Anexo Group Plc Regulatory News (ANX)

Anexo Group plc

('Anexo' or the 'Group')

Interim Results for the six months ended 30 June 2022

"Significant revenue and profit growth with unchanged outlook for the year"

Anexo Group plc (AIM: ANX), the specialist integrated credit hire and legal services provider, is pleased to report its Interim Results for the six months ended 30 June 2022 ('H1 2022' or the 'period')

Financial Highlights

Operational Highlights

Commenting on the Interim Results, Alan Sellers, Executive Chairman of Anexo Group plc, said:

"I am delighted to report that the Group has continued its strong performance during the first half of the year. Business activity in both our credit hire and legal services divisions has grown strongly.

"We are proud of the social value of the services we offer. Anexo provides assistance to people who find themselves in an invidious position through no fault of their own, whether through being deprived of an essential vehicle or through living in substandard housing conditions, along with the other problems which may be exacerbated by such situations. We remain committed to providing help to those who might otherwise be unable to obtain redress.

"We continue to manage our vehicle fleet carefully and to maximise cash collections by identifying appropriate hire opportunities, particularly within the motorcycle sector; this allows for more efficient use of working capital whilst also increasing the overall number of case settlements.

"The strong progress being made in housing disrepair and emissions will underpin the continued growth in the core business, and the Board remains confident in meeting market expectations for the year."

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Results Conference Call

An analyst conference call will be held at 09:30 BST today, 20 September 2022. Retail investors will also be able to listen to the call but will not be eligible to ask questions. A copy of the Interim Results presentation is available at the Group's website: https://www.anexo-group.com/. Please contact Nick Dashwood Brown, Head of Investor Relations, at nick@anexo-group.com if you would like to join the call.

An audio webcast of the conference call with analysts will be available after 12:00 BST today on the Company's website: https://www.anexo-group.com/.

For further enquiries:

Notes to Editors:

Anexo is a specialist integrated credit hire and legal services provider. The Group has created a unique business model by combining a direct capture Credit Hire business with a wholly owned Legal Services firm. The integrated business targets the impecunious not at fault motorist, referring to those who do not have the financial means or access to a replacement vehicle.

Through its dedicated Credit Hire sales team and network of over 1,100 active introducers around the UK, Anexo provides customers with an end-to-end service including the provision of Credit Hire vehicles, assistance with repair and recovery, and claims management services. The Group's Legal Services division, Bond Turner, provides the legal support to maximise the recovery of costs through settlement or court action as well as the processing of any associated personal injury claim. Bond Turner is also involved in litigation relating to Housing Disrepair and emissions claims against major motor manufacturers.

For additional information please visit: www.anexo-group.com. To subscribe to our investor alert service and receive all press releases, financial results and other key shareholder messages as soon as they become available, please visit: https://www.anexo-group.com/content/investors/alert.asp.

Executive Chairman's Statement

On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to introduce Anexo's results for the six-month period ended 30 June 2022. The Group has continued to demonstrate the effectiveness of its business model. Vehicle numbers within the credit hire division have grown, while increased case settlements within the legal services division have ensured a good rise in cash collections.

Demand for hire vehicles shows no signs of abating. We continue to recruit staff in targeted areas within the legal services division, while case settlements and cash collections continue to grow. This points to plenty of opportunities for the Group, albeit at lower levels of growth to ensure that cash generation can be further improved.

H1 2022 Group Performance

Anexo has delivered a strong performance across all key Group financial metrics and KPIs over the first six months of the year. Group revenues in H1 2022 increased by 42% to £68.6 million (H1 2021: £48.3 million) and profit before tax rose by 52% to £13.6 million (H1 2020: £8.9 million).

