Dixons Carphone 2015/16 Preliminary Results

RNS Number : 5702C

Dixons Carphone PLC

29 June 2016

 

Dixons Carphone plc

Continued strong momentum with Headline profit before tax up over 17%*

Highlights: 12 months to 30 April 2016*

•  Group like-for-like revenue⁽⁴⁾ up 5% (UK & Ireland up 6% and Nordics up 4%)

•  Strong profit performance:

-  Headline PBT⁽¹⁾ of £447 million (2014/15: £381 million), up over 17%

-  Headline basic EPS^{(1) (2)} 29.3p (2014/15: 25.5p)

-  Total statutory profit of £161 million (2014/15: £97 million) after Non-Headline⁽¹⁾ charges of £176 million (2014/15: £188 million) which include a loss from discontinued operations of £18 million (2014/15: £114 million)

•  Free cash flows⁽⁹⁾ of £202 million (2014/15: £89 million) and net debt broadly flat year-on-year at £267 million 

•  Final dividend of 6.50p (2014/15: 6.00p) proposed, taking total dividends for the year to 9.75p (2014/15: 8.50p), up 15% year-on-year

•  Sprint joint venture in the US expected to contribute $40m-$50m of annual EBIT to the Group by 2019/20

•  honeyBee platform: second major client signed

Headline results*(1)		Headline revenue(1)				Headline profit / (loss)(1)
	Note	2015/16 £million	2014/15 £million	Local currency(3) % change	Like-for-like(4) % change	2015/16 £million	2014/15 £million
UK & Ireland	(5)	6,404	6,314	2%	6%	365	305
Nordics	(6)	2,632	2,709	6%	4%	79	86
Southern Europe	(7)	550	606	(5)%	4%	17	15
Connected World Services	(8)	152	121	26%	N/A	7	7
Group		9,738	9,750	3%	5%	468	413
Net finance costs						(21)	(32)
Profit before tax						447	381
Tax						(110)	(88)
Profit after tax						337	293

*     See notes on page 3 for an explanation of the basis of preparation and defined terms. Unless otherwise stated, the financial results for 2014/15 in these Highlights and in the Performance Review refer to pro forma Headline information for continuing businesses.

Seb James, Group Chief Executive, said:

"I am very pleased to be announcing another year of significant earnings growth, with profits before tax up more than 17%. In this momentous year we have largely completed our merger activities, driven customer satisfaction and market share to all time highs in virtually all of our markets, made our shops more interactive and exciting while becoming ever more competitive with pure-play retailers, launched a new joint venture in the US, launched a new UK mobile network, and embarked on an ambitious property plan in the UK and Ireland. We also had our biggest ever trading day on Black Friday last year.

We are far from done, though. We have very ambitious plans this year which include making every one of the former Dixons stores one of the new 3-in-1 shops, introducing a lively and interactive new e-Commerce platform to Carphone Warehouse, opening Europe's most modern distribution centre in Sweden, introducing same-day delivery, rolling out c.150 new stores in the US with Sprint, delivering our honeyBee platform to major global clients, launching our new home services division with a mandate to become a true emergency service for customers across the UK, and continuing to drive market share, price competitiveness and customer satisfaction everywhere. It is likely to be busy.

I am truly grateful to all of my colleagues - right across the world - for their hard work and dedication. I am also very proud to be able to say that I work alongside such a creative and dedicated group of men and women.

Finally, the nation has spoken and there has been a vote to exit the EU in due course. As you can imagine, we have been giving some thought to this. Our view is that, as the strongest player in our market and despite the volatility that is the inevitable consequence of such change, we expect to find opportunities for additional growth and further consolidate our position as the leader in the UK market."

 

Investor and analyst webcast

There will be a conference call with presentation for investors and analysts at 9:00 am today. The presentation slides will be available via webcast (listen only) on our corporate website, www.dixonscarphone.com

Dial-in details: UK/International [phone]: Passcode: Dixons Carphone

Next announcement

The Group will publish its Q1 trading statement on 8 September 2016.

For further information

Kate Ferry	IR, PR & Corporate Affairs Director	[phone]
Mark Reynolds	Head of Investor Relations	[phone]
Hannah Collyer	Head of Media Relations	[phone]
Nick Cosgrove, Helen Smith	Brunswick Group	[phone]
Information on Dixons Carphone plc is available at www.dixonscarphone.com Follow us on Twitter: @dixonscarphone and @DCSebJ
About Dixons Carphone Dixons Carphone plc is Europe's leading specialist electrical and telecommunications retailer and services company, employing over 42,000 people in eleven countries. Focused on helping customers navigate the connected world, Dixons Carphone offers a comprehensive range of electrical and mobile products, connectivity and expert after-sales services from the Geek Squad and Knowhow. Dixons Carphone's primary brands include Carphone Warehouse and CurrysPCWorld in the UK & Ireland, Elkjøp, Elkjøp Phonehouse, Elgiganten, Elgiganten Phone House, Gigantti and Lefdal in the Nordic countries, Kotsovolos in Greece, Dixons Travel in a number of UK & Ireland airports and Phone House in Spain. Our key service brands include Knowhow in the UK, Ireland and the Nordics, and Geek Squad in the UK, Ireland and Spain. Business-to-business (B2B) services are provided through Connected World Services, PC World Business and Carphone Warehouse Business. Connected World Services aims to leverage the Group's existing expertise, operating processes and technology to provide a range of services to businesses. Dixons Carphone was voted 'Retailer of the Year' at the Retail Week Awards 2016.

Certain statements made in this announcement are forward-looking. Such statements are based on current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any expected future events or results referred to in these forward-looking statements. Unless otherwise required by applicable laws, regulations or accounting standards, we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Information contained on the Dixons Carphone plc website or the Twitter feed does not form part of this announcement and should not be relied on as such.

 

* Basis of preparation - pro forma information

On 6 August 2014 an all share merger of Carphone Warehouse and Dixons Retail plc took place. The prior period information refers, unless otherwise stated, to pro forma Headline⁽¹⁾ information for continuing businesses, reflecting the results of both Carphone Warehouse and Dixons Retail throughout the comparative periods as if the  Merger had occurred at the start of the comparative period.

Following the Merger the Group changed its year end to be the Saturday closest to 30 April. The 2014/15 financial year as disclosed in the 2014/15 annual report and accounts therefore comprised the 13 months to 2 May 2015 for the Carphone Warehouse business. The pro forma prior period results of the Carphone Warehouse business have been restated to exclude the results of the five weeks trading to 3 May 2014 to enable a better year-on-year comparison.

A reconciliation from statutory to pro forma financial information is provided on pages 29 to 30.

Notes

(1)  Headline results exclude amortisation of acquisition intangibles, Merger integration and transaction costs, property rationalisation costs, acquisition related costs and other one off, non-recurring items, net interest on defined benefit pension schemes and discontinued operations (comprising Virgin Mobile France and Phone House operations in Germany, Netherlands and Portugal). Such excluded items are described as 'Non-Headline'. For further details see notes 3 and 9 to the financial information.

(2)  Pro forma EPS for the period ended 2 May 2015 has been calculated assuming the number of shares existing at 2 May 2015, adjusted for the number of shares held by the Group ESOT, were in existence for the entire financial period.

(3)  Change in local currency revenue reflects total revenues on a constant currency and period basis.

(4)  Like-for-like revenue is calculated based on Headline store and internet revenue using constant exchange rates. New stores are included where they have been open for a full financial year both at the beginning and end of the financial period. Revenue from franchise stores are excluded and closed stores are excluded for any period of closure during either period. Customer support agreement, insurance and wholesale revenues along with revenue from Connected World Services and other non-retail businesses are excluded from like-for-like calculations. Revenue from Carphone Warehouse SWAS are included in like-for-like. Like-for-like revenue reflects the 12 months to 30 April 2016 compared to the 12 months to 2 May 2015.

(5)  UK & Ireland comprises operations in the UK and Ireland and the Dixons Travel business.

(6)  Nordics comprises operations in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland.

(7)  Southern Europe comprises operations in Spain and Greece.

(8)  Connected World Services comprises the Group's B2B operation which leverages the specialist skills, operating processes and technology of the Group to provide managed services to third parties looking to develop their own connected world solutions.

(9)  Free Cash Flow comprises cash generated from / (utilised by) continuing operations before special pension contributions, less net finance expense, less income tax paid and net capital expenditure.

 

Performance review

Group

Group Headline revenue was up 3% on a local currency basis but broadly flat in Sterling terms at £9,738 million (2014/15: £9,750 million). Like-for-like revenue growth was 5% reflecting strong growth in our UK & Ireland, Nordic and Greek businesses. The difference between the total revenue growth on a local currency basis and like-for-like is predominantly due to a reduction in stores in the UK during the year and a decision to reduce low-margin wholesale activity. The Group has continued to grow market share, despite operating in a highly competitive market place.

Headline EBIT was up 13% to £468 million (2014/15: £413 million) driven by the strong operating performance in the UK & Ireland and the delivery of synergy benefits related to the Merger. Headline profit before tax was £447 million (2014/15: £381 million) reflecting 17% growth from the improved EBIT and a lower interest charge year-on-year following the redemption of the bonds previously held by Dixons Retail in August 2014.

Integration of the two businesses is now largely complete with a single head office in each of the countries where Carphone and Dixons overlapped, one logistics and repair centre in the UK and 276 Carphone Warehouse SWAS now open.

UK & Ireland

Revenue in the UK & Ireland increased by 1% to £6,404 million (2014/15: £6,314 million). Like-for-like revenue for the year was up 6% reflecting mobile phone market share gains along with good growth in electricals. The difference between the total revenue growth and like-for-like predominantly reflects a reduction in stores. This revenue growth combined with cost and synergy savings has resulted in Headline EBIT increasing 20% to £365 million. The business has continued to gain market share helping to drive sales and EBIT. Our purchase of Simplifydigital - the UK's largest and fastest growing multi-channel switching platform - leaves the business well-positioned to benefit from growth in the multi-play market.

The electricals business has delivered a very solid result with growth in the sale of white goods offsetting weaker demand in computing. Television sales performed well, especially given the World Cup last year.

The mobile business performed extremely well during the year. Postpay volumes and market share have grown year-on-year, with the business benefiting from additional SWAS stores, the performance of our iD mobile operations, and market share gains following the closure of Phones 4U in the prior year.

In January 2016 we launched a programme to rollout our 3-in-1 store concept so as to create the store estate of the future. This will involve merging the remaining PC World and Currys stores and inserting a Carphone Warehouse in stores that have not yet got one. This programme will reduce our store estate by 134 but will significantly improve the store experience for our customers and colleagues, and we expect the impact on sales to be neutral or better. Given that the programme will be implemented during 2016/17, we expect that the benefit to 2016/17 earnings will be modest, but thereafter this activity will contribute approximately £30m of incremental EBITDA.

At the start of the year the Group launched iD, a new mobile network focused on providing users with increased contract flexibility, greater access to free data roaming and competitively priced 4G tariffs. The performance of iD in the UK has been very positive and the business now has an active customer base of over 335,000 subscribers.

Nordics

The Nordic business has performed well in a challenging economic environment, delivering 6% growth on a local currency basis. However revenue in Sterling was down 3% to £2,632 million (2014/15: £2,709 million) predominantly due to the devaluation of the Norwegian Krone relative to Sterling.

Like-for-like revenue was up 4% despite the challenging commercial environment and some aggressive competitive pricing. The growth in like-for-like revenue was driven by white goods, mobile and laptops, offsetting weakness in PCs and tablets. We have continued to focus on ensuring competitive pricing against pure players, albeit with some margin impact.

In local currency, our Nordic business delivered record earnings but, due to the adverse movement in foreign exchange, both from translation of local currency results into Sterling, as well as margin pressure due to increased buying costs, Nordic Headline EBIT was £79 million (2014/15: £86 million).

The Merger has continued to benefit the Nordics with the launch of Elkjøp Phonehouse stores in Norway, and the integration of Phone House Sweden into ElGiganten. The extension of the Jönköping warehouse to create Europe's most advanced small products distribution centre is also progressing well.

In November 2015 Infocare Workshop, a services and repair business, was acquired in order to further the Group's services strategy. This business has now been successfully integrated into the wider Nordics business.  The 'Epoq' kitchen business also continues to deliver very encouraging results with strong revenue growth, driving market share and appliance sales.

 

Southern Europe

Southern Europe had strong underlying results with like-for-like revenue up 4%, largely driven by the business in Greece which continues to perform extremely well in the face of a challenging environment. The Greek business benefited from strong growth in white goods and tablets, which more than offset some weakness in TV and laptops following the end of a government laptop promotion in the prior year. Whilst postpay volumes were down in Spain we continue to pivot the model in-line with the market to offer multi-play, sim-only and handset only, whilst successfully retaining our market share.

Revenue on a local currency basis was down 5%, though up in Greece despite the Greek business reducing volumes in the low margin wholesale business. The Spanish business continued to shift its store mix to franchise and away from owned stores, with owned stores down 52 to 249 but with an increase in franchise stores from 198 to 249.  Southern Europe has reported a year-on-year 9% decline in Headline revenue to £550m (14/15: £606m) reflecting the factors above and a weaker Euro for much of the financial year.

Southern Europe Headline EBIT was £17 million (2014/15: £15 million), up 13%.

Connected World Services

Connected World Services (CWS) has continued to grow, delivering revenue of £152 million up from £121 million in the prior year. We are announcing new developments in three of the distinct business areas within CWS - connected retailing, technology platform and support & services.

In connected retailing, following the success of the trial stores we have agreed to rollout up to 500 stores with Sprint in the US, including c.150 in the year ahead. Separately we continue to expand on our consultancy agreement with Sprint and deliver significant benefits to both parties, including operating 27 of Sprint's own stores in Miami and Dallas. The joint venture continues to go from strength to strength and we expect it to contribute $40m-$50m to the Group's annual EBIT by 2019/20.

Within our technology platform business, we have reached agreement with Sprint to rollout honeyBee across the entire Sprint estate in the US.

In support and services, we aim to be the UK's largest third party provider of mobile phone insurance. We have agreed a new third party mobile insurance contract in the UK with EE, we have extended an existing contract with RBS and we have entered into a significant new distribution agreement with TalkTalk to support the sales and distribution of mobile, TV and broadband connectivity.

We remain very excited about CWS's prospects and continue to invest in building the team and infrastructure to support the growth potential of this business. CWS's result for the year of £7 million (2014/15: £7 million) is after a £4 million share of losses from the joint venture arising on the Sprint venture and is a result that we consider satisfactory and in line with expectations.

Net finance costs

Headline net finance costs were £21 million (2014/15: £32 million). The reduction in financing costs was primarily due to the redemption of the bonds previously held by Dixons Retail on 21 August 2014 and the Group's new revolving credit facility incurring a lower rate of interest.

Tax

The Headline effective tax rate for the full year is 25% (2014/15: 23%). The rate is higher than the UK statutory rate of 20% due mainly to higher statutory rates in the Nordics, certain non-deductible items mainly in the UK and a reduction in the value of UK related deferred tax assets due to the forthcoming reductions in the UK statutory tax rates.

Cash and movement on net funds

The prior period information provided below is on a pro forma basis and aggregates the net funds / (debt) and cash flows of the Group and Dixons Retail, as though Dixons Retail had been 100% owned by the Group throughout the prior period, to enable a complete understanding of cash flows.

