Interim Results

OMG PLC 04 June 2003 4 JUNE 2003 OMG PLC INTERIM RESULTS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 MARCH 2003 OMG plc, ('OMG') the group that delivers electronics and software products based upon 3-dimensional information contained in 'the moving image' to the entertainment, medical, scientific and engineering industries, today announces its interim results for the six months to 31 March 2003. Highlights •Sales up 8% to £5.4m (2002 - £5.0m) •Costs down 21% to £3.0m (2002 - £3.8m) •Return to operating profitability £0.6m (2002 - loss of £0.5m) •Cash restored to post-IPO level •Markets strengthening in US, but remain weak in Europe •Outlook improving, but still volatile Commenting CEO, Julian Morris, said, 'Current market awareness of OMG's products and the level of interest in them remains high. Costs and investment are now well balanced against income and risk. OMG is in an excellent position to continue investing in the creation of new opportunities in both current and new markets, and is now more ambitious than ever to resume its historic pattern of growth in sales and profits.' For further information please contact: Julian Morris, Chief Executive OMG plc Tel: 01865 261 800 Tim Thompson/Bobbie Swanson Buchanan Communications Tel: 020 7466 5000 CHAIRMAN & CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S JOINT STATEMENT Financial Results Turnover rose to £5.4m (2002: £5.0m), the highest 6 month sales figure on record, and an increase of 8% over the same period last year, and of 79% over the previous 6 months. Operating profit for the period was £0.6m (2002: £0.5m loss). Vicon and 2d3 sales to entertainment and virtual reality markets rose by 47%. Sales of all products to the USA increased by more than 40% on the same period last year. Cash reserves at the period end were £4.7m, up £900k over the 6 month period, and equal to the position at 30 Sept 2001 at the end of the year of the company's fund-raising flotation. Current Trading Life Sciences Vicon is the leading supplier of motion analysis systems for clinical, research and sports applications, a position reflected in sustained revenues from new system sales to these markets, despite continuing restrained trading conditions. In addition, Vicon's installed base of several hundred gait analysis users continues to provide a steady stream of repeat business, with upgrades of both hardware and software components. In the 6 month period, over 20% of world-wide Life Science sales were made to existing customers, with a higher proportion in mature markets like the US. Most life science markets are driven by increasing demand for lower-cost, easy-to-use systems. Vicon Life Science sales during the period reflect this trend with a 11% overall increase in unit sales, including a growing proportion of newly introduced 'budget' systems designed to meet these requirements. Hospitals and university medical schools around the world are continually opening new movement analysis facilities for a variety of clinical applications both in traditional gait analysis and in other areas of orthopaedics, rehabilitation and neurology. Visual Effects The market for post-production tools in the entertainment market has shown once again that it is capable of very high rates of growth, but with extreme volatility. After leading the fall in revenues last year, Vicon sales to entertainment markets in the first 6 months of this year have already exceeded those in the whole of last year. This upturn has been led by the US and Japan. Sales relating to the movie industry have been particularly strong with Vicon and 2d3 products used in a large number of high-profile projects, including Matrix Reloaded, X-Men2, Harry Potter, and Die Another Day. In Japan, the driving influences are games development and broadcast television. The European market for visual effects, apart from a small but very active group of companies in London, is very quiet. One sign that the visual effects industry has come of age is the ever-increasing number of government and privately-funded educational departments established to produce skilled personnel for the industry, offering Vicon and 2d3 excellent sales opportunities. Engineering Virtual engineering, virtual workspaces, ergonomics and human factors engineering contribute, as yet, only a small proportion of OMG's total revenues. However, because of the very large scale of the industries - automobile, aerospace, oil & gas - in which these new applications are used, the potential for growth is many times larger than any of the company's existing markets. Technology Update Cameras As part of its development of new applications of motion capture in engineering, Vicon has introduced the SVCam. This progressive-scan infra-red camera has a resolution of 640x480 pixels and operates at up to 200 frames per second, yet is the size of a mobile phone. Its small size allows multiple cameras to be mounted inside vehicles and in other real and simulated operator environments such as 3D workbenches and VR CAVEs (Computer-Aided Virtual Environments). Software In November 2002 Vicon released iQ, a completely new software product for generating highly realistic animations from motion capture. Using iQ, animators are able to take the vast quantities of data captured from subtle body and facial movements of multiple performers, and turn it into character-ready animations. In the few months since its release, iQ has been employed in a production by Sony Imageworks of the most advanced motion-capture-based movie ever made. Due for release in 2004, this production required the largest motion capture set ever installed, with 64 Vicon MCam2 cameras simultaneously tracking up to 1,000 individual landmarks on the faces and bodies of the cast. Vicon is also pioneering the use of advanced mathematical modelling (non-linear optimisation) to improve the accuracy