Creightons Regulatory News (CRL)

Creightons plc Group

Unaudited interim financial report

for the six months ended 30 September 2019

Financial highlights

·; Revenue increased by 6.3% to £23.75m (2018: £22.34m).

·; Gross margin percentage improved by 3.7% to 42.0% (2018: 38.3%).

·; Profit before tax increased by 28.0% to £1.77m (2018: £1.38m).

·; Operating profit margin of 7.7% (2018: 6.3%).

·; Diluted EPS 2.06p (2018: 1.80p).

·; Net cash inflow from operating activities of £3.26m (2018: net cash outflow of £1.35m).

·; Net cash on hand £1.75m (2018: net borrowing £1.96m).

·; Paid final dividend of 0.40p per ordinary share in September 2019 (2018: 0.23p).

·; Interim dividend of 0.15p per ordinary share to be paid in December 2019 (2018: 0.15p).

Operational highlights

·; Overall sales growth maintained.

·; Acquired the Balance Active Formula skincare brand for £500,000 plus legal costs on 21 June 2019. This brand has contributed £304,000 of sales in the period to September 2019.

·; Completed the purchase of the property in Peterborough on 16th October 2019 for £3.80m plus stamp duty and professional costs. The purchase was partly funded by a 15 year term loan of £3.04m with the balance funded from working capital.

Chairman's statement

The Group has continued to drive sales and profit growth in the first half of the year and the impact of the continuing growth can be seen in the results for the period ending 30 September 2019.

Sales and margin

Group sales were £23.75m for the six months ended 30 September 2019 (2018: £22.34m) an increase of 6.3%. Driven in the main by the private label division due to the current demands and agendas by key retailers, UK and global, to have differentiation in their product offers. Sales through e-commerce doubled in the period, albeit from a low base.

Our gross margin was 42.0% in the six months to 30 September 2019 (2018: 38.3%). The improvement came from our review of all low margin business and putting action in place to improve contribution, which included targeted price increases, product re-engineering and a focus on sourcing alternate suppliers. This is in addition to an improved sales mix within our contract and branded division. In the branded division we have focused on higher margin equity brand sales which have substituted a low margin sales at the value end of the market, particularly with single price retailers. There will be a continued focus on cost reduction through all areas of the business from sourcing, to manufacturing and investment in plant and machinery.

Overheads

Distribution costs have increased by 13.3% to £1.17m (2018: £1.04m) and now represent 4.9% of sales (2018: 4.6%). Partly driven by organic growth but also due to the decision to outsource the warehousing and distribution of the majority of our finished goods to a third party logistics provider. We are continuing to review the warehousing operation to make targeted reductions in cost in this area.

Administration costs have increased by 13.9% to £6.97m (2018: £6.12m) with increased staff costs accounting for 49% of this increase, partly driven by a decision to reward staff with stepped pay rises accumulating to 7.5% compared to the previous 6 months. We are continuing to strengthen the management structure to position the Group for future growth.

We will continue to manage our overhead cost base to ensure they are aligned with the anticipated growth of the Group, recruiting and retaining the skills necessary to meet opportunities as they arise.

Acquisition and disposal

On 21 June 2019, the company acquired the skincare brand equity interest, goodwill and intellectual property, of Balance Active Formula for £500,000 as well as their existing stocks. The acquisition adds to the Group's growing range of beauty and well-being products contributing £304,000 to sales for this period. On 13 August 2019 the Group sold its 55% interest in the equity of Amie Skincare Ltd with negligible impact on sales and profit.

Profit before tax

Profit before tax was £1.77m (2018: £1.38m), which represents an increase of 28.0%. The increased sales together with the improvement in gross margin results in an operating profit margin of 7.7% (2018: 6.3%).

Tax

The tax charge provided in the accounts of £0.26m (2018: £0.19m) represents a rate of 14.7% (2018: 13.5%).

Earnings per share

I am pleased to report that the result of the above is an improved diluted earnings per share of 2.06p (2018: 1.80p) an increase of 14.4%.

Dividend Payments

The Board confirms that it will be paying an interim dividend of 0.15 pence per ordinary share (2018: 0.15 pence per ordinary share), reflecting the continued strong performance the Group to 30 September 2019. This will be paid in December 2019. This is in addition to the dividend of 0.40 pence per ordinary share we paid in September 2019 (2018: 0.23 pence per ordinary share), the charge for which is shown in the accounts to 30 September 2019. The total payment in relation to the dividend paid in September was £0.25m (2018: £0.14m).

Working capital

Net cash on hand (cash and cash equivalents less short term borrowings and loans) is £1.75m (2018: net borrowing of £1.96m) after the payment of £0.5m for the acquisition of the Balance Active Formula skincare brand.

IFRS 16 - Operating leases

The Group has adopted IFRS 16 which requires operating leases to be recognised on the balance sheet as an asset and a finance lease obligation. The impact on profit is £27,000 with additional finance costs of £68,000 and depreciation of £69,000 compared to operating rental costs of £110,000. The balance sheet recognition resulted in an increase in property, plant and equipment of £819,000 and obligations under finance lease (short and long term) of £846,000.

