Become a Member
  • Track your favourite stocks
  • Create & monitor portfolios
  • Daily portfolio value
Sign Up
Quickpicks
Add shares to your
quickpicks to
display them here!

Half Yearly Report

12th Nov 2010 07:00

RNS Number : 0239W
Prime People PLC
12 November 2010
 



 

 

12 November 2010

 

Prime People Plc

 

Unaudited Consolidated Interim Results for the six months ended 30 September 2010

 

Prime People Plc ("Prime People" or the "Group"), the international real estate, infrastructure and customer insights recruitment specialist, today announces its interim results for the half year ended 30 September 2010.

 

Highlights:

·; Group net fee income ('NFI') increased by 30% to £3.95m (2009: £3.05m)

·; Permanent NFI increased by 50% to £3.22m (2009: £2.14m)

·; Profit before tax of £0.41m (2009: loss of £0.16m)

·; Interim dividend of 1.75p per share

·; Adjusted earnings per share of 2.24p (2009: loss per share of 1.10p)

·; Our Customer Insights business experiencing substantial growth

·; Start up in Environmental & Energy sector showing encouraging early signs

 

Peter Moore Managing Director of Prime People, commented:

 

"I am pleased with these results which show a very positive performance. I am particularly encouraged with the results from the UK offices. Our prospects for the second half are good and I am looking forward to implementing our plans for growing our established overseas offices as well as further developing our new revenue lines".

 

-Ends-

 

 

For further information please contact:

 

Prime People

020 7318 1785

Robert Macdonald, Executive Chairman

Chris Heayberd, Finance Director

Cenkos Securities

020 7397 8900

Elizabeth Bowman

Julian Morse

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT

 

 

Results

 

I am pleased to report that Prime People Plc has delivered a strong performance in the half-year ended 30 September 2010.

 

Group Net Fee Income ('NFI') for the six months ended 30 September 2010 increased by 30% to £3.95m (2009: £3.05m). Whilst the increase in NFI is substantially due to the improved macro-economic trading conditions it also reflects the results of the changes in management and organisation structure that we made to the business in 2009. Our permanents businesses performed well with the UK increasing NFI by 73% and the international businesses increasing NFI by 23% compared to the comparable period last year. Our temporary business, which, for the most part, recruits into the Public Sector, has suffered from government cut backs and experienced a 23% decline in NFI. Our professional training business traded profitably on stable revenues.

 

 

The net fee income split is:

 

Six months

ended

30 September

2010

Six months

ended

30 September

2009

£'000

£'000

 

Recruitment

Permanent

- UK

- International

 

 

 

2,045

1,171

 

 

 

1,185

953

 

 

 

Temporary (UK only)

 

3,216

 

593

 

2,138

 

760

 

Total recruitment

 

Training

 

3,809

 

144

 

2,898

 

152

 

3,953

 

3,050

 

 

Profit

 

The combination of increasing NFI and an efficient cost base resulted in a profit before taxation for the period of £407,000, which compares favourably with the loss of £162,000 recorded for the comparable period last year.

 

Basic earnings per share for the period are 2.41 pence against a loss per share in the comparable period in 2009 of 1.1 pence.

 

 

CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT

 

 

Net cash

 

Net cash inflow of £561,000 (2009: inflow of £14,000) was generated from operating activities during the period, which after tax payments of £58,000 (2009: net tax receipt of £34,000) resulted in a net cash inflow from operating activities of £503,000 (2009: inflow of £48,000)

 

At the end of the period the net cash position was £2.50m (2009: £1.81m)

 

Dividend

 

Given the improved trading seen in the first half of 2010 and the strong net cash position of the business the Board intend to pay a dividend of 1.75 pence on 3 December 2010 to those shareholders whose names are on the register on 26 November 2010.

 

Outlook

 

The UK permanent recruitment business is expected to perform in the second half in line with NFI levels achieved in the first half. As indicated above we are not anticipating any meaningful growth in our temporary business in the foreseeable future.

