SGC.L Regulatory News (SGC)

7 December 2011

Stagecoach Group plc - Interim results for the six months ended 31 October 2011

Business highlights

·; Adjusted earnings per share* of 10.1p (2010: 12.2p)

o In line with market expectations

o First half earnings reflect loss at East Midlands Trains, expected to return to profitability in second half

·; Interim dividend up 9.1% to 2.4p

·; Completion of return of c.£340m in cash to shareholders

·; Strong organic growth across the Group's bus and rail businesses

·; UK Bus regions: strong growth in commercial revenue offset reductions in concessionary and tender revenue

·; UK Bus London: turnaround plan on track

·; UK Rail: commuter and inter-city revenue growth underpinned by operational delivery and customer satisfaction

·; North America: further expansion of megabus.com budget coach service

·; Virgin Rail Group: growing business and leisure travel; eight-month franchise extension to December 2012; shortlisted for new Inter-city West Coast rail franchise

·; Good start to second half of year and positive outlook for the Group's greener, smarter public transport services

Financial summary

Commenting on the results, Chief Executive, Sir Brian Souter, said: 

"These are good results and we have achieved further revenue growth across our bus and train businesses in the UK and North America. Against a background of pressure on household incomes and rising fuel costs, we believe that providing value for money travel is increasingly important. We are seeing continuing indications of modal shift from the car to bus and rail.

"The expected period loss at East Midlands Trains resulted in a reduction in adjusted earnings per share in the first half of the year. However, the Group is well placed to deliver stronger earnings in the second half with East Midlands Trains entitled to revenue support payments and therefore expected to return to profitability.

"In our sector-leading UK Bus operations, we have invested extensively in new product innovation. This strategy has meant our business has been able to manage effectively the impact of reduced Government and local authority spending on public transport. Our turnaround plan for our London bus business remains on track.

"Excellent operational performance and high levels of customer satisfaction have underpinned continuing strong revenue growth in our commuter and long-distance UK rail businesses. We are pleased that Virgin Rail Group has secured an extension to the current West Coast franchise and we will consider further franchise opportunities that we believe will deliver value to our shareholders.

"We have pushed forward with the expansion of our budget inter-city coach brand, megabus.com, which is driving high levels of growth in our North American business. We have also started to deliver on a range of business models for the roll-out of the megabus.com brand, using contractors for services outside our existing geographic footprint, and we are considering opportunities for franchising to maximise the significant potential of the brand.

"We recently completed a c.£340m return of cash to shareholders and remain in a strong financial position. We have made a good start to the second half of the financial year and current trading remains in line with management expectations. We believe the outlook for the Group is positive and our bus and rail services are well placed to benefit from the continuing consumer focus on service and value."

Analysts

Martin Griffiths, Finance Director 01738 442111

Ross Paterson, Director of Finance & Company Secretary 01738 442111

Media

Steven Stewart, Director of Corporate Communications 07764 774680

John Kiely / Will Swan, Smithfield 020 7360 4900

Copies of this announcement are available at http://www.stagecoach.com/investors/financial-analysis/reports/2011/

Chairman's statement

The Group has achieved good results, with further growth in our bus and rail operations in the UK and North America. Against the background of pressure on household budgets and rising fuel costs, we are seeing increasing demand for our good value travel products. We are also seeing indications of a continuing trend of modal shift from the car to bus and rail.

Stagecoach is committed to providing safe, green and smart travel. We are also delivering long-term value to our shareholders by focusing on organic growth, continued investment in our services, and leveraging our commercial expertise and track-record of innovation.

Revenue for the six months ended 31 October 2011 was £1,293.7m (2010: £1,133.6m). Total operating profit (before intangible asset expenses and exceptional items) was £106.2m (2010: £124.7m). Earnings per share before intangible asset expenses and exceptional items were 10.1p (2010: 12.2p).

As we anticipated, a loss at East Midlands Trains resulted in a reduction in earnings per share for the six months relative to the corresponding period last year. However, from November, East Midlands Trains qualified for revenue support payments from the Department for Transport and as a result, we expect it to return to profitability in the second half of the year ending 30 April 2012.

We have taken proactive steps to ensure we manage effectively for our customers and our business the impact of reduced Government and local authority spending on public transport. At the same time, we remain focused closely on cost control and operational efficiency.

Our UK Bus regional operations continue to perform well and have proven to be financially robust in challenging macroeconomic conditions. We do not expect the recent Competition Commission review of the local bus market in the UK to result in any significant changes to the industry or our operations specifically. Our turnaround plan for our London bus operations remains on track. We have reduced costs, negotiated agreements to improve productivity and are reducing depot capacity.

In UK Rail, we have achieved further strong revenue growth in our commuter and long-distance rail operations at South Western Trains and East Midlands Trains. Both franchises, which are delivering above UK average levels of punctuality and customer satisfaction, earn contractual revenue support payments - East Midlands Trains since November 2011.

Our budget coach service, megabus.com, is proving successful in the United States and Canada, driving growth in our North America division. We have recently expanded to the southern United States, with the addition of an Atlanta hub. Expansion to new locations involves an initial high level of investment mileage. However, we expect to benefit from good margins on these routes as they become established.

In November, we completed the sale of our Wisconsin school bus operations. The sale enables us to focus management and capital in North America on less regulated operations, including the fast growing megabus.com.

Virgin Rail Group ("VRG") has attracted more business and leisure customers on the West Coast franchise, where it now provides around 30m passenger journeys a year. We are pleased that VRG has been awarded an eight-month extension of the West Coast franchise through to December 2012.

Stagecoach continues to explore rail franchise opportunities that we believe will add shareholder value. VRG remains shortlisted for the new long-term West Coast franchise and we expect the Department for Transport to announce details of the specification shortly.

South Western Trains is continuing to explore ways of working more closely with Network Rail and we are encouraged by Network Rail's commitment to devolve further operational and maintenance activities from the centre to the route. We continue to support greater integration of the management of train operations with the management of rail infrastructure and we believe this can both improve service for passengers and reduce costs in the UK rail industry in line with the Government's aspirations.

The Group completed the return of approximately £340m in cash to shareholders in October 2011 and we remain in a strong financial position. In line with the Group's good performance, the Directors have declared an interim dividend of 2.4p per share (2010: 2.2p), a 9.1% increase. The interim dividend is payable on 7 March 2012 to shareholders on the register at 10 February 2012. Stagecoach has made a good start to the second half of our financial year and current trading remains in line with our expectations.

I would like to thank our employees for their commitment and the key role they are playing in our success. We look forward with the confidence that our shareholders and employees can benefit from a number of exciting opportunities ahead. Our priorities will remain providing even better bus and rail services for our customers and ensuring good returns for our shareholders.

Sir George Mathewson

Chairman

7 December 2011

Interim management report

The Directors of Stagecoach Group plc are pleased to present their report on the Group for the six months ended 31 October 2011.

Description of the business

Stagecoach Group plc is a public limited company that is incorporated, domiciled and has its registered office in Scotland. Its ordinary shares are publicly traded and it is not under the control of any single shareholder. The Company has its primary listing on the London Stock Exchange. Throughout this document, Stagecoach Group plc is referred to as "the Company" and the group headed by it is referred to as "Stagecoach" or "the Group".

The Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. A description of each of the Group's operating divisions and joint ventures is given on page 3 of the 2011 Annual Report.

Overview of financial results

The Group has achieved continued good financial and operational performance in the six months ended 31 October 2011.

Revenue by division is summarised below:

Operating profit by division is summarised below:

UK Bus (regional operations)

Financial performance

The financial performance of the UK Bus (regional operations) division for the six months ended 31 October 2011 is summarised below:

* See definitions in note 21 to the condensed financial statements

Like-for-like passenger volume growth for the period was 1.4%. Like-for-like revenue was built up as follows:

We have delivered further revenue and passenger volume growth at our UK Bus (regional operations) whilst like-for-like vehicle miles operated reduced by 1.0%. Our focus on commercial revenue, where we have greater flexibility to manage pricing, service patterns and frequencies, is reflected in the like-for-like revenue growth of 6.5% reported for that category. The decline in concessionary revenue reflects pressure from local authorities to reduce concessionary reimbursement rates in light of budgetary pressures they face, which is also putting pressure on revenue from tendered and school services. Revenue from contracts has declined as a result of major events in the prior year period that did not recur such as providing services for the Ryder Cup golf event in Wales and the Pope's visit to Glasgow.

