexican banking and financial services holding company and is one of the largest financial groups in the country. It operates as a universal bank and provides a wide array of products and services through its broker dealer, annuities and insurance companies, retirements savings funds (Afore), mutual funds, leasing and factoring company and warehousing.

    All percentages reflect the value of the holding as a percentage of total investments. For this purpose, where more than one class of securities is held, these have been aggregated.

    The percentages in brackets represent the value of the holding as at 31 December 2022.

    PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS
    as at 31 December 2023

    Market
    value% of
    US$’000investments
    Brazil
    Vale – ADS18,3319.6
    Petrobrás – ADR6,666}8.6
    Petrobrás – preference shares ADR6,091
    Petrobrás3,705
    Banco Bradesco – ADR8,726 }6.2
    Banco Bradesco – preference shares3,276 
    B39,8145.1 
    AmBev – ADR6,394 }4.2
    AmBev1,542 
    Itaú Unibanco – ADR7,2083.8
    Hapvida Participacoes5,6183.0
    EZTEC Empreendimentos e Participacoes4,2632.2
    Sendas Distribuidora4,2172.2
    Arezzo Industria e Comercio4,0282.1
    Alpargatas3,8742.0
    Lojas Renner3,8232.0
    Vamos3,7922.0
    Rumo3,4411.8
    Grupo De Moda Soma2,8081.5
    Pagseguro Digital1,9921.1
    Rede D’or Sao Luiz1,9121.0
    IRB Brasil Resseguros1,7760.9
    MRV Engenharia1,4170.8
    114,71460.1
    Mexico
    Walmart de México y Centroamérica11,3175.9
    FEMSA – ADR9,1264.8
    Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico – ADS7,6944.0
    Grupo Financiero Banorte5,9663.1
    Fibra Uno Administracion – REIT5,2222.7
    MAG Silver Corp4,5952.4
    Grupo México4,3602.3
    America Movil – ADR3,7082.0
    51,98827.2 
    Chile
    Sociedad Química Y Minera – ADR5,5852.9
    Empresas CMPC2,8801.5
    Cia Cervecerias Unidas1,366 }1.2
    Cia Cervecerias Unidas – ADR968
    10,7995.6
    Argentina
    Globant2,9691.6
    Tenaris2,5131.3
    5,4822.9
    Colombia
    Bancolombia4,7142.5
    4,7142.5
    Panama
    Copa Holdings3,1781.7 
    3,1781.7
    Total investments190,875100.0

    All investments are in equity shares unless otherwise stated.

    The total number of investments held at 31 December 2023 was 39 (2022: 40). At 31 December 2023, the Company did not hold any equity interests comprising more than 3% of any company’s share capital (2022: none).

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla  

  • Top UK investment trusts for ISA investing

    Top UK investment trusts for ISA investing

    UK investment trusts provide an ideal choice for a UK stocks and shares ISA. The ISA allowance for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 tax years is £20,000. These investment trust ideas offer attractive returns – tax free in your ISA – in exciting growth markets in Japan, Emerging Markets, European small caps, UK, Energy and Resources and Latin America.

    JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income plc (LON:JSGI) is an income investing opportunity that gives investors access to a diverse and fast growing sector managed by local managers.

    The Diverse Income Trust plc (LON:DIVI) invests primarily in quoted or traded UK companies with a wide range of market capitalisations, but a long-term bias toward small and medium sized companies.

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust (LON:BRLA)builds a carefully selected portfolio of the region’s most compelling investment opportunities with the aim of delivering long-term income and capital growth.

    JPMorgan European Discovery Trust plc (LON:JEDT) is an investment trust company. The Investment Trust JEDT objective is to achieve capital growth from a portfolio of quoted smaller companies in Europe, excluding the United Kingdom.

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  • BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust: Optimism for the region’s prospects

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust: Optimism for the region’s prospects

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) lead manager Sam Vecht and deputy manager Christoph Brinkmann remain optimistic about the prospects for the region.

