Final Results

IMI PLC 11 March 2002 11 March 2002 IMI plc Preliminary Results IMI plc, the major international engineering group, today announced its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2001. 2001 2000 Sales £1642m £1615m Results before rationalisation & restructuring costs * Operating profit £151.4m £182.9m Operating cash flow £182.1m £159.8m Profit after interest £126.1m £154.9m Adjusted earnings per share 26.7p 29.9p Rationalisation & restructuring costs £44.6m £6.6m Profit before tax £86.4m £143.6m Earnings per share 18.3p 27.0p Dividend per share 15.5p 15.5p * Before goodwill amortisation and exceptional items • Restructuring on target • Strong cash generation • Strengthened market positions CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT 2001 was a year of major change for the Group, with a new management structure and a strategy review resulting in a plan which significantly repositions the Group into the two business areas of Fluid Controls and Retail Dispense. All our businesses have been managed robustly during the year, pressing ahead with restructuring and responding well to the challenging economic environment with decisive actions and cost cutting. There has been a strong focus on cash resulting in operating cash flow (before rationalisation and restructuring costs) of £182m compared to operating profit of £151m. The programme for the execution of the operational and strategic changes required to restructure the Group is making sound progress. £45m had been committed by the year end for rationalisation and restructuring costs and another £35m is already planned for 2002. During the year we spent £45m on the acquisition of BTG (Fluid Controls), Display Technologies (Retail Dispense) and, also in Fluid Controls, a number of small Indoor Climate service and commissioning businesses. Disposals during the year realised £53m net of costs. In June we sold a number of the valve businesses and in October we sold the remaining Marston cooling business. Since the year end we have also sold the Eley shotgun cartridge business for £1.6m and, in severe service, we have agreed to acquire STI of Italy for £4.2m. Our remaining Building Products businesses are being actively managed and opportunities further to reduce the cost base have been taken. Each of these businesses is performing well in the current economic conditions, producing good profit and cash. During the course of the year we have given regular trading updates and the audited results for the year are in line with the statement issued in December. Results Summary The overall market conditions resulted in a demanding year. The US downturn was evident throughout the year and European markets also declined markedly in the second half. Market share gains and contributions from new products and acquisitions helped mitigate some of the market weakness. Group sales at £1642m compare with £1615m reported last year. However, after adjusting for exchange rates, sales are marginally lower. Organic sales, net of acquisitions and disposals, were around £36m (2%) lower. Profit before rationalisation and restructuring costs, goodwill amortisation and exceptional items was £126.1m (2000: £154.9m). Rationalisation and restructuring costs charged against profit were £44.6m (2000: £6.6m) resulting in profit before tax, goodwill amortisation and exceptional items of £81.5m (2000: £148.3m). Interest cover based on operating profit before rationalisation and restructuring costs and goodwill amortisation was 6 times (2000: 6.5 times). For 2001 the tax charge benefited from overseas tax credits on profit distributions and the effective tax rate on profit before goodwill and exceptional items was 25% (2000: 32%). The underlying rate was 32%. Profit arising on the sale of businesses during the year amounted to £20.3m (2000: £0.5m) and profit on the sale of surplus properties was £1.0m (2000: £10.0m). Adjusted earnings per share (before rationalisation and restructuring costs, goodwill amortisation and exceptional items) were 26.7p (2000: 29.9p revised to exclude rationalisation and restructuring costs). Basic earnings per share were 18.3p (2000 restated: 27.0p). Net borrowings at the end of the year were £345m (2000: £403m) and balance sheet gearing 70% compared with 84% at the end of last year. In November 2001 we refinanced $100m of short term debt with borrowings maturing in 2009 at an interest rate of 6.56%. Nearly 50% of the Group's net debt at 31 December 2001 has a maturity of over nine years, reducing dependency on the shorter term credit market. The interim dividend paid in October was maintained at 6.0p and the Board is recommending the payment of an unchanged final dividend of 9.5p making a total of 15.5p for the year. Excluding rationalisation and restructuring costs, goodwill and exceptional items, the dividend is covered 1.7 times (2000: 1.9 times). In 2001 free cash flow before dividend payments was £108m and dividend payments amounted to £55m. FRS 19: Deferred Tax has been fully adopted in the 2001 accounts with negligible impact. Under FRS 17: Retirement Benefits, net assets at 31 December 2001 would be £36m higher as a result of the surplus on the main UK pension scheme. Outlook Our restructuring will continue, with the bulk of the rationalisation expected to be substantially completed by the end of this year. Disposals will continue to be made over time in a manner consistent with realising shareholder value. We are pursuing suitable investment opportunities for growth, both organic and by acquisition. As for the short term economic outlook, we said in December that we were not anticipating any general improvement in market conditions and have geared our cost base accordingly. The year has started as expected. Improvements in volumes are yet to show, but cost savings arising from restructuring are coming through strongly. CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REVIEW We are now actively engaged in developing those businesses which provide the strongest prospects for the future within a clear strategic framework. We have focused our activities on businesses with well-defined, highly defendable global markets enjoying significant growth potential. Businesses which do not share the same potential, currently accounting for around a third of Group sales, will over time be divested. Our future is being built on the two business areas of Fluid Controls and Retail Dispense, together enjoying strong market positions in five discrete and clearly defined business segments. Each of these businesses shares similar characteristics - niche, global markets of around £1-3bn in size, growing in excess of five per cent a year, where innovative technical solutions and service support are highly valued by customers. We have chosen our sectors carefully and, in concentrating our activities in five global, but niche markets of this size, it is both practical and realistic for IMI to build and sustain leadership in each of these sectors concurrently. Whilst managed separately, clear synergies do exist between the businesses. In Fluid Controls our businesses share similar technologies to drive efficiency improvements for our plant and machinery customers. Our Retail Dispense businesses share merchandising know-how to drive incremental volume for brand owners and retailers alike. All five businesses share a common goal to deliver innovative and complete solutions for a highly targeted group of leading global clients. In executing this strategy, IMI is reducing its dependence on commodity products increasingly threatened by emerging markets competitors; moving further into high value, knowledge-based engineering and systems solutions and focusing its attention on a smaller number of large global customers. Our cost base is being significantly reduced. Some manufacturing activities are being outsourced or transferred to lower cost parts of the world, and overhead is being eliminated by the streamlining of many of our business structures and processes. We have doubled the capacity of our existing facility in China, and are opening two major new facilities in Mexico. Over the course of the next two years, around 30 per cent of our existing manufacture will be outsourced or moved to Mexico, China and Eastern Europe. A significant part of the savings is being reinvested in initiatives that promote future growth and enable our chosen businesses to take full advantage of their undoubted potential. These initiatives include the rapid development of improved customer management skills (an IMI Academy for Key Account Managers has been established), investments in new technologies (three new Technology centres have been set up), and the creation of new initiatives using internet-based tools to improve our service and after-sales care. All these actions will lead to a sustained improvement in economic profit. Those businesses earmarked for future disposal fall within Building Products. The management of these companies fully understand the position of their respective businesses and are actively engaged in improving the cost base and exploiting market strengths. Despite a difficult trading environment, their results are commendable and I congratulate them on their contribution this year. For IMI the strategy is clear and is being pursued with purpose and determination. Our plan to deploy our assets and resources more effectively is on target, and further portfolio realignment will come in due course. Our businesses will be focused increasingly on adding value for both customers and investors by exploiting our expert market knowledge, intellectual property and first class supply chain management. Over the coming years we will realise the full potential and deliver the value that our shareholders expect of us. OPERATIONS REVIEW The following is a review of our business areas where comparisons with the previous year relate to continuing operations and operating profit is stated before rationalisation and reorganisation costs and goodwill amortisation. FLUID CONTROLS Sales: £682m (2000: £670m) Operating