We are continuing to deliver sector-leading profit margins and good organic passenger volume growth through our value fares strategy, consistent investment in our fleet and roll-out of new technology solutions to make travel easier for our customers. We have expanded further our megabus.com budget coach product in the UK, adding more frequent services on key routes and new locations, as well as supporting our joint venture, Scottish Citylink, in trialling a new overnight sleeper coach service.

The improvement in operating margin was built up as follows:

Staff costs fell as a percentage of revenue, reflecting a continued focus on cost control and reduced pension costs. Fuel costs increased by £2.9m, reflecting unit costs under the Group's fuel hedging programme.

Cost control

We have taken sensible steps to manage cuts in public sector spending, as well as prepare for the 20% reductions in Bus Service Operators' Grant in England from April 2012, through changes to our fares and bus networks. Our focus continues to be on protecting services, targeting investment in areas where buses are most used by our customers, as well as ensuring our business continues to deliver good returns to our shareholders. These developments have also made our business less dependent on Government spending.

Regulatory developments

The Competition Commission inquiry into the local bus market in the UK (excluding London and Northern Ireland) has largely given the industry a clean bill of health and expressly ruled out structural change, price controls or increased regulation. In another of its key conclusions, it called on local transport authorities to embrace partnerships with bus operators. This approach has been successful in ensuring more bus priority measures, more investment and higher quality services, encouraging more people to switch from the car to greener bus travel. This is a positive outcome and we will continue to support further improvements which will lead to greater bus use and build on the already high levels of customer satisfaction.

Outlook

We expect revenue growth in the second half of the financial year ending 30 April 2012 to remain relatively modest, as the organic growth in commercial revenue is partially offset by pressure on concessionary, tendered and contract revenue. We remain positive on the prospects for the Division as we continue to focus on running good value commercial services where we have flexibility on fares and service patterns. The Division is well placed to deliver some growth in operating profit in the year ending 30 April 2012.

The Division has continued to perform well during weak macroeconomic conditions and a period of downward pressure on Government spending. This has reinforced our confidence in the robustness of the Division. As conditions improve, it is well placed to grow further by capitalising on rising environmental awareness and increasing road congestion.

UK Bus (London)

Financial performance

The financial performance of the UK Bus (London) division for the six months ended 31 October 2011 is summarised below:

On 14 October 2010, the Group completed the acquisition of the bus business formerly owned by East London Bus Group Limited, acquiring four companies that together operate the business.

The annualised revenue from contracts which we currently operate is around £217m. At the time of acquisition, the annualised revenue from contracts being operated was around £241m. The number of contracts being operated has reduced from 93 at the date of acquisition, to 85 at 31 October 2011. The loss of 5 of the contracts no longer being operated was as a result of unsuccessful bids submitted prior to our acquisition of the business.

Our turnaround programme for our London Bus operations is progressing to plan. We have achieved overhead cost savings through synergies with our other UK operations, and unit labour cost savings through reaching positive negotiated agreements with staff on working practices and productivity. One depot has been closed to more closely match capacity with our contract portfolio and hence improve operational efficiency.

Outlook

We are encouraged by early signs that our new tender strategy is now resulting in contract wins and retentions on realistic margins. Much work remains to be done, but we are pleased with the progress to date.

North America

Financial performance

The financial performance of the North America division for the six months ended 31 October 2011 is summarised below:

Like-for-like revenue was built up as follows:

Our focus on megabus.com and our scheduled service and commuter business has included redeploying fleet away from charter work to these businesses. This approach is reflected in the change in the mix of revenue. Since 31 October, we have disposed of the majority of our North American school bus operations, which represented US$14.5m of the revenue for the six months ended 31 October 2011.

Further megabus.com expansion is driving revenue growth in North America, where we recently added a hub in Atlanta serving 11 new cities in the South Eastern United States and increased the total cities served to 72. We have also started to deliver on other business models for the roll-out of the brand. In addition to directly operated services, we are using contractors for services outside our existing geographic footprint and are also considering opportunities for franchising the brand. While we have a relatively high level of investment mileage in this period of expansion, our mature routes are showing excellent operating margins.

The North American division has reported good growth in scheduled service and commuter revenue as these services have benefited from passenger volumes shifting to bus and coach travel from other forms of transport. School bus and contract revenue has held up well through difficult economic conditions.

