Final Results

Numis Corporation PLC 18 December 2000 Embargoed for release at 7.00am Monday 18th December 2000 NUMIS CORPORATION PLC (formerly Raphael Zorn Hemsley Holdings PLC) Financial Highlights Year to Year to Increase 30 30 % September September 2000 1999 Profit before tax and before exceptional gain £4.0m £1.2m 233 Profit before tax and after exceptional gain £6.0m £1.2m 400 Recommended dividend payment 4.0p 3.0p 33 Key events during the period under review: * A rise in profit before tax and before exceptional gain to £4.0 million for the year to 30 September 2000 * Expansion of the business with the proposed opening of a first regional office in the North West, following the acquisition of a highly rated team * Significant progress made towards Numis becoming a leading specialist investment banking and stockbroking business for the smaller and mid-sized company market * The sale of the investment management and private client businesses * £50 million raised for Tenon Group Plc, the first UK quoted accountancy-based services company and we continue to advise the company on its active acquisition programme * The successful extension of the Company's areas of expertise into the technology sector Commenting on the results Oliver Hemsley, Chief Executive of Numis, the AIM-listed investment banking and stockbroking group, said: 'I am pleased to report a record set of results fuelled by strong growth in our core activities together with investment in recruitment and infrastructure. We are currently rated in three sectors, we make markets in 52 stocks and have significantly increased our number of corporate and institutional clients during the year and expect further expansion during the course of next year. We will use the successful foundations we have put down over the last year to make further progress in our aim of becoming a leading specialist investment banking and stockbroking business, operating in the smaller and mid-sized company market.' For Further information please contact: - Oliver Hemsley Chief Executive Numis Corporation 020 7776 1500 Rebecca Sly Citigate Dewe Rogerson 020 7282 2939 Chairman's statement Overview The Company has undergone considerable change during the course of the year to 30 September 2000 and has produced a record set of results. All parts of the ongoing business performed well and the Company has rationalised its operations allowing a greater focus on its core activities of corporate finance, institutional sales, corporate broking, research and market making. Results During the financial year ended 30 September 2000, the Group's profit before tax and before an exceptional gain was £4.0m (compared with £1.2m for the previous period) and earnings per share rose to 18.2p (1999: 5.5p), on a pre-exceptional basis. The exceptional gain on the sale of the investment management and private client stockbroking business was £2.0m, taking the Group's profit before tax to £6.0m. The Board recommends payment of a dividend of 4.0p per share (1999: 3.0p) that will be payable subject to shareholders' approval on 19 January 2001 (being the day after our Annual General Meeting) to all shareholders on the register on 3 January 2001. The Group's net assets at 30 September 2000 have risen to £12.5m (1999: £ 8.9m). We continue to retain a high reserve of cash and near-cash investments. In addition, the Group has several significant investments, including 100,000 London Stock Exchange plc shares. Trading Following the sale of our investment management and private client stockbroking business, we have made significant progress in growing our core investment banking business. We have invested in staff and systems during the course of this year and expect to make significant further investments. Our Corporate Finance activities have grown substantially and we have carried out many fund raisings for companies throughout 2000. We have increased the number of sectors where we specialise and the number of analysts covering them. However, we have been selective in the companies we have taken on as clients, thus, our entry into the technology sector has been in a measured way, a strategy that has proved successful both for our clients and the Company. We are now rated in three sectors and are steadily adding to our areas of expertise to ensure that we provide a premium service to our clients. The number of institutional clients with whom we deal continues to increase. Our market making department is expanding and we now make markets in 52 stocks. We expect this expansion to continue in line with the increase in the number of sectors in which we specialise. North West Office The Company intends to open an office in the North West in the New Year. This first regional office will enable us to widen our geographical presence and further strengthen our research and sales capabilities. A highly rated team has been recruited and we will announce more details in due course. Terence Leader Terry Leader, who has been Director of Administration and Compliance, will retire at the end of this year after working tirelessly for the Group for over 40 years. His commitment, loyalty, experience and business acumen will be sorely missed and we wish him a long and happy retirement. Outlook The current year has started well with a number of new corporate mandates. In the Company's Interim Statement for the six months ended 31 March 2000, I referred to the flotation of Tenon Group plc which is the first UK quoted accountancy-based business services company. That company has started its acquisition programme and we have already advised on its first four purchases. Although to a significant extent we are dependent upon the stability of the financial markets, I am confident that during the coming year we will be able to report further progress in our aim of becoming a leading specialist investment banking and stockbroking business, operating in the UK smaller and mid-sized corporate arena. Building the Company's long-term future requires continuing investment in people and systems which we anticipate being at an accelerated level during the current year. Consequently, we will incur some additional up-front operating costs as we recruit new personnel. Finally, I would like to thank our staff for their commitment and support, without which we could not have achieved our success to date. David Craig Chairman 18 December 2000 Consolidated profit and loss account Unaudited result for the year ended 30 September 2000 2000 1999 Unaudited Audited £ £ Turnover Continuing operations 9,405,277 4,385,926 Discontinued operations 2,345,089 3,069,972 11,750,366 7,455,898 Discontinued operations -shared commissions (612,881) (821,025) Gross profit 11,137,485 6,634,873 Administrative expenses Continuing operations (5,167,406) (2,859,644) Discontinued