ALLIANZ TECHNOLOGY TRUST
PLC
LEI: 549300OMDPMJU23SSH75
ALLIANZ TECHNOLOGY TRUST
PLC
HALF-YEARLY FINANCIAL
REPORT
For the six months ended 30
June 2024
HIGHLIGHTS
· Net
Asset Value total return of 28.0% and a share price return of
30.6%, outperforming the Company's benchmark index which returned
27.0% over the same period.
· Performance driven by stock selection, exposure to
semiconductor value chain and market capitalisation differentiation
from benchmark.
|
30 June
2024
|
31 December
2023
|
%
Change
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Asset Value per Ordinary
share
|
432.8p
|
338.2p
|
+28.0
|
Ordinary share price
|
396.5p
|
303.5p
|
+30.6
|
|
|
|
|
Dow Jones World Technology Index
(sterling adjusted, total return)
|
3,448.0
|
2,715.0
|
+27.0
|
Shareholders' funds
|
£1,662.0m
|
£1,318.8m
|
+26.0
|
Discount of Ordinary share price to
Net Asset Value
|
8.4%
|
10.3%
|
|
Interim Management Report
Chairman's Statement
Disparate market drivers
The market environment and the
drivers of sentiment remained mixed over the period, though
definitely biased more to the positive, pushing markets upwards.
Global markets gained consistently with the exception of a small
step back in the first half of April. Notably, we have seen
consumer price inflation trending towards central bank target
ranges, giving rise to the prospect of easier monetary conditions
later in the year.
It is also the year of elections
around the globe and therefore (more than usual) politics is at the
forefront of national agendas. Some elections are more high profile
than others, but billions of people (almost half the world's
population) will go to the polls across the globe in 2024. In the
UK where ATT is domiciled, early indications suggest the agenda of
the new Labour Government, voted in shortly after the period end,
is focused on economic growth. We will watch this develop with
interest. In the US, where ATT's investment managers are based, and
where the largest proportion of the portfolio is domiciled, the
situation is still unfolding. We have already seen the conviction
of former President Trump as well as an assassination attempt on
his life. Though Trump is generally regarded as being more
pro-business, somewhat akin to the UK the expectation is that the
perceived impact of any result would be priced in ahead of time
making the actual event fairly neutral for markets.
Beyond 'day-to-day' politics,
geopolitics has also continued to provide an unsettling backdrop
for markets. Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing conflict
are nearly two and a half years old. Tensions, terrorism and
large-scale military action in the Middle East are newer, but still
protracted rather than swift, limited actions, and no less
unsettling than Ukraine. While these ongoing conflicts may
sometimes fade in the news, beyond the sadness of the physical toll
on humanity and infrastructure, their impact on the world economy
remains tangible.
Solid technology market performance
The technology sector was buoyed by
continued excitement surrounding the potential impact of Artificial
Intelligence (AI) with the so called 'Magnificent Seven' remaining
the centre of market attention. The chipmaker Nvidia, a holding
within the portfolio, proved to be the standout amongst these
largest stocks. Seemingly unassailable from the perspective of its
position as the bedrock semiconductor provider for AI, it briefly
became the world's most valuable company in June, being the latest
of the technology giants to top a $3tn market valuation - for
context, there are only a handful of nations whose entire Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) is greater than that amount.
As detailed in the Portfolio
Manager's Report, performance of technology stocks was mixed across
sectors and geographies with the aforementioned largest stocks
dominant and a narrow segment of companies considered the key
beneficiaries of the AI theme pushing strongly ahead.
Semiconductors were the main beneficiary, up by almost 60% over the
period. Interactive media and services were also up by 30%.
Software returned a more muted 14% and technology hardware 11%. IT
services was down 5% in the period due to ongoing macroeconomic
uncertainty.
Portfolio performance
It is pleasing to report a Net Asset
Value total return of 28.0% for the six months, a strong absolute
performance and an outperformance of one percentage point compared
to our benchmark, the Dow Jones World Technology Index. The share
price return was 30.6%, slightly ahead of the NAV return, as during
the period the discount narrowed marginally from 10.3% as at 31
December 2023 to 8.4% as at 30 June 2024. A commentary on the main
determinants of performance is provided in the Portfolio Manager's
Report which follows my comments.
The
AI debate
AI continues to dominate not only
the technology industry narrative, but also headlines in general.
There is no doubt that it truly is a new frontier - one that brings
not only promise, but also the uncertainty of uncharted, 'never
seen before' technologies. The 'promise' element has captivated
many and led to something of a feeding frenzy - investors keen to
get in on the ground floor of a theme that is seen as having
world-changing potential and possibly almost unimaginable growth
potential. That frenzy translates into the risk of elevated
valuations for companies involved in the space - both directly as
creators and implementers of the technology, but also the enablers
- the companies providing the building blocks such as the necessary
semiconductor chips. The question then becomes, have things gone
too far? Proponents will be unable to accept an ill word against
the burgeoning technology. Naysayers will call 'bubble' and hark
back to the 'dot-com' era. The truth of course lies somewhere in
between the two extremes and underscores the need for the type of
careful assessment of a company's fundamental characteristics which
is at the heart of our Portfolio Manager's investment
process.
