Final Results - Year Ended 31 December 1999

Screen PLC 18 April 2000 Screen PLC - Preliminary Results for the year ending 31 December 1999. Chairman's Report I am pleased to present our results for the financial year ended 31st December 1999. Screen Plc enjoyed a positive year, one in which we completed the transition from a systems development company into a group capable of providing mobile business to business solutions over the wireless web. The Directors consider the company's progress to be very encouraging indeed. Revenues from our continuing businesses were £3,304,928 (1998: £1,776,513) , an increase over the previous year of almost 90% yielding an operating profit of £257,609 (1998: £447,614 loss). There were two non recurring items. A loss of £13,728, attributable to the run-off of businesses discontinued in 1997/8 impacted the results adversely. In addition an exceptional loss of £75,832 associated with the disposal of Karline Security Systems plc was incurred. Consequently, pre-tax profit for the Group for the year was £111,109 (1998: £1,003,474 loss). Over recent years we have invested considerable time, funds and effort to attain an optimum position in one of industry's most dynamic e-business marketplaces with exciting potential for growth. The Group is now totally focussed on communication and control based products through the businesses of Petards International Limited and Petards Datax Limited. During the year under review both companies made significant investments in product development with the benefits of these investments beginning to show through in our financial performance. We are currently witnessing what some people call a paradigm shift, where traditional methods of conducting business are being fundamentally changed by the availability of new technology. For us the convergence of technologies for image, voice and data transfer over new communications media, including the Internet, is creating completely new business opportunities for which we are very well prepared. In addition to our involvement with conventional communication networks including Private Mobile Radio (PMR) systems, packet switched networks and GSM/GPRS systems, we are also engaged in providing product solutions for the new TETRA service and have recently signed an agreement with Dolphin. With our experience of mobile systems, as well as advanced video handling techniques, we are exceptionally well placed to channel the benefits of such networks via relevant and innovative products to our customers. An example of this is our WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) hand set product announced earlier this year which has been very well received. Current trading and prospects Our challenge this year is to exploit the market leadership of our products and to extend the take up by industry of the advantages of an informed mobile workforce. Having proved our products in the demanding emergency services market we are now expanding sales into the commercial sector. Unprecedented interest is being shown by potential customers in the UK and from abroad. We have started the year with substantial order books, which we expect to grow as our sales channels develop further. As well as this organic growth we plan to expand further through a careful acquisition strategy. Following the end of the accounting period we issued further new equity to improve both the liquidity of our shares and to provide some £4 million to implement our acquisition plans. Outlook The Board recognises that with the potential growth facing the Group, it is important to have available to it a source of knowledge and experience to help plot the way forward. In this context we were delighted to be able to announce that Mr Ian Taylor, MBE, MP, had agreed to join the Board in January of this year. Mr Taylor was Minister for Science and Technology at the department of Trade and Industry from 1994 to 1997, where he was responsible for such areas as Telecommunications, Innovation and Technology Transfer and Digital Broadcasting. He is a member of the Science and Technology Select Committee. At our core we are now a technology company supplying Business to Business solutions as well as systems to the emergency services. We not only develop the technology but also help our customers to achieve optimum benefits from its use. For that reason we will add to our range of software offerings products other applications such as CRM (customer relationship management) which will augment the functionality of our mobile data systems and increase the appeal of our systems even further. Summary The Group is well positioned in a number of areas of major growth with excellent products and with the resources and the commercial will to be successful. Current markets are valuing trajectory - a term in use to express potential for growth - more than past performance. This suits us well as we expect to grow at an even faster rate than the rapidly growing mobile data market of which we are now part. We are as usual indebted to the hard work and dedication of a talented management team and their staff for creating for us the exciting opportunities from which we expect to benefit so substantially. SCREEN PLC Consolidated Profit and Loss Account For the Year ended 31 December 1999 Year Ended Year Ended 31 December 31 December 1999 1998 Note £ £ Turnover Continuing operations 3,304,928 1,776,513 Discontinued operations - 2,356,152 --------- --------- 3,304,928 4,132,665 Cost of sales (1,767,017) (2,811,337) --------- --------- Gross profit 1,537,911 1,321,328 Administrative expenses (1,294,030) (2,499,948) Continuing operations 257,609 (447,614) Discontinued operations 5 (13,728) (731,006) -------- --------- Operating profit/(loss) 243,881 (1,178,620) Exceptional (loss)/profit 2 (75,832) 230,472 on disposal of operation ------- --------- 168,049 (948,148) Net interest payable (56,940) (55,326) ------- --------- Profit/(loss) on ordinary activities 111,109 (1,003,474) before taxation Taxation 158 - ------- --------- Profit/(loss) on ordinary activities 111,267 (1,003,474) after taxation Minority interest - equity (21,802) 16,314 ------ --------- Profit/(loss) for the 89,465 (987,160) financial year ======= ========= Basic earnings/(loss) per 4 0.03p (0.4)p share Diluted earnings/(loss per 4 0.03p (0.4)p share) SCREEN PLC Consolidated Balance Sheet At 31 December 1999 31 31 December December 1999 1998 £ £ Fixed assets Intangible assets 733,746 374,315 Tangible assets 337,207 442,822 --------- -------- 1,070,953 817,137 Current assets Stocks 513,572 279,682 Debtors 1,508,188 1,126,678 Cash at bank and in 503,100 51,484 hand --------- --------- 2,524,860 1,457,844 Creditors: amounts (2,075,434) (2,079,931) falling due within one year --------- ---------- Net current 449,426 (622,087) assets/(liabilities) Total assets less 1,520,379 195,050 current liabilities Creditors: amounts (55,306) (11,220) falling due after more than one year ---------- ---------- Net assets 1,465,073 183,830 ========== ========= Capital and reserves Called up share 308,687 262,720 capital Share premium account 3,896,254 2,795,859 Profit and loss (2,745,761) (2,858,840) account deficit --------- --------- Equity shareholders' 1,459,180 199,739 funds Minority interest - 5,893 (15,909) equity --------- --------- 1,465,073 183,830 ========= ========= Screen Plc Notes to the Preliminary Announcement Year Ended 31 December 1999 1. Basis of Preparation These statements do not constitute financial statements within the meaning of Section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. The financial information for the year ended 31 December 1998 is extracted from the statutory financial statements for the year which have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The auditors reported on those financial statements and their report was unqualified and did not contain a statement under Section 237(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 1985. The statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 1999 have not been audited. They will be finalised on the basis of the financial information presented by the directors in this preliminary announcement and will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies following the company's annual general meeting. 2 Exceptional Item This represents the losses attributable to the group as a result of the trading operations of Karline Security Systems Plc in 1999, a wholly owned subsidiary of Screen Plc, which was placed in voluntary liquidation on March 11 1999. The 1998 comparative figure represents the net profit attributable to the group on the sales of the assets and business of Executive Security (Wentworth) Services Ltd and Executive Security (Yorkshire) Services Ltd. 3 Dividend The Board of Directors does not recommend the declaration of a dividend for the year ended 31 December 1999. 4 Earnings per Share The basic earnings per share for the year ended 31 December 1999 is based on the profit for the year on ordinary activities after taxation and minority interest of £89,465 (1998 - loss £987,160) and on the weighted average number of 0.1p ordinary shares of 273,929,709 (1998 - 242,580,945). The diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31 1999 is based on the profit for the year on ordinary activities after taxation and minority interest of £89,465 (1998 - loss £987,160) and on the weighted average number of 0.1p ordinary shares of 276,583,118 (1998 - 238,238,002). The difference between this weighted average number of shares and the weighted average number of shares used for the basic earnings per share relates to the share options and warrants in issue. 5. Discontinued Operations These include a small number of transactions associated with wholly owned subsidiaries, which ceased trading in 1998. These are: Securscan Ltd, Executive Security (Wentworth) Services Ltd, Executive Security (Yorkshire) Services Ltd and Petards Omniwatch Ltd. Additionally the 1998 comparative figures include the trading activities of Karline Security Systems Plc in 1998. 6. Report and Accounts Copies of the 1999 report and accounts will be sent to shareholders in due course. 7. Announcement Copies of this announcement will be available from the Nominated Adviser: Smith & Williamson, No 1 Riding House Street, London W1A 3AS for 14 days from the date of this announcement. 18 April 2000
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