Profit: £64.9m (2000: £86.8m) Severe Service CCI, our Severe Service valves business continued to perform well, maintaining its record of year on year organic growth with a 15% increase in the year. The long term prospects for the power generation sector of our market are sound and our current order book is healthy. Investment in Severe Service was accelerated in 2001. The acquisition of Swedish company BTG provides both a complementary product range and an increase in our installed customer base. Aftermarket sales for BTG have doubled since acquisition. A major plant extension in California, completed in January 2002, and an increased sales and engineering resource provide the platform for future growth. Fluid Power Fluid Power is the most exposed of our businesses to cyclical downturns in the capital equipment markets. Volumes in the US declined by 20% during the year. European volumes in the second half fell by around 10% against the previous year due to weakening demand. Good progress in our sector initiatives offset some of the general market disappointment. Significant changes are being made to the structure of Norgren and the rationalisation of manufacturing and reorganisation of the market facing activities are well under way. It is pleasing to record that despite difficult market conditions, our automotive tooling subsidiary, ISI, has been turned round and is now trading profitably. Indoor Climate Indoor Climate, whilst still achieving attractive margins, suffered a set back with continued market decline in Germany and a softening elsewhere in Europe. Volumes overall were around 5% lower. Cost reduction measures have been implemented, the benefits of which will begin to be realised in 2002. We are increasingly developing our service and commissioning capability and over the last two years have acquired a number of small businesses in Europe to extend the reach and concept of Indoor Climate. RETAIL DISPENSE Sales: £382m (2000: £340m) Operating Profit: £37.2m (2000: £34.6m) Beverage Dispense Beverage Dispense produced a strong performance with market share gains and new product contributions offsetting the slowdown in the US food service market. The dramatic reduction in restaurant traffic in the US in September caused a brief interruption but the underlying trading pattern returned by mid-October. Further evidence of the success of our new product investment programmes was provided in the second half with the award of a £25m contract for the supply of a sophisticated new frozen drinks dispenser to a leading US convenience store chain. This programme will run throughout 2002. Closure of two of our major factories in the US was announced and the transfer of production to a new facility in Mexico came onstream in October. At the same time we doubled output from our existing facility in China. We expect to move over 35% of the US capacity to Mexico and China by the middle of 2002. Excellent progress was made in our UK beer business. Merchandising Systems In the first half sales were ahead of last year with a good performance from our mainstream Point of Purchase product lines. However, the events of 11 September did have an impact, with major retailers and brand owners cutting promotional expenditure in response to concerns over the outlook for consumer spending in the US. Scheduled merchandising programmes were affected with many being postponed into 2002, resulting in the first reversal in volume in nearly ten years. We are now beginning to see these programmes being released. Our purchase of Display Technologies in June 2001 demonstrated our determination to be an industry leader. BUILDING PRODUCTS Sales: £555m (2000: £544m) Operating Profit: £47.8m (2000: £54.8m) Polypipe volumes recovered going into the second half, with access to major road and agricultural programmes returning to normal after the difficulties of poor weather and foot & mouth earlier in the year. The pipes business, the largest single part of Polypipe, continued to trade well and contributed a strong performance in both profit and cash. With the benefit of tight expenditure controls the other UK Polypipe businesses improved as the year progressed. Downsizing and a plant closure were required in the small European businesses, which continued to struggle. Copper tube and fittings held up well in the UK, but volumes and margins in Europe suffered with the German market, in particular, continuing to disappoint. In December we announced a proposal for the major restructuring of the copper fittings business which will see the closure of our German manufacturing plant, some capacity relocation to Hungary and increased focus on higher margin sales. GROUP PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT for the year ended 31 December 2001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rational- Before isation & restructuring, restructuring goodwill and & goodwill Exceptional exceptionals amortisation items Total 2001 2001 2001 2001 Notes £m £m £m £m ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Turnover 1 Continuing operations 1580.0 1580.0 Acquisitions 38.6 38.6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total continuing operations 1618.6 1618.6 Discontinued operations 23.1 23.