The
UK and technology
We were asked about opportunities
for investment in UK technology companies at our AGM in April. The
UK market in general has been unloved for some time - many bemoan
this as being due to a lack of technology firms listed on the
exchange and a predominance of 'older industries', particularly
when compared to the US. There is some truth in that, but it does
not mean the UK is devoid of technology expertise and drive, in
fact quite the opposite is true. A substantial proportion of the UK
technology sector is at an early stage of development and hence not
traded publicly. It is also the case that companies which have
listed on the UK stock exchange are often snapped up by larger,
overseas acquirers. For example, Darktrace - a British cyber
security company headquartered in Cambridge, which we added to the
portfolio in March of this year - was subsequently the subject of a
bid from a US private equity firm. Whilst such a takeover can be
considered a pleasing validation of UK expertise (Darktrace's
technology was referred to as 'cutting edge' by the bidder), of
course it is also disappointing to 'lose' such stocks from the
domestic market.
Discount/Buybacks
Over the period our discount to NAV
remained elevated, particularly in the context of a longer-term
picture where we have traded closer to par and often at a small
premium when demand for technology stocks was high.
The Board monitored the discount
very closely during the period under review, concluding that the
discount largely reflected macroeconomic and interest rate
uncertainty. It is pleasing to be able to note however that the
discount started to narrow slightly towards the end of the period
(reaching 8.4% on the last day). Since the period end the discount
has been largely stable, although in early August it widened during
a sudden period of global market volatility.
Our policy in respect of buying back
shares remains unchanged. Currently we would consider buying back
shares during periods where the discount is consistently over 7%
and it is felt appropriate to do so given the prevailing market
backdrop. Over the period 5,934,691 shares were bought back at an
average discount of 11.5%. Since the period end on 30 June 2024, no
further shares have been bought back. All shares repurchased are
held in treasury rather than cancelled so that they may be reissued
if sufficient demand arises.
Consumer Duty
The Board has worked with Allianz
Global Investors, UK Limited ('AllianzGI UK'), our AIFM, to ensure
all obligations under the FCA's new Consumer Duty regulations have
been appropriately considered and applied to the Company. All
communications including the website, factsheets and other
published documentation, have been reviewed to ensure they are
appropriate for consumers. A 'value assessment' has also been
undertaken and it was concluded that the Company provides fair
value. The value assessment is made available to distributors such
as investment platforms and wealth managers to inform their own due
diligence.
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
It was a pleasure to meet many
shareholders at the Company's AGM on 24 April 2024. The Board once
again put in place arrangements for shareholders to attend the AGM
electronically, as well as being able to ask questions. All
resolutions were passed. A recording of the AGM, including a
presentation from the lead portfolio manager, Mike Seidenberg, can
be found on the Company's website.
We would like to also remind
shareholders that the key elements of this year's Annual Financial
Report were made available in an updated online format (the 'Annual
Financial Report - full') at tinyurl.com/attafr23.
Outlook
The shorter-term outlook for the
technology sector is, as always, difficult to predict with any
great precision and we can safely assume that monetary policy,
geopolitics and election outcomes will be significant determinants
of market direction over the next six to twelve months. While it is
the case that inflation is finally within or approaching central
bank targets, and hence that there are reasonable grounds for
anticipating that monetary conditions will ease over the next
twelve months, there is the potential for disappointment over the
timing and magnitude of interest rate reductions. The valuation of
'growth' sectors such as technology is particularly sensitive to
changes in interest rate expectations which in turn gives rise to a
risk of heightened near term volatility. Nevertheless, we remain
excited by the technology sector's long-term potential and
confident that secular themes such as the development of AI, cyber
security and the continued move from legacy IT infrastructure to
the cloud will ultimately reward patient investors with a focus on
the mid- and large-cap segments of the technology
sector.
Principal risks and uncertainties for the remainder of the
financial year
The principal risks and
uncertainties facing the Company are broadly unchanged from those
described in the Annual Financial Report for the year ended 31
December 2023. These are set out in the Strategic Report on pages
15 to 16 of that report, together with commentary on the Board's
approach to mitigating the risks and uncertainties. Given the
global macroeconomic and geopolitical backdrop, market risk remains
front of mind and the Board, AIFM and Investment Manager continue
to monitor the situation carefully.
The Board performs a review of the
principal risks at every meeting to ensure that the risk assessment
is current and relevant, adjusting mitigating factors and
procedures as appropriate.
Keeping in touch
Shareholders are reminded that the
Company's website www.allianztechnologytrust.com is the 'go-to'
destination for the very latest news, views and broadcast content
relating to the Company. We continue to offer an ongoing email
communications programme distributing monthly factsheets, insights
and other occasional Company updates to all those who opt in to
receive them. If you would enjoy receiving these targeted
communications, you can sign up easily via the Company's
website.
