Interim Results

Liontrust Asset Management PLC 31 October 2002 Embargoed until, 0700 hours, Thursday 31st October 2002 31 October 2002 Liontrust Asset Management PLC Interim results for the six months to 30th September 2002 Half year profits rose by 76% to £2.71million whilst funds under management reached £1.864billion with a further £856million in transition. • Core operating profits (excluding performance fees) increased by 40% to £2.03million. • Total operating profits rose by 76% to £2.71million. • Interim dividend of 1p per share (0.5p per share last year) declared. • Funds under management (including £856million in transition) rose by 20% to £2.72billion. The market fell by 30% over the period. • All four of our investment processes beat their benchmarks. • 14 new pension fund mandates won worth £474million. • Net unit trust sales £164million. • Liontrust Absolute Return Fund launched. • Funds under management on 29 October were £2.263billion, with a further £643million in transition. Nigel Legge, Joint Chief Executive, commenting on these results, said 'We continue to concentrate on our four investment processes. Our experience over the last six months has confirmed our view that the combination of a simple business model with good investment performance underpinned by clearly articulated investment processes is a powerful formula for adding value.' Enquiries: Nigel Legge, Joint Chief Executive Liontrust Asset Management PLC 020 7412 1700 Richard Locke, Cazenove & Co. Ltd 020 7588 2828 Note to Editors Figures for funds in transition relate to mandates that the Company has been notified that it has been awarded, subject to contract. Liontrust Asset Management plc Chairman's Interim Statement Thanks to a combination of good investment performance and new business our funds under management increased to £1.864bn from £1.768bn in the six months to 30 September 2002 despite a market fall of 29.6%. In addition we had £856m of funds in transition at the end of the period compared with £500m at the end of March. On 29 October our funds under management stood at £2.263bn with a further £643m in transition. As we have explained previously, our budgets and internal forecasts are based on 'core' profits excluding any contribution from performance related fees which, by their nature, are likely to be erratic and unpredictable. In the six months to 30 September core earnings rose 40% to £2.03m, compared with £1.45m for the comparable period a year ago. Total operating profits, that is including income from performance related fees, were £2.71m for the period under review, up 76% compared with £1.54m last year. Most of our performance related contracts fall due for calculation and payment (if earned) in the second half of our financial year. Relative performance of our four investment processes has been good over the period so, if this is maintained, performance related fees will be earned. Once again we have kept a tight control on our costs and as a result the cost: income ratio on our core business has fallen from 70% to 69%. Total compensation costs as a percentage of pre-compensation profit are targeted to remain at 55% , well below our industry's average. Core earnings per share at 5.03p are 45% up on a year ago and total earnings per share (including the contribution from performance related fees earned in the period) rose 76% to 6.47p per share. Your board has decided to declare an interim dividend of 1p per share compared with 0.5p a year ago. Some of this increase represents a rebalancing of the proportion between the interim and final dividends and shareholders should not assume an equivalent percentage increase in the final dividend. The dividend will be paid on 21 November to shareholders on the register on 8 November. Any special dividend based on performance related earnings will be paid with the final dividend when the results for the full year are available. A wide range of investment consultants continue to invite us to pitch for new pension fund mandates and in the six months under review we have been successful in winning 14 new accounts worth a total of £474m. The majority of the new accounts are for the Large Cap process. We chose not to pursue certain new mandates when we could not agree fee levels. We have strengthened our sales team that serves intermediaries as we believe our products will continue to sell well to this client group. The First Income Fund, based on our fourth investment process, the Value Dynamic which was published in July 2001, has subsequently grown from £20m to over £210m. Net unit trust sales for the period were £164m. We have increased the number of distribution channels through which we can sell our unit trusts and continue to work on a number of new product initiatives based on our four investment processes. We launched the Liontrust Absolute Return Fund, a hedge fund based on the Lang Approach, in September raising £32m. Our experience in recent months has confirmed our view that the combination of a simple business model with good investment performance, underpinned by clearly articulated investment processes, is a powerful formula for adding value. We face the future with confidence. Ellen Winser Chairman 31 October 2002 LIONTRUST ASSET MANAGEMENT PLC Consolidated Profit and Loss Account Six months to 30th September 2002 6 months 6 months 12 months to 30.9.02 to 30.9.01 to 31.3.02 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) Note £'000 £'000 £'000 Turnover (Gross profit) 7,625 4,873 15,191 Staff costs (3,191) (2,060) (6,803) Exceptional staff costs 2 174 77 (244) Total staff costs (3,017) (1,983) (7,047) Other operating charges (1,899) (1,348) (3,041) Operating profit 2,709 1,542 5,103 Net interest receivable 173 224 404 Profit on ordinary activities before tax 2,882 1,766 5,507 Taxation 3 (750) (556) (1,700) Profit