Free cash flow - pro forma basis

	2015/16 £million	2014/15 £million
Headline EBIT	468	413
Depreciation and amortisation	137	137
Working capital	(76)	(159)
Capital expenditure	(221)	(182)
Taxation	(56)	(62)
Interest	(31)	(46)
Other items	24	4
Free cash flow before restructuring items - continuing operations	245	105
Restructuring costs	(43)	(16)
Free Cash Flow	202	89

Free Cash Flow before restructuring was an inflow of £245 million (2014/15: £105 million), an increase of 133%. The Group experienced a working capital outflow of £76 million (2014/15: £159 million), being an improvement on the previous year which included a non-recurring unwind of certain supplier funding arrangements.

Capital expenditure in the period was £221 million (2014/15: £182 million), lower than anticipated reflecting tight management of capex spend. The year-on-year increase reflected spend on Carphone Warehouse SWAS, investment in IT platforms and continued development in both our retail and Connected World Services businesses. We continue to keep tight management of our capex spend as well as other integration activities.

The reduction in interest reflects the prior year including interest paid on the bonds previously held by Dixons Retail until August 2014 and the Group's new revolving credit facility incurring a lower rate of interest.

Restructuring costs in both the current year and prior year relate to Merger integration costs and primarily reflect employee severance and incentive costs, property costs associated with the integration process and professional fees.

Funding - pro forma basis

	2015/16 £million	2014/15 £million
Free Cash Flow - pro forma basis	202	89
Dividends	(106)	(52)
Merger transaction costs	-	(90)
Acquisitions and disposals including discontinued operations	(82)	2
Pension contributions	(35)	(28)
Other items	14	-
Movement in net funds / (debt) - pro forma basis	(7)	(79)
Opening net funds / (debt) - pro forma basis(1)	(260)	(181)
Closing net (debt)	(267)	(260)

(1)  Opening net debt in the current period reflects the consolidated net debt of the Group at 2 May 2015 including net funds recognised within assets held for sale of £53 million. Opening net debt in the comparative reflects net debt for Carphone Warehouse at 29 March 2014 and for Dixons Retail at 30 April 2014.

At 30 April 2016 the Group had net debt of £267 million, broadly flat year-on-year to net debt of £260 million in the comparative period. Free cash flow was an inflow of £202 million (2014/15: £89 million) for the reasons described above.

Merger transaction costs in the previous year reflected professional and banking fees, the cash cost of share option exercises as a result of the Merger and the cost of redeeming the bonds previously held by Dixons Retail. Net cash outflows from acquisitions and disposals in the current year were £82 million primarily comprising the final deferred payment for the CPW Europe Acquisition, the acquisitions of Simplifydigital and Infocare, and discontinued operations.

The increase in pension contributions reflects the agreed contribution profile following the 2013 triennial valuation.

On 8 October 2015 the Group signed a new multi-currency revolving credit facility for £800 million, which matures in October 2020 and replaced the multi-currency term and revolving credit facility which was previously in place.

 

Statutory results

The explanation of the Group's results presented above is on a pro forma Headline basis for the comparative period. Group results as reported in the financial information are prepared on a statutory basis, with the comparative period consolidating the results of Dixons Retail from 6 August 2014. These results are summarised below:

Income statement - continuing operations 

	2015/16 £million	2014/15      £million
Revenue	9,738	8,255
EBIT	304	324
Net finance costs	(41)	(37)
Profit before tax	263	287
Tax	(84)	(76)
Profit after tax	179	211
Basic EPS	15.6p	22.0p
Diluted EPS	15.1p	21.2p

Revenue increased 18% to £9,738 million reflecting the inclusion of a full 12 months earnings from Dixons Retail in the current year (prior period results from 6 August 2014 to 2 May 2015) offset by the additional month trading for the Carphone Warehouse businesses in the prior period.

Profit before tax reduced from £287 million to £263 million in the current period, largely due to non-Headline costs incurred in the current year in relation to the Merger and property rationalisation costs, which are explained later in this report.

Net finance costs have increased due to the inclusion of a full 12 months of Dixons Retail, resulting in higher finance lease and pension related interest.

The tax charge increased from £76 million to £84 million reflecting certain non-deductible non-Headline items in the current year

Basic EPS has reduced from 22.0p to 15.6p for the period due to the lower profit after tax and the increase in the number of shares of the Group as part of the Merger.

Non-Headline items

Statutory profit before tax of £263 million (2014/15: £287 million) includes Non-Headline charges of £184 million (2014/15: £89 million). These charges are analysed below and are reported on a statutory basis with the Dixons Retail business only consolidated from completion of the Merger on 6 August 2014.

	2015/16 £million	2014/15 £million
Merger related costs	(52)	(41)
Amortisation of acquisition intangibles	(40)	(35)
Property rationalisation costs	(70)	-
Acquisition related costs	(6)	-
Net pension interest	(16)	(13)
	(184)	(89)

Costs incurred in relation to the Merger relate to integration costs primarily being professional fees, employee severance and property costs associated with the integration process (2014/15: £32 million). In addition, during 2014/15 transaction costs of £9 million were incurred, predominantly reflecting banking and professional fees. Merger related costs also include the write-off of
£4 million deferred facility fees which were incurred as a result of the Merger and the financing required to facilitate the Merger at short notice.

The charge for the amortisation of acquisition intangibles was £40 million (2014/15: £35 million) with the current period including a full 12 months of amortisation of intangible assets recognised as a result of the Merger (2014/15 period from 6 August 2014 to 2 May 2015). The prior period charge also includes amortisation for 13 months for those intangibles recognised as a result of the CPW Europe Acquisition whilst the current period reflects a 12 month period.

As explained on page 4 the Group has initiated a reorganisation of its property portfolio to put it into its long-term state. The costs associated with this programme relate to committed property exit costs, asset write downs and operational costs associated with the 3-in-1 store concept roll out across the UK and Ireland.

Acquisition related costs in the period relate to professional fees incurred in the current year as a result of the acquisition of Simplifydigital in the UK and Infocare in the Nordics and the revaluation of deferred consideration payable to the former shareholders of the Epoq kitchen business in the Nordics following a reassessment of the likely final payment to be made on the back of recent trading performance.

Net pension interest was £16 million reflecting the charge incurred in relation to the Dixons Retail UK pension scheme. The current period charge reflects a full 12 months whilst the prior period charge related to that incurred from the date of Merger to the 2 May 2015 period end.

Discontinued operations

As reported at 2 May 2015, Virgin Mobile France and the Group's retail operations in Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal were treated as discontinued operations following the decision to exit these businesses. The assets and liabilities associated with Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal were recognised as held for sale at 2 May 2015. The sale of operations in Germany was completed on 5 May 2015, the Netherlands on 30 June 2015 and Portugal on 31 August 2015. Virgin Mobile France was sold on 4 December 2014 in the previous financial year.

A loss of £18 million (2014/15: £114 million) has been recognised during the year in relation to the disposal of these operations.

Balance Sheet

	2015/16 £million	2014/15 £million
Goodwill	3,054	2,989
Other fixed assets	906	852
Working capital	(361)	(387)
Net debt	(267)	(313)
Tax, pension, other	(472)	(378)
	2,860	2,763

The movement in goodwill is due to the acquisition of Simplifydigital and Infocare, and the retranslation of currency denominated balances largely in the Nordics. Fixed assets have increased with the higher capital expenditure during the year exceeding amortisation and depreciation. Working capital has stayed flat, whilst net debt has decreased with positive cash flows during the year as described below. Other net liabilities (tax, pension & other) have increased following the disposal of assets held for sale (primarily in relation to Phone House Germany).

Cash flow statement

	2015/16 £million	2014/15      £million
EBIT	304	324
Depreciation and amortisation	177	149
Working capital	(14)	(377)
Other operating cash flows	(73)	(53)
Cash flows from operating activities	394	43
Acquisitions	(59)	322
Capital expenditure	(221)	(166)
Other investing cash flows	24	20
Cash flows from investing activities	(256)	176
Dividends paid	(106)	(52)
Other financing cash flows	(11)	(290)
Cash flows from financing activities	(117)	(342)
Cash flows from continuing operations	21	(123)
Cash flows from discontinued operations	32	3
	53	(120)

The statutory EBIT for the Group has reduced for the reasons explained above. Depreciation and amortisation have increased with the prior period only including nine months of Dixons Retail. Working capital has stayed relatively flat year-on-year whilst the outflow in the prior period was due to timing issues associated with the change of year end and the day on which month end fell, as well as a permanent unwind of certain extended supplier payment terms.

