Interim Results

Equals Group PLC
12 September 2023
 

 

12 September 2023

 

Equals Group plc

('Equals' or the 'Group')

 

Interim Results

 

'Significant revenue growth, record Adjusted EBITDA and strong balance sheet'

 

Equals (AIM: EQLS), the fintech payments group focused on the Enterprise and SME marketplaces, announces its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2023 (the 'period' or 'H1-2023') and an update on trading for 49 trading days for the period from 1 July 2023 to 8 September 2023 ('Q3-2023').

 

H1-2023: Financial Summary


H1-2023

£ millions

 

H1-2022

£ millions

Change

% **

Underlying transaction values

5,964

4,169

+43%

 

 


 

Revenue

45.0

31.4

+43%


 


 

Gross profit

23.6

14.9

+59%

 

 


 

Gross profit %

52.4%

47.4%

 

 

 


 

Adjusted EBITDA*

9.8

4.9

+102%

 

 


 

Operating profit

5.5

1.1

 

 

 


 

Profit after taxation

4.8

0.8

 

 

 


 

EPS (Basic, in pence)

2.64

0.38

 

 

Notes

* Adjusted EBITDA is defined as operating profit before: depreciation, amortisation, impairment charges and share option charges and items of an exceptional nature. EBITDA is defined as operating profit before depreciation and amortisation.

**Percentages are calculated based on underlying rather than rounded figures.

 

H1-2023: Financial Highlights

 

·   

Record transaction values, with revenues up 43% to £45.0 million (H1-2022: £31.4 million) including £13.6 million derived from the Solutions platform (H1-2022: £6.3 million)

·   

Further improvements to gross profit margin, increasing to 52.4% from 47.4%

·   

Adjusted EBITDA* more than doubled to £9.8 million compared to same period last year (H1-2022: £4.9 million)

·   

£17.9 million Cash at Bank up from £15.0 million at 31 December 2022 despite £2.9 million spent on acquisitions

·   

Basic EPS rising to 2.64 pence from 0.38 pence in H1-2022

 

H1-2023: Operational and Product Highlights

 

·   

Acquisition of Oonex, now called Equals Money Europe, providing EU market access

·   

Acquisition of Roqqett, an open banking platform, completed and now integrated

·   

Automation of 'payments out' flows yielding increased efficiencies

·   

Further investments into Compliance and Risk functions

·   

API integration to Equals Platform deployed, opening new distribution channels

 



 

Q3-2023 Trading (1 July 2023 to 8 September 2023) and Outlook

 

·   

Year-to-date revenue of £63.6 million, 39% ahead of the same period in 2022

·   

Revenues per day of £370k, compared to £265k in the same period in 2022

·   

Robust pipeline in Solutions underpinning further growth

·   

FairFX B2C card product moved to Equals Core platform

·   

Equals Money Europe integration progressing on plan

·   

Continued strong cash generation

·   

Proposed capital reduction being announced today to put the Company in a position to pay dividends

·   

The Board intends to pay a maiden dividend of 1.5 pence in respect of the financial year ending 31 December 2023*

 

* Dividend payment subject to, inter alia, capital reduction, shareholder and court approvals.

 

Commenting on the Interim Results, Ian Strafford-Taylor, CEO of Equals Group plc, said:

 

"This is an outstanding set of results with record revenues combining with improved gross profit retention to yield enhanced profitability.  These results, coupled with our continued cash generation, enable us to announce our intention, conditional, inter alia, upon the completion of the proposed capital reduction, to pay our maiden dividend of 1.5 pence per share in respect of the financial year 2023, while continuing our growth strategy.  A further announcement will be made in due course following the conclusion of the capital reduction process.

 

"As well as strong financial performance, the Group completed its acquisition of Oonex SA (subsequently renamed Equals Money Europe), a Brussels-based payments services provider regulated by the National Bank of Belgium.  This acquisition enables Equals to widen its distribution and addressable markets and the integration of the business is proceeding according to plan.

 

"The first half of 2023 saw strong growth which has continued into Q3 despite an uncertain macroeconomic environment.  Given the current trading, and a robust sales pipeline, we look to the future with increased confidence, and we expect to be ahead of expectations for the full year."

 

Analyst meeting

 

A conference call for analysts hosted by Ian Strafford-Taylor (CEO) and Richard Cooper (CFO) will be held today at 9.30am. A copy of the Interim Results presentation is available at the Group's website: http://www.equalsplc.com.

 

For retail investors, an audio webcast of the conference call with analysts will be available after 12pm today at: https://stream.buchanan.uk.com/broadcast/64fb2da384cbf5eec802cac9. In addition, as previously announced, the Company will also be presenting the Interim Results via the Investor Meet Company platform at 6pm today.  Please register at https://www.investormeetcompany.com/equals-group-plc/register-investor.

 

This announcement contains inside information.

 

- Ends -

 

For more information, please contact:

 

Equals Group plc


Ian Strafford-Taylor, CEO

Richard Cooper, CFO

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7778 9308

www.equalsplc.com

 

Canaccord Genuity (Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker)


Max Hartley / Harry Rees

 

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7523 8150

 


Peel Hunt LLP (Joint Broker)


Paul Shackleton / John Welch

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7418 8900



Buchanan (Financial Communications)


Henry Harrison-Topham / Stephanie Whitmore / Toto Berger

equals@buchanan.uk.com

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7466 5000

www.buchanan.uk.com

 

 



Chief Executive Officer's Report

The vision for the Group continues to be the simplification of global money movement for business customers.  Equals achieves this through its B2B platforms, Equals Money being targeted at SME customers and Equals Solutions which targets larger corporate opportunities.  The Group's growth potential is particularly strong given that the core building blocks of its platforms, namely own-name multi-currency IBANs and bank-grade connectivity and clearance, are highly complex and time consuming to replicate.  This 'first mover' advantage was achieved by the investments made in previous years and will be continuously enhanced by the developments planned in the Group's technical roadmap combined with further investments into direct connectivity to payment networks.

 

The ambition of Equals has never just been to operate within the UK, and we were delighted to complete the acquisition of Oonex SA, (subsequently renamed Equals Money Europe SA) on 4 July 2023.  Through its regulation by the National Bank of Belgium and strong links to both a Belgian bank (KBC) and a Dutch bank (ING), this provides the Group with cross-EU reach for its products, particularly Equals Solutions, which has already exceeded management's expectations in terms of revenue growth and profitability.

