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Interim Results

4 Apr 2017 07:00

RNS Number : 4547B
Nanoco Group PLC
04 April 2017
 

For immediate release

4 April 2017

NANOCO GROUP PLC

("Nanoco" or the "Company")

 

Interim results for the six months ended 31 January 2017

 

Nanoco Group plc (LSE: NANO), a world leader in the development and manufacture of cadmium-free quantum dots and other nanomaterials, is pleased to announce its interim results for the six months ended 31 January 2017.

 

Highlights

 

Current trading

First commercial sales of Nanoco's products expected in the remainder of the second half of this financial year

Operational

Debuted at CES, the global consumer electronics and consumer technology tradeshow, demonstrating Hisense, TCL and TPV Philips televisions containing Nanoco Fine Color Film™

Nanoco cadmium-free quantum dot (CFQD®) technology being evaluated in 14 active TV and monitor programmes with nine major Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)

Creation of a robust global supply chain for display and lighting OEMs - including a ten-fold increase in manufacturing capacity at Nanoco's Runcorn plant, delivered with little additional capex

 

On track technology transfer to Merck, which has successfully produced CFQD®s in Germany

Merck is evaluating plans for its own manufacturing facility and will continue to purchase product from Nanoco until that facility is commissioned

Merck's own marketing efforts have resulted in a clear understanding of significant potential for Nanoco's technology

Dow is progressing well with initial commercialisation following the transfer of Nanoco's improved green CFQD® production process

Intellectual property portfolio expanded to c.550 (2016: c.400) patents and patent applications

Financial

Although first half results are in line with the Board's expectation, sales have not yet materialised in the second half and we are therefore lowering our full year expectations

Personnel cost savings of £1.1 million per annum following cost cuts in December 2016

 

Cash and cash equivalents of £8.3 million plus R&D tax credit receivable of £1.9 million; the Board believes this gives the Company sufficient headroom under the expected timeframe for commercial sales to commence and has carried out detailed contingency planning in event that sales are further delayed

 

Dr Michael Edelman, Nanoco's Chief Executive Officer, said:

"We have continued to make good progress in our first half. We were particularly encouraged by the positive feedback and significant interest shown in Nanoco's CFQD® quantum dots at CES by major display manufacturers, customers, partners and the financial community.

 

"In response to growing global interest in our technology, we and our partners have been making further enhancements to our manufacturing processes, ensuring the Group is fully prepared to fulfil commercial orders, which are anticipated in the near future.

"Nanoco is engaged with more near term commercial opportunities than at any time in its history, so it is frustrating not to be able to report significant revenues to date and it is essential that sales commence as expected. This activity, combined with our cash position and careful management of our cost base, means we look forward to the future with confidence."

This announcement contains inside information.

Analyst meeting and webcast details

A meeting for analysts will be held at 10am this morning, 4 April 2017, at the offices of Peel Hunt, Moor House, 120 London Wall, London, EC2Y 5ET. For further details, please contact MHP on 020 3128 8570.

To listen to a live webcast of the analyst briefing, please log on to the following web address approximately 5 minutes before the event: http://webcasting.brrmedia.co.uk/broadcast/58d925805afb680410263991.

A recording of the webcast will be made available later today on Nanoco's website, www.nanocogroup.com. 

For further information, please contact:

Nanoco Tel: +44 (0) 161 603 7900

Dr Michael Edelman, Chief Executive Officer

David Blain, Chief Financial Officer

Caroline Watson, Investor Relations Manager Tel: + 44 (0) 7799 897357

cwatson@nanocotechnologies.com 

Peel Hunt Tel: +44 (0) 20 7418 8900

Adrian Trimmings

George Sellar

MHP Communications Tel: +44 (0) 20 3128 8570

Reg Hoare / Andrew Leach / Giles Robinson / Peter Lambie

nanoco@mhpc.com 

 

Notes for editors:

About Nanoco Group plc

Nanoco is a world leader in the development and production of cadmium-free quantum dots and other nanomaterials for use in multiple applications including LCD displays, lighting, solar cells and bio-imaging. In the display market, Nanoco has non-exclusive manufacturing and marketing licensing agreements with The Dow Chemical Company, Merck KGaA and Taiwan's Wah Hong Industrial Corporation. Nanoco also has a strategy of direct sales in display and in its other target markets, including lighting.

Nanoco was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Manchester, UK. It has production facilities in Runcorn, UK, and a US subsidiary, Nanoco US Inc, based in Concord, MA. Nanoco also has business development executives in Japan and Korea. Its technology is protected worldwide by a large and growing patent estate.

Nanoco is listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange and trades under the ticker symbol NANO. For further information please visit: www.nanocogroup.com.

Business Review 

Commercial applications - Display

The march towards commercialisation of our products continues apace.

In March 2016 Nanoco evolved its go to market strategy in the display industry from an exclusive licensing model with Dow to a hybrid model combining multiple non-exclusive licenses with direct sales of own manufactured product. This was enabled by changing our contract with Dow and significantly increasing the Company's manufacturing capacity at our Runcorn, UK, facility through significant process improvements, but minimal capital investment.

This strategic change means the Company has created multiple channels to commercialise its technology in the display market, thus de-risking the business by broadening the range of opportunities available. Today the Company is in the strongest position it has ever been to commercialise its technology and is working directly with nine display OEMs on 14 distinct TV and monitor programmes. It is important to the business that this strategy is successful and sales commence as expected. The Board has completed detailed contingency plans to address the risk of delays in sales being achieved.

Nanoco's cadmium-free quantum dots are now being manufactured at Runcorn, at Dow's large manufacturing plant in Cheonan, South Korea and, in future, at a Merck facility. All three sites will manufacture CFQD®s, blend the CFQD®s into a resin system and supply the combined CFQD® resin system to multiple display integrators located across Asia. Nanoco, Dow and Merck are all actively marketing Nanoco technology to the global display industry.

The establishment of this global manufacturing and supply network will give the largest display OEMs the confidence to adopt Nanoco technology with the knowledge that they can procure quantities of the most up-to-date cadmium-free quantum dot technology from multiple leading electronic materials suppliers. This in turn will allow the industry to meet the rapid increase in demand which is forecasted.