Peterborough Property

On 16 October 2019, following shareholder approval at Creightons plc Extraordinary General Meeting, the Group acquired the freehold property at Peterborough having occupied the property as a tenant since March 2003 for £3.80m plus stamp duty and professional costs. The purchase was partly funded by a 15 year term loan of £3.04m secured on the property. The interest rate on the first 10 years of this loan is fixed at 3.04%.

The Board and I believe that this half year's results including investments in resources and capabilities places the Group in an excellent position to take advantage of any opportunities that may arise.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of the Group's employees for the hard work and effort they have put in to successfully and profitably deliver such a significant increase in sales. I would also like to thank our customers, shareholders and suppliers for their support and loyalty to the Group.

W O McIlroy

Executive Chairman 20 November 2019

Creightons plc Group

Unaudited interim financial report

for the six months ended 30 September 2019

Responsibility statement

The names and functions of the Directors of the Company are as follows:

William O McIlroy Executive Chairman

Bernard Johnson Executive Managing Director

Mary T Carney Non-executive Director

Nicholas O'Shea Non-executive Director

William Glencross Non-executive Director

Martin Stevens Deputy Managing Director

Pippa Clark Group Sales and Marketing Director

Paul Forster Group Finance and Commercial Director

The Board confirms that to the best of its knowledge the condensed set of financial statements gives a true and fair view of the assets and liabilities, financial position and profit of the Group and has been prepared in accordance with IAS 34 'Interim Financial Reporting', as adopted by the European Union and that the interim management report includes a fair review of the information required by the Disclosure and Transparency Rules as issued by the Financial Conduct Authority, namely:

·; DTR 4.2.7: An indication of important events that have occurred during the first six months of the financial year, and their impact on the condensed set of financial statements, and a description of the principal risks and uncertainties for the remaining six months of the financial year.

·; DTR 4.2.8: Details of related party transactions that have taken place in the first six months of the current financial year and that have materially affected the financial position or performance of the enterprise during that period. Together with any changes in the related parties transactions described in the last annual report that could have a material effect on the enterprise in the first six months of the current financial year.

By order of the Board

Nicholas O'Shea

Company Secretary and Director 20 November 2019

Principal risks and uncertainties

Risks

The Board regularly monitors exposure to key risks, such as those related to production efficiencies, cash position and competitive position relating to sales. It has also taken account of the economic situation over the past 12 months, and the impact that has had on costs and consumer purchases.

It also monitors those risks not directly or specifically financial, but capable of having a major impact on the business's financial performance if there is any failure, such as product contamination and manufacture outside specification, maintenance of satisfactory levels of customer and consumer service, accident ratios, failure to meet environmental protection standards or any of the areas of regulation mentioned above.

Capital structure, cash flow and liquidity

The business is funded using retained earnings and invoice discounting, with a bank facility secured against its assets.

Brexit

As the UK Government continues its negotiations, uncertainty remains as to the extent to which our operations and financial performance will be affected in the longer term. At a Group and business level, we have continued to prepare for changes in legislation, trade agreements and working practices in order to take advantage of any opportunities arising and to mitigate risk. The Group operates globally and may be affected by Brexit developments, which could provide a number of challenges. The Group is continuously monitoring events and putting mitigating actions in place including the registration of a new subsidiary Potter & Moore Ltd based in Ireland to be used as an EU base for recording regulatory information. Trading with our EU customers and suppliers could be more complex. Any actual or perceived barriers to free trade are an obvious area of concern for us. As a result of Brexit, the Group is exposed to potential currency fluctuations. Brexit and trade barriers continue to be an integral part of the Group's ongoing risk management and review process, for which solutions to address the risks are identified and implemented. Although there is still uncertainty surrounding the outcome of Brexit, we do not expect the direct consequences of Brexit to have a material impact on the Group.

Creightons plc

Unaudited interim financial report

for the six months ended 30 September 2019

Consolidated income statement - unaudited

Creightons plc

Unaudited interim financial report

for the six months ended 30 September 2019

Earnings per share

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income - Unaudited

Creightons plc

Unaudited interim financial report

30 September 2019

Consolidated balance sheet - unaudited

Creightons plc

Unaudited interim financial report

for the six months ended 30 September 2019

Statement of changes in shareholders' equity - unaudited

Creightons plc

Unaudited interim financial report

for the six months ended 30 September 2019

Consolidated cash flow statement - unaudited

Creightons plc

Unaudited interim financial report

for the six months ended 30 September 2019

1. Basis of preparation

The interim financial statements for the six months ended 30 September 2018 and 30 September 2019 and for the twelve months ended 31 March 2019 do not constitute statutory accounts for the purposes of Section 434 of the Companies Act 2006. The Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2019 have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. The Independent Auditors' Report on the Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2019 was unqualified, did not draw attention to any matters by way of emphasis, and did not contain a statement under sections 498(2) or 498(3) of the Companies Act 2006. The 30 September 2019 statements were approved by the Board of Directors on 20 November 2019. This unaudited interim report has not been audited or reviewed by auditors pursuant to the Financial Reporting Council guidance on Review of Interim Financial Information.