Going concern
The Directors believe that it is
appropriate to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the
financial statements as the assets of the Company consist mainly of
securities that are readily realisable, and the Company's assets
are significantly greater than its liabilities. The Directors have
considered the Company's investment objective and capital
structure. The Directors have also considered the risks and
consequences of the geopolitical and macro-economic events on the
operational aspects of the Company. The Directors believe that the
Company has adequate financial resources to continue in operational
existence for twelve months after approval of these financial
statements.
The Company is subject to a
continuation vote of the Shareholders every five years. The last
continuation vote was put to Shareholders at the AGM in
2021.
Related party transactions
Note 15 of the Company's 2023 Annual
Financial Report gives details of related party transactions and
transactions with the AIFM and Investment Manager. The basis for
these has not changed during the six months under review. This
report is available on the Company's website at
www.allianztechnologytrust.com
Responsibility statement
The Directors confirm to the best of
their knowledge that:
- the
condensed set of financial statements contained within the
half-yearly financial report has been prepared in accordance with
FRS 102 and FRS 104, as set out in Note 1, and the Accounting
Standards Board's Statement: 'Half-Yearly Financial
Reports';
- the
interim management report includes a fair review of the information
required by Disclosure and Transparency Rule 4.2.7 R, of important
events that have occurred during the first six months of the
financial year, their impact on the condensed set of financial
statements, and a description of the principal risks and
uncertainties for the remaining six months of the financial year;
and
- the
interim management report includes a fair review of the information
concerning related party transactions as required by Disclosure and
Transparency Rule 4.2.8 R. The half-yearly financial report was
approved by the Board on 7 August 2024 and signed on its behalf by
the Chairman.
Tim Scholefield
Chairman
7 August 2024
Portfolio Managers' Report
How
did markets fare overall during the first half of the
year?
Global stocks rallied strongly over
the first half of 2024, with equity indices in many markets
reaching fresh highs. Sentiment was buoyed by solid corporate
earnings, the continued resilience of the US economy and a pick-up
in economic momentum in Europe and China. The rally was mostly
driven by outsized returns for information technology and
communication services companies.
While headline inflation rates
eased, the slowdown took longer than forecast, with US inflation,
in particular, proving stickier than expected. Hopes that the US
Federal Reserve (Fed) may cut rates up to six times in 2024 were
significantly dialled back as the US economy shrugged off higher
rates and continued to power ahead. Elsewhere however, an
increasing number of central banks started to ease monetary policy.
In June, Canada became the first G7 nation to cut rates, swiftly
followed by the European Central Bank. In contrast, the Bank of
Japan finally exited its below-zero interest rate policy in March,
raising rates to a range of 0-0.1%.
Were there any notable differences in the performance of the
different technology sectors or market capitalisation bands during
the period?
There was a wider-than-typical
performance differential between key technology areas. From an
industry standpoint, semiconductors, which command roughly 30% of
the Dow Jones World Technology Index, were up more than 58% for the
period thanks to increased demand, improved supply chains and
strong investor sentiment related to artificial intelligence (AI)
and other chip applications. In addition, the industry is in better
shape cycle-over-cycle with less excess capacity leading to better
pricing. Interactive media & services were also strong
contributors, advancing more than 30% amid robust gains in social
media, e-commerce and search providers. Software stocks, the second
largest industry weight in the benchmark, were bookended by a solid
start and end to the period. The middle portion though succumbed to
headwinds with the sector posting an overall return of 14%.
Technology hardware stocks notched a more modest 11%. Meanwhile, IT
services were down 5% for the period as macroeconomic uncertainty
translated to a clouded near-term outlook.
In terms of market capitalisation
results, there was a continued outperformance of select mega-cap
companies, led by strong momentum in NVIDIA, which was up more than 150%,
with Meta up 44%. In
aggregate, mega-cap stocks led index results, with companies
greater than £200bn advancing more than 36% on average, a further
testament to the continued narrowness of the market. Meanwhile,
large cap stocks (between £30bn and £200bn) notched a more modest
14% gain, followed by mid cap stocks (£5bn to £30bn) which were up
a mere 4%, whereas small cap stocks (less than £5bn) were flat for
the period.
How
has the Company performed during the period under
review?
The Company was a beneficiary of a
number of tailwinds from exposure in key technology segments,
including AI, cyber security, Internet of Things (IoT) and digital
commerce, among others, and outpaced the benchmark due to
stockpicking. For the year-to-date period through to 30 June 2024,
the Company's net assets rose by 28.0% compared to its benchmark,
the Dow Jones World Technology Index (sterling adjusted, total
return) which rose by 27.0%. Relative results were driven by
bottom-up stock selection and allocation impacts, including an
above-benchmark exposure to semiconductors and active underweight
to technology hardware, which was offset by short-term selections
in IT services, where select cyber and infrastructure names are
classified. From a market capitalisation exposure perspective, our
bottom-up selections in mega-caps overcame headwinds from a
relative underweight to the segment, with bottom-up results in
large caps also aiding performance. Meanwhile, our emphasis on
mid-caps detracted from relative results due to the first half
narrowness of the market.
