Final Results
Personal Group Holdings PLC
27 March 2006
PERSONAL GROUP HOLDINGS PLC
PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2005
The board of directors of Personal Group Holdings Plc providers of employee
benefits, insurance and consultancy, are pleased to announce the group's results
as follows:
HIGHLIGHTS
2005 2004 %
£m £m
Trading income* 24.2 14.2 + 70
Headline EBITDA ** 9.7 6.8 + 43
Pre-tax profit 7.7 6.2 + 24
EBITDA per share 32.1p 22.6p + 42
Earnings per share (basic) 16.9p 14.0p + 21
Dividends per share paid in 2005 10.6p 10.1p + 5.0
Dividend per share payable May 2006 3.30p 3.15p + 4.8
* Trading income comprises earned premiums, net of claims and claims handling
expenses and other income from the on- going business representing commission
and fees earned on financial products and other related services. Other income
included in the 2005 trading income in respect of an acquisition totalled
£7,859,000.
** Headline EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and
amortisation.
• The directors have declared a dividend of 3.3p (2004: 3.15p) per share
payable on 2 May 2006 to shareholders on the register at the close of
business on 7 April 2006. Shares will be marked ex-dividend on 5 April 2006.
The AGM will be held on 25 April 2006.
Ken Rooney, Chief Executive commented:
•The group has had its most profitable year ever, even allowing for the
Berkeley Morgan Group (BMG) contribution. During 2005 our profit before tax
increased by 24% to £7.66m. This excellent performance has been achieved by
the continuing development of our opportunities to market our health and
protection products through worksite marketing and the successful
integration of BMG following its acquisition in January 2005.
•The integration of BMG has been carefully managed with Accounts, IT and
HR now being centrally controlled, and the Personal Assurance Financial
Services team having been merged into BMG to form a single FSA regulated
division. Further carefully considered amalgamation will continue to take
place in 2006.
•Our ongoing review of the regulated activities throughout the group has
lead to some rationalisation, and the further strengthening of the
compliance team. This will continue in 2006.
•During 2005 we launched 19 new benefit programmes with all new programmes
being incorporated on the Perflex employee benefit software platform where
employers now have use of one or more of the modules available. We currently
have 15 companies using the system and it is available to 41,000 employees.
CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT
I am pleased to report that the group achieved good progress during the year.
Profit before tax increased by £1.48m to £7.66m (2004: £6.18m) and earnings
before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by £2.86m
to £9.68m (2004: £6.82m). Headline EBITDA per share are 32.1p, an increase of
42%, compared with 31 December 2004. Basic earnings per share are 16.9p, an
increase of 21%, compared with 31 December 2004.
As anticipated, the strong growth in new business seen during the latter part of
2004 was maintained during 2005. This growth, in addition to improved claims
experience at Personal Assurance and the integration of Berkeley Morgan Group
Plc (BMG), generated increased profits.
After provision for taxation, there was a surplus of £5.10m which was taken to
reserves. Shareholders' funds stood at £20.56m at 31 December 2005 (2004:
£18.77m), which is 67p per share (2004: 61p). The directors have today declared
a dividend of 3.3p per share. In previous years this dividend, and the one paid
in March 2006, would have been accrued in the financial statements at the
balance sheet date. As a result of a change in financial reporting standards,
these dividends can no longer be charged to the year ended 31 December 2005 as
they had not been declared at the balance sheet date. Dividends paid in 2005
totalled 10.6p per share, an increase of 5% on the corresponding 2004 figure.
Investment performance (incorporating investment income, realised/unrealised
gains and losses and related expenses) improved from a net income of £0.63m in
2004 to £1.04m at 31 December 2005. At the end of 2005 our Government fixed
interest securities and cash deposits amounted to £11.55m (2004: £11.88m).
Having borrowed £12m to help fund our £13m acquisition of BMG in January 2005 we
had, by 31 December 2005, reduced the net debt to £8m. The cost of servicing the
debt related to the BMG acquisition amounted to £0.54m and our goodwill
amortisation charge for the year was £1.03m.
I am delighted to be able to report that the performance of BMG, having been
successfully integrated into Personal Group, has exceeded expectations. During
the financial year BMG companies contributed £1.68m of pre-tax profit, before
amortisation of goodwill, representing over 17% of group EBITDA.
The group's joint venture with Abbeygate Developments Limited, to build
additional office space and residential units on the site adjacent to John
Ormond House, was completed in early 2005. It is fully occupied and generating
sufficient net income to cover our interest charge.
Current trading is in line with directors' expectations.
I give my thanks to all our employees and associates for their individual
contributions that taken together made this our most successful year to date.
Christopher W T Johnston
Chairman
27 March 2006
Enquiries:
Personal Group Holdings Plc Tel: 0207 367 8888 (on 27/3/06).
