Trading update14 Jan 2021 14:26
If this keeps dropping I will add more.
- Will use bank facility to fund business provided lockdowns end before April 2021
- Likely to be able to work with bank to a workable agreement
- Possible governmental additional support
- Continuation of existing support: business rates holidays, VAT deferrals
- End of H1 they had 32mn net cash
- Worries regarding rights issue (I don't know what will happen). I think this would only happen if pushed by lenders or lockdowns extend. It's unknown how much they would want to raise and whether this would even be worth it. At around 350mn shares there would be significant dilution £50mn would be about 125mn more shares. Given they have such a large facility to use, that they don't anticipate having to fully utilise, it would seem easier and cheaper to use the facility. Once trading resumes this business generates solid cash flows which it can use to manage debt and reinvest for online offering.
"Whilst our short term cash requirement can be covered within our existing £200m bank facility, we anticipate that current covenants will be breached at the end of January as the significant impact of the November and current national lockdowns are reflected in our trading performance. We continue to have constructive discussions with our banking syndicate.
Despite the unprecedented nature of this year, our aggressive but considered management of costs and cash has resulted in a material reduction in our utilisation of the debt facility, resulting in net debt being reduced to £90m as at 31 December 2020, compared to the net debt of £119m as at 31 December 2019. We would not expect this facility to be fully utilised unless the national lockdown, restricting non-essential retailers from trading, continues beyond the end of April 2021.
Despite initially being given access to Coronavirus Corporate Finance Facility (CCFF), following changes to the scheme rules, we no longer have that opportunity. We are, however, progressing discussions to access supplemental funding options."