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
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