The change in operating margin was built up as follows:

Fuel costs increased by US$7.9m, which is in part related to the increased mileage operated to support growth in megabus services, and also the fuel hedging arrangements mean that the average fuel cost per unit is higher than last year. Insurance and claim costs have decreased as a percentage of revenue from last year as the expense last year included provisions for a small number of significant individual claims. Staff costs fell as a percentage of revenue as we continue to focus on cost control. Materials and consumables costs have increased as a proportion of revenue mainly as a result of the ageing of the megabus.com fleet.

Outlook

The North America division continues to see excellent prospects for long-term growth although in the short-term the disposal of the Wisconsin school bus operations will affect the division's overall profit for the year ending 30 April 2012. The benefits of continuing revenue growth at our established operations and improving profits at some megabus.com hubs as they mature are expected to be offset by start up losses incurred at the megabus.com hubs launched in the last eighteen months. Looking further forward, the outlook remains positive with the prospect of improving profit across the newer megabus.com operations and ongoing growth in the other businesses.

UK Rail

Financial performance

The financial performance of the UK Rail division for the six months ended 31 October 2011 is summarised below:

The UK Rail division made an operating loss of £6.9m in the six months ended 31 October 2011 (2010: profit £22.9m). This was due to losses incurred at East Midlands Trains where revenue remains below the level forecast when the contract was originally awarded, and the premium payments made to the Department for Transport ("DfT") were agreed. From November 2011, East Midlands Trains earns revenue support payments, which will return that business to profitability for the second half of the year. South Western Trains, which also makes premium payments to the DfT, continues to receive revenue support.

The decline in operating margin was built up as follows:

The net amount paid to the DfT by our two rail franchises, which includes revenue support payments received at South Western Trains, has increased at a faster rate than revenue, as actual revenue growth has not been as high as was expected at the time the franchise contracts were awarded. Rolling stock costs have a large fixed element which is not subject to inflationary increases and therefore decrease as a proportion of revenue as revenue grows. Network Rail charges as a proportion of revenue have decreased as revenue growth has been higher than the inflationary increase in these costs, along with changes in the amount of performance regime income received. Traction energy costs have increased broadly in line with the rate of revenue growth, though higher diesel cost rises have been offset by lower electricity for traction costs. Staff costs have in general seen inflationary increases, along with some savings from more efficient use of staff, which has resulted in staff costs growing at a lower rate than revenue.

The Group disposed of its Manchester tram operations, Stagecoach Metrolink Limited, in August 2011, realising an £8.2m gain on disposal.

Operational performance and passenger satisfaction

Strong revenue growth in our UK Rail division has been underpinned by consistently high levels of punctuality and customer satisfaction. South Western Trains was recently named Passenger Operator of the Year and operational performance at our East Midlands Trains and South Western Trains franchises is amongst the highest of the UK train operators. The most recent figures show that the moving annual average for punctuality at South Western Trains is 92.7% and at East Midlands Trains is 92.0%. Satisfaction amongst our passengers also remains high. The latest National Passenger Survey, carried out during Spring 2011, shows overall satisfaction of 85% at South Western Trains and 86% at East Midlands Trains.

[1] Punctuality is measured on the basis of the Department for Transport’s Public Performance Measure, being the percentage of trains that arrive at their final destination within 5 minutes (or 10 minutes for inter-city services) of their scheduled arrival time having called at all scheduled stations. Figures quoted are taken from the latest train performance results, which measured punctuality to 12 November 2011.

Cost control

We continue to critically review our operational cost base to identify and drive out efficiency savings. South Western Trains and Network Rail continue to explore ways of delivering greater vertical integration of the management of the railway infrastructure and the management of the train service with a view to further enhancing efficiency and improving the service to passengers.

Rail franchises

Stagecoach Group will continue to identify rail franchise opportunities we believe can add shareholder value. While we were disappointed not to have been successful in the recent Greater Anglia competition, the DfT programme for the medium-term will see at least 7 franchises market tested within the next 3 years and we will seek to add to our existing portfolio where we believe there is the right risk-reward profile.

Outlook

The profit of our existing rail franchises is now less sensitive to macroeconomic conditions given the availability of revenue support. Revenue growth remains good and with the receipt of revenue support at East Midlands Trains from November 2011, the UK Rail Division should be profitable for the year ending 30 April 2012, although we expect the level of profit to be lower than in recent years.

