Trading Update

RNS Number : 4618L

Touchstar PLC

13 January 2021

 

13 January 2021

Touchstar plc

(the "Company", "Touchstar" or the "Group")

Trading Update

  The Board of Touchstar plc ((AIM: TST) 'Touchstar', the 'Company' or 'the Group'), suppliers of mobile data computing solutions and managed services to a variety of industrial sectors, is pleased to give the following trading update for the year ended 31 December 2020.

• Profitable outcome for the year

• Strongly cash generative throughout the year

• Year-end cash of £1.9m (31 December 2019: £850,000)

Chairman, Ian Martin, comments; "I am delighted to confirm that for the year ended 31st December 2020 Touchstar traded profitably, was strongly cash generative, supported customers and most importantly looked after staff in a period of a global pandemic and the largest economic contraction in a generation.

Enormous credit should go to the management team for having the foresight to realise early on the implications of COVID 19 on society and the economy. It is their timely actions that have enabled us to give a clear and consistent message throughout this crisis to all our employees, customers and shareholders, bringing a degree of calmness to an uncertain time.

The cautious approach that has served us so well is retained. Our focus remains on supporting customers, cash and the wellbeing of our employees. We continue to not only keep to but exceed the goals in the roadmap we put in place to navigate the business through into 2022."

Trading Update and Financial Outturn

The company expects to report its preliminary results for 2020 in late April 2021. I am pleased to announce they should show a profitable outcome on both a pre-tax and after- tax basis.

Cash generation remained strong and Touchstar ended 2020 with a net cash position of £1.6m with £1.9m of cash in the bank at the year-end (31 December 2019: £850,000).

Outlook

"At the moment any financial prediction is foolhardy amid such raised levels of apprehension throughout the country. The fact that social disruption continues is not a surprise to us. Looking ahead I suspect that as 2021 progresses it will become more straightforward which is the key assumption to why we are optimistic of an even better outcome this year.

I will repeat the message of my prior communication that our motivation is not to just be a survivor of this crisis, but emerge with solid finances, improved products, all our talent retained and the energy to take the opportunity in front of us - we remain on track.

To end I would like to thank all the key workers who are fighting on our behalf to save lives. It is through their heroics, combined with science that we will soon be in better times.

Keep safe, follow the guidance - it is there to protect us all."

Certain information contained in this announcement would have constituted inside information (as defined by Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014) ("MAR") prior to its release as part of this announcement and is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of MAR.

For further information, please contact:

Touchstar plc	Ian Martin Mark Hardy	0161 8745050 0161 874 5050
WH Ireland - Nominated Adviser and broker	Mike Coe/ Chris Savidge	0117 945 3472

Information on Touchstar plc can be seen at: www.touchstarplc.com

 

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