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Platinum Group Metals Ltd.

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FY2011 Annual Report · Platinum Group Metals Ltd.
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© 2011 Platinum Asset Management
Illustrations by: Juan Travieso, juantravieso.com
Design and production by: 3C Creative Agency, 3c.com.au

ANNUAL REPORT 2011

PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED  ABN 13 050 064 287

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BY DESIGN
EVOLUTION  

Bruce Coleman 
Kerr Neilson 

Directors
Michael Cole 
Margaret Towers 
Philip Howard

Company Secretary
Philip Howard

Shareholder Liaison
Liz Norman

Registered Office
Level 8, 7 Macquarie Place 
Sydney NSW 2000

Phone  1300 726 700 (Australia only) 
Phone  0800 700 726 (New Zealand only) 
Phone  +61 2 9255 7500 
+61 2 9254 5555
Fax 

Share Registrar
Computershare Investor Services Pty Ltd 
Level 3, 60 Carrington Street 
Sydney NSW 2000

Phone  1300 855 080 (Australia only) 
Phone  +61 3 9415 4000 
+61 3 9473 2500
Fax 

Auditor and Taxation Advisor
PricewaterhouseCoopers 
201 Sussex Street 
Sydney NSW 2000

Securities Exchange Listing
Ordinary shares listed on the Australian Securities Exchange 
ASX Code: PTM

Website
http://www.platinum.com.au/paml_shares.htm

Platinum Asset Management® does not guarantee 
the repayment of capital or the investment performance 
of the Investment Manager.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Bruce Coleman 
Kerr Neilson 

Directors
Michael Cole 
Margaret Towers 
Philip Howard

Company Secretary
Philip Howard

Shareholder Liaison
Liz Norman

Registered Office
Level 8, 7 Macquarie Place 
Sydney NSW 2000

Phone  1300 726 700 (Australia only) 
Phone  0800 700 726 (New Zealand only) 
Phone  +61 2 9255 7500 
+61 2 9254 5555
Fax 

Share Registrar
Computershare Investor Services Pty Ltd 
Level 3, 60 Carrington Street 
Sydney NSW 2000

Phone  1300 855 080 (Australia only) 
Phone  +61 3 9415 4000 
+61 3 9473 2500
Fax 

Auditor and Taxation Advisor
PricewaterhouseCoopers 
201 Sussex Street 
Sydney NSW 2000

Securities Exchange Listing
Ordinary shares listed on the Australian Securities Exchange 
ASX Code: PTM

Website
http://www.platinum.com.au/paml_shares.htm

Platinum Asset Management® does not guarantee 
the repayment of capital or the investment performance 
of the Investment Manager.

Contents

Chairman’s report

managing DireCtor’s Letter to sharehoLDers

sharehoLDer information

DireCtors’ report

auDitor’s inDepenDenCe DeCLaration

Corporate governanCe statement

statement of Comprehensive inCome

BaLanCe sheet

statement of Changes in equity

statement of Cash fLows

notes to the finanCiaL statements

DireCtors’ DeCLaration

inDepenDent auDitor’s report

1

2

4

10

13

21

22

32

33

34

35

36

69

70

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

2

Chairman’s report

performanCe
against the back-drop of a challenging global economy and volatile investment markets, 
the Company’s profit performance for the financial year was a pleasing result.

net profit after tax profit was $150.1 million (2010: $136.9 million), an increase of 9.6%. 

the lift in profit can be primarily attributed to an increase in management fees of 9%. 
the increase in profits was largely driven by the average daily Funds under management 
(“Fum”) of the Platinum trust Funds, which were up 10%.

Expenses incurred by Platinum continued to be closely monitored and increased by 
less than 2%.

diluted earnings per share increased 12.8% to 26.32 cents compared to 23.33 cents 
in 2010.

funDs unDer management (“fum”) 
the opening Fum for the year was $18.4 billion and rose to a high of $18.9 billion in 
January 2011 before falling to $17.8 billion at 30 June 2011. the Fum growth remained 
volatile throughout the year.

the major contributor to the decrease in the closing Fum over the period was a decline 
in investment performance of approximately $1.1 billion notwithstanding positive net 
inflows of $0.7 billion less income distributions to investors of $0.2 billion. the high 
australian  dollar,  which  appreciated  by  27%  over  the  course  of  the  year,  adversely 
impacted the Fum levels and investment returns.

Whilst the investment performance was disappointing over the past year, clients’ long-
term investment returns and performance remain strong. 

DiviDenD
a  fully  franked  dividend  of  15  cents  per  share  will  be  paid  on  22  September  2011.  
the dividend payout is broadly in line with the dividend Policy (of paying out 80-90% 
of net profit after tax) and consistent with our working capital needs.

a fully franked dividend of 10 cents per share was paid on 15 march 2011.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

3

the directors are confident that future dividends will be fully franked.

Whilst  the  Company  has  a  dividend  Reinvestment  Plan  in  place,  it  has  not  been 
activated or likely to be activated in the near term.

the BoarD anD its Committees
Both  the  Remuneration  and  audit  Committees  had  a  productive  year  dealing  with  
a number of material issues that impact the Company’s performance.

mr  malcolm  Halstead  retired  as  Finance  director  and  Company  Secretary  during  
the year and was replaced by mr Philip Howard. malcolm had held these positions since 
the Company’s listing in 2007 and was a key member of the initial management team 
that established Platinum.

on  behalf  of  the  Board  and  our  shareholders,  we  would  like  to  thank  malcolm  for  
his outstanding service. His contribution to the Company’s development is immeasurable 
and  we  are  fortunate  that  he  has  chosen  to  continue  to  contribute  to  the  Company  
as a consultant.

environment
Your  Company  remains  carbon  neutral,  having  purchased  carbon  credits  to  offset  
its carbon emissions.

ConCLusion
the  current  extreme  volatility  in  global  investment  markets  and  the  competitive 
landscape makes it difficult to forecast what will happen to investment fees and profits 
in the next year. the interests of our shareholders continue to be best served by us 
maintaining a focus on delivering the best performance outcomes for our investors.

miChaeL CoLe
CHAIRMAN

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

4

managing DireCtor’s Letter to sharehoLDers

investment performanCe
this last financial year proved more testing than we would like to remember. Some of 
our Funds performed well but the bulk, as global mandates and including the Platinum 
international Fund, lost money in terms of the rampaging australian dollar. (our uS 
dollar global mandates fared better in terms of their home currency).

this poor performance  can  be attributed  to  our  adopting a very cautious investment 
stance. this was guided by the inherent belief that there can be no quick fixes to the 
world’s economic problems and that market gyrations will be accompanied by a gradual 
deterioration of the valuation attributed to risk assets.

We therefore ran the main portfolios with large exposures to defensive companies and 
with  a  high  level  of  short  sales  and,  as  importantly,  hedged  very  little  back  into  the 
australian dollar. in the face of quantitative easing, this was precisely the wrong way 
around as investors clambered over defensives to load-up on growth-sensitives and their 
derivative currencies like the australian dollar. as the quintessential play on asia, and 
particularly Chinese economic growth, the australian dollar appreciated by some 27% 
against the uS dollar over the year and by 20% against the currencies of the basket of 
principal global share markets. (We could, in all likelihood, make this currency error 
again  as  it  is  our  belief  that  most  of  our  clients  choose  to  invest  in  global  funds  to 
partially gain access to foreign currencies. Consequently, we tend to hedge back into the 
home currencies of mandates only when those currencies are below their longer term 
inherent  value.  this  we  did  when  the  australian  dollar  was  trading  between  65  to  
85 cents versus the uS dollar back in 2008-09).

the Business
last year we reported on the development of platforms, the review of the superannuation 
system and the proposed reform of regulations relating to financial advisor commissions 
(see the april 2011 FoFa summary of these changes over).

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

5

future of finanCiaL aDviCe (fofa) 2011 summary
FOFA MeAsure 

DescriptiOn

Ban on conflicted remuneration 

 Ban on conflicted remuneration structures including 
commissions and volume-based payments

Compulsory renewal (opt-in) 

 Requirement for advisers to renew client agreements to ongoing 
advice fees every two years

Best interests duty 

 Requirement for advisers to act in the best interests 
of their clients

Ban on soft dollar benefits 

Ban on soft dollar benefits over $300 per benefit

Basic banking products carve-out 

 Relief from best interests duty and ban on conflicted 
remuneration where employees of Australian Deposit-taking 
Institutions (ADIs) are selling their employer’s basic 
banking products

Source: Australian Government, Future of Financial Advice, Information Pack, 28 April 2011

this has developed further in the last 12 months with a growing tendency for advisory 
groups  to  initiate  their  own  platforms.  With  the  availability  of  ready-made  software, 
there are an increasing number of advisors who are tending to bring their record-keeping 
systems  in-house.  apart  from  the  cost  savings,  the  changes  in  the  rules  regarding 
commissions (as outlined above) have significantly influenced this trend.

Fortunately for Platinum asset management, we have assiduously avoided the promotion 
of our products via any form of financial inducement being paid to advisors or advisory 
groups. instead, we have relied on developing a professional and open relationship with 
financial planners where we try to explain the features of our products and our views 
about the investment opportunities in a full and frank manner. We also offer the services 
of  our  investment  team  to  brief  advisors  and  their  clients  at  seminars.  this  is  well-
received as the speaker can deliver the message with authority and in addition, answer 
the audience questions and address sublimated concerns.1

1   it is perhaps worth noting that at times our message may not sit comfortably with parts of the audience 
on account of our contrarian bias but also perhaps, the audience’s own confirmatory bias. there can be 
a temptation to pander to what the audience would like to hear rather than what we, rightly or wrongly, 
believe  to  be  the  misconception  of  the  moment.  this  is  another  way  of  saying  that  the  psychological 
behavioural biases that were the cornerstone of the classic work “Judgment Under Uncertainty: Heuristics 
and Biases” by tversky and Kahneman, 1974, are as deeply rooted in our behaviour as ever.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

6

managing DireCtor’s Letter to sharehoLDers

ContInueD

in addition, we can, and do, supply advisors with a data feed that allows them to directly 
update their client portfolios for transactions, and with daily unit prices. unfortunately, 
there  are  still  limitations  to  our  ability  to  transact  fully  on-line  on  account  of  issues 
relating to identification and security.

the team
though it may not show in the performance of all of the Funds, the team is developing 
well. For some time now we have replaced the individual analyst’s so-called ‘shadow’ 
portfolio with real money portfolios where experienced analysts are able to reveal their 
stock-picking ability by maintaining a portfolio of eight names. the idea here is for the 
individual to select a portfolio from within their area of competence uninhibited by the 
views or timing of other team members. Prior to introducing a new stock (and discarding 
an existing position), it is obligatory, however, for the analyst to first call a stock meeting 
at  which  the  idea  can  be  subjected  to  thorough  discussion  and  peer  review.  it  is  not 
required for the group to necessarily endorse the idea but so long at it has been formally 
written-up and reviewed, the analyst is free to act at their volition. the performance of 
this small portfolio, together with the stocks attributed to that analyst within the main 
portfolios, will significantly influence the outcome of their bonus.

Should an analyst display a systematic ability to perform strongly, they will advance to 
managing  larger  pools  of  money.  it  is  by  this  means  that  we  gradually  bring  talent 
through the organisation. it is not always the case that a good analyst makes a good fund 
manager and for this reason we are reluctant to necessarily reward those with timing 
skills  above  those  who  can  spot  or  originate  clever  investment  ideas.  analysts  with 
proven ability to do both are now managing a meaningful component of the international 
Fund and the asia Fund.

as the investment team has grown, the depth of coverage has increased and to enhance 
the exchange of knowledge and understanding of related industries we have clustered 
analysts in related industries (pods) while still having individuals who keep watch over 
the  principal  geographic  regions.  Working  closely  with  the  quant  team,  who  have 
developed valuable screening tools, these pods are in the position to react with more 
certainty to market changes.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

7

Costs
Costs have moved up as we anticipated, but only by a small margin. Performance-related 
bonuses  and  advancing  seniority  being  the  major  contributors.  as  we  have  stated 
previously, the performance bonus is constructed to be self-funding.

profits
Success  in  signing  up  profit  sharing  investment  accounts  has  continued  to  build  our 
performance  fee  potential.  as  you  can  see,  this  proportion  of  our  funds  under 
management has risen to $1.8 billion. our traditional retail base has largely remained 
loyal, despite the drop-off in some of the Funds’ performance. 

funD unDer management ($mn, to 30 June 2011)

FunD 

Opening 
BAlAnce 
(30 June 2010) 

FlOws 

DistriButiOn 

investMent 
perFOrMAnce 

clOsing 
BAlAnce 
(30 June 2011)

Platinum trust Funds 

MLC Platinum Global Fund 

Management Fee Mandates 

13,816 

1,511 

1,518 

289 

(259) 

292 

“Relative” Performance  

Fee Mandates 

“Absolute” Performance  

Fee Mandates 

TOTAL	

Source: Platinum

908 

431 

610 

18,363	

(36) 

717	

(195) 

(868) 

13,042

– 

– 

– 

– 

(13) 

(84) 

1,239

1,726

(62) 

1,277

(43) 

531

(195)	

(1,070)	

17,815

With  performance  fees  there  is  a  trade-off:  the  modest  flat  fee  is  complemented  by  
a  performance  component  that  will  share  in  the  degree  to  which  we  are  able  to 
outperform the benchmark (mSCi). For these fees to give us a yield equivalent to the 
standard  flat fee, Platinum needs to  outperform  by  approximately 5%.  our historic 
outperformance  over  the  last  16  years  has  averaged  approximately  9%  per  annum 
compound with great variances in between. do note that this change in the blend of 
our fee base will introduce lumpiness in our profits. in a good year the upside can be 
very exciting and vice versa.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8

managing DireCtor’s Letter to sharehoLDers

ContInueD

outLook
as described in our quarterly reports to our investors, it is evident that there is a plethora 
of  issues  facing  the  world  economy.  With  this  in  mind,  creating  real  value  will  be 
unusually challenging. assisting us though is a maturing team of investment experts 
and a growing interest among professional investors in our products. as Platinum is an 
active manager, we are forced to have strong views about the absolute value of companies 
(investments). this adds to our professional burden, as we need from time to time to 
diverge from the pack. this can add to the risks of the business, but to the extent that 
our judgement prevails, the rewards can be spectacular!

kerr neiLson
MANAgINg DIReCtoR

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

9

2011

finanCiaL statements
Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

10

sharehoLDer information

suBstantiaL sharehoLDers
the following parties notified the Company that they have a substantial relevant interest 
in ordinary shares of Platinum Asset Management Limited as at 16 August 2011: 

J neilson, K neilson 

Hyperion Asset Management 

J Clifford, Moya Pty Limited, A Clifford 

DistriBution of seCurities

(i) DistriButiOn scheDule OF hOlDings 

1 – 1,000 

1,001 – 5,000 

5,001 – 10,000 

10,001 – 100,000 

100,001 and over 

total number of holders 

(ii) number of holders of less than a marketable parcel 

(iii) Percentage held by the 20 largest holders 

nuMBer OF 
shAres 

323,074,841 

34,585,347 

32,831,449 

%

 57.55

 6.16 

5.85

clAss OF 
equity security 
OrDinAry

4,549

12,423

2,658

1,389

61

21,080

229

83.24%

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
 
11

%

 38.60 

 24.27 

 3.51 

 3.08 

 2.55 

 1.78 

 1.78 

 1.65 

 1.38 

 1.24 

 0.89 

 0.71 

 0.46 

 0.37 

 0.32 

 0.16 

 0.16 

 0.16 

 0.09 

 0.08 

twenty Largest sharehoLDers
the names of the 20 largest holders of each class of listed equity securities as at 
16 August 2011 are listed below:

Platinum Investment Management Limited 

J neilson 

JP Morgan nominees Australia Limited 

Citicorp nominees Pty Limited 

national nominees Limited 

Charmfair Pty Limited 

Jilliby Pty Limited 

HSBC Custody nominees (Australia) Limited 

Cogent nominees Pty Limited 

Charmfair Pty Limited  

J Clifford 

Xetrov Pty Limited 

Citicorp nominees Pty Limited 

JP Morgan nominees Australia Limited  

Citicorp nominees Pty Limited 

Warbont nominees Pty Limited 

AMP Life Limited 

Queensland Investment Corporation 

S Gilchrist 

Smallco Investment Manager Limited 

nuMBer OF 
shAres 

216,684,999 

136,250,000  

19,717,645  

17,287,900  

14,321,975  

10,000,000  

10,000,000  

9,243,526  

7,734,822  

6,938,475  

5,000,000  

4,000,000  

2,574,273  

2,092,471  

1,815,080  

 899,291  

 889,323  

 885,082  

479,651  

 472,501  

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
12

sharehoLDer information

ContInueD

voting rights
Ordinary	Shares
on a show of hands, every member present in person or represented by a proxy or 
representative shall have one vote and, on a poll, every member present in person or 
represented by a proxy or representative shall have one vote for every share held by them.

other seCurities on issue
the Company has other securities on issue, in the form of options. As at 16 August 2011, 
the Company issued 25,331,022 options to 23 holders, with each holder being granted over 
100,000 options. Further details on the grant of these options is contained in note 6 of 
the notes to the Financial Statements. 

no voting rights attach to the options, however any ordinary shares that are allotted 
to the option holders upon exercise will have the same voting rights as all other 
ordinary shares.

pLatinum’s Commitment to CarBon neutraLity
Platinum Asset Management remains carbon neutral, having purchased carbon credits 
to offset its carbon emissions.

DistriBution of annuaL report to sharehoLDers
the Law allows for an “opt in” regime through which shareholders will receive a printed 
“hard copy” version of the Annual Report only if they request one. the Directors have 
decided to only mail out an Annual Report to those shareholders who have “opted in”.

questions for the agm
If you would like to submit a question prior to the AGM to be addressed at the AGM, 
you may e-mail your question to invest@platinum.com.au.

finanCiaL CaLenDar
ordinary shares trade ex-dividend 

Record (books close) date for dividend 

Dividend paid 

Annual General Meeting 

these dates are indicative and may be changed.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

23 August 2011

29 August 2011

22 September 2011

3 november 2011

13

DireCtors’ report

the Directors present the following report on the consolidated entity consisting of 
Platinum Asset Management Limited (the “Company”) and the entities it controlled 
at the end of, or during, the year ended 30 June 2011.

DireCtors
the following persons were Directors of the Company during the financial year 
and up to the date of this report:

Michael Cole 
Bruce Coleman 
Margaret towers 
Kerr neilson 
Philip Howard 

Chairman and non-executive Director
non-executive Director
non-executive Director
Managing Director
Director and Company Secretary (since 31 March 2011)

Malcolm Halstead was a Director and Company Secretary until his retirement 
on 31 March 2011.

prinCipaL aCtivity
the Company is the non-operating holding company of Platinum Investment 
Management Limited. Platinum Investment Management Limited, trading as Platinum 
Asset Management, operates a funds management business.

traDing resuLts
the profit after tax of the consolidated entity for the year was $150,059,000 
(2010: $136,852,000) after income tax expense of $63,697,000 (2010: $61,540,000).