Credit Hire Division

Demand for vehicles has remained strong throughout the period following the decisive return of traffic levels to pre-pandemic levels. The average number of vehicles on the road during H1 2022 reached 2,043 (H1 2021: 1,461), a 40% increase on the prior year. The Group is committed to careful management of vehicle numbers to maximise efficient use of working capital; as a consequence, the overall number of vehicles on the road has been declining toward the end of the first half of the year and at the period end the number stood at 1,947. This still represents an 11.9% increase on the H1 2021 number but shows a reduction of 17.7% on the 2,366 vehicles on the road at the end of FY 2021.

This performance led to growth in Credit Hire revenue of 62%, up from £26.3 million in H1 2021 to £42.5 million in H1 2022. Profit before tax in the Credit Hire division rose by 36% to £10.9 million in H1 2022 (H1 2021: £8.0 million). Completed vehicle hires rose by 35% to 5,501 in H1 2022 (H1 2021: 4,081). This increase has been supported by the agreement with MCE Insurance announced on 25 November 2021 as well as by a number of protocols with insurance counterparties.

Legal Services Division

Credit Hire

The Group remains committed to its strategy of increasing its claim settlement capacity, thereby maximising cash collections. The number of senior fee earners employed at the end of H1 2022 rose by 41% to 247 (H1 2021: 175) and the overall number of legal staff rose from 578 in H1 2021 to 633 in H1 2022, an increase of 10%.

This investment has underpinned continued growth in cash collections, which rose 20% in H1 2021 to a total of £67.9 million (H1 2021: £56.7 million). Revenues from the Legal Services division, which strongly converts to cash, increased by 8.1% to £21.4 million in H1 2022 (H1 2021: £19.8 million). Profit before taxation rose from £1.5 million in H1 2021 to £2.5 million in H1 2022, an increase of 67%. The Group expects this revenue trend to continue as more of our staff reach maturity from a cash collection and settlement position.

Housing Disrepair

The Group's Housing Disrepair ("HDR") division continues to show significant growth. The number of ongoing claims currently stands at approximately 2,300 cases. HDR continues to require additional cash funding; this amounted to £0.3 million in the first half year, with profit of £2.4 million (2021 H1: £1.1 million).

Emissions Litigation

The advocacy team continues to act on behalf of a number of individuals in the pursuit of a claim against VW and its subsidiaries (the "VW Emissions case"). The Group announced on 26 May 2022 that it is engaged in approximately 13,000 cases. The Group remains in discussions with VW and its representatives around a possible settlement of these claims.

The Group continues to pursue other emissions cases, particularly in relation to Mercedes Benz. Total expenditure that has been expensed in the H1 2022 is £1.3 million (H1 2021: £0.5 million). The Group currently has approximately 4,000 Mercedes cases.

The Board believes there is a significant short-term opportunity to accelerate growth in emissions claims against specific vehicle manufacturers, as well as HDR claims. Accordingly, the Group has negotiated an increase in its loan agreement with Blazehill Capital, first announced on 11 May 2022, from £7.5 million to £15 million. The funds will be drawn down immediately to take advantage of this opportunity. The costs in targeting further emissions claims will be expensed in the normal way and the Group will update the market with details of emissions expenditure on a regular basis.

Dividend

The Board believes that the emissions opportunity warrants significantly increased investment over the next few months and has therefore resolved that the interests of the Group and its shareholders would be best served by paying an annual dividend following the announcement of the Group's full year results.

Outlook

The Group has shown robust growth in the first half and plans to optimise cash generation in the second half year with a focus on improving the vehicle mix. The Board has confidence in meeting market expectations for the year with a focus on continuing the strong progress in Housing Disrepair and maximising the emissions opportunities. 

Alan Sellers

Executive Chairman

20 September 2022

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

For the unaudited period ended 30 June 2022

The above results were derived from continuing operations.

