Half-yearly Report

Half-yearly Report

Media Corporation PLC

26 May 2010

Media Corporation Plc
("Media Corp" or the "Group")

Interim results for the six months ended 31 March 2010

The Board of Media Corp, a leading advertising network and gaming operator, is pleased to announce its interim results for the period ended 31 March 2010.

Financial Highlights

  • Revenues of £10.3 million (2009: £2.0 million) an increase of 415%
  • Gross profit of £3.0 million (2009: £0.6 million) an increase of 400%
  • Profit after tax of £157,000 (2009: Loss of £898,000) an increase of £1.1 million
  • Cash balances of £2.3 million (March 2009: £2.5 million; September 2009: £1.7 million)
  • Successful sale of treasury stock raising £0.9 million for the Group

Trading Highlights

  • Acquisition of Purple Lounge, a leading online gaming brand
  • Gambling.com returned to number 1 in Google’s search rankings
  • Strong trading across the Group at the start of the second half

Justin Drummond, CEO of Media Corp, commented:

“Following the board’s strategy to reduce overheads and move back in to online gaming via the acquisition of Purple Lounge, the first six months of the financial year represent a significant turnaround in the fortunes of the Group. Whilst the second quarter is seasonally the weakest quarter for the advertising network business, we have seen strong and profitable growth in the Group’s recently acquired gaming operation.

“The acquisition of Purple Lounge has given us a fast growing, profitable and hugely scalable business which can benefit from the Group’s extensive online marketing expertise. Whilst the main driver for growth has been in internet publishing through Purple Lounge, where revenue increased significantly, revenue in the Group’s advertising network has grown organically by a solid 36%.

“The second half of the financial year has started strongly, with record revenues across the Group in April. It is anticipated that this trend will continue and the Board remains confident of an excellent outcome for the rest of the year.”

Issue of Warrants

The Group has today issued 1,900,000 warrants to subscribe for Ordinary Shares of 1 penny each ("Warrants") at a price of 2.25 pence (being the mid-market price of the Group’s shares on 25 May 2010). These Warrants have been issued to certain Directors and Managers of the company. Chris Gorman OBE and John Palmer, both Directors of the Group, were awarded 1,000,000 and 400,000 warrants.

--ENDS--

Contacts:

 
Media Corporation Plc Tel: +44 20 7618 9000
Justin Drummond - CEO
Nilesh Jagatia – Group Finance Director
 
Astaire Securities Plc Tel: + 44 20 7448 4400
Luke Cairns / Avi Robinson (Nomad)
Katie Shelton (Broker)
 
Bishopsgate Communications Tel: + 44 20 7562 3350
Gemma O'Hara / Siobhra Murphy
 
Threadneedle Communications Tel: +44 20 7653 9850
Graham Herring / Josh Royston
 

Consolidated Unaudited Income Statement
for the six months ended 31 March 2010

     

Six months
endedended

Six months
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31 March
20102010

31 March
20092009

30 September
20092009

(unaudited) (unaudited) (audited)
£'000 £'000 £'000
 
Total revenue 10,334 2,002 3,507
Cost of sales (7,380) (1,418) (2,627)
Gross profit 2,954 584 880
 
Administrative expenses (2,798) (1,496) (3,588)
       
Analysis of administrative expenses:
Distribution costs (1,512) (193) (276)
Other administrative expenses (1,286) (1,303) (2,914)
Exceptional loss     (398)
  (2,798) (1,496) (3,588)
 
Operating profit / (loss) 156 (912) (2,698)
 
Finance income 1 14 39
 
Profit / (loss) before income tax 157 (898) (2,659)
 
Income tax expense - - (14)
 

Profit / (loss) from continuing
activities attributable to equity
holders of the Group

157 (898) (2,645)
 
 

Earnings/(loss) per share attributable
to equity holders of the Group

Basic 0.06p (0.31)p (0.90)p
Diluted 0.05p (0.28)p (0.83)p
 

Consolidated unaudited statement of recognised income and expense
for the six months ended 31 March 2010

     

Six months
endedended

Six months
endedended

Year ended

31 March
20102010

31 March
20092009

30 September
20092009

(unaudited) (unaudited) (audited)
£'000 £'000 £'000
 
Currency translation differences 77 95 841

Total income recognised directly in
equity

77 95 841
Profit / (loss) for the year 157 (898) (2,645)

Total recognised income / (expense) for
the period

234 (803) (1,804)
 

Consolidated unaudited balance sheet
as at 31 March 2010

     

Six months
endedended

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endedended

Year ended

31 March
20102010

31 March
20092009

30 September
20092009

(unaudited) (unaudited) (audited)
£'000 £'000 £'000
Assets
Non current assets
Property, plant and equipment 342 458 85
Intangibles 4,768 4,566 4,830
Deferred tax asset - - 8
5,110 5,024 4,923
Current assets
Trade and other receivables 1,132 985 675
Cash at bank and in hand 2,302 2,511 1,697
3,434 3,496 2,372
Total assets 8,544 8,520 7,295
 
Liabilities
Current liabilities
Trade and other payables (3,738) (1,312) (1,342)
Current tax liabilities - (25) (18)
(3,738) (1,337) (1,360)
Total liabilities (3,738) (1,337) (1,360)
Total assets less liabilities 4,806 7,183 5,935
Equity
Share capital 4,798 4,773 4,798
Share premium 12,943 12,927 12,943
Other Reserves 1,422 1,422 1,422
Ordinary shares in treasury (372) (719) (719)
Translation reserves 310 (112) 536
Retained Earnings (14,295) (11,108) (13,045)
Total shareholders’ equity 4,806 7,183 5,935
 

Consolidated unaudited statement of changes in shareholders’ equity
for the six months ended 31 March 2010