Virgin Rail Group

Financial performance

The financial performance of the Group's Virgin Rail joint venture for the six months ended 31 October 2011 is summarised below:

Virgin Rail Group ("VRG") has continued to grow its business and leisure base on the West Coast franchise. The VRG operating margin of 5.6% is 140 basis points lower than the same period last year, mainly because the increase in the premia payments payable by VRG to the DfT was proportionately higher than the growth in passenger revenue.

We have been disappointed over recent months by the deterioration in the performance of the infrastructure on the West Coast Mainline. VRG continues to press Network Rail for changes that will deliver better, more consistent infrastructure performance to reverse the recent decline in train punctuality.

VRG has agreed an eight month extension to the franchise, which has been extended to 8 December 2012. This is good news for passengers and it will also deliver value for money to taxpayers. As well as providing continuity of service over the period of the London 2012 Olympics, the extension includes management of the introduction of more than 100 new Pendolino train carriages, which will in time deliver an extra 28,000 seats a day.

We expect the Group's share of VRG's profit after tax for the extension period from 1 April 2012 to 8 December 2012 to be below £10.0m. This expected return reflects the relatively low revenue risk in the extension period and the strategic importance to VRG of it remaining the franchise incumbent. VRG is currently in receipt of contractual revenue support payments from the DfT under the West Coast franchise. The DfT's target revenue for the franchise extension is challenging and VRG expects to be in revenue support for the extension period. If the revenue is higher than the DfT's target revenue then the DfT will receive 80% of the difference, and if it is lower, VRG will receive 80% of the shortfall.

VRG has pre-qualified to bid for the new West Coast rail franchise, which will start on 9 December 2012 and run until 31 March 2026, with an option to be extended by up to 20 months. The Invitation to Tender document is expected to be published by the DfT early in 2012. VRG intends to submit a value for money and compelling bid for the franchise. It will aim to enhance further the industry-leading levels of customer satisfaction and build on the growth in annual passenger journeys, which have risen from around 14 million to around 30 million in just 7 years, following significant investment in new trains and improved infrastructure.

Outlook

VRG expects to continue to report good profit through to the end of the now extended West Coast franchise in December 2012, will submit a strong bid for the new West Coast franchise, and will evaluate opportunities to bid for other major inter-city rail franchises as they come up for re-tender.

Twin America

Financial performance

The financial performance of the Group's Twin America joint venture for the six months ended 31 October 2011 is summarised below:

The tax treatment of our share of profit is such that the joint venture's own profit is partially taxed but an additional tax charge falls on the joint venture partners and the effect of that on the Group is included within "taxation" in the consolidated income statement.

We are pleased by the strong financial performance of our Twin America joint venture in the six months ended 31 October 2011. The main New York sightseeing operation has continued to deliver a high operating margin. In June 2011, Twin America commenced sightseeing boat tours on the River Hudson around Manhattan, where demand has been encouraging and these operations have generated operating profit over the past quarter. The outlook for Twin America remains positive.

Depreciation and intangible asset expenses

Earnings from continuing operations before interest, taxation, depreciation, intangible asset expenses and exceptional items (pre-exceptional EBITDA) amounted to £156.6 m (2010: £171.7m). Pre-exceptional EBITDA can be reconciled to the condensed financial statements as follows:

The income statement charge for intangible assets increased from £4.4m to £6.8m as the intangible assets acquired with the East London Bus business in October 2010 are amortised. Of the charge, £2.5m (2010: £2.5m) related to joint ventures.

Exceptional items

A pre-tax exceptional gain of £8.2m was recognised in the six months ended 31 October 2011, being the gain on the disposal of the Group's Manchester tram operations, Stagecoach Metrolink Limited. In addition, a £0.1m pre-tax exceptional loss was recognised in relation to adjustments to amounts receivable from previous disposals.

Finance costs

Net finance costs for the six months ended 31 October 2011 were £17.5m (2010: £16.0m) and can be further analysed as follows:

Taxation

The effective tax rate for the six months ended 31 October 2011, excluding exceptional items, was 24.2% (2010: 23.4%). This is around 100 basis points higher than the expected tax rate for the year ending 30 April 2012 due to the seasonality of taxable profits in different tax territories. The tax charge for continuing operations can be analysed as follows:

Fuel costs

The Group's operations as at 31 October 2011 consume approximately 370m litres of diesel fuel per annum. As a result, the Group's profit is exposed to movements in the underlying price of fuel. The Group's fuel costs include the costs of delivery and duty as well as the costs of the underlying product. Accordingly, not all of the cost varies with movements in oil prices.

