PayPoint plc
Interim Management Statement
The board is pleased to report on events, transactions and trading
since the half yearly financial report.
In the UK, bill and general payment volumes continue to run ahead of
plan. As previously reported, the beneficial impact of this is
mitigated by lower mobile top-ups volumes in the UK and Ireland as
mobile networks offer more competitive pre-pay tariffs.
In Romania, we have launched the second phase of bill payment clients
and now have nine bill payment clients live and transacting.
On 9 January, we purchased the freehold of our operational base in
Welwyn Garden City for £6m funded from existing bank resources. The
annual rental thereby eliminated represents in excess of 9% of the
purchase price.
Today, we have formed a joint venture between PayPoint plc and Home
Delivery Network Limited (HDNL), the UK's largest dedicated home
delivery and collection service, to provide a nationwide network for
consumers to collect and return parcels at selected PayPoint
convenience stores.
The UK market volume for business to consumer parcel deliveries and
returns is in excess of 400 million annually. Sending parcels,
collecting parcels following failed delivery to home addresses and
the vast majority of returns require consumers to visit Post Offices
or courier depots which have restricted opening hours and can be in
distant locations. PayPoint's unrivalled convenience network in
close proximity to consumers' homes and with long opening hours,
combined with HDNL's leading logistics and parcels delivery network
will deliver a highly attractive new consumer service, to be launched
later this calendar year.
PayPoint expects to spend £3million to £4million in the first two
years to develop this venture. We expect that this will dilute
PayPoint's earnings next financial year by 3p to 4p per share,
reducing in the following year but should be profitable thereafter.
Performance (1) for the period from 29 September 2008 to 29 December
2008 (2) and financial position (1) as at 29 December 2008
Terminal sites have increased by 1,159 since the 28 September 2008
from 25,515 (including 4,743 in Romania) to 26,674 (including 5,467
in Romania). Transactions processed for the period were 148 million,
up 12% compared to 132 million for the same period last year.
Revenues for the period were £58m, up 12%.
Earnings are in line with market expectations.
After the payment of the interim dividend of £4 million, but before
the purchase of the freehold at Welwyn for £6 million, net cash at 29
December was £39 million (including client cash of £13 million)
compared to £28 million (including client cash of £8 million) at 28
September 2008.
Other than as disclosed in this release, there have been no material
events or changes in the financial position between 29 December and
the current date.
Enquiries
Finsbury +44 207 251 3801
Rollo Head/Don Hunter
(1) PayPoint's auditors have not been requested to review the
performance or financial position
(2) Comparative data is given for the similar 13 week period last
year (1 October to 30 December)
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