Preliminary Results 2008

 

Vitesse Media plc (AIM: VIS), the publishing, events and online company, today announced its unaudited preliminary results for the year ended 31 January 2008.

 

Financial Highlights:

 

  • Revenues up 51% to £4.9m (2007: £3.3m) of which online revenues up 58%

  • Organic revenue growth of 11.2% to £3.6m (2007: £3.3m)

  • Gross profit margin increased from 65% to 66%

  • EBITDA profit £0.02m (2007: loss £0.27m)

 

Operational Highlights:

 

  • Acquisition of What Investment, a leading subscription title for investors, made on last day of previous financial year and now incorporated in trading results

  • Acquisition of Group's sixth strong brand, which incorporates publishing rights - Information Age magazine, with accompanying website and a range of events

  • Business XL redesign successfully undertaken in the last quarter of 2007/08

 

Review of activities for the financial year ended 31 January 2008:

 

I am delighted to report a much-improved performance for the year including the achievement of the important milestone of delivering a full year EBITDA profit. The improvement has been driven by increasing revenues across the board but primarily as a result of the 58% growth in our online activities, of which 62% was from organic growth.

 

On 6 February 2007, we acquired What Investment and, on 8 November 2007, Information Age. These two highly-regarded brands have been published for many years but we are confident that we have yet to exploit their full online and event potential.

 

What Investment had a very good year; the publication's website, whatinvestment.co.uk, was relaunched and is steadily building traffic. It has exceeded all our expectations.

 

Information Age was only owned by the Group for three months. During this time it was successfully integrated into the Group and we have been able to realise immediate annualised savings of £0.25 million, with further significant savings due to be realised in the 2008/9 financial year.

 

Enquiries:

Vitesse:

Sara Williams www.vitessemedia.co.uk

Kym Kingwill 020 7250 7010

 

KBC Peel Hunt - NOMAD and advisor

Daniel Harris or Capel Irwin 020 7418 890

CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT

 

Trading update for the first quarter 2008/9

 

During the first quarter, two major events were staged. The inaugural Rosenblatt New Energy Awards was launched at the Jumeirah Carlton, an event that was immediately successful both in profits and enjoyment and has already transferred to the Natural History Museum for the 2009 event in order that an increased number of guests can be accommodated. The M & A Awards event enjoyed a strong second year and was transferred to the Hilton Park Lane, London, to provide us with a larger venue. The success of these events meant that we were on budget for the first two months, February and March.

 

Trading in April has proved to be difficult, in particular advertising sales for What Investment and Information Age. However, subscription numbers for What Investment showed a strong upturn and the redesign of Business XL, which occurred in the last quarter of 2007/08, won many new friends resulting in a good financial performance for advertising in the magazine. The sales team for Business XL is also benefiting from working closely with the sales team for Information Age, thus winning new business.

 

The year ahead

 

We have carried out a comprehensive review of our activities following the acquisitions of our fifth and sixth brands last year. We have examined how we can work more efficiently across our titles and platforms and have refocused our efforts, particularly in the area of events.

 

As a result, in the last quarter of the financial year under review, we commenced the process of driving through substantial changes in the way we work, a process which has continued into the current financial year. Whilst the Company will show a loss at the interim stage, the anticipated annualised cost savings of over £0.5m will have their full impact in the last six months of the current financial year at which time the full benefits of this reassessment will be apparent.

 

We continue to refresh and invest in all our brands. In June 2008, SmallBusiness.co.uk was relaunched, and GrowthBusiness.co.uk, Information-Age.com and GrowthCompany.co.uk will also be redesigned in the second half of the year. A new design for M & A magazine was unveiled in early July and a new look for What Investment will be finalised in the autumn.

 

We continue to examine and develop new ideas that will enable us to exploit our intellectual property to the full and are confident that, once the economy returns to a more positive note, the Company will demonstrate strong profit and financial performance.