DiviDenDs
Since the end of the financial year, the Directors have declared a 15 cents per share 
($84,202,000) fully franked dividend payable to shareholders on 22 September 2011.

A fully franked dividend of 10 cents per share ($56,135,000) was paid on 15 March 2011.

A fully franked dividend of 14 cents per share ($78,589,000) was paid on 22 September 2010.

review of operations
the consolidated profit before tax was $213,756,000 (2010: $198,392,000).

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

14

DireCtors’ report

ContInueD

Changes in the state of affairs
there were no significant changes in the state of affairs of the Company that occurred 
during the year not otherwise disclosed in this report or the financial statements.

events suBsequent to the enD of the finanCiaL year
Since the end of the financial year, the Directors are not aware of any matter or circumstance, 
not otherwise dealt with in this report or financial statements, that has significantly or may 
significantly affect the operations of the Company, the results of those operations or the 
state of affairs of the Company in subsequent financial periods.

LikeLy DeveLopments anD expeCteD resuLts of operations
the Company continues to pursue its business objectives, by continuing to be the holding 
company of the Platinum Asset Management funds management business. the methods 
of operating the consolidated entity are not expected to change in the foreseeable future.

rounDing of amounts
the consolidated entity is of a kind referred to in the Australian Securities & Investments 
Commission’s Class order 98/0100 (as amended) and consequently amounts in the 
Directors’ Report and financial statements have been rounded to the nearest thousand 
dollars in accordance with that Class order, unless otherwise indicated.

environmentaL reguLation
the consolidated entity is not adversely impacted by any particular or significant 
environmental regulations under a Commonwealth, State or territory Law.

auDitor
PricewaterhouseCoopers continues in office in accordance with section 327 of the 
Corporations Act 2001.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

15

non‑auDit serviCes
the Directors, in accordance with advice received from the Audit Committee, are satisfied 
that the provision of non-audit services is compatible with the general standard of 
independence for auditors imposed by the Corporations Act 2001. the Directors are 
satisfied, considering the nature and quantum of the non-audit services, that the provision 
of non-audit services by the Auditor, did not compromise the auditor independence 
requirements of the Corporations Act 2001.

Details of the amounts paid or payable to the Auditor (PricewaterhouseCoopers) for audit 
and non-audit services provided during the year are set out below.

Audit services – statutory 

taxation services – compliance 

taxation services – foreign tax agent 

other audit and assurance services 

Advisory services – restructuring and related costs* 

2011 
$ 

254,865 

474,413 

26,525 

23,828 

18,651 

2010
$

271,775

466,100

18,149

31,174

227,265

Total 

798,282 

1,014,463

*   For 2011 (and 2010), the advisory services provided by pricewaterhousecoopers predominantly related 
to legal work associated with the payment of stamp duty, arising from the restructure of the company, 
prior to the offer of shares to the public in the 2007 ipO.

auDitor’s inDepenDenCe DeCLaration
A copy of the Auditor’s Independence Declaration as required under section 307C of the 
Corporations Act 2001 is set out on page 21.

information on DireCtors
Michael	Cole BeCon, MeCon, FFIn
Independent non-executive Director, Chairman and member of the Audit and 
Remuneration Committees since 10 April 2007. (Age 63)

Mr Cole has over 33 years experience in the investment banking and funds management 
industry. He was an executive Director/executive Vice President at Bankers trust Australia 
for over 10 years. Mr Cole is Chairman of Ironbark Capital Limited and IMB Limited. 
Mr Cole is the Chairman and Director of Challenger Listed Investments Limited.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
16

DireCtors’ report

ContInueD

Bruce	Coleman BSC, BCoM, CA, FFIn
Independent non-executive Director, Chair of the Remuneration Committee and member 
of the Audit Committee since 10 April 2007. (Age 61)

Mr Coleman has worked in the finance and investment industry since 1986. He was the 
Ceo of MLC Investment Management from 1996 to 2004. He has held various directorships 
within MLC Limited, Lend Lease and national Australia Banking groups.

Mr Coleman is a Director of Platinum Capital Limited.

Margaret	Towers	CA, GAICD
Independent non-executive Director, Chair of the Audit Committee and member of the 
Remuneration Committee since 10 April 2007. (Age 53)

Ms towers is a Chartered Accountant with over 29 years experience in financial markets. 
She was formerly an executive Vice President at Bankers trust Australia and worked at 
Price Waterhouse. Ms towers currently acts as an independent consultant to a number 
of Australian financial institutions. In May 2011, Ms towers was appointed a Director 
of IMB Limited.

Kerr	Neilson BCoM, ASIP
Managing Director since 12 July 1993. (Age 61)

Mr neilson was appointed as Managing Director upon incorporation. He is the Managing 
Director of Platinum Investment Management Limited and Platinum Capital Limited. Prior to 
Platinum, Mr neilson was an executive Vice President at Bankers trust Australia. Previously 
he worked in both the uK and South Africa as an investment analyst and fund manager.

Philip	Howard BCoM, CA
Finance Director and Company Secretary since 31 March 2011. (Age 50)

Mr Howard was also appointed Director of Platinum Investment Management Limited 
and Platinum Capital Limited on 31 March 2011. Mr Howard has been Platinum’s Chief 
operating officer since his appointment to that role on 19 September 2001. Mr Howard 
is a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years experience in the financial services industry. 
Prior to Platinum, Mr Howard has held senior roles in finance, operations and management 
with State Street Australia, Bankers trust Australia and Price Waterhouse, Sydney.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

17

DireCtors’ meetings
the number of meetings held and attended by the Company’s Directors during the year 
ended 30 June 2011 was as follows.

nAMe 

M Cole 

B Coleman 

M towers 

K neilson 

P Howard (from 31 March 2011) 

M Halstead (until 31 March 2011) 

BOArD 
Meetings 
helD  AttenDeD 
while A DirectOr 

AuDit cOMMittee 
Meetings 
helD  AttenDeD 
while A MeMBer 

reMunerAtiOn 
cOMMittee 
Meetings
helD  AttenDeD
while A MeMBer

5 

5 

5 

5 

2 

3 

5 

5 

5 

4 

2 

3 

4 

4 

4 

– 

– 

– 

4 

4 

4 

– 

– 

– 

3 

3 

3 

– 

– 

– 

3

3

3

–

–

–

remuneration report (auDiteD)
Principles	used	to	determine	the	nature	and	amount	of	remuneration
the executive Directors review annually the remuneration of the non-executive Directors 
and may utilise the services of external advisors. It is the policy of the Board to remunerate 
at market rates commensurate with the responsibilities borne by the non-executive 
Directors. the remuneration of the Directors is not linked to the performance or earnings 
of the Company or consolidated entity.

Directors’	fees
non-executive Directors’ base remuneration is reviewed annually.

Retirement	benefits	for	Directors
no retirement benefits (other than mandatory superannuation) are provided to Directors.

Other	benefits	(including	termination)	and	incentives
no other benefits and incentives (other than those disclosed in the Remuneration Report) 
are paid to Directors.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
18

DireCtors’ report

ContInueD

Details	of	remuneration
Non‑Executive	Directors
All remuneration of the non-executive Directors is paid by Platinum Investment 
Management Limited. the non-executive Directors received the following amounts 
during the financial year.

nAMe 

M Cole 

B Coleman 

M towers 

Total	remuneration 

shOrt‑terM 
BeneFits 
sAlAry 
$ 

pOst‑eMplOyMent 
BeneFits 
superAnnuAtiOn 
$ 

200,000 

175,000 

175,000 

550,000 

15,199 

15,199 

15,199 

45,597 

tOtAl 
$

215,199

190,199

190,199

595,597

Base salary paid to the non-executive Directors remains unchanged from the prior year.

Executive	Directors
AASB 124: Related Party Disclosures defines key management personnel as “persons having 
authority and responsibility for planning, directing and controlling activities of the entity”. 
the only employees who have this authority and responsibility are the Directors of 
Platinum Asset Management Limited and Platinum Investment Management Limited.

other than those disclosed below, there are no employees who hold an executive position 
within the Company.

Key	management	personnel	compensation
the executive Directors (K neilson and P Howard) are employed by Platinum Investment 
Management Limited and receive their remuneration from Platinum Investment 
Management Limited. M Halstead was employed by Platinum Investment Management 
Limited until his retirement on 31 March 2011.

AASB 124 requires compensation provided by the Company or on behalf of the Company 
to be disclosed. A portion of the compensation paid by Platinum Investment Management 
Limited to its employees is in relation to managing the affairs of the Company. Platinum 
Investment Management Limited has not made any determination as to what proportion 
of its compensation relates to the Company. Platinum Investment Management Limited 
paid: K neilson a salary of $400,000 (2010: $364,468) and superannuation of $15,199 
(2010: $49,993), P Howard a salary of $100,000, a bonus of $257,500 and superannuation 
of $3,800 from the date of his appointment to the Board on 31 March 2011 to 30 June 
2011 and M Halstead a salary of $236,400 (2010: $314,468) and superannuation of 
$11,399 (2010: $49,993) until the date of his retirement from the Board on 31 March 2011. 

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
 
19

In addition, M Halstead received a payment of $118,226 representing accrued annual leave 
of $24,941 and accrued long service leave of $93,285.

For the full financial year, A Clifford was a Director of the operating subsidiary, 
Platinum Investment Management Limited. A Clifford was paid a salary of $350,000 
(2010: $339,464), a bonus of $177,000 (2010: $630,000) and superannuation of $15,199 
(2010: $24,997).

Platinum Investment Management Limited provided for an increase in long service leave 
as follows: K neilson $8,012 (2010: $7,258), P Howard $31,742 and A Clifford $5,725 
(2010: $7,216) and provided for an increase/(decrease) in annual leave as follows: K neilson 
($6,130) (2010: ($13,793)), P Howard $12,014 and A Clifford ($10,728) (2010: ($4,023)).

Relevant	interests	of	Non‑Executive	and	Executive	Directors	in	shares
the relevant interest in ordinary shares of the Company that each Director has at balance 
date is as follows:

nAMe 

M Cole 

B Coleman 

M towers 

K neilson 

P Howard (appointed  

31 March 2011) 

BAlAnce 
1/07/10 

300,000 

200,000 

20,000 

322,074,841 

104,281 

AcquisitiOns 

DispOsAls 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

BAlAnce 
30/06/11

300,000

200,000

20,000

322,074,841

104,281

Share‑based	compensation
on 22 May 2007, P Howard was granted 841,500 options. these options were granted 
at a strike price of $5. the options vested on 22 May 2011 and have a two year exercise 
period. At the date of this report, no options have been exercised. the assessed fair value 
of options granted on 22 May 2007 was $0.82 per option. the share-based payments 
expense relating to this grant to P Howard was $153,235 (2010: $172,066).

on 17 June 2009, P Howard was granted 856,898 options and A Clifford was granted 
3,844,350 options. these options were granted at a strike price of $4.50. the options vest 
on 17 June 2013 and have a further two year exercise period. the assessed fair value of 
options granted on 17 June 2009 was $1.14 per option. the share-based payments expense 
relating to this grant to P Howard was $243,359 (2010: $243,359). the share-based 
payments expense relating to this grant to A Clifford was $1,091,795 (2010: $1,091,795).

no options were granted to any Director during the 2011 year.

other than what is disclosed in the Remuneration Report, no executive or non-executive 
Director of the Company has ever received options or performance rights in the Company.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
20

DireCtors’ report

ContInueD

Service	agreements
Remuneration and other terms of employment for the non-executive Directors are formalised 
in service agreements. the executive Directors do not have service agreements, as they are 
employees of the Investment Manager, Platinum Investment Management Limited.

M	Cole,	Chairman	and	Non‑Executive	Director
– 

 Agreement has no termination date. tenure is subject to approval by shareholders 
at every third AGM.

–  Base annual salary, inclusive of superannuation, is $215,199.

B	Coleman,	Non‑Executive	Director
– 

 Agreement has no termination date. tenure is subject to approval by shareholders 
at every third AGM.

–  Base annual salary, inclusive of superannuation, is $190,199.

M	Towers,	Non‑Executive	Director
– 

 Agreement has no termination date. tenure is subject to approval by shareholders 
at every third AGM.

–  Base annual salary, inclusive of superannuation, is $190,199.

Directors’	Interests	in	Contracts
the Directors receive remuneration and dividends that are ultimately derived from  
the net income arising from Platinum Investment Management Limited’s investment 
management contracts.

Directors’	Insurance
During the year, Platinum Investment Management Limited incurred a premium in respect 
of a contract for indemnity insurance for the Directors and officers of the Company named 
in this report.

this report is made in accordance with a resolution of the Directors.

miChaeL CoLe 
CHAIRMAN 

Sydney, 18 August 2011

kerr neiLson
DIReCtoR

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
21

auDitor’s inDepenDenCe DeCLaration

As lead Auditor for the audit of Platinum Asset Management Limited and its controlled 
entities for the year ended 30 June 2011, I declare that to the best of my knowledge 
and belief, there have been:

(a)   no contraventions of the auditor independence requirements of the Corporations 

Act 2001 in relation to the audit; and

(b)   no contraventions of any applicable code of professional conduct in relation 

to the audit.

this declaration is in respect of Platinum Asset Management Limited and its controlled 
entities during the period.

a J LoveriDge
PARtNeR 
PRICewAteRHouseCooPeRs

Sydney, 18 August 2011

liability limited by a scheme approved under professional standards legislation.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

22

Corporate governanCe statement

this Corporate Governance Statement provides a summary of the main corporate governance 
practices adopted by the Board and exercised throughout the year for the Company.

the Company has followed the ASX Corporate Governance Council’s Corporate Governance 
Principles and Recommendations (“Governance Principles”), except where indicated.

Company policies, charters and codes referred to in this Statement are provided 
in the “Shareholder Corporate Governance” section of the Company’s website  
at www.platinum.com.au (“Company’s website”).

the Company and its controlled entities together are referred to as “the Group” 
in this Statement.

1. the BoarD of DireCtors
Members: M Cole (Chair), B Coleman, M towers, K neilson and P Howard.

Changes to the Board since last report:

–  Malcolm Halstead retired 31 March 2011
–  Philip Howard appointed 31 March 2011

the Board has adopted a Charter that details the functions and responsibilities of the Board.

1.1	Role	of	the	Board
the role of the Board is to oversee the activities of the executive Directors, ensuring the 
Company operates in compliance with its regulatory environment and good corporate 
governance practices are adopted.

1.2	Responsibilities	of	the	Board
the principal responsibilities of the Board include:

–  considering and approving the strategy of the Company;
–  monitoring the performance and financial position of the Company;
–  overseeing the integrity of the Group’s financial accounts and reporting;
–  assessing the performance of Management and itself;
– 

 reviewing the operations and findings of the Company’s risk management, compliance 
and control frameworks; and

–  monitoring the Company’s compliance with regulatory, legal and ethical standards.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

23

1.3	Structure	of	the	Board
the Board currently comprises five Directors: three non-executive Directors (M Cole, 
B Coleman and M towers) and two executive Directors (K neilson and P Howard).

Details on the background, experience and professional skills of each Director are set  
out in the Directors’ Report on pages 15 and 16.

the Chair of the Board is an independent Director and the roles of Chair and Managing 
Director (Chief executive officer) are not exercised by the same individual.

the Chair is responsible for leading the Board, ensuring that the Board’s activities are 
organised and efficiently conducted and ensuring Directors are properly briefed for meetings.

the Managing Director is responsible for the management and operation of the Company. 
those powers not specifically reserved to the Board under its Charter, and which are required 
for the management and operation of the Company, are conferred on the Managing Director.

1.4	Director	Independence
the non-executive Directors of the Company have been assessed as independent. 
In reaching its decision, the Board has taken into account the factors outlined below.

the Board regularly assesses the independence of each Director. For this purpose, 
an Independent Director is a non-executive Director that the Board considers to be 
independent of Management and free of any business or other relationship that could 
materially interfere with, or could reasonably be perceived to interfere with, the exercise 
of unfettered and independent judgement.

Directors must disclose any person or family contract or relationship in accordance with 
the Corporations Act 2001. Directors also adhere to constraints on their participation 
and voting in relation to matters in which they may have an interest in accordance with 
the Corporations Act 2001 and the Company’s policies.

each Director may from time to time have personal dealings with the Company. 
each Director is involved with other companies or professional firms that may from time 
to time have dealings with the Company.

Details of offices held by Directors with other organisations are set out in the Directors’ 
Report on pages 15 and 16. Full details of related party dealings are set out in the notes 
to the Company’s accounts as required by law.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

24

Corporate governanCe statement

ContInueD

In assessing whether Directors are independent, the Board takes into account (in addition 
to the matters set out on the previous page):

–  the specific disclosures made by each Director as referred to on the previous page;
– 

 where applicable, the related party dealings referable to each Director, noting whether 
those dealings are “material”;
 whether a Director is (or is associated directly with) a substantial shareholder 
of the Company;

– 

–  whether the Director has ever been employed by the Group;
– 

 whether the Director is (or is associated with) a “material” professional adviser, 
consultant, supplier, or customer of the Group; and
 whether the Director personally carries on any role for the Group other than 
as a Director of the Company.

– 

the Board also has regard to the matters set out in the Governance Principles. the Board 
does not consider that a term of service on the Board should be considered as a factor 
affecting a Director’s ability to act in the best interests of the Company.

If a Director’s independent status changes, this will be disclosed and explained to the 
market in a timely manner and in consideration of the Company’s Communications Plan.

Materiality
the Board determines “materiality” on both a quantitative and qualitative basis. An item 
that either affects the Company’s net assets by approximately 5% or affects the Company’s 
distributable income in a forecast period by more than approximately 5% of the Company’s 
net profit before tax is likely to be material. However, these quantitative measures must 
be supplemented with a qualitative examination. the facts (at the time) and the context 
in which the item arises will influence the determination of materiality.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

25

1.5	Selection	and	Appointment	of	Directors
Recommendation 2.4 of the Governance Principles provides that “[t]he Board should 
establish a nomination committee”. Given the size of the Company and the Board, 
the Board considers a nomination committee is not warranted. the full Board considers 
the issues that would otherwise be a function of a nomination committee.

When evaluating, selecting and appointing Directors, the Board considers:

– 

 the candidate’s competencies, qualifications and expertise and his/her fit with 
the current membership of the Board;

–  the candidate’s knowledge of the industry in which the Company operates;
– 

 directorships previously held by the candidate and his/her current commitments 
to other boards and companies;
 existing and previous relationships with the Company and Directors;
 the candidate’s independence status and the need for a majority or equal balance 
on the Board; and
 requirements of the Corporations Act 2001, ASX Listing Rules, the Company’s 
Constitution and Board Policy.

