Final Results

LONDON FINANCE & INVESTMENT GROUP P.L.C. Preliminary announcement of unaudited results for the year ended 30th June 2002 Introduction As an investment company our short-term results are very heavily influenced by overall stock market performance. The results for the year are disappointing but we continue to believe that a combination of Strategic Investments and a General Portfolio will enable us to achieve real growth in shareholder value over the longer term. Strategic Investments are significant investments in smaller UK quoted companies and these are balanced by a General Portfolio which mainly consists of investments in major U.K. and European equities. At 30th June 2002, we held three Strategic Investments in which we have board representation: our associated company Western Selection P.L.C., Marylebone Warwick Balfour Group Plc and Megalomedia plc. Results The Group made a profit before tax for the year of £60,000 compared with £ 1,060,000 last year. These figures include our share of Western Selection P.L.C.'s exceptional profits of £219,000 this year and £805,000 last year. Our operating profits have declined by £329,000 to £27,000 as a result of lower dividend income and provisions required to mark down General Portfolio investments from cost to market value. Our profit after tax and minority interest was £44,000 (2001: £1,045,000) giving earnings per share of 0.2p (2001: 4.1p). As explained further below, our dividend income from Strategic Investments has fallen substantially and we do not anticipate that it will increase in the short term, nor do we expect a significant increase in dividend income from our General Portfolio investments. We have, therefore, decided to recommend to shareholders a reduced dividend for the year of 0.8p per share (2001: 1.2p) so as to match anticipated net cash inflows more closely with payments to shareholders. Our net assets per share have fallen 31% to 37.2p at 30th June 2002 from 54.3p last year. Our Strategic Investments have fallen in value by 36% and our General Portfolio by 23%. This compares with falls in the FTSE 100 index of 17.5% and in the FTSE Eurotop 100 index of 24.8% over the year. Strategic Investments Western Selection P.L.C. ('Western') The Company owns 40.48% of the issued share capital of Western. On 30th July 2002, Western announced a profit after tax and exceptional items of £277,000 for its year to 30th June 2002, a fall in earnings per share to 0.6p from 4.6p, and a 8.7% increase in dividend to 0.50p (2001 - 0.46p). Western's net assets at market value were £9,628,000, equivalent to 22.1p per share, a fall of 27% from 30.2p last year, mainly due to falls in the share price of Creston plc and The Sanctuary Group plc. Extracts from Western's announcement on its strategic investments is set out below. Creston plc Creston's objective is to build the company both organically and through acquisition to become a substantial marketing services group, operating in the U.K. and Europe. The results for the year to 31st March 2002 show a profit of £138,000. The directors of Creston believe the outlook remains positive and are looking to make further acquisitions during the coming year. The Sanctuary Group plc Sanctuary is a diversified international media group specialising in the ownership and commercial exploitation of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) within the field of entertainment. Sanctuary's last published results were for six months to 31st March 2002 and showed a profit of £2,912,000 (31st March 2001 - £2,324,000). Swallowfield plc Swallowfield has a long history of developing and producing aerosol, cosmetic and toiletry products stretching back to 1950. It is one of Europe's premier contact manufacturers to many leading brands. Swallowfield has changed its year end from 31st December to 30th June and its latest published results are for the interim 12 month period to 31st December 2001 which showed a profit of £1,839,000 (2000 - £ 1,823,000). Doctors Direct plc Doctors Direct recently announced that it was seeking to raise £ 1,000,000 and apply for its shares to be traded on OFEX. We have committed to invest £350,000 in this fund raising. Further details of Western's involvement in Doctors Direct are included in their Prospectus. Marylebone Warwick Balfour Group Plc ('MWB') On 27th March 2002, MWB announced its interim results for the six months ended 31st December 2001 disclosing losses of £12.5 million before exceptional, principally non-cash write-downs of £92 million. As a result of the worsening business environment MWB concluded that the best way forward was to mature and realise the full value of its assets and businesses through an orderly disposal programme. Realisations have commenced and MWB recently announced the profitable sales of properties in London and Teesside. MWB intends to implement a cash distribution programme which should be completed by December 2005 and the company is targeting gross cash returns in excess of 200p per share. In view of the changed business plan the company will not be paying regular dividends but proposes to return capital to shareholders in a tax efficient manner. Megalomedia plc ('Megalomedia') Subsequent to our year end, on 22nd July 2002, Megalomedia announced that it had entered into conditional agreements to acquire the issued share capital of Memory Lane Cakes Limited, a supplier of boxed ambient cakes to most of the UK's major supermarket chains, for £9.5 million to be satisfied by payments of £8.5 million in cash and the issue of 3,333,333 new ordinary shares. This acquisition has been approved by Megalomedia's shareholders and, subject to the fulfilment of certain