Interim Results

Clarity Commerce Solutions PLC 11 December 2000 CLARITY COMMERCE SOLUTIONS PLC Chairman's Statement Financial Review I am pleased to present the Company's first report as a public company for the interim period to 30 September 2000. The Company was successfully introduced to AIM on 26 July 2000 raising £2.0 million after expenses, for the Company, by the placing of 2,000,000 shares at 125p per share. The Company acquired its two principal trading subsidiaries Clarity Retail Systems plc and Microtrain Limited on 31 March 2000 and Formative Systems Limited on 26 July 2000. Turnover for the period ended 30 September 2000 amounted to £1,448,000 resulting in an operating loss, before goodwill amortisation, of £370,000. Goodwill amortisation amounted to £132,000. No interim dividend is being proposed. As described in the prospectus, the funds raised at flotation have been applied in repaying outstanding loan notes amounting to £490,000, financial marketing activities, developing the sales and technical support teams and providing working capital whilst expanding the Group's product range. Net cash balances as at 30 September 2000 amounted to £733,000. Operating Review Clarity provides a range of software solutions and services to the hospitality industry, including touch screen EPOS (electronic point of sale) products, head office estate management software for leisure and catering groups, and loyalty and customer relationship products. Our software solutions are used to manage the flow of information concerning sales, pricing, margins, staff, revenues and customer behaviour, and are installed with clients such as Belgo, The River Cafe, Harry Ramsdens and Punch Group. In addition, our services division provides field-based personnel to clients such as Bass, enabling the implementation of systems and training of staff within clients' outlets. Since flotation, the group has increased the number of employees from 61 to 75. Growth has been in the areas of sales, software developers, support and customer service personnel, and field based trainers. The company has recently secured a significant contract with Punch Group for the installation of Clarity Central head office software to control the product database for over 1,000 outlets. Software has also been developed for P&O, facilitating the obtaining of an order to supply terminals to their shore-based operations. Clarity continues to work closely with the Belgo group who have an aggressive expansion plan. Clarity is installing its systems into all their new outlets. Microtrain, our subsidiary dedicated to providing field based resource for client training and system installation has extended its contract with Bass, and has also secured new business with Punch Group. Significant development of the product range has also taken place, primarily around the areas of web based front ends to our products. Clarity Central, our head office software, now offers a web interface for both head office personnel and for site managers, based around specialist webserver technology developed by Clarity. Ongoing development will take our back office software towards a web based ASP model. Since flotation the company has held discussions with a number of significant new sales prospects, with a number of these resulting in agreements to pilot our systems. Employees I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Directors and employees for all their hard work and effort in continuing to grow the Company and its successful public flotation on AIM. Current Trading and Prospects The company is currently trading in line with expectations with a rapidly growing pipeline of sales prospects. We will continue to grow organically and by complementary acquisitions in the hospitality and leisure markets and the Board looks forward to the future with confidence. A L R MORTON Chairman CONSOLIDATED PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT For the period ended 30 September 2000 Period 24 January 2000 to 30 September 2000 Unaudited Notes £'000 Turnover 1,448 Cost of sales 825 Gross profit 623 Operating costs (935) Operating loss before amortisation of goodwill (312) Amortisation of goodwill (132) Operating Loss (444) Net interest payable and similar charges (58) Loss before tax (502) Loss excluding goodwill amortisation (370) Goodwill amortisation (132) Loss before tax (502) Taxation 2 - Loss on ordinary activities after taxation (502) Dividends 4 - Retained loss for the period (502) Loss per share 3 - basic (8.9)p - fully diluted (8.5)p - adjusted basic (4.8)p Dividends per share - CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET AT 30 SEPTEMBER 2000 At 30 September 2000 Unaudited £'000 Fixed assets Tangible assets 208 Intangible assets 19 Goodwill 4,775 5,002 Current assets Stocks 265 Debtors 1,134 Cash at bank and in hand 1,060 2,459 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (1,474) Net current assets 985 Total assets less current liabilities 5,987 Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year (980) Net assets 5,007 Capital and reserves Called up share capital 2,361 Share premium account 3,148 Profit and loss account (502) Equity shareholders' funds 5,007 CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2000 Period 24 January 2000 to 30 September 2000 Unaudited £'000 Net cash outflow from operating activities (895) Returns from investments and servicing of finance Interest paid and similar charges (42) Interest element of hire purchase and finance leases (5) Net cash outflow from returns on investments and servicing (47) of finance Taxation - Capital expenditure and financial investment Purchase of tangible fixed assets (47) Sales of tangible fixed assets 166 Net cash inflow from capital expenditure and financial 119 investment Acquisitions and disposals Purchase of subsidiary undertakings (1,438) Net cash acquired with subsidiary undertakings 246 Net cash outflow from acquisitions and disposals (1,192) Equity dividends paid - Cash outflow before use of liquid resources and financing (2,015) Financing and management of liquid resources Issue of share capital (net of costs) 2,890 Issue of loan notes 399 Repayment of loan notes (490) Bank loan repayments (21) Capital element of finance lease rental payments (30) 2,748 Cash placed on short term deposit (650) Net cash inflow from financing and management of liquid 2,098 resources Increase in net cash in the period 83 NOTES 1. Nature of the financial information The company was incorporated on 24 January 2000 and its first statutory accounts will be prepared to 31 March 2001. The company acquired its trading operations Clarity Retail Systems plc and Microtrain Limited 31 March 2000 and Formative Systems Limited 26 July 2000. The interim results present the consolidated profit and loss account for the period since incorporation to 30 September 2000. The financial information set out does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of Section 240 of the Companies Act 1985 and has not been audited. 2. Taxation The taxation charge on the loss on ordinary activities for the period from 24 January 2000 to 30 September 2000 is based upon the anticipated tax position for the full year. 3. Earnings per share Basic loss per share for the period ended 30 September 2000 is calculated by dividing the loss for the period of £502,000 by 5,626,561 being the weighted average number of shares in issue during the period. The adjusted basic loss per share for the period ended 30 September 2000 is calculated by dividing the loss for the period before the amortisation of goodwill of £370,000 by 7,686,558 being the weighted average number of shares in issue since the group commenced trading on 31 March 2000. The diluted earnings per share has been calculated on the basic earnings and the weighted average number of shares plus an additional 299,074 shares representing the fair value of the weighted average number of shares under option during the period. 4. Dividends The company does not propose the payment of a dividend. Copies of this interim report are being despatched to shareholders shortly. Copies are also available from the Company's registered office, Number One, Netherhampton Business Centre, Netherhampton, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP2 8PU and on the company's website at ' www.claritycommerce.com'.
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