Final Results
Frenkel Topping Group PLC
21 April 2005
FRENKEL TOPPING GROUP PLC
('FRENKEL TOPPING' OR 'THE GROUP')
PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR THE PERIOD
1 MAY 2004 TO 31 DECEMBER 2004
Frenkel Topping provides specialist independent financial advice on the
investment of personal injury damages and clinical negligence awards. Frenkel
Topping offers a complete service for all personal injury claim handlers,
lawyers and individual clients dealing with awards from a few thousand pounds to
multi-million pound cases. Frenkel Topping's expertise includes asset
protection, bespoke investment portfolios, analysis of periodical payments,
Court of Protection portfolios and provision of trustee and receivership bank
accounts.
Financial Highlights
Turnover £1,093,238
Profit before interest, taxation
and group goodwill amortised £ 44,307
Profit before taxation and group
goodwill amortised £ 14,297
Adjusted earnings per share 0.02p for the period from 1 May 2004 to 31 December
2004
Operational Highlights
• Funds under management as at 31 December 2004 £119 million
• Business re-organisation now successfully implemented
• Frenkel Topping brand name established
• Well positioned to benefit from the introduction of the Courts Act
• Significant organic growth opportunities
• Increasing performance in 2006 and onwards
For further information:-
Frenkel Topping Group plc - Richard Fraser
(Chief Executive)
Tel No. 0161 886 8000
FRENKEL TOPPING GROUP PLC
PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR THE PERIOD
1 MAY 2004 TO 31 DECEMBER 2004
CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT
I am pleased to announce our first results as a public company.
As covered by a prospectus dated 9 July 2004, Forward Link agreed to acquire
Frenkel Topping Limited and Frenkel Topping Structured Settlements Limited and
create the new Frenkel Topping Group plc. The ordinary shares commenced trading
on 28 July 2004. Forward Link was established in April 2003 as a cash shell to
attract companies and businesses which were seeking admission to trade on AIM.
For the period from 1 May 2004 to 31 December 2004, the Group recorded turnover
of £1.09 million and a profit on ordinary activities before taxation and group
goodwill amortisation of £14,297. Adjusted basic earnings per ordinary share
were 0.02p.
Net debt at 31 December 2004 was £(424,092), and the net asset value of the
Group as at 31 December 2004 was £3,661,819. The board of the Company does not
propose a final dividend.
Our main achievement to date has been to establish the Frenkel Topping brand
name as one of the leaders in the field of independent financial advice for
personal injury victims. However, a major change to the way personal injury
claims will be awarded has been implemented from 1 April 2005 when sections 100
and 101 of the Courts Act 2003 came into force. From this date, Courts have the
power to impose periodical payment orders as part of a personal injury or
clinical negligence settlement.
We are certain that periodical payment orders will produce a major change in the
way personal injury claims are settled. A claimant's ongoing needs will have to
be fully assessed by a judge and the Courts will need the advice and expertise
of groups such as Frenkel Topping. The strength of the Frenkel Topping brand
will ensure that the company is well placed to take advantage of these
significant changes in the years to come.
These changes in the market place, along with our own ambitions for the future,
have necessitated the implementation of a significant reorganisation of the
Group which has affected our financial results for the period ended 31 December
2004 and will affect the outcome for the year ending 31 December 2005.
Through the use of focussed marketing campaigns, our new business model will
increase the number of leads generated for prospective business and segment them
into specialist areas of expertise in order to maximise income.
Our income is drawn primarily from fees and commissions together with recurring
income from investment funds under management. One of our key areas of focus
has been to build our investment funds under management in order to provide
recurring fee income. Since the year end our funds under management have
increased from £119 million to £130 million thus supporting our target to
achieve £250 million by the end of 2007.
Therefore, our expectations for the future success of the Frenkel Topping Group
are very high. However, the structural changes outlined above have meant that
we will have a number of one-off exceptional costs including redundancy and
recruitment costs, legal fees, and an increased marketing spend which we
estimate will total approximately £150,000. These costs will be included in the
financial results for 31 December 2005.
The above exceptional costs together with the restructuring of the business will
have an impact on the financial results for the year ended 31 December 2005.
However we expect the benefits of our recent restructure will be realised in
subsequent periods with a consequential increase in our performance expected for
the financial years 2006 and 2007.