 

In the period we also further enhanced the Group's product set via the acquisition of Roqqett Limited, an open-banking payments platform.  The acquisition allows Equals to span the entire payment cycle for its B2B customers by providing them with another method to get paid by their customers, be that B2B or B2C.  Roqqett has now been successfully integrated into the FairFX card checkout process and is being sold to external customers.

 

The investments made by the Group since 2018 have been instrumental in driving the current strong performance.  These investments fall into two major categories, namely internal product development and acquisitions.  Investment into internal product development remains vital to driving the business forward and we anticipate keeping our spend in this area at a consistent level going forwards.  As will be illustrated in more detail in the CFO Review which follows this Report, our investments into acquisitions have all been successfully integrated and highly accretive.

 

The attractiveness of Equals' product set is illustrated by the growing volume of transactions and load values across the Group's platform:

 

£ millions


H1-2021

H2-2021

H1-2022

H2-2022

H1-2023

Transaction value

2,424

*4,011

4,163

5,053

5,964

% growth on half year

25%

65%

4%

21%

18%







*H2-2021 shown here excludes the £114 million from the one-off material trade announced on 28 October 2021.

 

This translates well to revenues which rose by 43% in H1-2023 to £45.0 million (H1-2022: £31.4 million).

 

Revenue by six-month period, in £ millions

 


H1-2021

H2-2021

H1-2022

H2-2022

H1-2023

Medium enterprises

8.1

11.8

10.3

12.1

14.0

Consumer and small business

6.1

6.7

7.7

9.0

8.5

White-label

2.4

5.4

7.2

7.8

8.9

Large enterprises

0.3

1.8

6.2

9.4

13.6

Material trade

-

1.5

-

-

-

Total

16.9

27.2

31.4

38.3

45.0

 



 

Sales & Marketing

 

The composition of the Group's Sales and Marketing teams has shifted over recent years reflecting Equals' pivot from a B2C to a B2B focus.  B2B customer acquisition requires strong processes for lead generation and outbound sales augmented by high conversion websites and cost-effective digital marketing.  Equals has continued to strengthen its sales capability by recruitment of experienced professionals capable of consultative selling.  In addition, the Group has hired people with specific sector expertise as well as rolling out a regional sales model rather than solely basing in London.  In keeping with the same theme of 'face-to-face' sales, Equals has increased its presence at industry trade shows and has salespeople consistently travelling to meet customers.  The direct sales efforts are augmented by a sales operations team to ensure peak efficiency and conversion. Furthermore, given the roll-out of API connectivity in H1 2023, the Group now has dedicated resources within its Engineering team to onboard new customers.

 

Equals has significantly upgraded its approach to digital marketing with all the Group's websites yielding increases in conversion and have rolled out new digital marketing collateral for the Group's multi-currency IBAN products.  Equals' recruitment of top-quality digital marketing professionals has transformed our capabilities across the website, SEO and PPC yielding improvements in customer acquisition and ability to optimise by channel using test and refine techniques.

 

Profitability

 

A 43% increase in revenues, improvement in gross profit margin, tight cost control in a tough labour market, combined to result in adjusted EBITDA doubling from £4.9 million in H1-2022 to £9.8 million in H1-2023.  A performance that as CEO, I am immensely proud of.

 

Dividend

 

Equals has today announced a proposed capital reduction to redeem around £25 million of its share premium account to create distributable reserves.  The proposed capital reduction is expected to be completed by mid Q4-2023.  The Board intends conditional, inter alia, upon the completion of the proposed capital reduction, to pay a maiden dividend of 1.5 pence per share in respect of the financial year 2023.  A further announcement will be made in due course following the conclusion of the capital reduction process.

 

Current trading and outlook

 

The Global macroeconomic environment continues to be challenging with high inflation, high interest rates, concerns over China's economy and the conflict in Ukraine all affecting confidence and business activity.  Against this market backdrop, Equals continues to grow strongly because it has a product and capability suite that is hard to replicate.

 

In Q3 2023 to date, revenues continued to perform strongly reaching £63.6 million on a year-to-date basis as of 8 September 2023.  This is 39% ahead of the same period in 2022 and represents revenues per working day of £370k compared to £265k per day in the prior year.

 

Equals has increased its addressable market by adding the capability for customers to connect via API.  Whilst these customers take longer to on-board, due to the requirement to connect their systems directly to Equals Core, they are typically larger in size, and we expect to drive future revenue growth.  The current pipeline for new Solutions customers, both via direct login and API, is strong and with the new capabilities of Equals Money Europe, the Board believes that going forwards Equals is well positioned to further increase its addressable markets and distribution channels.

 



 

Given the strong current trading, and a robust sales pipeline, the Board looks to the future with increased confidence, and we expect to be ahead of expectations for the full year.

 

 

Ian Strafford-Taylor

Chief Executive Officer

12 September 2023



REVIEW OF THE CFO

 

Taking the financial information disclosed in the CEO's Report one step further, I am pleased to present record Interim Results for the six months ended 30 June 2023.

 

Totals may not sum due to rounding. Percentages are calculating on underlying figures before rounding.  Where costs cannot be accurately attributed to each segment, they have been allocated on the basis of revenue.

 

TABLE 1: INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT


H1-2023


H1-2022


H2-2022


£ millions


£ millions


£ millions

Revenue (table 3)

45.0


31.4


38.3


 





Gross Profits (table 5)

23.6


14.9


18.8

Less: Marketing

(1.2)


(0.9)


(0.9)

Contribution

22.4

 

13.9

 

17.9

Staff costs

(9.2)


(6.6)


(7.8)

Property and office cost

(0.5)


(0.4)


(0.5)

IT and telephone costs

(1.4)


(0.9)


(1.1)

Professional Fees

(0.7)


(0.6)


(0.7)

Compliance Fees

(0.6)


(0.4)


(0.3)

Travel and other expenses

(0.3)


(0.2)


(0.3)

Adjusted EBITDA

9.8

 

4.9

 

7.2

Less:    Share option expense

(0.7)


(0.3)


(0.6)

Less:    Acquisition costs and exceptional items

0.0


0.0


(0.2)

EBITDA

9.1

 

4.6

 

6.4


 





IFRS 16 Depreciation (table 6)

(0.3)


(0.4)


(0.4)

Other depreciation (table 6)

(0.2)


(0.2)


(0.2)

Amortisation of acquired intangibles (table 7)

(0.7)


(0.6)


(0.6)

Other amortisation (table 7)

(2.5)


(2.2)


(2.2)

Contingent consideration credit / (cost)

0.2


0.0


(0.3)


(3.5)


(3.5)


(3.7)


 





Gain on disposal of Travel Cash CGU

0.4


0.0


0.0

EBIT

5.9

 

1.1

 

2.7

Lease interest

(0.1)


(0.1)


(0.1)

Foreign exchange differences

0.0


0.0


(0.1)

Contingent consideration finance charges

0.0


(0.1)


0.0


(0.1)


(0.2)


(0.2)


 





5.8

 

0.9

 

2.6

Corporate and deferred taxation

(1.0)


(0.1)


0.2

PROFIT FOR THE YEAR

4.8

 

0.8

 

2.8

 

 



 

TABLE 2 - ADJUSTED EBITDA BRIDGE FROM H1-2022 TO H1-2023 (in £'000s)

 

H1-2022 Adjusted EBITDA

 

4,852

 



Add:

61% uplift in contribution H1-2023

8,477




Less:

39% increase in staff costs, reflecting higher planned headcount (23% up from H1-2022), higher quality hires and salary increases (around 8%)

(2,574)





47% increase in IT and communication costs - mainly hosting and telephone in line with transaction growth

(432)





35% increase in professional and compliance costs for enhanced procedures and consultation, proactively ahead of requirements

 

(325)

 

 

20% increase in property costs arising through service charge/utility inflation

(87)


48% increase in travel and entertaining costs incurred through ambassadorial initiatives and industry awareness events

(86)




H1-2023

Adjusted EBITDA

 

9,825

 



Uplift over H1-2022


4,973

% uplift over H1-2022


102%

 

Revenue

 

TABLE 3 - REVENUE BY CUSTOMER TYPE, IN £ MILLIONS

 

The table below shows the revenue for the last five periods of six months, split by customer grouping and within than the type of business provided:

 

 

H1-2021

H2-2021

H1-2022

H2-2022

H1-2023

   International Payments

6.0

8.7

6.9

8.0

9.2

   Cards

2.1

3.1

3.4

4.1

4.8

Medium enterprises

8.1

11.8

10.3

12.1

14.0







   International Payments

1.4

1.9

2.1

2.4

1.9

   Cards

1.7

1.7

2.3

2.8

2.4

   Banking

2.9

2.8

2.8

3.3

4.1

Consumer and small business

6.0

6.4

7.2

8.5

8.4







White Label

White-Label

2.4

5.4

7.2

7.8

8.9







Large enterprises ("Solutions")

0.3

1.8

6.2

9.4

13.6







Material trade

-

1.5

-

-

-







Bureau de change

0.1

0.3

0.5

0.5

0.1







Total

16.9

27.2

31.4

38.3

45.0

 



 

COST OF SALES & GROSS PROFITS

 

Cost of sales comprises three principal component which are shown below.  The cost for staff commissions includes Employers National Insurance contributions.

 

TABLE 4 - COST OF SALES

 

 

 

 

 

 

H1-2023

 

H1-2022

 

H2-2022

 

£ millions

 

£ millions


£ millions

Affiliate commissions

14.6


10.7


13.1

Staff commissions

1.8


1.7


1.9

Transactions costs and similar*

5.0


4.1


4.5

Total

21.4

 

16.5

 

19.5

 

 

*Transaction costs, includes bank charges and similar, and, will, if applicable, include costs for any compensation associated with the FCA's newly introduced Consumer Duty rules.

 

Gross profit margins differ between each business unit.  The mix of product (example: spot or forward FX) also influences the margin.  Margins continue to improve as the business mix changes, and, with increased 'purchasing power' the Group should be able to improve margins further but probably not higher than a full percentage point.

 

Gross profit ratios over the last five six-month periods are shown below:

 

Table 5 - GROSS PROFIT MARGIN OVER THE LAST FIVE SIX MONTH PERIODS

 

 


H1-2021

H2-2021

H1-2022

H2-2022

H1-2023

   International Payments

64%

54%

59%

51%

57%

   Cards

71%

68%

59%

66%

65%

Medium enterprises

66%

58%

58%

56%

59%

 

 

 

 

 

 

   International Payments

79%

74%

71%

71%

68%

   Cards

71%

71%

61%

64%

58%

   Banking

72%

71%

75%

79%

85%

Consumer, and small business

73%

72%

69%

72%

74%

 

White-Label

17%

11%

11%

13%

19%







Large enterprises (Solutions)

33%

44%

47%

50%

54%







Material trade

-

54%

-

-

-







Bureau de change

-

67%

40%

40%

-







Total

60%

51%

47%

49%

52%

 

 

Staff costs

 

Staff costs shown, exclude staff commissions which are included in cost of sales (see table 4).

 

Headcount numbers have moved from 285 as at 31 December 2022 to 323 as at 30 June 2023.

 

Performance related components, when combined with staff commissions included in cost of sales are, in the aggregate, around 25% of the total cost of staff.

 

The charge to the P&L was £9.2 million, up 39% on H1-2022 (£6.6 million) and 18% on H2-2022 (£7.8 million).

 

Gross of capitalisation of £2.4 million (H1-2022: £2.1 million), costs were £11.7 million in H1-2023 (£8.8 million in H1-2022).  The amounts capitalised represent 21% of gross staff costs, decrease from 23% in H1-2022 largely due to an increased headcount not directly attributable to development projects.

 

Capitalisation is now broadly in line with the amortisation charge relating to capitalised software.

 

 

Professional fees and Compliance costs

 

Owing to an increasing cross-industry compliance burden, the Group has chosen to report compliance and similar costs separate to other professional fees.  Such costs, including onboarding systems, have risen due to a combination of greater business activity and the Group's desire to fast-track business applications proactive with regulation but not at the expense of quality.  Professional fees have risen in line with trends widely reported in the national press, most notably the provision for cost of the audit noting increased acquisition activity and implantation of enhanced systems.

 

 

Depreciation

 

Tangible fixed assets are depreciated over the anticipated useful life with a maximum of 60 months (other than leasehold improvements which is a maximum of 120 months).

 

TABLE 6 - DEPRECIATION


H1-2023

 

H1-2022


£'000s

 

£'000s

IFRS 16 depreciation

332

 

445

Other depreciation

193

 

187


525

 

632

 

Based upon the expenditure incurred to 31 December 2022, the total depreciation charges for assets in FY-2023 will be:

 


£'000s

IFRS 16 depreciation

668

Other depreciation

375


1,043

 

 

Amortisation

Intangible assets acquired on acquisition are amortised over their estimated useful lives, with a maximum of 60 months for brands and a maximum of 108 months for customer relationships. The charge to amortisation for the year can be analysed as follows:

 



 

TABLE 7 - COMPONENTS OF AMORTISATION CHARGES

 


H1-2023

£'000s

 

H1-2022

£'000s

Amortisation charge arising from the capitalisation of internally developed software in the following years:

 

 


2018 and earlier

272

 

458

2019

831

 

831

2020

447

 

447

2021

288

 

267

2022

377

 

86

H1-2023

123

 

-


2,338

 

2,089

Amortisation charge for other intangibles

141

 

128


2,479

 

2,217

Amortisation of acquired intangibles

686

 

641

Total amortisation charge

3,165

 

2,858

 

Based upon expenditure to 31 December 2022, the total amortisation charges for FY-2023 are expected to be:


£'000

Internally developed software

4,953

Other intangible assets

267

Acquired intangibles

984


6,204

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating result

 

The Group made a profit before taxation of £5.8 million in H1-2023, compared to £0.9 million in H1-2022.

 

Taxation, incorporating R&D credits

 

The Group has recognised a net tax charge of £1,031k (H1-2022: £37k) of which £nil (H1-2022: £40k) relates to an R&D tax credit repayment.

 

At 31 December 2022 the Group had utilisable tax losses of £17.6 million. The White-Label business, Equals Connect Ltd, is profitable and tax paying, as until 3 October 2022 its profits could not be offset against other group company losses. At 30 June 2023 it is estimated that the Group has utilisable tax losses of £13.5 million.

 



 

TABLE 8 - BALANCE SHEET

This table shows a compressed 'balance sheet' for the Group.  This splits-out (from the statutory disclosure) certain current assets arising from the acquisitions being made.

 


30.06.2023


30.06.2022


31.12.2022


£'000s


£'000s


£'000s







Internally generated software - cost

28,723


23,617


26,001

Internally generated software - accumulated amortisation

(15,749)


(11,065)


(13,411)


12,974


12,552


12,590

Other non-current assets (other than 'right to use')

22,965


19,066


18,558

IFRS 16 assets, less IFRS 16 liabilities

(635)


(976)


(830)


35,304


30,642


30,318


 





Liquidity (per Table 11)

16,621


12,825


14,321

Accrued Income and Trade Debtors

5,577


4,245


4,246

R&D rebates

-


438


-

Prepayments

1,627


1,411


1,345

Working Capital advances to Roqqett

-


-


830

Other Sundry Debtors

164


190


189

Inventory of card stock

237


148


292

Accounts payable

(2,616)


(2,308)


(2,070)

Affiliate commissions

(3,061)


(2,905)


(2,563)

PAYE and Vat

(849)


(652)


(816)

Staff commissions and accrued bonuses

(1,436)


(1,150)


(1,690)

Other accruals and other creditors

(2,050)


(1,442)


(1,938)


14,214


10,800


12,145

Working Capital and prepaid advances to Oonex

1,248


-


-

Deferred consideration receivable arising from the disposal of the bureau de change

100


-


-


15,562


10,800


12,145


 





Earn-out balances due (Table 9)

(4,605)


(303)


(2,025)

Net corporation and deferred tax

986


1,148


1,639

Net value of forward contracts

827


511


827


(2,793)


1,356


441


 





NET SHAREHOLDER FUNDS

48,073


42,798


42,904


 





 



 

INVESTMENTS

The Group invests in its future in two principal ways:

 

a.    Product development, which is capitalised and can result in R&D credits from the UK government.

b.    Acquisitions of companies or businesses.

 

A.        Product development

Over the period since January 2018, a total of £28.9 million has been invested in product development of which £15.7 million has already been amortised, more than 54%.  In H1-2023 a total of £2.7 million was capitalised of which £2.4 million related to staff costs and £0.3 million to third party software.

 

Until the year ended 31 December 2022, the Group received £6.3 million in cash from the UK government in respect of R&D claims and under IAS 12, this has to be accounted for through the charge (or credit) to Corporation tax.

 

For each £100,000 of product development capitalised now, the effect of the UK government's R&D scheme means that at current rates of corporation tax, the effective P&L cost to the Group is only £78,500.

 

The amortisation profile of the investments made is shown in Table 7.

 

The Group's intellectual property comprises these investments, and registered trademarks in various jurisdictions.

 

B.         Acquisitions

Table of acquisitions since 1 January 2019

 

Table 9 below shows the financial position relating to acquisitions in and after 2019, including Roqqett Limited and Hamer & Hamer Limited acquired in the six month period ended 30 June 2023.

 

 



 

TABLE 9 - EARNOUTS

 

Hermex

Casco

Effective

Roqqett Limited

Hamer & Hamer

Total

Acquisition date

09.08.2019

19.11.2019

15.10.2020

06.01.2023

24.03.2023

 


£'000s

£'000s

£'000s

£'000s

£'000s

£'000s





 

 

 

Acquisition price booked at acquisition

2,000

2,236

1,575

-

-

5,811

Earn outs paid by 31.12.2020

(2,000)

(1,733)

(125)

-

-

(3,858)

Revaluation of asset based on performance

-

793

-

-

-

793

Gross outstanding at 31.12.2020

-

1,296

1,450

-

-

2,746

Paid during 2021

-

(741)

(368)

-

-

(1,109)

Further change in consideration

-

46

-

-

-

46

Gross Outstanding at 31.12.2021

-

601

1,082

-

-

1,683

Paid during 2022

-

(601)

(1,082)

-

-

(1,683)

Purchase of the remainder of the NCI

-

2,955

-

-

-

2,955

Initial consideration paid by 31.12.2022

-

(930)

-

-

-

(930)

Gross Outstanding at 31.12.2022

-

2,025

-

-

-

2,025

Acquisition price booked at acquisition

-

-

-

2,250

3,200

5,450

Less acquired gross liabilities

-

-

-

(831)

-

(831)

Initial Consideration Paid during H1-2023

-

-

-

(169)

(1,500)

(1,669)

Deferred Consideration on receipt of R&D claim paid during H1-2023

-

-

-

(215)

-

(215)

Revaluation of asset based on performance

-

(155)

-

-

-

(155)

Gross Outstanding at 30.06.23

-

1,870

-

1,035

1,700

4,605





 

 

 





 

 

 

Due in remainder of 2023

-

1,087

-

1,035

-

2,122





 

 

 

Due in or after 2024

-

783

-

-

1,700

2,483





 

 

 

Total consideration

2,000

5,875

1,575

1,419

3,200

14,069

 

Roqqett

 

Following regulatory approval from the FCA on 6 January 2023, the acquisition of Roqqett Limited, an open-banking platform was completed on 9 January 2023.  Total consideration is up to £2.2 million less the gross liabilities of £0.8 million totalling £1.4 million.  A total of £384k had been settled by 30 June 2023.  Two instalments with combined liability of just over £1 million will be due depending on certain deliverables.

