Interim Results

Diagonal PLC 18 July 2002 DIAGONAL PLC INTERIM RESULTS FOR THE SIX MONTH PERIOD ENDED 31 MAY 2002 18 July 2002 • Turnover £33.9m • Profit before tax* £3.1m • Adjusted earnings per share* 2.41p • Dividend 0.6p * all figures exclude goodwill amortisation. Key highlights include: • Continued improvement in gross profit margins. • Strong SAP forward load, pipeline and contract wins. • Increased visibility of earnings in Secure Networks. • Strong balance sheet with over £12m cash. • Overseas offices performing in accordance with plan. Mark Samuels, Chairman, commented: 'As expected, the results for the period under review have been affected by the continuing challenging market conditions faced by our sector and by our customers. Nonetheless, at a time when many IT services companies are recording poor financial performances, it is pleasing to report both improved margins and strong cash flows.' Enquiries: Graham Creswick, Chief Executive Tel: +44 (0) 1252 733 711 Steve Fleming, Finance Director Ian Seaton, Bankside Consultants Limited Tel: +44 (0) 20 7444 4157 Notes to Editors Diagonal PLC provides a broad range of IT consulting services. The Consulting Division is one of the UK's leading implementers of SAP systems and has been awarded SAP Partner of Excellence on each occasion it has been presented. It also specialises in Enterprise Application Integration and e-commerce skills. The Secure Networks Division provides network and remote access security and consultancy. INTERIM COMMENTARY I am pleased to report that the Group has continued to improve overall gross margins to 30%. In particular the efforts made in the Secure Networks Division have resulted in gross margins in excess of 40%. The interim dividend has been maintained at 0.6p. The SAP Consulting Division forward load and sales pipeline continues to be ahead of last year, day rates have remained strong and utilisation has improved during the period. Despite this, market sentiment continues to be uncertain and this is reflected in both investor and customer confidence. The Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) business has been particularly affected by these factors. The Secure Networks Division has also experienced client caution in committing to new projects although it has continued its move to higher margin business generating operating margins (before goodwill amortisation) of almost 11%. In addition 25% of the business is now in contracted support and maintenance work which is ahead of plan. The Claritas consulting business, acquired last year, has traded ahead of budget and adds further to the level of visibility of earnings in this Division. The Group continues to generate cash and has balances of over £12m at the period end. Management has taken steps, where appropriate, to align the cost base with projected levels of activity and anticipates a satisfactory performance for the financial year. I am confident that the steps already taken and our plans for the current half are positioning the Group well for 2003 and beyond. Graham Creswick Chief Executive Officer 18 July 2002 CONSOLIDATED PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT Note Half-year Half-year 52 weeks ended ended ended 31 May 2002 1 June 2001 30 Nov 2001 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited) £'000s £'000s £'000s TURNOVER 2 33,902 44,955 82,182 COST OF SALES (23,634) (32,026) (58,580) GROSS PROFIT 10,268 12,929 23,602 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES Amounts written off goodwill (1,446) (1,584) (3,210) Other administrative expenses (7,346) (8,601) (16,490) Total administrative expenses (8,792) (10,185) (19,700) OPERATING PROFIT 2 1,476 2,744 3,902 Net Interest receivable 131 176 354 PROFIT ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES BEFORE TAXATION 1,607 2,920 4,256 TAX ON PROFIT ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES (920) (1,413) (2,278) PROFIT ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES AFTER TAXATION 687 1,507 1,978 EQUITY DIVIDENDS 4 (531) (528) (1,584) RETAINED PROFIT FOR THE FINANCIAL PERIOD 156 979 394 Earnings per Ordinary Share 3 0.78p 1.72p 2.26p Adjusted earnings per Ordinary 3 2.41p 3.53p 5.93p Share Diluted earnings per Ordinary Share 3 0.77p 1.71p 2.26p Adjusted diluted earnings per Ordinary Share 3 2.40p 3.51p 5.92p Equity dividends per Ordinary Share 4 0.60p 0.60p 1.80p There are no recognised gains or losses other than the profit for the current and preceding financial periods. Accordingly, no statement of total recognised gains and losses is given. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET Half-year Half-year 52 weeks ended ended ended 31 May 2002 1 June 2001 30 Nov 2001 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited) £'000s £'000s £'000s FIXED ASSETS Intangible assets 24,616 26,460 26,062 Tangible assets 2,221 2,731 2,508 Investments - own shares 1,404 877 877 28,241 30,068 29,447 CURRENT ASSETS Stock - 211 - Debtors 21,521 25,797 22,234 Cash at bank and in hand 12,248 9,182 10,155 33,769 35,190 32,389 CREDITORS - AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR (14,149) (18,830) (15,065) NET CURRENT ASSETS 19,620 16,360 17,324 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 47,861 46,428 46,771 CREDITORS - AMOUNTS FALLING DUE AFTER MORE THAN ONE YEAR (110) (6) (139) PROVISIONS FOR LIABILITIES AND CHARGES - (58) - NET ASSETS 47,751 46,364 46,632 CAPITAL AND RESERVES Called up share capital 8,940 8,789 8,832 Share premium account 29,496 27,831 28,503 Shares to be issued - - 138 Other reserves 600 600 600 Profit and loss account 8,715 9,144 8,559 EQUITY SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS 47,751 46,364 46,632 RECONCILIATION OF MOVEMENTS IN SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS Profit for the financial period 687 1,507 1,978 Equity dividends (531) (528) (1,584) 156 979 394 Issues of shares 963 772 1,487 Shares to be issued - - 138 Net additions to shareholders' funds 1,119 1,751 2,019 Opening shareholders' funds 46,632 44,613 44,613 Closing shareholders' funds 47,751 46,364 46,632 CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT Half-year Half-year 52 weeks ended ended ended 31 May 2002 1 June 2001 30 Nov 2001 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited) £'000s £'000s £'000s NET CASH INFLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 3,406 4,750 8,394 RETURNS ON INVESTMENTS AND SERVICING OF FINANCE 132 175 354 TAXATION PAID (628) (1,327) (3,745) CAPITAL EXPENDITURE AND FINANCIAL INVESTMENT (155) (520) (657) ACQUISITIONS AND DISPOSALS - 767 881 EQUITY DIVIDENDS PAID (1,057) (874) (1,401) CASH INFLOW BEFORE FINANCING 1,698 2,971 3,826 FINANCING Issues of Ordinary share capital 436 146 146 Net repayment of borrowings (41) (56) 62 395 90 208 INCREASE IN CASH IN THE PERIOD 2,093 3,061 4,034 RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING PROFIT TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Operating profit 1,476 2,744 3,902 Amortisation of goodwill 1,446 1,584 3,210 Depreciation 497 479 968 (Profit)/loss on sales of tangible fixed assets (56) 8 (73) Loss on sale of investment - 12 - Decrease in stock - 122 333 Decrease/(increase) in debtors 822 (3,036) 426 (Decrease)/increase in creditors (779) 2,837 (372) NET CASH INFLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 3,406 4,750 8,394 MOVEMENT IN NET FUNDS/(DEBT) Opening balances Cash 10,155 6,145 6,145 Overdraft - (24) (24) Finance leases (214) (116) (116) 9,941 6,005 6,005 Movement in period Cash 2,093 3,037 4,010 Overdraft - 24 24 Finance lease repayments 41 60 (62) Leases acquired (non-cash) - - (36) 2,134 3,121 3,936 Closing balances Cash 12,248 9,182 10,155 Overdraft - - - Finance leases (173) (56) (214) 12,075 9,126 9,941 NOTES 1. The interim results, approved by the Board of Directors on 18 July 2002, have been prepared in accordance with applicable United Kingdom Accounting Standards, using the historical cost convention. The interim results have been prepared on the basis of accounting policies consistent with those applied in the 2001 Annual Report and Accounts, with the exception of the implementation of FRS 19 Deferred Tax. This has had no effect on reported profits and has not given rise to any restatement of figures reported for the prior period. The financial information for the six month periods ended 31 May 2002 and 1 June 2001 have not been audited and do not constitute statutory accounts as defined in Section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. The results for the 52 weeks to 30 November 2001 have been extracted from the Annual Report and Accounts which received an unqualified auditors' report and have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. 