22 Jan 2010 07:00
22Β JanuaryΒ 2010
Judges ScientificΒ plc (the "Company"Β or "Judges Scientific")
Trading statement
FollowingΒ the conclusion ofΒ the financial year to 31Β DecemberΒ 2009, theΒ BoardΒ of Judges Scientific is in a positionΒ toΒ further update the market and quantify some of the indications given in the trading statement released on 11 December 2009.
AsΒ statedΒ inΒ last month'sΒ announcement,Β trading has continued to be strong and theΒ GroupΒ hasΒ translated a recordΒ 2009Β opening order book and favourable exchange ratesΒ into a robust performance for the year in terms of sales, margins and cash generation.Β InΒ the light ofΒ this and a satisfactory contribution from Quorum, theΒ BoardΒ anticipates that adjusted earnings per share for 2009 willΒ beΒ at the higher end ofΒ current marketΒ expectations.
As explained throughoutΒ 2009,Β theΒ CompanyΒ did not expectΒ a repeat ofΒ the extraordinary order inflowΒ experienced duringΒ the last four months of 2008Β and, as a result,Β didΒ notΒ expectΒ to match the order bookΒ levelΒ reached at the end of 2008. Nevertheless,Β the last four weeks of the year produced a solidΒ order intake and the order backlogΒ asΒ at 31 December 2009Β representsΒ approximatelyΒ 11Β weeks of salesΒ which,Β whileΒ lower thanΒ theΒ 19Β weeks on handΒ asΒ at 31 December 2008,Β is similarΒ toΒ theΒ 11Β week order book outstandingΒ asΒ atΒ 31Β December 2007, a more normal point of reference.Β
The aforementionedΒ orders provideΒ satisfactory visibilityΒ and, taking into accountΒ the Company'sΒ strong balance sheet and an improved,Β albeitΒ stillΒ fragile,Β world economic outlook,Β yourΒ Board entersΒ 2010 with confidence.
Ends
Press enquiries:
David Cicurel, CEO, Judges ScientificΒ
Tel: 01342 323 600
Β Pascal Keane, Shore Capital
Tel: 020 7408 4090
Melvyn Marckus, Cardew Group
Tel: 07775 896 491Β
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