Preliminary Results
BILLAM PLC: PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2006
The Board of Billam PLC ("Billam" or "the Company") today announces
its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2006.
Key Points:
* Shareholders approved wider investment powers in July 2006
* First investment made by wholly owned subsidiary, Development
Funding Limited ("DFL") in February 2007 to provide mezzanine
finance to a privately owned house building company
* Deficit on ordinary activities before taxation reduced to £0.9
million (2005: £5.1 million)
* Net asset value per share 12.3p (2005: 20.0p)
Commenting on the results, Simon Bennett, Chairman of Billam said:
"The Company's investment portfolio has been thoroughly reviewed by
the Board. Whilst a number of the investee companies have made
progress during the year, your Board is committed to making
investments in the future that will generate profitable returns for
shareholders. As a consequence, whilst we will continue to look at
investments in the life sciences and information technology sectors,
where the majority of Billam's investments have historically been
made, we intend to take advantage of the attractive opportunities
that we are seeing through DFL, our development financing business.
The Board will be looking to make further realisations from our
investment portfolio, as and when offers are received for our
holdings at valuations that meet our expectations."
For further information contact:
Simon Bennett 0207 222 1918
Nish Malde 01923 713600
Chairman's Statement
Background
The year has been one of considerable change for your Company. At an
Extraordinary General Meeting in March, 2006 Nish Malde and Dimitri
Dimitriou were appointed to the Board of Billam Plc ("Billam") and
following this meeting, I was asked to be Chairman. At our Annual
General Meeting in July 2006 shareholders approved a widening of
Billam's investment powers, which will allow your Board to invest in
businesses that will generate new revenues and cash flow for the
Company and will, as a result, increase our net assets.
Indeed, we recently announced on 15 February 2007 that our wholly
owned development finance subsidiary, Development Funding Limited
("DFL"), which started trading after the year end, has made its first
investment by providing mezzanine finance of a little over £900,000
to a privately owned housebuilding company. This mezzanine facility
has been provided in connection with a specific development in
Northamptonshire, which is expected to be completed in the summer of
2008. The gross development value of the project is £5.1 million. DFL
are sharing the development risk with the housebuilder concerned, and
we anticipate that the annualised return from this investment will be
in excess of 20 per cent. The financing for DFL's investment has been
provided by Billam's principal shareholder, Mr Stephen Wicks, who
since the year end has made new loans to the Group of approximately
£800,000 on commercial terms. Mr Wicks has the option to convert part
of his loans into ordinary shares in Billam. The Board expects to
make further development financing investments through DFL, as and
when suitable opportunities present themselves.
PERFORMANCE DURING YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2006
The Board announce that the deficit on ordinary activities before
taxation has been reduced to £0.9 million from the £5.1 million
recorded for 2005, but we are disappointed to note that Billam's net
assets have now fallen to £1.3 million (2005: £2.2 million). As
referred to above, the Board intend in the future to make investments
that will generate profitable returns for Billam shareholders.
The directors are not propsing the payment of a dividend for the year
ended 31st December 2006.
During the year we have further rationalised the investment
portfolio. We have sold our investments in Sareum plc and Sosei
Limited and since the year end, as recently announced, we have sold
at a profit above book values, our holdings in Intellego PLC, TMO
Biotec Limited and a small part of our investment in Cybit Holdings
PLC for a total consideration of £215,000 to Angus Forrest, the
former Chief Executive of Billam, in part settlement of the
outstanding amounts due to him.
As far as the principal investments in our portfolio are concerned, I
would like to draw your attention to the achievements of these
investee companies, as follows:-
Quoted investments
Cybit Holdings plc
Cybit Holdings plc ("Cybit") is one of Europe's leading telematics
service providers, that provides organisations with a comprehensive
suite of online solutions to improve the management and control of
their mobile assets. In its latest interim results, for the six
months ended 30 September, 2006 Cybit reported an 18 per cent
increase in revenues to £5.8 million and a return to profitability.
Shareholders funds totalled in aggregate £8 million, including cash
balances of £2 million.
In June, 2006 Cybit acquired BlueFinger for £1.6 million, one of the
world's leading suppliers of coastal surveillance and monitoring
systems. The integration of this business has strengthened Cybit's
core telematics business and will provide cross selling opportunities
for the company's other products. Cybit have recently announced that
Bluefinger had won an order worth more than £1 million for a vessel
monitoring system.
Cybit has also recently announced the acquisition of Thales
Telematics Plc, a UK based vehicle telematics and wireless asset
management business. Following this acquisition, Cybit now provides
its services to over 1,500 organisations who collectively have over
35,000 mobile assets.