 

Prime Insight, our London based insights recruitment consultancy, which serves the market research industry, is now two years old and making a valuable contribution to NFI. We see the business as having considerable potential.

 

Encouragingly, the start-up Environmental & Energy recruitment business, which has a dedicated staff in both London and UAE offices, is showing early promise.

 

The relatively long established offices in Hong Kong (since 2006) and the UAE (since 2006) and our office in Johannesburg (since 2008) provide solid platforms to access areas of substantial GDP growth and we are targeting meaningful medium term revenue uplift from these overseas operations.

 

Whilst, we currently expect that the business will show further improvements in turnover and profit, we are conscious of the continuing level of uncertainty in our markets.

R J G Macdonald

Executive Chairman

 

 

 

12 November 2010

 

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

For the six months ended 30 September 2010

 

 

Six months ended

Year ended

30 September

2010

30 September

2009

 

 

31 March

2010

Note

£'000

£'000

£'000

Revenue

 

2

7,182

7,071

14,180

Cost of sales

(3,229)

(4,021)

(7,507)

Net fee income

3,953

3,050

6,673

 

Administrative expenses

 

(3,553)

 

(3,212)

 

(6,212)

Operating profit/(loss)

400

(162)

461

Finance income

9

5

12

Finance expense

3

(2)

(5)

(11)

Profit/(loss) before taxation

407

(162)

462

Tax expense

4

(121)

31

(129)

 

Profit/(loss) for the period

 

286

 

 

(131)

 

 

333

 

Other comprehensive (loss)/income:

 

Foreign currency exchange differences

 

 

(33)

 

 

(82)

 

 

(18)

 

Total comprehensive income/(loss) for the period

 

253

 

(213)

 

315

Attributable to:

Equity shareholders of the parent

 

253

 

(213)

 

315

Earnings per share

6

Basic

2.41p

(1.10)p

2.79p

Diluted

 

2.24p

(1.10)p

2.71p

 

 

 

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

For the six months ended 30 September 2010

 

 

 

Called up share capital

Capital redeem-

ption

reserve

 

 

Treasury shares

 

Share premium account

 

 

Other reserve

 

Share option reserve

Foreign currency trans-

lation

 

 

Retained earnings

 

 

 

Total

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

 

At 1 April 2009

 

1,203

-

-

7,095

173

176

486

4,335

13,468

Total comprehensive loss for the period

 

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

(82)

 

(131)

 

(213)

Adjustment in respect of share schemes

 

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

(107)

 

-

 

113

 

6

Shares purchased for cancellation

 

 

(9)

9

 

-

 

(18)

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

(18)

 

At 30 September 2009

 

1,194

 

9

 

-

 

7,077

 

173

 

69

 

404

 

4,317

 

13,243

 

Total comprehensive income for the period

 

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

64

 

226

 

290

Shares purchased for treasury

 

 

-

 

-

 

(9)

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

(9)

Adjustment in respect of share schemes

 

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

8

 

-

 

-

 

8

 

At 31 March 2010

 

1,194

 

9

 

(9)

 

7,077

 

173

 

77

 

468

 

4,543

 

13,532

 

Total comprehensive income for the period

 

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

(33)

 

286

 

253

Adjustment in respect of share schemes

 

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

18

 

-

 

-

 

18

Shares purchased for treasury

 

 

-

 

-

 

(8)

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

(8)

Dividends

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

(178)

(178)

 

At 30 September 2010

 

1,194

 

9

 

(17)

 

7,077

 

173

 

95

 

435

 

4,651

 

13,617

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

 

As at 30 September 2010

 

 

30 September

2010

30 September

2009

31 March

2010

£'000

£'000

£'000

Assets

Non-current assets

Intangible assets

9,769

9,769

9,769

Property, plant and equipment

297

298

251

Deferred tax asset

41

79

54

10,107

10,146

 