Wah Hong

Wah Hong, a company based in Taiwan and quoted on the Taipei Exchange, is our partner for production and sale of our Fine Color Film™. We chose to partner with Wah Hong as it is one of the world's largest manufacturers of optical films and sheets for the display industry and has a large operational footprint across China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Its industry and supply chain knowledge and customer contacts are an important resource we have benefitted from since signing the agreement in July last year. Under the agreement, Nanoco will supply resins containing cadmium-free quantum dots from our manufacturing facility in Runcorn and Wah Hong will incorporate the resin into a film, under Nanoco's CFQD® Fine Color Film™ brand, and sell to the display industry. We will generate revenue from the sale of resin to Wah Hong and receive a license fee from Wah Hong based on its sales and two further milestone payments associated with volume of film sold.

 

Following an extensive trial sampling programme performed over recent months with Wah Hong, we are confident that high quality films can be produced to meet customer requirements. We are delighted that Wah Hong has brought forward its investment in a new, wider coating line and this demonstrates its commitment to our products. Wah Hong's new coating line will enable films large enough to fit 100 inch TVs to be produced and is on track to commence production in Q2 2017.

 

Testimony to the progress achieved since we changed the commercial strategy is that we attended CES in Las Vegas in January this year and for the first time demonstrated three developmental televisions from three leading Chinese display OEMs utilising our Fine Color Film™. The three manufacturers, Hisense (global top five, fast growing Chinese TV manufacturer with an increasing global presence), TCL (the third largest TV manufacturer in the world and America's fasted growing TV brand) and TPV Philips (part of TPV Vision, the world's leading monitor and LCD TV manufacturer), all displayed 55 inch, ultra-high definition, wide-colour gamut LCD televisions at our presentation and marketing suite. The televisions were well received by the industry, TV manufacturers, suppliers and media.

 

Extensive activity alongside Wah Hong is focused on specifying our film in 14 TV and monitor programmes with nine OEMs. Together, Wah Hong and Nanoco are currently going through the final stages of the detailed product approval and supplier audit processes required before we receive first commercial orders and begin shipping product. We expect this to deliver our first commercial orders in the near future.

 

Merck

 

Merck KGaA is the leading German science and technology company focused on healthcare, life sciences and performance materials, and the manufacturer of approximately 60% of the world's liquid crystals used in Liquid Crystal Displays. We will generate revenue from sales made by Merck from licence fees and royalties on Merck manufactured sales. We have been working closely with Merck since the licence agreement was signed at the end of July 2016. The technology transfer from Nanoco to Merck has progressed well and is largely complete resulting in Merck successfully producing batches of CFQD®s at its Darmstadt, Germany pilot plant.

 

Merck is evaluating plans for its own manufacturing facility and will continue to purchase product from Nanoco until that facility is commissioned. Merck's own marketing efforts have resulted in a clear understanding of significant potential of Nanoco's technology.

Dow

Nanoco signed an exclusive license agreement with The Dow Chemical Company in January 2013 for Dow to manufacture, market and sell Nanoco heavy metal-free quantum dots into the display market. Last year Dow and Nanoco agreed to amend the licensing agreement from exclusive to non-exclusive. Dow sells product under the TREVISTATM brand. We generate royalty revenue from Dow calculated as a percentage of Dow's sales of Nanoco CFQD®s.

Dow is progressing well with initial commercialisation following the transfer of Nanoco's improved green CFQD® production process.

Runcorn

 

Significant improvements in the Company's manufacturing processes have led to a large increase in manufacturing capacity at Runcorn. Flexible working practices have been introduced allowing the plant to work on a 24-hour basis. Runcorn has the capacity to produce enough CFQD®s to supply roughly one million large TVs operating a 24/7 shift pattern. To handle the increased quantities tremendous work has gone into improving all of the Company's systems.

 

We were pleased to announce in December that the Company had been awarded ISO 9001:2015 certification for our production and supply processes which provides reassurance to customers that our systems are robust.

 

The plant is now ready to fulfil commercial orders as they arrive.

 

Supply chain

 

With our licensees Dow and Merck and our route to market via our own manufacturing and agreement with Wah Hong we have built a robust supply chain to service a significant part of the display market. Nanoco's cadmium-free quantum dots are now being manufactured by Dow in its South Korean, Choenan facility as well as in Runcorn by Nanoco. Merck's own production will come on stream in the near future. All three companies provide quantum dots in a resin formulation to a number of partner film coaters. Nanoco works directly with Taiwan headquartered Wah Hong while Dow and Merck work with other independent film manufacturers based across Asia.

 

Display and lighting OEMs have the reassurance that a robust global supply chain has been implemented to meet their needs.

 

Commercial applications - Life Sciences

Nanoco's Life Sciences business continued to make significant progress in the in-vivo optical imaging, diagnosis and targeted therapy of cancer. The Company is currently evaluating options to exploit this important technology.

 

Despite the favourable optical and physical properties of quantum dots as biological probes over organic dyes and radioisotopes, their exploitation in medical applications has been hindered by toxicity concerns due to the presence of cadmium or other toxic elements. The Nanoco Life Sciences ("NLS") team has been making great strides in the development of safe and clinically acceptable quantum dot nanomaterials based on the Company's heavy metal-free quantum dot technology.

The team has focused on delineating the underlying challenges and given full attention to the attributes of safety, consistency and performance. A novel type of safe, biocompatible and efficient quantum dot has been developed by Nanoco with a unique functional coating which renders the dots biocompatible and avoids the danger posed by cadmium toxicity. This has been confirmed by safety tests which have so far proved the benign nature of this new type of quantum dots. We have demonstrated that the new quantum dots are stable in common biological buffers and can be conjugated to active ligands and proteins. As a proof of concept, we have used cell cultures and animal models, and assessed the capability of the new dots for the detection of breast cancer and the surrounding lymphatic nodes. We clearly observed superior performance against currently used organic dyes.

The promising outcome from our efforts may be used to develop quantum dot probes for the early detection of deadly tumours like pancreatic and bladder cancers. This, in addition to our burgeoning relationships with commercial and research institutions at the cutting edge of the battle against cancer, shows the scope of our ambition and the value of our technology.

Following our rapid progress, work is being undertaken to prepare the technology for clinical trials. To date Nanoco's life sciences efforts have been grant funded. We continue to seek grant and other funding to enable the development to continue in life sciences whilst maintaining our focus on our Display business.

