Final Results

S & U PLC 03 April 2003 S&U PLC Providers of Consumer Credit & Motor Finance RESULTS FOR THE YEAR TO 31ST JANUARY 2003 BUSINESS TRANSACTED £88.8M (£89.9M). PRE-TAX PROFITS £7.8M (£9.2M). RESULTS AFFECTED BY ONE-OFF EVENT IN SOUTH LONDON TOTAL DIVIDEND 28p (27p), UP 3.7% (PREVIOUS YEAR'S INCREASE 14.9%) HOME COLLECTED CREDIT APART FROM SOUTH LONDON SHOWED GOOD PROGRESS, PARTICULARLY IN THE NORTH WEST ' POTENTIAL FOR STEADY GROWTH REMAINS' MOTOR CAR FINANCE 'INCREASINGLY SUCCESSFUL'. PRE-TAX PROFITS UP 16% ON TURNOVER UP 14%. BUDGETED PROFITS TARGET £1.6M FOR THE CURRENT YEAR. 'PROSPECTS FOR THE LONGER TERM HEALTHY' AND 'THE DIRECTORS ARE CONFIDENT OF FURTHER SIGNIFICANT PROFIT GROWTH' Enquiries: Derek Coombs, Executive Chairman, S&U PLC or Anthony Coombs, Managing Director, S&U PLC Tel: 0207 353 8906 CHAIRMANS STATEMENT Results Business transacted for the year is £88.8m compared to £89.9m. However, the damage done to the figures by the lack of control in the South London area has reduced the pre-tax trading profits for the year to £7.8m as against £9.2m. This damage was referred to in the interim report although the full extent was not known at that time. It is laudable to cut costs but in this case it is evident the cuts went too far. Major changes have taken place both in management, staff and security procedures as a consequence of that situation to ensure such an event never happens again. Earnings per share at 46.0p (53.5p previously) provide excellent cover for the recommended total dividend. The Board is recommending a final dividend of 20p per ordinary share, making 28p for the year compared to 27p last year, an inflation beating increase for the year as a whole of 3.7% (last year's increase was 14.9%). The dividend will be paid on 2nd July 2003 to ordinary shareholders on the register at 6th June 2003. The shares will be dealt ex dividend from 4th June 2003. On this basis, at the average market price for March 2003 of 388.3p, the yield would be 7.2% with a cover of 1.61 times. Shareholders have enjoyed dividend growth in every year since before the company's 50th anniversary in 1988, a record we will seek to maintain. Home Collected Credit Apart from the South London problem the rest of the country showed good progress, particularly SD Taylor, our north west subsidiary which produced pre tax profits of 29% of its shareholders' funds. The potential for steady growth remains available and we will continue to invest in training to produce the quality improvements, which underpin profit growth. Motor Car Finance - Advantage Finance Limited In the competitive used car finance market, Advantage Finance is increasingly successful and 2002/03 was a year in which profits and cash receipts continued to grow sensibly and steadily in line with our strategy for this business. On turnover up 14%, pre-tax profits grew by 16% to nearly £1.3m, whilst borrowings grew by less than £0.75m. The business is not yet mature, but has already developed larger and more reliable income streams and this is a tribute to our successful in-house underwriting programme and our improving collections team. The underwriting programme was reinforced during the year by a full review of policy and we also reorganised the collections team to achieve a quicker and more integrated approach to more difficult collection accounts. Both these changes should limit bad debts and further improve future income streams. Our sales team also turned in a very creditable performance against stiff competition from other finance companies. Indeed we believe our efficient sales force, backed up by sophisticated in-house systems, (allowing high levels of service and support), to be an area of increasingly competitive advantage for us. Advantage has set itself a budgeted profit target of £1.6m for the current year. Prospects for the longer term are healthy and the directors are confident of further significant profit growth. I am particularly proud of Advantage's results because I introduced Advantage to S&U as a new start-up venture only some three and a half years ago and the management team has already achieved a significant presence in the market. Staff I was sorry to say goodbye to the staff of AE Holt (Leicester) Limited, the small hosiery manufacturer that we had to close due to the increasing difficulty of competing against low labour cost countries. I thank them for their service to the group and wish them well. Every company is only as good as the quality and dedication of its staff. S&U is a very labour intensive operation and therefore even more dependent upon its staff. We have a superb team and I must take this opportunity to thank them on your behalf for their contribution during the year. Derek M Coombs Chairman 2 April 2003 SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED PROFIT & LOSS ACCOUNT 31 JANUARY 2003 2003 2002 Note £000 £000 BUSINESS TRANSACTED 88,828 89,929 ========= ========= TURNOVER 34,996 34,430 Cost of sales (3,131) (3,653) --------- --------- Gross profit 31,865 30,777 Other expenses (16,310) (16,080) Provision for doubtful debt (includes exceptional item of £1.9m) 1 (6,762) (4,300) --------- --------- Total administrative