– 
– 

– 

the Board seeks to ensure that:

– 

– 

 its membership represents an appropriate balance between Directors with investment 
management experience and Directors with an alternative perspective; and
 the size of the Board is conducive to effective discussion and efficient decision-making.

under the terms of the Company’s Constitution:

– 

– 

 an election of Directors must be held at each Annual General Meeting and at least 
one Director (but not the Managing Director) must retire from office; and
 each Director (but not the Managing Director) must retire from office at the third 
Annual General Meeting following his/her last election.

Where eligible, a Director may stand for re-election.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

26

Corporate governanCe statement

ContInueD

1.6	Access	to	Information	and	Independent	Advice
All Directors have unrestricted access to records and information of the Group.

non-executive Directors receive regular updates and reports from Management.

the Board of Directors’ Charter provides that the Directors may (in connection with their 
duties and responsibilities) seek independent professional advice at the Company’s expense, 
after first notifying the Board. the Board will review the estimated costs for reasonableness, 
but will not impede the seeking of advice.

1.7	Performance	Assessment
the Board of Directors’ Charter requires:

– 

– 
– 
– 

 the Board to review its performance (at least annually) against previously agreed 
measurable and qualitative indicators;
 the Chair of the Board to review each Director’s performance;
 a nominated Director to review the Chair’s performance; and
 the Board to undertake a formal annual review of its overall effectiveness, including 
its Committees.

these assessments were undertaken.

As a result of these assessments, the Board may implement changes to improve the 
effectiveness of the Board and corporate governance structures.

2. BoarD Committees
the Board has established a number of committees to assist in the execution of its duties 
and (from time to time) to deal with matters of special importance. each Committee 
operates under an approved Charter.

2.1	Audit	Committee
Members: M towers (Chair), M Cole and B Coleman.

the purpose of the Committee is to assist the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities 
relating to the financial reporting and accounting practices of the Company.  
Its key responsibilities are to:

–  review the financial information presented by Management;
– 

 consider the adequacy and effectiveness of the Company’s administrative, operating 
and accounting controls as a means of ensuring the Company’s affairs are being 
conducted by Management in compliance with legal, regulatory and policy requirements;

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

27

2.1	Audit	Committee	ContInueD
– 

 review any significant compliance issues affecting the Company and monitor actions 
taken by Management;
 review recommendations from the Finance Director and/or external Auditor 
on key financial and accounting principles to be adopted by the Company; and
 recommend to the Board the appointment of external auditors and monitor 
the conduct of audits.

– 

– 

All members of the Committee are independent non-executive Directors.

the Audit Committee has authority (within the scope of its responsibilities) to seek any 
information it requires from any Group employee or external party. Members may also 
meet with auditors (internal and/or external) without Management present, and consult 
independent experts, where the Committee considers it necessary to carry out its duties.

All matters determined by the Committee are submitted to the full Board as 
recommendations for Board decisions. Minutes of a Committee meeting are tabled 
at the subsequent Board meeting. Additional requirements for specific reporting by 
the Committee to the Board are addressed in the Charter.

Attendance at Committee meetings is provided in the Directors’ Report on page 17.

2.2	Remuneration	Committee
Members: B Coleman (Chair), M Cole and M towers.

the Committee advises the Board on remuneration and incentive policies and practices 
generally and makes specific recommendations on remuneration packages and other terms 
of employment for executive Directors, other Senior executives and non-executive Directors.

Members of the Remuneration Committee have access to the Company’s officers 
and advisers and may consult independent experts where the Committee considers 
it necessary to carry out its duties.

Attendance at Remuneration Committee meetings is provided in the Directors’ Report 
on page 17.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

28

Corporate governanCe statement

ContInueD

Remuneration	Policies
Remuneration for the executive Directors consists of salary, bonuses or other elements. 
Any equity-based remuneration for executive Directors will be subject to shareholder 
approval where required by law or ASX Listing Rules.

Remuneration for non-executive Directors must not exceed in aggregate a maximum 
sum that shareholders fix in general meeting. the current maximum aggregate amount 
fixed by shareholders is $2 million per annum (including superannuation contributions). 
this amount was fixed by shareholders at the 10 April 2007 general meeting.

executive and non-executive Directors may also be reimbursed for their expenses properly 
incurred as Directors. Further information is provided in the Remuneration Report.

Remuneration	Paid
Remuneration paid to the executive and non-executive Directors for the 2010/2011 
reporting year is set out on pages 17 to 20 of the Directors’ Report.

3. Company auDitors
the policy of the Board is to appoint an Auditor that clearly demonstrates competence 
and independence.

the performance of the Auditor is reviewed annually and applications for tender of 
external audit services are requested as deemed appropriate, taking into consideration 
assessment of performance, existing value and tender costs.

PricewaterhouseCoopers was appointed as Auditor in 2007. It is PricewaterhouseCoopers’ 
policy to rotate audit engagement partners on listed companies at least every five years.

An analysis of fees paid to the Auditor, including a breakdown of fees for non-audit 
services, is provided in the Directors’ Report. It is the policy of the Auditor to provide 
an annual declaration of its independence to the Audit Committee.

the Auditor is required to attend the Company’s Annual General Meeting and be available 
to answer shareholder questions about the conduct of the audit and the preparation 
and content of the Auditor’s Report.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

29

4. Company poLiCies
4.1	Directors’	Code	of	Conduct
the Board has adopted a Directors’ Code of Conduct which is based upon the Australian 
Institute of Company Directors’ Code of Conduct. It requires the Directors to act honestly, 
in good faith, and in the best interests of the Company as a whole, whilst in accordance 
with the letter (and spirit) of the law.

4.2	Trading	in	Company	Securities
All Directors and staff of the Group must comply with the Company’s Share trading Policy. 
In summary, the policy prohibits trading in the Company securities:

–  when aware of unpublished price-sensitive information;
– 

 from the first day of the month until announcement of the Company’s monthly funds 
under management figure to the ASX;
 from 1 January (each year) until announcement of the Company’s half-yearly financial 
results to the ASX;
 from 1 July (each year) until announcement of the Company’s annual financial results 
to the ASX; and

– 

– 

–  during any other black-out period (as notified).

Directors and staff are prohibited from entering into transactions in associated products 
that operate to limit the economic risk of holding PtM shares over unvested entitlements.

4.3	Financial	Reporting
In respect of the year ended 30 June 2011, the Managing Director and Finance Director 
have made the following certifications to the Board:

– 

– 

 the Company’s financial reports are complete and present a true and fair view, in all 
material respects, of the financial condition and operational results of the Company 
and the Group and are in accordance with relevant Accounting Standards.
 the above statement is founded on a sound system of risk management and internal 
compliance and control that implements the policies adopted by the Board and that 
the Company’s risk management and internal compliance and control system is operating 
efficiently and effectively in all material respects.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

30

Corporate governanCe statement

ContInueD

4.4	Continuous	Disclosure
the Board is committed to:

– 

– 

– 

 the promotion of investor confidence by ensuring that trading in Company shares 
takes place in an efficient, competitive and informed market;
 complying with the Company’s disclosure obligations under the ASX Listing Rules 
and the Corporations Act 2001; and
 ensuring the Company’s stakeholders have the opportunity to access externally 
available information issued by the Company.

the Company Secretary is responsible for coordinating the disclosure of information 
to Regulators and shareholders and ensuring that any notifications/reports to the ASX 
are promptly posted on the Company’s website.

4.5	Shareholder	Communication
the Board has adopted a Communications Plan that describes the Board’s policy for 
ensuring that shareholders and potential investors of the Company receive or obtain access 
to information publicly released by the Company. the Company’s primary portals are its 
website, Annual Report, Annual General Meeting, Half-Yearly Financial Report and monthly 
notices to the ASX.

the Company Secretary oversees and coordinates the distribution of all information 
by the Company to the ASX, shareholders, the media and the public.

4.6	Risk	Management	and	Compliance
the Board, through the Audit Committee, is responsible for ensuring that:

– 

– 

 there are effective systems in place to identify, assess, monitor and manage the risks 
of the Company; and
 internal controls and arrangements are adequate for monitoring compliance with laws 
and regulations applicable to the Company.

the Group has implemented risk management and compliance frameworks based on 
AS/nZS ISo 31000:2009 Risk Management – Principles and Guidelines and AS 3806-2006 
Compliance Programs. these frameworks (together with the Group’s internal audit function) 
ensure that:

–  emphasis is placed on maintaining a strong control environment;
–  accountability and delegations of authority are clearly identified;

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

31

4.6	Risk	Management	and	Compliance	ContInueD
–  risk profiles are in place and regularly reviewed and updated;
– 

 timely and accurate reporting is provided to Management and respective committees; 
and
 compliance with the laws (applicable to the Company) and the Group’s policies 
(including business rules of conduct) is communicated and demonstrated.

– 

Management reports periodically to the Audit Committee and the Board on the 
effectiveness of the Group’s risk management and compliance frameworks.

4.7	Business	Rules	of	Conduct
Platinum’s Business Rules of Conduct (“BRoC”) applies to all staff of the Group. 
It communicates the appropriate standards of behaviour, provides a framework 
for the workplace, and informs staff of their responsibilities with respect to legal 
compliance, confidentiality and privacy, conflicts of interest, investment activities 
and operational processes.

Compliance is monitored by the Compliance team. All employees are required to sign an 
annual declaration confirming their compliance with the BRoC and the Group’s policies.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

32

statement of Comprehensive inCome

FoR tHe YeAR enDeD 30 June 2011

CONSOLIDATED 
2011 
$’000 

cOnsOliDAteD
2010
$’000

nOtes 

6 

Income
Management fees 
Performance fees 
Administration fees 
Interest 
net gains/(losses) on financial assets at fair value through profit or loss 
net (losses) on foreign currency contracts 
net (losses) on foreign currency bank accounts 
other investments 
Total	income 
Expenses
Staff 
Custody and unit registry 
Share-based payments 
Business development 
technology 
Rent and other occupancy 
Research 
other professional 
Legal and compliance 
Depreciation 
Restructuring and related costs 
Miscellaneous 
Share registry 
Mail house 
Statutory audit fee 
Periodic reporting 
Total	expenses 
Profit	before	income	tax	expense 
Income tax expense 
Profit	after	income	tax	expense 
other comprehensive income 
Total	comprehensive	income	for	the	year 
Basic	earnings	per	share (cents per share) 
Diluted	earnings	per	share (cents per share) 

8 
8 

2(a) 

17 

236,021 
5,638 
11,866 
11,940 
(552) 
(8) 
(416) 
130 
264,619 

19,997 
12,155 
5,975 
4,473 
1,641 
1,493 
1,490 
667 
557 
493 
447 
421 
405 
263 
255 
131 
50,863 
213,756 
63,697 
150,059 
– 
150,059 
26.73 
26.32 

217,398
10,702
11,155
8,024
1,328
(17)
(258)
23
248,355

18,781
11,330
6,611
5,568
1,089
1,447
1,494
509
553
417
568
456
388
284
272
196
49,963
198,392
61,540
136,852
–
136,852
24.39
23.33

the above statement of comprehensive income should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BaLanCe sheet

AS At 30 June 2011

33

CONSOLIDATED 
2011 
$’000 

cOnsOliDAteD
2010
$’000

nOtes 

Current	assets

Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss 

7,468 

Cash and cash equivalents 

12(a) 

232,761 

term deposits 

trade receivables 

Interest receivable 

Prepayments 

Total	current	assets 

Non‑current	assets

Deferred tax assets 

Fixed assets 

Total	non‑current	assets 

Total	assets 

Current	liabilities

Payables 

Current tax payable 

Provisions 

Total	current	liabilities 

Non‑current	liabilities

Deferred tax liabilities 

Provisions 

Total	non‑current	liabilities 

Total	liabilities 

Net	assets 

Equity

Contributed equity 

Reserves 

Retained profits 

Total	equity 

663

29,758

194,128

21,446

3,062

956

813 

21,114 

1,823 

1,112 

265,091 

250,013

1,506 

2,421 

3,927 

2,030

2,550

4,580

269,018 

254,593

5,216 

14,653 

1,704 

21,573 

687 

50 

737 

11,418

15,204

1,626

28,248

921

26

947

22,310 

246,708 

29,195

225,398

629,091 

(567,151) 

61,940 

184,768 

246,708 

629,091

(573,126)

55,965

169,433

225,398

2(b) 

3 

4 

5 

2(c) 

5 

7(a) 

7(b) 

9 

the above Balance sheet should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
34

statement of Changes in equity

FoR tHe YeAR enDeD 30 June 2011

  cOnsOliDAteD 
  cOntriButeD  cOnsOliDAteD 
reserves 
$’000 

equity 
$’000 

nOtes 

  cOnsOliDAteD 

retAineD  cOnsOliDAteD 
tOtAl 
$’000

prOFits 
$’000 

Balance	at	1	July	2009	

629,091	

(579,737)	

144,781	

194,135

total comprehensive  

income for the year 

transactions with equity  

holders in their capacity  

as equity owners:

Share-based payments 

Dividends paid 

6 

10 

– 

– 

– 

– 

136,852 

136,852

6,611 

– 

6,611

– 

(112,200) 

(112,200)

Balance	at	30	June	2010	

629,091	

(573,126)	

169,433	

225,398

total comprehensive  

income for the year 

transactions with equity  

holders in their capacity  

as equity owners:

Share-based payments 

Dividends paid 

6 

10 

– 

– 

– 

– 

150,059 

150,059

5,975 

– 

5,975

– 

(134,724) 

(134,724)

Balance	at	30	June	2011	

629,091	

(567,151)	

184,768	

246,708

the above statement of changes in equity should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
 
 
	
 
	
 
	
35

statement of Cash fLows

FoR tHe YeAR enDeD 30 June 2011

Cash	flow	from	operating	activities

Interest received 

Receipts from operating activities 

Payments for operating activities 

Income taxes paid 

CONSOLIDATED 
2011 
$’000 

cOnsOliDAteD
2010
$’000

nOtes 

13,178 

253,987 

(50,724) 

(63,959) 

8,797

242,111

(38,638)

(55,930)

Cash	flow	from	operating	activities 

12(b) 

152,482 

156,340

Cash	flow	from	investing	activities

Receipts from sales of financial assets 

Payments for purchases of financial assets 

Payments for purchases of fixed assets 

Proceeds on maturity of term deposits  

and bank certificates of deposit 

Purchases of term deposits and bank certificates of deposit 

Cash	flow	from	investing	activities 

Cash	flow	from	financing	activities

Dividends paid 

Cash	flow	from	financing	activities 

Net	increase/(decrease)	in	cash	and	cash	equivalents 

Cash and cash equivalents held at the beginning  

4,067 

(11,420) 

(367) 

194,940 

(1,625) 

185,595 

(134,646) 

(134,646) 

203,431 

14,010

(13,491)

(311)

167,315

(196,111)

(28,588)

(112,194)

(112,194)

15,558

of the financial year 

29,758 

14,269

effects of exchange rate changes on cash  

and cash equivalents 

Cash	and	cash	equivalents	held	at	the	end		

(428) 

(69)

of	the	financial	year 

12(a) 

232,761 

29,758

the above statement of cash Flows should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
36

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

1. summary of signifiCant aCCounting poLiCies
the principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial report are 
set out below. these policies have been consistently applied to all periods presented, 
unless otherwise stated.

the financial report includes the financial statements for Platinum Asset Management 
Limited as a consolidated entity, consisting of Platinum Asset Management Limited and 
its subsidiaries. the Corporations Amendment (Corporate Reporting Reform) Act 2010 
provides entities that present consolidated financial statements with the option of not 
having to present separate parent entity financial statements (and instead present key 
financial disclosures relating to the parent entity in a separate note to the accounts). 
the parent entity financial disclosures have been prepared based on the same accounting 
policies used to prepare the financial report. the financial report was authorised for issue 
by the Directors of the Company on 18 August 2011. the Directors have the power 
to amend the financial statements after issue.

(a)	Basis	of	Preparation
this general purpose financial report has been prepared in accordance with Australian 
Accounting Standards (including AASB 101: Presentation of Financial Statements), other 
authoritative pronouncements of the Australian Accounting Standards Board, urgent Issues 
Group Interpretations and the Corporations Act 2001.

Compliance	with	International	Financial	Reporting	Standards	(IFRS)
Australian Accounting Standards include Australian equivalents to International Financial 
Reporting Standards (AIFRS). Compliance with AIFRS ensures that the consolidated 
financial statements, and notes thereto, comply with International Financial Reporting 
Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).

Historical	cost	convention
these financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, 
as modified by the revaluation of “financial assets at fair value through profit or loss”.

Critical	accounting	estimates
the preparation of the financial statements in conformity with AIFRS requires the use of 
certain critical accounting estimates and judgements that are included in the accounting 
policies on the following pages.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

37

1. summary of signifiCant aCCounting poLiCies ContInueD
(b)	Principles	of	Consolidation
the consolidated financial statements incorporate the assets and liabilities of all 
subsidiaries controlled by Platinum Asset Management Limited (the “Company”) 
and the results of all controlled entities for the year ended 30 June. Platinum Asset 
Management Limited and its subsidiaries together are referred to in this financial 
report as “the consolidated entity” or “Group”.

Subsidiaries are those entities over which the Company has the power to govern the 
financial and operating policies, generally accompanying a shareholding of more than 
one-half of voting rights. the existence or effect of potential voting rights that are 
currently exercisable or convertible are considered when assessing whether the Company 
controls another entity.

Where control of an entity is obtained during the financial year, its results are included 
in the consolidated Balance Sheet from the date control commences. Where control of 
an entity ceases during the financial year, its results are included for that part of the year 
during which control existed.

the effects of all transactions between entities in the consolidated entity are eliminated 
in full. Accounting policies of various companies within the consolidated entity have been 
changed to ensure consistency with those policies adopted by the consolidated entity.

non-controlling interests in the results and equity of subsidiaries are shown separately 
in the consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income and Balance Sheet. the purchase 
method of accounting is used to account for the acquisition of subsidiaries by the Group.

the Group’s policy is to treat transactions with minority interests as transactions with 
equity owners of the Group. For purchases from minority interests the difference between 
any consideration paid and the relevant share acquired of the carrying net assets of the 
subsidiary is deducted from equity.

(c)	Income	Tax
the income tax expense for the period is the tax payable on the current period taxable 
income based on the current income tax rate, adjusted by changes in deferred tax assets 
and liabilities attributable to temporary differences between the tax bases of assets and 
liabilities and their carrying amounts in the financial statements and unused tax losses.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

38

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

1. summary of signifiCant aCCounting poLiCies ContInueD
(c)	Income	Tax	ContInueD
under AASB 112: Income Taxes, deferred tax balances are determined using the Balance 
Sheet method that calculates temporary differences based on the carrying amounts of an 
entity’s assets and liabilities in the Balance Sheet and their associated tax bases. Deferred 
tax assets are recognised as deductible temporary differences if it is probable that future 
taxable amounts will be available to utilise those temporary differences.

Tax	Consolidation	Legislation
In accordance with the (Australian) Income Tax Assessment Act (1997), Platinum Asset 
Management Limited is the head entity of the tax consolidated group that includes 
Platinum Asset Management Limited, Platinum Asset Pty Limited, Platinum Investment 
Management Limited and McRae Pty Limited.