and reliability of biomechanical analysis. To determine the movement of the human skeleton, all current methods depend upon measurement of the external surface of the body. Even in a simple action like walking, the wobbling of muscle, fat and skin severely reduce the reliability of external estimates of the positions of the skeletal and joints. The software, which is currently undergoing multi-centre clinical trials, allows the motion of the skeleton and soft tissues to be identified and separated. Analysis By any measure, and following last year's first loss in 18 years' trading, the results announced here reveal a remarkable and rapid turnaround in the company's fortunes. In the first half of the current year, the order rate has more than recovered the decline suffered last year. Will this trend be sustained in the short and longer term? The US market is making an increasingly important contribution to the company's success, vindicating OMG's long-term financial and managerial support for its wholly-owned US operation in California. This growth comes despite the fact that OMG's main competitor is US-based. Japan, where OMG recently appointed a second distributor to focus on the entertainment sector, also performed very strongly during the period. However the rest of the global market, including Europe, as yet shows few signs of recovery. Despite the general trend towards higher volumes of lower-priced systems, the first half year saw several record-sized individual Vicon sales to entertainment customers in the US and Japan. Such sales are large enough to have a significant influence on company performance in the reporting period in which they occur. However they are also exceptional and unpredictable. Similar sales may occur in future but not necessarily in the second half of the current year. At the end of last year the company implemented cuts in expenditure, mainly in marketing, capital purchases, payroll restraint, and with a company-wide reduction in staff. These savings, together with the recovery in sales and lower manufacturing costs, have resulted in a healthy profit for the period. The company's balance sheet is as strong as at any time since its flotation. Outlook Although OMG entered the year with a clear plan to reduce losses, the growth in revenues was neither predicted nor predictable. The company did show, however, that it was able to respond rapidly to opportunities as they arose. The second half revenues remain uncertain with some areas returning strong forecasts but no clear indication of a return to growth in all markets. The second half of the year will also see higher costs, largely due to modest increases in payroll, and the timing of a number of international exhibitions. Current market awareness of OMG's products and the level of interest in them remains high. Costs and investment are now well balanced against income and risk. OMG is in an excellent position to continue investing in the creation of new opportunities in both current and new markets, and is now more ambitious than ever to resume its historic pattern of growth in sales and profits. Dividend Policy The directors are not declaring a dividend in relation to these results, but the issue of dividend policy will be kept under review. Shareholder, Employee and Director Support We should like to thank all shareholders, employees and directors for their continuing support and hope that they will enjoy a long association with the company. Further Information Further information on OMG plc, its markets and products is available from the company's Web sites at www.omg3d.com, www.vicon.com, and www.2d3.com. Anthony Simonds-Gooding, Chairman Julian Morris, Chief Executive 3 June 2003 RESIGNATION OF DIRECTOR The company announces the resignation of Malcolm Lewin as Finance Director, with effect from 30 June 2003. Malcolm joined OMG in May 2000 and almost immediately became closely involved in the decision, planning and process of raising external investment to fund the company's already rapid growth , leading to a successful flotation on AIM in April 2001. Malcom has decided to pursue new career and personal interests and, on behalf of his fellow directors and colleagues, I thank him for his many contributions to OMG and wish him well for the future. The Company will be seeking to appoint a new Finance Director and an announcement will be made once the process is complete. Julian Morris, Chief Executive GROUP PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT For the six months ended 31 March 2003 Unaudited Unaudited Twelve Six months to Six months to months to 31 March 31 March 30 September 2003 2002 2002 £'000 £'000 £'000 Turnover 5,430 5,009 8,041 Cost of sales 1,872 1,748 2,629 Gross profit 3,558 3,261 5,412 Administrative expenses (2,989) (3,824) (7,480) Grants receivable 48 109 140 Operating profit/ (loss) 617 (454) (1,928) Interest receivable and 58 74 133 similar income Profit/ (loss) on 675 (380) (1,795) ordinary activities before taxation Tax on profit on ordinary (39) 102 201 activities Retained profit/ (loss) 636 (278) (1,594) for the period Basic earnings per share 1.27p (0.56)p (3.22)p (Note 3) Diluted earnings per 1.07p - - share (Note 3) GROUP BALANCE SHEET AT 31 MARCH 2003 Unaudited at Unaudited at Audited at 31 March 31 March 30 September 2003 2002 2002 £'000 £'000 £'000 Fixed assets Tangible assets 462 668 469 Current assets Stocks 1,177 1,703 1,609 Debtors 2,655 2,936 1,598 Corporation tax 164 - 166 Cash and short term 4,717 4,286 3,823 deposits 8,713 8,925 7,196 Creditors - amounts falling due within one year Trade and other creditors 1,754 1,405 880 Corporation tax - 99 - 1,754 1,504 880 Net current assets 6,959 7,421 6,316 Total assets less current 7,421 8,089 6,785 liabilities Capital and reserves Share capital 125 123 125 Share premium account 5,269 5,249 5,269 Merger reserve 1 1 1 Profit and loss account 