requirements, it is expected that completion will take place by 30th August 2002. Following completion, the company will be known as Finsbury Food Group plc and will be repositioned as a speciality foods business focused on niche markets. Its directors believe that opportunities exist to acquire and develop profitable niche businesses. Merrydown plc ('Merrydown') We have re-classified Merrydown as a General Portfolio Investment. Subsequent to the year-end, because we have not been able to reconcile management's' objectives for the company with our view of its future development, we sold all of our investment in Merrydown for £663,000, realising a profit of £124,000. General Portfolio The General Portfolio is dominated by four sectors: banking and insurance; food, beverages and consumer goods; pharmaceuticals and healthcare, and oil, natural resources and utilities. These four sectors accounted for 86% of the portfolio by value at 30th June 2002. We believe that the companies in these sectors in which we have invested have the potential to outperform the market in the medium to long term. The year ahead Our long standing strategy is to achieve increasing value for shareholders from a number of Strategic Investments whose quoted value may well be volatile, and a General Portfolio of leading shares in companies which operate on a global basis. The outlook for both the short and medium term is uncertain and, with our low gearing, we have positioned ourselves to take advantage of any investment opportunities that may arise. D.C. MARSHALL 23rd August 2002 Chairman Unaudited Consolidated Profit and Loss Account For the year ended 30th June 2002 2001 Notes £000 £000 Operating Income Investment operations 276 620 Managment services 495 425 Administrative expenses Investment operations (263) (273) Managment services (481) (416) Operating profit 27 356 Share of result of associated undertaking - Normal (98) 16 - Exceptional 1 219 805 Interest payable (88) (117) Profit on ordinary activities before taxation 60 1,060 Tax on result of ordinary activities (9) (12) Profit on ordinary activities after taxation 51 1,048 Minority interest (7) (3) Profit attributable to members of the holding 44 1,045 company Proposed dividend 2 (205) (307) Retained (loss)/profit for the financial year (161) 738 Earnings per share 3 0.17 p 4.09p Headline (Loss)/earnings per share 3 (0.68)p 0.94p Fully diluted earnings per share 3 0.17 p 3.93p Unaudited Balance Sheets at 30th June Group Company 2002 2001 2002 2001 £000 £000 £000 £000 Fixed Assets Tangible assets 471 493 457 467 Investments in Group companies - - 6,127 6,154 Investments 7,741 7,607 - - 8,212 8,100 6,584 6,621 Current Assets Listed investments 2,743 3,443 2,743 3,443 Unlisted investments 43 43 43 43 Debtors 187 157 45 44 Bank balance and deposits 26 32 20 17 2,999 3,675 2,851 3,547 Current Liabilities Creditors: falling due within one year (1,583) (2,010) (1,551) (1,972) Net Current Assets 1,416 1,665 1,300 1,575 Total Assets less Current Liabilities 9,628 9,765 7,884 8,196 Capital and Reserves Called up share capital 1,281 1,277 1,281 1,277 Share premium account 975 962 975 962 Reserves 361 361 480 480 Profit and loss account 6,948 7,109 5,148 5,477 Equity shareholders' funds 9,565 9,709 7,884 8,196 Minority equity interests 63 56 - - 9,628 9,765 7,884 8,196 Consolidated Cash Flow Statement For the year ended 30th June 2002 2001 £000 £000 Cash (outflow)/inflow on operating activities (71) 888 Returns on investments and servicing of finance Dividends received 243 374 Interest paid (78) (105) Net cash inflow from returns on investments and servicing 165 269 of finance Taxation (5) (6) Investing activities Tangible fixed assets - purchased - (3) Fixed asset investments - purchased (107) (532) - proceeds on disposal 3 238 Net cash outflow from investment activities (104) (297) Equity dividend paid - Company (307) (281) Financing Share capital issued 16 6 Net drawdown/(repayment) of loan facility 300 (600) Net cash inflow/(outflow) from financing 316 (594) Decrease in cash (6) (21) Notes 1. The exceptional item comprises the Company's share of Western Selection P.L.C.'s exceptional profits for its year to 30th June 2002. 2. The dividend for the year of 0.80p per share (2001 - 1.20p) will be paid on 4th October 2002 to shareholders on the register on 13th September 2002 3. Earnings per share are based on the result of ordinary activities after taxation and minority interests and on 25,592,026 (2001 - 25,540,767) being the weighted average of the number of shares in issue during the year. 4. The net assets attributable to shareholders, taking investments at market value, are before providing for any tax that may arise on realisation 5. The financial information in this preliminary announcement of unaudited group results, which has been reviewed and agreed by the auditors, does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of section 240(5) of the Companies Act 1985. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Accounting Standards of the Auditing Practices Board of the United Kingdom and are consistent with those applied in the previous financial year. The audited accounts of the group for the year ended 30th June 2001 have been reported on with an unqualified audit report in accordance with section 235 of the Companies Act 1985 and have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. 6 Changes in Equity 2002 2001 £000 £000 Profit for the financial year 44 1,045 Proposed dividend (205) (307) Shares issued during the year 17 6 (144) 744 Opening equity shareholders' funds 9,709 8,965 Closing equity shareholders' funds 9,565 9,709 1 0
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