expenses (23,072) (20,380) OPERATING PROFIT 8,793 10,397 Profit on sale of fixed assets 214 - Net interest payable (1,161) (1,191) --------- --------- PROFIT ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES BEFORE TAXATION 7,846 9,206 Tax on profit on ordinary activities (2,293) (2,775) --------- --------- PROFIT ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES AFTER TAXATION BEING PROFIT FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 5,553 6,431 Dividends paid and proposed - including amounts in respect of non equity shares (3,440) (3,323) --------- --------- RETAINED PROFIT FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2,113 3,108 ========= ========= Basic Earnings per Ordinary share 46.0p 53.5p ========= ========= Dividends per Ordinary share 28.0p 27.0p ========= ========= There have been no recognised gains or losses other than the profit for the current and preceding years. All activities derive from continuing operations. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET 31 JANUARY 2003 2003 2002 £000 £000 FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets 2,646 2,768 --------- --------- CURRENT ASSETS Amounts receivable from customers (including £12,776,000 falling due after one year (2002: £12,578,000)) 60,949 59,292 Stocks 214 238 Debtors 946 879 Cash at bank and in hand 106 115 --------- --------- 62,215 60,524 CREDITORS: amounts falling due within one year (14,398) (14,942) --------- --------- NET CURRENT ASSETS 47,817 45,582 --------- --------- TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 50,463 48,350 CREDITORS: amounts falling due after more than one year (15,000) (15,000) --------- --------- NET ASSETS 35,463 33,350 ========= ========= CAPITAL AND RESERVES 35,463 33,350 ========= ========= Statistics 31-Jan-03 31-Jan-02 Operating Profit/Business Transacted 9.8% 11.6% Profit Before Taxation/Net Assets 22.2% 27.6% Net Borrowing/Shareholders Funds 67.1% 69.5% CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT YEAR ENDED 31 JANUARY 2003 2003 2002 £000 £000 £000 £000 Cash flow from operating activities 7,366 1,750 Returns on investments and servicing of finance Interest received 5 12 Interest paid (1,159) (1,116) Preference dividends paid (78) (78) ______ _____ Net cash outflow from returns on investments and servicing of finance (1,232) (1,182) Taxation (3,035) (2,430) Capital expenditure and financial investment Purchase of tangible fixed assets (707) (708) Proceeds of sale of fixed assets 459 74 ______ _____ Net cash outflow for capital expenditure and financial investment (248) (634) Equity dividends paid (3,357) (2,876) ______ _____ Cash outflow before financing (506) (5,372) Financing Increase in loans from banks - 5,000 ______ _____ Decrease in cash in the year (506) (372) ====== ===== NOTES TO THE PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT YEAR ENDED 31 JANUARY 2003 1. EXCEPTIONAL BAD DEBT EXPENSE Within the bad debt expense are the financial effects of frauds that were identified at the London branch during the year ended 31 January 2003. The bad debt provision in respect of London has increased by £1,872,000 to £2,265,000 at 31 January 2003 (2002:393,000), which includes both the direct losses due to the fraud and the indirect negative impact on the normal collection procedures. OTHER NOTES 2. The financial information has been prepared using the same accounting policies as were used in preparing the statutory accounts of the Group for the year to 31 January 2002 3. This summary of results are not statutory accounts within the meaning of section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. The statutory accounts for the year ended 31 January 2003 on which the auditors have given an unqualified report and did not contain an adverse statement under section 237(2) or 237(3) of the Companies Act 1985 will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies after the Annual General Meeting. 4. The financial information within this report has been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards. The transitional requirements of FRS 17 have been adopted in the current period. 5. The number of shares used in the calculation of earnings per share is the average number of shares in issue during the year of 11,737,228 (2001: 11,737,228). There are no dilutive shares. 6. If approved at the Annual General Meeting a final dividend of 20.0p per Ordinary Share is proposed, payable on 2 July 2003, with a record date of 6 June 2003. 7. The Annual General Meeting will be held on 4 June 2003. 8. The figures shown for the year ended 31 January 2002 are not statutory accounts. A copy of the statutory accounts has been delivered to the Registrar of Companies, contained an unqualified audit report and did not contain an adverse statement under section 237 (2) or 237 (3) of the Companies Act 1985. 9. The 2003 Annual Report and Financial Statements will be posted to shareholders in due course. Copies of this announcement are available from the Company Secretary, S&U plc, Royal House, Prince's Gate, Homer Road, Solihull, West Midlands, B91 3QQ. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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