Any current tax liabilities of the consolidated group are accounted for by Platinum Asset 
Management Limited. Current tax expense and deferred tax assets and liabilities 
are determined on a consolidated basis and recognised by the consolidated entity. 
on 23 June 2010, the Australian taxation office declared that the consolidated group 
is an offshore Business unit (oBu) under Australian taxation Law. this allows the 
consolidated group to apply a concessional tax rate of 10% to net income it derives 
offshore. the concession was applied from 1 July 2010.

(d)	Financial	Assets	at	Fair	Value	through	Profit	or	Loss
under AASB 139: Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement, investments are 
classified in the Balance Sheet as “financial assets at fair value through profit or loss”. 
these financial assets, that represent investments in unlisted unit trusts, are initially 
recognised at fair value.

Gains and losses arising from changes in the fair value of the financial assets are 
included in the Statement of Comprehensive Income in the period in which they arise. 
An assessment is made at the end of each reporting period whether there is objective 
evidence that a financial asset is impaired.

(e)	Transaction	Costs
Initial measurement (cost) on acquisition of trading securities shall not include directly 
attributable transaction costs such as fees and commissions paid to agents. Incremental 
transaction costs on purchases of financial assets at fair value through profit or loss are 
expensed as incurred.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

39

1. summary of signifiCant aCCounting poLiCies ContInueD
(f)	Foreign	Currency	Translation
the functional and presentation currency of the Company as determined in accordance 
with AASB 121: The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates will be the Australian dollar.

transactions denominated in foreign currencies are translated into Australian currency 
at the rates of exchange prevailing on the date of the transaction. Foreign currency assets 
and liabilities existing at balance date are translated at exchange rates prevailing at balance 
date. Resulting exchange differences are brought to account in determining profit and loss 
for the year.

(g)	Revenue	Recognition
Management,	Administration	and	Performance	Fees
Management, Administration and Performance fees are included as part of operating 
income and are recognised as they are earned. the majority of management fees are 
derived from the Platinum trust Funds. this fee is calculated at 1.44% per annum 
(GSt inclusive) of each Fund’s net Asset Value and is payable monthly.

Interest	Income
Interest income is recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income using the 
effective interest method, which allocates income over the relevant period.

Dividend	Income
Dividend income is brought to account on the applicable ex-dividend date.

(h)	Directors’	Entitlements
Liabilities for Directors’ entitlements to fees are accrued at nominal amounts calculated 
on the basis of current fee rates.

Contributions to Directors’ superannuation plans are charged as an expense as the 
contributions are paid or become payable.

(i)	Cash	and	Cash	Equivalents
In accordance with AASB 107: Statement of Cash Flows, cash includes deposits at call and 
cash at bank that are used to meet short-term cash requirements. Cash equivalents includes 
short-term deposits of three months or less from the date of acquisition that are readily 
convertible into cash. Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the financial year, as shown 
in the Statement of Cash Flows, are reconciled to the related item in the Balance Sheet.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

40

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

1. summary of signifiCant aCCounting poLiCies ContInueD
(i)	Cash	and	Cash	Equivalents	ContInueD
At 30 June 2011, nearly all of the Group’s term deposits have maturities of less than three 
months from the date of acquisition. However, at 30 June 2010, the Group held many term 
deposits that had maturities of more than three months from the date of acquisition. 
under AASB 107, deposits that have maturities of more than three months are not 
included as part of “cash and cash equivalents” and were disclosed separately in the 
Balance Sheet. All term deposits were held with licensed Australian banks.

Receipts from operating activities include management, administration and performance 
fees receipts. Payments for operating activities include payments to suppliers and employees.

(j)	Receivables
All receivables are recognised when a right to receive payment is established.

Debts that are known to be uncollectible are written off. A provision for doubtful debts 
is raised when there is evidence the amount will not be collected.

(k)	Payables
All payables and trade creditors are recognised as and when the Company becomes liable.

(l)	Provision	for	Employee	Entitlements
A provision for employee entitlements is recognised by the Group when there is an 
obligation to the employee. this is consistent with the legal position of the parties to the 
employment contract. Provision for employee entitlements to salaries, salary-related 
costs, annual leave and sick leave are accrued at nominal amounts calculated on the basis 
of current salary rates. Provision for long service leave, that are not to be paid or settled 
within 12 months of balance date, are accrued at the present values of future payments. 
Contributions to employee superannuation plans are charged as an expense as the 
contributions are paid or become payable.

(m)	Share‑Based	Payments
the Group operates share-based remuneration plans that include the granting of options and 
performance rights. the Group also operates a Fund Appreciation Rights Plan (FARP) whereby 
it purchases shares in Platinum Asset Management Limited on behalf of employees, if the 
employee satisfies, principally a time-based vesting condition. the value of shares purchased 
will be equivalent to a notional value in the Platinum trust Funds, notionally allocated to 
employees and adjusted for the accumulated performance of the Funds over the vesting period.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

41

1. summary of signifiCant aCCounting poLiCies ContInueD
(m)	Share‑Based	Payments	ContInueD
Share-based payments are granted to some employees of the Company’s operating 
subsidiary, Platinum Investment Management Limited.

Details relating to share-based payments are set out in note 6.

AASB 2009-8: Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards – Group Cash‑Settled 
Share‑based Payment Transactions (AASB 2) addresses whether certain types of 
share-based payment transactions should be accounted for as equity-settled or as 
cash-settled transactions and specifies the accounting in a subsidiary’s financial 
statements for share-based payment arrangements involving equity instruments of 
the parent. the Group applies this Standard with the impact being that the expense 
related to grants made during the year is recognised in the employing entity.

the fair value of share-based payments granted is recognised in the consolidated accounts 
as an expense with a corresponding increase in equity. the fair value is measured at grant 
date and amortised on a straight line basis over the period that the employees become 
unconditionally entitled to the share.

For options and performance rights, the fair value at grant date is independently determined 
using a Black-Scholes option pricing model that takes into account the exercise price, the 
term of the option or right, the impact of dilution, the share price at grant date, expected 
price volatility of the underlying share, the expected dividend yield and the risk-free interest 
rate for the term of the options or performance rights.

For shares to be purchased on behalf of employees, the fair value is measured based on the 
notional investment in the Platinum trust Funds. the fair value is subsequently amortised 
on a straight line basis over the applicable vesting period and adjusted at each balance date 
for accumulated investment performance.

At each balance date, the Group revises its estimates of the number of options (and 
performance rights) exercisable and shares to be purchased on behalf of employees. 
the share-based payments expense recognised each period takes into account the most 
recent estimate. the impact of any revision to the original estimate (e.g. forfeitures) will 
be recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income with the corresponding 
adjustment to equity.

(n)	Contributed	Equity
ordinary shares are classified as equity.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

42

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

1. summary of signifiCant aCCounting poLiCies ContInueD
(o)	Earnings	per	Share
(i)	Basic	earnings	per	share
Basic earnings per share is determined by dividing the profit attributable to equity holders 
by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the financial year.

(ii)	Diluted	earnings	per	share
Diluted earnings per share adjusts the weighted average number of shares used to determine 
basic earnings per share to take into account options and performance rights issued, but not 
exercised, under the options and Performance Rights Plan (oPRP) (see note 8).

(p)	Depreciation
Fixed assets are stated at historical cost less depreciation. Fixed assets (other than 
in-house software) are depreciated over their estimated useful lives using the diminishing 
balance method.

the expected useful lives are as follows:

Computer equipment 
Software 
In-house Software 
Communications equipment 
office Fit out 
office Furniture and equipment 

4 years
2½ years
4 years
4 – 20 years
5 – 131⁄3 years
5 – 131⁄3 years

Gains and losses on disposals are included in the Statement of Comprehensive Income.

(q)	Operating	Leases
Platinum Investment Management Limited has entered into a lease agreement for the 
premises it occupies and pays rent on a monthly basis.

Payments made under the operating lease are charged to the Income Statement.  
Details of the financial commitments relating to the lease are included in note 16.

(r)	Rounding	of	Amounts
the consolidated entity is of a kind referred to in the Australian Securities & Investments 
Commission’s Class order 98/0100 (as amended) and, consequently, amounts in the 
financial report and financial statements have been rounded to the nearest thousand 
dollars in accordance with that Class order, unless otherwise indicated.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

43

1. summary of signifiCant aCCounting poLiCies ContInueD
(s)	Goods	and	Services	Tax	(GST)
Revenue, expenses, receivables and payables are recognised net of the amount of 
associated GSt, unless the GSt is not recoverable from the tax authority. In this case, 
it is recognised as part of the cost of the acquisition of the asset or has been expensed.

Cash flows are presented on a gross basis.

(t)	New	Accounting	Standards	and	Interpretations
Certain new accounting standards and interpretations have been published that are not 
mandatory for the 30 June 2011 reporting period. the Company’s and consolidated entity’s 
assessment of the impact of these new standards and interpretations is set out below:

(i) 

 AASB 9: Financial Instruments and AASB 2009-11: Amendments to Australian 
Accounting Standards arising from AASB 9 and AASB 2010-7: Amendments to Australian 
Accounting Standards arising from AASB 9 (December 2010) (effective for annual 
periods beginning on or after 1 January 2015).

AASB 9: Financial Instruments provides revised guidance on the classification and 
measurement of financial assets. the requirements of this standard represents a significant 
change from the existing requirements of AASB 139 in respect of financial assets. 
the standard contains two primary measurement categories of financial assets: amortised 
cost and fair value. the standard eliminates the existing AASB 139 categories of held 
to maturity, available for sale and loans and receivables. equity instruments will be 
measured at fair value with fair value changes in traded equity investments taken to 
the profit or loss. the standard would not have a significant impact on the Company 
or consolidated entity as its equity instruments are already recognised at fair value. 
the Company and consolidated entity will apply the revised standard from 1 July 2015.

(ii)   Revised AASB 124: Related Party Disclosures (effective for annual periods beginning 

on or after 1 January 2011).

the revised AASB 124 simplifies the definition of a “related party”, clarifying its intended 
meaning and eliminating inconsistencies from the definition. the standard would not 
impact on the disclosures contained in the financial report.

the Company and consolidated entity will apply the revised standard from 1 July 2011.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

44

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

1. summary of signifiCant aCCounting poLiCies ContInueD
(t)	New	Accounting	Standards	and	Interpretations	ContInueD
(iii)  AASB 2009-12: Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards AASBs 5, 8, 108, 110, 
112, 119, 133, 137, 139, 1023 and 1031; and Interpretations 2, 4, 16, 1039 and 1052 
(effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2011).

the standard contains a variety of “editorial corrections”, that reflect changes made to 
the text of equivalent IFRSs by the IASB. the Company and consolidated entity do not 
expect that any adjustments will be necessary as a result of applying the amendments. 
the Company and consolidated entity will apply the revised standards from 1 July 2011.

(iv)  AASB 2010-4: Further Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards arising from 

the Annual Improvement Project (effective from 1 January 2011).

AASB 2010-4 makes amendments to various disclosure requirements including AASB 7: 
Financial Instruments: Disclosures, AASB 101: Presentation of Financial Statements and 
AASB 134: Interim Financial Reporting. the Company and consolidated entity do not 
expect any adjustments will be necessary as a result of applying the amendments. 
the Company and consolidated entity will apply the revised standards from 1 July 2011.

(v)   AASB 2010-5: Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards AASBs 1, 3, 4, 5, 101, 
107, 112, 118, 119, 121, 132, 133, 134, 137, 139, 140, 1023 and 1038 and Interpretations 
112, 115, 127, 132 and 1042 (effective for annual periods beginning on or after 
1 January 2011).

the standard contains a variety of “editorial amendments” to a range of Australian 
Accounting Standards and Interpretations that reflect changes made to the text of 
equivalent IFRSs by the IASB. the Company and consolidated entity do not expect that 
any adjustments will be necessary as a result of applying the amendments. the Company 
and consolidated entity will apply the revised standards from 1 July 2011.

(vi)  AASB 2010-6: Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards: Disclosure on Transfers 
of Financial Assets (effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 July 2011).

AASB 2010-6 amends AASB 1: First‑time Adoption of Australian Accounting Standards 
and AASB 7: Financial Instruments: Disclosures to introduce additional disclosures in respect 
of risk exposure arising from transfers of financial assets (for example, securitisations) 
and requires an understanding of the possible effects of any risks that remain with the 
entity that transfers the financial asset. the amendments will not have any impact on 
the Company’s and consolidated entity’s disclosures. the Company and consolidated entity 
will apply the revised standard from 1 July 2011.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

45

2011 
$’000 

2010
$’000

63,323 

524 

(234) 

84 

60,718

1,048

(224)

(2)

63,697 

61,540

213,756 

64,127 

198,392

59,518

(2,317) 

(8) 

(14) 

–

(1)

(1)

1,793 

1,983

30 

2 

84 

41

2

(2)

63,697 

61,540

2. inCome tax
(a)	The	income	tax	expense	attributable	to	profit	comprises:

Current income tax provision 

Deferred tax assets 

Deferred tax liabilities 

under/(over) provision of prior period tax 

Income	tax	expense 

the aggregate amount of income tax attributable to the financial year  

differs from the prima facie amount payable on the profit.  

the difference is reconciled as follows:

Profit before income tax expense 

Prima facie income tax on profit at 30% 

tax effect on amounts that:

Reduce tax payable:

– tax rate differential on offshore business income 

– Allowable credits 

– non-assessable income 

tax effect of amounts that are non-deductible

Increase tax payable:

– Share-based payments 

– Depreciation 

– other non-deductible expenses 

under/(over) provision of prior period tax 

Income	tax	expense 

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
46

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

2011 
$’000 

2010
$’000

2. inCome tax ContInueD
(b)	Deferred	tax	assets

the balance comprises temporary differences attributable to:

Capital expenditure not immediately deductible 

413 

1,204

employee entitlements:

– Long service leave 

– Annual leave 

unrealised foreign exchange losses 

Legal fees 

tax fees 

Periodic reporting 

Audit and accounting 

Printing and mail house 

Fringe benefits tax 

unrealised capital losses 

Payroll tax 

Deferred	tax	assets 

(c)	Deferred	tax	liabilities

the balance comprises temporary differences attributable to:

Interest not assessable 

unrealised capital gains 

Deferred	tax	liabilities 

265 

246 

235 

– 

85 

26 

56 

25 

2 

138 

15 

1,506 

687 

– 

687 

245

243

21

105

85

40

50

27

2

–

8

2,030

916

5

921

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
47

2011 
$’000 

2010
$’000

934 

(675) 

259 

2,500 

(1,948) 

552 

102 

(76) 

26 

1,696 

(322) 

1,374 

476 

(266) 

210 

2,421 

780

(608)

172

2,379

(1,703)

676

120

(85)

35

1,696

(269)

1,427

476

(236)

240

2,550

3. fixeD assets

Computer equipment (at cost) 

Less: Accumulated depreciation 

Purchased and capitalised software (at cost) 

Less: Accumulated depreciation 

Communication equipment (at cost) 

Less: Accumulated depreciation 

office premises fit out (at cost) 

Less: Accumulated depreciation 

office furniture and equipment (at cost) 

Less: Accumulated depreciation 

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
48

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

3. fixeD assets ContInueD
Asset	Movements	during	the	year

opening balance 

Additions 

Disposals 

Depreciation expense 

Closing	balance 

opening balance 

Additions 

Disposals 

Depreciation expense 

Closing	balance 

opening balance 

Additions 

Disposals 

Depreciation expense 

Closing	balance 

cOMputer 
equipMent 

2011 
$’000 

2010 
$’000 

purchAseD AnD 
cApitAliseD sOFtwAre
2011 
2010
$’000 
$’000

172 

215 

(1) 

(127) 

259 

85 

149 

– 

(62) 

172 

676 

142 

– 

(266) 

552 

788

130

(1)

(241)

676

cOMMunicAtiOns 
equipMent 

2011 
$’000 

2010 
$’000 

35 

9 

(2) 

(16) 

26 

26 

30 

(3) 

(18) 

35 

OFFice preMises 
Fit Out

2011 
$’000 

1,427 

– 

– 

(53) 

1,374 

2010
$’000

1,486

–

–

(59)

1,427

OFFice Furniture 
AnD equipMent

2011 
$’000 

240 

1 

– 

(31) 

210 

2010
$’000

275

2

–

(37)

240

the closing balance of purchased and capitalised software disclosed above includes amounts 
recognised in relation to software in the course of construction and development of $11,000 
at 30 June 2011 (2010: $8,000).

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
49

2011 
$’000 

2010
$’000

3,382 

1,609 

225 

5,216 

9,613

1,658

147

11,418

4. payaBLes
Current

trade creditors 

Goods and Services tax (GSt) 

unclaimed dividends payable to shareholders 

trade creditors are unsecured and payable between seven and 30 days after the 
consolidated entity becomes liable. Information relating to the consolidated entity’s 
exposure of payables to liquidity risk is shown in note 18.

5. provisions
Current

Long service leave 

Annual leave 

Non‑Current

Payroll tax 

883 

821 

1,704 

50 

50 

816

810

1,626

26

26

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
 
   
   
   
50

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

6. share‑BaseD payments
(a)	Options	and	Performance	Rights	Plan	(OPRP)
on 22 May 2007, the Group established an oPRP to assist with the retention and motivation 
of employees. options were granted under this plan on 22 May 2007 and 17 June 2009.

Options
on 22 May 2007, some employees were initially granted 27,010,467 options under the oPRP, 
to take up shares in Platinum Asset Management Limited at a strike price of $5.00. the options 
(net of forfeitures) vested on 22 May 2011 and have a further two year exercise period.

on 17 June 2009, some employees were granted 8,783,205 options under the oPRP to take 
up shares in Platinum Asset Management Limited at a strike price of $4.50. the options vest 
after four years and have a further two year exercise period.

