Interim Results - Part 2

Kingfisher PLC 12 September 2001 PART 2 KINGFISHER PLC NOTES TO THE INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED) 1. Turnover Half year ended Half year ended Year ended £ millions 4 August 2001 29 July 2000 3 February 2001 Home Improvement 2,985.0 2,591.3 5,093.5 UK 1,672.0 1,420.4 2,766.9 France 930.6 868.7 1,707.5 Other 382.4 302.2 619.1 Electrical and Furniture 1,622.9 1,502.8 3,564.9 UK 518.5 455.4 1,135.1 France 731.8 684.3 1,605.4 Germany 285.0 265.0 605.7 Other 87.6 98.1 218.7 Property 11.6 8.8 48.8 Financial Services 26.3 31.6 58.2 Total continuing operations 4,645.8 4,134.5 8,765.4 Discontinued operations 1,394.4 1,324.4 3,368.8 Total 6,040.2 5,458.9 12,134.2 2. Exceptional items Demerger costs of £41.0m have been charged to the profit and loss account as follows: £m £m Operating cost - continuing (4.2) - - discontinued (9.6) (13.8) Non-operating - discontinued - (27.2) (41.0) The operating exceptional item also includes £93.7m in relation to an impairment charge against the remaining goodwill in respect of the ProMarkt business, which has been charged to continuing operations. The loss on the sale of operations item of £342.5m represents the loss on the sale of the Superdrug business, which incorporates a non-cash accounting adjustment of £287.5m in respect of goodwill previously written off to reserves. The loss on the disposal of fixed assets item represents the following: £m £m Continuing operations: - Provisions for loss on the disposal of Virtueller Bau-Markt (4.8) AG - Provision for loss on the disposal of Recommend Limited (3.0) - Provision against the carrying value of investment in Dekor (23.2) Inc - Losses on the disposal of properties (0.3) (31.3) Discontinued operations: - Provision for loss on the disposal of Think Natural Limited (4.5) - Provision for loss on the disposal of Tiscali SpA (13.0) (17.5) Total (48.8) The losses and profits on the disposal of fixed asset items in the half year ended 29 July 2000 and the year ended 3 February 2001 relate to property disposals in continuing businesses. For the year ended 3 February 2001 the operating exceptional income of £5.8m represents a non-recurring reduction in local French business tax on the restructuring of Group companies. For the year ended 3 February 2001 the loss on the sale of operations item of £14.7m included £13.3m in respect of the loss on the disposal of the Electric City business, (charged to continuing operations) and £1.4m in respect of the loss on the sale of the Andre Deutsch business (charged to discontinued operations). 3. Dividends An interim dividend of 4.345p amounting to £53.4m (2000: 4.25p, £58.4m) will be paid on 16 November 2001 to shareholders on the Register at 28 September 2001. A scrip dividend will be offered and forms of election will be sent to shareholders on 9 October 2001. 4. Earnings/(loss) per share The earnings per share calculations set out below are stated before taking account of the 10 for 11 share consolidation. Continuing Operations The calculation of basic earnings per share for continuing operations is based on the loss on ordinary activities, after taxation and minority interests, of £(39.4)m (2000: profit of £102.7m) and the weighted average number of shares in issue during the period of 1,378.7m (2000: 1,363.1m). The diluted earnings per share for continuing operations is based on the diluted loss on ordinary activities, after taxation and minority interests, of £(41.9)m (2000: profit of £102.0m) and the diluted weighted average number of shares in issue during the period of 1,385.6m (2000: 1,381.7m). The difference between the basic and diluted earnings per share and the basic adjusted and diluted adjusted earnings per share is reconciled as follows: As As restated restated Half year Half year ended 29 ended July 2000 Year ended Per share amount pence 4 August 3 February 2001 2001 Basic (loss)/earnings per share (2.9) 7.5 18.0 Earnings per share relating to 9.2 0.1 0.8 exceptional items Earnings per share relating to acquisition goodwill amortisation 0.6 0.5 1.1 Basic adjusted earnings per share 6.9 8.1 19.9 Diluted (loss)/earnings per share (3.0) 7.4 17.4 Earnings per share relating to 9.0 - 0.7 exceptional items Earnings per share relating to acquisition goodwill amortisation 0.6 0.5 1.1 Diluted adjusted earnings per share 6.6 7.9 19.2 Total Group The calculation of basic earnings per share for the total Group is based on the loss on ordinary activities, after taxation and minority interests, of £(453.8) m (2000: profit of £210.5m) and the weighted average number of shares in issue during the period of 1,378.7m (2000: 1,363.1m). The diluted earnings per share is based on the diluted loss on ordinary activities, after taxation and minority interests, of £(456.3)m (2000: profit of £209.8m) and the diluted weighted average number of shares in issue during the period of 1,385.6m (2000: 1,381.7m). The difference between the basic and diluted earnings per share and the basic adjusted and diluted adjusted earnings per share is reconciled as follows: As As restated restated Per share amount pence Half year Half year Year ended ended ended 4 August 29 July 3 February 2001 2000 2001 Basic (loss)/earnings per share (32.9) 15.4 29.9 Earnings per share relating to exceptional 37.3 (8.8) (7.3) items Earnings per share relating to acquisition goodwill amortisation 0.8 0.6 1.3 Earnings per share relating to estimated Liberty Surf Group S.A. losses - 1.1 3.1 Basic adjusted earnings per share 5.2 8.3 27.0 Diluted (loss)/earnings per share (32.9) 15.2 29.2 Earnings per share relating to exceptional 37.1 (8.6) (7.2) items Earnings per share relating to acquisition goodwill amortisation 0.8 0.6 1.3 Earnings per share relating to estimated Liberty Surf Group S.A. losses - 1.0 3.0 Diluted adjusted earnings per share 5.0 8.2 26.3 5. Reconciliation of cashflow from operating activities Half year Half year Year ended ended ended 3 February £ millions 4 August 29 July 2000 2001 2001 Group operating profit 100.7 236.0 704.5 Impairment charge 93.7 - - Depreciation and amortisation 138.0 107.0 233.7 332.4 343.0 938.2 (Increase)/decrease in development work in progress (14.9) (25.6) 7.5 Increase in stocks (13.8) (255.8) (377.3) Decrease/(increase) in debtors 161.1 (67.7) (143.6) (Decrease)/increase in creditors (78.8) 315.6 127.8 Loss on disposal of fixed assets 3.2 3.1 10.6 Net cash inflow from operating 389.2 312.6 563.2 activities 6. Reconciliation of net borrowings Half year Half year Year ended ended ended 3 February £ millions 4 August 2001 29 July 2000 2001 Net debt at start of period (1,873.8) (1,020.8) (1,020.8) Decrease in cash (13.7) (4.7) (18.9) Debt in subsidiaries acquired - - (0.8) Net movement in short-term - 5.5 (4.2) deposits Net movement in investments 23.1 (169.3) (183.7) Change in market value in - 1.1 - investments Net movement in loans 114.4 (80.3) (630.5) Foreign exchange effects 16.7 (4.4) (14.9) Net debt at end of period (1,733.3) (1,272.9) (1,873.8) 7. Accounting policies Accounting policies have been consistently applied on the basis set out in the Group's financial statements for the year ended 3 February 2001, except in respect of the changes discussed below caused by the introduction of Financial Reporting Standard 19 'Deferred Tax' ('FRS 19'). Financial Reporting Standard 19 'Deferred Tax' has been adopted for the first time in these financial statements. As required by the Standard, deferred taxation has been calculated using the full provision approach rather than the partial provision approach previously employed. This change has been accounted for as a prior year adjustment and previously reported figures have been restated accordingly. If the previous policy had been adopted in the current half year, the impact would have been to increase profit after tax by £1.5m. The impact of adopting the new policy on the half year to 29 July 2000 has been to reduce profit after tax by £2.6m. The impact of adopting the new policy on the year ended 3 February 2001 has been to reduce profit after tax by £6.5m. The cumulative effect of this charge on reserves at 3 February 2001 is £46.4m and this change has been accounted for as a prior period adjustment. Financial Reporting Standard 18 'Accounting Policies' has also been adopted for these financial statements. The Directors have reviewed the accounting policies adopted by the Group and have confirmed that they are the most appropriate to the particular circumstances of Kingfisher plc. There is no change to previously reported numbers as a result of the adoption of this standard. 8. Post balance sheet events On 13 August 2001 the Group announced the sale of 182 high street properties. The properties have been sold for £614m to a partnership between London and Regional Properties and Goldman Sachs' Whitehall Fund. On 24 August 2001 at an extraordinary meeting of Kingfisher shareholders the demerger of the Group's General Merchandise business to Woolworths Group plc was approved. Shares in Woolworths Group plc were admitted to the official list and commenced trading on the London Stock Exchange on 28 August 2001. 9. Full year comparatives The results for the year to 3 February 2001 are based on full audited accounts which were filed with the Registrar of Companies and on which the auditors made a report under section 235 of the Companies Act 1985 which does not contain a statement under sections 237 (2) or (3) of the Companies Act 1985 and is unqualified. 10. Shareholder information Copies of the results will be sent to shareholders during the week commencing 24 September 2001 and additional copies will be available from Kingfisher plc, North West House, 119 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5PX. Independent review report to Kingfisher plc We have been instructed by the Company to review the financial information set out on pages 17 to 22 and the notes thereto, and we have read the other information contained in the interim report for 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 Listing Rules of the Financial Services Authority 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 guidance contained in Bulletin 1999/ 4 issued by the Auditing Practices Board. 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 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 4 August 2001. PricewaterhouseCoopers Chartered Accountants London 12 September 2001

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