2. Analysis of turnover and operating profit by class of business: Turnover Operating profit (1) Half-year ended Half-year ended 52 weeks ended Half-year ended Half-year ended 52 weeks ended 31 May 2002 1 June 2001 30 Nov 2001 31 May 2002 1 June 2001 30 Nov 2001 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited) (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited) £'000s £'000s £'000s £'000s £'000s £'000s Class of business Continuing operations Consulting 25,527 29,962 58,036 1,903 2,531 4,382 Secure Networks 8,375 12,302 21,445 (427) 213 (457) 33,902 42,264 79,481 1,476 2,744 3,925 Discontinued operations Consulting - 2,691 2,701 - - (23) (1) Operating profit is stated after charging amortisation of goodwill 3. Earnings per share have been computed in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 14 'Earnings per Share'. Basic earnings per share are calculated by dividing the Profit on Ordinary Activities after Tax by the weighted number of Ordinary Shares in issue during the period. Diluted earnings per share are calculated to take account of the potential issue of further Ordinary Shares. These arise under the employees' Save-As-You-Earn Share Option Scheme, the Executive Share Option Plan and the Long Term Incentive Plan, where the exercise price is less than the average market price of the Company's Ordinary shares during the relevant period. A reconciliation of the earnings and weighted average number of shares used in the calculation is set out below: Half-year ended Half-year ended 52 weeks ended 31 May 2002 1 June 2001 30 Nov 2001 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited) £'000s £'000s £'000s Profit on ordinary activities after taxation 687 1,507 1,978 Amounts written off goodwill 1,446 1,584 3,210 Adjusted profits 2,133 3,091 5,188 Number Number Number Weighted average number of shares in issue 88,499,269 87,636,069 87,466,859 Effect of options 235,218 323,238 122,693 Total Shares 88,734,487 87,959,307 87,589,552 Pence Pence Pence Basic EPS Unadjusted 0.78 1.72 2.26 Goodwill 1.63 1.81 3.67 Adjusted 2.41 3.53 5.93 Diluted EPS Unadjusted 0.77 1.71 2.26 Goodwill 1.63 1.80 3.66 Adjusted 2.40 3.51p 5.92 4. The interim dividend will be paid on 1 October 2002 to shareholders on the register at the close of business of 16 August 2002. The cost of the dividend payable to Ordinary Shareholders is £531,000 (1 June 2001: £528,000; 30 November 2001: £1,056,000). 5. The interim report will be mailed to shareholders and copies will be available at the Company's registered office: Diagonal PLC, Wey Court, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7PT. INDEPENDENT REVIEW REPORT TO DIAGONAL PLC Introduction We have been instructed by the company to review the financial information for the six months ended 31 May 2002 which comprises the profit and loss account, the balance sheet, the cash flow statement and related notes 1 to 5. We have read the other information contained in the interim report and considered whether it contains any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the financial information. Directors' responsibilities The interim report, including the financial information contained therein, is the responsibility of, and has been approved by, the directors. The directors are responsible for preparing the interim report in accordance with the Listing Rules of the Financial Services Authority which require that the accounting policies and presentation applied to the interim figures should be consistent with those applied in preparing the preceding annual accounts except where any changes, and the reasons for them, are disclosed. Review work performed We conducted our review in accordance with the guidance contained in Bulletin 1999/4 issued by the Auditing Practices Board for use in the United Kingdom. A review consists principally of making enquiries of group management and applying analytical procedures to the financial information and underlying financial data and, based thereon, assessing whether the accounting policies and presentation have been consistently applied unless otherwise disclosed. A review excludes audit procedures such as tests of controls and verification of assets, liabilities and transactions. It is substantially less in scope than an audit performed in accordance with United Kingdom auditing standards and therefore provides a lower level of assurance than an audit. Accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion on the financial information. Review conclusion On the basis of our review we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the financial information as presented for the six months ended 31 May 2002. Deloitte & Touche Chartered Accountants Hill House 1, Little New Street London EC4A 3TR 18 July 2002 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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