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

Unaudited at 30 June 2022

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

For the unaudited period ended 30 June 2022

Anexo Group Plc

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

For the unaudited period ended 30 June 2022

Anexo Group Plc

Notes to the Interim Statements

For the unaudited period ended 30 June 2022

1. Basis of preparation and significant accounting policies

The condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared using accounting policies consistent with International Financial Reporting Standards and in accordance with International Accounting Standard ('IAS') 34, 'Interim Financial Reporting'.

The information for the year ended 31 December 2021 does not constitute statutory accounts as defined in Section 434 of the Companies Act 2006. A copy of the statutory accounts for that year has been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The auditor's report on these accounts was not qualified and did not include a reference to any matters to which the auditor drew attention by way of emphasis without qualifying the report and did not contain statements under Section 498 (2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006.

The condensed unaudited financial statements for the six months to 30 June 2022 have not been audited or reviewed by auditors pursuant to the Auditing Practices Board guidance on Review of Interim Financial Information.

The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared under the going concern assumption.

The Directors have assessed the future funding requirement of the Group and have compared them to the levels of available cash and funding resources. The assessment included a review of current financial projections to December 2023. Having undertaken this work, the Directors are of the opinion that the Group has adequate resources to finance its operations for the foreseeable future and accordingly, continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the Interim Report.

2. Segmental Reporting

The Group's reportable segments are as follows:

· the provision of credit hire vehicles to individuals who have had a non-fault accident, and

· associated legal services in the support of the individual provided with a vehicle by the Group and other legal service activities, and

· vehicle emissions litigation, and

· Group and central costs.

Management monitors the operating results of business segments separately for the purpose of making decisions about resources to be allocated and of assessing performance.

Half year ended 30 June 2022

Half year ended 30 June 2021

Year ended 31 December 2021

3. Property, Plant and Equipment

4. Trade and Other Receivables

The Group's exposure to credit and market risks, including impairments and allowances for credit losses, relating to trade and other receivables is disclosed in the financial risk management and impairment of financial assets note.

Trade receivables stated above include amounts due at the end of the reporting period for which an allowance for doubtful debts has not been recognised as the amounts are still considered recoverable and there has been no significant change in credit quality.

5. Borrowings

Direct Accident Management Limited uses an invoice discounting facility which is secured on the trade receivables of that company. Security held in relation to the facility includes a debenture over all assets of Direct Accident Management Limited dated 11 October 2016, extended to cover the assets of Anexo Group Plc and Edge Vehicles Rentals Group Limited from 20 June 2018 and 28 June 2018 respectively, as well as a cross corporate guarantee with Professional and Legal Services Limited dated 21 February 2018.

In July 2020 Direct Accident Management Limited secured a £5.0m loan facility from Secure Trust Bank Plc, under the Government's CLBILS scheme. The loan was secured on a repayment basis over the three year period, with a three month capital repayment holiday.

Direct Accident Management Limited is also party to a number of leases which are secured over the respective assets funded.

The revolving credit facility is secured by way of a fixed charge dated 26 September 2019, over all present and future property, assets and rights (including uncalled capital) of Bond Turner Limited. The loan is structured as a revolving credit facility which is committed for a three-year period, until 13 October 2024, with no associated repayments due before that date. Interest is charged at 3.25% over the Respective Rate.

In July 2020 Anexo Group Plc secured a loan of £2.1m from a specialist litigation funder to support the investment in marketing costs associated with the VW Emissions Class Action. The terms of the loan are that interest accrues at the rate of 10% per annum, with maturity three years from the date of receipt of funding with an option to repay early without charge. In addition to the interest charges the loan attracts a share of the proceeds to be determined by reference to the level of fees generated for the Group.

In November 2021 a further £3.0m loan was sourced from certain of the principal shareholders and directors of the Group to support the investment in 2022 of the Mercedes Benz emissions claim. The terms of the loan are that interest accrues at the rate of 10% per annum, with maturity two years from the date of receipt of funding with an option to repay early without charge. In addition to the interest charges the loan attracts a share of the proceeds to be determined by reference to the level of fees generated for the Group.

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