Interim Results
Lupus Capital plc
Interim results
Chairman's Statement
Dear Shareholder,
I am pleased to be writing to you again to report that we have
completed another satisfactory first half in respect of our trading
results. The consummation of acquisitions however has been more
difficult and despite having been involved in a number of very
interesting opportunities we have not been able to complete a deal.
Whilst this is of concern it is by no means a mistake. Our primary
purpose is to create value for shareholders, and this requires that
we pay sensible prices for acquisitions. Others have been prepared
to pay more but they may find value creation more difficult to
achieve. Our reputation for protecting shareholders interests
remains intact. We are determined to develop Lupus along the lines
we have outlined and we continue to be diligent and resolute on
making value producing acquisitions.
Pre-tax profits for the six months to 30 June 2005 were £1,241,000
(compared to the pre tax profit of £1,240,000 before restructuring
costs in the same period last year) on sales up 3.1% to £3,137,000
(2004: £3,044,000). The results for the period have been prepared on
the basis of the requirements of International Financial Reporting
Standards (IFRS) for the first time. The comparative figures for the
same period in 2004 and for the year ended 31 December 2004 have been
restated to conform to IFRS, as explained in the notes to the
accounts.
The directors have declared an increased interim dividend, up almost
5%, of 0.132p per share (2004: 0.126p per share), payable on 27
October 2005 to shareholders on the register at the close of business
on 7 October 2005.
Our balance sheet remains strong and contains £2,410,000 net cash at
30 June 2005 (2004: £1,569,000).
Our strategy as laid out in our Annual Report has been well
documented and received. We are currently examining a number of
attractive opportunities which have potential for the company.
Whilst we are fully committed to expanding the group it is our
intention to do this carefully and economically as opposed to rushing
into unwise situations.
Trading prospects for Gall Thomson remain satisfactory. The order
profile is encouraging and management are confident about the
business activity in the current period. Klaw Products Limited, which
manufactures, assembles and distributes industrial quick release
couplings for a variety of industries, is progressing very well and
having a record year.
With regard to Lupus Capital plc, we have a clear strategy, a sound
balance sheet, good operating activities, excellent cash generation
and an enthusiastic entrepreneurial management team, ambitious to
drive Lupus Capital plc forward. I am confident that we have the
right platform to deliver value for shareholders.
Greg Hutchings
Chairman
28 September 2005
Consolidated income statement
Six months Six months
ended ended Year ended
30 June 2005 30 June 2004 31 December
2004
(unaudited) (unaudited) (unaudited)
Notes (restated) (restated)
£,000 £'000 £'000
Revenue 3,137 3,044 6,607
Operating
profit/(loss)
Continuing operations 1,202 1,237 2,947
excluding
restructuring costs
Restructuring costs - (1,309) (1,309)
1,202 (72) 1,638
Interest and similar 39 3 27
items
Profit/(loss) before 1,241 (69) 1,665
taxation
Taxation (373) 10 (538)
Profit/(loss) 3 868 (59) 1,127
attributable to
shareholders of the
company
Earnings/(loss) per 4 0.365p (0.028p) 0.502p
share - basic and
diluted
Consolidated Balance Sheet
At 31December
At 30 June At 30 June 2004
2005 2004
(unaudited) (unaudited) (unaudited)
Notes (restated) (restated)
£'000 £'000 £'000
Non-current assets
Goodwill 11,421 11,421 11,421
Tangible 434 417 396
non-current assets
11,855 11,838 11,817
Current assets
Inventories 371 262 251
Receivables 2,016 1,854 2,323
Cash 2,410 1,569 1,649
4,797 3,685 4,223
Current liabilities (1,101) (1,721) (1,372)
Net current assets 3,696 1,964 2,851
Total assets less 15,551 13,802 14,668
current liabilities
Non-current (15) (20) -
liabilities
Net assets 3 15,536 13,782 14,668
Capital and
reserves
Share capital 1,188 1,188 1,188
Merger reserve 10,389 10,389 10,389
Lesot reserve (8,201) - (8,201)
Retained earnings 12,160 2,205 11,292
6 15,536 13,782 14,668
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
Six months Six months
ended ended Year ended
30 June 2005 30 June 2004 31 December
2004
Notes
(unaudited) (unaudited) (unaudited)
£'000 £'000 £'000
Opening balance 3 14,668 13,161 13,161
Profit/(loss) for the
financial period/year 3 868 (59) 1,127
Shares issued net of
costs and debit reserve - 1,231 1,231
Dividends paid or
legally committed to be
paid on ordinary shares 5 - (551) (851)
Closing balance 15,536 13,782 14,668
Consolidated Cash Flow Statement
Six months Six months Year ended
ended 30 June ended 31 December
2005 30 June 2004 2004
(unaudited) (unaudited) (unaudited)
(restated) (restated)
£'000 £'000 £'000
Cash flows from operating
activities
Operating profit/(loss) 1,202 (72) 1,638
Depreciation 7 27 55
Movement in inventories (120) (11) -
Movement in receivables 306 1,017 548
Movement in payables (120) (503) (575)
Interest received 155 113 252
Interest paid (117) (103) (221)
UK corporation tax paid (507) (198) (489)
Net cash from operating 806 270 1,208
activities
Investing activities
Property, plant and (45) (29) (36)
equipment
Net cash from investing (45) (29) (36)
activities
Financing
Issue of shares net of - 1,231 1,231
costs
Equity dividends paid - - (851)
Net cash from financing - 1,231 380
activities
Increase in cash and cash 761 1,472 1,552
equivalents
Notes
1. Status of the financial statements
These financial statements are not the Company's statutory accounts
for the purposes of Section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. They are
unaudited. The Company's statutory accounts for the year ended 31
December 2004 received an unqualified audit report and have been
filed with the registrar of companies at Companies House.
The Directors approved the interim report on 28 September 2005.
2. Accounting policies
The interim financial information has been prepared on the basis of
the recognition and measurement requirements of International
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), which are the accounting
policies to be used in the Report and Accounts of the Group for the
year ended 31 December 2005, as required for the consolidated
accounts of listed companies. Previously, the consolidated financial
statements were prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles (UK GAAP) up to and including the year
ended 31 December 2004. UK GAAP differs in some respects from IFRS.
In accordance with the rules of IFRS, the date of transition to IFRS
is deemed to be 1 January 2004, so that the comparative information
is also prepared under IFRS and has been restated where necessary.
The accounting policies are unchanged from those used in the last
annual accounts except where otherwise stated.
The relevant changes of accounting policies are as follows:
(a) The previous requirement to amortise goodwill is replaced by an
impairment review of the value of the Company's investments. The
directors have conducted an impairment review and have concluded that
the value at which Gall Thomson Environmental Limited (Gall Thomson)
was stated in the Company's balance sheet at 1 January 2004 and the
value at which KLAW Products Limited was stated in the balance sheet
of Gall Thomson at 1 January 2004 are not greater than the realisable
values of those investments. Therefore the carrying value of
goodwill is the value as at 1 January 2004 and no further provision
has been made against that value.
(b) Dividends payable are no longer recorded as liabilities until a
legal requirement to pay them has arisen. As explained in note 5
below, payment of the final dividend for the year 2004 did not become
a legal obligation of the Company until after 30 June 2005. Therefore
this dividend is added back to the shareholders' funds previously
shown as at 31 December 2004 and is not deducted from shareholders'
funds as at 30 June 2005. During the comparative period ended on 30
June 2004 the final dividend for the year ended 31 December 2003 had
become a legal obligation of the Company, having been approved by
shareholders at the AGM in May 2004 (although it had not yet been
paid in cash).
(c) Under UK GAAP the Company made a charge to profit in its income
statement for 2004 relating to employment cost of establishing the
Lupus Employee Share Ownership Trust (lesot). Under IFRS there is no
charge as the award pre-dated the application of the relevant
standard in this case. The cost of the award remains as a charge to
reserves and there is no effect on net assets.
3. IFRS transition reconciliation
The restatements required by the changes in accounting policy, as set
out in note 2 above, are as follows:
(a) Profit after taxation
Six months ended Year ended
30 June 2004 31 December 2004
(unaudited) (unaudited)
£'000 £'000
Profit / (loss) for the
financial period/year, as
previously stated under UK GAAP (5,897) (6,328)
Amortisation of goodwill
written back 370 740
Lesot charge to current profit,
written back 5,468 6,715
As reported under IFRS (59) 1,127
3. IFRS transition reconciliation - continued
(b) Net assets
At 1 January 2005 At 1 January 2004
(unaudited) (unaudited)
£'000 £'000
Opening net assets, as 13,301 12,610
previously stated under UK
GAAP
Proposed dividends written 627 551
back
Amortisation of goodwill 740 -
added back
As reported under IFRS 14,668 13,161
4. Earnings per share
Earnings per share figures are based on 237,696,286 ordinary shares
in issue throughout the half-year ended 30 June 2005 (half-year to 30
June 2004: 209,819,393 shares; year to 31 December 2004: 224,306,337
shares). The number of shares in issue at 30 June 2005 was
237,696,286. If restructuring costs are added back to earnings in
2004, the adjusted earnings per share are as follows:
Six months Six months Year ended
ended ended 31 December
30 June 2005 30 June 2004 2004
Adjusted earnings per 0.365p 0.41p 0.94p
share before
restructuring costs
5. Dividends
The final dividend for the year ended 31 December 2004 of 0.264p per
share was declared by the Annual General Meeting on 7 July 2005.
This dividend was paid to shareholders on 18 July 2005 and absorbed
£627,000.
The directors have today, 28 September 2005, declared an interim
dividend of 0.132p per share (2004: 0.126p) payable to shareholders
on the register at the close of business on 7 October 2005, which
will be paid on 27 October 2005. This dividend will absorb £314,000
(2004: £300,000).
Under IFRS, proposed dividends that have not yet become a legal
liability are not reflected in the financial statements. The
dividends paid or payable and those proposed are summarised below:
Six months Six months Year ended
ended ended 31 December
30 June 2005 30 June 2004 2004
(a) dividends reflected
in the financial
statements
Dividends paid/payable - 0.25p 0.376p
per share
(b) dividends not
reflected in the
financial statements
Final dividend proposed 0.264p - 0.264p
per share
Interim dividend proposed 0.132p 0.126p -
per share
6. Movement on share capital and reserves
Share Merger Lesot Retained Total
capital reserve Reserve Earnings
£'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000
At 1 January 2005, 1,188 10,389 (8,201) 9,925 13,301
as previously
stated
Restatement - - - - 627 627
dividend
Restatement - - - - 740 740
amortisation
Profit for the - - - 868 868
period
At 30 June 2005 1,188 10,389 (8,201) 12,160 15,536
Registered office Crusader House
145-157 St John Street
London EC1V 4RU
The interim report will be sent to shareholders and copies will be
made available to the public at the registered office of the Company
and at the Company's website www.lupuscapital.co.uk.
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