Final Results

Fiske PLC 6 August 2001 Fiske plc - Preliminary Results for year ended 31 May 2001 ______________________________________________________________________ CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT Whilst our total pre-tax profits for the year ended 31 May 2001 of £1,837,000 appear excellent, of this total some £1,236,000 is the profit arising on the sale of one half of our holding of shares in the London Stock Exchange. After a satisfactory first half of the year, the second half was disappointing with the profit for this period, excluding the exceptional gain, amounting to only £32,000. The Board is recommending a maintained final dividend of 3.75p per share which, together with the interim dividend of 2p, makes a total dividend for the year of 5.75p compared to a total of 5p in the previous year, an increase of 15%. With retained after tax profits of £904,000, our shareholders' funds now amount to £3,781,000. This is a significant step forward from the figure two years ago of £1,474,000. The latest figure excludes our holding of shares in the London Stock Exchange which were held at nil value. Since the year-end we have sold further shares for a profit of £679,000. Following a nine for one bonus issue on 19 July 2001 we now hold 300,000 shares at a current quotation of £3.43 per share. As reported in our Interim Statement, our Finance Director, Sylvia Earp, resigned from the Board. We were pleased to announce on 24 January 2001 the appointment, as Finance Director and Company Secretary, of Malcolm Bryant who joined us from Den norske Bank, London, where he was an executive director. At the end of February David Fitzgerald suffered a severe stroke and retired from the Board on 31 July. David started work in the London Stock Exchange in 1954 and has spent his whole working life in stockbroking, a large part of it on the floor of the Stock Exchange. He joined Fiske in 1981 becoming first a partner and then, on the incorporation of the firm in 1988, a Director and being involved mostly with institutional sales. He has been a key member of the Board and will be sorely missed in his day-to-day participation in the firm's affairs. It is intended that he will retain an association with the firm. In the notice of the Annual General Meeting you will see resolutions empowering the Board to set up share option schemes for incentivising staff and Executive Directors by way of Inland Revenue approved SAYE, EMI and CSOP schemes. The proposed SAYE share option scheme is in standard form and permits the Company to grant options to eligible employees at up to a discount of 20% of market value in conjunction with a savings contract running for three, five or seven years. Under the EMI and CSOP schemes, options can be granted to any executive director or employee of the Company at an exercise price equal to market value at grant. Clive Harrison, Chief Executive Officer, has agreed to be excluded from these schemes. The maximum number of shares over which options can be granted to any one individual is equivalent to £100,000 under the EMI scheme (less the value of any CSOP options) and £30,000 under the CSOP. Options will normally be exercisable between three and five years from grant and will be subject to a performance condition that earnings per share calculated over the period of the option shall increase in total at an annual compound rate of at least 10%. The maximum number of shares over which options can be granted under the SAYE scheme and any other employee scheme operated by the Company is 15% of the Company's issued share capital from time to time. We believe these proposed schemes to be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. Although the levels of activity have been lower in the past year, the pressures on our staff have been considerable. The Board would like to express its thanks for the hard work and effort that all have made in the year. Conditions in the London Stock Market remain volatile and business volumes in 2001 have been well below those prevailing in the same period last year. Naturally we keep our costs under continuous review, but in current conditions profitability is likely to remain modest. We are aware of the possibilities that our strong balance sheet and our quoted shares provide for us and we continue to seek suitable acquisition opportunities to assist in our future growth. G Maitland Smith Chairman 1 August 2001 Fiske plc Profit and Loss Account Year ended 31 May 2001 2001 2000 £'000 £'000 TURNOVER Gross commission receivable 4,614 6,916 Commission payable (1,949) (2,882) Other income 460 484 3,125 4,518 Staff costs (1,215) (1,353) Depreciation ( 102) ( 98) Other operating charges (1,477) (1,639) (2,794) (3,090) OPERATING PROFIT 331 1,428 Exceptional gain on disposal of fixed asset investment 1,236 - Other income from fixed asset investments 16 2 Interest receivable and similar income 257 144 Interest payable and similar charges ( 3) ( 22) PROFIT ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES BEFORE TAXATION 1,837 1,552 Tax on profit on ordinary activities ( 560) ( 519) PROFIT ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES AFTER TAXATION 1,277 1,033 Dividends paid and proposed ( 373) ( 318) RETAINED PROFIT FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 904 715 Retained profit brought forward 902 187 Retained profit carried forward 1,806 902 Basic earnings per share 19.7p 17.1p Diluted earnings per share 18.3p 16.5p Headline earnings per share 6.4p 17.1p Headline diluted earnings per share 5.9p 16.5p All activities relate to continuing operations; there are no recognised gains or losses other than the profit for the current and prior years. Fiske plc Balance Sheet at 31 May 2001 2001 2000 £'000 £'000 FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets 254 245 Investments 99 75 353 320 CURRENT ASSETS Market and client debtors 9,818 37,281 Other debtors 210 318 Cash at bank and in hand 4,347 3,040 14,375 40,639 CREDITORS: amounts falling due within one year Market and client creditors (9,875) (36,423) Other creditors (1,072) ( 1,663) (10,947) (38,086) NET CURRENT ASSETS 3,428 2,553 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 3,781 2,873 PROVISION FOR LIABILITIES AND CHARGES - ( 4) 3,781 2,869 CAPITAL AND RESERVES Called up share capital 1,630 1,625 Share premium account 345 342 Profit and loss account 1,806 902 EQUITY SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS 3,781 2,869 These financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on 1 August 2001. Fiske plc CASH FLOW STATEMENT For the year ended 31 May 2001 RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING PROFIT TO NET CASH INFLOW/(OUTFLOW) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 2001 2000 Note £'000 £'000 Operating profit 331 1,428 Depreciation charges 102 98 Decrease/(increase) in debtors 27,565 (22,329) (Decrease)/increase in creditors (26,957) 20,572 Net cash inflow/(outflow) from operating 1,041 ( 231) activities CASH FLOW STATEMENT Net cash inflow/(outflow) from operating 1,041 ( 231) activities Returns on investment and servicing of finance 1 270 124 Disposal of fixed asset investment 1,236 - Taxation UK corporation tax paid ( 740) ( 35) Capital expenditure 1 ( 135) ( 175) Equity dividends paid ( 373) ( 138) Financing 1 8 680 Increase in cash 1,307 225 RECONCILIATION OF NET CASH FLOW TO MOVEMENT IN NET FUNDS Increase in cash in the year 2 1,307 225 Change in net cash 1,307 225 Net funds at 1 June 2000 3,040 2,815 Net funds at 31 May 2001 4,347 3,040 Fiske plc NOTES TO THE CASH FLOW STATEMENT For the year ended 31 May 2001 2001 2000 £'000 £'000 1. GROSS CASH FLOWS Returns on investments and servicing of finance Interest received 257 144 Interest paid (3) (22) Dividends received 16 2 270 124 Capital expenditure Payments to acquire tangible (111) (101) fixed assets Payments to acquire fixed asset (24) (74) investment (135) (175) Financing Issue of ordinary share capital 3 337 Premium on issue of ordinary 5 343 share capital less expenses 8 680 2. ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET CASH At 1 June Cash flows At 31 May 2001 2000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Cash at bank and in hand 3,040 1,307 4,347 Final Dividend The final dividend of 3.75p will be paid, subject to shareholder approval, on 28 September 2001 to shareholders on the share register on 7 September 2001. The shares will go ex-dividend on 5 September 2001. Fiske plc Note to the financial statements for the year ended 31 May 2001 The above results for the year ended 31 May 2001 are an abridged version of the Group's audited statutory financial statements which have not yet been filed with the Registrar of Companies. The balance sheet and profit and loss account do not constitute statutory financial statements within the meaning of Section 240 of the Companies Act 1985 (as amended). These statements have been prepared on a consistent basis with the accounting policies as stated in the previous and current year's financial statements. The results for the years ended 31 May 2001 and 2000 have been extracted from the financial statements of the Group on which unqualified reports from the auditors have been issued and which in respect of 31 May 2000 accounts have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. Copies of this announcement are available from the Company's registered office at Salisbury House, London Wall, London EC2M 5QS. The annual Report and Accounts will be sent to shareholders before the end of August. ENQUIRIES Clive Harrison (Chief Executive Officer) - 020 7448 4700

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