David R Southworth
Non-Executive Chairman
21 April 2005
Frenkel Topping Group Plc
Consolidated profit and loss account
for the period ended 31 December 2004
31/12/2004 30/04/2004
£ £
TURNOVER
Continuing operations -
Acquisitions 1,093,238
_______
Total turnover 1,093,238 -
Cost of sales (579,079) -
_______ _______
GROSS PROFIT 514,159 -
Administrative expenses (467,769)
Amortisation of goodwill (159,181)
_______
(626,950) -
_______ _______
OPERATING LOSS -
Continuing operations (180,116)
Acquisitions 67,325
_______
(112,791) -
Interest receivable 6,830 -
Interest payable (36,840) -
_______ _______
LOSS ON ORDINARY
ACTIVITIES BEFORE TAXATION (142,801) -
Tax on losses on ordinary activities (5,227) -
_______ _______
LOSS ON ORDINARY
ACTIVITIES AFTER TAXATION (148,028) -
Non-equity minority interest (4,344) -
_______ _______
RETAINED LOSS FOR THE FINANCIAL PERIOD (152,372) -
_______ _______
Adjusted basic earnings per ordinary share 0.02p -
_______ _______
Basic loss per ordinary share (0.46)p -
_______ _______
*(the adjusted basic earnings per share is calculated upon the results before
goodwill on acquisitions)
Frenkel Topping Group Plc
Consolidated balance sheet
as at 31 December 2004
31/12/2004 30/04/2004
£ £ £ £
FIXED ASSETS
Intangible assets 3,628,243 -
Tangible assets 139,931 -
_______ _______
3,768,174 -
CURRENT ASSETS
Work in progress 80,893 -
Debtors 793,938 700
Cash at bank and in hand 15,568 12,500
_______ _______
890,399 13,200
CREDITORS: amounts falling
due within one year (1,107,980) -
_______ _______
NET CURRENT (LIABILITIES)/ ASSETS (217,581) 13,200
_______ _______
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT
LIABILITIES 3,550,593 13,200
CREDITORS: amounts falling due
after more than one year (67,756) -
PROVISIONS FOR LIABILITIES
AND CHARGES
Deferred Tax (8,219) -
MINORITY INTERESTS
Non -equity minority interests 187,201 -
_______ _______
NET ASSETS 3,661,819 13,200
_______ _______
CAPITAL AND RESERVES
Called up share capital 227,998 13,200
Share premium reserve 3,586,193 -
Profit and loss account (152,372) -
_______ _______
SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS 3,661,819 13,200
_______ _______
Frenkel Topping Group Plc
Consolidated cash flow statement
for the period ended 31 December 2004
31/12/2004 30/04/2004
£ £
Reconciliation of operating (loss) to net
cash (outflow) from operating activities
Operating (loss) (112,791) -
Depreciation and amortisation 185,589 -
Decrease in stocks 52,940 -
Increase in debtors (294,691) (700)
(Decrease) in creditors (758,067)
_______ _______
Net cash (outflow) from operating activities (927,020) (700)
Returns on investments and servicing of finance
Interest receivable 6,830
Interest payable (36,840) (30,010) -
_______
Taxation (23,483) -
Capital expenditure
Purchase of tangible fixed assets (7,381) -
Acquisitions
Purchase of additional shareholding
in subsidiary (600,000)
Net debt acquired with subsidiary (309,010)
_______
(909,010) -
Financing
Issue of ordinary shares(net of costs) 1,565,241
Bank loan repayments (23,956)
Other loan repayments (39,299)
Capital elements of finance lease payments (6,554)
_______
Net cash inflow from financing 1,495,432 13,200
________ _______
(Decrease)/increase in cash in the period (401,472) 12,500
_______ _______
Frenkel Topping Group Plc
Notes forming part of the preliminary results for the period ended
31 December 2004
1. The preliminary announcement was approved by the Board on 20 April 2005.
The financial information has been prepared on a going concern basis under
the historical cost convention and in accordance with UK accounting
standards.
2. The results include the acquisition of Frenkel Topping Limited and Frenkel
Topping Structured Settlements Limited with effect from 28 July 2004.
3. Basic earnings/(loss) per ordinary share is based on the *adjusted profit
for the period of £6,809 and on 33,009,759 ordinary shares of 0.005p each
being the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the
period. The basic earnings per share is based upon the net loss for the
period of £(152,372).
4. The financial information set out above does not constitute a full
financial statement of the company's and group's affairs for the period
ended 31 December 2004 but is derived from those accounts. Statutory
accounts will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies following the
company's annual general meeting.
5. The annual report for the period ended 31 December 2004 will be posted to
shareholders by 1 June 2005.
*(the adjusted basic earnings per share is calculated upon the results before
goodwill on acquisitions)
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange