AVN.L Regulatory News (AVN)

The information contained within this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

28 August 2019

AVANTI COMMUNICATIONS GROUP PLC

Interim Results

Avanti Communications Group plc ("Avanti" or "the Group"), a leading provider of satellite data communications services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, issues the following results for the six months ended 30 June 2019.

Highlights to 30 June

·; Half year EBITDA in line with Company budget

·; Full year 2019 positive EBITDA guidance maintained with further material growth in 2020

·; Backlog increased 80% to $156.4 million at 30 June 2019, including 1.8Ghz of capacity sold to Turksat (30 June 2018: $87 million)

·; Successful launch of HYLAS 3 (post period end)

·; Completion of new 1.5 lien credit facility

Kyle Whitehill, Avanti's CEO said:

"The steady progress in the first half of 2019 has set the foundations for the remainder of the year. We expect to see a material contribution from Government bandwidth opportunities in the second half of 2019."

For further information, please contact:

Avanti: Nigel Fox +44 (0)207 749 1600

Cenkos Securities: Max Hartley / Katy Birkin +44 (0)207 397 8900

Newgate Communications: Adam Lloyd +44 (0)203 757 9842

Notes to editors

Avanti connects people wherever they are - in their homes, businesses, in government and on mobiles. Through the HYLAS satellite fleet and more than 180 partners in 118 countries, the network provides ubiquitous internet service to a quarter of the world's population. Avanti delivers the level of quality and flexibility that the most demanding telecoms customers in the world seek.

Avanti is the first mover in high throughput satellite data communications in EMEA. It has rights to orbital slots and Ka band spectrum in perpetuity that covers an end market of over 1.7bn people.

The Group has invested $1.2bn in a network that incorporates satellites, gateway earth stations, datacentres and a fibre ring.

Avanti has a unique Cloud based customer interface that is protected by patented technology.

The Group has four satellites in orbit.

Avanti Communications is listed in London on AIM (AVN:LSE).

www.avantiplc.com 

Overview

Over the six-month period ended 30 June 2019 we have made good progress and this reported EBITDA is in line with our internal forecasts. We are therefore reiterating our previous guidance of generating positive EBITDA for the full year.

Total revenues for 2019 are forecast to grow by 67% over the $53 million reported for 2018, with a further uplift of at least 30% for 2020. The key driver to this growth is bandwidth revenue, which accounted for $31 million of the $53.5 million in 2018 and is now forecast to grow by 125% and 40% in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

Our cost optimisation project is progressing well. The fully-loaded cost of delivering bandwidth in 2018 was $80 million. We expect that to fall by at least 15% in 2019 improving EBITDA margins. Additional non-bandwidth related costs, which are directly offset by equipment and project revenues, will remain flat, but the net affect will continue to be positive, albeit marginally, to the bottom line. The combination of revenue growth and the cost optimisation program should generate positive group EBITDA in 2019 with revenue growth in 2020 largely falling through to EBITDA.

HYLAS 4 came into operation just before the beginning of the reporting period and is working nominally. We were pleased to see the successful launch of HYLAS 3 earlier this month from French Guiana. Importantly, this avails to our customer base for contract up to 50 Ghz of highly attractive Ka band capacity with a weighted average fleet age of 3 years. This now completes our capital expenditure cycle for the foreseeable future. We have made strong progress with key relationships interested in this capacity, both in the wholesale and defence markets. These relationships should make a material contribution to revenue and EBITDA in the second half of 2019.

Outlook

The second half of 2019 is expected to see further significant contract wins, which should see the Company deliver a positive EBITDA for the full year.

Despite this progress, the Directors have recently recommended to shareholders that it would be in the best interests of the Company to cancel the admission of the Company's Ordinary Shares from trading on AIM for several reasons outlined in our shareholder circular dated 20 August 2019. A resolution to this effect will be put to the shareholders at a General Meeting on 5 September 2019. If approved, the last expected day of dealings in the Company's Ordinary Shares on AIM will be 17 September 2019. Since we have listed Bonds on the Irish Stock Exchange, regular financial information will continue to be published through that exchange and on our website.

Financial Review

We announced in May 2019 that we had closed the new $55.0 million two-year 1.5 lien credit facility (the "1.5 Facility").

The 1.5 Facility matures in May 2021 or, if the Company's existing super senior facility (the "Super Senior Facility") is extended, in July 2021. Loans made under the 1.5 Facility will bear PIK interest at an annual rate equal to 12.50%. The 1.5 Facility ranks senior relative to the Company's high yield notes and junior relative to the Company's existing super senior debt under the Super Senior Facility for the priority of payment of enforcement proceeds. The Company will use the proceeds of the loans under the 1.5 Facility to fund the capital expenditure and working capital needs of the Company and its subsidiaries.

The Company has also obtained consent from the lenders under the Super Senior Facility to extend, at its election, the maturity to January 2021, subject to the payment of an extension fee. The annual interest rate under the Super Senior Facility is 9.5%.

Income Statement

In order to provide an easier comparison with the prior period the table below excludes the material credits arising from the Government of Indonesia (GOI) settlement in 2018, together with the one-off costs associated with the cost optimisation program.

Revenue increased to $30.2 million from $25.6 million for the comparative period. However, bandwidth revenue increased 92% to $25.3 million from $13.2 million.