EiRx Therapeutics plc
EiRx Therapeutics plc ('EiRx") is a drug discovery company developing
targeted therapies for cancer. The company has its own in-house
research department and achieved a major milestone in August, 2005
when it filed its first ever patents on potential new cancer drugs.
The company, which at this stage in its development is largely
pre-revenue, announced its preliminary results for the year ended 30
June, 2006 in December. These results showed a loss on ordinary
activities before taxation of £1.8 million (2005: loss £2.9 million).
In September, the company announced the results of tests for one of
its products, used in the treatment of breast cancer, which showed a
50 per cent reduction in tumour volume with no evidence of systemic
toxicity. The results are encouraging as they demonstrate that EiRx's
product can enter the circulation, reach the site of the tumour and
prevent its growth.
During the year, EiRx has also entered into collaborative agreements
with Almac Diagnostics and bioMérieux SA.
Physiomics plc
In March, 2007 Physiomics plc ("Physiomics") announced its interim
results for the 6 months ended 31 December, 2006 which showed a loss
before taxation of £0.154 million (2005: loss before taxation £0.184
million).
The company reported that they are pushing ahead with the development
of their cell cycle technology and have filed a patent in respect of
the company's SystemCell® technology. During the period under review,
Physiomics continued its programme with Cyclacal, Inc and received
the first tranche of funds from the EU funded TEMPO grant aided
programme. In addition, the company signed a 7 month agreement with
ValiRx plc, to use SystemCell® technology, as a means to optimise the
latter's oncology drug discovery programmes.
Unquoted investments
TRI-MEX Group Limited
TRI-MEX Group Limited ("TRI-MEX") provides monitoring and protection
solutions for the protection of vehicles and goods in transit. The
accounts for the year ended 31 March, 2006 showed a loss before
taxation of £1.3 million (2005: loss before taxation of £1.3 million)
on turnover of £0.354 million (2005: £0.477 million). The Group is
now focussed on its "EUROWATCH" system and the group's principal
source of revenue was sales of subscriptions from this source.
Whilst the contract TRI-MEX signed with Mercedes-Benz in February,
2004 did not deliver the expected turnover, the company has
agreements with Jaguar Cars and Land Rover to provide pan-European
EUROWATCH services for each of their own brand tracking products. In
addition, TRI-MEX has recently signed a master agreement with Aston
Martin Lagonda and the company's unit is now fitted as standard on
DB9 and V8 cars built for the UK and as a factory fit for Europe.
Whilst there can be no certainty, the Directors of TRI-MEX believe
that there will be a significant increase in revenue this year.
Overheads
During the year we have made further efforts to reduce our cost base.
I am therefore pleased to report that total overheads have been
reduced to £0.5 million for the year (2005: £0.6 million) and we
anticipate that with the actions already taken our costs will be
substantially lower during 2007.
Management
I am pleased to be able to report that we have recruited Howard
Cramer, as Managing Director of our development financing subsidiary
Development Funding Limited. Howard brings with him a wealth of
experience of the property market. Howard worked for Bovis Homes and
Rosehaugh's housing division and the privately owned Buxton Homes as
Land & Marketing Director, before establishing Howard Cramer
Associates in 1988. Howard has been responsible for site acquisition
on behalf of a number of the UK's leading housebuilders and has
successfully completed the developments of both residential and mixed
use projects.
As referred to above, we have in the last 12 months considerably
reduced the number of investments in our portfolio. As a consequence,
Dimitri Dimitriou agreed to step down from the Board on 14 May, 2007
as he originally joined the Board to provide advice on the investment
portfolio. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his
contribution to the Board.
Shareholders
The free share-dealing scheme for small shareholders will be offered.
This year eligible shareholders, those with holdings of 5,000 or
fewer Ordinary 20 pence shares, will receive a personal letter and
details of the scheme allowing them to sell or buy shares at no
transaction cost until 14 September 2007.
Outlook
The Company's investment portfolio has been thoroughly reviewed by
the Board and we have met with the management teams of all our
investee companies. Whilst a number of these companies have made
progress during the year, as referred to above, your Board is
committed to making investments in the future that will generate
profitable returns for shareholders. As a consequence, whilst we will
continue to look at investments in the life sciences and information
technology sectors, where the majority of Billam's investments have
historically been made, we intend to take advantage of the attractive
opportunities that we are seeing through DFL, our development
financing business. The Board will be looking to make further
realisations from our investment portfolio, as and when offers are
received for our holdings at valuations that meet our expectations.
Simon Bennett
Chairman
26 June, 2007
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF TOTAL RETURN |
|(INCORPORATING THE REVENUE ACCOUNT) |
|FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2006 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| || 2006| 2006| 2006| 2005| 2005| 2005|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
| || £'000| £'000| £'000| £'000| £'000| £'000|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
| ||Capital|Revenue| Total|Capital|Revenue| Total|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|Losses on investments || (454)| -| (454)|(4,530)| -|(4,530)|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|Income || -| 86| 86| -| 52| 52|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|Gross revenue and capital || (454)| 86| (368)|(4,530)| 52|(4,478)|
|deficit || | | | | | |
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|Administrative expenses || -| (513)| (513)| -| (607)| (607)|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|Operating deficit || (454)| (427)| (881)|(4,530)| (555)|(5,085)|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|Interest payable and similar|| -| (11)| (11)| -| (3)| (3)|
|charges || | | | | | |
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|Deficit on ordinary || (454)| (438)| (892)|(4,530)| (558)|(5,088)|
|activities before taxation || | | | | | |
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|Tax on ordinary activities || -| -| -| 28| (28)| -|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|Deficit attributable to || (454)| (438)| (892)|(4,502)| (586)|(5,088)|
|equity shareholders || | | | | | |
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|Deficit per ordinary share || | | | | | |
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|Basic and fully diluted || (4.3p)| (4.2p)|(8.5p)|(44.1p)| (5.7p)|(49.8p)|
|----------------------------++-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
All of the above results arise from continuing activities.
There are no recognised gains and losses for the year other than
those reflected in the above Statement of Total Return.
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER 2006 |
| |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
| | ||| 2006 | 2005 |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| | ||| £'000 | £'000 |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Fixed assets | ||| | |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Investments | ||| 2,446 | 3,106 |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Current assets | ||| | |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Debtors | ||| 171 | 171 |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Cash at bank and in hand | ||| 1 | 9 |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| | ||| 172 | 180 |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Creditors: amounts falling due within one | ||| (745) | (259) |
| year | ||| | |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Net current liabilities | ||| (573) | (79) |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Total assets less current liabilities | ||| 1,873 | 3,027 |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
|----------------------------------------------++---------+---------|
| Creditors: amounts falling due after more || | |
| than one year || (567) | (872) |
|----------------------------------------------++---------+---------|
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Net assets | ||| 1,306 | 2,155 |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Capital and reserves | ||| | |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Called up share capital | ||| 2,279 | 2,250 |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Share premium account | ||| 5,423 | 5,409 |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Capital reserve realised | ||| (708) | (842) |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Capital reserve unrealised | ||| (3,245) | (2,657) |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Merger reserve | ||| 1,012 | 1,012 |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Revenue account | ||| (3,455) | (3,017) |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Shareholders' funds | ||| 1,306 | 2,155 |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Net asset value per share | ||| | |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Ordinary shares | ||| 12.3p | 20.0p |
|-------------------------------------------+-+++---------+---------|
| Deferred shares | ||| - | - |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| CASH FLOW STATEMENT |
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2006 |
| |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
| || 2006 | 2006 | 2005 | 2005 |
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
| || £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 |
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
| Net cash outflow from operating || | (626) | | (263) |
| activities || | | | |
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
| Returns on investment and || | | | |
| servicing of finance || | | | |
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
| Interest paid || - | | (3) | |
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
| Net cash outflow from returns on || | | | (3) |
| investment and servicing of || | | | |
| finance || | | | |
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
| Capital expenditure and || | | | |
| financial investment || | | | |
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
| Purchase of investments || (46) | | (27) | |
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
| Sale of investments || 352 | | 255 | |
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
| Net cash inflow from capital || | 306 | | 228 |
| expenditure and financial || | | | |
| investment || | | | |
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
| Net cash outflow before || | (320) | | (38) |
| financing || | | | |
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
| Financing || | | | |
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
| Loans received || 335 | | - | |
| Loans repaid || (54) | | - | |
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
| Net cash inflow from financing || | 281 | | - |
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
| Decrease in cash in the year || | (39) | | (38) |
|----------------------------------++-------+-------+-------+-------|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
NOTES TO THE PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT
for the year ended 31 December 2006
BASIS OF PREPARATION
The financial information in this preliminary announcement has been
prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the
financial statements of Billam PLC for the year ended 31 December
2006 which have remained unchanged from the previous financial year.