Christopher Johnston, Chairman 01908 605000 ext 235 (thereafter)
Ken Rooney, Chief Executive
John Barber, Finance Director
Bankside Consultants
Simon Rothschild Tel: 0207 367 8871
PERSONAL GROUP HOLDINGS PLC
CONSOLIDATED PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2005
2005 2004
£000 £000 £000 £000
TECHNICAL ACCOUNT -
GENERAL BUSINESS
Premiums written 15,638 13,518
Change in the gross provision for
unearned premiums (191) 46
_________ ________
Earned premiums 15,447 13,564
Claims paid (2,941) (2,850)
Change in the provision for claims 121 (239)
________ ________
Claims incurred (2,820) (3,089)
Net operating expenses (7,314) (5,555)
________ ________
Balance on the technical account for
general business 5,313 4,920
________ ________
________ ________
PERSONAL GROUP HOLDINGS PLC
CONSOLIDATED PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2005
2005 2004
(Restated)
Note £000 £000 £000 £000
NON-TECHNICAL ACCOUNT
Balance on the general business
technical account 5,313 4,920
Investment income 967 681
Unrealised gains on investments 107 67
Investment expenses and charges (36) (123)
_______ _______
Net investment return 1,038 625
Other income 1 11,617 3,703
Other charges 1 (10,182) (2,984)
Charitable donations (126) (85)
_______ _______
Profit on ordinary activities
before tax 2 7,660 6,179
Tax on profit on ordinary
activities (2,557) (1,970)
_______ _______
Profit for the financial year 5,103 4,209
________ ________
________ ________
Earnings per share (basic) 3 16.9p 14.0p
Earnings per share (diluted) 3 16.8p 13.9p
There are no recognised gains or losses for the period other than the profit for
the financial year.
Included within Other income is £7,859,000 (31 December 2004: £53,000), Other
charges is £6,400,000 (31 December 2004: £273,000), Investment income is
£225,000 (31 December 2004: nil) and Tax on profit on ordinary activities is
£381,000 (31 December 2004: nil) relating to acquisitions in the year.
PERSONAL GROUP HOLDINGS PLC
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER 2005
2005 2004
£000 £000 £000 £000
Assets
Intangible assets
Goodwill 9,247 -
Investments
Investment in joint venture
Share of gross assets 2,214 1,707
Share of gross liabilities (2,250) (1,707)
________ ________
Net investment (36) -
Other financial investments 8,564 6,952
Debtors
Debtors arising out of direct
insurance operations 1,501 1,185
Other debtors due within one year 1,196 659
________ ________
2,697 1,844
Other assets
Tangible assets 6,638 5,654
Cash at bank and in hand 8,564 8,936
________ ________
15,202 14,590
Prepayments and accrued income
Accrued interest and rent 48 55
Deferred acquisition costs 75 19
Other prepayments and accrued
income 1,554 149
________ ________
1,677 223
_________ _________
Total assets 37,351 23,609
_________ _________
___________ ___________
PERSONAL GROUP HOLDINGS PLC
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER 2005 (CONTINUED)
2005 2004
(Restated)
£000 £000 £000 £000
Liabilities
Capital and reserves
Called up share capital 1,528 1,528
Shares to be issued 298 247
Other reserve (763) (558)
Profit and loss account 19,498 17,550
________ ________
Shareholders' funds 20,561 18,767
Technical provisions
Provision for unearned premiums 417 226
Claims outstanding 982 1,105
_______ _______
1,399 1,331
Provisions for liabilities and charges 422 254
Creditors
Current taxation 1,452 1,058
Other creditors including other 867 474
taxation and
social security
Bank loans 8,435 303
_______ _______
10,754 1,835
Accruals and deferred income 4,215 1,422
_________ _________
Total liabilities 37,351 23,609
________ ________
________ ________
PERSONAL GROUP HOLDINGS PLC
CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2005
2005 2004
£000 £000 £000 £000
Net cash inflow from operating activities 10,177 7,318
Loan interest paid (605) (26)
Taxation paid (2,441) (1,783)
Capital expenditure
Purchase of fixed assets (237) (218)
Sale of fixed assets 71 256
Purchase of own shares (220) (4)
Sale of own shares 15 363
_______ _______
(371) 397
Acquisitions and disposals
Acquisition (net of cash acquired) (10,795) (6)
Equity dividends paid (3,191) (3,023)
Financing
Additions to bank loans 12,243 4
Repayments of bank loans (4,111) (484)
_______ _______
8,132 (480)
_______ _______
Net cash flows 906 2,397
________ ________
________ ________
Cash flows were invested as follows:
(Decrease)/increase in cash holdings (372) 2,686
Net portfolio investment
Ordinary shares, loans, finance leases,
treasury loan stock 1,278 (289)
_______ _______
Net investment of cash flows 906 2,397
________ ________
________ ________
Notes
1. Other income comprises insurance related business £10,606,000 (2004:
£2,745,000) and other business £1,011,000 (2004: £958,000). Other charges
comprises insurance related business £8,232,000 (2004: £1,178,000) and
other business £1,950,000 (2004: £1,806,000).
2. Taxation comprises United Kingdom corporation tax of
£2,582,000 (2004: £1,917,000), and deferred taxation credit of £25,000
(2004: charge £53,000).
3. The directors have declared a dividend of 3.3p (2004:
3.15p) per share payable on 2 May 2006 to share holders on the register at
the close of business on 7 April 2006. Shares will be marked ex-dividend on
5 April 2006. The total dividend paid in the year was £3,191,000 (2004:
£3,027,000), which is equivalent to 10.6p (2004: 10.1p) per share.
4. The basic and diluted earnings per share are based on the profit for the
financial year of £5,103,000 (2004: £4,209,000) and on 30,185,071 basic
(2004: 30,120,002), 30,377,285 diluted (2004: 30,218,539) ordinary shares,
the weighted average number of shares in issue during the year. The EBITDA
per share are based on the earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and
amortisation for the financial year of £9,679,000 (2004: £6,821,000).
The preliminary statement which has been agreed with the auditors and approved
by the Board on 24 March 2006 is not the Company's statutory accounts. The
statutory accounts for each of the two years to 31 December 2004 and 31 December
2005 received audit reports, which were unqualified and did not contain
statements under section 237 (2) or (3) of the Companies Act 1985. The 2004
accounts have been filed with the Registrar of Companies but the 2005 accounts
are not yet filed.
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