The condensed financial statements in this Interim Report have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of IAS 34 'Interim Financial Reporting' as adopted by the European Union.

As required by the Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the UK's Financial Conduct Authority, the condensed set of financial statements has been prepared by applying the accounting policies and presentation that were applied in the preparation on the Company's published consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2019, which were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the European Union.

The condensed interim financial statements for the six months ended 30 September 2019 and the comparative figures for the six months ended 30 September 2018 are unaudited. The figures for the year ended 31 March 2019 have been extracted from the Annual Report on which the Auditors issued an unqualified audit report and which have been filed with the Registrar of Companies.

2. Changes in significant accounting policies

With exception of IFRS16 for leases (IFRS 16) as described below, the accounting policies applied in these interim financial statements are the same as those applied to the Group's audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2019. IFRS 16 will be applied to the Group's audited financial statements for March 2020.

IFRS 16

The Group has adopted the modified retrospective approach to IFRS 16 from 1 April 2019 and therefore has not restated comparatives for previous reporting periods as permitted under the specific transitional provisions in the standard.

IFRS 16 replaces IAS 17 in providing a one lease accounting model requiring the recognition of assets and liabilities for all leases with the option to exclude leases where the underlying asset is of low value or the lease term is 12 months or less. The Group has elected to use this option. IFRS 16 substantially carries forward the lessor accounting in IAS 17 with the operating and finance lease distinction still applying. During this period the Group had no lessor activities. However following the acquisition of the Peterborough property the Company will lease the property to one of its subsidiaries and two other small tenants.

The Group elected to apply the practical expedient to not reassess whether a contract is, or contains a lease at the date of initial application. Contracts entered into before the transition date that were not identified as leases under IAS 17 and IFRIC4 were not reassessed. The definition of a lease under IFRS 16 was applied only to contracts entered into or changed on or after 1 April 2019. Also the Group applied other practical expedients of:

● using a single discount rate to a portfolio of leases with reasonably similar characteristics;

● excluding initial direct costs for the measurement of right of use assets at the date of initial application;

● reliance on previous assessments on whether the leases are onerous and

● accounting for operating leases with a remaining lease term of less than 12 months as at 1 April 2019 as short-term leases.

With the adoption of IFRS 16 the Group has recognised right of use assets and lease liability in relation to the property leased in Devon and the Group's forklift trucks previously identified as operating leases. As the Peterborough property lease ceased in October 2019 it has been accounted as an operating lease.

The leases now recognised under IFRS 16 were measured at present value of the remaining lease payments, discounted using the Group's incremental borrowing rate as at 1 April 2019. This is the rate at which a similar borrowing could be obtained from an independent financial provider. The weighted average rate applied was 3.04%.

Until March 2019 the Devon properties and forklift trucks that were classified as operating leases all the payments under the leases were charged to the profit or loss on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

From 1 April 2019 the value of the right of use assets included within property, plant and equipment on the Balance Sheet and the lease liability included within obligations under finance liabilities (short and long term) both increased by £888,000. Each lease payment is allocated between the liability and finance cost. The finance cost is charged to the profit or loss for the period of the lease to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining liability. The right of use asset is depreciated over the shorter of the asset's useful economic life and the lease period on a straight line basis and the cost is included within administrative expenses.

At 30 September 2019 the values in relation to right of use assets included in property, plant and equipment were £819,000. The obligations under finance leases in relation to the right of use assets were recognised as £97,000 of current liabilities and £749,000 recognised in obligations under finance leases within non-current liabilities.

The impact on the income statement is £27,000 with additional finance costs of £68,000 and depreciation of £69,000 compared to operating rental costs of £110,000.

The calculation of the basic and diluted earnings per share is based on the following data:

3. Taxation

4. Notes to cash flow statement

Analysis of changes in net debt

5. Finance costs

6. Revenue

The disaggregation of the Group's revenue.

7. Related party transactions

The related party transactions that occurred in the six months ended 30 September 2019 are not materially different in size or nature to those reported in the Company's Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 2019. On 16 October 2019 Oratorio Developments Limited, a company of which Mr W Mcllroy who is a Director and controlling shareholder, sold the freehold property at Peterborough to the Group for £3,800,000.

8. Availability of Interim Report

The Interim Report is being made available to shareholders on the Company website www.creightonsplc.com. Further copies can be obtained from the Company's Registered Office, 1210 Lincoln Road, Peterborough, PE4 6ND.

Interim Dividend Declaration

Creightons plc wishes to confirm that the Company has declared and will pay an interim dividend of 0.15p per ordinary share as per the timetable below:

Ex-dividend date Thursday 28 November 2019

Record date Friday 29 November 2019

Payment date Wednesday 18 December 2019

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014

For more information:

Nicholas O'Shea, Director, Creightons plc 01733 281000

Roland Cornish, Beaumont Cornish Limited 0207 628 3396