Interim Results

Toad PLC 31 July 2000 Chief Executive's Statement I am delighted to report our interim results for the six months to 22 June 2000. The first six months of the year have again confirmed the excellent progress made by TOAD over the last three years. Profit is up 37% to £1.37 million (6 months to June 1999: £1.0 million) and group turnover up 5% to £16.9 million (6 months to June 1999: £16.2 million). 6 months to 6 months to June 2000 June 1999 £'000 £'000 Turnover 16,907 16,157 Operating profit 1,703 1,301 Gross margin 43.9% 42.9% PBT 1,374 1,002 During the period we made important changes to the business that the directors believe will have a long-term impact on our business. These changes highlight the diversity of the company's product range and our ability to absorb new products and services into our existing service and distribution structure. www.toade.com the launch of toade.com has been a tremendous success. The site has received universal approval from both the general public visiting the site and from companies providing internet based motoring services who require high quality and credible partners. We have agreed a number of affinity partnerships to date with major motoring portals such as jamjar.com, autotrader.co.uk, autohit.com and carmarkets.co.uk. In addition a number of new affinity partnerships are currently under negotiation. Although the site is in its first few months of development approximately 20,000 people are visiting the site per month and online sales are encouraging. Due to the success of the site we have brought forward the development of our online installation diary service that will enable the end user to access our mobile engineer's diaries and make a booking online. We now expect this to be available from November this year. Obviously this will be a major development for the company, especially in the area of insurance reinstatement work where we intend to work in conjunction with the major insurance companies to move the complex audio reinstatement booking service online. In addition to the development of an online sales service to the consumer we have recognised the need for easier access to information on the company for our investors. As a result we have today launched a new website www.toadplc.com, specifically aimed at investor relations. The site will offer the latest share price and trading information, director's biographies, press releases, the latest results in a downloadable format. TOAD M3 During the period we successfully launched our new multi- media range of navigation, video and TV screens for the car. This is a new area of the market and one that the director's believe has tremendous growth potential. We aim to be a major player in this market and we were delighted that one of our new M3 systems, the Video Traveller - an easy to use TV screen and video player in a bag that plugs into a car's cigarette lighter and enables passengers to watch a movie on the move, was recently voted 'Car Accessory of the Year' by the leading motoring magazine Auto Express. Interface cables During the period we took a controlling stake in ITI (Integrated Technologly International Ltd) a start-up company developing and distributing audio interface cables that link after-market CD and MD changers to the car manufacturers' original equipment radio head units. To date we have invested £180,000 in ITI and anticipate a further £20,000 in the next 12 months. AUTOGLASS The alliance with AUTOGLASS went operational in May this year and the benefits in terms of increased turnover will now impact on the business and make a direct contribution to the group's turnover and profitability in the second half of the year. During the period we continued to refocus a number of areas of the business away from the less profitable sectors, such as retail and low margin vehicle security, into sectors with higher retained profit such as multi-media and telematics installation services. Although this had a small impact on turnover, it has put us in a more robust position in terms of future potential growth. Development of the 'Spacetrac' system by Eagle Eye Tech. in America continues and as announced in our March results, we are told to expect delivery of the product in 2001. In addition to this we are pursuing product opportunities in the broader vehicle management applications market. The NCP project continues to be progressed and NCP expect the 'vehicle security and audio whilst you park' trial project to go live in September. We are delighted to announce that we have signed a Heads of Agreement with Carglass S.A, which subject to a formal contract being signed, will enable us to launch an internet driven audio, security and multi-media service in Paris at the end of the year. Carglass S.A will initially have a 20% stake in the proposed joint venture, rising to 30% in the third year when certain performance targets are met. It is planned that the new joint venture will operate under the toade.com name, with toade.com display terminals placed in all of Carglass's 39 Paris branches; a call centre, mobile installation service and warehouse operating out of Carglass's existing facilities and Carglass's sales force promoting the audio, security and multi-media services to their existing customer database. The director's estimate that Toad's potential investment will amount to approximately £300,000 and that it represents an excellent opportunity for the company, providing TOAD with a blueprint for our expansion into other European countries. The Vehicle Technology and In-Car Services activities continue to