    Interest rates are coming down as Latin American central banks have been more proactive than those in developed markets in raising interest rates to combat higher inflation, which should be supportive for economic growth and asset prices.

    Latin America has remained relatively isolated from global geopolitical conflict, enabling trade with both eastern and western nations. The region has been overlooked by global investors, which has led to very attractive valuations on both absolute and relative terms.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla  

  • BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust remain optimistic about Latin America outlook

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust remain optimistic about Latin America outlook

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) has announced its portfolio update.

    All information is at 31 January 2024 and unaudited.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla  

    Performance at month end with net income reinvested

     One
    month
    %
    Three
    months
    %
    One
    year
    %
    Three
    years
    %
    Five
    years
    %
    Sterling:     
    Net asset value^-7.211.212.437.67.1
    Share price-7.615.112.433.116.6
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    -4.712.011.246.215.1
    US Dollars:     
    Net asset value^-7.316.716.227.73.7
    Share price-7.720.816.223.412.9
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    -4.817.515.035.611.4

    ^cum income

    ^^The Company’s performance benchmark (the MSCI EM Latin America Index) may be calculated on either a Gross or a Net return basis. Net return (NR) indices calculate the reinvestment of dividends net of withholding taxes using the tax rates applicable to non-resident institutional investors, and hence give a lower total return than indices where calculations are on a Gross basis (which assumes that no withholding tax is suffered). As the Company is subject to withholding tax rates for the majority of countries in which it invests, the NR basis is felt to be the most accurate, appropriate, consistent and fair comparison for the Company.

    Sources: BlackRock, Standard & Poor’s Micropal

    At month end

    Net asset value – capital only:460.09p
    Net asset value – including income:463.13p
    Share price:407.00p
    Total assets#:£143.5m
    Discount (share price to cum income NAV):12.1%
    Average discount* over the month – cum income:9.6%
    Net Gearing at month end**:5.3%
    Gearing range (as a % of net assets):0-25%
    Net yield##:5.6%
    Ordinary shares in issue(excluding 2,181,662 shares held in treasury):29,448,641
    Ongoing charges***:1.13%

    #Total assets include current year revenue.

    ##The yield of 5.6% is calculated based on total dividends declared in the last 12 months as at the date of this announcement as set out below (totalling 28.82 cents per share) and using a share price of 518.29 US cents per share (equivalent to the sterling price of 407.00 pence per share translated in to US cents at the rate prevailing at 31 January 2024 of $1.273 dollars to £1.00).

    2023 Q1 Interim dividend of 6.21 cents per share (Paid on 16 May 2023)

    2023 Q2 Interim dividend of 7.54 cents per share (Paid on 11 August 2023)

    2023 Q3 Interim dividend of 7.02 cents per share (Paid on 09 November 2023)

    2024 Q4 Interim dividend of 8.05 cents per share (Paid on 09 February 2024).

    *The discount is calculated using the cum income NAV (expressed in sterling terms).

    **Net cash/net gearing is calculated using debt at par, less cash and cash equivalents and fixed interest investments as a percentage of net assets.

    *** 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 non-recurring items for the year ended 31 December 2023.

    Geographic Exposure% of Total Assets% of Equity Portfolio *MSCI EM Latin America Index
    Brazil58.858.760.6
    Mexico27.927.930.0
    Chile4.74.75.0
    Argentina2.92.90.0
    Colombia2.62.61.2
    Panama1.61.60.0
    Multi-Country1.61.60.0
    Peru0.00.03.2
    Net current Liabilities (inc. fixed interest)-0.10.00.0
     —–—–—–
    Total100.0100.0100.0
     ===============

    ^Total assets for the purposes of these calculations exclude bank overdrafts, and the net current assets figure shown in the table above therefore excludes bank overdrafts equivalent to 5.2% of the Company’s net asset value.