 

ESM Williams

Chairman and Chief Executive

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT

 

 

for the period ended 31 January 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Period ended

Period ended

 

 

31-Jan

06-Feb

 

 

2008

2007

 

 

£

£

 

 

 

 

Revenue

 

 

 

 

Existing operations

3,629,806

3,265,112

 

Acquired operations

1,310,042

-

 

 

________

________

 

Continuing operations

4,939,848

3,265,112

 

 

 

 

Cost of sales

 

(1,660,509)

(1,148,611)

 

 

________

________

Gross profit

 

3,279,339

2,116,501

 

 

 

 

Administrative expenses

 

(3,364,969)

(2,447,131)

 

 

_______

________

Operating loss

 

 

 

 

Existing operations

(672,071)

(330,630)

 

Acquired operations

586,441

-

 

 

_______

_______

 

Continuing operations

(85,630)

(330,630)

 

 

 

 

Finance costs

 

(17,348)

(10,434)

Finance income

 

4,900

1,436

 

 

-------

--------

Loss before tax

 

(98,078)

(339,628)

 

 

 

 

Tax

 

-

-

 

 

-------

--------

 

 

 

 

Loss for the period

 

(98,078)

(339,628)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attributable to equity holders of the parent

 

(98,078)

(339,628)

 

 

 

 

Earnings per share

 

 

 

 

Basic

(0.45p)

(1.95p)

 

Diluted

(0.45p)

(1.95p)


CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

 

 

 

 

at 31 January 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

31-Jan

06-Feb

 

 

 

2008

2007

 

 

 

£

£

 

Non-current assets

 

 

 

 

Goodwill

 

1,172,832

611,966

 

Other intangible assets

 

1,530,327

908,487

 

Property, plant and equipment

 

208,894

190,139

 

Trade and other receivables

 

21,139

21,139

 

 

 

--------

--------

 

 

 

2,933,192

1,731,731

 

 

 

--------

--------

 

Current assets

 

 

 

 

Inventories

 

16,996

-

 

Trade and other receivables

 

1,247,539

620,734

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

-

181,092

 

 

 

--------

--------

 

 

 

1,264,535

801,826

 

 

 

--------

--------

 

Total assets

 

4,197,727

2,533,557

 

 

 

========

========

 

Equity

 

 

 

 

Share capital

 

2,450,558

2,090,891

 

Share premium account

 

2,369,491

1,844,929

 

Share option reserve

 

37,466

32,031

 

Other reserves

 

103,904

103,904

 

Retained earnings

 

(3,194,301)

(3,096,224)

 

 

 

________

________

 

TOTAL EQUITY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE EQUITY HOLDERS

 

1,767,118

975,531

 

OF THE PARENT COMPANY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-current liabilities

 

 

 

 

Bank loans

 

153,095

30,769

 

Obligations under finance leases

 

22,498

45,663

 

Deferred tax liability

 

147,026

-

 

 

 

______

______

 

 

 

332,619

76,432

 

 

 

______

______

 

Current liabilities

 

 

 

 

Trade and other payables

 

1,852,324

1,407,284

 

Bank overdrafts and loans

 

212,079

30,770

 

Obligations under finance leases

 

43,587

43,540

 

 

 

________

________

 

 

 

2,107,990

1,481,594

 

 

 

________

________

 

Total liabilities

 

2,430,609

1,558,026

 

 

 

________

________

 

TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

 

4,197,727

2,533,557

 

 

 

========

========

 

 

 

Statement of changes in equity ATTRIBUTABLE TO EQUITY SHAREHOLDERS

 

Share capital

 

Share premium

Share-based payment reserve

Other reserves

Retained earnings

Total

 

£

£

£

£

£

£

As at 1 February 2006

1,594,750

1,333,437

22,019

103,904

(2,756,596)

297,514

Loss for period

-

-

-

-

(339,628)

(339,628)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,594,750

1,333,437

22,019

103,904

(3,096,224)

(42,114)

Issue of share capital

496,141

561,360

-

-

-

1,057,501

Recognition of share-based payments

-

-

10,012

-

-

10,012

Issue costs

-

(49,868)

-

-

-

(49,868)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As at 6 February 2007

2,090,891

1,844,929

32,031

103,904

(3,096,224)

975,531

Loss for period

-

-

-

-

(98,078)

(98,078)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,090,891

1,844,929

32,031

103,904

(3,194,301)

877,454

Issue of share capital

359,667

605,422

-

-

-

965,089

Recognition of share-based payments

-

-

5,435

-

-

5,435

Issue costs

-

(80,860)

-

-

-

(80,860)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As at 31 January 2008

2,450,558

2,369,491

37,466

103,904

(3,194,301)

1,767,118

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES

 

For the year ended 31 January 2008

 

1. The financial information contained in this document does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of section 240 Companies Act 1985. The figures for the year ended 31 January 2008 have been extracted from the annual accounts in respect of which the auditors have not yet signed their audit

report. The audited statutory accounts for the year ended 6 February 2007 have been extracted from the audited statutory accounts for that year which have been filed with the Registrar of Companies and received an unqualified auditors' report which did not contain a statement under section 237(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 1985. Statutory accounts for the year ended 6 February 2007 have been restated

in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

 

2. For all periods up to 6 February 2007 Vitesse Media plc has prepared its financial statements in accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (UK GAAP). AIM Rules require that the annual consolidated financial statements of Vitesse Media plc for the year ended 31 January 2008 be prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

 

Accordingly, these financial statements have been prepared for the first time in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards and are covered by IFRS1, First-time Adoption of IFRS.

 

In preparing these financial statements the comparative figures previously reported under UK GAAP have been restated for the transition to IFRS.

 

3. As required under IFRS 1, the equity reconciliations at 1 January 2006 (the transition date for IFRS) and at 6 February 2007 (date of last UK GAAP financial statements) are set out above in the Statement of changes in equity attributable to equity shareholders of the parent.

 

The amortisation charged under UK GAAP for the year ended 6 February 2006 was charged in accordance with UK GAAP policies and was also considered necessary to bring the goodwill to an accurate carrying value. Under IFRS goodwill cannot be amortised but an impairment is instead required for the year ended 6 February 2006. The resulting loss for the year ended 6 February 2006 is therefore the same under IFRS as reported in the audited accounts prepared under UK GAAP.

 

Under IFRS goodwill previously accounted for on the acquisition of investments has been restated as 'Other intangible assets' in accordance with IFRS 3 - Business combinations. This reclassification does not affect the figures previously stated. In addition the total assets, equity and liabilities reported under UK GAAP are the same as that reported under IFRS.

 

 

4. EARNINGS/LOSS PER SHARE

 

a) Basic

 

Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the profit attributable to equity holders of the Company by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the period, excluding ordinary shares purchased by the Company and held as treasury shares.

 

 

2008

£

2007

£

Loss attributable to equity holders of the Company

(98,078)

(339,628)

 

Weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue

21,812,906

17,472,652

 

Basic and diluted earnings per share (pence per share)

(0.45p)

======

(1.95p)

======

 

 

 

(b) Diluted

 

Diluted earnings per share is calculated by adjusting the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding to assume conversion of all dilutive potential ordinary shares. The Company has one category of dilutive potential ordinary shares: share options. Applicable. The Company has made a loss and the potential share options are therefore anti-dilutive.

 

 

5. CALLED-UP SHARE CAPITAL

 

 

2008

£

2007

£

 

Authorised:

25,000,000 Ordinary shares of 10p each

2,500,000

Number of

Shares

£

2,500,000

Share Capital

£

Issued and fully paid Ordinary shares of 10p each

 

 

 

As at 1 February 2006

15,947,503

1,594,750

Shares issued

4,961,411

496,141

Issue costs

-

-

 

 

 

As at 6 February 2007

20,908,914

2,090,891

Shares issued

3,596,663

359,667

Issue costs

-

-

 

 

 

As at 31 January 2008

24,505,577

2,450,558

 

 

 

 

Shares issued during the period to raise additional financing for the acquisition of Information Age Ltd.

 

6. This preliminary announcement was approved by the Board on 17th July 2008.