Interim Management Statement

RNS Number : 5168C

Moneysupermarket.com Group PLC

17 April 2013

 



17 April 2013

MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC - Interim Management Statement

In advance of its Annual General Meeting being held today at 11:00am, MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC ("MoneySupermarket.com" or the "Group"), the UK's leading price comparison site, issues the following Interim Management Statement relating to the period from 1 January 2013 to date. The financial and operational data below is in respect of the Group's first quarter (1 January 2013 to 31 March 2013) unless otherwise stated.

The Group's financial performance in the first quarter was in line with the Board's expectations. Group revenues and EBITDA for the first quarter were, respectively, 13% and 31% ahead of the same period last year (*). Group administrative costs were in line with the run rate in the second half of 2012 whilst distribution costs were broadly in line with the first quarter 2012.  Excluding the contribution from MoneySavingExpert.com Group revenues and EBITDA for the first quarter were 10% and 11% ahead of the same period last year, respectively. Visitors to MoneySupermarket.com were 8% ahead of the same period last year.

Money

Revenues in the Money vertical were 11% lower than the first quarter of 2012 on visitor volumes that were 7% higher.

Revenues from credit products (credit cards, loans, mortgages and debt solutions) were 6% ahead of the same period last year with loans in particular performing well while credit card revenues were broadly flat year on year.

Revenues from non-credit products which include savings, current accounts and advertising revenues were 45% lower continuing to reflect the impact of the Government's 'Funding for Lending' scheme which has reduced competition for retail deposits and has markedly reduced savings revenues year on year.

Insurance

Insurance revenues and visitor volumes were both 17% ahead of the same period last year.

The Group saw growth across all of its major Insurance lines including motor, home, and travel insurance.  Motor and home insurance in particular have continued to perform strongly.

Travel

Revenues in Travel were 23% ahead of the first quarter of 2012 on visitor volumes that increased by 26%. Trading in package holidays, car hire and hotels has continued to improve, supported by improvements to the products offered together with increased offline media spend.

Home Services

Home Services revenues were 80% ahead of the first quarter 2012. Visitor numbers were 25% lower as the Group reduced spending on paid search for shopping and vouchers. 

Utility switching volumes, which account for the greatest part of Home Services revenues, were stronger than the same period last year reflecting continued price rises in the domestic energy market and in particular the launch of the Cheap Energy Club by MoneySavingExpert.com which alerts consumers to savings available measured against their current tariffs.

MoneySavingExpert.com

Revenues generated by MoneySavingExpert.com including those from MoneySupermarket.com were fractionally ahead of last year. Trading was broadly reflective of the trends seen in MoneySupermarket.com where weakness in Money revenues was offset by stronger utilities revenues and the introduction of the Cheap Energy Club.

Financial position

 At 31 March 2013 the Group had cash balances of £26.0m.

Outlook

Trading in the first weeks of the second quarter has been in line with the trends seen in the first quarter of the year.

The Board remains confident in the outlook and overall the Board's expectations for the year remain unchanged.

Peter Plumb, Chief Executive of MoneySupermarket.com, said:

"We've made a solid start to 2013. Our revenues in the first quarter were 13% ahead and profits were up more than 30% compared to the first quarter of last year. The benefits of our increasingly diversified business are evident. We generated strong growth in our Insurance, Home Services and Travel businesses which more than offset lower demand in our Money business where savings revenues continue to be impacted by the Government's 'Funding for Lending' scheme.  MoneySavingExpert.com continues to prosper with the launch of the innovative Cheap Energy Club which has proved a hit with consumers. We remain on course to help more people save more money in 2013''

Notes

v Group revenues include revenues generated from third parties by MoneySavingExpert.com. Revenues generated by MoneySavingExpert.com from MoneySupermarket.com are included within the relevant MoneySupermarket.com vertical commentary above.

- ends -

For further information, please contact:

 Moneysupermarket.com Group PLC 020-7379-5151

 Paul Doughty, Chief Financial Officer

Maitland Communications 020-7379-5151

 William Clutterbuck

·    This interim management statement may include statements that are forward looking in nature. Forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, assumptions, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Group to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Except as required by the Listing Rules and applicable law, the Group undertakes no obligation to update, revise or change any forward looking statements to reflect events or developments occurring after the date such statements are published.

·    The information in this release is based on management information.

 

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