RIGHTS AND ISSUES INVESTMENT TRUST PLC

Legal Entity Identifier (LEI): 2138002AWAM93Z6BP574

Half Yearly Results for the six months ended 30th June 2026

A copy of the Company's Half Yearly Financial Report for the six months ended 30th June 2026 will shortly be available to view and download from https://www.jupiteram.com/uk/e/professional/rights-and-issues-investment-trust-plc/.  Neither the contents of that website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on this website (or any other website) is incorporated into or forms part of this announcement.

Printed copies of the Report will be made available to shareholders shortly. Additional copies may be obtained from the Corporate Secretary - Apex Fund Administration Services (UK) Limited, Hamilton Centre, Rodney Way, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 3BY.

INTERIM DIVIDEND

An interim dividend of 12.5p per share has been approved by the Board. The dividend will be paid on 25th September 2026 to shareholders on the register at close of business on 28th August 2026 (ex-dividend 27th August 2026).

The following text is copied from the Half Yearly Financial Report.

HALF YEARLY FINANCIAL REPORT

for the six months ended 30th June 2026

Financial Highlights

Financial Highlights for the six months to 30th June 2026

Capital Performance

†   Source: Jupiter, Morningstar

†† Source: Trustnet

Chairman's Statement

I am pleased to present the Chairman's Statement for the Company's interim report for the six months ended 30th June 2026, together with comments on its progress.

Despite continued global economic uncertainty, particularly in the Middle East, our Company has produced a positive performance. In the period we saw sentiment towards the small cap market continue to improve albeit modestly. These global economic factors as well as competitive pressures will, as ever, challenge the management teams of our portfolio companies. Our performance is largely driven by the highly concentrated and actively managed investment portfolio. Relative performance is mainly driven by stock selection. As such, our Investment Manager continues to monitor our portfolio companies' ability to maintain their margins and market share.

Net Asset Value & Share Price Returns

Over the period the Company generated a capital return of 4.1%, marginally below the return of its benchmark, the FTSE All-Share Index at 5.3%. On a total return basis, the Company's portfolio of investments delivered a positive total return for the period of 5.4% (increase in NAV plus dividends paid). Again, whilst this is behind the total return on the FTSE All-Share Index of 7.2%, it is ahead of the Deutsche Numis Smaller Companies Index (DNSCI) (1.8%) This will be commented on in more detail in the Investment Manager's Review.

The Company's shares performed better in the period as the discount to Net Asset Value narrowed, delivering a total return of 9.4%. An important factor in this result was the Company's renewed ability to buy back its own shares following the approval of the share buyback resolution at our recent Annual General Meeting. During the period since the AGM on 26th March to 30th June 2026 the Company has bought back 79,783 shares and spent £1.7 million on the programme.

Portfolio Activity

The portfolio was little changed over the period, with one holding exited and one new holding added. JTC received a number of takeover bids since we invested in it and, with shares close to the bid price, the position was exited during the period. Mortgage Advice Bureau, a leading network for mortgage brokers in the UK, was added to the portfolio.

You will find more details on stock selection and performance in the Investment Manager's Review below.

Discount Control

The Board's authority to extend what had been a routine business practice of share buybacks going back many years lapsed at the AGM in March 2025. A new authority to buy back shares was sought and obtained at the Annual General meeting in March 2026. We were pleased that the vast majority of shareholders supported the renewal of this authority.

Your Board continues to believe strongly that the programme is in the best interests of the majority of shareholders. As we have seen, buying back shares serves to narrow the discount to Net Asset Value at which the shares trade and reduces share price volatility. These buybacks at the margin continue to provide a useful mechanism for those shareholders wanting to realise their investment whilst providing an economic benefit to remaining shareholders.

Dividends

The Directors are very aware of the importance of income to our shareholders. The Board has today declared an interim dividend of 12.5p (2025: 12.25p) per share, an increase of 2.0% over the prior year. The dividend will be paid on 25th September 2026 to shareholders on the register at close of business on 28th August 2026 (ex dividend 27th August 2026).

Shareholder Engagement

Over the first half of the year your Board and its advisors maintained their regular dialogue with major shareholders. In addition, we were pleased to meet with a significant number of shareholders at our AGM. The feedback we received was consistent with previous years. The small size of the Board was greatly appreciated, as was the continued involvement of Simon Knott.

Directorate Changes

Following the AGM on 26th March 2026 we welcomed Ruth Beechey to the Board as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Ruth brings extensive legal and leadership experience from Deutsche Asset Management and UBS Asset Management UK, and currently serves as a non-executive director at Brown Advisory US Smaller Companies PLC and Legal and General Pensions Management (Assurance) Limited. Concurrently, Mr Jonathan Roper retired from the Board.

Marketing

Our partnership with Jupiter continues to work well and we have seen a good level of marketing activity with the purpose of raising awareness of the Company to a wider audience. This proactive approach aims to enhance visibility and attract potential investors. Over the course of the period, events were held that included wealth managers, professional fund managers and private individuals via a range of traditional in-person activities, as well as digital content and video tools, which you will be able to find on our Investment Manager's website: https://www.jupiteram.com/uk/e/professional/rights-and-issues-investment-trust-plc/.

Consumer Duty Value Assessment

Jupiter Unit Trust Managers Limited ("JUTM"), as the Company's Alternative Investment Fund Manager ("AIFM"), is required under the FCA's Consumer Duty to regularly assess whether the Company provides fair value to retail investors.

The assessment considers a range of factors, including investment performance, costs and charges, the nature of the product and the needs of the target market. It also considers whether the Company is expected to provide fair value over a reasonably foreseeable period.

Following its 2026 assessment, the JUTM Board concluded that Rights and Issues Investment Trust is expected to provide fair value over a reasonably foreseeable period.

The outcome of the assessment is reported to distributors through the European MiFID Template ("EMT") in accordance with regulatory requirements.

Outlook

In the UK we recognise that many economic challenges continue as before. There is little evidence of major reforms, despite the Government's large majority in parliament. There is increased talk of commitments to increasing defence spending that could prove positive for some parts of the UK industrial sector. The bigger picture, however, is that inflation has remained under control and interest rates have remained steady. With the recent change of Prime Minister there is a case to be made for an improvement in sentiment. This seems to have come through in the overall performance of the FTSE All-Share index in the first half of 2026.

Whilst we are aware of these and other factors, we will continue to encourage our Investment Manager to seek out opportunities to invest in differentiated companies operated by good management that they believe to be fundamentally under-valued. Our commitment to rigorous risk management and disciplined investment practices remains steadfast. The Board believes that our Investment Manager has the skills and knowledge to identify these opportunities and to continue to be well placed to deliver value for your Company into the future.

Thank you for your continued support and confidence in Rights and Issues Investment Trust.

Andrew Hosty

Chairman

5th August 2026

You can view or download copies of the Half Yearly and the Annual Reports from the Company's website at https://www.jupiteram.com/uk/e/professional/rights-and-issues-investment-trust-plc/

The Half Yearly Report will also be made available to shareholders and copies are available at the registered office of the Company on request.

Investment Manager's Review

Introduction

We are pleased to present our investment report for the first half of 2026 to shareholders of the Company. Overall, the Company's portfolio of investments delivered a positive total return for the period, modestly behind its formal benchmark but ahead of the more representative smaller companies index (see below). The Company's shares performed better as the discount to NAV narrowed. One position was sold from the portfolio during the period, with one new holding being added.

Market backdrop

The UK equity market performed well over the period as a whole, with the FTSE All-Share Total Return Index¹ ("FTAS") returning 7.2% and the Deutsche Numis Smaller Companies Index¹ ("DNSCI") 1.8%. As was the case last year, this overall performance disguised significant volatility at times, especially around the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East. Unsurprisingly the market has worried about the impact of higher energy prices on inflation and hence interest rates, although this never translated into outright panic. At the time of writing a fragile peace agreement had broken down, casting doubt on efforts to secure a lasting peace.

Elsewhere, equity markets have been very focused on both the risks and opportunities springing from the growth in Artificial Intelligence (AI). While we suspect that the more extreme assumptions about both are overdone, there are likely to be important and enduring effects that we need to consider. At the very least, spending on AI (and hence energy) infrastructure is likely to remain highly elevated for some time to come.

At the end of the period, the UK parted company with yet another prime minister. While Andy Burnham's full policy agenda remains somewhat unclear, we believe the bond market is likely to limit any major policy divergence under a new administration. Unfortunately, we will no doubt see a further period of uncertainty until leadership and policy direction is resolved over the summer.

Performance

The Company's investment portfolio delivered a total return² of 5.4% for the period. This was behind the Company's formal benchmark (FTAS, 7.2%) but ahead of the DNSCI (1.8%), which we believe is more representative of the portfolio's small and mid-cap investment universe. Given a narrowing of the discount between the share price and NAV, the Company's shares performed better, delivering a return of 9.4% (including dividends).

Given the highly concentrated nature of the portfolio, relative performance is principally a function of stock selection as opposed to sector or factor weights. The following individual investments were among the most significant contributors to performance.

Keller (+63%)

Leading global groundworks contractor Keller was the most significant contributor to performance over the period, having been added to the portfolio in the second half of last year. After a significant period of transformation under high quality leadership, the business now produces strong returns and margins. This in turn has led to a material increase in valuation over recent months.

Colefax (+51%)

Longstanding holding Colefax designs and sells luxury fabrics and wallcoverings, mainly in the UK and USA. The latter market has been extremely strong in recent years, propelled by the performance of the US stock market. Management remain cautious about a potential normalisation in demand and, given that the shares are very illiquid, we have taken the opportunity presented by share buybacks to moderate the position.

Oxford Instruments (+49%)

High-tech scientific equipment maker Oxford Instruments was also an important contributor to performance. After a more challenging year negotiating tariffs and an uncertain trade environment, the company now has a more positive outlook, especially for its advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

Telecom Plus (-45%)

Multi-utility provider Telecom Plus, which trades as Utility Warehouse, was again a significant detractor from performance. While financial results have continued to track broadly in line with expectations, concerns about the company's business model have driven a dramatic decline in valuation. Late in the period, Telecom Plus announced a significant investment in growth initiatives which lowered short-term profit expectations and drove further weakness in the share price.

GB Group (-21%)

Identity verification and fraud detection business GB Group also detracted from performance despite solid financial performance. We believe that investors are concerned about the impact of AI on GB's business; an extension of the widespread theme of potential disruption to software companies in general. While the situation will no doubt involve some complexity, we think that businesses using proprietary data, providing business critical services and employing deep domain expertise will be relative winners. In our view GB fits this model and will be rewarded as this becomes more apparent in time.

Portfolio changes

One position was sold during the period and one new holding added.

JTC, a leading global administrator of institutional and private investment funds, was added to the portfolio in the first half of last year. Soon after we added the position, the company was in receipt of a number of takeover approaches, culminating in an agreed deal in December. While positive for performance as noted in the full year results, we have mixed feelings about takeovers of high quality companies, as they remove attractive investments from the UK market. With the shares trading close to the bid price, we sold the position over the period.

Mortgage Advice Bureau is a leading network for mortgage brokers in the UK. Its hybrid model provides a range of technology, services and lender relationships to both directly employed and affiliated brokers. As well as its stable broker base, MAB now benefits from an offering that includes refinancing and product transfers (i.e. refinancing with the same lender) as well as traditional new purchase deals. This means that it is much less dependent on activity in the housing market than it used to be. After a long period of attractive growth, MAB is now focused on margin expansion and earnings progression. At the same time the equity market has taken a negative view of its prospects, creating what we view as an attractive entry point for an investment.

Summary and Outlook

As mentioned above, a fragile truce had broken down in the Middle East at the time of writing. Whether the situation can be recovered to move towards a more durable peace, or is more likely to regress into renewed hostilities, is impossible to predict and not something we are taking a view on. In the longer term we simply note that ongoing trade disruption suits very few countries around the world so it is likely that some kind of accommodation will eventually be reached.

In the UK we await Andy Burnham's early weeks in Downing Street with interest. The realities of the bond market, parliamentary Labour party and a ticking electoral clock mean that he may have no greater scope for policy manoeuvre than his ill-fated predecessor. However, he may prove a more adept politician and therefore create space to address some of the most pressing issues of the day, including welfare reform, defence spending and our relationship with the EU. Given the challenges of the last ten years, we think that any improvement in the way the UK is governed would be taken well by the equity market, especially if accompanied by a recovery (from a very low base) in consumer and business sentiment.

In the meantime, we continue to look for opportunities to add holdings in high quality businesses at attractive valuations. We believe that this is the best way to create value for shareholders in the long term.

Matt Cable
Lead Manager

Tim Service
Investment Manager

5th August 2026

1 Both benchmarks excluding Investment Trusts

2 Increase in NAV plus dividends paid