Interim Results

Manpower Software PLC 1 March 2001 MANPOWER SOFTWARE PLC Interim results for the six months ended 30 November, 2000 Chairman's Statement Results In the first six months of the trading year, the Company made a loss of £0.49 million on turnover of £1.09 million. Compared with the previous six months trading, turnover increased by 26%, total costs reduced by 16% and losses reduced by 52%. The progression over the three latest six monthly trading periods has been as follows: 6 months 6 months 6 months ended ended ended 30 Nov 1999 31 May 30 Nov 2000 2000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Turnover 747 864 1,090 Total costs 2,517 1,884 1,584 Loss 1,770 1,020 494 Review During the period, the Company's focus has been on sales to the cruise industry where sales have been made to P&O Princess, Sun Cruises and Royal Caribbean. A number of small sales have also been made into the defence sector. The Consultancy Division has continued to perform well in terms of both turnover and profit. Costs have been tightly controlled. The Board has been strengthened by the appointments of Paul Scandrett as Product Director, responsible for new product and market development, and John Archibald as Engineering Director, responsible for software development, implementation and customer support. The Directors have reviewed the Company's strategy and implemented a plan to achieve a substantial increase in earnings. The Company's products empower customers to enhance their mission critical deployment of people in complex and changing environments. The Company intends to target niche market sectors in which it can take a leading position supplying its core software applications. Dividend The Directors have declared that there will be no interim dividend. Current Trading and Outlook The current half-year has started with further orders from Royal Caribbean and from the MoD Army for use by the Royal Engineers Territorial Army. The Company has also sold its Assignment Management product to a shipping service provider and to the IT department of a substantial UK company. The roll-out of the Company's Access Control product continues at Sun Cruises and prospects for further significant sales in the cruise industry are very good. There are also good opportunities for the Company in the defence sector and these are being actively pursued. The Company is presently evaluating a number of specialised market sectors, with similar needs to our existing customers, where the Directors believe the Company can achieve a leading position. To this end, the Company will strengthen its sales and marketing departments by further recruitment. The Directors have also appointed Strand Partners Limited as corporate advisor to advise the Directors on strategy, financing and investment opportunities. We know from satisfied customers that the Company is delivering valuable products. By pursuing a niche market strategy, we believe we can achieve a substantial growth rate of turnover while, at the same time, keeping costs under tight control. Finally, I would like to thank all employees for their long hours and strenuous efforts. I remain convinced that the Company, in terms of its products, its opportunities, its ability to implement, its low cost structure and its dedicated staff, is well placed to achieve very substantial growth. Ian Lang CHAIRMAN 1 March 2001 Manpower SoftWare plc Consolidated Profit and Loss Account For the Six Months Ended 30 November 2000 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Unaudited) 6 months ended 6 months 6 months 30 November ended ended 2000 31 May 30 November 2000 1999 Note £ £ £ Turnover - continuing 1,089,618 864,256 747,363 operations Cost of sales (159,945) (242,310) - Gross profit 929,673 621,946 747,363 Selling and operational (1,030,009) (1,212,130) (1,764,104) expenses Administrative expenses (384,767) (409,564) (719,687) Operating loss Continuing operations (485,103) (999,748) (1,597,453) Discontinued operations - - (138,975) (485,103) (999,748) (1,736,428) Interest receivable 502 501 874 Interest payable (9,848) (21,344) (34,722) Loss on ordinary (494,449) (1,020,591) (1,770,276) activities before taxation Taxation 2 - - - Loss for the financial (494,449) (1,020,591) (1,770,276) period Dividends - - - Loss retained (494,449) (1,020,591) (1,770,276) Loss per share 3 (3.74)p (8.89)p (21.59)p Dividends per share 4 - - - There were no recognised gains or losses during the six month periods above other than the results for the six month periods. Manpower SoftWare plc Consolidated Balance Sheet For the Six Months Ended 30 November 2000 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Unaudited) 6 months ended 6 months 6 months 30 November ended ended 2000 31 May 30 November 2000 1999 £ £ £ Fixed assets Tangible assets 178,743 165,814 193,367 Current assets Stocks - - 99,520 Trade and other debtors 778,707 623,555 968,829 Cash at bank and in hand 788 788 7,246 779,495 624,343 1,075,595 Creditors: amounts falling