Interim Results

Peel Hotels PLC 08 October 2002 PEEL HOTELS PLC INTERIM RESULTS For the 28 week period ended 1 September 2002 HIGHLIGHTS • Turnover up 20.1% to £5,567,463 (2001 - £4,635,347) • Operating profit up 24.3% to £1,447,401 (2001 - £1,164,484) • Profits before tax up 35% to £989,590 (2001 - £734,028) • Earnings per share Basic 6.1p (2001 - 5.9p) Diluted 6.0p (2001 - 5.7p) Further information Robert Peel 020 7266 1100 CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT RESULTS In the twenty-eight weeks to 1 September 2002, turnover grew 20.1% to £5,567,463 and operating profit grew by 24.3% to £1,447,401. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation grew by 25.5%. The pre-tax result increased 34.8% to £989,590 and tax has been provided for at 30% less the discount on the deferred tax liabilities, giving an effective rate of 25%. Earnings per share were 6.1p compared with 5.9p in the comparative period - on 12,120,457 shares and 8,666,666 shares respectively. Shareholders will recollect that on 3 December 2001 the company raised £3,004,798 by way of a placing and open offer of 3,453,791 shares at 87p. The results include trading from the recently acquired freeholds and businesses of the Avon Gorge Hotel, Bristol and the George Hotel in Wallingford, from 10 June 2002. Occupancy increased 1.8% and average room rate by 8.3%, whilst revenue per available room (RevPar) increased 10.2% on a larger inventory of bedrooms than the previous year. Excluding the two new hotels like for like turnover grew 2.4% with RevPar up by 7.6%. Management fee income was flat in the period but with ten hotels remaining within the Grace Hotel portfolio on 1 September 2002 and eight at the time of writing, income from this source will decrease in the second half. Grace Hotels have agreed to extend the Management Contract for a further six months from 5 September 2002. EXPANSION The Board were delighted to announce the acquisition from Grace Hotels, for a cash consideration of £9.4 million plus expenses, the freeholds and businesses of the Avon Gorge Hotel, Bristol and the George Hotel in Wallingford, together with ancillary properties in June 2002. The company took the opportunity of re-organising its loan agreements and incorporating them into one loan of £17,418,750 repayable in 23 biannual instalments and a lump sum of £6,096,540 payable on 11 April 2014. CAPITAL EXPENDITURE In addition to the purchase of the two hotels a sum of £485,365 was spent in the period. Nine bedrooms were rebuilt at the Bull Hotel in Peterborough, 17 bedrooms were refurbished and the Billabong Bar further extended at the Caledonian Hotel, Newcastle. Construction has commenced on a new lift shaft at the Midland Hotel, Bradford. We still await the outcome of our application for planning to demolish Aire House, adjacent to the Golden Lion Hotel, Leeds and to build a fifty-bedroom extension, with retail on the ground floor. The Avon Gorge Hotel was bought with planning permission in place for a further 10 bedrooms together with a leisure club, including swimming pool. SHAREHOLDERS To encourage shareholders to visit the company's owned hotels and those it manages, the company continues to offer a 20% discount on the listed tariff, using a special reservations number 020 7266 1100. THE FUTURE Further progress has been achieved in improving the product, RevPar and profitability in the first half-year. The challenge is to continue this improvement both in our existing and our two recently acquired hotels, thus compensating for the declining income from the Management Contract with Grace Hotels and giving us sufficient profit to grow earnings in the immediate future. We believe that our strategy of owning a portfolio of well-located city centre and town centre hotels has stood us and will stand us in good stead in what is and has been a difficult time within the international and domestic hotel market. PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT For the period ended 1 September 2002 Note 28 weeks 28 weeks Year ended ended ended 1/9/2002 Unaudited 2/9/2001 Unaudited 17/2/2002 Audited (restated) £ £ £ Turnover Continuing operations 4,748,850 4,635,347 8,875,183 Acquisitions 818,613 - - Total turnover 5,567,463 4,635,347 8,875,183 Cost of sales Continuing operations (2,874,881) (2,805,138) (5,341,380) Acquisitions (515,087) Total cost of sales (3,389,968) Gross profit Continuing operations 1,873,969 1,830,209 3,533,803 Acquisitions 303,526 Total gross profit 2,177,495 Administrative expenses: Depreciation (358,207) (274,562) (509,900) Other (371,887) (391,163) (725,491) (730,094) (665,725) (1,235,391) Operating profit 1,447,401 1,164,484 2,298,412 Interest payable & similar charges (515,105) (430,456) (814,892) Other interest receivable and similar income 57,294 - 32,438 Profit on ordinary activities before taxation 989,590 734,028 1,515,958 Taxation (247,398) (220,208) (378,990) Profit on ordinary activities after taxation 742,192 513,820 1,136,968 Dividend - - (424,216) Profit retained 742,192 513,820 712,752 Earnings per share 3 Basic 6.1p 5.9p 12.1p Diluted 6.0p 5.7p 11.6p All transactions derive from continuing operations. There are no recognised gains and losses other than stated above. Accordingly, no statement of total recognised gains and losses is given. Following the change in accounting policy adopted for the 17 February 2002 audited financial statements, depreciation is no longer included within cost of sales. It is now shown separately within administrative expenses on the face of the profit and loss account as the directors believe this is consistent with industry practice and provides more meaningful information to readers of the financial statements. Comparative figures have been restated for this change. Operating profit has not been analysed between acquisitions and continuing operations as required by Financial Reporting Standard 3. This is on the grounds that the businesses have been fully integrated and, as a result, separate records of administrative expenses are not maintained. BALANCE SHEET AS AT 1 SEPTEMBER 2002 1/9/2002 Unaudited 2/9/2001 Unaudited 17/2/2002 Audited £ £ £ Fixed assets 31,905,098 21,805,843 22,015,718 Current assets Stocks 76,815 51,462 56,211 Debtors 913,909 804,669 753,696 Cash at bank and in hand 684,914 85,128 2,917,489 1,675,638 941,259 3,727,396 Creditors (due within one year) (3,306,225) (2,604,580) (2,778,516) Net current (liabilities) assets (1,630,587) (1,663,321) 948,880 Total assets less current liabilities 30,274,511 20,142,522 22,964,598 Creditors (due after one year) (16,247,367) (9,972,090) (9,644,323) Provision for liabilities and charges (687,871) (573,109) (687,871) Net assets 13,339,273 9,597,323 12,632,404 Capital and reserves Called up share capital 1,212,046 866,667 1,212,046 Share premium account 8,519,477 6,064,030 8,554,800 Profit and loss account 3,607,750 2,666,626 2,865,558 Equity shareholders' funds 13,339,273 9,597,323 12,632,404 CASH FLOW STATEMENT For the period ended 1 September 2002 28 weeks 28 weeks Year ended ended ended 1/9/2002 2/9/2001 17/2/2002 Unaudited Unaudited Audited Note £ £ £ £ £ £ Net cash flow from 4 2,018,186 1,799,470 3,072,919 operating activities Returns on investments and servicing of finance Interest received 57,294 - - Interest paid (300,937) (415,514) (811,908) Net cash flow from returns (243,643) (415,514) (811,908) on investments and servicing of finance Taxation UK corporation tax paid - (44,829) (241,287) Tax paid - (44,829) (241,287) Capital expenditure Purchase of tangible fixed (440,878) (793,661) (1,238,874) assets Net cash outflow from (440,878) (793,661) (1,238,874) capital expenditure Acquisitions of businesses (9,797,545) - - net of cash acquired Equity dividend paid (424,216) (260,000) (260,000) Net cash (outflow)/inflow (8,888,096) 285,466 520,850 before financing Financing Issue of ordinary share - - 3,004,798 capital Less: share issue cost (44,487) - (168,649) New long term loans 7,150,000 - - Loan repayments (175,000) (296,875) (593,750) Net cash inflow/(outflow) From financing 6,930,513 (296,875) 2,242,399 (Decrease)/increase in 5 (1,957,583) (11,409) 2,763,249 cash Reconciliation of net debt (Decrease)/increase in (1,957,583) (11,409) 2,763,249 cash in the period Cash (inflow)/outflow (6,975,000) 296,875 593,750 from (increase)/decrease in debt Change in net debt (8,932,583) 285,466 3,356,999 resulting from cashflows Non Cash changes 61,166 (10,620) (19,728) Reduction /(increase) in (8,871,417) 274,846 3,337,271 net debt in the year Net debt at beginning of (7,818,023) (11,155,294) (11,155,294) period Net debt at end of period 5 (16,689,440) (10,880,448) (7,818,023) NOTES TO THE INTERIM ACCOUNTS For the period ended 1 September 2002 1. Basis of accounting The interim financial information has been prepared on the basis of the accounting policies consistent with those applied in the last Annual Report. The financial information for the year ended 17 February 2002 has been extracted from the financial statements for that period. Those statements, which contain an unqualified auditors' report, have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. 2. Taxation Tax has been provided at a rate of 25% which represents the expected effective rate for the full year. This charge has been calculated in accordance with FRS19 'Deferred Tax' which is consistent with the accounting treatment adopted for the year ended 17 February 2002 and the 28 weeks ended 2 September 2001. 3. Earnings per share Earnings per share are based on the profit after taxation, and on the average number of shares in issue during the period. 28 weeks 28 weeks Year ended ended ended 1/9/2002 2/9/2001 17/2/2002 Unaudited Unaudited Audited £ £ £ Average No. shares - basic 12,120,457 8,666,666 9,397,276 - Diluted 12,453,428 9,081,405 9,768,016 4. Reconciliation of operating profit to net cash flow from operating activities 28 weeks 28 weeks Year ended ended ended 1/9/2002 2/9/2001 17/2/2002 Unaudited Unaudited Audited £ £ £ Operating profit 1,447,401 1,164,484 2,298,412 Depreciation and amortisation 358,207 274,562 509,900 (Increase)/decrease in stocks (20,604) 9,490 4,741 (Increase)/decrease in debtors (354,654) 44,049 123,385 Increase in creditors 587,836 306,885 136,481 Net cash inflow from operating activities 2,018,186 1,799,470 3,072,919 5. Analysis of net debt At beginning Of period 17/2/ At end of period 2002 non cash 1/9/2002 cash flow changes £ £ £ £ Cash at bank and in hand 2,917,489 (2,232,575) - 684,914 Bank overdraft (417,439) 274,992 - (142,447) 2,500,050 (1,957,583) - 542,467 Debt due within one year (673,750) (310,790) - (984,540) Debt due after one year (9,644,323) (6,664,210) 61,166 (16,247,367) Total (7,818,023) (8,932,583) 61,166 (16,689,440) 6. Acquisitions On 10 June 2002, Peel Hotels acquired the George Hotel, Wallingford and the Avon Gorge, Bristol for a consideration of £9.4 million plus expenses of £0.4 million. 7. Financing The bank loans are repayable by 23 semi-annual instalments plus a final payment on 11 April 2014. Interest is charged at 1.5% over LIBOR. The company has entered into a collar agreement on £7 million which caps the company interest cost at 6.99% plus margin. The minimum interest cost is 4.99% plus margin, up to 12 October 2009, except where LIBOR falls below 4.99% between 24 June 2003 and 12 October 2009; in which case an additional 2% of interest is payable. In addition, the company has entered into an interest rate swap agreement commencing on 11 April 2003 to 11 April 2014 with an option for the Royal Bank of Scotland to terminate the agreement from 11 October 2009. Under the terms of this agreement the company receives interest at LIBOR plus 1.5% and pays interest at a fixed rate of 7.33%. 8. The financial information set out above in respect of the year ended 17 February 2002 does not constitute the company's statutory accounts for that year but is derived from those accounts. Statutory accounts for that year have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The auditors reported on those accounts; their report was unqualified and did not contain a statement under section 237 (2) or (3) of the Companies Act 1985. 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