Interim Results
Impax Group PLC
27 June 2002
27 June 2002
Impax Group plc
Interim results for the six months ended 31 March 2002
Impax Group plc, the specialised financial services business providing fund
management, corporate finance and advisory services in the EIT sector today
announces its interim results for the six months ended 31 March 2002
Highlights
• Asset management division now manages/advises in excess of £70 million
• Corporate finance advisory business repositioned and now seeing new mandates
from major corporations
• Performance of oil division confirms decision to exit the sector -now in
negotiations regarding the Starks Field
Commenting, Stuart Bickerstaff, non executive chairman, said:
'Although we have not yet achieved overall profitability, we have passed several
important milestones and have established a strong foundation for the future
success of the Company. I look forward to reporting further progress at the end
of the financial year.'
For further information please contact:
Nigel Taunt, Finance Director 020 7434 1122
Impax Group plc
Robert Luetchford 020 7490 3788
Marshall Securities Limited
Chairman's Statement
This interim report provides me with an opportunity to update you on our
progress in repositioning the Company towards becoming a specialised financial
services business providing fund management, corporate finance and consultancy
services in the environmental infrastructure and technology ('EIT') sector. In
summary, although we have not yet achieved overall profitability, we have passed
several important milestones and have established a strong foundation for the
future success of the Company.
Notwithstanding the depressed state of equity markets worldwide, on 22 February
2002 we successfully completed a placing of £50m for Impax Environmental Markets
plc ('IEM'), the new investment trust which is managed by Impax Asset Management
Ltd ('IAM'). IAM now manages or advises in excess of £70m of funds invested in
the EIT sector. With a sound and profitable base of recurring income and a
higher profile in the institutional market, IAM is well positioned to extend its
franchise.
The repositioning of our corporate finance advisory business (Impax Capital
Corporation Ltd ('ICC')) to capture the benefits of new legislation in the EIT
sector is now largely complete and we have borne the associated restructuring
costs during the period. In particular, ICC has won important new mandates from
major corporations as a direct result of the recent adoption of the UK
Renewables Obligation (which lays down a renewable energy framework until 2027)
and the UK's Emission Trading scheme (which has created a market in permits to
emit gases which contribute to global warming).
The result for the half-year ended 31 March 2002 was a loss before tax of
£903,000 (31 March 2001: £146,000 profit), which represents an aggregate of
losses in all three divisions during the period. The analysis of results between
the different businesses is shown in Note 2 to the Interim Accounts. Prior to
the launch of IEM, we were bearing the costs of our asset management team
without the benefit of the IEM management fees. ICC suffered from the generally
weak demand for corporate finance advisory services, from delayed implementation
of the UK Renewables Obligation and from slippage in the realisation of specific
success fees.
We previously stated our intention to sell our oil interests and I am pleased to
report that we are in negotiations regarding the Starks Field. The performance
of our oil business has been set back by several factors, confirming our
decision to exit this sector. Output from the Starks Field has been lower than
planned, in part due to dismal weather and flooding in Louisiana. Oil prices at
Starks during the period have been relatively weak, falling from the US$23.95
per barrel average in the previous year to an average of US$15.70 per barrel in
the six months ended 31 March 2002.
In anticipation of improved performance for the Company and the realisation of
value from our oil assets, we have put in place a credit facility of £1 million,
which we utilised for the first time at the end of May.
I look forward to reporting further progress at the end of the financial year.
Stuart Bickerstaff
Chairman
27 June 2002
Impax Group plc
Consolidated Profit and Loss Account for the 6 months ended 31 March 2002
6 months ended 6 months ended Year ended
31 Mar 2002 31 Mar 2001 30 Sept 2001
Note 1 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited)
£'000 £'000 £'000
Turnover Note 2 636 418 1,468
Cost of sales (360) (309) (759)
Gross profit 276 109 709
Amortisation of (142) - (71)
goodwill
Other administrative (1,050) (69) (1,033)
expenses
Exchange gain 1 85 -
Operating Note 2 (915) 125 (395)
profit/(loss)
Net interest 12 21 29
receivable
Profit/(loss) on ordinary (903) 146 (366)
activities before taxation
Taxation - (14) (1)
Profit/(loss) (903) 132 (367)
attributable to the
Group
Basic Note 4 (2.54)p 0.64p (1.46)p
earnings/(loss) per
share
Diluted (2.37)p 0.64p (1.44)p
earnings/(loss) per
share
All disclosures relate only to
continuing operations
Statement of Total Recognised
Gains and Losses
Profit/(loss) for (903) 132 (367)
the period
Currency translation 273 195 13
differences
Total recognised (630) 327 (354)
gains/(losses)
Impax Group plc
Consolidated Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2002
31 Mar 2002 31 Mar 2001 30 Sept 2001
Note 1 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited)
£'000 £'000 £'000
Fixed assets
Intangible fixed 2,632 - 2,763
assets
Tangible fixed 8,660 8,114 8,256
assets
Investments 215 - 215
11,507 8,114 11,234
Current assets
Debtors 333 232 360
Cash at bank and in 329 1,058 1,038
hand
662 1,290 1,398
Creditors - amounts falling due within one year (632) (325) (478)
Net current assets 30 965 920
Total assets less current liabilities 11,537 9,079 12,154
Creditors - amounts falling due after more than one (701) (740) (678)
year
Total net assets 10,836 8,339 11,476
Capital and reserves
Called up share 8,871 5,750 8,871
capital
Share premium 687 1 697
Merger reserve 2,198 2,198 2,198
Exchange 511 430 238
equalisation reserve
Profit and loss (1,431) (40) (528)
account
Equity shareholders' funds 10,836 8,339 11,476
Impax Group plc
Consolidated Cash Flow Statement for the 6 months ended 31 March 2002
6 months ended 6 months ended Year ended
31 Mar 2002 31 Mar 2001 30 Sept
2001
Note (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited)
1
£'000 £'000 £'000
Cash (outflow)/inflow from operating activities (533) 67 (504)
Returns on investments and servicing of finance
Interest received 15 26 49
Interest paid (3) (5) (20)
Capital expenditure and financial investment
Purchase of tangible fixed (188) (500) (1,026)
assets
Capitalised acquisition - - (259)
costs
Cash acquired on acquisition - - 175
Tax paid - (14) -
Net cash outflow before financing (709) (426) (1,585)
Financing
Ordinary share capital - 2,875 4,715
issued
Share issue costs - (139) (316)
Other loans - - (500)
Repayment of loan - (1,451) (1,517)
(Decrease)/increase in cash in the period (709) 859 797
Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net cash/(debt)
(Decrease)/increase in cash (709) 859 797
in the period
Cash inflow from increase - 2,191 2,017
in net debt
Translation differences (23) (42) (4)
Loan settled on acquisition - - (500)
of subsidiary
Movement in net debt in the (732) 3,008 2,310
period
Net cash/(debt) at 360 (1,950) (1,950)
beginning of period
Net cash/(debt) at end of (372) 1,058 360
period
Reconciliation of operating profit/(loss) to net cash flow from operating activities
Operating profit/(loss) (915) 125 (395)
Goodwill amortisation 142 - 71
charge
Depreciation/depletion/other 86 58 170
amortisation charges
Exchange gain (1) (85) -
(Increase)/decrease in 27 (108) (85)
debtors
(Decrease)/increase in 128 77 (265)
creditors
Net cash flow from (533) 67 (504)
operating activities
Impax Group plc
Notes to the Interim Accounts for the 6 months ended 31 March 2002
1. The financial information set out in this report does not constitute full
accounts for the purposes of Section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. The interim
accounts for the six months ended 31 March 2002 and 31 March 2001 are unaudited.
The comparative figures for the financial year ended 30 September 2001 are not
the Company's statutory accounts for the financial year but are abridged from
those accounts which have been reported on by the Company's auditors, whose
report was unqualified. The interim accounts have been prepared on the basis of
the accounting policies set out in the annual financial statements of the Group
for the year ended 30 September 2001. The interim accounts were approved by the
Directors on 27 June 2002.
2.
6 months ended 6 months ended Year ended
31 Mar 2002 31 Mar 2001 30 Sept 2001
(unaudited) (unaudited) (audited)
£'000 £'000 £'000
Turnover
Financial 359 - 585
services
Oil 277 418 883
636 418 1,468
Operating profit/(loss)
Financial (274) - (232)
services
Oil (153) 125 114
Central costs (488) - (277)
(including
amortisation
of goodwill)
(915) 125 (395)
Net interest receivable 12 21 29
Profit/(loss) on ordinary activities before (903) 146 (366)
taxation
3. Amounts denominated in US Dollars have been converted at the closing rate on 31 March 2002 of £1 to $1.43 (31
March 2001: $1.42; 30 September 2001: $1.48). The results of the US subsidiary undertaking have been translated on a
monthly basis at the average rate ruling during each month.
4. The figures for diluted and basic (loss)/earnings per share are based on the loss attributable to the Group of
£902,606 (31 March 2001: £131,558 profit; 30 September 2001: £366,444 loss) and on the weighted average number of
ordinary shares in issue during the period of 35,485,764 (31 March 2001: 20,532,967; 30 September 2001: 25,074,065).
The calculation of diluted (loss)/earnings per share is based on the weighted average number of shares
outstanding adjusted by the dilutive share options. These adjustments give rise to an increase in the weighted
average number of shares outstanding to 38,145,858 (31 March 2001: 20,532,967; 30 September 2001: 25,496,197).
5. No dividend is proposed.
Copies of this interim statement will be sent to shareholders and are available free of charge from the Company's
registered office, Broughton House, 6 - 8 Sackville Street, London W1S 3DG.
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