 

Hamer & Hamer

 

On 24 March 2023 the Group acquired Hamer & Hamer, an authorised payment institution regulated by the FCA for an initial consideration of £1.5 million. The business focuses on the SME segment. The deferred consideration based upon future performance targets, is £1.7 million, giving a total consideration of up to £3.2 million.  In the case of super performance, the sellers could earn a further £1.0 million which would be charged to the income statement.

 

Oonex SA

 

On 27 March 2023, the Group announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire the entire share capital of Oonex SA, an authorised payment institution licenced in Belgium.  Oonex SA (subsequently renamed as Equals Money Europe SA) provides card acquiring services and is a Principal Member of Mastercard allowing it to issue debit cards across the EEA.  Additionally, Oonex SA is a SWIFT and SEPA member and provides direct Payment Accounts ('IBANs') from Belgium to companies and individuals worldwide.

 

On 4 July 2023 the National Bank of Belgium consented to this acquisition.  The total consideration agreed was for five million shares in Equals Group Plc with 3,938,294 issued in July 2023 and 1,061,706 deferred until 4 January 2024.  The Group also assumed the liabilities of Oonex SA and various associated entities for around €6 million.  These are expected to be treated as a loan repayable out of the future profits of Equals Money Europe SA.

 

C.         Disposals

On 14 March 2023, the Group disposed of its Bureau de Change to an unrelated third party for an initial £250,000 with a further £100,000 receivable based upon performance.  A gain on disposal of £379,723 has been recognised in these financial statements.

 

Share capital

 

The number of shares in issue at 1 January 2023 was 180,712,473.  This increased in the year through the exercise of 333,334 share options, and 747,488 shares at nominal value were issued pursuant to the 2022 SIP, thus the number of shares outstanding at 30 June 2023 was 181,793,295.  A further 3,938,294 shares were issued and admitted to trading, pursuant to the acquisition of Oonex SA, thus at the date of this report the number of shares in issue is 185,731,589.

 



 

Share options

At 1 January 2023, the Company had 16,141,058 options outstanding.  333,334 of these were exercised in 2023, and 36,512 were cancelled.  After the 30 June 2023 but before the date of this announcement, a further 500,000 share options lapsed, thus, at the date of signing of these financial statements, there were 15,271,212 options, representing 8.2% of the issued share capital.

 

The cost of external advice for these schemes amounted to £15k in the period (H1-2022: £31k)

 

Earnings per share

 

Earnings per share are reported/calculated in accordance with IAS 33.  For non-diluted, the result after tax is divided by the average number of shares in issue in the year.  The average number of shares in the period was 181,533,904 (H1-2022: 179,890,374).

 

The calculation of diluted EPS is based on the result after tax divided by the number of actual shares in issue (above) plus the number of options where the fair value exceeds the weighted average share price in the year.  The fair value of options is measured using Black-Scholes and Monte-Carlo.  It should be noted that in accordance with Accounting Standards, this calculation is based on fair value, not the difference between the market price at the end of the year or the weighted average price and the exercise price.  The weighted average price was 91 pence (H1-2022: 78 pence), the number of options exceeding the fair value was 8,089,807 (H1-2022: 6,537,453).

 

The basic and diluted EPS are shown below:

 

Basic

Basic

Diluted

Diluted


H1-2023

H1-2022

H1-2023

H1-2022

Profit / (loss) per share (in pence)

2.64

0.38

2.52

0.36

 

 

Adjusted earnings and adjusted EPS

We have observed that the analyst community prepares EPS calculations on a number of different bases.  To try and harmonise these we have prepared below a basis which hopefully offers consistency:

 

 

H1-2023

 

H1-2022


£'000s


£'000s

P&L YTD Attributable to owners of Equals Group PLC

4,788


675

Add back:




-       Share option charges

741


290

-       Amortisation of acquired intangibles.

686


641

Adjusted earnings

6,215

 

1,606

 

The resulting earnings per share are shown below:

 

 

Basic

Basic

Diluted

Diluted


H1-2023

H1-2022

H1-2023

H1-2022

Adjusted profit per share (in pence)

3.42

0.89

3.27

0.86

 



 

CASH STATEMENT

 

The movement in the cash position is shown in the table below, splitting out trading from M&A activities:

 

TABLE 10 - CASHFLOW

H1-2023

£'000s

 

H1-2022

£'000s

 

H2-2022

£'000s







Adjusted EBITDA

9,825

 

4,852

 

7,268

Lease payments (principal and interest)

(488)


(371)


(598)

R&D tax receipts relating to qualifying Equals expenditure in prior periods

-


-


400

Acquisition costs

-


-


(164)

Internally developed software capitalised for R&D:






- Staff

(2,449)


(2,051)


(2,140)

- IT Costs

(273)


(164)


(244)

Purchase of other intangible assets less disposals

(284)


(307)


(138)

Purchase of other non-current assets

(252)


(122)


(149)

Movement in working capital

(551)


2,926


(1,780)


5,528


4,763


2,455

M&A activities:






 - Net acquired consideration, and earn-outs

(1,669)


(1,380)


(1,233)

 - Associated costs capitalised in acquisition

(29)


-


-

Costs relating to acquisitions after the balance sheet date

(319)


-


-

Loans in advance of acquisition:






- Oonex

(729)


-


-

- Roqqett

-


-


(830)


(2,746)


(1,380)


(2,063)







Funds from exercise of share options

97


193


-







External funding repaid (CBILS)

-


(228)


(1,800)

 

 

 

 

 

 

NET CASHFLOWS

2,879

 

3,348

 

(1,408)

Balance at 1st January / 1st July

15,044


13,104


16,452

Balance at 30th June / 31st December

17,923

 

16,452

 

15,044

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash per share

9.9 pence

 

9.1 pence

 

8.3 pence

 

Working capital movements commonly comprise:

 

·     Timing differences between accrued and paid affiliate commissions

·     Timing differences between accrued and paid performance related pay

·     Timing difference between accrued expenses and the settlement of subsequent invoices

·     Profit transfers from the Client ledgers

·     Margin calls (or releases) from liquidity providers

 

The Group enhances its reputation by aiming to pay all suppliers on the invoice due date.