The proportion of the Group's projected fuel usage that is now hedged using fuel swaps is as follows:

The Group has no fuel hedges in place for periods beyond 30 April 2016.

Cash flows

Net cash from operating activities before tax for the six months ended 31 October 2011 was £170.2m (2010: £116.6m) and can be further analysed as follows:

The £41.0m working capital inflow is due mainly to the timing of rail industry payment cycles, which is expected to reverse over the second half of the year.

Net cash from operating activities before tax was £170.2m (2010: £116.6m) and after tax was £159.9m (2010: £110.8m). Net cash outflows from investing activities were £48.8m (2010: £125.2m), which included in the prior year £56.7m in relation to acquisitions and net cash used in financing activities was £225.7m (2010: £19.1m), which includes the part of the return of cash to shareholders that was funded from excess cash.

Return of cash

A return of cash to shareholders of approximately £340m was completed in October 2011. This equated to 47p per ordinary share. The return of cash was approved by shareholders at a General Meeting on 7 October 2011. Note 14 to the condensed financial statements includes further information on the return of cash.

Net debt

Net debt (as analysed in note 17 to the condensed financial statements) increased from £280.9m at 30 April 2011 to £552.4m at 31 October 2011, primarily due to the return of cash to shareholders. The Group's net debt at 31 October 2011 is further analysed below:

The net impact of purchases of property, plant and equipment for the six months on net debt was £107.8m (2010: £83.3m). This primarily related to expenditure on passenger service vehicles, and comprised cash outflows of £99.9m (2010: £78.0m) and new hire purchase and finance lease debt of £7.9m (2010: £5.3m). In addition, £43.1m (2010: £9.6m) cash was received from disposals of property, plant and equipment.

Liquidity and bank re-financing

The Group's financial position remains strong and is evidenced by:

·; The ratio of net debt at 31 October 2011 to pre-exceptional EBITDA for the twelve months ended 31 October 2011 was 1.7 times (2010: 1.0 times).

·; Pre-exceptional EBITDA for the six months ended 31 October 2011 was 9.0 times (2010: 10.8 times) net finance charges (including joint venture net finance income).

·; Undrawn, committed bank facilities of £225.6m at 31 October 2011 (30 April 2011: £423.6m) were available to be drawn as bank loans with further amounts available only for non-cash utilisation. Headroom has increased since 31 October 2011, principally due to the sale of the Wisconsin School bus operations. In addition, the Group continues to have available asset finance lines.

·; The three main credit rating agencies continue to assign investment grade credit ratings to the Group.

The Group's main bank facilities are committed through to 2016.

Capital expenditure

Additions to property, plant and equipment for the six-month period were:

The differences between the amounts shown above and the impact of capital expenditure on net debt arose from movements in fixed asset deposits and creditors.

Business combinations and disposals

On 1 August 2011, the Group completed the sale of its subsidiary, Stagecoach Metrolink Limited, to Ratp Dev UK Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ratp Développement. Stagecoach Metrolink Limited operates and maintains the Manchester Metrolink tram network under a ten-year contract with Transport for Greater Manchester through to July 2017. An £8.2m gain on disposal has been reported within exceptional items.

The Group has made no other significant acquisitions or disposals in the six months ended 31 October 2011.

Net liabilities

Net liabilities at 31 October 2011 were £98.3m (30 April 2011: net assets £246.2m) with the decrease in net assets primarily reflecting the return of cash to shareholders in October 2011, actuarial losses on Group defined benefit pension schemes of £15.3m after tax and after-tax movements on Group cash flow hedges of £29.8m, partly offset by strong results for the six months.

Retirement benefit obligations

The reported net liabilities of £98.3m (30 April 2011: net assets £246.2m) that are shown on the consolidated balance sheet are after taking account of net pre-tax retirement benefit liabilities of £101.7m (30 April 2011: £97.1m), and associated deferred tax assets of £25.4m (30 April 2011: £25.2m).

The Group recognised pre-tax actuarial losses of £19.1m in the six months ended 31 October 2011 (2010: pre-tax actuarial gains £74.7m) on Group defined benefit schemes.

