Capital Markets Day and Shareholder Returns

RNS Number : 9724R

easyJet PLC

18 September 2014

 



EASYJET CAPITAL MARKETS DAY AND SHAREHOLDER RETURNS

easyJet increases ordinary dividend payout ratio to 40%

easyJet plc ("easyJet" or "the Company") is hosting a Capital Markets Day in London at 2pm today.  The event will be webcast and a copy of the presentation will be available on the corporate website shortly before the event.  No update on current trading will be provided during the presentation and easyJet will issue its pre-close statement as normal on 3 October 2014.

In light of the continued strong financial performance of easyJet and confidence in the future, the Board has decided to increase the payout ratio for the ordinary dividend from one third of profit after tax to 40% of profit after tax from the financial year ending 30 September 2014.

Further details of the ordinary dividend in respect of the year ending 30 September 2014 will be announced with the full year results on 18 November 2014.  The dividend will be subject to shareholder approval at the Company's Annual General Meeting on 12 February 2015 and will be paid to shareholders in the early part of calendar year 2015.

Additionally, easyJet has reached agreement with Airbus to exercise existing purchase rights over 27 current generation A320 aircraft for delivery between 2015 and 2018.  This provides easyJet with the flexibility to continue to execute its proven strategy of disciplined growth and to take advantage of profitable market opportunities.  The additional aircraft will augment easyJet's highly cash generative model and the Board will continue to keep the balance sheet under review and intends to make further returns of capital to shareholders in the coming years.  In addition, they will continue to improve easyJet's cost advantage as a current generation A320 aircraft delivers a cost per seat improvement of between 7% and 8% compared to a current generation A319 aircraft.  These aircraft are subject to a very substantial price discount from the list price¹ and are expected to be funded through a combination of easyJet's internal resources, cashflow, sale and leaseback transactions and debt.

easyJet continues to have a high level of fleet flexibility provided by its current fleet arrangements.  As a result of the exercise of the 27 purchase rights easyJet is expected to have a fleet of 304 aircraft by 2019.  easyJet's fleet will consist of 226 aircraft as at 30 September 2014.  However, the fleet arrangements also give easyJet the ability to manage the fleet size to between 204 and 316 aircraft by 2019 depending on economic conditions and opportunities available.

Commenting, Carolyn McCall, easyJet Chief Executive said:

"easyJet's proven strategy continues to deliver significant returns for shareholders which is why we are increasing our payout ratio for the ordinary dividend to 40%.  We are bringing new aircraft into the fleet as we continue to see a significant number of new profitable opportunities in our core markets in the near term and in order to maintain our cost advantage.

The continued strength and execution of our business model provides the platform to deliver sustainable growth and attractive cash returns for shareholders in the years to come."

For further details please contact easyJet plc:

Institutional investors and analysts:
Will MacLaren	[phone]
Michael Barker	[phone]
Media:
Paul Moore	[phone]
Edward Simpkins   RLM Finsbury	[phone]

A copy of the Capital Markets Day presentation will be made available at http://corporate.easyjet.com/investors 

¹ The aircraft list price based on the relevant price catalogue in January 2012, is US$76,260,569  (being the sum of the airframe list price, engine option list price and the price of certain assumed specification change notices) and therefore the total list price for the 27 aircraft is approximately US$2,059,035,363.  easyJet has negotiated a very substantial discount from the list price.  The 27 purchase rights were contained within the existing contract with Airbus.

 

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