Interim Results

Transense Technologies PLC 03 September 2003 Date: 3rd September 2003 On behalf of: Transense Technologies plc ('Transense' or 'the Company') Embargoed until: 0700hrs Transense Technologies plc Interim Results for the six months ended 30 June 2003 Chairman's Statement The first half-year of 2003 has been a period of stability and consolidation for Transense after the world uncertainties of 2001/2. The improvement in six-month turnover from £37,000 in 2002 to £180,000 in 2003 was comprised primarily of contributions from our licensees for our technical support and also includes a first, albeit very small, contribution from royalties resulting from our tyre pressure monitoring system technology (TPMS). Our costs for the year are under strict control and will be in line with budget. I am pleased to say that the thorough testing being carried out on TPMS is proving our technology to be very robust and reliable and your Directors are still of the opinion that it continues to demonstrate itself to be the leading non-battery system available. It came as no surprise to us on 6 August that a Federal Court in America ruled the use of an ABS-based indirect TPMS to be unsafe. This overturned the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) decision that indirect should be used alongside direct interrogation methods. It is now expected that NHTSA will issue a new rule by next Spring requiring only direct monitoring. Although using the ABS to 'deduce' tyre pressure was potentially cheaper than existing direct systems, we did not view this as a threat since it only worked when tyre pressures were well below the recommended safety levels and not at all at certain speeds. The major push forward for TPMS starts in November this year when it will be obligatory in America for certain categories of new vehicles such as passenger cars to start using pressure warning systems. Undoubtedly, larger commercial vehicles, which are outside current legislation, will also fall into line because of those safety and operating costs associated with tyre blowouts. The first of these systems, which is already in the market place, is battery operated. We feel the Transense TPMS still gives us a major edge over these competing products. The Company also continues to make steady progress in other areas such as electric power steering and has recently developed and patented a new SAW device, which will extend our patents in this area for a further 20 years. Our licensees are still on target for systems incorporating our technology to go into production in 2005. Although negotiations with a number of new potential licensees are going well and we hope to announce further agreements this year, progress has been somewhat slower than anticipated, due mainly to world market conditions. As a result, investors were naturally beginning to question whether we would have need of further funds - before products using our technology would reach the market place and the expected royalty streams start to flow. We still have over £1 million on deposit, but it would be imprudent of your Directors to let matters reach a stage where we had no alternative but to ask shareholders for further funds. To reassure our investors and the market therefore, we announced last week that we have raised £1.23 million net of expenses through a placing of approximately 2.5 million new ordinary shares of which 1.5 million were placed with First State Investments, a new shareholder, and the balance with two of our existing investment institutions. The placing, at 50p per share was at a 6% premium to the then market price. Given earlier market turbulence and share price movements this is a satisfactory conclusion leaving us well placed for the medium term. Peter Woods Chairman 3rd September 2003 Enquiries: James Perry, Chief Executive Tel: 01869 238 380 Transense Technologies plc Emma Kane Tel: 020 7955 1410 Redleaf Communications Ltd Notes to Editors: • Transense was founded in 1991 and its shares were listed on AIM in 1999; • Transense's technology is divided into two business streams: Torque measurement and Pressure measurement; • Current licensees of Transense's technology include SmarTire, Michelin, Honeywell and TT electronics; • Further information on Transense is available at the Company's website at www.transense.co.uk CONSOLIDATED PROFIT & LOSS ACCOUNT For the six months to 30 June 2003 6 months to 6 months to 30 June 2003 30 June 2002 £'000 £'000 Turnover 180 37 Cost of Sales (29) (21) Gross profit 151 16 Administration expenses (916) (678) Operating Loss (765) (662) Interest income 26 56 Loss on ordinary activities before taxation (739) (606) Taxation 0 0 Loss on ordinary activities after taxation (739) (606) Minority interest 6 6 Loss on ordinary activities after minority interest (733) (600) Dividends 0 0 Loss per share: Basic (1.4p) (1.2p) Fully diluted (1.4p) (1.1p) CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET at 30 June 2003 30 June 31 December 2003 2002 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Fixed Assets 1,516 1,433 Current assets: Debtors 94 269 Investments 34 51 Cash 1,205 1,850 1,333 2,170 Current liabilities: Creditors 125 125 Accruals 35 50 160 175 Net Current assets 1,173 1,995 Net assets 2,689 3,428 Capital & reserves: Share capital 5,066 5,066 Share premium 2,363 2,363 Profit & Loss account (4,718) (3,985) Shareholders' funds 2,711 3,444 Minority interest (22) (16) 2,689 3,428 CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT For the six months to 30 June 2003 6 months to 6 months to 30 June 2003 30 June 2002 £'000 £'000 Net cash outflow from operating activities (621) (531) Returns on investments and servicing of finance 26 56 Corporation tax received 52 20 Capital expenditure and financial investment (152) (218) Cash outflow before financing (695) (673) Financing Issue of new ordinary shares 50 0 Decrease in cash in the period (645) (673) Reconciliation of operating loss to net cash outflow from operating activities Operating loss (765) (662) Depreciation, amortisation 69 40 Impairment in value of investment 17 0 Decrease in debtors 73 62 Decrease/increase in creditors (15) 29 (621) (531) Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net debt Decrease in cash in the period (645) (673) Decrease in value of current asset investment (17) 0 Movement in net funds in the period (662) (673) Net funds at 1 January 1,901 3,177 Net funds at 30 June 1,239 2,504 Analysis of net funds Liquid Cash Current asset Total resources Investments £000 £000 £000 £000 At 1 January 2003 1,700 150 51 1,901 Cash flow (600) (45) (645) Non cash charges (17) (17) At 30 June 2003 1,100 105 34 1,239 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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