Related parties

Details of significant transactions and events in relation to related parties are given in note 19 to the condensed financial statements.

Principal risks and uncertainties

Like most businesses, there are a range of risks and uncertainties facing the Group. A brief summary of the principal risks and uncertainties is given below. The principal risks and uncertainties facing the Group have not changed since the publication of the Group's 2011 Annual Report, where a more detailed explanation of the risks and uncertainties can be found on pages 14 to 16. These matters are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible risks and uncertainties. In assessing the Group's likely financial performance for the second half of the current financial year, these risks and uncertainties should be considered in addition to the matters referred to regarding seasonality in note 3 to the condensed financial statements, and the comments made later under the heading "current trading and outlook".

The focus below is on those specific risks and uncertainties that the Directors believe could have the most significant impact on the Group's performance.

·; Catastrophic events- there is a risk that the Group is involved (directly or indirectly) in a major operational incident.

·; Terrorism - there is a risk that the demand for the Group's services could be adversely affected by a significant terrorist incident.

·; Economy - the economic environment in the geographic areas in which the Group operates affects the demand for the Group's bus and rail services.

·; Rail cost base- a substantial element of the cost base of the UK Rail division is essentially fixed as under its UK rail franchise agreements, the Group is obliged to provide a minimum level of train services and is less able to flex supply in response to changes in demand.

·; Sustainability of rail profits - there is a risk that the Group's revenue and profit could be significantly affected (either positively or negatively) as a result of the Group winning new UK rail franchises or failing to retain its existing franchises.

·; Breach of franchise- if the Group fails to comply with certain conditions as part of its rail franchise agreements it may be liable to penalties including potential termination of one or more of the rail franchise agreements.

·; Pension scheme funding - the Group participates in a number of defined benefit pension schemes, and there is a risk that the cash contributions required increase or decrease due to changes in factors such as investment performance, discount rates and life expectancies.

·; Insurance and claims environment - there is a risk that the cost to the Group of settling claims against it is significantly higher or lower than expected.

·; Regulatory changes and availability of public funding - there is a risk that changes to the regulatory environment or changes to the availability of public funding could affect the Group's prospects.

·; Management and board succession - succession planning for the Directors and senior management is an important issue.

·; Disease - there is a risk that demand for the Group's services could be adversely affected by a significant outbreak of disease.

·; Information technology- there is a risk that the Group's capability to make Internet sales either fails or cannot meet levels of demand.

·; Treasury risks- the Group is affected by changes in fuel prices, interest rates and exchange rates.

Current trading and outlook

The Group has made a good start to the second half of its financial year ending 30 April 2012. We expect that the financial performance will be boosted by a return to profitability at East Midlands Trains, now that it earns revenue support payments. We have been encouraged by the revenue growth at all divisions in the financial year to date and this bodes well for the future.

Our strategy remains centered on delivering organic growth in passenger volumes and revenue whilst also evaluating the potential to add shareholder value through selected rail franchises and business acquisitions. As we have noted before, the conditions for long-term growth in passenger transport are good with rising environmental concerns, increasing road congestion and higher motoring costs. The Group is well placed to benefit from these positive conditions by continuing to provide good value transport services with an emphasis on safety, punctuality and customer satisfaction generally.

Sir Brian Souter

Chief Executive

7 December 2011

Responsibility Statement

We confirm that to the best of our knowledge:

(a) the condensed consolidated interim financial information contained in this document has been prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standard 34, "Interim Financial Reporting" as adopted by the European Union;

(b) the interim management report contained in this document includes a fair review of the information required by the Financial Services Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules ("DTR") 4.2.7R (indication of important events during the first six months and description of principal risks and uncertainties for the remaining six months of the year); and

(c) this document includes a fair review of the information required by DTR 4.2.8R (disclosure of related party transactions and changes therein).