10,074

Current assets

Trade and other receivables

3,000

2,863

2,795

Cash and cash equivalents

2,679

2,237

2,783

5,679

5,100

 

5,578

Total assets

15,786

15,246

15,652

Liabilities

Current Liabilities

Financial liabilities - borrowings

176

289

476

Trade and other payables

1,814

1,574

1,514

Current tax liabilities

179

-

130

2,169

1,863

2,120

 

Non current liabilities

Financial liabilities - borrowings

-

140

-

 

-

 

140

 

-

Total liabilities

2,169

2,003

2,120

Net assets

13,617

13,243

13,532

Capital and reserves attributable to the company's equity holders

Called up share capital

Capital redemption reserve

1,194

9

1,194

9

1,194

9

Treasury shares

(17)

-

(9)

Share premium account

7,077

7,077

7,077

Other reserve

173

173

173

Share option reserve

95

69

77

Currency translation differences

435

404

 468

Retained earnings

4,651

4,317

4,543

Equity shareholders funds

13,617

13,243

13,532

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOW

For the six months ended 30 September 2010

 

 

Six months ended

Year ended

30 September 2010

30 September

2009

31 March

2010

Note

£'000

£'000

£'000

Cash inflow from operating activities

Cash generated by operations

7

561

14

859

Corporation tax (paid)/received

(58)

34

(27)

Net cash from operating activities

503

48

832

Cash flows from investing activities

Interest received

9

5

12

Interest paid

(2)

(5)

(11)

Net purchase of property, plant and equipment

(127)

(12)

(51)

Net cash used in investing activities

(120)

(12)

(50)

Cash flows from financing activities

Repayment of borrowings

(140)

(140)

(280)

Purchase own shares

-

(18)

(18)

Treasury shares

(9)

-

(9)

Increase in obligations under finance leases

28

-

-

Dividends paid to shareholders

5

(178)

-

(238)

Net cash used in financing activities

(299)

(158)

(545)

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

84

(122)

237

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period/year

2,587

2,350

2,350

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period/year

2,671

2,228

2,587

NOTES TO THE INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the six months ended 30 September 2010 (unaudited)

 

1. Accounting Policies

 

The consolidated interim financial statements are for the six months ended 30 September 2010. They have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) using the same accounting policies as those used in the preparation of the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2010. The accounting policies have been applied consistently throughout the group for the purposes of the preparation of these interim financial statements.

 

2. Interim Results

 

(a) Revenue and gross profit, by geography

 

Revenue

Gross Profit

Six months ended

Year ended

Six months ended

Year ended

30 September

2010

30 September 2009

31 March 2010

30 September 2010

30 September 2009

31 March 2010

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

UK

6,011

6,118

12,163

2,782

2,097

4,656

Rest of World

1,171

953

2,017

1,171

953

2,017

7,182

7,071

14,180

3,953

3,050

6,673

 

(b) Revenue and gross profit, by classification

For management purposes, the Group is organised into two business segments:

- Recruitment into the property, customer insight and environmental & energy sectors

- Training provided through bespoke sales, marketing and management training and coaching programmes

 

Revenue

Gross Profit

Six months ended

Year ended

Six months ended

Year ended

30 September

2010

30 September 2009

31 March 2010

30 September 2010

30 September 2009

31 March 2010

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

Permanent

3,216

2,138

5,003

3,216

2,138

4,979

Temporary

3,732

4,682

8,788

593

760

1,467

Training

234

251

389

144

152

227

7,182

7,071

14,180

3,953

3,050

6,673

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES TO THE INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the six months ended 30 September 2010 (unaudited)

 

3. Finance Expense

 

Six months ended

Year ended

 

 

30 September

2010

30 September

2009

31 March

2010

£'000

£'000

£'000

 

Bank interest:

 

2

 

5

 

11

 

2

 

5

 

11

 

4. Taxation on profit on ordinary activities

 

The charge for taxation on profits for the interim period amounted to £0.12m (2009: credit of £0.03m) an effective rate of 30%.