on ordinary activities after tax 2,132 1,210 3,807 Dividend (323) (165) (2,494) Profit for the period transferred to 1,809 1,045 1,313 reserves pence Basic earnings per share 4 6.47 3.67 11.52 Basic earnings per share (adjusted) 4 6.10 3.51 12.03 Basic earnings per share (core) 4 5.03 3.47 7.52 Diluted earnings per share 4 6.21 3.52 11.10 Diluted earnings per share (adjusted) 4 5.35 3.37 11.60 Diluted earnings per share (core) 4 4.83 3.33 7.25 6 months 6 months 12 months to 30.9.02 to 30.9.01 to 31.3.02 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) £'000 £'000 £'000 Core earnings 2,031 1,448 3,215 Performance related earnings 504 17 2,132 2,535 1,465 5,347 Exceptional costs 174 77 (244) Operating profit 2,709 1,542 5,103 LIONTRUST ASSET MANAGEMENT PLC Consolidated Balance Sheet At 30th September 2002 30.9.02 30.9.01 31.3.02 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) £'000 £'000 £'000 Fixed assets 292 284 310 Own shares held by Employee Benefit Trust 3,454 - - Current assets Short term investments 99 119 114 Debtors 9,260 6,944 14,939 Cash at bank and in hand 7,784 7,726 9,560 17,143 14,789 24,613 Creditors - amounts falling due within one year (11,680) (8,600) (17,781) Net current assets 5,463 6,189 6,832 Total assets less current liabilities 9,209 6,473 7,142 Creditors - amounts falling due after more than - (158) - one year 9,209 6,315 7,142 Capital and reserves Called up ordinary share capital 335 329 333 Share premium account 2,731 1,543 2,098 Profit and loss account 6,143 4,443 4,711 9,209 6,315 7,142 LIONTRUST ASSET MANAGEMENT PLC Consolidated Cash Flow Statement Six months to 30th September 2002 6 months 6 months 12 months to 30.9.02 to 30.9.01 to 31.3.02 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) £'000 £'000 £'000 Operating profit 2,709 1,542 5,103 Exceptional staff costs (174) (77) 244 Operating profit before exceptional items 2,535 1,465 5,347 Depreciation charges 52 51 104 (Increase)/ decrease in short term investments 15 (58) (53) Decrease/ (increase) in debtors 5,679 (321) (8,316) Decrease/(increase) in creditors (4,170) (4,216) 2,671 Net cash inflow/(outflow) from operating activities 4,111 (3,079) (247) Net cash inflow/(outflow) from operating activities 4,111 (3,079) (247) Returns on investment and servicing of finance 173 224 404 Taxation (502) (860) (2,352) Capital expenditure and financial investment (3,488) (19) (98) Equity dividend paid (2,328) (165) (331) (2,034) (3,899) (2,624) Financing 258 - 559 Increase/ (decrease) in cash (1,776) (3,899) (2,065) LIONTRUST ASSET MANAGEMENT PLC Notes to the Financial Statements 1. Basis of preparation The unaudited interim financial information, which has been approved by the Board of Directors, has been prepared on the basis of the accounting policies set out in the Group's accounts for the year ended 31st March 2002. The financial information for the year ended 31st March 2002 has been abridged from the financial statements which received an unqualified audit report and which have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. 2. Exceptional staff costs Exceptional staff costs are accrued in respect of the potential National Insurance liability on unapproved share options, which were disclosed in the Company's Prospectus. In accordance with the UITF Abstract issued by the Accounting Standards Board in July 2000, the full potential liability is spread over the period from the date of grant to the end of the performance period. The options were granted on flotation of the Company's shares in July 1999 and are exercisable from July 2002. Exceptional staff costs: 30.9.02 30.9.01 31.3.02 £'000 £'000 £'000 Provision for National Insurance on 174 77 (244) unapproved share options 174 77 (244) 3. Taxation The interim tax charge has been calculated at the corporation tax rate of 30% (2000: 30%). LIONTRUST ASSET MANAGEMENT PLC 4. Earnings per share The calculation of basic earnings per share is based on profit after taxation and the weighted number of ordinary shares in issue for each period, excluding the shares held by the Employee Benefit Trust. The weighted average number of ordinary shares was 32,969,515 for the six months ended 30th September 2002, 32,927,459 for the six months ended 30th September 2001 and 33, 057,365 for the year ended 31st March 2002. In accordance with the methodology set out in the Annual Report & Accounts we have stated two further measures of basic earnings per share. The adjusted figure is calculated after removing the exceptional item and associated tax charge/ credit. The core figure is calculated after removing the exceptional item, the performance related fees and costs and related tax charges. For the six months to 30th September 2002 these are reconciled to the basic earnings per share as follows: Earnings EPS £'000 pence Basic earnings 2,132 6.47 Exceptional item less tax charge (122) Adjusted earnings 2,010 6.10 Performance related fees and costs less tax charge (353) Core earnings 1,657 5.03 The calculation of diluted earnings per share is based on profit after taxation and the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue for each period, as above, adjusted for the effect of options to subscribe for shares that were in existence at 30th September 2002. The adjusted weighted average number of ordinary shares so calculated was 34,333,617 for the six months ended 30th September 2002, 34,348,610 for the six months ended 30th September 2001 and 34,303,129 for the year ended 31st March 2002. 5. Dividends The directors propose to pay an interim dividend in respect of the current period of 1.0 pence per share (2001: 0.5 pence) payable on 22nd November 2002 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 8th November 2002. END. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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