What were the biggest positive contributors to our performance
compared to the benchmark?
Shares of Micron Technology, a leading provider
of memory and related chips, rallied thanks to upside revenue and
earnings results combined with a strong sales forecast which was
buoyed by demand for AI hardware. The stock remains
attractive thanks to its leadership position in memory and storage
solutions combined with secular tailwinds, especially for cutting
edge products, particularly high-bandwidth-memory chips used in
next-generation technologies. Our active underweight allocation to
iPhone and personal computer maker Apple contributed to relative results
as the company underperformed its broad technology peers,
particularly in the initial four months of the reporting period,
amid the lack of near-term catalysts alongside greater competition
and slowing growth in China. Our active underweight to legacy chip
maker Intel, which was
fully exited at the beginning of February, contributed to relative
performance as shares were impacted by softer-than-expected
earnings results combined with a lacklustre forecast. The company
has lagged behind several chip rivals in terms of revenue and
cutting-edge expertise. In our view, once a company is behind in
the semiconductor industry, it is difficult to catch up.
What about the largest detractors to
performance?
Our largest detractor was
MongoDB, a document
database provider which allows users to store structured or
unstructured data to make development of applications more agile,
which was lower following a weaker-than-expected outlook combined
with overall headwinds in software names. Our exposure to
cloud-based commerce platform Shopify offset results following a
weaker-than-expected earnings outlook, which prompted our decision
to exit the name in an effort to focus on stocks with better
near-term catalysts. Shares of Zscaler, a security-as-a-service
offering via a cloud-based security platform, also offset results
as the cyber security leader posted upside earnings results, yet
was impacted by lofty expectations as the market was anticipating
higher billings guidance to sustain recent performance. We view
this as simply a case of where expectations were ahead of the stock
and continue to hold shares given the company's strong leadership
position.
Where have you been finding new
opportunities?
We made a handful of new buys during
the period, with our largest being ASML Holding NV, a Dutch provider of
hardware, software and services to the semiconductor industry,
which was purchased in mid-February. The company has been a
beneficiary of strong order volume, driven by its leadership
position and demand for its high-end lithography machines,
translating to robust sales growth. We made the decision to add
Amphenol Corporation, a designer, manufacturer
and marketer of electrical, electronic and fibre optic connectors
and interconnect systems, at the end of April given the potential
for favourable demand from AI and traditional sectors such as
automotive and aerospace. We also purchased Dell Technologies in late March as the
company is a direct beneficiary of AI and digital transformation
growth, which is translating into higher data centre, server,
storage and equipment demand.
How
have you funded these new investments?
Our sell decisions included exiting
digital marketing and creative software developer Adobe at the end of February, amid
concerns of rising generative artificial intelligence-related
competition. We fully exited consumer and communications equipment
giant Samsung Electronics
in mid-February given our preference for companies with better
business models and superior near-term catalysts. The
aforementioned Shopify Inc. was cut in mid-May following
disappointing earnings and guidance results, coupled with
expectations that a new cycle of increased spending would likely
translate to weaker margins and take time to
materialise.
What is your outlook for the remainder of the
year?
Technology earnings results have
been constructive for most companies, but we have seen several
cross currents arise as of late as investors have concern about the
timing of benefits from some of the emerging technologies. In
addition, macro-economic concerns regarding the consumer,
employment, and geopolitical tensions have increased. There has
been a wider-than-typical performance differential between key
technology industries in recent months as AI-related euphoria
translated into divergent outcomes. Areas like semiconductors and
hardware deemed as more direct plays on the AI trade were among the
recent outperformers, but there have been growing questions whether
enthusiasm may have eclipsed near-term fundamentals.
Meanwhile, software and IT services lagged due to their muted
guidance and interest rate sensitivity, as expectations for Fed
rate cuts in 2024 have been lowered notably throughout the year. It
is important to note that the recent reporting quarter is
seasonally slow for software and IT services due to technology
spending cycles which favour the back half of the year. We saw a
similar pattern of a slow relative start compared to broader
technology peers in early 2023, which reversed course in the second
half of the year.
We anticipate a potential broadening
of performance across industries and market caps, consistent with a
more normalised environment. Global economic conditions remain
healthy, as labour markets, corporate earnings, and consumer
spending have been resilient. Valuations continue to be elevated
but not excessive and we believe there is the potential for upward
revenue and earnings revisions should we see a better spending
environment in the second half of the year. Uncertainty in terms of
geopolitical tensions, the US Presidential elections and the timing
and the level of Fed and other central bank interest rate cuts may
translate to periods of rising volatility in the coming
months.
Since the end of this reporting
period, CrowdStrike, a leading security vendor, had a widespread
operational issue with respect to an update of their product. This
was not a security breach, which would have been a major concern
for us. In response to the breach, which we feel will impact
business near term, we have reduced the position to reflect this
risk. Longer term we believe CrowdStrike should be able to work
through this issue and continue to see cybersecurity as an
attractive investment theme.
Technology remains a key enabler
across almost every industry and we will continue to seek stocks
which solve difficult problems and can be long-term
outperformers. Despite short-term periods of higher
volatility among technology stocks, earnings growth ultimately
drives stock prices over the long term, and in our view, we are
still early in the spending trend supporting this dynamic segment.
We are excited about the investment opportunities presented, and
believe our research-driven, bottom-up process is the most
effective means of capturing the value generated by this
theme.
We continue to believe the
technology sector can provide some of the best absolute and
relative return opportunities in the equity markets - particularly
for bottom-up stock pickers with proven long-term selection
capabilities.
Mike Seidenberg
Lead Portfolio Manager
7 August 2024
Analysis of Portfolio
Contributors and detractors
Top
five contributors relative to the benchmark
|
|
Active Contributions GBP
(%)
|
Apple
|
Underweight
|
1.65
|
Intel Corporation
|
Underweight
|
0.60
|
Micron Technology
|
Overweight
|
0.58
|
Microsoft
|
Underweight
|
0.48
|
Cisco Systems
|
Underweight
|
0.35
|
|
|
3.66
|
|
|
|
Top
five detractors relative to the benchmark
|
|
|
MongoDB
|
Overweight
|
-1.43
|
Zscaler
|
Overweight
|
-0.80
|
Snowflake
|
Overweight
|
-0.75
|
Shopify
|
Overweight
|
-0.66
|
MercadoLibre
|
Overweight
|
-0.38
|
|
|
-4.02
|
Source: Allianz Global Investors, top
contributors to and detractors from the Company's Net Asset Value
total return for the six months to 30 June 2024 relative to the Dow
Jones World Technology Index. Figures may not add due to
rounding.
SUMMARY OF UNAUDITED
RESULTS
INCOME STATEMENT
|
For the six months
ended
30 June
2024
|
For the six months
ended
30 June
2023
|
|
Revenue £'000s
|
Capital
£'000s
|
Total
Return
£'000s
(Note
1)
|
Revenue
£'000s
|
Capital
£'000s
|
Total
Return
£'000s
(Note
1)
|
Gains on investments held at fair
value through profit or loss
|
-
|
364,988
|
364,988
|
-
|
275,144
|
275,144
|
Exchange gains (losses) on currency
balances
|
(3)
|
631
|
628
|
(33)
|
(1,326)
|
(1,359)
|
Income
|
3,179
|
-
|
3,179
|
2,470
|
-
|
2,470
|
Investment management and
performance fee (Note 2)
|
(4,302)
|
-
|
(4,302)
|
(3,258)
|
-
|
(3,258)
|
Administration expenses
|
(634)
|
-
|
(634)
|
(491)
|
-
|
(491)
|
Profit (loss) before finance costs and
taxation
|
(1,760)
|
365,619
|
363,859
|
(1,312)
|
273,818
|
272,506
|
Finance costs: Interest payable and
similar charges
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Profit (loss) on ordinary activities before
taxation
|
(1,760)
|
365,619
|
363,859
|
(1,312)
|
273,818
|
272,506
|
Taxation
|
(443)
|
-
|
(443)
|
(429)
|
-
|
(429)
|
Profit (loss) attributable to Ordinary
shareholders
|
(2,203)
|
365,619
|
363,416
|
(1,741)
|
273,818
|
272,077
|
Earnings (loss) per Ordinary share (Note 3)
|
(0.57p)
|
94.58p
|
94.01p
|
(0.43p)
|
68.39p
|
67.96p
|
BALANCE SHEET
|
As at
30 June
2024
|
As at
30 June
2023
|
As at
31 December
2023
|
|
£'000s
|
£'000s
|
£'000s
|
Investments held at fair value
through profit or loss (Note 4)
|
1,634,808
|
1,173,373
|
1,286,786
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
29,519
|
16,529
|
34,292
|
Net current liabilities
|
(2,329)
|
(1,900)
|
(2,303)
|
Total Net Assets
|
1,661,998
|
1,188,002
|
1,318,775
|
Called up share capital
|
10,719
|
10,719
|
10,719
|
Share premium account
|
334,191
|
334,191
|
334,191
|
Capital redemption
reserve
|
1,021
|
1,021
|
1,021
|
Capital reserve
|
1,355,704
|
877,766
|
1,010,278
|
Revenue reserve
|
(39,637)
|
(35,695)
|
(37,434)
|
Shareholders' funds
|
1,661,998
|
1,188,002
|
1,318,775
|
Net
asset value per Ordinary share
|
432.8p
|
299.7p
|
338.2p
|
|
|
|
|
The net asset value is based on
Ordinary shares in issue of
|
384,022,319
|
396,435,569
|
389,957,010
|
Treasury shares in issue
|
44,734,361
|
32,321,111
|
38,799,670
|
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
|
Called up
Share
Capital
£'000s
|
Share Premium
Account
£'000s
|
Capital Redemption
Reserve
£'000s
|
Capital
Reserve
£'000s
|
Revenue
Reserve
£'000s
|
Total
£'000s
|
Six
months ended 30 June 2024
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets at 1 January
2024
|
10,719
|
334,191
|
1,021
|
1,010,278
|
(37,434)
|
1,318,775
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue loss
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(2,203)
|
(2,203)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares repurchased into treasury
during the period (Note 5)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(20,193)
|
-
|
(20,193)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital profit
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
365,619
|
-
|
365,619
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