    Sector% of Equity Portfolio*% of Benchmark*
    Financials21.826.0
    Consumer Staples19.116.5
    Materials16.617.4
    Industrials11.010.0
    Energy10.914.0
    Consumer Discretionary10.41.9
    Health Care3.91.5
    Real Estate2.71.2
    Communication Services2.04.1
    Information Technology1.60.5
    Utilites0.06.9
     —–—–
    Total100.0100.0
     ==========
       

    *excluding net current assets & fixed interest


    Company
    Country of Risk% of
    Equity Portfolio
    % of
    Benchmark
    Petrobrás:Brazil
       Equity2.2
       Equity ADR3.95.0
       Preference Shares ADR3.56.1
    Vale – ADSBrazil9.07.3
    Walmart de México y CentroaméricaMexico6.13.4
    Banco Bradesco:Brazil  
       Equity ADR 4.20.7
       Preference Shares 1.62.6
    FEMSA – ADRMexico4.74.2
    B3Brazil4.22.4
    AmBev:   
       EquityBrazil0.8 
       Equity ADRBrazil3.34.7
    Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico – ADSMexico3.81.0
    Itaú Unibanco – ADRBrazil3.75.1
    Grupo Financiero BanorteMexico3.34.2
     

    Commenting on the markets, Sam Vecht and Christoph Brinkmann, representing the Investment Manager noted;

    The Company’s NAV fell -7.2% in January, underperforming the benchmark, MSCI Emerging Markets Latin America Index, which declined -4.7% on a net basis over the same period. All performance figures are in sterling terms with dividends reinvested.

    Latin America struggled in January, with all markets down except Colombia (+1.9%).  Chile was the weakest market as metals prices declined and the pace of interest rate cuts was slower than expected. This was similar across other Latin American countries such as Brazil (MSCI Brazil -5.9%). The key driver of markets during the month has been the strong economic data in the US, which has pushed out expectations of the first US rate cut. This has dampened the sentiment for Emerging Markets, including Latin America, and has been a significant headwind for our positioning in rate-sensitive domestic stocks in the region.

    At the portfolio level, our off-benchmark holding in an Ecuadorian gold miner was the key contributor to performance, alongside our position in Colombian Financials. On the other hand, stock selection in the Consumer Discretionary space in Brazil was the biggest drag on performance. Security selection within the Mexican Materials sector also hurt returns.

    From a security lens, having no exposure to Brazilian car rental company, Localiza, and Brazilian electric equipment firm, WEG, were the two biggest contributors to relative returns. Both companies declined due to anticipated operational challenges in their specific segments. They were also affected by the overall downturn in the Brazilian market, driven by expectations of rate cuts being pushed out in the US. Overweight position in Soma, the Brazilian fashion retailer was another contributor to performance as the stock rose following news of a merger with Arezzo, a footwear retailer in Brazil. Elsewhere, Colombian exposure through bank, Bancolombia, also did well.

    On the flipside, Chilean lithium producer, SQM, detracted. Lithium prices continue to struggle due to oversupply, but we believe that they have reached cash cost support levels, which should lead to supply curtailments.  In addition, SQM faced disruptions in its operations due to roadblocks caused by local community protests, which have now been resolved. Brazilian real estate developer, Ez Tec, was another detractor on the back of weak operating results. An overweight position in truck leasing company, Vamos, also weighed on returns over the month.

    Over the course of January, we made few changes to the portfolio. We rotated some of our Brazilian exposure by reducing our position in digital payments company, Pagseuro, and adding to our holding in Ez tec, based on relative performance. We also added to our holding in Brazilian iron ore producer, Vale, as both the stock and iron ore prices have come off. We are also positive on the company’s ability to deliver decent results as seasonally higher volumes should help on cost dilution. Elsewhere, we initiated a position in Lundin Gold, a high-quality gold mining company with operations in Ecuador as the stock trades on an attractive free cash flow yield. In Mexico, we took profits and reduced our holding in convenience store operator, FEMSA, as our investment case has largely played out.

    Argentina continues to the be largest portfolio overweight, driven by two off-benchmark holdings (with no exposure to domestic Argentina). Multi-Country appears as our second largest overweight, due to our newly initiated holding in Lundin Gold, a Canadian based mining company with operations in Ecuador. On the other hand, we remain underweight in Peru due to its political and economic uncertainty. The second largest portfolio underweight is Mexico.

    Outlook

    We remain optimistic about the outlook for Latin America. Central banks have been proactive in increasing interest rates to help control inflation, which has fallen significantly across the region. As such we have started to see central banks beginning to lower interest rates, which should support both economic activity and asset prices. In addition, the whole region is benefitting from being relatively isolated from global geopolitical conflicts. We believe that this will lead to both an increase in foreign direct investment and an increase in allocation from investors across the region.  

    Brazil is the showcase of this thesis – with the central bank cutting the policy rate considerably. We anticipate further reductions, particularly if the Federal Reserve ceases its own rate hikes. The government’s fiscal framework being more orthodox than market expectations has helped to reduce uncertainty regarding the fiscal outlook and was key for confidence. We expect further upside to the equity market in the next 12-18 months as local capital starts flowing into the market.  

    We remain positive on the outlook for the Mexican economy as it is a key beneficiary of the friend-shoring of global supply chains. Mexico remains defensive as both fiscal and the current accounts are in order. While our view remains positive, we have taken profits after a strong relative performance, solely because we see even more upside in other Latin American markets such as Brazil. We also note that the Mexican economy will be relatively more sensitive to a potential slowdown in economic activity in the United States.

    We continue to closely monitor the political and economic situation in Argentina, after libertarian Javier Milei unexpectedly won the presidential elections in November. Milei is facing a very difficult situation, with inflation above 200% year-on-year, FX reserves depleted and multiple economic imbalances. To further gauge sentiment on the ground, we travelled to the country in January. The trip further instilled our cautious view on the economic outlook for the country, and we see no fundamental reasons as to why we would want to buy this market now.

    We acknowledge the strengths of the data in the United States, but we believe that, ultimately, the domestic economic outlook in the Latin American countries will be the key driver of local interest rates. We therefore maintain conviction in the funds positioning in rate-sensitive domestic stocks.

    1Source: BlackRock, as of 31 January 2024.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla 

  • BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust portfolio investments as at December 2023

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust portfolio investments as at December 2023

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) has announced its portfolio investments as at 31 December 2023:

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla 

  • BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust positive about outlook for Brazil

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust positive about outlook for Brazil

    BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc (LON:BRLA) has announced its portfolio update.

    All information is at 31 December 2023 and unaudited.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla 

    Performance at month end with net income reinvested

     One
    month
    %
    Three
    months
    %
    One
    year
    %
    Three
    years
    %
    Five
    years
    %
    Sterling:     
    Net asset value^7.211.329.937.929.6
    Share price12.314.327.633.938.0
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    7.512.525.242.534.4
    US Dollars:     
    Net asset value^7.916.337.728.629.8
    Share price13.119.435.324.938.3
    MSCI EM Latin America
    (Net Return)^^
    8.317.632.732.834.5

    ^cum income

    ^^The Company’s performance benchmark (the MSCI EM Latin America Index) may be calculated on either a Gross or a Net return basis. Net return (NR) indices calculate the reinvestment of dividends net of withholding taxes using the tax rates applicable to non-resident institutional investors, and hence give a lower total return than indices where calculations are on a Gross basis (which assumes that no withholding tax is suffered). As the Company is subject to withholding tax rates for the majority of countries in which it invests, the NR basis is felt to be the most accurate, appropriate, consistent and fair comparison for the Company.

    Sources: BlackRock, Standard & Poor’s Micropal

    At month end

    Net asset value – capital only:495.43p
    Net asset value – including income:505.43p
    Share price:447.00p
    Total assets#:£150.9m
    Discount (share price to cum income NAV):11.6%
    Average discount* over the month – cum income:13.4%
    Net Gearing at month end**:0.6%
    Gearing range (as a % of net assets):0-25%
    Net yield##:5.1%
    Ordinary shares in issue(excluding 2,181,662 shares held in treasury):29,448,641
    Ongoing charges***:1.13%

    #Total assets include current year revenue.

    ##The yield of 5.1% is calculated based on total dividends declared in the last 12 months as at the date of this announcement as set out below (totalling 28.82 cents per share) and using a share price of 569.84 US cents per share (equivalent to the sterling price of 447.00 pence per share translated in to US cents at the rate prevailing at 31 December 2023 of $1.275 dollars to £1.00).

    2023 Q1 Interim dividend of 6.21 cents per share (Paid on 16 May 2023)

    2023 Q2 Interim dividend of 7.54 cents per share (Paid on 11 August 2023)

    2023 Q3 Interim dividend of 7.02 cents per share (Paid on 09 November 2023)

    2024 Q4 Interim dividend of 8.05 cents per share (To be paid on 09 February 2024.

    *The discount is calculated using the cum income NAV (expressed in sterling terms).

    **Net cash/net gearing is calculated using debt at par, less cash and cash equivalents and fixed interest investments as a percentage of net assets.

    *** 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 non-recurring items for the year ended 31 December 2022.

    Geographic Exposure% of Total Assets% of Equity Portfolio *MSCI EM Latin America Index
    Brazil59.660.161.3
    Mexico27.027.229.0
    Chile5.65.65.4
    Argentina2.82.90.0
    Colombia2.52.51.2
    Panama1.71.70.0
    Peru0.00.03.1
    Net current Assets (inc. fixed interest)0.80.00.0
     —–—–—–
    Total100.0100.0100.0
     ===============

    ^Total assets for the purposes of these calculations exclude bank overdrafts, and the net current assets figure shown in the table above therefore excludes bank overdrafts equivalent to 1.4% of the Company’s net asset value.

    Sector% of Equity Portfolio*% of Benchmark*
    Financials22.825.9
    Consumer Staples18.316.1
    Materials15.818.3
    Industrials12.410.7
    Consumer Discretionary10.61.9
    Energy9.912.8
    Health Care4.01.6
    Real Estate2.71.3
    Communication Services1.94.0
    Information Technology1.60.6
    Utilites0.06.8
     —–—–
    Total100.0100.0
     ==========
       

    *excluding net current assets & fixed interest 


    Company
    Country of Risk% of
    Equity Portfolio
    % of
    Benchmark
    Vale – ADSBrazil9.68.1
    Petrobrás – ADR:Brazil  
       Equity 5.44.5
       Preference Shares 3.25.5
    Banco Bradesco – ADR:Brazil  
       Equity 4.50.8
       Preference Shares 1.72.8
    Walmart de México y CentroaméricaMexico5.93.3
    B3Brazil5.12.6
    FEMSA – ADRMexico4.83.8
    AmBev – ADRBrazil4.22.0
    Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico – ADSMexico4.01.0
    Itaú Unibanco – ADRBrazil3.85.1
    Grupo Financiero BanorteMexico3.13.9
     

    Commenting on the markets, Sam Vecht and Christoph Brinkmann, representing the Investment Manager noted;

    The Company’s NAV rose by 7.2% in December, slightly underperforming the benchmark (the MSCI Emerging Markets Latin America Index) which returned 7.5% on a net basis over the same period. All performance figures are in sterling terms with dividends reinvested.1

    December was another strong month for Latin American markets, with all countries in the green. The region was the best performing region globally, up by 8.3% over the month. Performance was led by Peru (24.5%), Mexico (9.5%), and Colombia (13.5%), while Argentina (+4.6), Brazil (+7.2%), and Chile (+5.9%) underperformed the others on a relative basis.