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total turnover 1641.7 1641.7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Operating profit 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Continuing operations before 146.8 (15.6) 131.2 rationalisation and restructuring Acquisitions 3.1 (0.8) 2.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total continuing operations before 149.9 (16.4) 133.5 rationalisation and restructuring Rationalisation/restructuring (44.6) (44.6) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total continuing operations 149.9 (61.0) 88.9 Discontinued operations 1.5 1.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Operating profit 151.4 (61.0) 90.4 Profit on disposal of discontinued 2 20.3 20.3 operations Profit on disposal of property 1.0 1.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Profit before interest 151.4 (61.0) 21.3 111.7 Net interest payable (25.3) (25.3) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Profit on ordinary activities before 126.1 (61.0) 21.3 86.4 taxation Tax on profit 3 (31.6) 11.2 (0.8) (21.2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Profit on ordinary activities after 94.5 (49.8) 20.5 65.2 taxation Equity minority interests (0.7) (0.7) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Profit for the financial year 93.8 (49.8) 20.5 64.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dividends paid and proposed 4 (54.5) --------- Transfer to reserves 10.0 --------- Adjusted earnings per share 5 26.7p Earnings per share 5 18.3p Diluted earnings per share 5 18.3p ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Restated Rational- Before isation & restructuring, restructuring goodwill and & goodwill Exceptional exceptionals amortisation items Total 2000 2000 2000 2000 Notes £m £m £m £m ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Turnover 1 Continuing operations 1554.3 1554.3 Acquisitions - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total continuing operations 1554.3 1554.3 Discontinued operations 61.2 61.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total turnover 1615.5 1615.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Operating profit 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Continuing operations before 176.2 (15.2) 161.0 rationalisation and restructuring Acquisitions - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total continuing operations before rationalisation and restructuring 176.2 (15.2) 161.0 Rationalisation/restructuring (6.6) (6.6) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total continuing operations 176.2 (21.8) 154.4 Discontinued operations 6.7 6.7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Operating profit 182.9 (21.8) 161.1 Profit on disposal of discontinued 2 0.5 0.5 operations Profit on disposal of property 10.0 10.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Profit before interest 182.9 (21.8) 10.5 171.6 Net interest payable (28.0) (28.0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Profit on ordinary activities before 154.9 (21.8) 10.5 143.6 taxation Tax on profit 3 (49.6) 2.1 (0.9) (48.4) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Profit on ordinary activities after 105.3 (19.7) 9.6 95.2 taxation Equity minority interests (0.3) (0.3) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Profit for the financial year 105.0 (19.7) 9.6 94.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dividends paid and proposed 4 (54.5) ---------- Transfer to reserves 40.4 ---------- Adjusted earnings per share 5 29.9p Earnings per share 5 27.0p Diluted earnings per share 5 27.0p GROUP BALANCE SHEET at 31 December 2001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2001 2000 Restated £m £m --------------------------------------------- Fixed assets Intangible assets 298.0 286.4 Tangible assets 373.0 386.9 --------------------------------------------- 671.0 673.3 --------------------------------------------- Current assets Stocks 312.2 325.4 Debtors 311.1 332.7 Investments 7.7 4.4 Cash and deposits 58.2 50.4 --------------------------------------------- 689.2 712.9 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Borrowings and finance leases (141.5) (100.0) Other creditors (330.6) (326.0) --------------------------------------------- Net current assets 217.1 286.9 --------------------------------------------- Total assets less current liabilities 888.1 960.2 Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year Borrowings and finance leases (262.0) (353.4) Other creditors (24.3) (31.2) Provisions for liabilities and charges (108.5) (99.5) --------------------------------------------- Net Assets 493.3 476.1 --------------------------------------------- Capital and reserves Called up share capital 87.9 87.9 Share premium account 132.4 132.1 Revaluation reserve 1.0 1.0 