perform well and current trading in the first three weeks of July is in-line with market expectations. The director's look forward to the next six months developing and growing the UK business and preparing for the launch into Europe. Issued on behalf of TOAD plc By Tony Edwards ANTHONY EDWARDS PUBLICITY TEL 01932 336161 FAX 01932 336131 Mobile 041-002 5957 Consolidated Profit & Loss Account ---------------------------------- (Unaudited) (Unaudited) Year Ended Six Months Six Months 22 December 1999 ended ended 22 June 2000 22 June 1999 £'000 £'000 £'000 Turnover Ongoing operations 16,708 16,157 31,590 Acquisitions 199 0 349 16,907 16,157 31,939 Cost of sales Ongoing operations (9,341) (9,223) (18,234) Acquisitions (147) 0 (174) Gross profit 7,419 6,934 13,531 Other operating expenses (5,716) (5,633) (10,985) Operating profit Ongoing operations 1,760 1,301 2,451 Acquisitions (57) 0 95 1,703 1,301 2,546 Profit on disposal of fixed assets 8 12 Interest payable and similar charges (337) (299) (726) Profit on ordinary activities before taxation 1,374 1,002 1,832 Taxation (50) (100) 125 Profit on ordinary activities after taxation 1,324 902 1,957 Minority interests 28 0 0 Profit attributable to members of the parent company 1,352 902 1,957 Earnings per share - basic 2.0p 1.40p 3.01p Earnings per share - diluted 1.77p 1.13p 2.63p Consolidated Balance Sheet -------------------------- (Unaudited) (Unaudited) Year Ended Six Months Six Months 22 December 1999 ended ended Notes 22 June 2000 22 June 1999 £'000 £'000 £'000 Fixed assets Intangible assets 1,411 1,537 1,452 Tangible assets 2,751 3,058 2,825 4,162 4,595 4,277 Current assets Stocks 3,409 3,985 3,772 Debtors 6,421 5,375 5,271 Cash at bank and in hand 1,437 959 1,658 11,267 10,319 10,701 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (9,559) (10,293) (9,261) Net current assets 1,708 26 1,440 Total assets less current liabilities 5,870 4,621 5,717 Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year (2,397) (3,182) (3,615) Minority interests 28 0 0 Net assets 3,501 1,439 2,102 Capital and reserves Called-up share capital 7,484 6,846 6,876 Share premium account 11,350 10,373 10,450 Share capital to be issued 1,190 3,043 2,651 Profit & loss account (16,523) (18,823) (17,875) Shareholders' funds Equity 2,722 1,439 1,323 Non-equity 779 779 2 3,501 1,439 2,102 Consolidated Cash Flow Statement -------------------------------- (Unaudited) (Unaudited) Year Ended Six Months Six Months 22 December 1999 ended ended Notes 22 June 2000 22 June 1999 £'000 £'000 £'000 Net cash inflow from 3 1,064 1,248 2,299 operating activities Returns on investments and servicing of finance Interest payable and similar charges (337) (299) (954) Taxation UK corporation tax received /(paid) 14 0 (157) Capital expenditure and financial investment Purchase of tangible fixed assets (119) (652) (780) Sale of tangible fixed assets 48 157 354 (71) (495) (426) Acquisitions and disposals Purchase of subsidiary undertakings (2,590) (2,590) Purchase of Foxguard and Code Alarm business (331) 0 (2,590) (2,921) Cash inflow/(outflow) before financing 670 (2,136) (2,159) Financing Issue of shares (net of expenses) 8 795 795 Net movement in short term borrowings (800) 1,059 1,059 Net movement in long term borrowings 2,128 2,406 Repayment of principal under finance leases (67) (71) (142) (859) 3,911 4,118 (Decrease)/increase in cash in the period 4 (189) 1,775 1,959 Notes to the interim statement 1 Basis of preparation The interim statement has been prepared on the basis of the accounting policies set out in the group's statutory accounts. The financial information on the group does not constitute statutory accounts and is not audited. A copy of the group's 1999 statutory accounts has been filed with the Registrar of Companies: the Auditors' opinion on those accounts was unqualified. The interim statement for the six months ended 22 June 2000 was approved by the directors on 31 July 2000 2 Reconciliation of movements in shareholders' funds (Unaudited) (Unaudited) Six months Six months Year ended ended ended 22 December 22 June 22 June 1999 2000 1999 £'000 £'000 £'000 Net profit for the period 1,352 902 1,957 Goodwill written off 0 (20) (127) Shares issued 1,508 2,252 2,359 Shares to be issued (1,461) (700) (1,092) Net movement in shareholders funds 1,399 2,434 3,097 Opening shareholders' funds 2,102 (995) (995) Closing shareholders' funds 3,501 1,439 2,102 3 Reconciliation of operating profit to net cash flow from operating activities (Unaudited) (Unaudited) Six months Six months Year ended ended ended 22 December 22 June 22 June 1999 2000 1999 £'000 £'000 £'000 Operating profit 1,703 1,301 2,546 Depreciation of tangible fixed assets 153 203 369 Amortisation of intangible fixed assets 42 20 80 Write off goodwill 25 Increase in working capital balances (834) (276) (721) Net cash inflow from operating activities 1,064 1,248 2,299 4 Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net debt (Unaudited) (Unaudited) Six months Six months Year ended ended ended 22 December 22 June 22 June 1999 2000 1999 £'000 £'000 £'000 (Decrease)/increase in cash in the period (189) 1,775 1,959 Cash outflow/(inflow) from (decrease)/increase in net debt 867 (3,116) (3,095) Changes in net debt resulting from cash flows 678 (1,341) (1,136) New finance leases (311) (324) Movement in net debt in the period 678 (1,652) (1,460) Net debt at start of period (7,585) (6,125) (6,125) Net debt at end of period (6,907) (7,777) (7,585) 5 Dividend The directors have not declared an interim dividend

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