operations (2,407,634) (2,977,711) Share of associated undertaking's operating profit 107,500 49,877 Operating profit / (loss) Continuing operations 4,345,371 1,576,159 Discontinued operations (675,426) (728,764) 3,669,945 847,395 Discontinued operations Exceptional item - profit on sale of discontinued operations 1,958,431 - Interest income 303,156 205,058 Investment income 41,362 166,665 Interest payable and similar charges (9,504) (6,736) Profit on ordinary activities before taxation 5,963,390 1,212,382 Tax on profit on ordinary activities (1,840,390) (395,598) Profit on ordinary activities after taxation 4,123,000 816,784 Dividends paid and proposed (599,680) (447,780) Retained profit for the year 3,523,320 369,004 Earnings per share Basic 27.9p 5.5p Diluted 26.9p 5.5p Earnings per share, excluding the exceptional item Basic 18.2p 5.5p Diluted 17.5p 5.5p Average number of shares in issue 14,733,083 14,808,167 There were no other recognised gains or losses made during the years ended 30 September 2000 and 30 September 1999 other than the profits for those years. Consolidated balance sheet Unaudited as at 30 September 2000 2000 1999 Unaudited Audited £ £ Fixed assets Tangible fixed assets 164,543 607,487 Fixed asset investments 592,222 113,162 Investment in associated undertaking 129,010 52,280 885,775 772,929 Current assets Debtors 16,719,216 8,765,158 Investments 7,294,488 3,477,403 Cash at bank and in hand 4,024,693 5,238,020 28,038,397 17,480,581 Creditors Amounts falling due within one year (16,428,689) (9,335,647) Net current assets 11,609,708 8,144,934 Net assets 12,495,483 8,917,863 Capital and Reserves Share capital 3,748,000 3,731,500 Share premium account 3,051,425 3,013,625 Profit and loss account 5,696,058 2,172,738 Shareholders' funds 12,495,483 8,917,863 Consolidated cash flow statement Unaudited for the year ended 30 September 2000 2000 1999 Unaudited Audited £ £ Net cash inflow form operating activities 3,134,335 3,911,136 Returns on investments and servicing of finance Interest received 303,156 205,058 Interest paid (9,504) (6,736) Dividends received 41,362 172,125 Net cash inflow from returns on investments and servicing of finance 335,014 370,447 Taxation Corporation tax paid (including advance corporation tax) (792,536) (1,182,632) Capital expenditure and financial investment Purchase of tangible fixed assets (61,522) (185,079) Purchase of fixed asset investments (510,974) (58,868) Purchase of non-trading investments (5,000,000) - Sale of tangible fixed assets 17,422 36,288 Sale of fixed asset investments 37,374 - Net cash outflow from investing activities from capital expenditure and financial investment (5,517,700) (207,659) Disposals, net of cash disposed 2,021,040 - Equity dividends paid (447,780) (445,980) Financing Issue of ordinary shares 54,300 18,000 Increase/(decrease) in cash in the year (1,213,327) 2,463,312 Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net funds Increase/(decrease) in cash balances in the year (1,213,327) 2,463,312 Net funds at the beginning of the year 5,238,020 2,774,708 Net funds at the end of the year 4,024,693 5,238,020 Notes: 1. Accounting policies The accounting policies that have been applied to the unaudited results are consistent with the latest published audited accounts except that the depreciation policy on tangible fixed assets has changed from a reducing balance method at an annual rate of 25% to a straight line method. Under the straight line method, depreciation is provided to write off the cost, less estimated residual values, of tangible fixed assets over their expected useful lives, as follows: Computer equipment 3 years Motor vehicles 4 years Office equipment 5 years The change in depreciation policy has resulted in an additional charge of £ 328,859 to the profit and loss account in the period. Comparative results have not been restated. 2. Exceptional item - profit on sale of discontinued operations On 27 March 2000 Numis Corporation Plc exchanged contracts with Savoy Asset Management Plc for the sale of its investment management subsidiary, Raphael Asset Management Limited ('RAM'), together with the transfer of certain parts of its private client stockbroking function from its principal operating subsidiary. The principal operating subsidiary is winding-down its remaining private client stockbroking business and this will be substantially complete by the end of December 2000. The profit on sale of the discontinued operations is as follows: £ Consideration, received on completion on 28 April 2000 2,276,500 Consideration, received 24 November 2000 151,218 Net assets of RAM (245,000) Associated costs (224,287) 1,958,43 The tax effect in the profit and loss account relating to the exceptional item is a charge of £526,000. 3. Earnings per share Basic earnings per share is based on profit on ordinary activities after taxation of £4,123,000 that has been adjusted to £4,116,490 to remove dividends from shares held in the Employee Share Option Trust. Diluted earnings per share assumes that options outstanding at 30 September 2000 were exercised at 1 October 1999, where the exercise price per share is less than the fair value of the share in the period. 4. Earnings per share, excluding the exceptional item Basic earnings per share is based on ordinary activities after taxation of £ 2,690,569 that has been adjusted to £2,684,059 to remove the exceptional item and dividends from shares held in the Employee Share Option Trust. Diluted earnings per share assumes that options outstanding at 30 September 2000 were exercised at 1 October 1999, where the exercise price is less than the fair value of the price of the share in the period. 5. Dividend A dividend of 4.0p (1999: 3.0p) per ordinary share has been proposed. This is payable subject to shareholders' approval on 19 January 2001 (being the day after the Annual General Meeting) to all shareholders on the register on 3 January 2001. 6. Statutory accounts This preliminary announcement of results does not constitute statutory accounts for the year. Statutory accounts for the year are still to be audited and filed with the Registrar of Companies. It is expected that these will be available shortly. The results for the year ended 30 September 1999 are an abridged version of the Group's statutory accounts for that year which received an unqualified auditor's report and have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. 7. Further copies A copy of the audited Report & Accounts is due to be sent to all shareholders on or about 21 December 2000. Copies of this announcement are available free of charge for fourteen days from: The Company Secretary Numis Corporation Plc Cheapside House 138 Cheapside London EC2V 6LH
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