due (1,294,176) (1,073,524) (1,960,229) within one year Net current assets (514,681) (449,181) (884,634) Total assets less current (335,938) (283,367) (691,267) liabilities Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year (6,289) (23,932) (45,603) Net (liabilities)/assets (342,227) (307,299) (736,870) Capital and reserves Called up share capital 683,322 621,322 410,050 Share premium account 3,472,533 3,075,012 1,836,122 Profit and loss account (4,498,082) (4,003,633) (2,983,042) Equity shareholders' (342,227) (307,299) (736,870) deficit Manpower SoftWare plc Consolidated Cash Flow Statement For the Six Months Ended 30 November 2000 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Unaudited) 6 months 6 months 6 months ended ended ended 30 November 31 May 30 November 2000 2000 1999 Note £ £ £ Net cash outflow from (i) (825,296) (620,151) (837,308) operating activities Returns on investment and servicing of finance Interest received 502 501 874 Interest paid (6,307) (16,475) (29,054) Interest element of finance (3,541) (4,869) (5,668) lease payments (9,346) (20,843) (33,848) Taxation UK corporation tax paid - - - Capital expenditure and financial investment Payments to acquire tangible (35,302) (31,053) (3,808) fixed assets Equity dividends paid - - - Cash outflow before (869,944) (672,047) (874,964) financing Financing Issue of ordinary shares 496,000 1,690,174 - Expenses of share issue (36,479) (240,012) - Capital element of finance (22,999) (15,552) (25,503) leases 436,522 1,434,610 (25,503) (Decrease)/increase in cash (ii) (433,422) 762,563 (900,467) in the year Note i: Reconciliation of operating profit to net cash flow from operating activities Operating loss (485,103) (999,748) (1,736,428) Depreciation and 22,373 46,168 23,950 amortisation charges Loss on disposal of fixed - 11,133 - assets (Increase)/decrease in (155,152) 345,274 353,921 debtors Decrease in work in progress - 99,520 20,400 (Decrease)/increase in (207,414) (122,498) 500,849 creditors Net cash outflow from (825,296) (620,151) (837,308) operating activities Note ii: Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net (debt)/funds (Decrease)/increase in cash (433,422) 762,563 (900,467) in the period Cash outflow from decrease in 22,999 15,552 25,503 debt and finance leases Change in net debt resulting (410,423) 778,115 (874,964) from cash flows New finance leases - 6,119 (30,580) Movement in net (debt)/funds (410,423) 784,234 (905,544) in the period Net debt at beginning of the (210,255) (994,489) (88,945) period Net debt at the end of the (620,678) (210,255) (994,489) period Note iii: Analysis of net (debt)/funds Cash at bank and in hand 788 788 7,246 Overdrafts (565,385) (131,963) (900,985) Finance leases (56,081) (79,080) (100,750) Net debt at end of the (620,678) (210,255) (994,489) period Notes: 1. Basis of preparation: The financial information in these statements does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of Section 240 of The Companies Act 1985. The results for the periods of six months ended 30 November 2000, 31 May 2000 and 30 November 1999 and the balance sheets at those dates have not been audited, but have been reviewed by the Group's auditors, HLB Kidsons. The comparative figures for the six month periods ended 30 November 1999 and 31 May 2000 do not constitute the Company's statutory accounts for the year ended 31 May 2000, but have been extracted from the audited statutory accounts of the Group for the year ended 31 May 2000, which were filed with the Registrar of Companies and carried an unqualified audit report under Section 235 of The Companies Act 1985, and the unaudited interim accounts for the six month period ended 30 November 1999, which carried an unmodified review report. The financial information for all periods has been prepared on the basis of the accounting policies set out in the accounts for the year ended 31 May 2000. 2. Taxation: There are no tax charges for the half-year as there are sufficient tax losses to extinguish any liability for the period. 3. Earnings per share: The earnings per ordinary share are calculated by reference to the loss attributable to ordinary shareholders. This calculation was: in the six months ended 30 November 2000, a loss of £494,449 on a weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the period of 13,205,671; in the six months ended 31 May 2000, a loss of £1,020,591 on a weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the period of 11,479,754; and in the six months ended 30 November 1999, a loss of £1,770,276 on a weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the period of 8,201,000. The basic and diluted earnings per share are the same as the exercise of share options and warrants would have the effect of reducing the loss per ordinary share and is therefore not dilutive under the terms of Financial Reporting Standard 14. 4. Dividends: No dividends have been paid or proposed for the period. 1 March 2001
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