Cost of sales decreased to $15.1 million from $21.3 million in the 6 months to June 2019, largely due to higher sub-contractor costs associated with non-bandwidth revenues in the prior period.

Staff and other operating expenses were $20.4 million (2018: $22.4 million).

This resulted in an EBITDA loss of $4.7 million, significantly improved from the EBITDA loss of $17.4 million from the previous period. This was due to the increase in bandwidth revenues combined with the results of the cost optimisation project.

There was also a significant decrease in the finance expense compared to the comparative period as a result of the debt restructuring in April 2018.

Cash flow

Cash absorbed from operations was $10.5 million. With cash interest paid of $6.1 million, cash absorbed from operating activities was $16.8 million.

Capital expenditure was $9.2 million reflecting the launch of HYLAS 3 and HYLAS 4. With net proceeds from new bond issues of $37.5 million during the period, cash increased by $6.9 million to $30.9 million.

Balance sheet

Movements on the balance sheet below refer to comparison with 31 December 2018.

Total non-current assets have decreased by $10.6 million from the last financial year end due to depreciation charged, offset by the inclusion of IFRS 16 finance leases from 1 January 2019.

In current assets, trade and other receivables reduced to $31.3 million from $33.5 million. Inventories have decreased to $19.4 million from $19.5 million as a result of fluctuations in the GBP:USD exchange rate.

The most significant movement in the period was the increase in loans and other borrowings following the drawdown of the 1.5 Lien Facility debt of $39.2 million.

The non-controlling interest in Filiago was disposed of in the period.

Backlog

Our backlog comprises our customers' committed contractual expenditure under existing contracts for the sale of bandwidth, satellite services, consultancy services and equipment sales over their current terms. Backlog does not include the value arising from potential renewal beyond a contract's current term or projected revenue from framework contracts.

Backlog at 30 June 2019 was $156.4 million (30 June 2018: $87 million)

1. General information

Avanti Communications Group plc ('the Company') is a public company incorporated and domiciled in the United Kingdom. The address of its registered office is 20 Black Friars Lane, London EC4V 6EB. The Company is listed on AIM.

These unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements ("the interim financial statements") were approved for issue on 27 August 2019.

2. Basis of preparation

These interim financial statements for the six months ended 30 June 2019 have been prepared in accordance with IAS 34, "Interim Financial Reporting", as adopted by the EU. The interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements for the 18-month period ended 31 December 2018, which have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRSs"), as adopted by the EU.

The accounting policies applied are consistent with those of the financial statements for the period ended 31 December 2018.

The interim financial statements have not been audited or reviewed and do not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of Section 434 of the Companies Act 2006. The audited statutory accounts for the period ended 31 December 2018 were approved by the Board of Directors on 7 June 2019 and have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The auditor's report on these accounts was not qualified, did not contain statements under section 498(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2005 but did draw attention to a matter by way of emphasis.

3. Accounting policies

The same accounting policies, presentation and methods of computation are followed in these condensed consolidated interim financial statements as were applied in the preparation of the Group's financial statements for the period ended 31 December 2018.

The condensed consolidated interim financial information presented does not comply with the full disclosure requirements of all applicable IFRSs.

4. Segmental reporting

Operating segment(s) are reported in a manner consistent with the internal reporting provided to the chief operating decision maker. The chief operating decision maker, who is responsible for allocating resources and assessing performance of the operating segment(s), has been identified as the Avanti Executive Board who make the strategic decisions.

5. Income tax

No income tax credit or deferred tax asset has been recognised in respect of the losses for the six month period to 30 June 2019 (30 June 2018: $22.7 million). Whilst the company foresees utilising the losses in future periods, it has not recognised the income tax credit or deferred tax in this period.

6. Cost of sales

During the year to 30 June 2017 the Group provided for debt from the Government of Indonesia and commenced arbitration proceedings, resulting in a write off of unbilled accrued income of $1.4m, and a provision against trade receivables of $16.8m comprised of a bad debt expense of $12.5m following termination of the contract post year end, and the reclassification of $4.3m from deferred income to the bad debt provision related to amounts billed but for which services had not been delivered at 30 June 2017.

Following a ruling in the Group's favour as announced on 7 June 2018, this provision was released in full resulting in a credit of $12.5m to the bad debt expense and recognition of previously deferred revenue of $4.3m.

The Group received the full $20.1m outstanding payment from the Government of Indonesia on 13 August 2018.

7. Net finance (expense)/income

8. (Loss)/earnings per share

9. Trade and other receivables

10. Loans and borrowings

11. Cash absorbed by operations

12. Post balance sheet events

HYLAS 3 was successfully launched on 6 August 2019. HYLAS 3 is Avanti's latest High Throughput Satellite that will provide flexible and quick-to-deploy Ka-band communications across EMEA. HYLAS 3 has been built in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), MDA, Airbus, and OHB. It shares a platform with EDRS-C, a data relay mission for low earth orbiting satellites.

With over 4GHz capacity, HYLAS 3 is a unique cluster of 8 steerable beams that can be quickly moved wherever needed across the region. HYLAS 3 Ka-band steerable guarantee high-capacity anywhere within the visible earth disk. The high-strength and high-efficiency Ka-band beams allow to generate the greatest capacity using the smallest terminals. HYLAS 3 is also hub-agnostic, with the widest range of terminals accredited for use on Avanti network.