Final Results

Thomson Intermedia PLC 12 April 2005 Thomson Intermedia plc ('Thomson Intermedia' or 'the Company') Preliminary results for the year ended 31 January 2005 Thomson Intermedia, a leading provider of media information, today announces record preliminary results for the year ended 31 January 2005 • Turnover up 46% to £5.92m (2004: £4.05m) • Underlying Profit before tax of £0.62m (2004: loss of £0.65m) • Underlying eps of 2.56p (2004: loss per share of 1.1p) • Gross sales contracts increased by £1.55m to £6.29m (2004: £4.74m) • New contracts increased by 25% to £2.44m (2004: £1.95m), with 104 new annual contracts won, including Sony music, House of Fraser & Comet and 14 Vouching contracts • Sustained high client renewal rate of 83%, by value • Future contracted revenue of £2.79m already secured for next financial year • Net cash of £1.60m: continued and increasing cash generation • Upgrade and finalisation of German contract to include all media Sarah Jane Thomson, Joint Chief Executive Officer of Thomson Intermedia, said: 'This year has been extremely rewarding with continued growth and increasing market appetite for our core products. The market-leading strength of our product combined with a strengthening sales team will enable us to further drive market penetration both in the UK and internationally. This should result in continuing increased profitability. In addition, our innovation and development continues at pace: the newly launched advertising verification, together with our developing effectiveness systems, are meeting considerable demand in an advertising market which increasingly requires transparency and measurement.' 12 April 2005 Enquiries: Thomson Intermedia Sarah Jane Thomson, Chief Executive David Trendle, Finance Director 020 8466 2906 College Hill Kate Pope 020 7457 2006 Adrian Duffield 020 7457 2815 Thomson Intermedia is delighted to announce record preliminary results. The year has been one of considerable progress with the full integration of all media and considerable progress made in international expansion, vouching and Return on Investment (ROI) products. Thomson Intermedia provides competitive advertising evaluation and solutions through the provision of comprehensive market data. Technology has always been at the heart of the Company, allowing it to deliver its unique proposition of real time, integrated and tailored systems. We not only continue to focus on client requirements and capture efficiencies, but also on driving the future opportunities of our market. Our primary focus remains to empower UK companies with independent media intelligence. Increasing fragmentation in the market and requirements for greater governance put us in a unique and market-leading position, offering integrated channel coverage and transparent data. Financial Results Revenue for the period was up 46% to £5.92m (2004: £4.05m) compared to an increase in direct costs of only 5%, despite continued developments and new product launches. This high level of operational gearing has resulted in an improved gross margin of 68.4% (2004: 56.1%), as well as the Company's first positive underlying operating margin of 9.8%. The total value of sales contracts signed in the year rose by 33% to £6.29m (2004: £4.74m) and exceeds total expenditure incurred of £5.35m in the financial year. It also results in future contracted revenues of £2.79m being already secured for the next financial year New contracts signed in the year increased 25% to total £2.44m (2004: £1.95m). Existing clients have been keen to extend and upgrade their contracts into new media and products, with an 83% renewal rate and accounting for almost £1m of the new contract value. The average value of all contracts rose by 16% from £19,000 to £22,000, with average contract rates for new business continuing to rise to £25,000. Profit before taxation and long term incentives improved to £618,000 (2004: Loss of £647,000). As previously advised the Company has expensed £258,000 in relation to long term incentives, with revisions to the schemes, as fully disclosed in note 2. The Company has a tax credit of £588,000 including deferred tax and a research & development tax credit, as disclosed in note 3. Basic earnings per share significantly improved to 3.29p this year compared to a loss per share of 1.1p in the previous year. Adjusted earnings per share was 2.56p (2004: loss per share 1.1p) after extracting the effects of deferred tax, long term incentives and amortisation. This is provided as a more meaningful year on year measure for the performance of the Group. The Company recorded positive operating cash flow of £381,000 despite a negative working capital movement of £438,000. Net funds increased by £369,000 to £1.60m (2004: £1.23m). The high operational gearing of the business is expected to lead to increasing cash generation. The strength of the Balance Sheet continues to improve with net current assets of £3.52m, no debt and shareholder funds of £0.54m. The Company has also built a significant asset in the data library it has created. This asset is not recognised on the balance sheet and prudently all development expenditure continues to be expensed as incurred. Operational Review The Company continues to improve the breadth and scope of its core offering providing further differentiation in competitive monitoring. This has resulted in an additional 85 competitive monitoring contracts (new clients and upgrades to existing clients) won across various sectors and across all price points. Amongst the high spending advertisers we welcome Sony Music, House of Fraser and Comet as new clients. The completion of an all media integrated solution and improved front-end systems have resulted in a more than 20% of our client base upgrading their subscription this year, as well as continuing our good renewal rate at 83%. The Company continues to drive new and upgrade business in a substantial market; develop further products leveraging its data; and pursue vertical expansion opportunities. Press Vouching The launch of Press Vouching fulfils the next stage of development from competitive monitoring to advising clients whether their advertising expenditure has been