Other reserves 1.6 1.6 Profit and loss account 267.8 253.5 --------------------------------------------- Equity shareholders' funds 490.7 476.1 --------------------------------------------- Minority interest 2.6 - --------------------------------------------- 493.3 476.1 --------------------------------------------- GROUP CASH FLOW STATEMENT for the year ended 31 December 2001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2001 2000 £m £m £m £m ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reconciliation of operating profit to net cash inflow from operating activities Operating profit 90.4 161.1 Depreciation & goodwill 87.1 84.4 amortisation Stocks decrease/(increase) 1.8 (21.2) Debtors decrease/(increase) 37.7 (13.3) Creditors and provisions increase/ 3.7 (10.4) (decrease) ------------- ------------ Net cash inflow from operating 220.7 200.6 activities ------------- ------------ GROUP CASH FLOW STATEMENT Net cash inflow from operating activities 220.7 200.6 Return on investments and servicing of (25.8) (28.5) finance Taxation (27.0) (38.3) Capital expenditure and financial (60.4) (47.4) investment Acquisitions and disposals 6.5 (23.4) Equity dividends paid (54.5) (53.8) ------------- ------------ Cash flow before use of liquid resources 59.5 9.2 & financing Management of liquid resources 2.5 (5.4) Financing Issue of ordinary shares 0.3 1.5 Decrease in borrowings (44.2) (19.4) ----------- ---------- (43.9) (17.9) ------------- ------------- Increase/(decrease) in cash in the year 18.1 (14.1) ------------- ------------- Reconciliation of net cash to movement in net borrowings Increase/(decrease) in cash in the year 18.1 (14.1) Cash used to repay borrowings 44.2 19.4 Cash (inflow)/outflow from movement in liquid resources (2.5) 5.4 ----------- ---------- Change in borrowings resulting from 59.8 10.7 cash flows Borrowings assumed with - (5.5) acquisitions Loan notes issued as part of - (9.7) acquisition Currency translation differences (2.1) (10.5) ------------ ------------ Movement in net borrowings in the 57.7 (15.0) year Net borrowings at 1 January (403.0) (388.0) ------------- ------------- Net borrowings at 31 December (345.3) (403.0) ------------- ------------ RECONCILIATION OF MOVEMENTS IN GROUP SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS for the year ended 31 December 2001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2001 2000 Restated £m £m ----------------------------- Profit for the financial year 64.5 94.9 Dividends (54.5) (54.5) ----------------------------- 10.0 40.4 Other recognised gains and losses relating to the financial year (1.5) 6.6 Contribution to the Quest - (0.1) New ordinary share capital issued 0.3 1.5 Previously acquired goodwill taken through the profit and loss account in arriving at the profit for the financial year 5.8 0.4 ----------------------------- Net increase in shareholders' funds for the year 14.6 48.8 Shareholders' funds at 1 January (originally £478.0m, before deducting prior year adjustment of £1.9m) 476.1 427.3 ----------------------------- Shareholders' funds at 31 December 490.7 476.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NOTES RELATING TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 1. Segmental analysis Operating profit before goodwill amortisation, rationalisation Turnover & restructuring 2001 2000 2001 2000 £m £m £m £m --------------------------- -------------------------- BY ACTIVITY Following a strategy review the Group is being reported in the following new groupings: Fluid Controls 682 670 64.9 86.8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Severe Service 132 97 13.8 12.1 Fluid Power 416 444 29.0 46.6 Indoor Climate 134 129 22.1 28.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Retail Dispense 382 340 37.2 34.6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Beverage Dispense 291 269 27.2 23.5 Merchandising Systems 91 71 10.0 11.1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Building Products 555 544 47.8 54.8 -------------------------------------------------------------- Total continuing operations 1619 1554 149.9 176.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BY GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN UK 563 544 55.4 67.5 Rest of Europe 538 531 50.6 61.6 The Americas 467 431 40.8 44.7 Asia/Pacific 51 48 3.1 2.4 ------------------------- --------------------------- Total continuing operations 1619 1554 149.9 176.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TURNOVER BY GEOGRAPHICAL DESTINATION 2001 2000 £m £m ------------------------ UK 484 460 Germany 194 199 Rest of Europe 381 376 USA 402 376 Asia 77 64 Rest of World 81 79 ------------------------- Total continuing operations 1619 1554 ------------------------- Net assets excluding Operating profit goodwill 2001 2000 2001 2000 £m £m £m £m -------------------------- ---------------------------- BY ACTIVITY Following a strategy review the Group is being reported in the following new groupings Fluid Controls 34.3 82.1 246 281 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Severe Service 13.5 12.0 29 18 Fluid Power 3.4 42.2 189 222 Indoor Climate 17.4 27.9 28 41 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Retail Dispense 27.7 32.6 125 116 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Beverage Dispense 18.5 21.7 99 97 Merchandising Systems 9.2 10.9 26 19 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Building Products 26.9 39.7 245 262 ------------------------------------------------------------ Total continuing operations 88.9 154.4 616 659 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BY GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN UK 33.7 52.0 250 283 Rest of Europe 24.4 58.9 193 211 The Americas 28.0 41.1 160 150 Asia/Pacific 2.8 2.4 13 15 -------------------------- --------------------------- Total continuing operations 88.9 154.4 616 659 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Segmental analysis (continued) Acquisitions BTG valve business is reported within Severe Service and rest of Europe from its acquisition in February 2001 and Display Technologies within Merchandising Systems and Americas from its acquisition in June 2001. Discontinued operations The amounts shown for discontinued operations comprise the turnover and operating profits of Fittings Australia sold in November 2000, previously reported within Asia/Pacific together with a number of valve companies sold in June 2001 which were located in the UK, France and US and Marston cooling (UK) sold in October 2001. 2. Exceptional items Profit on disposal of discontinued operations arises from the sale of a number of valve companies and Marston cooling. The profit in 2000 arises from the sale of Fittings Australia. 3. Taxation The tax rate of 25% (2000: 32%) on profit before goodwill amortisation and exceptional items (£81.5m) reflects the benefit of tax credits on profit distributions. The underlying rate remains 32%. The Group has implemented FRS 19 : Deferred Tax for the first time. The impact on the profit and loss account is negligible. Balance sheet provisions are £1.9m higher as a result of the implementation. 4. Dividend The Directors recommend a final dividend of 9.5p per share (2000: 9.5p) payable on 27 May 2002 to shareholders on the register at close of business on 12 April 2002, which will absorb £33.4m (2000: £33.4m). Together with the interim dividend of 6.0p per share paid on 22 October 2001, this makes a total distribution of 15.5p per share (2000: 15.5p per share). 5. Earnings per ordinary share The weighted average number of shares in issue during the year was 351.5m, 352.1m diluted for the effect of outstanding share options (2000: 351.2m, 351.5m diluted). Earnings per share have been calculated on earnings of £64.5m (2000: £94.9m). The Directors consider that adjusted earnings per share figures, using earnings as calculated below, give a more meaningful indication of the underlying performance. 2001 2000 Restated £m £m -------------------------------------- Profit for the period 64.5 94.9 Goodwill amortisation 16.4 15.2 Exceptional items (after tax) (20.5) (9.6) Rationalisation/restructuring (after tax) 33.4 4.5 -------------------------------------- Earnings for adjusted EPS 93.8 105.0 ------------------------------------- 6. Pensions For the year ended 31 December 2001 the group has continued to account for pension costs under SSAP 24, resulting in a net liability, after tax of £16m in the group balance sheet. FRS 17 : Retirement Benefits would have required the inclusion of an additional net pension asset of £52m, which after tax of £16m would result in an increase in net assets of £36m. 7. Exchange Rates The profit and loss accounts of overseas operations are translated into sterling at average rates of exchange for the year, balance sheets are translated at year end rates. The most significant currencies are the US Dollar and the Euro - the relative rates of exchange were: Average Rates Balance Sheet Rates 2001 2000 2001 2000 ---------------------- ----------------------- Euro 1.61 1.64 1.63 1.59 US Dollar 1.44 1.52 1.46 1.49 The financial information set out above does not constitute the Company's statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 2000 or 2001 but is derived from those accounts. Statutory accounts for 2000 have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies, and those for 2001 will be delivered following the Company's Annual General Meeting. The auditor has reported on those accounts, its reports were unqualified and did not contain a statement under section 237 (2) or (3) of the Companies Act 1985. The Company's 2001 Annual Report and Accounts including the notice of the forthcoming Annual General Meeting will be posted to shareholders on 11 April 2002. - ends - Enquiries to: Graham Truscott - Corporate Communications - Tel: 0207 950 2800 Press release available on the Internet at www.imi.plc.uk Issued by: Ben Padovan - Weber Shandwick Square Mile - Tel: 0207 950 2800 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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