ECK6 Sep 2016 17:30
Eckoh issued a trading statement saying it expects PBT to be below expectations in the year to March 2017. The reasons are two-fold: 1) it has experienced cost overruns in a large, complex project in a non-core division of PSS and 2) it is seeing a faster than expected transition towards a pure Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) pricing model in the US, where until recently, deals were predominantly on an upfront fee model. Consequently, we cut our adjusted PBT forecasts in the year to Mar 17/18/19 by 23%/20%/17%. The group�s opportunities have not diminished (sales pipeline remains substantial) and we believe the medium-term growth outlook remains very healthy. The accelerated transition of the US business to recurring revenue also bodes well for the overall quality of earnings. However, we recognise that today�s news is disappointing and that steps will have to be taken to rebuild investor confidence.