    At the portfolio level, our overweight in the Consumer Discretionary space in Brazil was the key contributor to performance, alongside our position in Chilean industrials. On the other hand, stock selection in the Materials sector in Mexico was the biggest drag on performance. Having no exposure to Peru also hurt, given the relative outperformance of this market over the month.

    From a security lens, Brazilian fashion retailer Soma was the biggest contributor to relative returns. As we have more visibility on the impact of the tax reform in Brazil, investors seem to increasingly come to the conclusion that the negative impact is either priced in already or will be passed on to end consumers. The retail sector was also supported by the increased likelihood for rate cuts in the US which should provide room for the central bank to ease more aggressively in 2024. Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAPB), the Mexican airport operator, continued its strong run in December and was among the top contributors to relative returns for a second consecutive month. The strong performance in both months reflects that investors overestimated the impact of the changes to airport concessions that were implemented back in October. Chilean lithium producer SQM was another strong performer. The stock performed well in anticipation of the announcement of the partnership with Codelco, which has extended its lease in the Atacama until 2060.

    As for detractors, Mexican silver miner Mag Silver, was the worst performer over the month. The performance was largely driven by the decline in silver prices. IRB, the Brazilian reinsurance company, was another detractor, largely reversing strong performance of the previous month. Not owning Peruvian mining company Buenaventura also hurt portfolio performance as the stock enjoyed a ~60% increase after Antofagasta PLC announced that it had acquired a 19% stake in the mining company.

    Over the course of December, we made few changes to the portfolio. We took profits and exited Colombian oil & gas company Ecopetrol as our investment thesis has played out and as we are getting incrementally more negative on the outlook for oil prices. We rotated some of our Mexican exposure by reducing our position in Banorte and adding to our holding in Walmart Mexico, reflecting analyst conviction. We also trimmed Globant after strong performance.

    Argentina continues to the be largest portfolio overweight, driven by two off-benchmark holdings. Our second largest overweight position is in Panama, driven by an off-benchmark holding in the Industrials sector. On the other hand, we remain underweight in Peru due to its political and economic uncertainty. We remain optimistic about the outlook for Brazil and have been selective in our positioning, with a preference for domestic businesses that will benefit more from further rate cuts.

    Outlook

    We remain optimistic about the outlook for Latin America. Central banks have been proactive in increasing interest rates to help control inflation, which has fallen significantly across the region. As such we have started to see central banks beginning to lower interest rates, which should support both economic activity and asset prices. In addition, the whole region is benefitting from being relatively isolated from global geopolitical conflicts.

    We are especially positive about the outlook for Brazil. We believe that the combination of a benign outlook for inflation and a relatively prudent fiscal policy by the government will enable the central bank to decrease interest rates faster than market participants currently expect. We expect further upside to the equity market in the next 12-18 months as local capital starts flowing back into the market.

    We remain positive on the outlook for the Mexican economy as it is a key beneficiary of the friend-shoring of global supply chains. Mexico remains defensive as both fiscal and the current accounts are in order. While our view remains positive, we have taken profits after a strong relative performance, solely because we see even more upside in other Latin American markets such as Brazil. We also note that the Mexican economy will be relatively more sensitive to a potential slowdown in economic activity in the United States.

    We continue to closely monitor the political and economic situation in Argentina, after libertarian Javier Milei unexpectedly won the presidential elections in November. Milei is facing a very difficult situation, with inflation at 210% year on year, foreign currency reserves depleted and multiple economic imbalances. The country needs to go through a painful adjustment process and we worry about the hardship that this inflicts on society. We are hopeful that the country comes out stronger after the adjustment process, but we have limited exposure to the Argentinian economy for now.

    1Source: BlackRock, as of 31 December 2023.

    To learn more about the BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc please follow this link: blackrock.com/uk/brla