 

 



 

TABLE 11 - LIQUIDITY

H1-2023

 

H1-2022

 

£'000s

 

£'000s

Cash at bank

17,923


16,452

Balances with liquidity providers

2,863


1,499

Pre-funded balances with card provider

759


884

Gross liquid resources

21,545

 

18,835





Customer balances not subject to safeguarding

(4,924)


(4,210)

CBILS loan

-


(1,800)


(4,924)


(6,010)





Net position

16,621

 

12,825

 

The Group has its principal banking and deposit arrangements with Barclays, NatWest, Citibank and Blackrock.  As a member of RTGS, the Group also holds interest-earning balances with the Bank of England.

 

 

Richard Cooper

Chief Financial Officer

12 September 2023

 

 



 

INTERIM CONSOLIDATED statement OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

FOR THE six-month period ENDED 30 june 2023

 

 

 

Period end

30 June 2023

Unaudited

 

Period end

30 June 2022

Unaudited


Year end 31

December

2022

Audited

 

 

Note

£000

 

£000


£000

 

 


 








 






Revenue on currency transactions


40,983


28,505


63,541


Banking revenue


4,045


2,868


6,141


Revenue

2

45,028


31,373


69,682

 

Direct costs

2

(21,425)


(16,507)


(36,027)


Gross profit


23,603


14,866


33,655

 



 






Administrative expenses

3

(14,395)


(10,314)


(22,576)


Depreciation


(525)


(632)


(1,211)


Amortisation charge


(3,165)


(2,858)


(6,008)


Acquisition costs


-


-


(164)


Total operating expenses


(18,085)


(13,804)


(29,959)


 

 

 





 

Operating profit

 

5,518


1,062


3,696

 

 

 

 





 

Other income and expenses:

 

 





 

Gain on the sale of the Cash CGU

9

380


-


-

 

Finance costs

8

(79)


(177)


(280)


Profit before tax

 

5,819


885


3,416

 

 


 





 

Tax charge / (credit)

4

(1,031)


(37)


135


Profit after tax

 

 

4,788


848


3,551

 

Memo: Profit is attributable to:


 






Owners of Equals Group Plc


4,788


675


3,237


Non-controlling interest


-


173


314


 


 






Other comprehensive income:


 






Exchange differences arising on translation of foreign operations


-


1


-




4,788


849


3,551


Profit per share

 

 






Basic


2.64p


0.38p


1.80p


Diluted


2.52p


0.36p


1.73p


 

 

 

All income and expenses arise from continuing operations.

 



 

INTERIM CONSOLIDATED statement OF FINANCIAL POSITION

FOR THE six-month period ENDED 30 june 2023



 

 

 

 

 



As at 30 June 2023

 

As at 30 June 2022

 

As at 31 December 2022

 


Unaudited

 

Unaudited

 

Audited

 

Note

£000

 

£000

 

£000

ASSETS

 






Non-current assets

 






Property, plant and equipment


1,215


1,193


1,139

Right of use assets


3,171


4,067


3,367

Intangible assets and goodwill


34,724


30,425


30,008

Deferred tax assets


1,171


1,287


1,831



40,281


36,972


36,345

Current assets

 






Inventories


237


148


292

Trade and other receivables


13,413


8,228


10,274

Current tax assets


-


439


-

Derivative financial assets


5,616


2,593


5,616

Cash and cash equivalents


17,923


16,452


15,044



37,189


27,860


31,226

TOTAL ASSETS

 

77,470

 

64,832

 

67,571








EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

 






Equity attributable to equity holders

 






Share capital

6

1,818


1,807


1,807

Share premium

6

53,498


53,405


53,405

Share based payment reserve


4,143


2,455


3,231

Other reserves


8,609


8,610


8,609

Retained deficit


(19,995)


(23,915)


(24,148)

Equity attributable to owners of Equals Group Plc


48,073


42,362


42,904

Non-controlling interest


-


436


-



48,073


42,798


42,904








Non-current liabilities

 






Borrowings

7

-


1,600


-

Right of use (lease) liabilities


3,063


4,224


3,417



3,063


5,824


3,417








Current liabilities

 






Borrowings

7

-


200


-

Trade and other payables


20,617


12,970


15,489

Current tax liabilities


185


139


192

Right of use (lease) liabilities


743


819


780

Derivative financial liabilities


4,789


2,082


4,789



26,334


16,210


21,250

TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

 

77,470

 

64,832

 

67,571








 

 

INTERIM CONSOLIDATEd STATEMENT OF changes in equity

For the SIX-MONTH period ended 30 june 2023

 

Group

Share capital

Share premium

Share based payment

Retained deficit

Other reserves

Total attributable to owners of Equals Group Plc

Non-controlling interest

Total

 

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

 









At 1 January 2022

1,793

53,218

1,858

(24,590)

8,609

40,888

263

41,151










Income for the period and total comprehensive income

-

-

-

675

-

675

173

848

Exchange differences arising on translation of foreign operations

-

-

-

-

1

1

-

1

Acquisition of the remaining NCI

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Share based payment charge

-

-

259

-

-

259

-

259

Movement in deferred tax on share-based payment charge

-

-

338

-

-

338

338

New shares issued

14

187

-

-

-

201

-

201

At 30 June 2022

1,807

53,405

2,455

(23,915)

8,610

42,362

436

42,798










Income for the period and total comprehensive income

-

-

-

2,562

-

2,562

141

2,703

Exchange differences arising on translation of foreign operations

-

-

-

-

(1)

(1)

-

(1)

Acquisition of the remaining NCI

-

-

-

(2,902)

-

(2,902)

(577)

(3,479)

Share based payment charge

-

-

665

-

-

665

-

665

Movement in deferred tax on share-based payment charge

-

-

218

-

-

218

-

218

Share options exercised in year

-

-

(107)

107

-

-

-

-

New shares issued

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

At 31 December 2022

1,807

53,405

3,231

(24,148)

8,609

42,904

-

42,904










Income for the period and total comprehensive income

-

-

-

4,788

-

4,788

-

4,788

Exchange differences arising on translation of foreign operations

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Purchase of Roqqett reserves

-

-

-

(666)

-

(666)

-

(666)

Purchase of Hamer & Hamer reserves

-

-

-

31

-

31


31

Share based payment charge

-

-

726

-

-

726

-

726

Movement in deferred tax on share-based payment charge

-

-

186

-

-

186

-

186

New shares issued

11

93

-

-

-

104

-

104

At 30 June 2023

1,818

53,498

4,143

(19,995)

8,609

48,073

-

48,073










 

Other reserves comprise:

 

Merger reserve

Arising on reverse acquisition from Group reorganisation.

Contingent consideration reserve

Foreign currency reserve

Arising on equity based contingent consideration on acquisition of subsidiaries.

Arising on translation of foreign operations

 



 

INTERIM Consolidated statement of cash flows

FOR THE SIX-MONTH PERIOD ENDED 30 JUNE 2023


 

 

 

 

 


Six month period ended

30 June 2023

Unaudited

 

Six month period ended

30 June 2022

Unaudited

 

Six month period ended

31 December 2022

Audited


£000

 

£000

 

£000

Operating Activities

 

 

 

 

 

Profit for the period

5,819

 

885


2,531

Adjustments for:






Depreciation

525


632


579

Amortisation

3,165


2,858


3,150

Share based payment charge

726


259


665

(Increase) in trade and other receivables

(3,431)


(188)


(9,732)

Decrease in net derivative financial assets / liabilities

-


-


(3,023)

Increase in trade and other payables

5,356


1,561


8,146

Increase in derivative financial liabilities

-


-


2,707

Decrease / (increase) in inventories

55


20


(144)

Finance costs

79


177


103

Net cash inflow

12,294


6,204


4,982

 






Tax receipts

-


-


400

Tax paid

(192)


-


(61)

Net cash inflow from operating activities

12,102


6,204


5,321

 






Cash flows from investing activities






Acquisition of property, plant and equipment

(401)


(122)


(149)

Acquisition of intangibles

(3,005)


(2,323)


(2,733)

Acquisition of subsidiary, net of cash acquired

(5,425)


-


-

Net cash used in investing activities

(8,831)


(2,445)


(2,882)

 






Cash flows from financing activities






Principal elements of lease payments

(415)


(297)


(540)

Interest paid on finance lease

(73)


(82)


(87)

Interest paid

(8)


(33)


(14)

Repayment of borrowings

-


(200)


(1,800)

Acquisition of the remaining non-controlling interest

-


-


(1,405)

Proceeds from issuance of ordinary shares

104


201


(1)

Net cash used in financing activities

(392)


(411)


(3,847)

 






Net increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

2,879


3,348


(1,408)

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period

15,044


13,104


16,452

Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period

17,923

 

16,452

 

15,044

 

 



 

CONSOLIDATED NOTES TO THE INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE SIX-MONTH PERIOD ENDED 30 JUNE 2023

 

1.         Basis of preparation

 

The principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of the Group and Interim Consolidated financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all the years presented, unless otherwise stated.  The financial statements have been prepared on a historical cost basis with the exception of derivative financial instruments which are measured at fair value through profit or loss.

 

These financial statements are prepared in accordance with UK-adopted International Accounting Standards in conformity with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.  The financial statements are presented in sterling, the Group's presentational currency.

 

The unaudited consolidated Interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the AIM rules and consistently with the basis of preparation and accounting policies set out in the accounts of the Group for the period ended 31 December 2022.  The information set out herein is abbreviated and does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of Section 434 of the Companies Act 2006.  These interim consolidated financial statements do not include all disclosures which would be required in a complete set of financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the 2022 Annual Report.

 

The Company is a limited liability company incorporated and domiciled in England and Wales and whose shares are quoted on AIM, a market operated by The London Stock Exchange.

 

a)  Critical judgements and estimates

IFRS requires management to make estimates, judgements and assumptions that affect the application of the Group's accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses.  These estimates are based on the Directors best knowledge and past experience.  The existing critical judgements and estimates set out in note [3.26] of the Group's annual report for the year ended 31 December 2022 have been reviewed in preparing these Interim consolidated financial statements and the Directors believe they remain relevant.

 

b)  Going concern

The Board continues to closely monitor its performance and considers a range of risks that could affect the future performance and position of the Group.  The Board considers it has a reasonable expectation that it has adequate resources to continue to operate for the foreseeable future and therefore the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis.

 



 

2.         Segmental Analysis

 

Based on previously identified cash generating units, the segmental results were as follows:

 

Unaudited

Currency

Cards

International Payments

Solutions

Travel Cash

Banking

Central

Total

6 months ended 30 June 2023

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

 








Segment revenue

7,205

19,986

13,587

129

4,121

-

45,028

Direct costs

(2,650)

(11,775)

(6,230)

(90)

(680)

-

(21,425)

Gross profit

4,555

8,211

7,357

39

3,441

-

23,603

Administrative expenses

-

-

-

-

-

(14,395)

(14,395)

Depreciation

-

-

-

-

-

(525)

(525)

Amortisation

-

-

-

-

-

(3,165)

(3,165)

Gain on the sale of the cash CGU

-

-

-

380

-

-

380

Finance costs

-

-

-

-

-

(79)

(79)

Profit / (loss) before tax

4,555

8,211

7,357

419

3,441

(18,164)

5,819









Current assets

-

-

-

-

3,143

34,046

37,189

Non-current assets

5,323

22,035

-

-

2,371

10,552

40,281

Total liabilities

-

-

-

-

(1,904)

(27,493)

(29,397)

Total net assets

5,323

22,035

-

-

3,610

17,105

48,073

 

 

 

Unaudited

Currency

Cards

International Payments

Solutions

Travel Cash

Banking

Central

Total

6 months ended 30 June 2022

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

 








Segment revenue

5,645

16,242

6,204

478

2,804

-

31,373

Direct costs

(2,059)

(10,183)

(3,343)

(239)

(683)

-

(16,507)

Gross profit

3,586

6,059

2,861

239

2,121

-

14,866

Administrative expenses

-

-

-

-

-

(10,314)

(10,314)

Depreciation

-

-

-

-

-

(632)

(632)

Amortisation

-

-

-

-

-

(2,858)