Performance	Rights
on 22 May 2007, employees who were not granted options under the oPRP, were granted 
performance rights to take up Platinum Asset Management Limited shares at a strike price 
of $nil. these performance rights vested after three years and had a further two year exercise 
period. employees were initially granted 372,703 performance rights. no performance rights 
have been granted since 2007. All performance rights that were granted to employees (net of 
forfeitures) vested on 22 May 2010.

options and performance rights on issue are as follows:

Options Granted on 22 May 2007

opening balance 

Vested – 22 May 2011 

Closing balance – unvested 

Options Granted on 17 June 2009

opening balance 

Movement 

Closing balance – unvested 

2011 
QuANTITy 

2010
quAntity

16,547,817 

16,547,817

(16,547,817) 

–

– 

16,547,817

8,783,205 

8,783,205

– 

–

8,783,205 

8,783,205

At 30 June 2011, 16,547,817 options granted on 22 May 2007 have vested, but remain 
unexercised and 8,783,205 options granted on 17 June 2009 remain unvested and 
unexercised.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
51

6. share‑BaseD payments ContInueD
(a)	Options	and	Performance	Rights	Plan	(OPRP)	ContInueD

Performance Rights Granted on 22 May 2007

opening balance 

Forfeitures – 15 February 2010 

Vested – 22 May 2010 

Closing balance – unvested 

2011 
QuANTITy 

2010
quAntity

– 

– 

– 

– 

356,503

(8,625)

(347,878)

–

Closing	balance	of	unvested	options	and	performance	rights 

8,783,205 

25,331,022

Model inputs for options and performance rights  

granted included:

(a) exercise price: 

(b) Grant date: 

(c)  expiry date: 

OptiOns 
22/05/07 

OptiOns 
17/06/09 

perFOrMAnce 
rights

$5.00 

$4.50 

$0.00

22 May 2007 

17 June 2009 

22 May 2007

22 May 2013 

17 June 2015 

22 May 2012

(d) Days to expiry (mid-point) at grant date: 

1,825 days 

1,825 days 

1,095 days

(e) Share price at grant date: 

(f)  Assumed volatility of the Company’s shares: 

(g) Assumed dividend yield: 

(h) Risk-free interest rate: 

$5.00 

22.50% 

5.35% 

6.11% 

$4.10 

42.00% 

4.30% 

5.01% 

$5.00

22.50%

5.35%

6.17%

In relation to the options and performance rights granted in May 2007, there was no 
historical basis to work out the assumed price volatility of the Company’s shares. therefore, 
the volatility was based on an analysis of comparable listed funds management companies. 
For options granted on 17 June 2009, the volatility was based on the Company’s share price 
movement since December 2008.

Fair	Value	of	Options	and	Performance	Rights
the assessed fair value of options and performance rights granted on 22 May 2007 
was $0.82 per option and $4.26 per performance right. the assessed fair value of 
options granted on 17 June 2009 was $1.14 per option.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
 
52

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

6. share‑BaseD payments ContInueD
(b)	Fund	Appreciation	Rights	Plan	(FARP)
on 1 April 2009, the Group established the FARP to assist with the retention and motivation 
of the Group’s investment analysts.

under the FARP, shares in Platinum Asset Management Limited are purchased by the Group 
on behalf of employees, if they satisfy a time-based vesting period requirement of three 
years continuous employment with the Group.

the total number of shares to be purchased by the Group is equivalent to the notional 
investment in the Platinum trust Funds, notionally allocated to employees, adjusted for 
the accumulated performance of the Funds over the vesting period. this interest is 
“notional” only, meaning employees have no entitlement to units in the Platinum trust 
Funds. A notional investment in the Platinum trust Funds occurred on 1 April 2009, 
1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011.

Fair	Value	of	the	Fund	Appreciation	Rights	(FARs)	Granted
the assessed fair value of FARs at 30 June 2011 is based on the notional market value 
of the investment in the Platinum trust Funds at the three grant dates (i.e. 1 April 2009, 
1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011 respectively) adjusted for the movement in notional value 
of units to 30 June 2011.

the fair value of FARs granted on 1 April 2009, to be amortised over a three year vesting 
period, was $550,000. the movement in the notional value of units between 1 July 2010 
and 30 June 2011 was ($30,525) (2010: $69,587).

the fair value of FARs granted on 1 April 2010, to be amortised over a three year vesting 
period, was $1,015,000. the movement in the notional value of units between 1 July 2010 
and 30 June 2011 was ($71,176) (2010: ($9,195) from 1 April 2010 to 30 June 2010).

the fair value of FARs granted on 1 April 2011, to be amortised over a three year vesting 
period, was $1,050,000. the movement in the notional value of units between 1 April 2011 
and 30 June 2011 was ($39,654) (2010: $nil).

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

53

6. share‑BaseD payments ContInueD
Expenses	Arising	from	Share‑Based	Payment	Transactions

total expenses arising from share-based payment transactions  

were as follows:

options granted on 22 May 2007 (vested 22 May 2011) 

options granted on 17 June 2009 

Performance rights granted on 22 May 2007 (vested 22 May 2010) 

Fund appreciation rights granted on 1 April 2009 

Fund appreciation rights granted on 1 April 2010 

Fund appreciation rights granted on 1 April 2011 

2011 
$’000 

2010
$’000

3,013 

2,494 

– 

153 

267 

48 

3,384

2,494

405

253

75

–

Total	share‑based	payments	expense 

5,975 

6,611

Associated payroll tax expense/(write-back) on options and  

performance rights* 

Associated payroll tax expense on fund appreciation rights* 

Total 

– 

25 

(3)

18

6,000 

6,626

*  Amounts are included in staff expense in the statement of comprehensive income.

At 30 June 2011, the fair value remaining to be amortised over the remainder of the vesting 
period is $nil for the options granted on 22 May 2007, $nil for the performance rights 
granted on 22 May 2007, $4,893,315 for the options granted on 17 June 2009, $137,668 
for the FARs granted on 1 April 2009, $592,392 for the FARs granted on 1 April 2010 and 
$962,819 for the FARs granted on 1 April 2011.

In order to retain and motivate employees, additional options, performance rights 
or FARs may be issued under the oPRP or FARP in the future, in compliance with the 
Corporations Act 2001.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
54

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

2011	
QuANTITy	’000	

2011 
$’000 

2010 
quAntity ’000 

2010
$’000

7. ContriButeD equity anD reserves
(a)	Movement	in	share	capital

ordinary shares – opening balance 

561,348	

629,091 

561,000 

629,091

ordinary shares – issued  

24 May 2010* 

–	

– 

348 

–

Total	Contributed	equity 

561,348	

629,091 

561,348 

629,091

*   On 24 May 2010, 347,878 performance rights that had vested were converted to ordinary shares. 

At 30 June 2011, no shares have been issued in relation to those options that vested on 22 May 2011 
and hence the 16,547,817 options, whilst vested, remain unexercised.

Ordinary	Shares
ordinary shares entitle the holder to participate in dividends and the proceeds on winding 
up of the Company in proportion to the number of shares held. All ordinary shares are 
issued and authorised.

2011 
$’000 

2010
$’000

(b)	Movement	in	reserves

opening balance – Brought forward capital reserve 

(573,126) 

(579,737)

Vested shares – options (granted on 22 May 2007) 

unvested shares – options (granted on 17 June 2009) 

Vested shares – Performance rights 

unvested shares – Fund appreciation rights (granted on 1 April 2009) 

unvested shares – Fund appreciation rights (granted on 1 April 2010) 

unvested shares – Fund appreciation rights (granted on 1 April 2011) 

3,013 

2,494 

– 

153 

267 

48 

3,384

2,494

405

253

75

–

Closing	Balance 

(567,151) 

(573,126)

In 2007, in preparation for listing, a restructure was undertaken in which the Company sold 
or transferred all of its assets, other than its beneficial interest in shares in Platinum Asset 
Pty Limited and sufficient cash to meet its year to date income tax liability.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
 
55

7. ContriButeD equity anD reserves ContInueD
(b)	Movement	in	reserves	ContInueD
the Company then split its issued share capital of 100 shares into 435,181,783 ordinary 
shares. It then took its beneficial interests in Platinum Investment Management Limited 
to 100%, through scrip for scrip offers, in consideration for the issue of 125,818,217 
ordinary shares in the Company. 

As a result of the share split and takeover offers, the Company had 561,000,000 ordinary 
shares on issue and beneficially held 100% of the issued share capital of Platinum Investment 
Management Limited. Subsequently, 140,250,000 shares on issue representing 25% of the 
issued shares of the Company were sold to the public by existing shareholders.

the opening brought forward capital reserve for 2010 is predominantly comprised 
of the difference between consideration paid for the purchase of the minority interests 
and the share of net assets acquired in the minority interests. this was deducted 
from equity.

8. earnings per share
Basic earnings per share – cents per share 

Diluted earnings per share – cents per share 

2011 

2010

26.73 

26.32 

24.39

23.33

Weighted average number of ordinary shares on issue used  

in the calculation of basic earnings per share 

561,347,878 

561,036,217

Weighted average number of ordinary shares on issue used  

in the calculation of diluted earnings per share excluding  

options that are out of the money 

570,131,083 

586,684,311

earnings used in the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share 

150,059 

136,852

2011 
$’000 

2010
$’000

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
56

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

9. retaineD profits
Retained earnings at the beginning of the financial year 

net profit 

Dividends paid 

2011 
$’000 

2010
$’000

169,433 

150,059 

144,781

136,852

(134,724) 

(112,200)

Retained	earnings	at	the	end	of	the	financial	year 

184,768 

169,433

2011 
CENTS	
PER	SHARE	

2011 
$’000 

2010
cents 
per shAre 

10. DiviDenDs (fuLLy frankeD)
Paid – 22 September 2009 

Paid – 16 March 2010 

Paid – 22 September 2010 

Paid – 15 March 2011 

–	

–	

14.00	

10.00	

– 

– 

78,589 

56,135 

134,724 

12.00 

8.00 

– 

– 

2010
$’000

67,320

44,880

–

–

112,200

Dividends	not	recognised	at	year‑end
In addition to the above dividends paid, since year-end the Directors have declared 
the payment of a dividend of 15 cents per fully paid ordinary share, fully franked based 
on tax paid at 30%. the aggregate amount of the dividend expected to be paid on 
22 September 2011, but not recognised as a liability at year-end, is $84,202,000.

2011 
$’000 

2010
$’000

110,907 

(57,739) 

63,408 

116,576 

98,276

(48,086)

60,717

110,907

11. franking aCCount
opening balance based on tax paid and franking credits  

attached to dividends paid 

Dividends paid – franked at 30% 

tax paid or payable 

Estimated	franking	credits	available 

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
57

2011 
$’000 

2010
$’000

266 

5,880 

226,615 

232,761 

45

16,213

13,500

29,758

12. notes to the Cash fLow statement
(a)	Reconciliation	of	Cash	and	Cash	Equivalents

Cash at bank 

Cash on deposit (at call) 

term deposits (three months or less from date of acquisition) 

Information in relation to the consolidated entity’s exposure to interest rate risk is provided 
in note 18.

(b)		Reconciliation	of	Net	Cash	from	Operating	Activities	to	Profit	After	Income	Tax

Profit after income tax 

Depreciation 

Fixed assets scrapped 

Share-based payments 

(Gain)/loss on investments 

Decrease/(Increase) in cash due to exchange rate movements 

Decrease/(Increase) in trade receivables 

Decrease/(Increase) in interest receivable 

Decrease/(Increase) in prepayments 

Decrease/(Increase) in deferred tax assets 

(Decrease)/Increase in trade creditors and GSt 

(Decrease)/Increase in annual leave, long service leave and  

payroll tax provisions 

(Decrease)/Increase in income tax payable 

(Decrease)/Increase in deferred tax liabilities 

150,059 

136,852

493 

3 

5,975 

548 

428 

332 

1,239 

(156) 

524 

(6,280) 

102 

(551) 

(234) 

417

4

6,611

(1,123)

69

2,849

773

71

1,048

4,364

(157)

4,786

(224)

52,482 

156,340

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
   
   
58

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

13.  Contingent assets, LiaBiLities anD Commitments 

to CapitaL expenDiture

no contingent assets or liabilities exist at 30 June 2011 and 30 June 2010. 

the consolidated entity has no commitments for significant capital expenditure.

14. suBsequent events
no significant events have occurred since the balance date that would impact on the financial 
position of the consolidated entity as at 30 June 2011 and on the results for the year ended 
on that date.

15. segment information
under AASB 8: Operating Segments, the consolidated entity is considered to have a single 
operating segment being funds management services. However, AASB 8 requires certain 
entity-wide disclosures, such as source of revenue by geographic region. the consolidated 
entity derives management and performance fees from Australian investment vehicles 
and its uS-based investment mandates. 

the geographical breakdown of revenue is as follows:

Australia 

north America 

2011 
$’000 

252,311 

12,308 

264,619 

2010
$’000

234,481

13,874

248,355

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
   
59

16. Lease Commitments
total lease expenditure contracted for at balance date, but not provided for in the accounts 
is as follows:

Operating	leases

Payable not later than one year 

Payable later than one, not later than five years 

2011 
$’000 

1,448 

4,072 

5,520 

2010
$’000

1,354

5,411

6,765

17. auDitor’s remuneration
During the year, the following fees were paid or payable for services provided by the Auditor 
to the consolidated entity. 

the fees were paid by Platinum Investment Management Limited on behalf of the 
consolidated entity.

Statutory audit services 

taxation services – compliance 

taxation services – foreign tax agent 

other audit and assurance services 

Advisory services – restructuring and related costs 

2011 
$’000 

255 

474 

26 

24 

779 

19 

798 

2010
$’000

272

466

18

31

787

227

1,014

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
   
 
 
   
   
60

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

18. finanCiaL risk management
the consolidated entity’s activities expose it to both direct and indirect financial risk, 
including: market risk, credit risk and liquidity risk. Direct exposure to financial risk occurs 
through the impact on profit of movements in funds under management (“FuM”) and 
indirect exposure occurs because Platinum’s operating subsidiary is the Investment Manager 
for various Platinum investment vehicles (that include investment mandates, various unit 
trusts, known as the Platinum trusts and its ASX-listed investment vehicle, Platinum Capital 
Limited). this note discusses the direct exposure to risk of the consolidated entity.

the Investment Manager’s risk management procedures focus on managing the potential 
adverse effects on financial performance caused by volatility of financial markets.

the direct risks and mitigation strategies are outlined below:

(a)	Market	Risk
the key direct risks associated with the consolidated entity are those driven by investment 
and market volatility and the resulting impact on FuM, or a reduction in the growth of 
FuM. Reduced FuM will directly impact on management fee income and profit, because 
management fee income is calculated as a percentage of FuM. FuM can be directly 
impacted by a range of factors including:

(i) 

 poor investment performance: absolute negative investment performance will reduce 
FuM and relative under performance to appropriate market benchmarks could reduce 
the attractiveness of Platinum’s investment products to investors, which would impact 
on the growth of the business. Poor investment performance could also trigger the 
termination of Investment Mandate arrangements;

(ii)   market volatility: Platinum invests in global markets. It follows that a decline in overseas 
markets, adverse exchange rate or interest rate movements will all impact on FuM;

(iii)   a reduction in the ability to retain and attract investors: that could be caused by a decline 
in investment performance, but also a range of other factors, such as the high level of 
competition in the funds management industry;

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

61

18. finanCiaL risk management ContInueD
(a)	Market	Risk	ContInueD
(iv)  a loss of key personnel; and

(v)   investor allocation decisions: investors constantly re-assess and re-allocate their 

investments on the basis of their own preferences. Investor allocation decisions could 
operate independently from investment performance, such that funds outflows occur 
despite positive investment performance.

A decline in investment performance will also directly impact on performance share fees 
and performance fees earned by the consolidated entity. Historically, the amount of 
performance share fees earned by the consolidated entity have fluctuated significantly 
from year to year and can be a material source of fee revenue.

For those Investment Mandates that pay a performance share fee, the fee is based 
on a proportion of each Mandate’s investment performance. It is calculated at the end 
of each calendar year and is based upon the actual performance of each Investment 
Mandate for the year.

Performance fees may be earned by the consolidated entity, if the investment return 
of a Platinum trust Fund (or Platinum Capital Limited) exceeds a specified benchmark. 
Should the actual performance of a Platinum trust Fund/Platinum Capital Limited 
be higher than the applicable benchmark, a performance fee would be receivable for 
the financial year. As at 30 June 2011, performance fees of $nil were receivable 
(2010: $1,036,950).

If global equity markets fell 10% over the course of the year and consequently the 
consolidated entity’s FuM fell in line with global equity markets, it follows that management 
fees would fall by 10%. If there was a 10% decrease in performance of Investment Mandates 
over the course of the calendar year that resulted in an actual negative performance for 
the Investment Mandate for the year, then no performance fee would be earned.

the above analysis assumes a uniform 10% fall across all global equity markets. this is 
extremely unlikely as there is a large degree of variation in volatility across markets. 
For example, it is quite feasible for the Japanese market to fall whilst other Asian markets 
exhibit strong growth.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

62

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

18. finanCiaL risk management ContInueD
(a)	Market	Risk	ContInueD
to mitigate the impact of adverse investment performance on FuM, the Investment Manager 
may employ hedging strategies to manage the impact of adverse market and exchange 
rate movements on the funds it manages. Market risk may be managed through derivative 
contracts, including futures, options and swaps. Currency risk may be managed through 
the use of foreign currency contracts.

the section below discusses the direct impact of foreign exchange risk, interest rate risk 
and price risk on the consolidated entity’s financial instruments held at 30 June 2011.

(i)	Foreign	Exchange	Risk
the consolidated entity has uS dollar Investment Mandates and derives fees in uS dollars 
from these mandates. In addition, the consolidated entity held uS$1,669,772 (equivalent 
to A$1,557,333) in cash at 30 June 2011 (2010: uS$1,671,092 (equivalent to A$1,987,502)). 
therefore, the consolidated entity is directly exposed to foreign exchange risk arising from 
movements in exchange rates.

If the Australian Dollar had been 10% lower/higher against the uS Dollar than the 
prevailing exchange rate used to convert the Mandate fees and foreign currency holdings 
with all other variables held constant, then net profit after tax would have been 
A$1,111,554 higher/A$909,455 lower (2010: A$1,254,714 higher/A$1,026,946 lower).

(ii)	Interest	Rate	Risk
At 30 June 2011, term deposits are the only significant asset with potential exposure 
to interest rate risk held by the consolidated entity. An interest rate movement of +/–1% 
occurring on 30 June 2011 will have no impact on profit as the interest rate on term 
deposits are determined on purchase date.

(iii)	Price	Risk
At 30 June 2011, financial assets at fair value through profit or loss represent an 
immaterial amount of the consolidated entity’s total assets and net profit. Accordingly, 
the consolidated entity does not have a significant direct exposure to price risk.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

63

18. finanCiaL risk management ContInueD
(b)	Credit	Risk
Credit risk relates to the risk of a counterparty defaulting on a financial obligation resulting 
in a loss to the Company (typically “non-equity” financial instruments). Credit risk arises 
from the financial assets of the consolidated entity that includes: cash, receivables and 
term deposits. All term deposits are held with licensed Australian banks.

the maximum exposure to direct credit risk at balance date is the carrying amount of 
financial assets recognised in the Balance Sheet. the consolidated entity may hold some 
collateral as security (for example, margin accounts) and the credit quality of all financial 
assets is consistently monitored by the consolidated entity. no financial assets are past 
due or impaired.

Any default in the value of a financial instrument held within any of the Platinum trusts, 
Platinum Capital or the Investment Mandates, will result in reduced investment performance. 
there is no direct loss for the consolidated entity other than through the ensuing reduction 
in FuM, as noted above in market risk. the Investment Manager employs standard market 
practices for managing its credit risk exposure.

(c)	Liquidity	Risk
Liquidity risk is the risk that the consolidated entity will encounter difficulty in meeting 
obligations associated with financial liabilities. the consolidated entity manages liquidity 
risk by maintaining sufficient cash reserves to cover its liabilities and receiving management 
fees to meet operating expenses on a regular basis. Management monitors its cash position 
on a daily basis and prepares cash forecasts on a weekly basis.