assets at 30 June 2024
|
10,719
|
334,191
|
1,021
|
1,355,704
|
(39,637)
|
1,661,998
|
Six
months ended 30 June 2023
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets at 1 January
2023
|
10,719
|
334,191
|
1,021
|
626,971
|
(33,954)
|
938,948
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue loss
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(1,741)
|
(1,741)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares repurchased into treasury
during the period (Note 5)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(23,023)
|
-
|
(23,023)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital profit
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
273,818
|
-
|
273,818
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
assets at 30 June 2023
|
10,719
|
334,191
|
1,021
|
877,766
|
(35,695)
|
1,188,002
|
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 - Summary statement of accounting policies and basis of
preparation
The financial statements have been
prepared in accordance with FRS 102 'The Financial Reporting
Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' which forms
part of the United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice
(UK GAAP) issued by the Financial Reporting Council in January
2022.
The condensed set of financial
statements has been prepared on a going concern basis in accordance
with FRS 102 and FRS 104, 'Interim Financial Reporting', the
Companies Act 2006 and with the Statement of Recommended Practice
'Financial Statements of Investment Trust Companies and Venture
Capital Trusts' (the 'SORP') issued by the Association of
Investment Companies in July 2022.
The accounting policies applied in
preparation of the condensed set of financial statements with
regard to measurement and classification have not changed from
those set out in the Company's annual financial report for the year
ended 31 December 2023.
The Total Return column of the
Income Statement is the profit and loss account of the Company. All
revenue and capital items derive from continuing operations. No
operations were acquired or discontinued in the period. A Statement
of Total Recognised Gains and Losses is not required as all gains
and losses of the Company have been reflected in the Income
Statement.
Note 2 - Management
Allianz Global Investors UK Ltd is
appointed as AIFM, providing company secretarial, administrative
and sales and marketing services, whilst performance management
services are provided by Voya Investment Management Co LLC. The
management agreement provides for a base fee of 0.8% per annum
payable quarterly in arrears and calculated on the average value of
the market capitalisation of the Company at the last business day
of each month in the relevant quarter. The base fee reduces to 0.6%
for any market capitalisation between £400m and £1 billion, and to
0.5% for any market capitalisation over £1 billion. Additionally
there is a fixed fee of £55,000 per annum to cover AllianzGI UK's
administration costs.
In each year, in accordance with the
management contract, the Investment Manager is entitled to a
performance fee subject to various performance conditions. For
years beginning on or after 1 January 2022, the performance fee
entitlement is equal to 10.0% (1 December 2013 to 31 December 2021:
12.5%) of the outperformance of the adjusted NAV per share total
return as compared to the benchmark index, the Dow Jones World
Technology Index (sterling adjusted, total return). Any
underperformance brought forward from previous years is taken into
account in the calculation of the performance fee.
A performance fee is only payable
where the NAV per share at the end of the relevant Performance
Period is greater than the NAV per share at the end of the
financial year in which a performance fee was last paid. At 31
December 2023 this 'high water mark' (HWM) was 297.2p per share. In
the event the HWM is not reached in any year, any outperformance
shall instead be carried forward to future periods to be applied as
detailed below. Any performance fee payable is capped at 1.75% of
the average daily NAV of the Company over the period. For this
purpose, the NAV is calculated after deduction of the associated
performance fee payable.
Any outperformance in excess of the
cap (or where the HWM has not been met) shall be carried forward to
future years to be available for offset against future
underperformance but not to generate a performance fee. To the
extent the Company has underperformed the benchmark, such
underperformance is carried forward and must be offset by future
outperformance before a performance fee can be paid.
Underperformance / outperformance amounts carried forward do so
indefinitely until offset.
The performance fee accrued as at 30
June 2024 was £nil (30 June 2023: £nil; 31 December 2023:
£nil).
The Investment Manager's fee is
charged 100% to revenue and the performance fee is charged 100% to
capital.
Note 3 - Earnings per Ordinary share
The earnings per Ordinary share is
based on the net profit for the half year of £363,416,000 (30 June
2023: £272,077,000, 31 December 2023: £420,200,000) and on the
weighted average number of Ordinary shares in issue during the
period of 386,588,184 (30 June 2023: 400,385,538, 31 December 2023:
397,030,186).
Note 4 - Valuation of investments
Investments are designated as held
at fair value through profit or loss in accordance with FRS 102
sections 11 and 12. Investments are initially recognised at cost,
which is considered to be their fair value at that point. After
initial recognition, these continue to be measured at fair value,
which for quoted investments is either the bid price or the last
traded price depending on the convention of the exchange on which
the investment is listed.
FRS 102 sets out three fair value
hierarchy levels for disclosure.
Level 1: The unadjusted quoted
price in an active market for identical assets or liabilities that
the entity can access at the measurement date.
Level 2: Inputs other than
quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable (i.e.
developed using market data) for the asset or liability, either
directly or indirectly.
Level 3: Inputs are
unobservable (i.e. for which market data is unavailable) for the
asset or liability.
As at 30 June 2024, the financial
assets at fair value through profit or loss of £1,634,808,000 (31
December 2023: £1,286,786,000) are categorised as
follows:
|
As at
30 June
2024
|
|
As at
31 December 2023
|
|
£'000s
|
|
£'000s
|
Level 1
|
1,634,808
|
|
1,286,786
|
Level 2
|
-
|
|
-
|
Level 3
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
1,634,808
|
|
1,286,786
|
Note 5 - Called up Share Capital
At 30 June 2024 there were
384,022,319 Ordinary shares in issue (30 June 2023: 396,435,569; 31
December 2023: 389,957,010). During the half-year ended 30 June
2024 the Company repurchased 5,934,691 Ordinary shares into
treasury (half-year ended 30 June 2023: 10,052,149; and year ended
31 December 2023: 16,530,708). During the same period no Ordinary
shares were issued from the block listing facility or reissued from
treasury (half-year ended 30 June 2023: nil; year ended 31 December
2023: nil).
Since 30 June 2024, no shares were
repurchased into treasury.
Note 6 - Investments
Purchases for the half-year ended 30
June 2024 were £285,942,000 (30 June 2023: £577,258,000) and sales
were £302,908,000 (30 June 2023: £577,965,000).
Note 7 - Transaction costs
Brokers commission costs on equity
purchases for the half-year ended 30 June 2024 amounted to £97,000
(30 June 2023: £151,000) and on sales were £135,000 (30 June 2023:
£192,000).
Note 8 - Comparative information
The Half-Yearly Financial Report to
30 June 2024 and the comparative information to 30 June 2023 have
neither been audited nor reviewed by the Company's auditors and do
not constitute statutory accounts as defined in section 434 of the
Companies Act 2006 for the respective periods. The financial
information for the year ended 31 December 2023 has been extracted
from the statutory accounts for that year which have been delivered
to the Registrar of Companies. The auditor's report on those
financial statements was unqualified and did not contain a
statement under Section 498 (2) or (3) of the Companies Act
2006.
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
As at 30 June 2024
Investment
|
Sector1
|
Sub sector1
|
Country
|
Valuation
£'000s
|
% of
Portfolio
|
NVIDIA
|
Semiconductors & Semiconductor
Equipment
|
Semiconductors
|
United States
|
197,523
|
12.1
|
Microsoft
|
Software
|
Systems Software
|
United States
|
131,418
|
8.0
|
Meta Platforms
|
Interactive Media &
Services
|
Interactive Media &
Services
|
United States
|
103,381
|
6.3
|
Apple
|
Technology, Hardware Storage &
Peripherals
|
Technology, Hardware Storage &
Peripherals
|
United States
|
101,830
|
6.2
|
Broadcom
|
Semiconductors & Semiconductor
Equipment
|
Semiconductors
|
United States
|
77,717
|
4.8
|
Amazon.com
|
Broadline Retail
|
Broadline Retail
|
United States
|
67,975
|
4.2
|
Alphabet
|
Interactive Media &
Services
|
Interactive Media &
Services
|
United States
|
64,965
|
4.0
|
Lam Research
|
Semiconductors & Semiconductor
Equipment
|
Semiconductor Equipment
|
United States
|
55,786
|
3.4
|
Micron Technology
|
Semiconductors & Semiconductor
Equipment
|
Semiconductors
|
United States
|
54,011
|
3.3
|
ASML Holding2
|
Semiconductors & Semiconductor
Equipment
|
Semiconductor Materials &
Equipment
|
Netherlands
|
46,997
|
2.9
|
Top
ten investments
|
|
|
901,603
|
55.2
|
Monolithic Power Systems
|
Semiconductors & Semiconductor
Equipment
|
Semiconductors
|
United States
|
43,252
|
2.6
|
Taiwan Semiconductor
|
Semiconductors & Semiconductor
Equipment
|
Semiconductors
|
Taiwan
|
42,649
|
2.6
|
Western Digital
|
Technology, Hardware Storage &
Peripherals
|
Technology, Hardware Storage &
Peripherals
|
United States
|
38,192
|
2.3
|
Advanced Micro Devices
|
Semiconductors & Semiconductor
Equipment
|
Semiconductors
|
United States
|
33,956
|
2.1
|
ServiceNow
|
Software
|
Systems Software
|
United States
|
33,363
|
2.0
|
Palo Alto Networks
|
Software
|
Systems Software
|
United States
|
33,161
|
2.0
|
Applied Materials
|
Semiconductors & Semiconductor
Equipment
|
Semiconductor Equipment
|
United States
|
33,115
|
2.0
|
CyberArk Software
|
Software
|
Systems Software
|
Israel
|
32,364
|
2.0
|
Datadog
|
Software
|
Application Software
|
United States
|
31,153
|
1.9
|
Arista Networks
|
Communications Equipment
|
Communications Equipment
|
United States
|
29,364
|
1.8
|
Top
Twenty Investments
|
|
|
1,252,172
|
76.5
|
CrowdStrike
|
Software
|
Systems Software
|
United States
|
28,435
|
1.7
|
Cadence Design
|
Software
|
Application Software
|
United States
|
27,673
|
1.7
|
KLA
|
Semiconductors & Semiconductor
Equipment
|
Semiconductor Equipment
|
United States
|
27,452
|
1.7
|
Zscaler
|
Software
|
Systems Software
|
United States
|
25,688
|
1.6
|
Amphenol
|
Electronic Equipment Instruments
& Components
|
Electronic Components
|
United States
|
24,314
|
1.5
|
HubSpot
|
Software
|
Application Software
|
United States
|
20,660
|
1.3
|
Pinterest
|
Interactive Media &
Services
|
Interactive Media &
Services
|
United States
|
20,142
|
1.2
|
Okta
|
IT Services
|
Internet Services &
Infrastructure
|
United States
|
19,814
|
1.2
|
Cloudflare
|
IT Services
|
Internet Services &
Infrastructure
|
United States
|
19,532
|
1.2
|
MongoDB
|
IT Services
|
Internet Services &
Infrastructure
|
United States
|
19,125
|
1.2
|
Top
Thirty Investments
|
|
|
1,485,007
|
90.8
|
Dell Technologies
|
Technology, Hardware Storage &
Peripherals
|
Technology, Hardware Storage &
Peripherals
|
United States
|
18,681
|
1.1
|
Elastic NV
|
Software
|
Application Software
|
United States
|
15,758
|
1.0
|
NXP Semiconductors
|
Semiconductors & Semiconductor
Equipment
|
Semiconductors
|
Netherlands
|
15,547
|
1.0
|
Synopsys
|
Software
|
Application Software
|
United States
|
14,084
|
0.9
|
JFrog
|
Software
|
Systems Software
|
Israel
|
12,944
|
0.8
|
Uber Technologies
|
Ground Transportation
|
Passenger Ground
Transportation
|
United States
|
12,465
|
0.8
|
Netflix
|
Entertainment
|
Movies & Entertainment
|
United States
|
12,234
|
0.7
|
Snowflake
|
IT Services
|
Internet Services &
Infrastructure
|
United States
|
12,218
|
0.7
|
Monday.com
|
Software
|
Systems Software
|
Israel
|
11,515
|
0.7
|
MercadoLibre
|
Broadline Retail
|
Broadline Retail
|
United States
|
10,883
|
0.7
|
Top
Forty Investments
|
|
|
|
1,621,336
|
99.2
|
Oracle
|
Software
|
Systems Software
|
United States
|
10,359
|
0.6
|
BE Semiconductor
Industries
|
Semiconductors & Semiconductor
Equipment
|
Semiconductor Materials &
Equipment
|
Netherlands
|
3,113
|
0.2
|
Total Investments
|
|
|
|
1,634,808
|
100
|
1 GICS Industry classifications
2 Includes ADR
ANALYSIS OF PORTFOLIO
Distribution of Assets as at 30 June
2024
By
Sector
|
% of
portfolio
|
|
By
region
|
% of
portfolio
|
Semiconductors & Semiconductor
Equipment
|
38.7
|
|
United States
|
89.8
|
Software
|
26.2
|
|
Netherlands
|
4.1
|
Interactive Media &
Services
|
11.5
|
|
Israel
|
3.5
|
Technology, Hardware Storage &
Peripherals
|
9.6
|
|
Taiwan
|
2.6
|
Broadline Retail
|
4.9
|
|
|
|
IT Services
|
4.3
|
|
|
|
Communications Equipment
|
1.8
|
|
|
|
Electronic Equipment Instruments
& Components
|
1.5
|
|
|
|
Ground Transportation
|
0.8
|
|
|
|
Entertainment
|
0.7
|
|
|
|
Total Portfolio
|
100.0
|
|
Total Portfolio
|
100.0
|
As cash is excluded and the
weightings for each sector are rounded to the nearest tenth of a
percent, the aggregate weights may not equal 100%.
For further information, please
contact:
Kelly Nice
Company Secretary
Allianz Technology Trust
PLC
Tel: 0800 389 4696
|
Stephanie Carbonneil
Head of Investment Trusts
Allianz Global Investors UK
Limited
Tel: 020 3246 7256
|