Interim Results
Knowledge Technology Solutions PLC
28 June 2001
For Immediate Release
28 June 2001
Knowledge Technology Solutions PLC
Interim Results for the
period to 31 March 2001
Knowledge Technology Solutions PLC, the provider of fast, interactive data
solutions, and owner of the Sharepages.com financial information website,
announces its interim results as an AIM listed company, for the period to 31st
March 2001.
Highlights
* Progress in the development of the MarketTerminal product combined with
strong interest from prospective corporate customers
* 'Live' MarketTerminal trials with a major City financial services
company underway
* Group loss before tax of £138,029, reflecting investment in technology
development and establishing the Cognita business
* Prospects for the year as a whole remain good
* Commenting on the results, Bernard Fisher, Chairman, said:
'Progress has been made in our business during the six month period to 31st
March 2001. Our proprietary technology MarketTerminal product is receiving a
particularly good response from prospective corporate clients. The prospects
for the year as a whole remain good.'
For further information please contact:
Bernard Fisher, Chairman 07747 634 634
Marc Pinter-Krainer, Chief Executive 020 8795 2700
Neil Boom, Director Gresham PR Limited 020 7329 7555
Roland Cornish, Chairman, Beaumont Cornish Limited 020 7628 3396
UNAUDITED RESULTS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 MARCH 2001
Chairman's Statement
The period ended 31st March 2001 was one of progress for Knowledge Technology
Solutions. I am pleased to report that the Group achieved good results in a
period that included its debut on the Alternative Investment Market and
further investment in the development of our intellectual property.
Cognita Technologies Limited ('Cognita')
Our investment in the development of Cognita continued as planned throughout
the six-month period. Progress has been made in developing our MarketTerminal
product which delivers real time and interactive financial data to
sophisticated market professionals using application server technology (ASP).
MarketTerminal is a flagship product which, the directors believe, will
represent strong growth opportunities for the Group.
There is strong market interest in MarketTerminal which has enabled us to
progress to 'proof of concept' trials and beta tests with a UK subsidiary of
one of Europe's largest financial institutions, and is currently trialing
MarketTerminal alongside its existing financial information systems.
Our longer term aim is to establish Cognita as a market-leading application
service provision company. We are confident that financial insitutions in need
of complementary lower cost financial information systems, that run alongside
Bloomberg or Reuters, will be a lucrative market for our product and our
technology. Accordingly, we are now recruiting a new Head of Sales who will
have direct requisite relationships and skills to sell MarketTerminal to the
City.
In addition, the real time data management and application server technology
developed and owned by Cognita will position the Group as a specialist
provider of software solutions in those high growth areas.
During the period, the Group invested almost £200,000 in developing Cognita's
technologies and enhancing the functionality of MarketTerminal with additional
modules. The value of our software is not reflected in the Balance Sheet as
the costs relating to this development have been written off as incurred.
Sharepages.com Limited
We continue to use our expertise in real time data management and the new
technologies developed by Cognita to improve and diversify the service we
offer users of our Sharepages.com financial information website (http://
www.sharepages.com) at little additional cost. The Sharepages.com PDA service
that was introduced in the first half of the year has enabled us to fulfil
customers' demands for share information whilst on the move.
Our use of flexible and innovative technology has been a differentiator in the
marketplace. In particular, our approach in having much of the site content
automatically generated has resulted in a low cost base. Several competitors
are now finding their focus on editorial content to be prohibitively
expensive, and with the reduction in VC funding and corporate investing, are
being closed, sold or merged. However, during this period Sharepages' unique
visitor numbers have been steadily increasing and with an anticipated lower
level of competition compared to the last two years, we expect this growth to
continue. As a low cost operator, we welcome this sector consolidation.
Outlook
We have spent the last period putting in place some of the infrastructure to
enable Knowledge Technology Solutions to realise its planned strategy. We
recently announced that HSBC Investment Bank plc and Billam Plc have each
subscribed for 5 million new Ordinary shares. These new funds will enable us
to deliver real and measurable benefits to the business, particularly as we
now accelerate the MarketTerminal project.
Your directors' view of the prospects for the year as a whole remains good.
BERNARD FISHER
Chairman
28 June 2001
CONSOLIDATED PROFIT & LOSS ACCOUNT FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 MARCH 2001
Six months ended
31 March 2001
(unaudited)
Notes £
Turnover 3 90,253
Cost of Sales (38,507)
________
Gross Profit 51,746
Administration expenses (192,859)
________
Operating loss (141,113)
Interest receivable 3,084
________
Loss on ordinary activities before taxation (138,029)
Taxation on loss on ordinary activities 4 -
________
Loss on ordinary activities after taxation (138,029)
________
Dividends 5 -
Retained loss (138,029)
=======
Basic loss per ordinary share 6 (0.26)p
=======
Diluted loss per ordinary share 6 (0.26)p
=======
All operations are continuing and there are no recognised gains and losses
other than the loss for the period.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2001
As at
31 March 2001
(unaudited)
Notes £
Fixed assets 17,648
Tangible fixed assets
________
Current assets
Debtors 63,621
Cash at bank and in hand 339,392
________
403,013
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (54,750)
________
Net current assets 348,263
________
Total assets less current liabilities 365,911
=======
Capital and reserves
Called up share capital 65,342
Share premium account 438,598
Profit and loss account (138,029)
________
Equity shareholders' funds 10 365,911
=======
CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 MARCH 2001
Six months
ended
31 March 2001
(unaudited)
Notes £
Net cash outflow from operating activities 7 (143,927)
________
Returns on investment and servicing of finance
Interest received 3,084
________
Net cash inflow from returns on investments and servicing 3,084
of finance ________
Capital expenditure
Purchase of tangible fixed assets (2,146)
________
Net cash outflow from capital expenditure (2,146)
________
Acquisitions and disposals
Cash acquired with subsidiary 57,737
________
Net cash inflow from acquisitions and disposals 57,737
________
Net cash outflow before financing (85,252)
________
Financing
Issue of ordinary share capital 671,904
Share issue costs (247,262)
________
Net cash inflow from financing
424,642
________
Increase in cash 8 339,390
=======
NOTES TO THE INTERIM RESULTS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 MARCH 2001
1 Basis of preparation
The interim financial information in respect of the six months ended 31
March 2001 is unaudited and has been prepared on the basis of the
accounting policies set out in the company's Prospectus dated 8 November
2000.
The financial information contained in this statement does not constitute
statutory accounts. The company's first statutory accounts will be in
respect of the period ending 30 June 2001.
2 Continuing activities
The company was incorporated on 24 August 2000 and, with the exception of
the issue of ordinary shares on incorporation, the Group did not trade
until the acquisition of the entire issued ordinary share capital of
Sharepages.com Limited on 27 October 2000.
3 Turnover
All of the turnover arises in the United Kingdom.
4 Taxation
As a result of losses available no liability to corporation tax is
expected to arise.
5 Dividends
The Directors do not recommend the payment of an interim dividend.
6 Loss per ordinary share
The loss per ordinary share have been calculated by dividing the loss on
ordinary activities after tax attributable to shareholders by 52,804,651
being the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the
period which carry the right to receive a dividend.
The diluted earnings per ordinary share is the same as the basic earnings
per share.
7 Reconciliation of operating loss to net cash outflow from operating
activities
Six months ended
31 March 2001
Operating loss (141,113)
Depreciation charges 4,009
Increase in debtors (44,643)
Increase in creditors 37,820
Net cash outflow from operating activities (143,927)
8 Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement of liquid funds
Six months ended
31 March 2001
Increase in cash for the period 339,390
Net funds at start of period 2
Net funds at end of period 339,392
9 Analysis of net funds
As at
31 March 2001
Cash at bank and in hand 339,392
10 Reconciliation of movement in shareholders' funds
Six months ended
31 March 2001
Loss for the period (138,029)
New shares issued during the period 769,700
Issue costs (265,762)
Net additions during the period 365,909
Opening shareholders' funds 2
Closing shareholders' funds 365,911
11 Non-cash transactions
During the period, the company issued 49,998,000 ordinary shares of 0.1p
per share in exchange for the entire ordinary share capital of
Sharepages.com Limited and 411,111 ordinary shares of 0.1p per share in
consideration of services provided to the company in respect of its
admission to the Alternative Investment Market. No goodwill arose on the
acquisition of Sharepages.com Limited.