7th Jul 2010 07:00
Embargoed: 0700hrs 7 July 2010
Cape plc
("Cape" or "the Company")
Trading Update for H1 2010
Highlights:
·; Cape benefitting from improved operating margins and favourable exchange movements
·; Net debt reduced to below £100m at the half year
·; Board anticipates that the Company's performance for the year ending 31 December 2010 will be ahead of their previous expectations
Cape plc, the international provider of essential, non-mechanical support services principally to the energy and mineral resources sectors, today issues a trading update for the first six months of 2010.
In its Interim Management Statement, issued on 20 May 2010, Cape stated that overall operating performance during the first quarter of 2010 had been in line with the Board's expectations with activity levels in the Far East/Pacific Rim region materially ahead of 2009, offset by the expected lower activity levels in the Gulf/Middle East region. This pattern continued in the second quarter and, whilst overall revenues remained broadly consistent with last year, operating margins have continued to improve as Cape benefits from tight cost control and favourable currency exchange movements.
The Company continues to generate positive cash flows with net debt reducing to below £100m at the half year.
As a result of cumulative trading and reduced finance costs in the first half, the Board anticipates that the Company's performance for the year ending 31 December 2010 will be ahead of their previous expectations.
Cape expects to announce interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2010 on 8 September 2010.
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For further information please contact:
Cape plc
Martin May, Chief Executive Officer
Richard Bingham, Chief Financial Officer
Tel. +44 (0)20 3178 5498
Numis Securities Limited
Nominated Adviser: John Harrison, Managing Director Corporate Finance
Corporate Broker: James Serjeant, Director Corporate Broking
Tel. +44 (0)20 7260 1000
Merrill Lynch International
Andrew Tusa, Managing Director Corporate Broking Europe
Tel. +44 (0)20 7628 1000
M: Communications
Patrick d'Ancona or Ben Simons
Tel. +44 (0)20 7920 2340
About Cape:
Cape plc (www.capeplc.com), which is listed on AIM (CIU), provides a range of non-mechanical industrial services including access systems, insulation, painting, coatings, blasting, industrial cleaning, training and assessment to both industrial plant operators and major international engineering and construction companies.
As a single source provider Cape is able to provide a range of specialist multi-disciplinary services specifically tailored to meet the needs of the client providing the most intelligent and cost efficient solutions for our customers non-mechanical in-plant maintenance and capital needs.
In the year ended 31 December 2009, Cape reported revenues of £655.1 million. With scale and leading market positions across its international footprint Cape employs over 17,000 people in 28 countries and safely delivered over 41 million man hours in 2009.
Related Shares:
CIU.L