1.TAX ON DEFICIT ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES
The tax credit / (charge) for the year is made up as follows:
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| | | 2006 | 2006 | 2006 | 2005 | 2005 | 2005 |
|------+----+---------+---------+-------+---------+---------+-------|
| | | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 |
|------+----+---------+---------+-------+---------+---------+-------|
| | | Capital | Revenue | Total | Capital | Revenue | Total |
|------+----+---------+---------+-------+---------+---------+-------|
|-----------+---------+---------+-------+---------+---------+-------|
| Deferred | - | | | 28 | | |
| tax | | - | - | | (28) | - |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
2.DEFICIT PER ORDINARY SHARE
The deficit per ordinary share is based on the weighted average
number of ordinary shares in issue during the year of 10,524,035
ordinary shares of 20 pence (2005: 10,206,154 ordinary shares of 20
pence) and the following figures:
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |2006 |2006 |2006 |2005 |2005 |2005 |
| |£'000 |£'000 |£'000 |£'000 |£'000 |£'000 |
|--------------------------+-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
| |Capital|Revenue|Total |Capital|Revenue|Total |
|--------------------------+-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|--------------------------+-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|Deficit attributable to |(454) |(438) | (892)|(4,502)|(586) |(5,088)|
|equity shareholders | | | | | | |
|--------------------------+-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|--------------------------+-------+-------+------+-------+-------+-------|
|Deficit per ordinary | (4.3p)| (4.2p)|(8.5p)|(44.1p)| (5.7p)|(49.8p)|
|shares | | | | | | |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
3.SHARE CAPITAL
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| | 2006 | 2005 |
|------------------------------------------------+-------+-------|
| | £'000 | £'000 |
|------------------------------------------------+-------+-------|
| Authorised | | |
|------------------------------------------------+-------+-------|
| 19,210,250 ordinary shares of 20p each | | |
| (2005: 19,210,250 ordinary shares of 20p each) | 3,842 | 3,842 |
|------------------------------------------------+-------+-------|
| 157,950,000 deferred shares of 0.1p each | 158 | 158 |
|------------------------------------------------+-------+-------|
| | 4,000 | 4,000 |
|------------------------------------------------+-------+-------|
| Allotted, called up and fully paid | | |
|------------------------------------------------+-------+-------|
| 10,603,835 ordinary shares of 20p each | | |
| (2005: 10,460,000 ordinary shares of 20p each) | 2,121 | 2,092 |
|------------------------------------------------+-------+-------|
| 157,950,000 deferred shares of 0.1p each | 158 | 158 |
|------------------------------------------------+-------+-------|
| | 2,279 | 2,250 |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
4.NET ASSET VALUE PER SHARE
The net asset value per share and the net asset values attributable
to each class of share at the year end calculated in accordance with
the Articles of Association were as follows:
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| | | 2006 | 2006 | 2006 | 2005 | 2005 | 2005 |
|------+----+---------+---------+-------+---------+---------+-------|
| | | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 |
|------+----+---------+---------+-------+---------+---------+-------|
| | | Capital | Revenue | Total | Capital | Revenue | Total |
|------+----+---------+---------+-------+---------+---------+-------|
|-----------+---------+---------+-------+---------+---------+-------|
| Deferred | - | | | 28 | | |
| tax | | - | - | | (28) | - |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
The net asset value per ordinary share is based on net assets at the
year end after allowances for the deferred shares and on 10,603,835
ordinary shares of 20 pence (2005: 10,460,000 ordinary shares of 20
pence) being the number of ordinary shares in issue at the year end.
The net asset value per deferred share is based on net assets at the
year end and on 157,950,000 deferred shares of 0.1p each (2005:
157,950,000) being the number of deferred shares in issue at the year
end.
5.PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT
The preliminary statement, which has been agreed with the auditors,
was approved by the Board of Directors on 26 June 2007. Copies of the
Company's audited accounts for the year ended 31 December 2006 will
be dispatched to shareholders and the AIM team by 30 June 2006.Copies
will also be available, free of charge, on request from the company's
Registered office, Trinity Court, Batchworth Island, Church Street,
Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire WD3 1RT.
The financial information set out above do not constitute statutory
accounts as defined by Section 240 of the UK Companies Act 1985. The
summarised balance sheet at 31 December 2006, the summarised profit
and loss account and the summarised cash flow statement for the year
then ended have been extracted from the Company's statutory accounts
for the year ended 31 December 2006.
The statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 2006 and the
year ended 31 December 2005 received audit reports which were
unqualified and did not contain statements under Section 237(2) or
Section 237 (3) of the UK Companies Act 1985. The statutory accounts
for the year ended 31 December 2005 have been delivered to the
Registrar of Companies, but the statutory accounts for the year ended
31 December 2006 have not yet been filed.
The Annual General Meeting of the company will be held at 10.30am on
24 July 2007at the offices of KBC Peel Hunt Limited at 111 Old Broad
Street, London, EC2N 1PH.
---END OF MESSAGE---