Acquisition cash inflows in the comparative period reflects cash acquired through the Dixons Retail Merger whilst cash outflows in the current year comprise the final CPW Europe Acquisition deferred payment and the acquisitions of Simplifydigital and Infocare. The increase in capital expenditure reflects both a full twelve months of Dixons Retail and an increase in underlying spend.

The reduction in financing outflows is due to the prior period including the pay down of loans and borrowings of Dixons Retail soon after the Merger whilst borrowings have remained relatively flat year-on-year in the current period. Cash inflows from discontinued operations largely relates to consideration on the disposal of TPH Germany.

Comprehensive income / changes in equity

Total equity of the Group has increased from £2,763 million to £2,860 million primarily reflecting the total statutory profit of £161 million, the gain on retranslation of overseas operations of £66 million and the payment of dividends of £106 million.

Other matters

Pensions

The IAS 19 accounting deficit of the defined benefit section of the UK pension scheme of Dixons Retail amounted to £472 million at 30 April 2016 compared to £486 million at 2 May 2015. Contributions during the period under the terms of the deficit reduction plan amounted to £35 million (2014/15: £28 million). The deficit has decreased largely as a result of the contributions made to the scheme during the year.

Dividends

The Board declared an interim dividend of 3.25p per share, up from 2.5p per share last year. The interim dividend was paid on 22 January 2016.

We are proposing a final dividend of 6.50p per share, taking the total dividend for the year to 9.75p per share, a 15% increase on the previous year (2014/15: 8.50p). The final dividend is subject to shareholder approval at the Company's forthcoming Annual General Meeting. The ex-dividend date is 25 August 2016, with a record date of 26 August 2016 and an intended final dividend payment date of 23 September 2016.

Consolidated Income Statement

		Year ended 30 April 2016			13 months ended 2 May 2015
	Note	Headline* £million	Non- Headline* £million	Total £million	Total £million	Non- Headline* £million	Total £million
Continuing operations
Revenue	2	9,738	-	9,738	8,255	-	8,255
Profit / (loss) from operations before share of results of joint ventures		472	(164)	308	400	(76)	324
Share of results of joint ventures		(4)	-	(4)	-	-	-
Profit / (loss) before interest and tax	2,3	468	(164)	304	400	(76)	324
Finance income		17	-	17	15	-	15
Finance costs		(38)	(20)	(58)	(39)	(13)	(52)
Net finance costs	4	(21)	(20)	(41)	(24)	(13)	(37)
Profit / (loss) before tax		447	(184)	263	376	(89)	287
Income tax (expense) / credit	5	(110)	26	(84)	(91)	15	(76)
Profit / (loss) after tax - continuing operations		337	(158)	179	285	(74)	211
Loss after tax - discontinued operations	9	-	(18)	(18)	-	(114)	(114)
Profit / (loss) after tax for the period		337	(176)	161	285	(188)	97
Earnings per share (pence)	6
Basic - continuing operations		29.3p		15.6p	29.7p		22.0p
Diluted - continuing operations		28.4p		15.1p	28.7p		21.2p
Basic - total				14.0p			10.1p
Diluted - total				13.6p			9.8p

*     Headline results exclude amortisation of acquisition intangibles, Merger integration and transaction costs, property rationalisation costs, acquisition related costs, net interest on defined benefit pension schemes and discontinued operations (comprising Virgin Mobile France and Phone House operations in Germany, Netherlands and Portugal). Such excluded items are described as 'Non-Headline'. For further details see notes 3 and 9 to the financial information.

               Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income and Expense

	Year ended  30 April  2016 £million	13 months ended 2 May  2015 £million
Profit after tax for the period	161	97
Items that may be reclassified to the income statement in subsequent years:
Cash flow hedges
Fair value remeasurement loss	(12)	(14)
Gains transferred to carrying amount of inventories	-	4
Exchange differences arising on translation of foreign operations	66	(107)
Other foreign exchange differences	2	3
	56	(114)
Items that will not be reclassified to the income statement in subsequent years:
Actuarial (losses) / gains on defined benefit pension schemes    - UK	(5)	(72)
- Overseas	2	(1)
Taxation on defined benefit pension schemes	(9)	15
Foreign exchange movements	-	(1)
	(12)	(59)
Other comprehensive income / (expense) for the period (taken to equity)	44	(173)
Total comprehensive income / (expense) for the period	205	(76)

              Consolidated Balance Sheet

	Note	30 April  2016 £million	2 May 2015 £million
Non-current assets
Goodwill		3,054	2,989
Intangible assets		540	525
Property, plant & equipment		366	327
Interests in joint ventures		5	-
Trade and other receivables		408	318
Deferred tax assets		234	263
		4,607	4,422
Current assets
Inventory		958	920
Trade and other receivables		1,131	907
Cash and cash equivalents		233	163
		2,322	1,990
Assets held for sale	9	-	137
Total assets		6,929	6,549
Current liabilities
Trade and other payables		(2,310)	(1,961)
Deferred and contingent consideration		(12)	(25)
Income tax payable		(89)	(89)
Loans and other borrowings		-	(55)
Finance lease obligations		(2)	(2)
Provisions		(78)	(54)
		(2,491)	(2,186)
Liabilities associated with assets held for sale	9	-	(68)
		(2,491)	(2,254)
Non-current liabilities
Trade and other payables		(423)	(496)
Deferred and contingent consideration		(21)	(6)
Loans and other borrowings		(409)	(330)
Finance lease obligations		(89)	(89)
Retirement benefit obligations		(474)	(489)
Deferred tax liabilities		(115)	(101)
Provisions		(47)	(21)
		(1,578)	(1,532)
Total liabilities		(4,069)	(3,786)
Net assets		2,860	2,763
Capital and reserves
Share capital		1	1
Share premium reserve		2,256	2,256
Accumulated profits		1,398	1,369
Translation reserve		(45)	(113)
Demerger reserve		(750)	(750)
Equity attributable to equity holders of the parent company		2,860	2,763

              Consolidated Cash Flow Statement

	Note	Year ended  30 April  2016 £million	13 months ended 2 May  2015 £million
Operating activities - continuing operations
Cash generated from operations	8	485	110
Special contributions to defined benefit pension scheme		(35)	(28)
Income tax paid		(56)	(39)
Net cash flows from operating activities		394	43
Investing activities - continuing operations
Interest received		-	1
Cash acquired on the Merger		-	347
Net cash outflow arising from acquisition of subsidiaries		(50)	(25)
Proceeds from disposal of property, plant & equipment		24	11
Proceeds on sale of business and short term investments		-	8
Acquisition of property, plant & equipment and other intangibles		(221)	(166)
Investment in joint ventures		(9)	-
Net cash flows from investing activities		(256)	176
Financing activities - continuing operations
Interest paid		(20)	(30)
Repayment of obligations under finance leases		(6)	(7)
Net purchase of own shares		(5)	-
Equity dividends paid		(106)	(52)
Increase / (decrease) in borrowings		25	(211)
Bond redemption premium		-	(38)
Facility arrangement fees paid		(5)	(4)
Net cash flows from financing activities		(117)	(342)
Increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Continuing operations		21	(123)
Discontinued operations		32	3
		53	(120)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period		163	283
Currency translation differences		17	-
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	8	233	163

              Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

	Note	Share capital £million	Share premium reserve £million	Accumulated profits £million	Translation reserve £million	Demerger reserve £million	Total equity £million
At 29 March 2014		1	283	1,355	(9)	(750)	880
Profit for the period		-	-	97	-	-	97
Other comprehensive income and expense recognised directly in equity		-	-	(69)	(104)	-	(173)
Total comprehensive income and expense for the period		-	-	28	(104)	-	(76)
Ordinary shares issued		-	1,973	-	-	-	1,973
Equity dividends		-	-	(52)	-	-	(52)
Net movement in relation to share schemes	7	-	-	21	-	-	21
Tax on items recognised directly in reserves		-	-	17	-	-	17
At 2 May 2015		1	2,256	1,369	(113)	(750)	2,763
Profit for the period		-	-	161	-	-	161
Other comprehensive income and expense recognised directly in equity		-	-	(24)	68	-	44
Total comprehensive income and expense for the period		-	-	137	68	-	205
Net purchase of own shares		-	-	(5)	-	-	(5)
Equity dividends	7	-	-	(106)	-	-	(106)
Net movement in relation to share schemes		-	-	10	-	-	10
Tax on items recognised directly in reserves		-	-	(7)	-	-	(7)
At 30 April 2016		1	2,256	1,398	(45)	(750)	2,860

              Notes to the Financial Information

1     Basis of preparation

The financial information, which comprises the consolidated income statement, consolidated statement of comprehensive income and expense, consolidated balance sheet, consolidated cash flow statement, consolidated statement of changes in equity and extracts from the notes to the accounts for 30 April 2016 and 2 May 2015, has been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the full financial statements and on a going concern basis.

In their consideration of going concern, the directors have reviewed the Group's future cash forecasts and profit projections, which are based on market data and past experience. The directors are of the opinion that the Group's forecasts and projections, which take into account reasonably possible changes in trading performance, show that the Group is able to operate within its current facilities and comply with its banking covenants for the foreseeable future. In arriving at their conclusion that the Group has adequate financial resources, the directors were mindful of the level of borrowings and facilities available and that the Group has a robust policy towards liquidity and cash flow management.

Accordingly the directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company and the Group have adequate resources to continue in operation for the foreseeable future and consequently the directors continue to apply the going concern basis in the preparation of the financial statements.

On 6 August 2014, the Group completed the merger of Dixons and Carphone (the 'Merger'), which was implemented by way of a scheme of arrangement of Dixons.

Historically, the Group prepared its financial statements to the Saturday closest to its accounting reference date of 31 March. Following the Merger, the Group changed its accounting reference date to 30 April which was the accounting reference date of Dixons, but continues to draw up accounts to the nearest Saturday. Accordingly the comparative financial period is for the 13 months ended 2 May 2015.

The financial information set out in this announcement does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of Sections 434 to 436 of the Companies Act 2006 and is an abridged version of the Group's financial statements for the year ended 30 April 2016 which were approved by the directors on 28 June 2016.  Statutory accounts for the 13 months ended 2 May 2015 have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies, the auditor has reported on those accounts, their report was unqualified and did not contain statements under Section 498(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006.  Statutory accounts for the year ended 30 April 2016 will be delivered in due course.  The auditor has reported on those accounts, their report was unqualified and did not contain statements under Section 498 of the Companies Act 2006.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted by the EU, IFRS issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and those parts of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to those companies reporting under IFRS. The consolidated financial statements incorporate the financial statements of the Company and its subsidiary undertakings for the year ended 30 April 2016. 

The Group's income statement and segmental analysis identify separately Headline performance and Non-Headline items. Headline performance measures reflect adjustments to total performance measures. The directors consider 'Headline' performance measures to be a more accurate reflection of the ongoing trading performance of the Group and believe that these measures provide additional useful information for shareholders on the Group's performance and are consistent with how business performance is measured internally.

Headline results are stated before the results of discontinued operations or exited / to be exited businesses, amortisation of acquisition intangibles, acquisition related costs, any exceptional items considered so one-off and material that they distort underlying performance (such as reorganisation costs, impairment charges, property rationalisation costs and other non-recurring charges) and net pension interest costs. Businesses exited or to be exited are those which the Group has exited or committed to or commenced to exit through disposal or closure but do not meet the definition of discontinued operations as stipulated by IFRS and are material to the results and operations of the Group.

Non-Headline items in the current and prior period comprise amortisation of acquisition intangibles, Merger integration and transaction costs, property rationalisation costs, acquisition related costs, net interest on defined benefit pension schemes and discontinued operations (comprising Virgin Mobile France and Phone House operations in Germany, Netherlands and Portugal). A reconciliation of Headline profit and losses to total profits and losses is shown in note 2. Items excluded from Headline results can evolve from one financial year to the next depending on the nature of exceptional items or one-off type activities described above.

Headline performance measures and Non-Headline performance measures may not be directly comparable with other similarly titled measures or 'adjusted' revenue or profit measures used by other companies.

Gains on disposal of non-core businesses in Southern Europe in the prior period have been included in Headline results net of restructuring costs. The net impact of these activities totalled £5 million.

2 Segmental analysis

The Group's operating segments reflect the segments routinely reviewed by the Board and which are used to manage performance and allocate resources. This information is predominantly based on geographical areas which are either managed separately or have similar trading characteristics such that they can be aggregated together into one segment.

As explained in note 9, Virgin Mobile France, the Phone House operations in Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal have been treated as discontinued operations and are therefore excluded from this segmental analysis.

The Group's reportable segments have been identified
as follows:

•       UK & Ireland comprises operations in the UK and Ireland as well as operations in airports in the UK and Ireland.

•       Nordics operates in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland.

•       Southern Europe comprises operations in Spain and Greece.

•       Connected World Services is the Group's B2B operation which leverages the specialist skills, operating processes and technology of the Group to provide managed services to third parties looking to develop their own connected world solutions.

UK & Ireland, Nordics and Southern Europe are involved in the sale of consumer electronics and mobile technology products and services, primarily through stores or online channels.

Transactions between segments are on an arm's length basis.

2 Segmental analysis continued

					Year ended 30 April 2016
		UK &  Ireland £million	Nordics £million	Southern Europe £million	Connected World Services £million	Eliminations £million	Total  £million
Headline external revenue		6,404	2,632	550	152	-	9,738
Inter-segmental revenue		60	-	-	-	(60)	-
Total Headline revenue		6,464	2,632	550	152	(60)	9,738
Headline EBIT before share of results of joint ventures		365	79	17	11	-	472
Share of Headline results of joint ventures		-	-	-	(4)	-	(4)
Headline EBIT		365	79	17	7	-	468

Reconciliation of Headline profit to total profit before tax

					Year ended 30 April 2016
	Headline profit /  (loss) £million	Amortisation of acquisition intangibles £million	Dixons Retail Merger £million	Property rationalisation costs £million	Acquisition related £million	Pension scheme interest £million	Total profit / (loss) £million
UK & Ireland	365	(24)	(37)	(70)	(1)	-	233
Nordics	79	(13)	(5)	-	(5)	-	56
Southern Europe	17	(2)	-	-	-	-	15
Connected World Services	11	(1)	(6)	-	-	-	4
EBIT before share of results of joint ventures	472	(40)	(48)	(70)	(6)	-	308
Share of results of joint ventures	(4)	-	-	-	-	-	(4)
EBIT	468	(40)	(48)	(70)	(6)	-	304
Finance income	17	-	-	-	-	-	17
Finance costs	(38)	-	(4)	-	-	(16)	(58)
Profit / (loss) before tax	447	(40)	(52)	(70)	(6)	(16)	263

 

2 Segmental analysis continued

					13 months ended 2 May 2015
		UK &  Ireland £million	Nordics £million	Southern Europe £million	Connected World Services £million	Joint ventures £million	Total  £million
Headline external revenue		5,506	2,055	564	130	-	8,255
Inter-segmental revenue		64	-	-	-	(64)	-
Total Headline revenue		5,570	2,055	564	130	(64)	8,255
Headline EBIT before share of results of joint ventures		313	60	20	7	-	400
Share of Headline results of joint ventures		-	-	-	-	-	-
Headline EBIT		313	60	20	7	-	400

Reconciliation of Headline profit to total profit before tax

					13 months ended 2 May 2015
			Headline profit /  (loss) £million	Amortisation of acquisition intangibles £million	Dixons  Retail  Merger £million	Pension scheme interest £million	Total profit / (loss) £million
UK & Ireland			313	(22)	(13)	-	278
Nordics			60	(10)	(4)	-	46
Southern Europe			20	(2)	-	-	18
Connected World Services			7	(1)	-	-	6
Unallocated			-	-	(24)	-	(24)
EBIT before share of results of joint ventures			400	(35)	(41)	-	324
Share of results of joint ventures			-	-	-	-	-
EBIT			400	(35)	(41)	-	324
Finance income			15	-	-	-	15
Finance costs			(39)	-	-	(13)	(52)
Profit / (loss) before tax			376	(35)	(41)	(13)	287

Unallocated Merger related costs comprise those that are not directly attributable to a specific segment.
 