 

Commercial applications - Lighting

The lighting market is worth more than $100 billion in annual sales and is heavily fragmented into multiple market segments. Nanoco is focusing on niche lighting applications where our quantum dots add value to the end user and fit into the Company's current supply chain. One application which meets these criteria is horticultural lighting where light can be tuned to match ideal growing conditions for specific plants, vegetables and flowers. Nanoco's prototype horticultural lighting product was recognised at the CES earlier this year when it won a CES Innovation Award. Emphasis is being given on the development of display products over lighting products at present to generate sales revenues as soon as possible.

 

Commercial applications - Solar 

We have developed our printable CIGS based technology to the point where it now needs to be scaled-up beyond the 5cm x 5cm cells made in the Company's laboratories. The attractiveness of this technology is its ability to convert sunlight to electricity at a very competitive cost.

In order to take the technology to the next level the Company is seeking an industrialization partner with whom we can work to develop the business.

Research and development

Continuous innovation through the Company's active research and development programmes is a core value of Nanoco and the Company actively protects its intellectual property by filing patents. We currently have circa 550 patents and patent applications filed globally.

Notable projects during the period have resulted in significant improvement in manufacturing processes providing a ten-fold increase in capacity compared to a year ago.

We have also incorporated a new subsidiary, Nanoco 2D Materials Limited, to encapsulate our new discoveries in new classes of quantum materials. This work is at a very early stage and we have reached agreement with the University of Manchester to carry out further work to demonstrate the feasibility of this new technology.

During December 2016 we purchased a group of Kodak patents relating to electroluminescence which we believe will have an important role in future developments in display and lighting. This patent portfolio which contained 35 patents is focused on using quantum dots in future generations of electroluminescent displays.

Restriction of Hazardous Substances ("RoHS")

The use of highly toxic cadmium in electronics and electrical products continues to be regulated in the EU by the RoHS Directive [2011/65/EU]. This limits cadmium to 0.01% or 100 ppm, ten times less than mercury or lead due to its greater danger to health and the environment. Exemption 39, which allows it to be used in quantum dots ("QDs") for lighting and display products, is time limited and should have ended in 2014. Despite the commercial launch of cadmium-free QD televisions in early 2015, the Commission pressed ahead with an Act to extend Exemption 39 by three years, but this was overwhelmingly rejected by the European Parliament on 20 May 2015 voting 618 to 33. Regrettably, the Commission insisted on repeating a full review with its consultant, the Öko-Institut, instead of terminating the exemption.

The new Öko-Institut report, published in May 2016, proposed a three-year extension for displays, but none for lighting since no commercial cadmium QD lighting products exist. The justification given for displays was based on claimed energy savings for cadmium QDs compared to cadmium-free QDs and other technologies. However, this is disputed both technically and legally since:

The test used was not independent or to a recognised standard

Statutory testing of "real" display products available on the market shows that cadmium-free QD televisions actually use less energy

The overall safety and environmental benefits were not properly accounted for as RoHS regulations require

 

After consultation in September 2016 with Member State representatives highlighted increasing concern, the Commission issued a draft Act in February 2017 that reduced the extension for displays to two years, the minimum possible. However, this is still being objected to strongly by Nanoco and others. Given the proven performance and availability of cadmium-free QDs, we believe that there is a strong case for the Commission to end Exemption 39 now, which would result in a twelve to 18 month selling-off period of remaining cadmium based display inventory under RoHS rules. Even if the Commission puts forward an Act to extend the exemption, this would have to be ratified by both the EU Council and Parliament, with a strong possibility that it would be rejected again. Even if it were passed, it is clear that the exemption must end at some point in the near future and this will limit the number of display brands which would be willing to invest in a technology that is both controversial and of limited life-span.

It should be noted that, although it is an EU standard, RoHS restrictions are being implemented in similar legislation around the world. China introduced its own RoHS-2 in 2016, which will be equivalent when fully implemented. We expect that China and other major states will quickly follow the lead set by the EU when it removes the exemption for cadmium QDs.

 

Financial results

Loss for H1 2017 after exceptional items and taxation was £5.43 million (H1 2016: £5.24 million).The increase in revenues compared to prior year of £0.53 million was offset by an increase in costs resulting in an increase in the operating loss of £0.05 million.

Cash, cash equivalents and deposits, at 31 January 2017 were £8.3 million (31 January 2016: £18.35 million; 31 July 2016: £14.5 million) and the Company is due to receive an R&D tax credit of £1.9 million in respect of the financial year ended 31 July 2016.

During the period, the Group continued to exercise prudent cash management and reduced personnel costs by £1.1 million per annum, conserving cash while maintaining operational efficiency. The Board realises that commencement of commercial sales is vital to the future of the Group and it has carried out significant contingency planning as described in detail in the Financial review.

People

Gordon Hall retired as a Non-executive Director of Nanoco on 31 January 2017. We thank Gordon for his valuable contribution to the Company over his many years of service. As announced in January, Robin Williams has informed us that he will leave the Board after three years with the Company in July 2017. Accordingly we are looking to recruit one additional Non-executive Director to fill the gap created by these two departures. Following the recruitment of a new Non-executive Director the Board will then include two independent Non-executive Directors which the Board considers appropriate for the size of the Company.

We reduced our staff numbers during December 2016 in order to conserve our cash balances. This action was considered necessary for the future of the business, but the decision was not taken lightly as we are very aware of the impact this has on our staff. Critical to these cuts was ensuring that the Company's core ability to deliver against orders and continue to innovate was not jeopardized.

Outlook

Progress over the last six months has been transformative for the business. We now have active engagement with nine display OEMs working on 14 different programs and have developed the manufacturing capabilities through our own facilities and those being developed by our partners and supply chain to fulfil the demand. We look forward to our current activities generating our first commercial sales.

 

Dr Christopher Richards Dr Michael Edelman

Chairman Chief Executive Officer

4 April 2017 4 April 2017

 

Chief Financial Officer's Review

Revenue

Revenues in the six months to 31 January 2017 were £0.68 million (H1 2016: £0.14 million) and the loss before tax was £6.4 million (H1 2016: loss of £6.26 million). Other operating income was £0.14 million (2016: £0.15 million). Revenues are higher than in the prior period due to an increase in material sales and the release of deferred revenue during the period relating to the licence agreements signed in July 2016.

Research and development

Gross investment in research and development in 2017 was £2.87 million (H1 2016: £2.94 million) to support the ongoing development of CFQD® and other nanoparticles.

Administrative expenses

Administrative expenses increased by £0.77 million due to increases in expenditure on travel, professional fees (including patent maintenance), recruitment costs, marketing fees and costs associated with the EU cadmium review. A cost reduction programme was implemented in December 2016 and the benefit of this will commence in the second half of the current financial year. The programme will result in a reduction of personnel costs by £1.1 million per annum and in addition there will be further overhead savings from the lower headcount.

Operating loss before tax

Operating loss in H1 2017 was £6.43 million (H1 2016: loss of £6.39 million). Interest income decreased to £0.04 million (H1 2016: £0.13 million) reflecting lower cash balances. As a result, loss before tax for H1 2017 was £6.40 million (H1 2016: loss of £6.26 million).

Taxation

The Group continues to make research and development tax credit claims on its qualifying expenditure. We also take advantage of the provision whereby such losses so generated may be surrendered for cash. The tax credit for the period was £0.97 million (H1 2016: £1.02 million). The amount receivable at 31 January 2017 was £2.94 million (H1 2016: £2.83 million).

Net result

Loss for H1 2017 after exceptional items and taxation was £5.42 million (H1 2016: loss of £5.24 million).

Earnings per share

For H1 2017, basic loss per share was 2.28 pence per share (H1 2016 loss of 2.21 pence per share). As at 31 January 2017 there were 238,236,828 ordinary shares in issue (31 January 2016: 237,077,578).

Cash position and liquidity

As at 31 January 2017 the Group had short-term deposits, cash and cash equivalents of £8.33 million (31 January 2016: £18.3 million). Both cash and costs continue to be prudently and tightly managed.

During H1 2017, the Group generated a cash outflow from operations of £5.89 million compared with an outflow of £5.66 million in H1 2016.

In H1 2017 the Group's total cash outflow in respect of tangible fixed assets was £0.24 million (H1 2016: £0.14 million) mainly comprising the continued investment in scale up of manufacturing capacity, support for R&D activities and IT improvement projects. In H1 2017 the Group's total cash outflow in respect of intangible fixed assets was £0.58 million (H1 2016: £0.39 million) and related to patent costs.

Balance sheet

At 31 January 2017, the consolidated balance sheet showed total shareholders' equity of £14.1 million (31 January 2016: £24.0 million).

Going concern

In assessing whether the going concern basis is an appropriate basis for preparing the interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, the Directors have utilised their detailed forecasts which take into account current and expected business activities, cash balance of £8.3 million as shown in its balance sheet at 31 January 2017, the principal risks and uncertainties the Group faces and other factors impacting the Group's future performance.

The Group has prepared sales forecasts for the period ending 31 July 2018. The forecasts include low, base and high levels of sales. These forecasts have been created based on the detailed work which is ongoing with Wah Hong and nine OEMs covering 14 projects and management's expectations of revenues from Merck and Dow.

The base case forecast reflects the Board's current expectations. The key assumptions underpinning the base case sales forecast are:

Sales of commercial quantities of materials produced in Runcorn commence in May 2017 and monthly quantities sold more than double by October 2017

Dow and Merck commence shipping commercial sales in July 2017 and November 2017 respectively and royalties and milestone payments are paid to Nanoco quarterly in arrears. Within six months of commencement each company reaches a stable level of sales representing a five-fold increase from initial volumes.

Cost base grows in line with manufacturing activities

The base case forecast produces a cash flow forecast that demonstrates that the Company has sufficient cash throughout the period of the forecast and generates cash during that period.

The Group is in extensive discussions with nine OEMs regarding 14 projects and expects a number of these opportunities to convert to sales. However the Board acknowledges that there is a risk that some or all of these projects may not convert to sales during the forecast period. Accordingly, the Board has identified a worst case scenario to consider in assessing the going concern status of the business. The worst case scenario is that no new sales materialise from any of the Company's licensing partners, which could occur if the Company's products fail to meet the specifications of the OEMs, the Company is unable to supply product from Runcorn, the EU extends the exemption for cadmium products and Dow and Merck fail to exploit their licence agreements.

In the worst case scenario, the Company's cash resources would run out in the first quarter of calendar year 2018 if no action to reduce current costs is taken. Management has identified a series of mitigating actions, including cost savings and a reorganisation of its operations that could be undertaken in the event sales do not materialise. On the basis that no sales have occurred, the Group would enact its cost reduction plans on a timely basis including a very significant reduction in its manufacturing capability and focus on its licensing operations. Sub contract manufacture would be put in place to satisfy future demand. All of the cost savings are under the direct control of the Board and the Board has the ability and intention to make such changes on a timely basis.

IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements requires the Directors to disclose "material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt upon the Company's ability to continue as a going concern". The Directors consider that the uncertainty regarding the Company's ability to achieve its forecast sales revenues within its base case described above meets the definition of a "material uncertainty". Nevertheless, considering the mitigating actions that can be made and after making enquiries and considering the uncertainty described above, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company has access to adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Accordingly they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. The financial statements do not reflect any adjustments that would be required to be made if they were prepared on a basis other than the going concern basis.

Principal risks

The Directors have considered the principal risks which may have a material impact on the Group's performance in the second half of 2017. The risks remain as disclosed in pages 22 to 23 of the 2016 Annual Report and Accounts.

 

Forward-looking statements

The foregoing disclosures contain certain forward-looking statements. Although Nanoco believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will materialise. Because the expectations are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may vary significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements based upon a number of factors. Nanoco undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Interim Report.

 

David Blain

Chief Financial Officer

4 April 2017

Responsibility statement

 

The Directors of Nanoco Group plc, as listed on pages 26 and 27 of the 2016 Annual Report and Accounts, confirm to the best of their knowledge:

 

a) The condensed set of financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standards 34 Interim Financial Reporting, as required by paragraph 4.2.4 of the Disclosure and Transparency Rules ("DTR");

b) The condensed set of financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with the applicable set of accounting standards, gives a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the issuer, or the undertakings included in the consolidation as a whole as required by DTR 4.2.10;

c) The Interim Management report includes a fair review of the information required by DTR 4.2.7 - an indication of important events which have occurred during the first six months of the year, and a description of the principal risks and uncertainties for the remaining six months of the year; and

d) The Interim Management report includes a fair review of the information required by DTR 4.2.8 - the disclosure of related party transactions occurring during the first six months of the year, and any changes in related party transactions disclosed in the 2015 Annual Report and Accounts.

