Samuel Heath Regulatory News (HSM)

HEATH (SAMUEL) & SONS PLC

8th JULY 2021

PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2021

CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT

I am probably as pleased with the annual results up to 31st March 2021 as any in my rather lengthy career as Chairman of the Company. It was clearly a unique situation that we found ourselves in and one that we clearly had to adapt to. We would not pretend that we got everything right but looking at the results clearly quite a lot of it.

Revenue for the year at £11.539m was a reduction compared to last year (2020: £13.887m). Operating profit before exceptional items for the year was £1.123m (2020: £1.534m) and profit before tax £942k (2020: £1.368m) before exceptional costs of GMP Equalisation and Re-organisation; after these exceptional costs, profit before tax was £620k (2020: £1.368m). All our markets had their own difficulties. I have said how important the Furlough scheme was to us on the sales side within the U.K. and of course actually in the factory. Some other important markets kept going well, whilst others practically closed up. This is not an easy situation in which to be making accurate sales forecasts but the two Managing Directors who have held office during the financial year have managed this amazingly well. David Pick retired on 31st December 2020 and was succeeded in that role by Martyn Whieldon. As a result of general lower commercial activity, Brexit did not cause the worst of the disruption that we had perhaps feared. Some of our directors had experience of companies in difficulties which makes them look well ahead to areas which could cause problems. I and the two Managing Directors have no such inward experience, recently anyway, but we have of course bought companies in extreme straits which points you in the same direction.

This leaves our forecast for the present trading year (2021-22). You can imagine that that continues to be as difficult to feel confident about as ever. Every headline can point to a different direction. There is no doubt that in the UK market some people are using saved money on their own homes. That is only one part of our sales. It is very important to us that the US market continues to recover. It appears that that process in Europe will take that much longer and of course we have other factors there as well. So once more it is very difficult to see the future, although we are trading satisfactorily now.

In view of these much better results than expected, we have no hesitation in recommending the restoration of the final dividend to be paid at 6.875p, which will be paid on 13th August 2021 to shareholders registered as at 16th July 2021.

Sam Heath

Chairman

8th July 2021

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of the UK Market Abuse Regulation.

For further information:

________________________ CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT_________________________

for the year ended 31st March 2021

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 31st MARCH 2021

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2021

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASHFLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2021

NOTES TO THE PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT

1. Basis of preparation

The Group has prepared its consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31st March 2021 in accordance with International Accounting Standards in conformity with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. The accounting policies applied are consistent with those included in the financial statements of the Group for the year ended 31st March 2020.

The financial information contained in this preliminary announcement does not constitute the Group's statutory accounts within the meaning of Section 434 of the Companies Act 2006.

The annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31st March 2021 were approved by the Board of Directors on 8th July 2021 along with this preliminary announcement. The annual report and financial statements will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies after the Annual General Meeting.

The statutory accounts of Samuel Heath & Sons PLC for the year ended 31 March 2020 have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The auditor's reports on the statutory accounts for the years ended 31st March 2021 and 31st March 2020 were unqualified and did not contain a statement under section 498 of the Companies Act 2006.

2. Critical accounting and key sources of estimation

Critical accounting estimates, assumptions and judgements

Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.

The Group makes estimates and assumptions concerning the future. The resulting accounting estimates and assumptions will, by definition, seldom equal the related actual results. The Group has evaluated the estimates and assumptions that have been made in relation to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities in these financial statements.

The key accounting judgements and sources of estimation uncertainty with a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to assets and liabilities in the next 12 months include the following:

Pensions - movements in equity markets, interest rates and life expectancy could materially affect the level of surpluses and deficits in the defined benefit pension scheme.

Valuation of property, plant and equipment - the Group reviews the value, useful economic lives and residual values attributed to assets on an on-going basis to ensure they are appropriate. Changes in market value, economic lives or residual values could impact the carrying value and charges to the income statement in future periods.

Provisions - using information available at the balance sheet date, the Directors make judgements based on experience on the level of provision required against assets, including inventory where the provision is reviewed against expected future stock usage, the stock provision at year end was £2.137m (2020: £2.198m).

Deferred tax assets - deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable that taxable profit will be available against which the losses can be utilised. Management judgement is required to determine the amount of deferred tax assets that can be recognised, based upon the likely timing and level of future taxable profits.

4. Income taxes

Corporation tax is calculated at 19% (2020: 19%) of the estimated assessable profit for the year.

Tax reconciliation

5. Dividends

The directors recommend a final dividend of 6.875 pence per share (2020: nil) which will be proposed as a resolution at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. No interim dividend was paid during the year (2020: 5.5p).

6. Earnings per share

The basic and diluted earnings per share are calculated by dividing the relevant profit after taxation of £393,000 (2020: £1,069,000) by the average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year being 2,534,322. The number of shares used in the calculation is the same for both basic and diluted earnings.

7. Exceptional items

In November 2020, there was a further High Court ruling in relation to guaranteed minimum pension benefits. The latest ruling states that trustees of defined benefit schemes that provided guaranteed minimum payments should revisit, and where necessary, top-up historic cash equivalent transfer values that were calculated on an unequalised basis if an affected member makes a successful claim. The impact of the ruling implies that pension scheme trustees are responsible for equalising the guaranteed minimum payments for members who transferred out of its defined benefit pension scheme. This has resulted in an increase in the liabilities of the scheme of £70,000, which was recognised in the results as a past service cost in exceptional items.

Included within exceptional costs are the costs of restructuring the business to size itself better. Costs for exceptional redundancy amounted to £252,000 (2020: nil).

8. Notice of annual general meeting

Notice is hereby given that the 2021 Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held at the registered office of the Company, Leopold Street, Birmingham, on 6th August 2021 at 12.00 noon.

The Board is monitoring closely the current UK Government guidance on public gatherings and meetings, and in light of this the Company will proceed with the AGM with the minimum quorum of shareholders present to conduct business. A limited number of shareholders (four) may attend in person, and others may attend remotely; requests should be received by email to info@Samuel-Heath.com by the close of Friday 23rd July 2021. Should any shareholders try to attend on the day unfortunately they will be refused entry. The Board recognises the importance of the AGM to Shareholders and would encourage any wishing to vote to do so by proxy.

9. Posting of accounts

The report and accounts are being posted to shareholders today where requested, and are available on the Company's website, at www.samuel-heath.com/investor-relations.