Contractual	maturity	analysis
At 30 June 2011, the consolidated entity has an obligation to settle trade creditors of 
$3,381,837 (2010: $9,612,788) between seven and 30 days after becoming legally liable, 
Goods and Services tax liability of $1,609,641 (2010: $1,658,140) within 21 days and 
estimated income tax payable of $14,653,502 (2010: $15,204,065) within approximately 
five months and unclaimed dividends payable to shareholders of $225,199 (2010: $147,314), 
long service leave of $883,000 (2010: $816,000) and annual leave of $821,591 (2010: 
$810,181) payable at call. In addition, a payroll tax amount of $50,368 (2010: $25,803) has 
been provided for and is payable on vesting dates of rights under the FARP (March 2012, 
March 2013 and March 2014).

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

64

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

18. finanCiaL risk management ContInueD
(c)	Liquidity	Risk	ContInueD
At 30 June 2011, the consolidated entity has sufficient cash reserves of $232,761,124 
(2010: $29,757,789) and a further $22,937,858 (2010: $24,507,333) of receivables to 
cover these liabilities. the current year cash reserves figure includes $226,615,000 of 
term deposits. All of these term deposits have maturities of three months or less from 
the date of acquisition.

Accordingly, the consolidated entity does not have a significant direct exposure to 
liquidity risk.

(d)	Fair	Value	Hierarchy
AASB 7: Financial Instruments: Disclosures requires the consolidated entity to classify fair 
value measurements using a fair value hierarchy that reflects the subjectivity of the inputs 
used in making the measurements. the fair value hierarchy has the following levels:

(i) 

 quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (level 1);

(ii)   inputs other than quoted prices included within level 1 that are observable for the 

asset or liability either directly (as prices) or indirectly (derived from prices) (level 2); 
and

(iii)  inputs for the assets or liability that are not based on observable market data 

(unobservable inputs) (level 3).

At 30 June 2011 and 30 June 2010, all financial assets at fair value through profit or loss 
are classified as level 1 as all financial assets are valued based on quoted arm’s length 
prices in active markets.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

65

18. finanCiaL risk management ContInueD
(e)	Capital	Risk	Management
(i)	Capital	requirements
the Company has limited capital requirements. owing to the volatility caused by the 
performance share fee component of revenue, the Directors smooth dividend payments 
and have a policy of paying out 80% to 90% of net profit after tax. this is a policy, 
not a guarantee.

(ii)	External	requirements
In connection with operating a funds management business in Australia, the operating 
subsidiary of the Company (that conducts the funds management business) is required to 
hold an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL). As a holder of an AFSL, the Australian 
Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) requires the subsidiary to:

– 

 hold at least $5 million net tangible Assets in respect of its managed investments 
and custody services;

–  have Adjusted Surplus Liquid Funds (“ASLF”) of:

–  $50,000; plus
–  5% of adjusted liabilities between $1 million and $100 million; plus
– 

 0.5% of adjusted liabilities for any amount of adjusted liabilities exceeding 
$100 million, up to a maximum ASLF of $100 million.

–  have at least $50,000 in Surplus Liquid Funds (“SLF”) (i.e. its own funds in liquid form).

the operating subsidiary has complied with all externally imposed requirements to hold 
an AFSL during the financial year.

19. the Company
Platinum Asset Management Limited (the “Company”) is a company limited by shares, 
incorporated and domiciled in new South Wales. Its registered office and principal place 
of business is Level 8, 7 Macquarie Place, Sydney nSW 2000. the Company is the ultimate 
holding company for the entities listed in note 20.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
66

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

20. the suBsiDiaries
the consolidated financial statements incorporate the assets, liabilities and results of 
the following subsidiaries in accordance with the accounting policy described in note 1(b):

(a)  McRae Pty Limited (incorporated in Australia) – (100% owned by the Company).

(b)   Platinum Asset Pty Limited (incorporated in Australia) – (indirectly 100% owned 

by the Company).

(c)   Platinum Investment Management Limited (incorporated in Australia) – (indirectly 

100% owned by the Company).

(d)   Platinum Asset Management Pte Ltd (incorporated in Singapore) – (indirectly 100% 

owned by the Company).

21. reLateD party DeaLings
(a)	Directors’	remuneration
Details of all remuneration paid to Directors is disclosed in the Directors’ Report and note 22.

(b)	Subsidiaries
Interests in subsidiaries are set out in note 20.

(c)	Transactions	with	related	parties
Platinum Investment Management Limited provides investment management services 
to related party unit trusts – the Platinum trust Funds and to the ASX-listed investment 
company, Platinum Capital Limited. Platinum Investment Management Limited is entitled 
to receive a monthly management fee from Platinum Capital Limited and the Platinum 
trust Funds, a monthly administration fee from the Platinum trust Funds and in some 
instances a performance fee (that is calculated annually) based upon the relevant Funds 
and Platinum Capital Limited’s investment return over and above a specified benchmark. 
the total related party fees recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income for 
the year ended 30 June 2011 was $209,839,040 (2010: $194,882,770). of this, an amount 
of $16,469,022 was receivable at 30 June 2011 (2010: $18,276,267).

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

67

21. reLateD party DeaLings ContInueD
(d)	Tax	consolidation	and	dividend	transactions
Any tax payments and dividends are sourced from the operating subsidiary, Platinum 
Investment Management Limited, and paid out by the Company. Platinum Asset 
Management Limited is the head entity of the consolidated tax group and is the entity 
that ultimately pays out dividends to shareholders. the amounts paid are disclosed 
in the Statement of Cash Flows.

22. key management personneL DisCLosures
(a)	Details	of	remuneration
the consolidated entity paid executive and non-executive Directors total short-term 
compensation of $2,070,900 (2010: $2,198,400) and superannuation of $91,194 
(2010: $168,366). Also provided for the executive Directors of the Company was 
an increase in long service leave provision of $45,479 (2010: $20,454) and a decrease 
in annual leave provision of $4,844 (2010: $37,931). In addition, M Halstead received 
a payment of $118,226 representing $29,941 in accrued annual leave and $93,285 
in accrued long service leave.

the above compensation figures include remuneration paid and provided to A Clifford, 
who is a Director of the operating subsidiary, Platinum Investment Management Limited. 
P Howard and A Clifford received share-based compensation that is disclosed below.

(b)	Interests	of	Non‑Executive	and	Executive	Directors	in	shares
the relevant interest in ordinary shares of the Company that each Director had at balance 
date was: M Cole 300,000 (2010: 300,000), B Coleman 200,000 (2010: 200,000), 
M towers 20,000 (2010: 20,000), K neilson 322,074,841 (2010: 322,074,841) and 
P Howard 104,281.

(c)	Share‑based	compensation
P Howard was granted 841,500 options in 2007 and 856,898 options in 2009. A Clifford, 
a Director of Platinum Investment Management Limited, was granted 3,844,350 options 
in 2009, but no options in any other year. no other options or performance rights have 
been granted to any non-executive or executive Directors of the Company. 

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

68

notes to the finanCiaL statements

30 June 2011

22. key management personneL DisCLosures ContInueD
(c)	Share‑based	compensation	ContInueD

the 2007 options granted to P Howard were at a strike price of $5.00. the options vested 
on 22 May 2011 and have a further two year exercise period. At 30 June 2011, no options 
have been exercised. the assessed fair value of options granted in 2007 was $0.82 per option. 
the share-based payments expense relating to the 2007 grant to P Howard was $153,235 
(2010: $172,066).
the 2009 options were granted at a strike price of $4.50. the options vest after four years 
and have a further two year exercise period. the assessed fair value of options granted in 
2009 was $1.14 per option. the share-based payments expense relating to the 2009 grant 
to P Howard was $243,359 (2010: $243,359). the share-based payments expense relating 
to the 2009 grant to A Clifford was $1,091,795 (2010: $1,091,795).

23. parent entity DisCLosures
Parent entity financial information is as follows:

(a)  Current assets $14,879,000 (2010: $15,352,000)

(b)  total assets $665,436,000 (2010: $660,401,000)

(c)  Current liabilities $14,878,000 (2010: $15,351,000)

(d)  total liabilities $14,878,000 (2010: $15,351,000)

(e)  Issued share capital $629,091,000 (2010: $629,091,000)

(f)  Reserves $20,050,000 (2010: $14,543,000)

(g)  Shareholders’ equity $650,558,000 (2010: $645,050,000)

(h)  operating profit before tax $134,724,000 (2010: $112,200,000)

(i)  operating profit after tax $134,724,000 (2010: $112,202,000)

(j)  total comprehensive income $134,724,000 (2010: $112,202,000)

there are no guarantees entered into by the parent entity in relation to debts 
of the subsidiaries, no contingent liabilities and no capital commitments.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

69

DireCtors’ DeCLaration

In the Directors’ opinion,

(a)   the financial statements and notes set out on pages 32 to 68 are in accordance 

with the Corporations Act 2001 including:

(i) 

 complying with Accounting Standards, the Corporations Regulations 2001 
and other mandatory professional reporting requirements;

(ii)   complying with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued 

by the International Accounting Standards Board; and

(iii)  giving a true and fair view of the consolidated entity’s financial position as at 

30 June 2011 and of its performance, as represented by the results of its operations 
and its cash flows, for the financial year ended on that date.

(b)   there are reasonable grounds to believe that Platinum Asset Management Limited 
will be able to pay its debts as and when they become due and payable; and

(c)   the audited remuneration disclosures that are set out in the Directors’ Report 
on pages 17 to 20 comply with AASB 124: Related Party Disclosures and the 
Corporations Regulations 2001.

the Directors have been given the declaration required by section 295A of the 
Corporations Act 2001 by the Managing Director and Finance Director.

this declaration is made in accordance with a resolution of the Directors.

miChaeL CoLe 
DIReCtoR 

Sydney, 18 August 2011

kerr neiLson
DIReCtoR

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
 
70

inDepenDent auDitor’s report

to tHe MeMBeRS oF PLAtInuM ASSet MAnAGeMent LIMIteD

Report	on	the	financial	report
We have audited the accompanying financial report of Platinum Asset Management 
Limited (the Company), which comprises the Balance Sheet as at 30 June 2011, and the 
Statement of Comprehensive Income, Statement of Changes in equity and Statement of 
Cash Flows for the year ended on that date, a summary of significant accounting policies, 
other explanatory notes and the Directors’ Declaration for the Platinum Asset Management 
Limited group (the consolidated entity). the consolidated entity comprises the Company 
and the entities it controlled at the years end or from time to time during the year. 

Directors’	responsibility	for	the	financial	report
the Directors of the Company are responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the 
financial report in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards (including the Australian 
Accounting Interpretations) and the Corporations Act 2001. this responsibility includes 
establishing and maintaining internal controls relevant to the preparation and fair presentation 
of the financial report that is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; 
selecting and applying appropriate accounting policies; and making accounting estimates that 
are reasonable in the circumstances. In note 1, the Directors also state, in accordance with 
Accounting Standard AASB 101 Presentation of Financial Statements, that the financial 
statements comply with International Financial Reporting Standards. 

Auditor’s	responsibility
our responsibility is to express an opinion on the financial report based on our audit. 
We conducted our audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. these Auditing 
Standards require that we comply with relevant ethical requirements relating to audit 
engagements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether 
the financial report is free from material misstatement.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
 
 
 
71

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts 
and disclosures in the financial report. the procedures selected depend on the auditor’s 
judgement, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial 
report, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers 
internal controls relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial 
report in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not 
for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal controls. 
An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and 
the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by the Directors, as well as evaluating 
the overall presentation of the financial report.

our procedures include reading the other information in the Annual Report to determine 
whether it contains any material inconsistencies with the financial report.

our audit did not involve an analysis of the prudence of business decisions made 
by Directors or management.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate 
to provide a basis for our audit opinions.

Independence
In conducting our audit, we have complied with the independence requirements 
of the Corporations Act 2001.

Auditor’s	opinion
In our opinion:

(a)   the financial report of Platinum Asset Management Limited is in accordance with the 

Corporations Act 2001, including:

(i) 

 giving a true and fair view of the consolidated entity’s financial position as at 
30 June 2011 and of its performance for the year ended on that date; and

(ii)   complying with Australian Accounting Standards (including the Australian 
Accounting Interpretations) and the Corporations Regulations 2001; and

(b)   the consolidated entity’s financial report also complies with International Financial 

Reporting Standards as disclosed in note 1.

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

 
 
72

inDepenDent auDitor’s report

to tHe MeMBeRS oF PLAtInuM ASSet MAnAGeMent LIMIteD ContInueD

Report	on	the	Remuneration	Report
We have audited the Remuneration Report included in the Directors’ Report on pages 
17 to 20 for the year ended 30 June 2011. the Directors of the Company are responsible 
for the preparation and presentation of the Remuneration Report in accordance with 
section 300A of the Corporations Act 2001. our responsibility is to express an opinion 
on the Remuneration Report, based on our audit conducted in accordance with Australian 
Auditing Standards.

Auditor’s	opinion
In our opinion, the Remuneration Report of Platinum Asset Management Limited for 
the year ended 30 June 2011, complies with section 300A of the Corporations Act 2001.

priCewaterhouseCoopers 

aJ LoveriDge
PARtNeR

Sydney, 18 August 2011

Platinum aSSEt manaGEmEnt limitEd annual REPoRt 2011

	
 
of the Investment Manager.
the repayment of capital or the investment performance 
Platinum Asset Management® does not guarantee 

http://www.platinum.com.au/paml_shares.htm
Website

ASX Code: PTM
Ordinary shares listed on the Australian Securities Exchange 
Securities Exchange Listing

Sydney NSW 2000
201 Sussex Street 
PricewaterhouseCoopers 
Auditor and Taxation Advisor

+61 3 9473 2500
Fax 
Phone +61 3 9415 4000 
Phone 1300 855 080 (Australia only) 

Sydney NSW 2000
Level 3, 60 Carrington Street 
Computershare Investor Services Pty Ltd 
Share Registrar

+61 2 9254 5555
Fax 
Phone +61 2 9255 7500 
Phone 0800 700 726 (New Zealand only) 
Phone 1300 726 700 (Australia only) 

Sydney NSW 2000
Level 8, 7 Macquarie Place 
Registered Office

Liz Norman
Shareholder Liaison

Philip Howard
Company Secretary

Philip Howard
Margaret Towers 
Michael Cole 
Directors

Kerr Neilson 
Bruce Coleman 

EVOLUTION  
BY DESIGN

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PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED ABN 13 050 064 287

ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Design and production by: 3C Creative Agency, 3c.com.au
Illustrations by: Juan Travieso, juantravieso.com
© 2011 Platinum Asset Management

 
 
 
 
 
 
Design and production by: 3C Creative Agency, 3c.com.au
Illustrations by: Juan Travieso, juantravieso.com
© 2011 Platinum Asset Management

CONTENTS

PREFACE II

PRINT ME A STRADIVARIUS IV
How a new manufacturing technology will change the world.

THE PRINTED WORLD X 
Three-dimensional printing from digital designs will transform  
manufacturing and allow more people to start making things.

POPULAR DELUSIONS XXIV
Cheap stocks for an expensive world. 

PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2011

II

PREFACE

Evolution by Design encompasses the theme behind the 2011 editorial 
section of the Annual Report.

The  first  two  articles  from  The  Economist  explore 
a new manufacturing technology – three dimensional printing. 
‘Additive  manufacturing’  as  it  is  also  known  allows  for  the  creation 
of single items on the same cost scale as it would to produce thousands. 
The  consequences  of  this  are  far  reaching  and  could  have  a  profound 
impact on industry not seen since the industrial revolution; the implication 
on manufacturing now depending less on economies of scale and more on 
innovation and imagination.

Most  tantalising  of  all  is  that  the  finished  product  can  be  made  of  metals,  thereby 
expanding  the  number  of  applications  many  fold.  It  is  also  interesting  that  an 
international giant like Hewlett Packard has entered a global distribution agreement 
with one of the leading manufacturers. Unfortunately for those readers who are on the 
hunt for investible ideas, the number of listed 3D printing companies is small. There 
may be peripheral plays where one can find sintering companies or those involved with 
the software development, but one way or another, the industry is already significantly 
affecting concepts of manufacture and design.

PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2011

III

The third article, provided for the second year by Dylan Grice from Société Générale, 
is titled ‘Cheap stocks for an expensive world’.

Written in January this year, the essence of the article entreats investors to “…understand 
what things are worth to you, evaluate that valuation against prices, and only buy assets 
when they reach a suitably attractive discount.” In the long run, the significance of value 
will win out.

It is really a lesson in patience and discipline. With all the daily excitement 
of markets, it is seductive to believe there is no reward for biding one’s time 
but as Dylan illustrates, with a relatively crude portfolio selection method, the 
tortoise does outdo the hare by quite a margin.

In  many  ways,  we  find  this  article  complementary  to  the  commentary  within  the 
30 June 2011 Platinum International Fund Quarterly Report in which we note that 
despite the turmoil over a century (1900-2008) which witnessed the suspension of 
market price-setting mechanisms, world and regional wars, the Great Depression and 
so  on,  the  long-term  return  from  equities  still  provides  the  most  interesting  return 
among asset classes.

We  hope  these  articles  provide  you  with  some  inspiration  in  difficult  markets  and 
an awareness that there are always opportunities. Further, that these can be magnified 
when addressed with a ‘system’ and patience.

KERR NEILSON 
Managing Director, August 2011

PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2011

N

PRINT ME  
A STRADIVARIUS
How a new manufacturing technology  
will change the world.

VI

T

HE	industrial revolution of the late 18th
century made possible the mass production  
of goods, thereby creating economies of scale  
which changed the economy – and society –  
in ways that nobody could have imagined at 
the time. Now a new manufacturing technology has 
emerged which does the opposite. Three-dimensional 
printing makes it as cheap to create single items as it is 
to produce thousands and thus undermines economies 
of scale. It may have as profound an impact on the 
world as the coming of the factory did.

It works like this. First you call up a blueprint on your computer screen 
and tinker with its shape and colour where necessary. Then you press print. 
A machine nearby whirrs into life and builds up the object gradually, either 
by depositing material from a nozzle, or by selectively solidifying a thin layer  
of plastic or metal dust using tiny drops of glue or a tightly focused beam.

PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2011

	
 
 
 
 
VII

Products  are  thus  built  up  by  progressively  adding  material,  one  layer  at  a  time: 
hence the technology’s other name, additive manufacturing. Eventually the object in 
question – a spare part for your car, a lampshade, a violin – pops out. The beauty of 
the technology is that it does not need to happen in a factory. Small items can be made 
by a machine like a desktop printer, in the corner of an office, a shop or even a house; 
big items – bicycle frames, panels for cars, aircraft parts – need a larger machine, and 
a bit more space.

At  the  moment  the  process  is  possible  only  with  certain  materials  (plastics,  resins  
and metals) and with a precision of around a tenth of a millimetre. As with computing  
in the late 1970s, it is currently the preserve of hobbyists 
and workers in a few academic and industrial niches. 
But  like  computing  before  it,  3D  printing  is  
spreading fast as the technology improves 
and  costs  fall.  A  basic  3D  printer,  also 
known as a fabricator or ‘fabber’, now 
costs  less  than  a  laser  printer  did 
in 1985.

VIII

JUST PRESS PRINT
The  additive  approach  to  manufacturing  has  several  big  advantages  over  the 
conventional  one.  It  cuts  costs  by  getting  rid  of  production  lines.  It  reduces  waste 
enormously, requiring as little as one-tenth of the amount of material. It allows the 
creation of parts in shapes that conventional techniques cannot achieve, resulting in 
new, much more efficient designs in aircraft wings or heat exchangers, for example. 
It enables the production of a single item quickly and cheaply – and then another one 
after the design has been refined.

For  many  years  3D  printers  were  used  in  this  way  for  prototyping,  mainly  in  the 
aerospace,  medical  and  automotive  industries.  Once  a  design  was  finalised,  a 
production  line  would  be  set  up  and  parts  would  be  manufactured  and  assembled 
using conventional methods. But 3D printing has now improved to the point that it is 
starting to be used to produce the finished items themselves. It is already competitive 
with plastic injection-moulding for runs of around 1,000 items, and this figure will 
rise as the technology matures. And because each item is created individually, rather 
than  from  a  single  mould,  each  can  be  made  slightly  differently  at  almost  no  extra 
cost. Mass production could, in short, give way to mass customisation for all kinds of 
products, from shoes to spectacles to kitchenware.

By  reducing  the  barriers  to  entry  for  manufacturing,  3D  printing 
should also promote innovation. If you can design a shape on a computer, 
you can turn it into an object. You can print a dozen, see if there is a market 
for them, and print 50 more if there is, modifying the design using feedback  
from early users.

This will be a boon to inventors and start-ups, because trying out new products will 
become less risky and expensive. And just as open-source programmers collaborate 
by sharing software code, engineers are already starting to collaborate on open-source 
designs for objects and hardware.

PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2011

IX

THE JOBLESS TECHNOLOGY
A technological change so profound will reset the economics of manufacturing. Some 
believe  it  will  decentralise  the  business  completely,  reversing  the  urbanisation  that 
accompanies industrialisation. There will be no need for factories, goes the logic, when 
every  village  has  a  fabricator  that  can  produce  items  when  needed.  Up  to  a  point, 
perhaps. But the economic and social benefits of cities go far beyond their ability to 
attract workers to man assembly lines.

Others  maintain  that,  by  reducing  the  need  for  factory  workers,  3D  printing  will  
undermine  the  advantage  of  low-cost,  low-wage  countries  and  thus  repatriate  
manufacturing capacity to the rich world. It might; but Asian manufacturers are just 
as well placed as anyone else to adopt the technology. And even if 3D printing does 
bring manufacturing back to developed countries, it may not create many jobs, since 
it is less labour-intensive than standard manufacturing. 

The  technology  will  have  implications  not  just  for  the  distribution  
of capital and jobs, but also for intellectual-property (IP) rules. When objects 
can  be  described  in  a  digital  file,  they  become  much  easier  to  copy  and 
distribute  – and,  of course,  to pirate.  Just  ask  the music industry. When 
the blueprints for a new toy, or a designer shoe, escape onto the internet,  
the chances that the owner of the IP will lose out are greater.

There are sure to be calls for restrictions on the use of 3D printers, and lawsuits  
about how existing IP laws should be applied. As with open-source software, 
new non-commercial models will emerge. It is unclear whether 3D printing requires  
existing rules to be tightened (which could hamper innovation) or loosened (which 
could encourage piracy). The lawyers are, no doubt, rubbing their hands.

Just  as  nobody  could  have  predicted  the  impact  of  the  steam  engine  in  1750  –  or  the 
printing press in 1450, or the transistor in 1950 – it is impossible to foresee the long-term 
impact of 3D printing. But the technology is coming, and it is likely to disrupt every field  
it touches. Companies, regulators and entrepreneurs should start thinking about it now. 
One thing, at least, seems clear: although 3D printing will create winners and losers in 
the short term, in the long run it will expand the realm of industry – and imagination. 

© The Economist Newspaper Limited, London, 10th February 2011

PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2011

DTHE PRINTED 
people to start making things.3

WORLD
Three-dimensional printing 
from digital designs will transform 
manufacturing and allow more  

XII

F

ILTON, just outside Bristol, is where
Britain’s fleet of Concorde supersonic 
airliners was built. In a building near a wind 
tunnel on the same sprawling site, something 
even more remarkable is being created. Little 
by little a machine is ‘printing’ a complex titanium 
landing-gear bracket, about the size of a shoe, which 
normally would have to be laboriously hewn from a 
solid block of metal. Brackets are only the beginning. 
The researchers at Filton have a much bigger ambition: 
to print the entire wing of an airliner.

PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
XIII

Far-fetched  as  this  may  seem,  many  other  people  are  using 
three-dimensional  printing  technology  to  create  similarly  
remarkable things. These include medical implants, jewellery, 
football  boots  designed  for  individual  feet,  lampshades,  
racing-car parts, solid-state batteries and customised mobile  
phones. Some are even making mechanical devices. At the 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Peter Schmitt,  
a PhD student, has been printing something that resembles  
the  workings  of  a  grandfather  clock.  It  took  him  a  few  attempts  to  get  right,  
but  eventually  he  removed  the  plastic  clock  from  a  3D  printer,  hung  it  on  the  wall  
and pulled down the counterweight. It started ticking.

PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2011

XIV

Engineers and designers have been using 3D printers for more than 
a decade, but mostly to make prototypes quickly and cheaply before they 
embark on the expensive business of tooling up a factory to produce the 
real thing.

As 3D printers have become more capable and able to work with a broader range of  
materials, including production-grade plastics and metals, the machines are increasingly  
being  used  to  make  final  products  too.  More  than  20%  of  the  output  of  3D  
printers  is  now  final  products  rather  than  prototypes,  according  to  Terry  Wohlers, 
who runs a research firm specialising in the field. He predicts that this will rise to 
50% by 2020.

Using  3D  printers  as  production  tools  has  become  known  in  industry  as  ‘additive’ 
manufacturing (as opposed to the old, ‘subtractive’ business of cutting, drilling and 
bashing metal). The additive process requires less raw material and, because software 
drives  3D  printers,  each  item  can  be  made  differently  without  costly  retooling.  
The  printers  can  also  produce  ready-made  objects  that  require  less  assembly  and 
things that traditional methods would struggle with. 

PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2011

XV

CLICK TO MANUFACTURE
The  printing  of  parts  and  products  has  the  potential  to  transform  manufacturing 
because  it  lowers  the  costs  and  risks.  No  longer  does  a  producer  have  to  make 
thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of items to recover his fixed costs. In a world 
where economies of scale do not matter any more, mass-manufacturing identical items 
may not be necessary or appropriate, especially as 3D printing allows for a great deal 
of  customisation.  Indeed,  in  the  future  some  see  consumers  downloading  products 
as they do digital music and printing them out at home, or at a local 3D production 
centre,  having  tweaked  the  designs  to  their  own  tastes.  That  is  probably  a  faraway 
dream. Nevertheless, a new industrial revolution may be on the way. 

Printing in 3D may seem bizarre. In fact it is similar to clicking on the  
print button on a computer screen and sending a digital file, say a letter, to 
an inkjet printer. The difference is that the ‘ink’ in a 3D printer is a material 
which is deposited in successive, thin layers until a solid object emerges.

The layers are defined by software that takes a series of digital slices through a computer-
aided design. Descriptions of the slices are then sent to the 3D printer to construct the 
respective layers. They are then put together in a number of ways. Powder can be spread 
onto a tray and then solidified in the required pattern with a squirt of a liquid binder 
or by sintering it with a laser or an electron beam. Some machines deposit filaments  
of molten plastic. However it is achieved, after each layer is complete the build tray is 
lowered by a fraction of a millimetre and the next layer is added. 

The researchers at Filton began using 3D printers to produce prototype parts for wind-
tunnel  testing.  The  group  is  part  of  EADS  Innovation  Works,  the  research  arm  of 
EADS, a European defence and aerospace group best known for building Airbuses. 
Prototype parts tend to be very expensive to make as one-offs by conventional means. 
Because their 3D printers could do the job more efficiently, the researchers’ thoughts 
turned to manufacturing components directly.

Aircraft-makers have already replaced a lot of the metal in the structure of planes with 
lightweight  carbon-fibre  composites.  But  even  a  small  airliner  still  contains  several 
tonnes of costly aerospace-grade titanium. These parts have usually been machined 
from solid billets, which can result in 90% of the material being cut away. This swarf 
is no longer of any use for making aircraft.

PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2011

XVI

To  make  the  same  part  with  additive  manufacturing,  EADS  starts  with  a  titanium 
powder.  The  firm’s  3D  printers  spread  a  layer  about  20-30  microns  (0.02-0.03mm) 
thick onto a tray where it is fused by lasers or an electron beam. Any surplus powder 
can be reused. Some objects may need a little machining to finish, but they still require 
only 10% of the raw material that would otherwise be needed. Moreover, the process 
uses less energy than a conventional factory. It is sometimes faster, too.

There  are  other  important  benefits.  Most  metal  and  plastic  parts  are  designed  
to be manufactured, which means they can be clunky and contain material surplus to 
the part’s function but necessary for making it. This is not true of 3D printing. “You only 
put  material  where  you  need  to  have  material,”  says  Andy  Hawkins,  lead  engineer  
on the EADS project. The parts his team is making are 
more svelte, even elegant. This is because without 
manufacturing constraints they can be better 
optimised for their purpose. Compared with  
a machined part, the printed one is some  
60% lighter but still as sturdy.

XVII

FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION
Lightness is critical in making aircraft. A reduction of 1kg in the weight of an airliner 
will save around $3,000-worth of fuel a year and by the same token cut carbon-dioxide 
emissions. Additive manufacturing could thus help build greener aircraft – especially 
if all the 1,000 or so titanium parts in an airliner can be printed. Although the size of 
printable parts is limited for now by the size of 3D printers, the EADS group believes 
that  bigger  systems  are  possible,  including  one  that  could  fit  on  the  35-metre-long 
gantry used to build composite airliner wings. This would allow titanium components 
to be printed directly onto the structure of the wing.

Many believe that the enhanced performance of additively manufactured  

items will be the most important factor in driving the technology forward.

It  certainly  is  for  MIT’s  Mr  Schmitt,  whose  interest  lies  in  ‘original  machines’.  
These are devices not constructed from a collection of prefabricated parts, but created 
in a form that flows from the intention of the design. If that sounds a bit arty, it is: 
Mr Schmitt is a former art student from Germany who used to cadge time on factory 
lathes and milling machines to make mechanised sculptures. He is now working on 
novel servo mechanisms, the basic building blocks for robots. Custom-made servos 
cost many times the price of off-the-shelf ones. Mr Schmitt says it should be possible 
for a robot builder to specify what a servo needs to do, rather than how it needs to be 
made, and send that information to a 3D printer, and for the machine’s software to 
know how to produce it at a low cost. “This makes manufacturing more accessible,” 
says Mr Schmitt.

The  idea  of  the  3D  printer  determining  the  form  of  the  items  it  produces  intrigues 
Neri Oxman, an architect and designer who heads a research group examining new ways 
to make things at MIT’s Media Lab. She is building a printer to explore how new designs 
could be produced. Dr Oxman believes the design and construction of objects could be 
transformed using principles inspired by nature, resulting in shapes that are impossible 
to build  without additive manufacturing.  She  has  made  items from sculpture to body 
armour  and  is  even  looking  at  buildings,  erected  with  computer-guided  nozzles  that 
deposit successive layers of concrete.

Some  3D  systems  allow  the  properties  and  internal  structure  of  the  material  being 
printed to be varied. This year, for instance, Within Technologies, a London company, 
expects to begin offering titanium medical implants with features that resemble bone. 
The company’s femur implant is dense where stiffness and strength is required, but it 
also has strong lattice structures which would encourage the growth of bone onto the 
implant. Such implants are more likely to stay put than conventional ones. 

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XVIII

Working at such a fine level of internal detail allows the stiffness and flexibility of an 
object  to  be  determined  at  any  point,  says  Siavash  Mahdavi,  the  chief  executive  of 
Within  Technologies.  Dr  Mahdavi  is  working  on  other  lattice  structures,  including 
aerodynamic body parts for racing cars and special insoles for a firm that hopes to 
make the world’s most comfortable stiletto-heeled shoes.

Digital  Forming,  a  related  company  (where  Dr  Mahdavi  is  chief 
technology officer), uses 3D design software to help consumers customise 
mass-produced products. For example, it is offering a service to mobile-
phone companies in which subscribers can go online to change the shape, 
colour and other features of the case of their new phone.

The  software  keeps  the  user  within  the  bounds  of  the  achievable.  Once  the  design 
is submitted the casing is printed. Lisa Harouni, the company’s managing director, 
says  the  process  could  be  applied  to  almost  any  consumer  product,  from  jewellery 
to  furniture.  “I  don’t  have  any  doubt  that  this  technology  will  change  the  way  we 
manufacture things,” she says.

Other  services  allow  individuals  to  upload  their  own  designs  and  have  them 
printed. Shapeways, a New York-based firm spun out of Philips, a Dutch electronics 
company,  last  year,  offers  personalised  3D  production,  or  ‘mass  customisation’,  as 
Peter Weijmarshausen, its chief executive, describes it. Shapeways prints more than 
10,000 unique products every month from materials that range from stainless steel to 
glass, plastics and sandstone. Customers include individuals and shopkeepers, many 
ordering jewellery, gifts and gadgets to sell in their stores. 

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XIX

EOS,  a  German  supplier  of  laser-sintering  3D  printers,  says  they  are  already  being 
used  to  make  plastic  and  metal  production  parts  by  carmakers,  aerospace  firms 
and consumer-products companies. And by dentists: up to 450 dental crowns, each 
tailored for an individual patient, can be manufactured in one go in a day by a single 
machine, says EOS. Some craft producers of crowns would do well to manage a dozen 
a day. As an engineering exercise, EOS also printed the parts for a violin using a high-
performance industrial polymer, had it assembled by a professional violin-maker and 
played by a concert violinist. 

Both EOS and Stratasys, a company based in Minneapolis which makes 3D printers 
that employ plastic-deposition technology, use their own machines to print parts that 
are, in turn, used to build more printers. Stratasys is even trying to print a car, or at 
least the body of one, for Kor Ecologic, a company in Winnipeg, whose boss, Jim Kor, 
is developing an electric-hybrid vehicle called Urbee.

Making  low-volume,  high-value  and  customised  components  is  all 
very  well,  but  could  additive  manufacturing  really  compete  with  mass- 
production techniques that have been honed for over a century? Established 
techniques are unlikely to be swept away, but it is already clear that the  
factories  of  the  future  will  have  3D  printers  working  alongside  milling 
machines,  presses,  foundries  and  plastic  injection-moulding  equipment, 
and taking on an increasing amount of the work done by those machines.

Morris  Technologies,  based  in  Cincinnati,  was  one  of  the  first  companies  to  invest 
heavily in additive manufacturing for the engineering and production services it offers 
to  companies.  Its  first  intention  was  to  make  prototypes  quickly,  but  by  2007  the 
company says it realised ‘a new industry was being born’ and so it set up another firm, 
Rapid Quality Manufacturing, to concentrate on the additive manufacturing of higher 
volumes of production parts. It says many small and medium-sized components can 
be  turned  from  computer  designs  into  production-quality  metal  parts  in  hours  or 
days, against days or weeks using traditional processes. And the printers can build 
unattended, 24 hours a day. 

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XX

Neil Hopkinson has no doubts that 3D printing will compete with mass manufacturing 
in  many  areas.  His  team  at  Loughborough  University  has  invented  a  high-speed 
sintering system. It uses inkjet print-heads to deposit infra-red-absorbing ink on layers 
of polymer powder which are fused into solid shapes with infra-red heating. Among 
other  projects,  the  group  is  examining  the  potential  for  making  plastic  buckles  for 
Burton Snowboards, a leading American producer of winter-sports equipment. Such 
items  are  typically  produced  by  plastic  injection-moulding.  Dr  Hopkinson  says  his 
process can make them for ten pence (16 cents) each, which is highly competitive with 
injection-moulding.  Moreover,  the  designs  could  easily  be  changed  without  Burton 
incurring high retooling costs.

Predicting how quickly additive manufacturing will be taken up by industry is difficult, 
adds  Dr  Hopkinson.  That  is  not  necessarily  because  of  the  conservative  nature  of 
manufacturers, but rather because some processes have already moved surprisingly 
fast. Only a few years ago making decorative lampshades with 3D printers seemed to 
be a highly unlikely business, but it has become an industry with many competing 
firms and sales volumes in the thousands.

Dr Hopkinson thinks Loughborough’s process is already competitive 
with  injection-moulding  at  production  runs  of  around  1,000  items.  
With  further  development  he  expects  that  within  five  years  it  would  
be  competitive  in  runs  of  tens  if  not  hundreds  of  thousands.  Once  3D 
printing machines are able to crank out products in such numbers, then 
more manufacturers will look to adopt the technology.

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XXII

Will Sillar of Legerwood, a British firm of consultants, expects to see the emergence  
of  what  he  calls  the  ‘digital  production  plant’:  firms  will  no  longer  need  so  much 
capital tied up in tooling costs, work-in-progress and raw materials, he says. Moreover, 
the time to take a digital design from concept to production will drop, he believes,  
by as much as 50-80%. The ability to overcome production constraints and make new 
things will combine with improvements to the technology and greater mechanisation 
to  make  3D  printing  more  mainstream.  “The  market  will  come  to  the  technology,” 
Mr Sillar says.

Some in the industry believe that the effect of 3D printing on manufacturing  

will be analogous to that of the inkjet printer on document printing.

The  written  word  became  the  printed  word  with  the  invention  of  movable-type 
printing  by  Johannes  Gutenberg  in  the  15th  century.  Printing  presses  became  like 
mass-production machines, highly efficient at printing lots of copies of the same thing 
but not individual documents. The inkjet printer made that a lot easier, cheaper and 
more personal. Inkjet devices now perform a multitude of printing roles, from books 
on  demand  to  labels  and  photographs,  even  though  traditional  presses  still  roll  for 
large runs of books, newspapers and so on.

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XXIII

A CUSTOMISED FUTURE
How would this translate to manufacturing? Most obviously, it changes the economics 
of making customised components. If a company needs a specialised part, it may find 
it cheaper and quicker to have the part printed locally or even to print its own than 
to order one from a supplier a long way away. This is more likely when rapid design 
changes are needed.

Printing in 3D is not the preserve of the West: Chinese companies are 
adopting the technology too. Yet you might infer that some manufacturing 
will  return  to  the  West  from  cheap  centres  of  production  in  China  and 
elsewhere. This possibility was on the agenda of a conference organised by 
DHL last year. The threat to the logistics firm’s business is clear: why would 
a company airfreight an urgently needed spare part from abroad when it 
could print one where it is required?

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of additive manufacturing is that it lowers the cost 
of entry into the business of making things. Instead of finding the money to set up  
a factory or asking a mass-producer at home (or in another country) to make something 
for you, 3D printers will offer a cheaper, less risky route to the market. An entrepreneur 
could run off one or two samples with a 3D printer to see if his idea works. He could 
make a few more to see if they sell, and take in design changes that buyers ask for.  
If things go really well, he could scale up – with conventional mass production or an 
enormous 3D print run.

This suggests that success in manufacturing will depend less on scale and more on 
the  quality  of  ideas.  Brilliance  alone,  though,  will  not  be  enough.  Good  ideas  can 
be copied even more  rapidly with  3D printing,  so battles over intellectual property 
may become even more intense. It will be easier for imitators as well as innovators 
to get goods to market fast. Competitive advantages may thus be shorter-lived than 
ever before. As with past industrial revolutions, the greatest beneficiaries may not be 
companies but their customers. But whoever gains most, revolution may not be too 
strong a word. 

© The Economist Newspaper Limited, London, 10th February 2011

PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2011

POPULAR	DELUSIONS

CHEAP STOCKS  
FOR AN EXPENSIVE 
WORLD

By:	Dylan	Grice 
from Société Générale Cross Asset Research Global Strategy Document, 
31 January 2011

People	 say	 ‘the  current  juncture  is  just  so  murky  at  the  moment’.	
But when	isn’t	it?	Since	all	we	reliably	know	is	that	some	things	will	
trade	at	the	wrong	price	some	of	the	time,	understanding	what	things	
are	 worth	 and	 waiting	 for	 prices	 to	 deviate	 significantly	 might	 be		
a	more	constructive	ideal	to	aspire	to.	Today,	I	think	equity	markets		
are	generally	on	the	expensive	side	but	opportunities	haven’t	completely	
dried	 up.	 There	 are	 some	 stocks	 with	 robust	 balance	 sheets	 trading	
at	significant	discounts	to	intrinsic	value.	Just	not	that	many.

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S IONS

XXVI

	 So,	 I’ve	 been	 rereading	 past	 Berkshire	 Hathaway	 shareholder	 letters	 these	
past	 few	 weeks	 (we	 lead	 pretty	 exciting	 lives	 here	 in	 the	 SG	 strategy	 team).		
In	 2009,	 referring	 to	 his	 purchase	 of	 Allied	 Irish	 and	 Bank	 of	 Ireland,	 Buffett	
wrote	“I made some other already recognizable errors as well. They were smaller, 
but  unfortunately  not  that  small.  During  2008,  I  spent  $244  million  for  shares  of 
two  Irish  banks  that  appeared  cheap  to  me.  At  year-end  we  wrote  these  holdings 
down  to  market:  $27  million,  for  an  89%  loss.  Since  then  the  two  stocks  have 
declined even further. The tennis crowd would call my mistakes ‘unforced errors’.”	
Warren	E.	Buffett	predicted	neither	the	credit	crisis	nor	its	magnitude.

	 What	 I	 find	 interesting	 is	 that	 it	 didn’t	 matter,	 in	 the	 sense	 that	 at	 $217m,	
the	 loss	 Berkshire	 wore	 on	 the	 Irish	 banks	 at	 the	 time	 was	 less	 than	 half	 the	
annual	dividend	earned	on	the	10%	preference	shares	he	was	able	to	buy	from	
Goldman	Sachs	at	the	height	of	the	crisis.	And	the	reason	he	managed	to	extract	
such	favourable	terms	from	Goldman	was	that	he	was	the	only	guy	around	with	
ample	liquidity.	And	the	reason	he	had	ample	liquidity	was	because,	the	above	
errors	 notwithstanding,	 there	 weren’t	 enough	 obvious	 bargains	 around	 in	 the	
years	preceding	the	crisis.	While	he	didn’t	predict	the	crisis,	his	value-discipline	
nevertheless	prepared	him	for	a	crisis.

	 We	 don’t	 need	 to	 be	 able	 to	 predict	 the	 future.	 Doing	 our	 homework,	
understanding	what	stuff	is	worth	and	transacting	when	prices	depart	significantly	
thereof	isn’t	as	easy	as	it	sounds.	But,	as	Ben	Graham	said,	if	in	the	short	term		
the	 market	 is	 a	 voting	 machine,	 in	 the	 long	 run	 it’s	 a	 weighing	 machine.		
The	following	chart	shows	that	value	is	indeed	statistically	insignificant	in	the	
short	run.	But	it	wins	outs	in	the	end.

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XXVII

The statistical significance of ‘value’ over different time horizons (t-stat shown on l/h axis)
Source: Factset, SG Cross Asset Research

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

VOTING MACHINE ...

... WEIGHING MACHINE

Statistically significant

Statistically insignificant

1m

3m

6m

9m

12m

24m

36m

Here’s  an  interesting  chart.  It  shows  the  historic  outperformance  of  ‘high  quality’ 
stocks  versus  ‘low  quality’  using  the  FTSE  World  non-financial  stocks,  and  using  
the Piotroski score to classify value1. The historical annualized performance has been 
around 520bp.

Last free lunch in finance? High vs low quality stocks cumulative outperf. (annual return 5.2%)
Source: SG Cross Asset Research

4.5

4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

1  The  Piotroski  score  is  based  on  a  nine-criterion  ranking  system,  calculating  various  ratios  from  historical 
accounts.  It  ranges  from  0  (lowest  score)  to  9  (highest  score)  with  higher  scores  suggesting  sounder  financial 
health.  See  ‘Value  Investing:  The  Use  of  Historical  Financial  Statement  Information  to  Separate  Winners  from  Losers’, 
by Joseph Piotroski, Journal of Accounting Research, 2002.

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XXVIII

In one sense, this shouldn’t be surprising. One of the (many) well-known empirical 
flaws in the EMH is that low beta stocks that are ‘low risk’ and which therefore should 
have  a  lower  return  actually  don’t.  Indeed,  GMO’s  Jeremy  Grantham  has  referred  
to this opportunity of being able to make higher returns by taking on less risk as the 
last free lunch in finance.

But, the interesting thing about this chart, to me anyway, is that the 
stock baskets have been selected entirely on their Piotroski score. In other 
words, it shows the returns a hypothetical investor would have made had 
he bought the basket of high quality stocks and sold short the basket of low 
quality companies regardless of their valuation.

Suppose we use the Piotroski score to isolate high quality companies. Then subject 
those  high  quality  companies  to  the  usual  value  discipline  by  selecting  only  those 
which trade at a discount to estimated intrinsic value (I use a 33% discount). Such 
stocks have historically returned around 1.9% per month, which annualises at around 
25% per year, a tidy return in anyone’s book. The problem is that hardly any stocks 
pass such a stringent test. Indeed, one might call this absurdly deep value. ‘Hardly any’ 
doesn’t mean ‘none’ but the following chart shows that you’re doing well if half of one 
percent of the universe passes the test2.

2  Of course, this apparent paucity of historic opportunities is partly a function of the methodology I’ve used to 
estimate intrinsic value, which is quite a stringent version of Steve Penman’s Residual Income Model. And one of 
the most common requests I’ve had from clients is for a detailed explanation of how I estimate ‘intrinsic values.’  
I will provide this next week.

PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Closer to famine than feast: incidence of ‘high quality’ at a discount to intrinsic value
Source: Factset, SG Cross Asset Research

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

XXIX

4.5%

4.0%

3.5%

3.0%

2.5%

2.0%

1.5%

1.0%

0.5%

0.0%

0
9
9
1

0
9
9
1

1
9
9
1

2
9
9
1

3
9
9
1

4
9
9
1

5
9
9
1

6
9
9
1

7
9
9
1

8
9
9
1

9
9
9
1

0
0
0
2

1
0
0
2

1
0
0
2

2
0
0
2

3
0
0
2

4
0
0
2

5
0
0
2

6
0
0
2

7
0
0
2

8
0
0
2

9
0
0
2

0
1
0
2

# of quality stocks at a discount to intrinsic value (left)

% of quality stocks at a discount to intrinsic value (right)

But, as the chart shows, there are times, albeit infrequent, when Mr Market offers up 
a veritable feast of companies passing such stringent criteria. Although today isn’t one 
of them, neither is it the famine seen in 2005 and 2006. We don’t know when these 
feasts are going to happen. We just know that they will, sometime.

So  the  ‘right’  thing  to  do  is  to  hold  on  to  cash  and  wait  until  those 
opportunities arise. Suppose as your core portfolio – absent any insurance 
options – you wanted to hold a maximum of 30 stocks.

Each  month,  you  allocate  one-thirtieth  of  your  capital  to  every  stock  you  can 
find  which  passes  your  absurdly  deep  value  screen.  If  on  those  rare  occasions 
you  find  more  than  30  stocks  then  I’ve  assumed  you  just  own  them  all  equally 
weighted.  But  if  you  can’t  find  30  stocks,  I  assume  the  already  allocated  capital 
simply  sits  in  cash.  That  way,  you’re  sitting  on  cash  opportunistically  –  so  if  you 
can  find  only  15  stocks,  you’re  50%  cash.  If  you  can’t  find  any  such  stocks,  you’re 
100%  in  cash.  The  following  charts  show  the  hypothetical  return  profile  to  this  
‘opportunistically  liquid’  portfolio,  followed  by  the  hypothetical  cash  allocation. 
Currently, this strategy would be 70% in cash at the moment, reflecting the narrowness  
of the current opportunity set.

PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2011

XXX

Patience, liquidity ... and profitability? (cumulative returns, 1990 = 1)
Source: SG Cross Asset Research, Factset

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

Hypothetical cumulative return to an opportunistically liquid portfolio

MSCI world total return

Cash weighting in the opportunistically liquid portfolio
Source: SG Cross Asset Research, Factset

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

0
9
9
1

0
9
9
1

1
9
9
1

2
9
9
1

3
9
9
1

4
9
9
1

5
9
9
1

5
9
9
1

6
9
9
1

7
9
9
1

8
9
9
1

9
9
9
1

0
0
0
2

0
0
0
2

1
0
0
2

2
0
0
2

3
0
0
2

4
0
0
2

5
0
0
2

5
0
0
2

6
0
0
2

7
0
0
2

8
0
0
2

9
0
0
2

0
1
0
2

0
1
0
2

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XXXI

And  here  are  the  stocks  which  you’d  currently  be  holding.  Bear  in  mind  that  this 
exercise is illustrative and that these stocks are only the output from a quant screen 
I’ve  built  –  I  don’t  know  much  about  most  of  these  stocks,  and  am  certainly  not 
recommending you go out and buy them. (As I said, I’ll detail the methodology, along 
with its pros and cons next week.)

High Quality trading at discount to estimated intrinsic value (IVP ratio >1.33) 
Source: SG Cross Asset Research

Company 
Name

Country

Sector

Market 
Cap  
($bn)

Bk Val/PS 
(lcl ccy)

10y ave 
RoE

Estimated  
Intrinsic  
Value

Monthly  
Closing  
Price

IVP

Piotroski 
Score

Telkom S.A.

South Africa

2,612

Integrated  
Telecommunication 
Services

58.3

26.0

102

35.1

2.9

Persimmon

UK

2,019

Homebuilding

BlueScope Steel

Australia

3,741

Steel

5.4

3.1

CME Group

United States

20,766

Specialised Finance

290.2

Pacific Corp.

South Korea

1,039

Personal Products

221,551

SK Networks

South Korea

2,758

Trading Companies 
and Distributors

12,257

19.8

17.2

27.0

17.0

22.7

9.2

4.3

607

3

2

288

381,329

189,000

21,285

10,950

2.7

2.2

2.1

2.0

1.9

TPV Technology

Hong Kong

1,467

Funai Electric Co.

Japan

1,147

Computer Storage 
and Peripherals

Consumer 
Electronics

5.3

24.9

8.4

5

1.7

4,167

10.6

4,717

2,844

1.7

Charter 
International

UK

2,100

Industrial 
Machinery

3.3

39.0

10.1

7

1.5

Akzo Nobel N.V.

Netherlands

14,540

Diversified 
Chemicals

33.5

30.7

Western  
Digital Corp

United States

7,241

Computer Storage 
and Peripherals

17.0

39.3

60

46

41

34

1.4

1.4

Ricoh Co.

Japan

10,380

Office Electronics

1,341

10.2

1,577

1,181

1.3

8

7

8

7

7

8

7

7

7

8

7

8

PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2011

XXXII

So right now, the ‘right’ thing to do is to be liquid and hold plenty of cash. The problem 
is that knowing what the ‘right’ thing to do is, even when it’s really simple, doesn’t 
make  doing  it  any  easier.  People  write  books  and  build  careers  on  helping  other  
people  lose  weight,  even  though  losing  weight  is  one  of  the  simplest  things  in  the 
world (exercise more, eat less). The same is true for stopping smoking. There are books 
and courses to help smokers kick the habit because so many people find it so difficult 
to do (unfortunately I know this only too well – why are Marlboro lights such a great 
idea the moment you get your first taste of Guinness?!) Yet there’s nothing intrinsically 
complicated in stopping. Stop picking up cigarettes, putting them in your mouth, and 
smoking them.

Getting  from  the  sequence  of  short-runs  to  the  long  run  is  the 
difficult  bit.  Sometimes  the  simplest  things  in  theory  are  the  hardest 
things in practice, and knowing the right thing to do is only the first step. 
So,  understand  what  things  are  worth  to  you,  evaluate  that  valuation 
against prices, and only buy assets when they reach a suitably attractive 
discount. If the risk to doing the right thing is of losing business because 
you’re not doing what everyone else is doing, so be it – simple!

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XXXIII

…but not easy. So what can we do? Dieters have support groups to help them resist 
the temptation to eat to excess. Smokers can buy nicotine patches to help resist the  
temptation to smoke. What do investors have to prevent them chasing higher prices 
and  the  seduction  of  the  associated  narrative?  Not  much,  other  than,  perhaps,  the 
wisdom  of  others.  So  with  this  in  mind,  I  thought  I’d  leave  you  with  this  excerpt 
from  the  2005  Berkshire  letter,  where  Mr.  Buffett  explains  the  business  philosophy 
behind  the  success  of  Berkshire’s  National 
Indemnity  business  (I’ve  taken  the  liberty  
of charting the tabulated data from the 
original report).

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2005	BERKSHIRE	LETTER	– extract

“Since Berkshire purchased National Indemnity (‘NICO’) in 1967, property-casualty insurance has 
been our core business and the propellant of our growth. Insurance has provided a fountain of 
funds with which we’ve acquired the securities and businesses that now give us an ever-widening 
variety of earnings streams. So in this section, I will be spending a little time telling you how we 
got where we are.

The source of our insurance funds is ‘float,’ which is money that doesn’t belong to us but that 
we  temporarily  hold.  Most  of  our  float  arises  because  (1)  premiums  are  paid  upfront  though  
the  service  we  provide  –  insurance  protection  –  is  delivered  over  a  period  that  usually  covers  
a year and; (2) loss events that occur today do not always result in our immediately paying claims, 
because  it  sometimes  takes  many  years  for  losses  to  be  reported  (asbestos  losses  would  be  
an example), negotiated and settled. The $20 million of float that came with our 1967 purchase 
has now increased – both by way of internal growth and acquisitions – to $46.1 billion.

Float  is  wonderful  –  if  it  doesn’t  come  at  a  high  price.  Its  cost  is  determined  by  underwriting 
results, meaning how the expenses and losses we will ultimately pay compare with the premiums 
we have received. When an underwriting profit is achieved – as has been the case at Berkshire  
in about half of the 38 years we have been in the insurance business – float is better than free.  
In such years, we are actually paid for holding other people’s money. For most insurers, however, 
life  has  been  far  more  difficult:  In  aggregate,  the  property-casualty  industry  almost  invariably 
operates  at an underwriting  loss. When  that  loss  is  large,  float becomes  expensive, sometimes 
devastatingly so. 

Insurers  have  generally  earned  poor  returns  for  a  simple  reason:  They  sell  a  commodity-like 
product.  Policy  forms  are  standard,  and  the  product  is  available  from  many  suppliers,  some  
of whom are mutual companies (‘owned’ by policyholders rather than stockholders) with profit 
goals that are limited. Moreover, most insureds don’t care from whom they buy. Customers by  
the millions say ‘I need some Gillette blades’ or ‘I’ll have a Coke’ but we wait in vain for ‘I’d like  
a National Indemnity policy, please.’ Consequently, price competition in insurance is usually fierce. 
Think airline seats.

So, you may ask, how do Berkshire’s insurance operations overcome the dismal economics of the 
industry  and  achieve  some  measure  of  enduring  competitive  advantage?  We’ve  attacked  that 
problem in several ways. Let’s look first at NICO’s strategy.

When we purchased the company – a specialist in commercial auto and general liability insurance 
– it did not appear to have any attributes that would overcome the industry’s chronic troubles. It was  
not well-known, had no informational advantage (the company has never had an actuary), was not 
a low-cost operator, and sold through general agents, a method many people thought outdated. 
Nevertheless, for almost all of the past 38 years, NICO has been a star performer. Indeed, had we 
not made this acquisition, Berkshire would be lucky to be worth half of what it is today.

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What  we’ve  had  going  for  us  is  a  managerial  mindset  that  most  insurers  find  impossible  to 
replicate. Take a look at the facing page [DG: see chart]. Can you imagine any public company 
embracing  a  business  model  that  would  lead  to  the  decline  in  revenue  that  we  experienced 
from 1986 through 1999? That colossal slide, it should be emphasized, did not occur because 
business was unobtainable. Many billions of premium dollars were readily available to NICO 
had  we  only  been  willing  to  cut  prices.  But  we  instead  consistently  priced  to  make  a  profit,  
not to match our most optimistic competitor. We never left customers – but they left us.

Portrait of a disciplined underwriter
Source: Berkshire Hathaway 2005 shareholders’ letter

“ Can you imagine any public company embracing a business model 
that would lead to the decline in revenue that we experienced from 
1986 through 1999? That colossal slide, it should be emphasized, 
did not occur because business was unobtainable. Many billions of 
premium dollars were readily available to NICO had we only been 
willing to cut prices. But we instead consistently priced to make 
a profit, not to match our most optimistic competitor.”

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Most American businesses harbor an ‘institutional imperative’ that rejects extended decreases 
in volume. What CEO wants to report to his shareholders that not only did business contract 
last year but that it will continue to drop? In insurance, the urge to keep writing business is also 
intensified because the consequences of foolishly-priced policies may not become apparent for 
some time. If an insurer is optimistic in its reserving, reported earnings will be overstated, and 
years may pass before true loss costs are revealed (a form of self-deception that nearly destroyed 
GEICO in the early 1970s).” 

Dylan Grice Société Générale Cross Asset Research from Global Strategy Document, 31 January 2011, Popular Delusions.
Reprinted by permission of Société Générale. Copyright © 2011. The Société Générale Group 2011. All rights reserved.

PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2011

 
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