The India Fund, Inc. (NYSE: IFN; the “Fund”),
a closed-end management investment company that seeks long-term capital
appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities of Indian
companies, today announced unaudited results for the nine months ended
September 30, 2008.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2008, the Fund’s
net realized gains were $256,104,787 and the net change in unrealized
losses was $1,566,378,981, equal to $6.24 and $38.16 per share,
respectively. Net investment loss for the nine months ended September
30, 2008 was $992,689, equal to $0.02 per share. For the same nine month
period ended September 30, 2007, the Fund's net realized and net change
in unrealized gains were $286,285,047 and $466,155,064, respectively,
equal to $6.39 and $10.41 per share, respectively. Net investment loss
was $794,035, equal to $0.02 per share.
On September 30, 2008, total net assets of the Fund were $1,276,504,874,
and the net asset value (“NAV”)
per share was $33.27 based on 38,371,385 shares outstanding. The Fund's
common stock closed on the New York Stock Exchange on September 30, 2008
at $32.82 per share, representing a discount of 1.35% to the Fund’s
September 30, 2008 NAV. On September 30, 2007, total net assets of the
Fund were $2,534,421,391, and the NAV per share was $59.61 based on
42,516,770 shares outstanding. The Fund's common stock closed on the New
York Stock Exchange on September 28, 2007, at $54.30 per share,
representing a discount of 8.91% to the Fund’s
September 30, 2007 NAV.
In April 2003, stockholders of the fund voted to adopt an interval fund
structure, pursuant to which the Fund conducts semi-annual repurchase
offers for between 5% and 25% of the Fund’s
outstanding common stock.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2008 the Fund conducted two
repurchase offers. The first repurchase offer commenced on February 22,
2008 and expired on March 14, 2008. In connection with the repurchase
offer, the Fund purchased 2,125,838 shares of capital stock at a total
cost of approximately $93,864,207, net of a 2% repurchase fee of
$1,909,853. The second repurchase offer commenced on August 22, 2008 and
expired on September 12, 2008. In connection with the repurchase offer,
the Fund purchased 2,019,547 shares of capital stock at a total cost of
approximately $72,642,180, net of a 2% repurchase fee of $1,479,924.
On September 30, 2008, investments in equity securities of Indian
companies totaled $1,203,536,887 (or 94.29 % of the Fund's net assets),
and investments in cash and cash equivalents including foreign
currencies totaled $71,671,629 (or 5.61% of the Fund's net assets).
Assets in excess of liabilities totaled $1,296,358 (or 0.10% of the
Fund's net assets), accounting for the remaining net assets.
As of September 30, 2008, the Fund’s top ten
holdings and sector allocations were:
|
Top Ten Equity Holdings
|
|
% of Net Assets
|
|
Reliance Industries, Ltd.
|
|
12.4
|
%
|
|
Bharti Airtel, Ltd.
|
|
6.6
|
%
|
|
Infosys Technologies, Ltd.
|
|
6.5
|
%
|
|
Housing Development Finance Corp., Ltd.
|
|
4.3
|
%
|
|
Oil and Natural Gas Corp., Ltd.
|
|
3.8
|
%
|
|
Hindustan Unilever, Ltd.
|
|
3.2
|
%
|
|
State Bank of India
|
|
2.7
|
%
|
|
Reliance Communication, Ltd.
|
|
2.5
|
%
|
|
ITC, Ltd
|
|
2.4
|
%
|
|
HDFC Bank, Ltd.
|
|
2.3
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Top Ten Sector Allocations
|
|
% of Net Assets
|
|
Finance
|
|
17.8
|
%
|
|
Petroleum Related
|
|
17.6
|
%
|
|
Telecommunications
|
|
10.2
|
%
|
|
Computer Software & Programming
|
|
10.0
|
%
|
|
Industrial
|
|
8.6
|
%
|
|
Consumer Non-Durables
|
|
7.2
|
%
|
|
Electronics & Electrical Equipment
|
|
6.0
|
%
|
|
Vehicles & Transportation
|
|
5.4
|
%
|
|
Pharmaceuticals
|
|
5.0
|
%
|
|
Food
|
|
2.9
|
%
|
The India Fund, Inc. is a closed-end management investment company that
seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in Indian
equity securities. The Fund conducts semi-annual repurchase offers and
is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “IFN”.
Blackstone Asia Advisors L.L.C. serves as the Investment Manager to the
Fund. The Investment Manager is an affiliate of The Blackstone Group L.P.
Information on the Fund can be obtained on the Blackstone website (www.blackstone.com)
or by calling the Fund’s toll-free phone
number at 1-866-800-8933.
This press release may contain statements regarding plans and
expectations for the future that constitute forward-looking statements
within the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All
statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking
and can be identified by the use of words such as “may,”
“will,” “expect,”
“anticipate,” “estimate,”
“believe,” “continue,”
or other similar words. Such forward-looking statements are based
on the Fund’s current plans and expectations,
and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking
statements. Additional information concerning such risks and
uncertainties are contained in the Fund’s
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Blackstone Asia Advisors L.L.C.
1-866-800-8933