By order of and on behalf of the Board

Sir Brian Souter Martin Griffiths

Chief Executive Finance Director

7 December 2011 7 December 2011

Cautionary statement

The preceding interim management report and Chairman's statement have been prepared for the shareholders of the Company, as a body, and no other persons. Their purpose is to assist shareholders of the Company to assess the strategies adopted by the Company and the potential for those strategies to succeed and for no other purpose. The interim management report and Chairman's statement contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risk factors associated with, amongst other things, the economic and business circumstances occurring from time to time in the countries, sectors and markets in which the Group operates. It is believed that the expectations reflected in these statements are reasonable but they may be affected by a wide range of variables that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. No assurances can be given that the forward-looking statements will be realised. The forward-looking statements reflect the knowledge and information available at the date of preparation. Nothing in the Chairman's statement or in the interim management report should be considered or construed as a profit forecast for the Group. Except as required by law, the Group has no obligation to update forward-looking statements or to correct any inaccuracies therein.

CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT

The accompanying notes form an integral part of this consolidated income statement.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET (STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION)

The retained earnings deficit of £534.3m (30 April 2011: £217.4m) is the consolidated position. The holding company's distributable reserves as at 31 October 2011 under UK GAAP were £247.3m (30 April 2011: £453.4m).

The accompanying notes form an integral part of this consolidated balance sheet.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY (UNAUDITED)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

Cash and cash equivalents for the purposes of the consolidated cash flow statement comprise cash at bank and in hand, overdrafts and other short-term highly liquid investments with maturities at the balance sheet date of twelve months or less.

The accompanying notes form an integral part of this consolidated statement of cash flows.

NOTES

The condensed consolidated interim financial information for the six months ended 31 October 2011 has been prepared in accordance with the Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the Financial Services Authority and International Accounting Standard 34, "Interim Financial Reporting", as adopted by the European Union. The condensed consolidated interim financial information should be read in conjunction with the annual financial statements for the year ended 30 April 2011, which have been prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union. The accounting policies applied are consistent with those of the annual financial statements for the year ended 30 April 2011, as described on pages 46 to 53 of the Group's 2011 annual report which can be found on the Stagecoach Group website at http://www.stagecoach.com/investors/financial-analysis/reports/.

This condensed consolidated interim financial information for the six months ended 31 October 2011 has not been audited, nor has the comparative financial information for the six months ended 31 October 2010 but they have both been reviewed by the auditors. The comparative financial information presented in this announcement for the year ended 30 April 2011 does not constitute statutory accounts as defined in section 434 of the Companies Act 2006 and does not reflect all of the information contained in the Company's annual financial statements. The annual financial statements for the year ended 30 April 2011, which were approved by the Board of Directors on 29 June 2011, received an unqualified audit report, did not contain an emphasis of matter paragraph, did not contain a statement under section 498(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006 and have been filed with the Registrar of Companies.

The Board of Directors approved this announcement, including the condensed consolidated interim financial information, on 7 December 2011. This announcement will shortly be available on the Group's website at http://www.stagecoach.com/investors/financial-analysis/reports/.

New standards, amendments to standards and interpretations that are mandatory for the first time for the financial year beginning 1 May 2011 do not have any significant effect on the consolidated financial statements of the Group.

The principal rates of exchange used to translate the results of foreign operations are as follows:

The Group's North American bus operations and the Twin America joint venture typically earn higher operating profit for the first half of the financial year (i.e. the six months ended 31 October) than for the second half. This is because leisure customers generate an element of the revenue with demand being at its strongest in the summer months.

In the current financial year, the Group's UK Rail Division is expected to be more profitable in the second half of the financial year than the first half due to the timing of the Group's East Midlands Trains franchise becoming eligible for revenue support payments.

The Group is managed, and reports internally, on a basis consistent with its four continuing operating segments, being UK Bus (regional operations), UK Bus (London), North America and UK Rail. The Group's IFRS accounting policies are applied consistently, where appropriate, to each segment.

The segmental information provided in this note is on the basis of four operating segments as follows:

The basis of segmentation is consistent with the Group's last annual financial statements for the year ended 30 April 2011.

The Group has interests in three joint ventures: Virgin Rail Group that operates in UK Rail, Citylink that operates in UK Bus (regional operations) and Twin America that operates in North America. The results of these joint ventures are shown separately in note 4(c).

Due to the nature of the Group's business, the origin and destination of revenue is the same in all cases. As the Group sells bus and rail services to individuals, it has few customers that are individually "major". Its major customers are typically public bodies that subsidise or procure transport services - such customers include local authorities, transport authorities and the UK Department for Transport.

Revenue split by segment was as follows:

Operating profit split by segment was as follows:

The share of profit from joint ventures was further split as follows: