Interim Management Statement
Oxford Instruments PLC
15 August 2007
15 August 2007
Oxford Instruments plc (the "Company")
Interim Management Statement
Oxford Instruments plc, the high technology tools and systems company, issues
today its first Interim Management Statement which covers the period from
1 April 2007 to 15 August 2007, as required by the UK Listing Authority's
Disclosure and Transparency Rules.
Financial Position and Performance of the Company
Whilst trading to date has been below our expectations our core markets remain
robust and overall, the Board's expectations for the full year remain unchanged.
The Analytical businesses' markets remain strong. Over performance in some
parts of the business has balanced the softening of the RoHS (Restriction of
Hazardous Substances) market which we predicted in our Preliminary announcement.
In Superconductivity, the businesses have continued to improve with the
exception of our MRI businesses which have suffered from a downturn in the end
market for MRI machines following the introduction of the Deficit Reduction Act
in the US. In both divisions, introduction of new products will accentuate the
second half weighting of profits.
The continued weakness of the US dollar and Japanese Yen has affected profits in
the quarter. To an extent this has been mitigated by the Company's policy of
hedging transactional exposure. However in the first quarter the proportion of
sales denominated in US dollars has been greater than expected.
Save as described in this statement, there has been no significant change in the
financial position of the Company in the period.
Material Events and Transactions
On 26 July 2007, we announced the acquisition for £9.3m of WAS, a leading German
manufacturer and international supplier of Arc/Spark optical emission
instrumentation, used in the analysis of the chemical properties of metals.
On 26 June 2007, we announced the creation of an alliance between our wholly
owned subsidiary, Oxford Superconducting Technology and Alstom Magnets and
Superconductors of Belfort, France (a wholly owned subsidiary of Alstom). The
alliance will be focused on winning supply contracts in the European Union for
niobium-tin superconducting strand for ITER, a joint international research and
development project that aims to demonstrate the scientific and technical
feasibility of fusion power.
On 4 and 31 July 2007 respectively we announced the completion of the sale of
vacant properties at Abingdon and Eynsham, both in the UK. The properties had
become surplus to operating requirements following earlier restructuring of
our business. At 31 March 2007, the properties were held as assets for sale
with a carrying value of £7.0m. The net proceeds of the sale were £7.8m.
During the period under review we entered into an agreement with a consortium of
banks to provide us with a committed five year Revolving Credit Facility of
£50.0m.
Calendar
We intend to provide an update on trading at the Company's AGM on 25 September
2007 and our interim results will be announced on 20 November 2007.
Jonathan Flint
Chief Executive
- Ends -
Enquiries:
Oxford Instruments plc Tel: 01865 393200
Jonathan Flint, Chief Executive
Kevin Boyd, Group Finance Director
Hogarth Partnership Limited Tel: 020 7357 9477
Rachel Hirst / Andrew Jaques / Ian Payne
This Interim Management Statement is prepared for and addressed only to the
Company's shareholders as a whole and to no other person. The Company, its
directors, employees, agents or advisers do not accept or assume responsibility
to any other person to whom this Interim Management Statement is shown or into
whose hands it may come and any such responsibility or liability is expressly
disclaimed. Statements contained in this Interim Management Statement are
based on the knowledge and information available to the Company's Directors at
the date it was prepared and therefore the facts stated and views expressed may
change after that date. By their nature, the statements concerning the risks and
uncertainties facing the Company in this Interim Management Statement involve
uncertainty since future events and circumstances can cause results and
developments to differ materially from those anticipated. To the extent that
this Interim Management Statement contains any statement dealing with any time
after the date of its preparation such statement is merely predictive and
speculative as it relates to events and circumstances which are yet to occur.
The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Notes to Editors
Oxford Instruments designs, supplies and supports high-technology tools,
processes and solutions with a focus on physical science, bioscience,
environmental and industrial research and applications. It provides solutions
needed to advance fundamental nanoscience research and its transfer into
commercial nanotechnology applications. Innovation has been the driving force
behind Oxford Instruments' growth and success for over 40 years, and its
strategy is to effect the successful commercialisation of these ideas by
bringing them to market in a timely and customer-focused fashion.
The first technology business to be spun out from Oxford University over forty
years ago, Oxford Instruments is now a global company with over 1,300 staff
worldwide and a listing on the London Stock Exchange (OXIG). Its objective is to
be the leading provider of new generation tools and systems for the Physical
Science and Bioscience sectors.
This involves the combination of core technologies in areas such as low
temperature and high magnetic field environments, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance,
X-ray electron and optical based metrology, and advanced growth, deposition and
etching. Our products, expertise, and ideas address global issues such as
energy, environment, terrorism and health and are part of the next generation of
telecommunications, energy products, environmental measures, security devices,
drug discovery and medical advances.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange