The next focusIR Investor Webinar takes places on 14th May with guest speakers from Blue Whale Growth Fund, Taseko Mines, Kavango Resources and CQS Natural Resources fund. Please register here.

Less Ads, More Data, More Tools Register for FREE

Pin to quick picksMCRO.L Share News (MCRO)

  • There is currently no data for MCRO

Watchlists are a member only feature

Login to your account

Alerts are a premium feature

Login to your account

Micro Focus Loss Widens Amid Covid Challenges, But Still "Resilient"

Tue, 09th Feb 2021 09:38

(Alliance News) - Micro Focus International PLC on Tuesday recorded a pretax loss for 2020 but insisted that its business model remains "resilient" in the face of Covid-19.

The Newbury, England-based software and information technology business reported a pretax loss for the year ended October 31 of USD2.94 billion, widening from USD34.1 million loss in 2019.

Administrative expenses for the year were USD3.34 billion compared to USD620.8 million the previous year. This was a result of Micro Focus recording a total impairment charge of USD2.8 billion for 2020, which related solely to goodwill and impacted its pretax loss.

Revenue for the year was USD3.00 billion, down 10% from USD3.35 billion the year prior on both an actual and constant currency basis.

Micro Focus said this decrease was in line with expectations and is starting to reflect the progress in its three-year turnaround plan to evolve its business model and improve operational effectiveness. The plan involves delivering stable revenues, adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation margins towards the 45% mark, and being able to generate at least USD700 million of free cash flow annually.

Micro Focus said it remains "profitable and highly cash generative", delivering USD1.2 billion in adjusted Ebitda at a margin of 39%, compared to USD1.4 billion adjusted Ebitda at a 41% margin in 2019. Free cash flow was USD511.2 million, down from USD563.3 million the year prior.

Both the adjusted Ebitda and free cash flow were towards the upper end of its expectations in financial 2020, Micro Focus said, with "enhancing cash flows through cost control measures and strong working capital management remaining a primary focus area for management."

Micro Focus declared a final dividend of 15.5 US cents. It did not pay a final 2019 dividend and suspended its interim 2020 one as a result of adapting plans to protect the business due to the impact of Covid-19.

"The operational headwind and macro uncertainty resulting from the pandemic required us to be agile in adapting our approach and the sequencing of priorities as we executed multiple programmes that comprise the transformation of our business to deliver against the objectives we set. Our business model remains resilient in the face of Covid-19, underpinned by high levels of recurring revenues and long-term customer relationships," said Chief Executive Stephen Murdoch.

"We are now 12 months into our three-year turnaround plan and whilst there remains a great deal to do, we have made solid progress in delivery of our key strategic objectives and improvements in operational effectiveness. We continue to work closely with our customers around the world enabling them to build on their existing IT investments with the latest innovations to help accelerate their digital transformation programmes," he added.

Looking ahead, Micro Focus said it is focused on delivering the objective of revenue stabilisation as its exits financial 2023, and continues to "target incremental improvements in revenue trajectory annually in order to achieve this goal."

Shares in Micro Focus were up 4.1% at 512.00 pence in London on Tuesday.

By Zoe Wickens; zoewickens@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.

More News
27 Jan 2023 11:51

Micro Focus expects takeover by OpenText to complete next week

(Alliance News) - Micro Focus International PLC on Friday said its proposed takeover by Open Text Corp is expected to complete on Tuesday next week, after the High Court of Justice in England & Wales approved the transaction for the entire share capital of Micro Focus.

Read more
26 Jan 2023 21:15

Micro Focus International to be replaced by Hunting on FTSE 250 index

(Alliance News) - Micro Focus International PLC will be deleted from the FTSE 250 index, the FTSE Russell said on Thursday, amid its takeover by Open Text Corp.

Read more
24 Jan 2023 20:15

Pacific Horizon to be added to FTSE 250 as Biffa exits amid takeover

(Alliance News) - FTSE Russell said on Tuesday that Pacific Horizon Investment Trust PLC will be added to the FTSE 250 index, replacing Biffa PLC which is being removed.

Read more
17 Nov 2022 14:10

IN BRIEF: Open Text eyes Micro Focus takeover in first quarter of 2023

Micro Focus International PLC - Berkshire-based global enterprise software firm - Potential buyer Open Text Corp expects takeover of Micro Focus to close in the first quarter of calendar year 2023. Open Text adds that it fully syndicated its USD3.59 billion term loan facility with an annual interest equal to adjusted terms secured overnight financing rate plus 3.5%. Further, it prices an offering of USD1 billion of 6.9% senior secured fixed rate notes due 2027 in connection with the acquisition.

Read more
14 Nov 2022 12:15

Micro Focus reports interim revenue fall amid volatile backdrop

(Alliance News) - Micro Focus International PLC on Monday reported a dip in full-year revenue and earnings in the face of an increasingly volatile market backdrop.

Read more
14 Nov 2022 07:58

Micro Focus flags weaker earnings ahead of acquisition by OpenText

(Sharecast News) - Micro Focus International reported a 7% constant currency fall in full-year revenue in a trading update on Monday, to $2.5bn, ahead of its acquisition by OpenText.

Read more
26 Sep 2022 17:19

OpenText completes debt financing ready for Micro Focus takeover

(Alliance News) - Micro Focus International PLC on Monday said that Open Text Corp has completed its debt financing commitments for Micro Focus's GBP5.1 million takeover.

Read more
16 Sep 2022 09:08

PRESS: UK to launch late charm offensive to land Arm IPO - FT

(Alliance News) - The UK government will launch a last-ditch effort to persuade SoftBank Group Corp to list its Arm unit in London, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

Read more
26 Aug 2022 17:31

UK stocks log worst week since mid-June; Micro Focus soars on buyout deal

Aug 26 (Reuters) - UK stock indexes fell on Friday to log their biggest weekly decline since mid-June as concern mounted about a cost-of-living crisis and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the U.S. central bank will raise rates further to try to tame inflation.

Read more
26 Aug 2022 17:07

LONDON MARKET CLOSE: Stocks slump as Powell says Fed to act with force

(Alliance News) - Stocks in Europe ended sharply lower on Friday as US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell made price stability paramount, despite the "pain" that will be caused by moves to tame rampant inflation.

Read more
26 Aug 2022 12:20

LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: Stocks mixed as all eyes on Powell address

Alliance News) - Stock market investors were exercising caution on Friday, in the build-up to a highly anticipated speech by US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, seeking clues on policy direction going into the next interest-rate setting meeting.

Read more
26 Aug 2022 10:41

TOP NEWS SUMMARY: Micro Focus accepts takeover by Canada's OpenText

(Alliance News) - The following is a summary of top news stories Friday.

Read more
26 Aug 2022 09:02

LONDON MARKET OPEN: Micro Focus rises after agreeing OpenText takeover

Alliance News) - Stock prices in London opened higher on Friday as investors look ahead to a speech by US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell later in the day, while Micro Focus shares surged after agreeing to a takeover offer from a Canadian rival.

Read more
26 Aug 2022 08:09

LONDON BRIEFING: 5 years after HP deal, Micro Focus agrees to takeover

(Alliance News) - Micro Focus International on Friday said it agreed with Canada's OpenText on the terms of a recommended cash acquisition that values the UK software firm, including its debt, at around GBP5.1 billion.

Read more
26 Aug 2022 07:58

TOP NEWS: OpenText to acquire Micro Focus in GBP5.1 billion deal

(Alliance News) - Micro Focus International PLC on Friday said it agreed with Canada's OpenText Corp on the terms of a recommended cash acquisition that values the UK software company, including its debt, at around GBP5.1 billion.

Read more

Login to your account

Don't have an account? Click here to register.

Quickpicks are a member only feature

Login to your account

Don't have an account? Click here to register.