Pre-close Trading Update

Embargoed for 7.00 am, 15 January 2004 Parity Group plc Pre Close Trading Update Preliminary results will be announced on 17 March 2004 Continuing the practice introduced last year, Parity Group plc ('Parity' or 'the Group'), the IT services group, is providing a trading update prior to entering its close period. Parity will announce its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2003 on 17 March 2004. The Board advises that the Group has continued to make positive progress in the six months ended 31 December 2003 and confirms that trading for the full year is anticipated to be in line with management expectations before discontinued operations and exceptional costs. At the time of the interim results, the Board indicated that exceptional costs relating to the further restructuring of operations in the second half of the year were likely to be in the region of £6.0 million and would yield savings on an annualised basis of £2.9 million. Part of these savings will be used to fund further investment in sales capability and skills development in 2004. This restructuring exercise is now largely complete and both costs and savings are in line with the amounts previously announced. The successful completion of the rights issue in November 2003 raised £9.2m net of costs. The Group's balance sheet has therefore been strengthened and we are now well placed to implement the action plan set out at the time of the rights issue. - Ends - Enquiries: Parity Group plc Telephone: 020 7776 0800 Ian Miller, Group Chief Executive Alison Leyshon, Group Finance Director Financial Dynamics Telephone: 020 7831 3113 Giles Sanderson Harriet Keen
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