 

5. Dividends

 

Six months ended

Year ended

30 September

2010

30 September

2009

31 March

2010

£'000

£'000

£'000

 

Final dividend for 2010 of 1.50 pence per share

 

178

 

-

 

 

-

Interim dividend for 2010 of 2.00 pence per share

-

-

238

 

 

178

 

-

 

238

 

The proposed interim dividend for 2011 of 2.25 pence (2010 special interim dividend of 2.00 pence paid on 31 March 2010) was approved by the board on 12 November 2010 and will be paid on 3 December 2010 to those shareholders whose names are on the register on 26 November 2010.NOTES TO THE INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the six months ended 30 September 2010 (unaudited)

 

 

6. Earnings per share

 

Earnings per share (EPS) has been calculated in accordance with IAS 33 "Earnings per share" and is calculated by dividing the profit attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the period.

 

Earnings and weighted average number of shares used in the calculations are show below:

 

Six months ended

Year ended

30 September

2010

30 September

2009

31 March

2010

£'000

£'000

£'000

 

Profit/(loss) attributable to equity holders of the parent

 

286

 

(131)

 

333

Number

Number

Number

Weighted average number of shares used for basic and continuing earnings per share

 

11,904,621

 

11,941,500

 

11,956,824

Dilutive effect of share options and shares to be issued

918,009

841,510

314,761

Diluted weighted average number of shares used for diluted earnings per share

 

12,822,630

 

12,783,010

 

12,271,585

 

 

Diluted earnings per share is calculated by adjusting the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding to assume conversion of all dilutive potential ordinary shares. The Company has only one category of dilutive potential ordinary shares: share options. For the year ending 31 March 2010 the basic and diluted loss per share is the same, as the exercise of share options would reduce the loss per share and is, therefore, anti-dilutive.

 

Pence

Pence

Pence

Basic earnings/(loss) per share

2.41p

(1.10)p

2.79p

Fully diluted earnings/(loss) per share

2.24p

(1.10)p

 

2.71p

Adjusted basic earnings/(loss) per share

2.41p

(1.10)p

2.79p

Adjusted fully diluted earnings/(loss) per share

2.24p

(1.10)p

2.71p

 

 

NOTES TO THE INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the six months ended 30 September 2010 (unaudited)

 

 

7. Reconciliation of operating profit to net cash inflow from operating activities

 

Six months ended

Year ended

30 September

2010

30 September

2009

31 March

2010

£'000

£'000

£'000

Group operating profit/(loss)

400

(162)

461

Depreciation

82

93

189

Share option reserve movement

18

6

14

Effects of exchange rate changes

(33)

(82)

(18)

Profit on disposal of tangible fixed asset

(2)

-

-

(Increase)/decrease in debtors

(206)

487

555

Increase/(decrease) in creditors

302

(328)

(342)

Net cash inflow from operating activities

561

14

859

 

 

8. Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net funds

 

Six months ended

Year ended

30 September

2010

30 September

2009

31 March

2010

£'000

£'000

£'000

Increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents in period/year

 

84

 

(122)

 

237

Decrease in net debt resulting from cash flows

112

140

280

Net funds at the start of the period/year

2,307

1,790

1,790

Net funds at the end of the period/year

2,503

1,808

2,307

 

9. Nature of the financial information

 

The interim financial information for the six months ended 30 September 2010, was approved by the board on 12 November 2010.

 

The financial information set out above does not constitute full accounts within the meaning of the Companies Act 2006. The comparative results for the year ended 31 March 2010 have been extracted from the Group's financial statements for that period which have received an unqualified audit report and have been filed with the Registrar of Companies.

 

A copy of the interim results will be available on the company's website www.prime-people.co.uk

 

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
END
 
 
IR LLFLLLELLLII

Related Shares:

PRP.L
FTSE 100 Latest
Value7,964.18
Change50.93