3 Non-Headline items

	Note	Year ended 30 April 2016 £million	13 months  ended 2 May 2015 £million
Included in profit / (loss) before interest and tax:
Amortisation of acquisition intangibles	(i)	(40)	(35)
Exceptional items              - Dixons Retail Merger	(ii)	(48)	(41)
- Property rationalisation costs	(iii)	(70)	-
- Acquisition related	(iv)	(6)	-
		(164)	(76)
Included in net finance costs:
Net non-cash finance costs on defined benefit pension schemes	(v)	(16)	(13)
Exceptional items - Dixons Retail Merger	(ii)	(4)	-
Total impact on profit / (loss) before tax		(184)	(89)
Tax on Non-Headline items		26	15
Total impact on profit / (loss) after tax		(158)	(74)

Non-Headline items also include discontinued operations, which comprise the results of Virgin Mobile France and the Phone House operations in Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal. The post-tax results of these businesses have been reported separately and are further described in note 9.

 (i)   Amortisation of acquisition intangibles:

        A charge of £40 million arose during the year in relation to acquisition intangibles arising on the CPW Europe Acquisition and the Dixons Retail Merger (2014/15: £35 million).

 

3 Non-Headline items continued

 (ii)  Exceptional items - Dixons Retail Merger:

	Year ended 30 April  2016 £million	13 months ended 2 May 2015 £million
Merger transaction costs	-	(9)
Merger integration costs	(48)	(32)
Revolving Credit Facility fee write off	(4)	-
	(52)	(41)

        The Dixons Retail Merger is described further in note 1. The Merger has given rise to the following costs which have been treated as exceptional items:

•  Merger transaction costs comprise banking and professional fees in relation to the transaction.

•  Merger integration costs relate to the reorganisation of the Group following the Merger and comprise the rationalisation of certain operational and support functions. These costs mainly comprise professional fees, employee severance and property costs associated with the integration process.

•  Revolving Credit Facility fee write off relates to the deferred facility fees written off following the recent refinancing. The fees incurred were a result of the Merger and the financing required to facilitate the Merger at short notice

 (iii) Property rationalisation costs:

        Following the Merger it was announced that the Group would launch a major roll out of its fully refurbished 3-in1 store concept in the UK & Ireland. This involves merging the remaining PC World and Currys stores and inserting a Carphone Warehouse, reducing the overall store portfolio by 134. The costs associated with this initiative, being early lease termination premiums, onerous lease provisions, dilapidations and fixed asset impairments, have been treated as exceptional items. In addition a further 50 stores have been exited in the year in the normal course of business and their exit costs have not been included in the above item.

(iv)  Acquisition related:

Acquisition related comprises an increase in the deferred consideration payable on a business acquired by Dixons in the Nordics in 2011/12 following better than expected actual and forecast trading (£5 million), and current year costs incurred in the acquisition of Simplifydigital and Infocare (£1 million).

(v)   Net non-cash financing costs on defined benefit pension schemes:

        Under IAS 19 'Employee Benefits', the net interest charge on defined benefit pension schemes is calculated by applying the corporate bond yield rates applicable on the last day of the previous financial year to the net defined benefit obligation. Corporate bond yield rates vary over time which in turn creates volatility in the income statement and balance sheet and results in a non-cash remeasurement cost which can be volatile due to corporate bond yield rates prevailing on a particular day and is also unrepresentative of the actual investment gains or losses made or the liabilities paid and payable. Consistent with a number of other companies, the accounting effects of these non-cash revaluations of net defined benefit pension liabilities have been excluded from Headline earnings.

 

4 Net finance costs

	Year ended 30 April 2016 £million	13 months ended 2 May  2015 £million
Unwind of discounts on trade receivables	17	15
Finance income	17	15
Interest on bank overdrafts and loans	(16)	(17)
Finance lease interest payable	(6)	(4)
Net interest on defined benefit pension obligations(i)	(16)	(13)
Unwind of discounts on liabilities	(10)	(11)
Amortisation of facility fees	(2)	(3)
Revolving credit facility fee write off (i)	(4)	-
Other interest expense	(4)	(4)
Finance costs	(58)	(52)
Total net finance costs	(41)	(37)
Headline total net finance costs	(21)	(24)

(i) Headline finance costs exclude net interest on defined benefit pension obligations and the write off of revolving credit facility fees (see note 3).

5 Tax

The effective tax rate on Headline earnings of 25% (2014/15: 24%) has increased compared to the prior year due to the change in statutory tax rate and certain non-deductible items mainly in the UK. The UK corporation tax rate for the year ended 30 April 2016 was 20% (2014/15: 21% for the 12 months to 31 March 2015 and 20% thereafter). The total effective tax rate for continuing operations is 32% (2014/15: 26%).

 

6 Earnings per share

		Year ended 30 April 2016 £million	13 months  ended 2 May 2015 £million
Headline earnings
Continuing operations		337	285
Total earnings / (loss)
Continuing operations		179	211
Discontinued operations		(18)	(114)
Total		161	97
		Million	Million
Weighted average number of shares
Average shares in issue		1,151	964
Less average holding by Group ESOT		(1)	(3)
For basic earnings per share		1,150	961
Dilutive effect of share options and other incentive schemes		38	32
For diluted earnings per share		1,188	993
		Pence	Pence
Basic earnings per share
Total (continuing and discontinued operations)		14.0	10.1
Adjustment in respect of discontinued operations		1.6	11.9
Continuing operations		15.6	22.0
Adjustments for Non-Headline - continuing operations (net of taxation)		13.7	7.7
Headline basic earnings per share		29.3	29.7
Diluted earnings per share
Total (continuing and discontinued operations)		13.6	9.8
Adjustment in respect of discontinued operations		1.5	11.4
Continuing operations		15.1	21.2
Adjustments for Non-Headline - continuing operations (net of taxation)		13.3	7.5
Headline diluted earnings per share		28.4	28.7

Basic and diluted earnings per share are based on the profit for the period attributable to equity shareholders. Headline earnings per share is presented in order to show the underlying performance of the Group. Adjustments used to determine Headline earnings are described further in note 3.

7 Equity dividends

	30 April 2016 £million	2 May 2015 £million
Amounts recognised as distributions to equity shareholders in the period  - on ordinary shares of 0.1p each
Final dividend for the year ended 29 March 2014 of 4.00p per ordinary share	-	23
Interim dividend for the 13 months ended 2 May 2015 of 2.50p per ordinary share	-	29
Final dividend for the 13 months ended 2 May 2015 of 6.00p per ordinary share	69	-
Interim dividend for the year ended 30 April 2016 of 3.25p per ordinary share	37	-
	106	52

The following distribution is proposed but had not been effected at 30 April 2016 and is subject to shareholders' approval at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting:

	£million
Final dividend for the year ended 30 April 2016 of 6.50p per ordinary share	75

 

8 Notes to the cash flow statement

a) Reconciliation of operating loss to net cash inflow from operating activities

	Year ended 30 April 2016 £million	13 months  ended  2 May 2015 £million
Profit before interest and tax - continuing operations	304	324
Depreciation and amortisation	177	149
Share-based payment charge	10	10
Share of results of associates	4	-
Impairments and other non-cash items	4	4
Operating cash flows before movements in working capital	499	487
Movements in working capital:
(Increase) / decrease in inventory	(18)	6
(Increase) in receivables	(247)	(89)
Increase / (decrease) in payables	168	(289)
Increase / (decrease) in provisions	83	(5)
	(14)	(377)
Cash generated from operations - continuing operations	485	110

b) Analysis of net debt

			2 May 2015 £million	Cash flow £million	Other  non-cash movements £million	Currency translation  £million	30 April 2016 £million
Cash and cash equivalents			163	53	-	17	233
			163	53	-	17	233
Borrowings due within one year			(55)	55	-	-	-
Borrowings due after more than one year			(330)	(80)	-	1	(409)
Obligations under finance leases			(91)	6	(6)	-	(91)
			(476)	(19)	(6)	1	(500)
Net (debt) / funds			(313)	34	(6)	18	(267)

		29 March  2014 £million	Cash flow £million	Acquisitions £million	Other non-cash movements £million	Currency translation  £million	2 May 2015 £million
Cash and cash equivalents		283	(120)	-	-	-	163
Borrowings due within one year		-	(55)	-	-	-	(55)
Borrowings due after more than one year		(290)	249	(289)	-	-	(330)
Obligations under finance leases		(1)	7	(93)	(4)	-	(91)
		(291)	201	(382)	(4)	-	(476)
Net funds / (debt)		(8)	81	(382)	(4)	-	(313)

 

9 Discontinued operations and assets held for sale

As reported at 2 May 2015, Virgin Mobile France and the Group's retail operations in Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal were treated as discontinued operations following the decision to exit these businesses. The assets and liabilities associated with Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal were recognised as held for sale at 2 May 2015. The sale of operations in Germany was completed on 5 May 2015, the Netherlands on 30 June 2015 and Portugal on 31 August 2015, whilst Virgin Mobile France was sold on 4 December 2014.

a) Loss after tax - discontinued operations

The results of discontinued operations are comprised as follows:

			Year ended 30 April 2016
			The Phone House Germany £million	The Phone House Netherlands £million	The Phone House Portugal £million	Total £million
Revenue			-	19	13	32
Expenses			-	(20)	(16)	(36)
Loss before tax			-	(1)	(3)	(4)
Income tax			-	-	-	-
			-	(1)	(3)	(4)
(Loss) / profit on disposal			(10)	(6)	2	(14)
			(10)	(7)	(1)	(18)

The net loss on disposal recognised in the current year primarily relates to working capital adjustments agreed with acquirers, adjustments to net assets disposed, the recycling of foreign currency translation reserves of discontinued operations and other costs associated with the exits.

		13 months ended 2 May 2015
		Virgin Mobile France £million	Phone House Germany £million	Phone House Netherlands £million	Phone House Portugal £million	Total £million
Revenue		-	323	159	47	529
Expenses		-	(364)	(239)	(55)	(658)
Loss before tax		-	(41)	(80)	(8)	(129)
Income tax		-	-	-	-	-
		-	(41)	(80)	(8)	(129)
Profit on disposal		87	-	-	-	87
Impairment losses recognised on classification as held for sale		-	(16)	(43)	(13)	(72)
		87	(57)	(123)	(21)	(114)

b) Assets held for sale

The Group's assets held for sale and associated liabilities are analysed as follows:

	30 April 2016 £million	2 May 2015 £million
Inventory	-	16
Receivables	-	66
Cash and cash equivalents	-	55
Assets held for sale	-	137
Liabilities associated with assets held for sale - current liabilities	-	(68)
Net assets held for sale	-	69

 

9 Discontinued operations and assets held for sale continued

c) Cash flows from discontinued operations

	Year ended 30 April 2016 £million	13 months  ended  2 May 2015 £million
Operating activities	2	(78)
Investing activities	30	81
	32	3

10 Related party transactions

Transactions between the Group's subsidiary undertakings, which are related parties, have been eliminated on consolidation and accordingly are not disclosed.

The Group had the following transactions and balances with its associates:

	30 April 2016 £million	2 May 2015 £million
Revenue for services provided	24	8
Net interest and other finance income	-	-
Amounts owed to the Group	2	-

All transactions entered into with related parties were completed on an arm's length basis.

              Risks to Achieving the Group's Objectives

The Group is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties which could have a material effect on its results. The Group's principal risks, and the factors which mitigate them, are set out in the 2014-15 Annual Report and Accounts on pages 16 to 19. These risks remain relevant in the current period and are summarised below:

·      Dependence on networks and key suppliers in driving profitability, cash flow and market share;

·      Failure to maintain a sustainable business model in the face of a changing consumer environment could result in a loss of competitive advantage impacting financial performance;

·      The Greek exit from the Euro could lead to a deterioration in consumer confidence impacting the performance of the Greek business, Kotsovolos;

·      Failure to adequately invest in and integrate the Group's IT systems and infrastructure could result in restricted growth and reputational damage impacting financial performance;

·      Failure in appropriately safeguarding sensitive information and responding to cyber risks could result in reputational damage, financial penalties and a resultant deterioration in financial performance;

·      Failure to comply with FCA regulation could result in reputational damage, customer compensation, financial penalties and a resultant deterioration in financial performance;

·      Failure to attract, develop and retain staff with sufficient talent and capabilities could lead to a loss of competitive advantage impacting financial performance;

·      Business continuity plans are not effective and major incident response is inadequate resulting in reputational damage and a loss of competitive advantage; and

·      Failure to action appropriate Health and Safety measures resulting in injury could give rise to reputational damage and financial penalties.

The following additional principal risks have been identified for 2015/16:

1. Fraud
Specific risks	Example mitigating actions
•     Payment card fraud •     Manipulation or misuse of EPOS system and / or other payment systems •     Customer false identity and other 'no intention to pay' frauds in taking out network contracts	•     Fraud prevention and detection controls •     Real time transaction monitoring •     24/7 fraud and loss prevention teams •     Customer identity verification and credit checks for network contracts •     Liaison with banks, card providers and MNOs to identify and mitigate opportunities for fraud •     Reporting and oversight by the Audit Committee •     Whistle-blowing arrangements
2.             Impact of Brexit
Specific risks	Example mitigating actions
•     Economic uncertainty and impact on consumer confidence caused by the decision of the UK to leave the European Union (Brexit) •     Further adverse exchange rate volatility •     Longer term changes in tax, regulation and other frameworks that may impact our ability to operate across our European businesses	•     Long-term credit facilities in place •     Foreign exchange hedging to mitigate impact of currency fluctuation •     Long-term contingency planning to address wider regulatory and legislative changes

              Responsibility Statement

The 2015/16 Annual Report and Accounts which will be issued in August 2016, contains a responsibility statement in compliance with DTR 4.1.12 of the Listing Rules which sets out that as at the date of approval of the Annual Report and Accounts on 28 June 2016, the directors confirm to the best of their knowledge:

•   the Group and unconsolidated Company financial statements, prepared in accordance with the applicable set of accounting standards, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit of the Group and Company, respectively; and

•   the performance review contained in the Annual Report and Accounts includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the Group together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties that they face.