 

 

By order of the Board

 

Dr Michael Edelman

Chief Executive Officer

4 April 2017

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

For the six months ended 31 January 2017

 

 

 

 

(Re-presented - note 4)

 

 

 

Six months to

Six months to

Year to

 

 

31 January

31 January

31 July

 

 

2017

2016

2016

 

 

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Audited)

 

Notes

£'000

£'000

£'000

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

3

676

144

474

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of sales

 

(36)

(29)

(177)

 

 

 

 

 

Gross profit/(loss)

 

640

115

297

 

 

 

 

 

Other operating income

4

142

146

284

 

 

 

 

 

Operating expenses

 

 

 

 

Research and development expenses

 

(2,873)

(3,061)

(5,995)

Administrative expenses

 

(4,347)

(3,586)

(7,367)

 

 

 

 

 

Operating loss

 

(6,438)

(6,386)

(12,781)

 

 

 

 

 

- Before share-based payments

 

(6,198)

(6,273)

(12,511)

- Share-based payments

 

(240)

(113)

(270)

 

 

 

 

 

Finance income

5

35

130

193

Finance expense

5

-

(2)

(12)

 

 

 

 

 

Loss on ordinary activities before taxation

 

(6,403)

(6,258)

(12,600)

 

 

 

 

 

Taxation

6

975

1,021

1,993

 

 

 

 

 

Loss for the period and total comprehensive loss for the period

 

(5,428)

(5,237)

(10,607)

 

 

 

 

 

Loss per share:

 

 

 

 

Basic and diluted loss for the period

7

(2.28)p

(2.21)p

(4.47)p

 

 

 

 

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

For the six months ended 31 January 2017

 

 

Issued

Share-based

 

 

 

 

equity

payment

Merger

Revenue

 

 

capital

reserve

reserve

reserve

Total

 

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

 

 

 

 

 

 

At 1 August 2015 (audited)

58,037

2,445

(1,242)

(30,160)

29,100

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loss for the six months to 31 January 2016

-

-

-

(5,237)

(5,237)

Share-based payments

-

113

-

-

113

 

 

 

 

 

 

At 31 January 2016 (unaudited)

58,037

2,558

(1,242)

(35,397)

23,976

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loss for the six months to 31 July 2016

-

-

-

(5,370)

(5,370)

Share-based payments

-

157

-

-

157

 

 

 

 

 

 

At 31 July 2016 (audited)

58,057

2,715

(1,242)

(40,767)

18,763

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loss for the six months to 31 January 2017

-

-

-

(5,428)

(5,428)

Shares issued on exercise of options

545

-

-

-

545

Share-based payments

-

240

-

-

240

 

 

 

 

 

 

At 31 January 2017 (unaudited)

58,602

2,955

(1,242)

(46,195)

14,120

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

As at 31 January 2017

 

 

 

31 January

31 January

31 July

 

 

2017

2016

2016

 

 

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Audited)

 

Notes

£'000

£'000

£'000

Assets

 

 

 

 

Non-current assets

 

 

 

 

Property, plant and equipment

 

1,106

1,668

1,260

Intangible assets

8

2,820

2,068

2,423

 

 

3,926

3,736

3,683

Current assets

 

 

 

 

Inventories

 

238

232

208

Trade and other receivables

9

1,013

855

2,045

Income tax asset

 

2,945

2,825

1,970

Short-term investments and cash on deposit

 

5,000

10,000

5,000

Cash and cash equivalents

 

3,328

8,273

9,511

 

 

12,524

22,185

18,734

 

 

 

 

 

Total assets

 

16,450

25,921

22,417

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities

 

 

 

 

Trade and other payables

 

1,526

1,882

2,443

Financial liabilities

 

-

63

32

Deferred revenue

10

207

-

531

 

 

1,733

1,945

3,006

Non-current liabilities

 

 

 

 

Deferred revenue

10

597

-

648

 

 

-

-

648

 

 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

 

2,329

1,945

3,654

 

 

 

 

 

Net assets

 

14,120

23,976

18,763

 

 

 

 

 

Capital and reserves

 

 

 

 

Issued equity capital

11

58,602

58,057

58,057

Share-based payment reserve

12

2,955

2,558

2,715

Merger reserve

 

(1,242)

(1,242)

(1,242)

Revenue reserve

 

(46,195)

(35,397)

(40,767)

Total equity

 

14,120

23,976

18,763

 

Approved by the Board and authorised for issue on 4 April 2017

 

 

Dr Michael Edelman

Chief Executive Officer

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Cash Flow Statement

For the six months ended 31 January 2017

 

 

 

Six months to

Six months to

Year to

 

 

31 January

31 January

31 July

 

 

2017

2016

2016

 

 

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Audited)

 

 

£'000

£'000

£'000

 

 

 

 

 

Loss before tax

 

(6,403)

(6,258)

(12,600)

Adjustments for:

 

 

 

 

Net Finance income

 

(35)

(128)

(181)

Depreciation of tangible fixed assets

 

393

533

991

Amortisation of intangible assets

 

186

139

298

Share-based payments

 

240

113

270

Changes in working capital:

 

 

 

 

Increase in inventories

 

(30)

(24)

-

Decrease/(increase) in trade and other receivables

 

1,054

2

(1,143)

(Decrease)/increase in trade and other payables

 

(917)

(27)

503

(Decrease)/increase in deferred revenue

 

(375)

-

1,179

Cash outflow from operating activities

 

(5,887)

(5,650)

(10,683)

Research and development tax credit received

 

-

-

1,830

Overseas corporation tax paid

 

-

(4)

(7)

Net cash outflow from operating activities

 

(5,887)

(5,654)

(8,860)

 

 

 

 

 

Cash flows from investing activities:

 

 

 

 

Purchases of tangible fixed assets

 

(239)

(139)

(189)

Purchases of intangible fixed assets

 

(583)

(386)

(900)

Decrease in cash placed on deposit

 

-

10,000

15,000

Interest received

 

13

175

224

Net cash inflow from investing activities

 

(809)

9,650

14,135

 

 

 

 

 

Cash flows from financing activities

 

 

 

 

Interest paid

 

-

(2)

(12)

Exercise of share options

 

545

-

-

Loan repayment

 

(32)

(32)

(63)

Net cash (outflow)/inflow from financing activities

 

513

(34)

(75)

 

 

 

 

 

(Decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents

 

(6,183)

3,962

5,200

Cash and cash equivalents at the start of the period

 

9,511

4,311

4,311

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period

 

3,328

8,273

9,511

 

 

 

 

 

Monies placed on short-term deposit

 

5,000

10,000

5,000

Cash, cash equivalents and deposits at the end of the period

 

8,328

18,273

14,511

 

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

For the six months ended 31 January 2017

 

1. Corporate information 

The Interim Report and Accounts of the Group for the six months ended 31 January 2017 was authorised for issue in accordance with a resolution of the Directors on 4 April 2017. The Interim Report and Accounts 2017 is unaudited but has been reviewed by the Auditors as set out in its report.

