18 Apr 2018 07:00
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Press Release | 18 April 2018 |
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System1 Group PLC (AIM: SYS1)
formerly BrainJuicer Group PLC
("System1", or "the Company", or "the Group")
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Trading update for the twelve months to 31 March 2018
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System1, the marketing services group, today releases the following trading update for the twelve months ended 31 March 2018 ("2017/18"). The Company changed its year-end last year and its previous audited financial statements relate to the 15 months ended 31 March 2017. To ensure like-for-like comparisons, percentage changes shown below have been calculated using, as the base, unaudited results for the twelve months ended 31 March 2017 ("2016/17", and where mentioned "last year" refers to 2016/17).
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As previously announced, trading during 2017/18 has been disappointing. Gross Profit (the Company's main top-line performance indicator) declined by some 18% (17% in constant currency) to Β£22.2m. The Company has responded with new product offerings and reductions in its cost base. After 8% Overhead Cost growth in H1 (vs the comparable prior-year period), Overhead Costs over the year as a whole have declined by approximately 2%.
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This decline in Overhead Costs is due in part to a decline in Share based Payments (following the sharp fall in the Company's share price over the last twelve months), from Β£0.7m last year to approximately Β£0.1m this year, and in part to a reduction in employee bonuses from Β£2.3m last year to less than Β£0.1m this year. It also reflects a reduction in headcount over H2.
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As a result, the Company now expects Profit before Tax to be in the range of approximately Β£1.6mΒ to Β£2.0m for the year.
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The Company returned Β£4.2m to shareholders by way of dividends during 2017/18, and yet still had a healthy net cash balance of Β£5.7m at 31 March 2018 (31 March 2017: Β£8.3m).
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The Company will announce its audited financial results on 1 June 2018.
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The Company can be found at www.system1group.com.
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The information contained within this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
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For further information, please contact:
System1 Group PLC | Tel: +44 (0)20 7043 1000 | Β |
John Kearon, Chief Executive Officer | Β | Β |
James Geddes, Chief Financial Officer | Β | Β |
Canaccord Genuity Limited | Tel: +44 (0)20 7523 8000 | |
Simon Bridges / Emma Gabriel | Β | |
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