At the date of this statement, the directors are those listed in the Group's 2014/15 Annual Report and Accounts with the exception of the following appointments and resignations which all occurred on 16 December 2015:

Appointments	Resignations
Lord Livingston of Parkhead Tony DeNunzio CBE	Roger Taylor John Gildersleeve

The financial statements were approved by the directors on 28 June 2016 and signed on their behalf by:

Sebastian James Group Chief Executive

Humphrey Singer Group Finance Director

              Retail store data (unaudited)

Number of stores

	30 April  2016			2 May  2015
	Own  stores	Franchise stores	Total	Own  stores	Franchise stores	Total
UK Dixons	419	-	419	449	-	449
Ireland Dixons	28	-	28	30	-	30
UK Carphone	734	-	734	755	-	755
Ireland Carphone	90	-	90	94	-	94
UK & Ireland	1,271	-	1,271	1,328	-	1,328
Norway	80	62	142	80	61	141
Sweden	118	39	157	127	40	167
Denmark	29	-	29	29	-	29
Finland	21	17	38	21	18	39
Other Nordics	0	13	13	0	12	12
Nordics	248	131	379	257	131	388
Greece	68	27	95	68	25	93
Spain	249	249	498	301	198	499
Southern Europe	317	276	593	369	223	592
Total	1,836	407	2,243	1,954	354	2,308

Selling space '000 sq ft

	30 April  2016			2 May  2015
	Own  stores	Franchise stores	Total	Own  stores	Franchise stores	Total
UK Dixons	6,545	-	6,545	6,816	-	6,816
Ireland Dixons	266	-	266	311	-	311
UK Carphone	645	-	645	652	-	652
Ireland Carphone	49	-	49	56	-	56
UK & Ireland	7,505	-	7,505	7,835	-	7,835
Norway	1,240	523	1,763	1,283	509	1,792
Sweden	1,290	287	1,577	1,326	284	1,610
Denmark	580	-	580	611	-	611
Finland	546	134	680	582	166	748
Other Nordics	-	78	78	-	72	72
Nordics	3,656	1,022	4,677	3,802	1,031	4,833
Greece	831	113	944	873	105	978
Spain	137	109	246	161	84	245
Southern Europe	968	222	1,190	1,034	189	1,223
Total	12,129	1,244	13,373	12,671	1,220	13,891

Pro forma information reconciliation (unaudited)

Basis of preparation

The basis of preparation of Headline pro forma information is described on page 3. Following the Merger the Group changed its year end to be the Saturday closest to 30 April. The 2014/15 financial year as disclosed in the 2014/15 annual report and accounts therefore comprised the 13 months to 2 May 2015 for the Carphone Warehouse business. So as to enable a better year-on-year comparison the pro forma prior period results of the Carphone Warehouse business have been restated to exclude the results of the additional five weeks trading to ensure an equal length period for comparative purposes.

2014/15 Pro forma income statement reconciliation

	Statutory  basis - Total(1) £million	Non-headline items(2) £million	Dixons Retail Merger (3) £million	Pro forma - Headline (4) £million	Carphone Warehouse April-14(5) £million	Restated Pro forma  basis - Headline(6) £million
UK and Ireland	5,506	-	945	6,451	(137)	6,314
Nordics	2,055	-	663	2,718	(9)	2,709
Southern Europe	564	-	73	637	(31)	606
Connected World Services	130	-	-	130	(9)	121
Revenue	8,255	-	1,681	9,936	(186)	9,750
UK and Ireland	278	35	(7)	306	(1)	305
Nordics	46	14	26	86	-	86
Southern Europe	18	2	(6)	14	1	15
Connected World Services	6	1	1	8	(1)	7
Unallocated	(24)	24	-	-	-	-
EBIT	324	76	14	414	(1)	413
Interest	(37)	13	(9)	(33)	1	(32)
Profit before tax	287	89	5	381	-	381
Tax	(76)	(15)	3	(88)	-	(88)
Profit after tax	211	74	8	293	-	293
Discontinued operations	(114)	114	-	-	-	-
Profit after tax	97	188	8	293	-	293
Basic earnings per share (pence) (7)	10.1	19.6	(4.2)	25.5	-	25.5

(1)  Total statutory results as reported on page 10 in the financial information.

(2)  Non-Headline items as described in notes 3 and 9 in the financial information are excluded from pro forma Headline results.

(3)  Consolidated results of Dixons Retail plc for the period prior to 6 August 2014 have been extracted without material adjustment from the consolidation schedules which support the Group's 2014/15 financial statements and are included in pro forma Headline results.

(4)  Pro forma Headline income statement as reported in the 2014/15 annual report and accounts.

(5)  Results for the 5 weeks to 3 May 2014 for the Carphone Warehouse business have been extracted without material adjustment from the consolidation schedules which support the Group's 2014/15 financial statements and are excluded from the restated pro forma Headline results.

(6)  Pro forma Headline income statement as reported on page 1.

(7)  Pro forma earnings per share has been calculated assuming the number of shares on issue at 2 May 2015, adjusted for the number of shares held by the Group's ESOTs, apply from the start of the current and comparative periods. The effect of this adjustment to average number of shares has been included as part of the "Dixons Retail Merger" adjustments.

 

2014/15 Pro forma cash flow statement reconciliation

	Statutory basis(1) £million	Net funds (debt)  basis(2) £million	Non-headline  items(3) £million	Dixons Retail Merger (4) £million	Pro Forma basis(5) £million	Carphone Warehouse April-14(6) £million	Restated Pro Forma basis(7) £million
EBIT	324	-	76	14	414	(1)	413
Depreciation and amortisation	149	-	(35)	27	141	(4)	137
Working capital	(377)	-	(16)	27	(366)	207	(159)
Capital expenditure	(166)	-	-	(20)	(186)	4	(182)
Taxation	(39)	-	-	(26)	(65)	3	(62)
Interest	(36)	-	-	(11)	(47)	1	(46)
Other items - Free cash flows	25	-	-	(12)	13	(9)	4
Free cash flow before restructuring items - continuing operations	(120)	-	25	(1)	(96)	201	105
Restructuring costs	-	-	(16)	-	(16)	-	(16)
Free Cash Flow	(120)	-	9	(1)	(112)	201	89
Dividends	(52)	-	-	-	(52)	-	(52)
Merger transaction costs	(42)	-	(9)	(39)	(90)	-	(90)
Acquisitions, disposals, discontinued operations	333	-	-	(374)	(41)	43	2
Pension contributions	(28)	-	-	-	(28)	-	(28)
(Decrease) / increase in borrowings	(211)	211	-	-	-	-	-
Other items	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Movement in net funds / (debt)	(120)	211	-	(414)	(323)	244	(79)
Opening net funds	283	(291)	-	71	63	(244)	(181)
Closing net (debt) / funds	163	(80)	-	(343)	(260)	-	(260)

(1)  Total statutory cash flows as reported on page 13 of the financial information, using the presentation provided in the performance review on pages 5 and 6. Cash flows from the statutory cash flow statement have been aggregated as described below:

•  Interest comprises interest received, interest paid and repayment of obligations under finance leases

•  Other items - Free cash flows comprise share based payment charge, non-cash movements on joint ventures, impairment and other non-cash items and proceeds from disposal of property, plant & equipment.

•  Acquisitions, disposals, discontinued operations comprise net cash outflow arising from CPW Europe Acquisition, cash acquired on the Merger, proceeds on sale of business and short term investments and discontinued operations.

•  Merger transaction costs comprise bond redemption premium and facility arrangement fees paid.

•  Opening, closing and movement in net funds (debt) relate to the opening, closing and movement in cash and cash equivalents

(2)  Adjustment to present the cash flows on the basis of net funds (debt) rather than cash and cash equivalents, consistent with the performance review on pages 5 and 6 of the financial information.

(3)  Non-Headline cash flows as described in notes 3 and 9 in the financial information are excluded from pro forma free cash flows.

(4)  Consolidated cash flows of Dixons Retail plc for the period prior to 6 August 2014 have been extracted without material adjustment from the consolidation schedules which support the Group's 2014/15 financial statements and are included in pro forma cash flows.

(5)  Pro forma cash flow statement as reported on page 25 of the 2014/15 annual report and accounts.

(6)  Cash flows for the 5 weeks to 3 May 2014 for the Carphone Warehouse business have been extracted without material adjustment from the consolidation schedules which support the Group's 2014/15 financial statements and are excluded from the restated pro forma cash flows.

(7)  Pro forma cash flow statement as reported in the Performance Review on pages 5 and 6 .

 

END

 

 

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