 

Nanoco Group plc (the "Company") has a premium listing on the main market of the London Stock Exchange and is incorporated and domiciled in the UK.

 

These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements consolidate those of the Company and its subsidiaries (together referred to as the "Group").

 

These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are unaudited and do not constitute statutory accounts of the Group as defined in section 434 of the Companies Act 2006. The auditor, Ernst & Young LLP, has carried out a review of the financial information in accordance with the guidance contained in International Standard on Review Engagements (UK and Ireland) 2410 - Review of Interim Financial Information Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity, and their review report is set out at the end of this report.

 

The financial information for the year ended 31 July 2016 has been extracted from the Group's published financial statements for that year, and a copy of the statutory accounts for that financial year has been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The auditors reported on those accounts and itd report was unqualified, did not draw attention to any matters by way of emphasis and did not contain a statement under section 498(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006. 

 

2. Accounting policies

 

Basis of preparation

The accounting policies adopted in these Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are consistent with those followed in the preparation of the Group's Annual Report and Accounts for the year to 31 July 2016. This interim condensed financial report includes audited comparatives for the year to 31 July 2016. The 2016 Annual Report and Accounts, which are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") as adopted by the European Union, received an unqualified audit opinion and has been filed with the Registrar of Companies. These interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with the Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority, IAS 34 Interim Financial Reporting as adopted by the European Union and using the recognition and measurement principles of IFRSs as adopted by the European Union and have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

 

Going concern

In assessing whether the going concern basis is an appropriate basis for preparing the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, the Directors have utilised their detailed forecasts which take into account current and expected business activities, cash balance of £8.3 million as shown in its balance sheet at 31 January 2017, the principal risks and uncertainties the Group faces and other factors impacting the Group's future performance.

The Group has prepared sales forecasts for the period ending 31 July 2018. The forecasts include low, base and high levels of sales. These forecasts have been created based on the detailed work which is ongoing with Wah Hong and nine OEMs covering 14 projects and management's expectations of revenues from Merck and Dow.

The base case forecast reflects the Board's current expectation. The key assumptions underpinning the base case sales forecast are:

Sales of commercial quantities of materials produced in Runcorn commence in May 2017 and monthly quantities sold more than double by October 2017

Dow and Merck commence shipping commercial sales in July 2017 and November 2017 respectively and royalties and milestone payments are paid to Nanoco quarterly in arrears. Within six months of commencement each company reaches a stable level of sales representing a five-fold increase from initial volumes.

Cost base grows in line with manufacturing activities

The base case forecast produces a cashflow forecast that demonstrates that the Company has sufficient cash throughout the period of the forecast and generates cash during that period.

The Group is in extensive discussions with nine OEMs regarding 14 projects and expects a number of these opportunities to convert to sales. However the Board acknowledges that there is a risk that some or all of these projects may not convert to sales during the forecast period. Accordingly, the Board has identified a worst case scenario to consider in assessing the going concern status of the business. The worst case scenario is that no new sales materialise from any of the Company's licensing partners, which could occur if the Company's products fail to meet the specifications of the OEMs, the Company is unable to supply product from Runcorn, the EU extends the exemption on cadmium products and Dow and Merck fail to exploit their licence agreements.

In the worst case scenario, the Company's cash resources would run out in the first quarter of calendar year 2018 if no action to reduce current costs is taken. Management has identified a series of mitigating actions, including cost savings and a reorganisation of its operations that could be undertaken in the event sales do not materialise. On the basis that no sales have occurred, the Group would enact its cost reduction plans on a timely basis including a very significant reduction in its manufacturing capability and focus on its licensing operations. Sub contract manufacture would be put in place to satisfy future demand. All of the cost savings are under the direct control of the Board and the Board has the ability and intention to make such changes on a timely basis.

IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements requires the Directors to disclose "material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt upon the Company's ability to continue as a going concern". The Directors consider that the uncertainty regarding the Company's ability to achieve its forecast sales revenues within its base case described above meets the definition of a "material uncertainty". Nevertheless, considering the mitigating actions that can be made and after making enquiries and considering the uncertainty described above, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company has access to adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Accordingly they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. The financial statements do not reflect any adjustments that would be required to be made if they were prepared on a basis other than the going concern basis.

 Accounting policies

Accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the interim condensed consolidated financial statements are consistent with those followed in the preparation of the Group's annual financial statements for the year ended 31 July 2016.

 

There are no new, revised or amended standards and interpretations which are mandatory for the first time for the financial year ending 31 July 2017 and which have a material impact on the interim condensed consolidated financial statements. New, revised or amended standards and interpretations that are not yet effective have not been early adopted.

Basis of consolidation

These interim condensed consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of Nanoco Group plc and the entities it controls (its subsidiaries).

3. Segmental information

Operating segments

The Board has identified that it has one reportable operating segment being the provision of high performance nanoparticles as each of the Group's divisions continue to have similar activities, economic characteristics and future prospects.

. All revenues have been generated from continuing operations and are from external customers.

 

 

 

Six months to

(Re-presented - note 4)

Six months to

 

Year to

 

 

31 January

31 January

31 July

 

 

2017

2016

2016

 

 

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Audited)

 

 

£'000

£'000

£'000

Analysis of revenue

 

 

 

 

Products sold

 

196

89

204

Rendering of services

 

101

55

114

Royalties and licences

 

379

-

156

 

 

676

144

474

Analysis of operating loss

 

 

 

 

Loss for the period

 

(6,438)

(6,386)

(12,781)

The timing of the annual submission and subsequent receipt of the R&D tax credit has a material effect on the cash flow of the Group. There are no other factors of a seasonal or cyclical nature affecting the results of the Group.

All the Group's assets are held in the UK and all of its capital expenditure arises in the UK.

 

4. Other operating income

 

 

 

Six months to

(Re-presented)

Six months to

 

Year to

 

 

31 January

31 January

31 July

 

 

2017

2016

2016

 

 

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Audited)

 

 

£'000

£'000

£'000

Government grants

 

142

146

284

 

In the period to 31 January 2016 income from government grants was reported within revenue as rendering of services and costs of £115,000 relating to such services were included in cost of sales instead of Research and development expenses. We have re-presented the comparative disclosure in these statements.

 

5. Finance income and expense

 

 

Six months to

Six months to

Year to

 

 

31 January

31 January

31 July

 

 

2017

2016

2016

 

 

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Audited)

 

 

£'000

£'000

£'000

Finance income

 

 

 

 

Bank interest receivable

 

35

130

193

Finance expense

 

 

 

 

Loan interest payable

 

-

(2)

(12)

 

 

35

128

181

 

6. Taxation

The tax credit is made up as follows:

 

 

Six months to

Six months to

Year to

 

 

31 January

31 January

31 July

 

 

2017

2016

2016

 

 

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Audited)

 

 

£'000

£'000

£'000

Current income tax:

 

 

 

UK corporation tax losses in the year

 

-

-

-

Research and development income tax credit receivable

(975)

(975)

(1,970)

Adjustment in respect of prior years

-

(50)

(30)

Overseas corporation tax

-

4

7

Income tax credit

 

(975)

(1,021)

(1,993)

 

The Group has accumulated losses available to carry forward against future trading profits of £26.3 million (2016: £22.1 million).

 

Deferred tax liabilities/(assets) provided/recognised are as follows:

 

 

Six months to

Six months to

Year to

 

 

31 January

31 January

31 July

 

 

2017

2016

2016

 

 

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Audited)

 

 

£'000

£'000

£'000

Accelerated capital allowances

138

238

189

Share-based payments

(138)

(238)

(189)

Tax losses

-

-

-

 

 

-

-

-

 

The Group also has deferred tax assets, measured at a standard rate of 18% (2016: 20%) in respect of share-based payments of £454,000 (2016: £307,000) and tax losses of £4,728,000 (2016: £3,970,000) which have not been recognised as an asset as it is not probable that future taxable profits will be available against which the assets can be utilised.

 

7. Loss per share

 

 

Six months to

Six months to

Year to

 

 

31 January

31 January

31 July

 

 

2017

2016

2016

 

 

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Audited)

 

 

£'000

£'000

£'000

Loss for the period attributable to equity shareholders

(5,428)

(5,237)

(10,607)

Share-based payments

240

113

270

Loss for the period

 

(5,188)

(5,124)

(10,337)

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average number of shares

 

No.

No.

No.

Ordinary shares in issue (1)

 

238,120,572

236,535,267

237,077,578

Adjusted loss per share before share-based payments (pence)

(2.18)

(2.17)

(4.36)

Basic loss per share (pence)

 

(2.28)

(2.21)

(4.47)

(1) Excludes the 12,222 shares held in Treasury.

 

Diluted loss per share has not been presented above as the effect of share options issued is anti-dilutive. The adjusted loss is presented as the Board measures overall performance taking into account IFRS 2 charges and any material one-off costs incurred in a reporting period.

No interim dividend has been recommended.

 

8. Intangible assets

 

 

Six months to

Six months to

Year to

 

 

31 January

31 January

31 July

 

 

2017

2016

2016

 

 

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Audited)

Cost

 

£'000

£'000

£'000

At the beginning of the period

3,703

2,803

2,803

Additions in the period

583

386

900

At the end of the period

4,286

3,189

3,703

 

 

 

 

Amortisation

 

 

 

At the beginning of the period

1,280

982

982

Provided in the period

186

139

298

At the end of the period

1,466

1,121

1,280

 

 

 

 

Net book value

2,820

2,068

2,423

 

The expenditure on patents is amortised on a straight-line basis over ten years. Amortisation provided during the period is recognised in administrative expenses. The Group does not believe that any of its patents in isolation is material to the business.

To date the Group has not capitalised any of its development costs and all such costs are written off as incurred. Careful judgement by the Directors is applied when deciding whether the recognition requirements for development costs have been met. This is necessary as the economic success of any product development is uncertain until such time as technical viability has been proven and commercial supply agreements are likely to be achieved. Judgements are based on the information available at each reporting date which includes the progress with testing and certification and progress on, for example, establishment of commercial arrangements with third parties. In addition, all internal activities related to research and development of new products are continuously monitored by the Directors.

 

9. Trade and other receivables

 

 

31 January

31 January

31 July

 

 

2017

2016

2016

 

 

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Audited)

 

 

£'000

£'000

£'000

Trade receivables

94

37

1,455

Prepayments and accrued income

650

642

422

Other receivables

269

176

168

 

1,013

855

2,045

 

10. Deferred revenue

 

 

31 January

31 January

31 July

 

 

2017

2016

2016

 

 

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Audited)

 

 

£'000

£'000

£'000

Current

 

207

-

531

Non-current

 

597

-

648

 

 

804

-

1,179

 

Deferred revenue arises under IFRSs where upfront licence fees are accounted for on a straight-line basis over the initial term of the contract or where performance criteria have not been satisfied in the accounting period.

 

11. Share capital

 

 

 

 

Reverse

 

 

 

Share

Share

acquisition

 

 

 

 

capital

premium

reserve

Total

 

 

Number

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allotted, called up and fully paid ordinary shares of 10p:

 

 

 

 

 

 

At 31 July 2015, 31 July 2016 and 31 January 2016 (unaudited)

 

237,077,578

 

23,708

 

112,217

 

(77,868)

 

58,057

 

Shares issued on exercise of options

1,159,250

116

429

-

545

 

At 31 January 2017

238,236,828

23,824

112,646

(77,868)

58,602

 

           

 

The retained loss and other equity balances recognised in the Group financial statements reflect the consolidated retained loss and other equity balances of Nanoco Tech Limited immediately before the business combination which was reported in the year ended 31 July 2009. The consolidated results for the period from 1 August 2008 to the date of the acquisition by the Company are those of Nanoco Tech Limited. However, the equity structure appearing in the Group financial statements reflects the equity structure of the legal parent, including the equity instruments issued under the share for share exchange to effect the transaction. The effect of using the equity structure of the legal parent gives rise to an adjustment to the Group's issued equity capital in the form of a reverse acquisition reserve.

 

12. Share-based payment reserve

 

 

 

 

Total

 

 

 

 

£'000

At 31 July 2015

 

 

2,445

Share-based payments

 

 

113

At 31 January 2016

 

 

 

2,558

Share-based payments

 

 

 

157

At 31 July 2016

 

 

 

2,715

Share-based payments

 

 

 

240

At 31 January 2017

 

 

 

2,955

 

The share-based payment reserve accumulates the corresponding credit entry in respect of share-based payment charges. Movements in the reserve are disclosed in the Condensed consolidated statement of changes in equity.

A charge of £240,000 has been recognised in the Statement of comprehensive income for the half year (2016: £113,000).

 

Share option schemes

Full details of the Group's share option schemes are detailed in note 21 of the 2016 Annual Report.

Shares held in the Employee Benefit Trust ("EBT")

On 2 August 2016, the remaining holder of Jointly Owned shares exercised their option to convert the holding to sole beneficiary. As a result, there are no shares held by the EBT

Fair value benefit

The fair value benefit is independently measured using Binomial or Black-Scholes valuation models where there are non-market performance conditions and Stochastic (Monte Carlo) models for options with market based performance conditions taking into account the terms and conditions upon which the options were granted. 

 

Grant of options

On 22 November 2016 the Company granted a total of 3,818,149 nil-cost options over ordinary shares in the Company under the Nanoco Group 2015 Long Term Incentive Plan to the Executive Directors and all other eligible employees.

 

The vesting of the options granted under the LTIP is subject to the achievement of performance conditions based upon share price growth and revenue targets over the three-year performance period commencing with Nanoco's 2016/2017 financial year. Ordinarily, the options will vest (subject to the achievement of the performance conditions) following the announcement of Nanoco's results for its 2018/2019 financial year and be released to the participants following the end of a two-year holding period.

 

In addition, on 22 November 2016, a total of 340,672 nil-cost options were granted under the Deferred Bonus Plan.

 

13. Related party transactions

 

Balances and transactions between the Company and its subsidiaries, which are related parties, have been eliminated upon consolidation.

 

The Company has intercompany loans and accounts with its subsidiary undertakings, details of which are set out in the 2016 Annual Report and Accounts.

 

14. Post-balance sheet events

There have been no reportable events from the balance sheet date to the approval of these interim condensed consolidated financial statements. 

Independent Review Report to Nanoco Group Plc

 

Introduction

We have been engaged by the Company to review the condensed set of financial statements in the half-yearly financial report for the six months ended 31 January 2017 which comprises the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income, the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity, the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position, the Condensed Consolidated Cash Flow Statement and the related notes 1 to 14. We have read the other information contained in the half yearly financial report and considered whether it contains any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the information in the condensed set of financial statements.

 

This report is made solely to the Company in accordance with guidance contained in International Standard on Review Engagements 2410 (UK and Ireland) "Review of Interim Financial Information Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity" issued by the Auditing Practices Board. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Company, for our work, for this report, or for the conclusions we have formed.

 

Directors' responsibilities

The half-yearly financial report is the responsibility of, and has been approved by, the directors. The directors are responsible for preparing the half-yearly financial report in accordance with the Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority.

 

As disclosed in note 2, the annual financial statements of the Group are prepared in accordance with IFRS as adopted by the European Union. The condensed set of financial statements included in this half-yearly financial report has been prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standard 34, "Interim Financial Reporting", as adopted by the European Union.

 

Our responsibility

Our responsibility is to express to the Company a conclusion on the condensed set of financial statements in the half-yearly financial report based on our review.

 

Scope of review

We conducted our review in accordance with International Standard on Review Engagements (UK and Ireland) 2410, "Review of Interim Financial Information Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity" issued by the Auditing Practices Board for use in the United Kingdom. A review of interim financial information consists of making enquiries, primarily of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters, and applying analytical and other review procedures. A review is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland) and consequently does not enable us to obtain assurance that we would become aware of all significant matters that might be identified in an audit. Accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion.

 

Conclusion

Based on our review, nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the condensed set of financial statements in the half-yearly financial report for the six months ended 31 January 2017 is not prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with International Accounting Standard 34 as adopted by the European Union.

 

Emphasis of matter - going concern

In reaching our conclusion, which is not qualified, we have also considered the adequacy of the disclosures made in note 2 to the interim financial statements concerning the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. The conditions described in note 2 indicate the existence of a material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. The condensed set of financial statements in the half-yearly financial report do not include the adjustments that would result if the Company was unable to continue as a going concern.

Ernst & Young LLP

Manchester

4 April 2017 

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
END
 
 
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25th Jul 20232:55 pmRNSPublication of Shareholder Presentation
25th Jul 202312:52 pmRNSNanoco Group Plc
24th Jul 20237:00 amRNSHigh Court Confirmation of Capital Reduction
20th Jul 20237:00 amRNSNotification of Investor Presentation
18th Jul 20237:00 amRNSPosting of Circular and Notice of General Meeting
7th Jul 202311:23 amRNSGeneral Meeting - Voting Results
28th Jun 20237:00 amRNSReceipt of General Meeting Requisition Notice
20th Jun 20237:00 amRNSPosting of Circular and Notice of General Meeting
9th Jun 20237:00 amRNSBlocklisting Six-Monthly Return
19th May 20231:00 pmRNSResponse to Shareholder Letter
21st Apr 20236:00 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
30th Mar 202311:46 amRNSHolding(s) in Company
28th Mar 20237:00 amRNSInterim Results
27th Mar 20231:19 pmRNSResponse to Shareholder Letter
23rd Mar 20238:40 amRNSNotice of Results
9th Mar 20233:11 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
9th Feb 20237:00 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
7th Feb 20237:00 amRNSHolding(s) in Company
3rd Feb 20237:15 amRNSTrading Update
3rd Feb 20237:15 amRNSLitigation Settlement Update

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