2,026 2,716 1,390 7,421 8,089 6,785 GROUP CASH FLOW STATEMENT For the six months ended 31 March 2003 Unaudited Unaudited Twelve six months to six months to months to 31 March 31 March 30 September 2003 2002 2002 £'000 £'000 £'000 Net cash inflow/ 983 (184) (551) (outflow) from operating activities Returns on investments and servicing of finance Interest received 58 74 133 Taxation (37) (12) (178) Capital expenditure Purchase of tangible (152) (281) (451) fixed assets Sale of tangible fixed 42 3 162 assets Financing Issue of share capital - - 22 Increase/(reduction) in 894 (400) (863) cash NOTES TO THE INTERIM STATEMENT For the six months ended 31 March 2003 1. PREPARATION OF THE INTERIM FINANCIAL INFORMATION The financial information for each of the six month periods ended 31 March 2002 and 31 March 2003 is unaudited and does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of the Companies Act 1985. It has been prepared using accounting policies consistent with those set out in the statutory accounts of OMG plc for the year ended 30 September 2002. The interim financial statements have been reviewed by the group's auditors. A copy of the auditors' review report is attached to this interim report. 2. TAX ON PROFIT ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES The tax charge for the six month period ended 31 March 2003 is lower than the standard rate of corporation tax in the UK due to the anticipated use of unrelieved tax losses. 3. EARNINGS PER SHARE The calculation of the basic earnings per share is based on the earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders divided by the weighted average number of shares in issue during the period. The calculation of diluted earnings per share is based on the basic earnings per share, adjusted to allow for the issue of shares on the assumed conversion of all dilutive options. 4. RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING PROFIT TO NET CASH OUTFLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES (Note 1) Unaudited Unaudited Twelve six months to six months to months to 31 March 31 March 30 September 2003 2002 2002 £'000 £'000 £'000 Operating profit/ 617 (454) (1,928) (loss) Depreciation 129 152 355 Profit/ (loss) on (12) 2 - sale of tangible fixed assets Reduction/ (increase) 432 (366) (272) in stock (Increase)/ reduction (1,057) 221 1,559 in debtors Increase/ (reduction) 874 261 (265) in creditors Net cash inflow/ 983 (184) (551) (outflow) from operating activities 5. RECONCILIATION OF NET CASH FLOW TO MOVEMENT IN NET FUNDS (Note 1) Unaudited Unaudited Twelve six months to six months to months to 31 March 31 March 30 September 2003 2002 2002 £'000 £'000 £'000 Increase/(reduction) in 894 (400) (864) cash for the period Currency movements - - 1 Change in net funds for 894 (400) (863) the period Opening net funds 3,823 4,686 4,686 Closing net funds 4,717 4,286 3,823 COPIES OF THE INTERIM STATEMENT Copies of the interim statement will be sent to shareholders. Further copies will be available from the company's registered office at 14 Minns Business Park, West Way, Oxford OX2 0JB for one month from today. INDEPENDENT REVIEW report to OMG PLC Introduction We have been instructed by the company to review the financial information for the six months ended 31 March 2003 which comprises the profit and loss account, the balance sheet, the cash flow statement and the related notes 1 to 5. We have read the other information contained in the interim report, which comprises only the Chairman and Chief Executive's Joint Statement and the announcement regarding the resignation of a director, and considered whether it contains any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the financial information. Our responsibilities do not extend to any other information. This report is made solely to the company, in accordance with guidance contained in APB Bulletin 1999/4 'Review of Interim Financial Information'. Our review work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company those matters we are required to state to it in a review report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company, for our review work, for this report, or for the conclusion we have formed. Directors' responsibilities The interim report, including the financial information contained therein, is the responsibility of, and has been approved by the directors. They are responsible for preparing the interim report and ensuring that the accounting policies and presentation applied to the interim figures are consistent with those applied in preparing the preceding annual accounts except where any changes, and the reasons for them, are disclosed. Review work performed We conducted our review in accordance with guidance contained in Bulletin 1999/4 'Review of Interim Financial Information' issued by the Auditing Practices Board for use in the United Kingdom. A review consists principally of making enquiries of management and applying analytical procedures to the financial information and underlying financial data and, based thereon, assessing whether the accounting policies and presentation have been consistently applied unless otherwise disclosed. A review excludes audit procedures such as tests of controls and verification of assets, liabilities and transactions. It is substantially less in scope than an audit performed in accordance with United Kingdom auditing standards and therefore provides a lower level of assurance than an audit. Accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion on the financial information. Review conclusion On the basis of our review we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the financial information as presented for the six months ended 31 March 2003. Grant Thornton Chartered Accountants Oxford 3 June 2003 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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