Prelim Results

Gleeson(M J)Group PLC 17 October 2000 MJ GLEESON GROUP PLC - PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT * Gleeson, the construction services, housebuilding and property group, announces a fifth successive year of increased profits and more promising prospects for the current year and beyond than for a decade: Year ended 30th 2000 1999 Increase June Turnover £349.6m £298.1m 17.3% Profit before £16.1m £13.4m 20.5% tax Earnings per 114.71p 94.08p 21.9% share Dividends per 26.50p 22.07p 20.1% share Net assets per £13.30 £12.38 7.4% share * Construction turnover increased by 21.9% to £241.1m (1998/99: £197.8m) and operating profit by 14.1% to £3.5m (1998/99: £3.0m), with a strong performance from Civil and Process Engineering for the water industry, in which Gleeson is the leading UK contractor. Approximately 80% of the Group's £550m forward Construction workload is now on a partnering or PFI basis. * Gleeson Homes increased turnover by 8.2% to £107.0m (1998/99: £98.9m) and operating profit by 18.0% to £8.2m (1998/99: £6.9m), with a record 720 (1998/99: 603) unit sales at an average selling price of £124,600 - 90% on brownfield land. * Gleeson Properties made an operating profit of £6.4m (1998/99: £6.8m, including a £1.0m lease surrender premium) and a profit on sale of investment properties of £1.9m (1998/99: £nil). * Dermot Gleeson, Executive Chairman, stated 'Against the background of attractive conditions in all of the major markets in which the Group operates and of our largest ever forward order book, the Board believes that the prospects for the current year and beyond are more promising than for a decade. The Board views the future with confidence'. A presentation will be made today to institutional investors and stockbroker's analysts at WestLB Panmure, 35 New Broad Street, EC2, commencing at 11:45am for 12:00pm. Enquiries: M J Gleeson Group plc 020-8644 4321 Dermot Gleeson (Executive Chairman) David Eyre (Group Managing Director) Colin McLellan (Finance Director) Bankside Consultants Limited 020-7220 7477 Charles Ponsonby CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT It is a pleasure to report both a fifth successive year of increased profits and more promising prospects for the current year and beyond than for a decade. FINANCIAL OVERVIEW In the year ended 30th June 2000, pre-tax profit increased by 20.5% to £16.1m (1998/99: £13.4m) on turnover 17.3% higher at £349.6m (1998/99: £298.1m). Profits include a £1.9m profit on sale of investment properties (1998/99: £nil) and premiums received on the early surrenders of leases of £nil (1998/99: £1.0m). Earnings per share were 21.9% higher at 114.71p (1998/99: 94.08p), reflecting an effective rate of taxation of 27.9% (1998/99: 28.8%). Year end shareholders' funds increased by 7.4% to £135.9m (1998/99: £126.6m), producing NAV per share also 7.4% higher at £13.30 (1998/99: £12.38) - nearly double last Friday's closing price. Year end net debt totalled £39.1m (1998/99: £25.5m), representing gearing of 29% (1998/99: 20%). Whilst net interest payable increased to £2.8m (1998/99: £2.3m) as a result of the expansion of Housebuilding and Property Development, interest cover was unchanged at 6.8 times. DIVIDENDS A final dividend of 21.35p per share (1998/99: 17.40p), up by 22.7%, if approved at the AGM on 10th January 2001, will be paid immediately thereafter to shareholders on the register at close of business on 8th December 2000. Together with the interim dividend per share of 5.15p (1998/99: 4.67p) paid on 30th June 2000, dividends for the year will total 26.50p (1998/99: 22.07p), a 20.1% increase. The level of such dividends reflects the Group's performance, prospects and balance sheet strength. OPERATING REVIEW Construction Services The Construction Divisions and Subsidiaries increased their turnover by 21.9% to £241.1m (1998/99: £197.8m) and operating profit by 14.1% to £3.5m (1998/99: £3.0m). Margins were slightly lower at 1.4% (1998/99: 1.5%). It is estimated that approximately 80% of the Group's £550m forward construction workload is now on a partnering or PFI basis. Civil and Process Engineering The Engineering Division turnover increased by 48% to £129m (1998/99: £87m). Most of the work undertaken was for the water industry, in which Gleeson is the leading UK contractor and which is likely to remain its most important sector for some time to come. Significant partnering arrangements with a number of the major water companies are expected to yield more than £400m worth of revenue over the next five years: namely, with Thames Water (£170m), West of Scotland Water (£75m), Yorkshire Water (£70m), South West Water (£50m) and North of Scotland Water (£37m). Highly successful though its water business is, the Engineering Division has recognised the need to expand into other fields and has identified the rail sector as an area offering significant growth potential. This led to the important acquisition in January 2000 of Mabey Construction Co. Ltd - soon to be renamed Gleeson MCL Limited - a contractor to Railtrack, London Underground and Docklands Light Railway. Other areas identified as offering opportunities for growth include power, energy from waste, and roads, a sector which has been quiescent for the past four or five years but which is now expected to attract major new investment, and one in which Gleeson has extensive experience. Building The Building Divisions reported a turnover of £107m (1998/99: £95m). The Northern and Southern Divisions both incurred losses on design and build projects which were brought to financial completion during the year. These contracts contained conditions on which the Group is no longer prepared to tender. A programme of management restructuring has led to a stronger focus on larger projects, with some notable successes. These include Gleeson's selection as main contractor at Grange Park, Northampton by ProLogis Developments, the largest developer of distribution warehousing in the UK, the £45m design and build contract for the new cardiothoracic and neurosciences facility at St. George's Hospital, Tooting - the first tertiary care facility to be procured via the PFI - and a regeneration project in Sheffield which could eventually see the creation of up to 1,200 homes. The prospects for the current year are encouraging. Amongst other opportunities, Gleeson has been short listed for four out of the Government's six pathfinder PFI housing schemes. Specialist Subsidiaries The total turnover of the Group's specialist construction subsidiaries was £31m (1998/99: £25m). Powerminster Limited, a mechanical and electrical service provider, and Concrete Repairs Limited both achieved substantial increases in profit and Powerminster won the 'Mechanical and Electrical Contractor of the Year' award sponsored by the Electrical Times. Mabey Construction performed as anticipated at the time of acquisition, generating £9.8m of turnover in the five months period. Housebuilding Gleeson Homes increased turnover by 8.2% to £107m (1998/99: £99m) and operating profit by 18.0% to £8.2m (1998/99: £6.9m). The Division achieved a record 720 (1998/99: 603) unit sales at an average selling price of £124,600 and sold its most expensive property ever, a pair of terraced houses in Knightsbridge, London SW7, for £1.6m each. Gleeson Homes does not seek to become a volume house builder. About 40% of its output is bespoke new build, 30% refurbishment and only 30% standard new build. During the year, 60% of the 720 units sold were on brownfield land. Currently, Gleeson Homes' largest scheme is a £100m village of 430 townhouses, apartments and large detached family houses at Netherne-on-the-Hill near Coulsdon, Surrey, the site of a former hospital. At the end of the year, Gleeson Homes' landbank, 87% of which is brownfield land, comprised over 2,000 plots with planning permission, with a further 1,900 acres under option. The spread of land and plots is fairly evenly divided among the Division's four regions - the South East, the South, the North West and the North East. Property Gleeson Properties made an operating profit of £6.5m (1998/99: £6.8m, including £1.0m premiums on the surrender of two leases). Additionally, a profit of £1.9m (1998/99: £nil) arose on the sale of investment properties. Year end net property assets totalled £72.9m (1998/99: £76.7m). The Group's commercial investment and owner occupied properties were professionally revalued as at 30th June 2000 and the surplus arising of £1.5m has been credited to reserves together with an uplift of £0.8m following the Directors' valuation of residential investment properties. Property Investment Pending reinvestment of sale proceeds, the value of the commercial property portfolio decreased from £56.2m to £61.4m. Gross rental income totalled £4.8m (1998/99: £5.1m), representing a yield of 7.8% (1998/99: 8.7%). The Group's current investment strategy is to retain, acquire or create office and industrial investments either where demand is likely to remain consistently high (for example, the motorway corridors) and/or where value can be added through active management. In February 2000, the Group took advantage of the institutions' keen appetite for supermarket investments and sold the Safeway store in Sheffield to Legal & General for £13.0m, representing a yield of 5.8%. In April 2000, £6.3m was reinvested in a 63,000 sq. ft. multi-let office investment in Sevenoaks, which has considerable scope for adding value through a programme of refurbishment, improvement and development. At the year-end, 66% (1998/99: 48%) by value of the portfolio was located in London and South East England, with London offices appreciating significantly. Property Development for Sale During the year, two warehouses in Milton Keynes and a retail scheme in Grantham were sold for a total of £6.8m and a 15,000 sq. ft. office development in Guildford was completed. Since the year-end, completions comprised 63,000 sq. ft. of offices in central Glasgow and a 40,000 sq. ft. warehouse at Banbury. STRATEGY A fifth consecutive year of record profits reflects the continuing success of the Group's strategy, which is based on four key policies: (i) to maintain an unusually comprehensive range of services in the construction and property sectors, so as to spread risk, create valuable internal synergies and enable the Group to respond to its customers' needs throughout the entire life cycle of their infrastructure and property assets; (ii) to pursue substantial growth across the whole range of the Group's trading operations, taking advantage of a much more stable macro-economic climate in the UK than for many years; (iii) to ensure that a very high proportion of the Construction workload is undertaken on a partnering or similar basis, so as to reduce risk; and (iv) to generate a sizeable and stable stream of additional income by investing in rent producing commercial properties and in a portfolio of PFI equity stakes. PROSPECTS General Against the background of attractive market conditions in all the major markets in which the Group operates, the Board believes that the prospects for the current year are more promising than for a decade. Construction The Group's Construction Division has its largest ever forward order book and should also benefit substantially over the next few years from the increased spending in the road, rail, social housing and education sectors announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review. Moreover, the further rise in the proportion of work undertaken on a partnering or PFI basis, currently standing at over 80%, coupled with an end to the losses caused by the traditional design and build contracts that have held back Construction profits in the last two years, should ensure that higher volumes are accompanied by higher margins. Housebuilding Although there has been some reduction in the rate of house price inflation, housing demand remains at satisfactory levels in most areas. Moreover, Gleeson Homes' success in establishing itself as a leading brownfield developer, particularly at the upper end of the market, means that it is well placed to take advantage of the growing market for distinctively designed, high quality urban homes. Even more importantly, the release of an increased level of strategic land acquired at favourable prices should help to improve the Division's operating margins. The Netherne-on-the-Hill development - the first new village in Surrey since the War - has the potential to be particularly important in this respect. Property The success of Gleeson Properties in achieving a much higher market profile over the last year or so has helped it to secure a number of attractive investment and development opportunities. This has been particularly true in the office sector, which is benefiting from strong growth in the service industries, and in the industrial sector, where there is still a shortage of good modern accommodation. There has been a good level of letting interest in the current year to date which should make it possible to ensure a significantly larger profit contribution from development sales for the year as a whole. The current development programme has an anticipated end value of £70m. Conclusion Accordingly, the Board views the future with confidence. Dermot Gleeson 17th October 2000 Executive Chairman CONSOLIDATED PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT for the year ended 30 June 2000 1999/2000 1998/99 £000 £000 Turnover: Continuing operations 339,987 298,103 Acquisitions 9,620 - -------- -------- Group turnover 349,607 298,103 Cost of sales (316,915) (271,305) -------- -------- Gross profit 32,692 26,798 Investment property income 5,968 7,278 Net operating expenses (22,556) (18,946) -------- -------- Operating profit on continuing activities: Continuing operations 15,614 15,130 Acquisitions 490 - ------- ------ - 16,104 15,130 Share of results of joint 872 529 ventures Profit on sale of investment 1,912 - properties Goodwill amortisation (128) - -------- ------- Profit on ordinary activities before interest 18,760 15,659 Interest receivable 215 522 Interest payable (2,868) (2,813) ------- ------ (2,652) (2,291) -------- ------- Profit on ordinary activities before taxation 16,107 13,368 Taxation on profit on (4,497) (3,846) ordinary activities -------- ------- Profit after taxation 11,610 9,522 Dividends (2,682) (2,234) -------- ------- Retained profit 8,928 7,288 ===== ===== Earnings per share 114.71p 94.08p ===== ===== Earnings per share - fully 114.62p 94.04p diluted ===== ===== Dividends per share 26.50p 22.07p ===== ===== CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET As at As at 30 June 2000 30 June 1999 £000 £000 Capital employed Share capital 1,022 1,022 Share premium 1,657 1,657 Capital redemption reserve 100 100 Capital reserve 20,471 25,677 ------- 23,250 ------ 28,456 Profit and loss reserve 112,640 98,118 ------- ------- Total capital employed 135,890 126,574 ====== ====== Employment of capital Fixed assets: Goodwill 6,025 - Owner occupied properties 11,520 9,478 Investment property 61,351 67,203 Plant 6,088 4,986 Transport 845 716 Motor cars 3,102 3,312 ------- 88,931 ------ 85,695 Investments 5,745 3,089 ------- ------- 94,676 88,784 Current assets: Stock and work in progress 119,888 94,502 Amounts recoverable on 47,737 31,030 contracts Debtors 8,488 12,114 Cash and bank balances 1,609 1,338 ------- 177,722 ------ 138,984 Current liabilities: Bank overdraft 40,711 26,803 Creditors 72,165 58,142 Payments on account 18,005 12,038 Current taxation 3,771 2,705 Proposed dividends 2,161 1,761 ------- 136,813 ------ 101,449 ------- ------- Net current assets 40,909 37,535 Total assets less current 135,585 126,319 liabilities Provisions for liabilities 305 255 and charges ------- ------- Net assets 135,890 126,574 ===== ===== CONSOLIDATED CASHFLOW STATEMENT year ended 30 June 2000 Notes 1999/2000 1998/99 £000 £000 £000 £000 Operating activities Net cash (outflow) from operating activities 1 (5,941) (11,588) Dividends from joint - 489 ventures Returns on investments and servicing of finance Interest received 215 599 Interest paid (2,877) (2,675) Rents received 5,968 7,278 ------ ------ Net cash inflow from returns on investments and servicing 3,306 5,202 of finance Taxation UK corporation tax paid (4,056) (3,160) Capital expenditure Purchase of tangible fixed (12,268) (6,132) assets Sale of tangible fixed 786 2,368 assets Sale of investment 14,126 - properties Purchase of investments (2,152) - Sale of investments 625 - Net investment loans - 2,208 ------ ------ Net cash outflow from capital expenditure 1,117 (1,556) Acquisitions and disposals Purchase of investment in (500) (2,030) joint ventures Purchase of subsidiary (6,383) - undertakings Net cash acquired with subsidiary undertakings 1,102 - ------ (5,781) ------ (2,030) Equity dividends paid (2,282) (2,052) ------ ------ Net cash outflow before (13,637) (14,695) financing Management of liquid 282 5,978 resources Financing Deferred income - (4,946) ------ ------ Net cash outflow from - (4,946) financing ------ ------ Decrease in cash 2 (13,355) (13,663) ====== ===== Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net debt Decrease in cash in the year (13,355) (13,663) Cash outflows from increase in liquid resources (282) (5,978) Cash outflow from increase in - 4,946 debt ------ ------ Change in net debt resulting from cash flows (13,637) (14,695) Finance charge on BES loans - (107) ------ ------ Movement in net debt during (13,637) (14,802) the year Net (debt) as 1st July (25,465) (10,663) ------ ------ Net (debt) at 30th June (39,102) (25,465) ===== ===== CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT year ended 30 June 2000 1 Reconciliation of operating profit to net cash inflow from operating activities 1999/2000 1998/99 £ £ Operating profit 17,888 15,130 Investment property income (5,968) (7,278) Depreciation charges 4,489 3,960 Amortisation of goodwill 128 - Profit on sale of tangible fixed (2,462) (767) assets Increase in stock and work in (25,386) (30,030) progress Decrease in properties held by BES - 3,947 companies (Increase) in debtors (10,004) (6,869) Increase in creditors 15,374 10,319 ----- ------ (5,941) (11,588) ===== ===== 2 Analysis of net debt As at 1 Cashflow Non As at 30 July cash June 1999 changes 2000 £000 £000 £000 £000 Cash at bank and in 1,338 271 - 1,609 hand Less deposits treated as liquid resources (282) 282 - - Overdrafts (26,803) (13,908) - (40,711) ------- ------- ------ -------- Cash (25,747) (13,355) - (39,102) Liquid resources: Deposits included in cash at bank 282 (282) - - Deferred income - - - - ------ ------ ---- ------ (25,465) (13,637) - (39,102) ===== ===== ===== =====

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