           
Group

Share
capital

Share
premium

Currency
translation
reserve

Other
reserves

Retained
earnings

Total
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
           
At 30 September 2008 4,773 12,927 (305) 1,422 (10,924) 7,893
Loss for the year - - - - (2,645) (2,645)
Share based payments - - - - 27 27

Currency translation
differencesdifferences

- - 841 - - 841
Purchase of own shares - - - - (222) (222)
Issue of shares 25 16 - - - 41
At 30 September 2009 4,798 12,943 536 1,422 (13,764) 5,935
Profit for the year - - - - 157 157

Reserves on acquired
company b/fcompany b/f

- - - - (1,406) (1,406)

Currency translation
differencesdifferences

- - (226) - - (226)
Sale of own shares - - - - 346 346
At 31 March 2010 4,798 12,943 310 1,422 (14,667) 4,806
 

Consolidated unaudited cash flow statements
for the six months ended 31 March 2010

     

Six months
endedended

Six months
endedended

Year ended

31 March
20102010

31 March
20092009

30 September
20092009

(unaudited) (unaudited) (audited)
£'000 £'000 £'000
Operating activities
Operating profit / (loss) 156 (912) (2,698)
Depreciation and amortisation (179) (109) (255)
Increase / (decrease) in receivables (459) (232) 78
Increase in payables 1,378 57 107

Net cash (used in)/generated by operating
activities

896 (1,196) (2,258)
 
Investing activities
Interest received 1 14 39
Purchase of property, plant and equipment (214) (8) (34)
Purchase of intangibles (421) - (82)

Net cash (used in)/generated by investing
activities

(634) 6 (77)
 
Financing activities
Purchase / sale of treasury shares 420 (221) (222)
Net cash used in financing activities 420 (221) (222)
 

Net increase / (decrease) in cash and cash
equivalents

682 (1,411) (2,488)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 1,697 3,809 3,809
Effects on exchange movements (77) 113 376

Cash and cash equivalents at end of
period

2,302 2,511 1,697

Note: The Group is expecting an additional £453,081.84 in June 2010 from the deferred settlement of the sale of treasury shares.

Notes to the accounts

1. Basis of preparation

These consolidated interim financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries ("the Group") for the six months ended 31 March 2010 have been prepared using accounting policies consistent with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs). The same accounting policies, presentation and methods of computation are followed in the consolidated set of financial statements as applied in the Group's latest audited financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2009

These consolidated interim financial statements do not constitute Statutory Accounts under the Companies Act 2006, have not been audited, and do not include all of the information required for full annual financial statements. They should be read in conjunction with the Group's consolidated annual financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2009. The auditors' opinion on those Statutory Accounts was unqualified and did not draw attention to any other matters required by the Companies Act 2006. The Statutory Accounts for the year ended 30 September 2009 have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies.

The comparative figures presented are for the six months ended 31 March 2009 and the year ended 30 September 2009

Revenue

Revenue is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable and represents amounts receivable for goods and services provided in the normal course of business, net of discounts, VAT and other sales related taxes. Sales of goods are recognised when goods are delivered and title has passed. Sales of services are recognised when the service has been completed and invoiced to the customer.

Goodwill

The directors undertake an impairment review of goodwill at the end of each annual reporting period.

2. Segmental analyses

The Group's primary segmental information is based on
its operating divisions: its operating divisions:

 

Six months
endedended

 

Six months
endedended

  Year ended

31 March
20102010

31 March
20092009

30 September
20092009

(unaudited) (unaudited) (audited)
£'000 £'000 £'000
Revenue
Advertising Network 1,922 1,418 2,602
Internet Publishing 8,412 584 905
10,334 2,002 3,507
 
Operating profit / (loss)
Advertising Network 203 (228) (521)
Internet Publishing (47) (684) (2,177)
156 (912) (2,698)
 
 
Assets
Advertising Network 937 659 1,072
Internet Publishing 7,607 7861 6223
8,544 8,520 7,295
Liabilities
Advertising Network (676) (652) (634)
Internet Publishing (3,062) (685) (726)
(3,738) (1,337) (1,360)
 

3. Taxation

There is no provision for UK Corporation tax due to tax losses.

Deferred tax is provided in full in respect of taxation deferred by timing differences between the treatment of certain items for taxation and accounting purposes. Recognition of the deferred tax asset is limited to the extent that the company anticipates making sufficient taxable profits in the future to absorb the reversal of the underlying timing differences. The deferred tax balance has not been discounted. The Group has a deferred tax asset of £Nil (2009: £Nil).

4. Earnings / (loss) per share

 

Six months
endedended

 

Six months
endedended

  Year ended

31 March
20102010

31 March
20092009

30 September
20092009

(unaudited) (unaudited) (audited)
£’000 £’000 £’000

Profit / (loss) for the purpose of basic and diluted
earnings / (loss) per share earnings / (loss) per share

157 (898) (2,645)
 
Numbers

Weighted average number of ordinary shares for the
purpose of basic earnings per share purpose of basic earnings per share

278,364,396 291,927,298 293,467,124
Effective of dilutive potential ordinary shares:
Share warrants 25,084,931 27,250,000 25,084,931
     

Weighted average number of ordinary shares for the
purpose of diluted earnings per share purpose of diluted earnings per share

303,449,327 319,177,298 318,552,055
 
 
Loss per share – basic 0.06p (0.31)p (0.90)p
Loss per share – diluted 0.05p (0.28)p (0.83)p
 

5. Dividends

The Directors do not recommend the payment of a dividend.

6. Copies of interim results

Copies are available at the Group´s web site at www.mediacorpplc.com. Copies may also be obtained from the Group´s registered office: Media Corporation plc, Ground Floor, 77 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4AY.

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