placed in accordance with their booking. A survey carried out by ISBA found that 7% of press advertising either appeared with errors or didn't appear at all. By providing instant reporting and an audit trail of the status of their advertising, Vouching represents a significant opportunity for advertisers to achieve maximum potential returns from their expenditure. Initial trials have already identified errors running into millions of pounds. ROI Tools The Company continues to develop opportunities to leverage its data into new areas, with particular focus on providing insight into the Return On Investment of advertising expenditure. We are currently undertaking a trial evaluation with our joint venture partner dunnhumby, to link our universal advertising information with sales information from Tesco Clubcard. We are also in talks with other potential suppliers of consumer purchasing activity. Sales and Marketing The Company has appointed a new Sales and Marketing Director during the period. The remit is to expand the sales and marketing resources and to put concentrated resources into three areas; new business, upgrades & retention and new developments. The Company only has a 5% share of the top 5,000 advertisers but captures all their data and therefore has access to a sizeable new business opportunity. During the development phase the systems were sold on an individual media basis; this now provides the Company with a significant upgrade opportunity. International expansion The previously announced partnership with Media Control, one of Germany's leading media groups, is the Company's first entry into an overseas market. Initially the partnership was to launch a media monitoring service across TV, Radio & Internet. However, Media Control has now identified a high level of demand for press data, which represents 50% of the €17 billion advertising expenditure in Germany. The partnership terms have been modified to reflect the considerable additional investment and the significantly larger scale of the projected opportunity. The partnership will develop the full media offering with Media Control still assuming all operational responsibility and costs, which are likely to be in excess of €10 million in the first three years. Under the revised terms Thomson Intermedia is guaranteed minimum payments in the first two years of £400,000 per annum. Any profits before tax will be shared on a 30/70 basis by Thomson Intermedia and Media Control respectively. The value of the growing venture is owned 50/50 and Thomson Intermedia retains an option to purchase Media Control's 50% share in the venture should it so wish. Media Control is a significant and strong partner and we are delighted to have concluded negotiations and be involved in bringing world leading systems, integrated channel coverage and transparency to advertisers in Germany. Outlook The outlook remains extremely positive for the Company. Increased accountability in Marketing departments combined with the fragmentation of the market present further opportunities to the Company. We have strengthened our core proposition in the UK and continue to drive sales growth. We are also developing products to appeal to different sectors of the market. Our Vouching product is achieving significant presence in the market and provides a valuable additional ongoing service to our clients to complement the competitive monitoring systems. We continue to make in-roads into ROI products and maintain our position as market leaders and innovators. We have now achieved our first expansion into Europe, combining our Intellectual Property with Media Control's knowledge and distribution capabilities. We have achieved this expansion with minimal risk but still with a considerable share of future returns and an equal share in the business. We continue to investigate opportunities outside the UK. The current financial year has started well and the Board is confident that the Company will continue to achieve sustained growth. 12 April 2005 Consolidated Profit & Loss Account For the year ended 31 January 2005 2005 2004 Note £'000 £'000 Turnover 5,924 4,047 Cost of sales (1,870) (1,778) Gross profit 4,054 2,269 Overheads (3,475) (2,934) Long term incentives 2 (258) - Administrative expenses (3,733) (2,934) Operating profit / (loss) 321 (665) Interest receivable 39 18 Profit / (loss) on ordinary activities before taxation 360 (647) Taxation 3 588 325 Profit / (loss) on ordinary activities after taxation 948 (322) Earnings / (loss) per share, pence 5 adjusted 2.56 (1.1) basic 3.29 (1.1) diluted 3.14 (1.1) All amounts relate to continuing activities All recognised gains and losses are included in the profit and loss account Consolidated Balance Sheet as at 31 January 2005 2005 2005 2004 2004 Note £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Fixed assets Intangible fixed assets 31 43 Tangible fixed assets 518 451 549 494 Current assets Debtors 2,292 1,438 Deferred tax 480 - Cash at bank and in hand 1,598 1,229 4,370 2,667 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (848) (637) Net current assets 3,522 2,030 Total assets less current liabilities 4,071 2,524 Accruals and deferred income (3,535) (3,194) 536 (670) Capital and reserves Share capital 7,186 7,186 Share premium 5,064 5,064 Merger reserve (5,250) (5,250) Profit and loss account (6,464) (7,670) Equity shareholders' funds 536 (670) Consolidated Cash Flow Statement for the year ended 31 January 2005 Note 2005 2005 2004 2004 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Net cash inflow from operating activities 6 381 202 Returns on investments and servicing of finance Interest received 32 18 Taxation Research & Development tax credit received 251 189 Capital expenditure Purchase of tangible fixed assets (295) (185) Sale of tangible fixed assets - 6 Net cash outflow from capital expenditure (295) (179) Net cash inflow before management of liquid resources and financing 369 230 Management of liquid resources (Increase)/decrease in short term deposits (91) 91 Financing Capital element of finance lease payments - (6) Increase in cash in the year 7,8 278 315 Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 January 2005 1. Basis of