(2,858)

Finance costs

-

-

-

-

-

(177)

(177)

Profit / (loss) before tax

3,586

6,059

2,861

239

2,121

(13,981)

885









Current assets

-

-

-

-

2,634

25,226

27,860

Non-current assets

5,120

18,051

-

178

2,434

11,189

36,972

Total liabilities

-

-

-

-

(1,952)

(20,082)

(22,034)

Total net assets

5,120

18,051

-

178

3,116

16,333

42,798

 

 



 

Audited

Currency

Cards

International Payments

Solutions

Travel Cash

Banking

Central

Total

6 months ended 31 December 2022

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

 








Segment revenue

6,894

18,115

9,432

531

3,337

-

38,309

Direct costs

(2,559)

(11,179)

(4,746)

(314)

(722)

-

(19,520)

Gross profit

4,335

6,936

4,686

217

2,615

-

18,789

Administrative expenses

-

-

-

-

-

(12,262)

(12,262)

Depreciation

-

-

-

-

-

(579)

(579)

Amortisation

-

-

-

-

-

(3,150)

(3,150)

Acquisition costs

-

-

-

-

-

(164)

(164)

Finance costs

-

-

-

-

-

(103)

(103)

Profit / (loss) before tax

4,335

6,936

4,686

217

2,615

(16,258)

2,531









Current assets

-

-

-

-

2,343

28,883

31,226

Non-current assets

5,341

17,975

-

128

4,372

8,529

36,345

Total liabilities

-

-

-

-

(2,287)

(22,380)

(24,667)

Total net assets

5,341

17,975

-

128

4,428

15,032

42,904

 

3.         Operating profit

 

Operating profit is stated after charging the following operating expenses:

 


6 months ended 30 June 2023

6 months ended 30 June 2022

12 months ended 31 December 2022


Unaudited

Unaudited

Audited


£000

£000

£000





Marketing costs

1,206

790

1,858

Staff costs

9,194

6,620

14,406

Property and office costs

517

430

932

Audit fees

231

180

350

Compliance costs

552

358

683

Other professional fees

460

380

851

IT and telephone cost

1,351

925

2,012

Travel and similar

257

329

440

Foreign exchange loss

30

10

71

Share option charge and other share option related costs

741

291

970

Contingent consideration

(155)

-

-

Other costs

11

1

3

Administrative costs

14,395

10,314

22,576

Depreciation of right of use assets

331

445

822

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

194

187

389

Amortisation charge

3,165

2,858

6,008

Acquisition costs

-

-

164

Total operating expenses

18,085

13,804

29,959

 



 

4.         Taxation


6 months ended

30 June 2023

Unaudited

6 months ended 30 June 2022

Unaudited

12 months ended

31 December 2022

Audited


£000

£000

£000

Current year R&D credit

-

(40)

-

Current year corporation tax charge

185

78

192

Current tax credit

185

38

192

 

 

 



Origination and reversal of temporary differences

38

(8)

(203)

Recognition of previously unrecognised deductible temporary differences

808

7

(124)

Deferred tax credit

846

(1)

(327)


 



Total tax charge / (credit)

1,031

37

(135)

 

 

5.         Earnings per share

 

Basic earnings per share is calculated based on the £4,788k profit attributable to owners of Equals Group plc (H1-2022: £675k) divided by the weighted average number of shares of 181,533,904 in the period (H1-2022: 179,768,562), giving a result of 2.64 pence per share (H1-2022: 0.38 pence per share).

 

 

6.         Share capital


6 months ended 30 June 2023

6 months ended 30 June 2023

6 months ended 30 June 2022

12 months ended 31 December 2022

Unaudited

Unaudited

Unaudited

Audited

 

No.

£000

£000

£000

Authorised, issued and fully paid-up ordinary shares of £0.01 each

 

 



As at start of period

180,712,473

1,807

1,793

1,793

Issued during the period under share options

333,334

3

7

7

Issued during the period under the SIP

747,488

8

7

7

 

 

 



As at end of period

181,793,295

1,818

1,807

1,807

 

 

On 6 April 2023, Equals Group Plc issued 333,334 ordinary shares of 1p each, for total consideration of £96,667.  Of which £93,333 (28p per share) was allocated to the Share Premium reserve, in order to satisfy the exercise of share options by a Director of the Group.  Those shares have been retained by the Director.  As part of the longer-term incentive plans for members of staff, on 20 January 2023, 747,488 shares were issued under a Share Incentive Plan and placed into trust for 188 eligible employees.  The shares will remain in trust until the vesting conditions are met at the end of the holding period on 20 January 2026.



 

7.         Borrowings

 

 




2023

 

2022





£000

 

£000

Loan debenture




-


1,800

 

Under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) to further support working capital, on 23 December 2020, the main trading subsidiary of the Company, FairFX plc, entered into a £2.0 million loan agreement with the Royal Bank of Scotland ('RBS').

 

The loan was originally for a six-year period, to mature on December 2026, at the Bank Base rate + 2.53% and could be repaid early at any point without penalty, and indeed the outstanding loan of £1.8 million was repaid in full in August 2022.

 

8.         Finance costs

 

Finance costs comprise: the unwind of discount on the lease liability under IFRS 16; the unwind of discount on deferred consideration in respect of business and company acquisitions made by the Group and other financing interest costs.

 

9.         Sale of the Cash CGU

 

The Cash CGU together with its property lease, staff and cash stock was disposed on 14 March 2023 for a total consideration £0.4 million.  Of which, £0.1 million is a deferred consideration receivable upon a future negotiation with the property lease.

 

10.        Post Balance Sheet Events

 

The Group completed the acquisition of Oonex S.A on 4 July 2023 following unconditional approval on 6 June 2023 from the National Bank of Belgium.  A total of 3,938,294 shares were issued and admitted to trading, a further 1,061,706 shares subject to adverse warranty claims should be issued by 4 January 2024.  The acquisition process was initiated on 24 March 2023 when the Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) was signed.

 

The Group made payments totalling €2.9 million to address known and initial liabilities on completion.  Payments were made by way of loans to the subsidiary.

 

Since completion a further €0.6 million was injected to settle pre-acquisition liabilities.  The Group expects to loan Oonex SA a further €0.8 million for the period 1 September to 31 December 2023 but declining over time as the remediation project progresses. On 9 August 2023 the company was renamed from Oonex SA to Equals Money Europe SA.

 

 

- ENDS -

 

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