preparation The financial information set out above does not constitute the Group's statutory accounts, within the meaning of Section 240 of the Companies Act 1985, for the year ended 31 January 2005 or 2004, but is derived from those accounts. Statutory accounts for the year ended 31 January 2004 have been filed with the Registrar of companies. The statutory accounts for 2005 will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies following the Company's Annual General Meeting. The auditors have reported on those accounts; their reports were unqualified and did not contain a statement under Section 237(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 1985. When published, the Company's Annual Report and Accounts will be sent to shareholders and will be made available to the public at the Company's registered office, 1 Westmoreland Road, Bromley, Kent BR2 0TB. 2. Long term incentive plans 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Included in administrative expenses: Directors' emoluments - performance bonus 145 84 Included in long term incentives: Phantom share scheme award 230 - Issue of share options under UITF 17 28 - 258 - Due to the significant rise in the Company's share price the phantom shares in issue (equivalent to 1.8% of the share capital) gave rise to a substantial liability and cash requirement, which could continue to escalate with a rising share price, until they were due to vest in 2007. The Company and Directors have reviewed the incentivisation arrangements of the Company as they pertain to both the Directors and the Company and as a consequence of this, one action has been that the Directors have agreed to waive their rights to the Phantom shares in their entirety. As a result of the broader review of Directors incentivisation arrangements, the Board has awarded share options to the Directors to act as an incentive and lock-in. The main effects of these changes are to negate the significant cash payment which would have been due under the phantom scheme and to cap the accounting liability under long term incentives. The accounting treatment of these transactions effectively spreads the total liability calculated at the market value on the date the share options were granted over the period from award to the earliest exercise date. This gives rise to a charge of £258,000 in this financial year, and a further charge of £229,000 for each of the next two financial years 3. Taxation on profit / loss on ordinary activities The tax charge is made up as follows: 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Corporation tax at 30% 6 - Research and development tax credit (114) (325) (108) (325) Deferred tax at 30% (480) - (588) (325) 4. Provisions for liabilities and charges 2005 2005 2004 2004 Provided Unprovided Provided Unprovided £'000 £'000 £'000 Deferred taxation Accelerated capital allowances - 13 - 18 Other timing differences - (85) - (37) Losses (480) (1,110) - (1,701) Provision / (Asset) for the period (480) (1,182) - (1,720) Assuming future profits are taxable at a rate of 30%, the balance of available tax losses for offset against future taxable profits amount to £1.66m (2004: £1.72m), which gives rise to a deferred tax asset. In accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 19 'Deferred taxation', this asset has been provided to the extent that trade losses will be recoverable against future profits in the foreseeable future and is included within current assets. 5. Earnings per share 2005 2004 £'000 Weighted Earnings / £'000 Weighted Earnings / average (Loss) per average (Loss) per number of share pence number of share shares shares pence Earnings / (Loss) per share before deferred tax, amortisation and share incentives 738 28,744,247 2.56 (310) 28,640,080 (1.1) Deferred tax 480 - Adjustment for amortisation (12) - (12) - Adjustment for share incentives (258) - - - Basic Earnings / (Loss) per share 948 28,744,247 3.29 (322) 28,640,080 (1.1) Effect of options - 1,437,212 - - Diluted earnings / (loss) per share 948 30,181,459 3.14 (322) 28,640,080 (1.1) Earnings per share before deferred tax, amortisation and share incentives are presented as the Directors consider it a more appropriate measure of the underlying trend than basic or diluted eps. For diluted earnings per share, the weighted average number of shares in issue is adjusted to assume conversion of all dilutive potential ordinary shares: those share options granted to employees where the exercise price is less than the market price of the Company's ordinary shares. The impact of any potential ordinary shares in the year ended 31 January 2004 is antidilutive. 6. Net cash inflow from operating activities 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Operating profit / (loss) 321 (665) Depreciation 228 211 Amortisation 12 12 Phantom share non-cash movement 230 - Issue of share options under UITF17 28 - Other non-cash operating expense - 31 Increase in debtors (853) (306) Increase in creditors 211 106 Increase in accruals and deferred income 204 813 Net cash flow from operating activities 381 202 7. Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net funds 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Increase in cash in the year 278 315 Cash outflow from decrease in debt and lease financing - 6 Cash inflow/(outflow) from decrease in liquid resources 91 (91) Movement in net funds in the year 369 230 Net funds at start of year 1,229 999 Net funds at end of year 1,598 1,229 8. Analysis of net funds Opening Cash Closing balance flow balance £'000 £'000 £'000 Cash 470 278 748 Liquid resources 759 91 850 Cash at bank and in hand 1,229 369 1,598 9. Post Balance Sheet Event We have completed negotiations for Germany, our first investment in Europe. Thomson Media Control GmbH and Co Kg is an equal partnership between Thomson Intermedia Plc and Media Control GmbH. Thomson have licenced their technology to the partnership to launch the media monitoring system in Germany. Our income for the first two years is guaranteed plus we shall receive a share of the ongoing profits of the partnership This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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