SUPERB RESULTS

REG - Optimal Payments PLC - Interim Results19 Sep 2012 - 07:01

For best results when printing this announcement, please click on the link below: http://pdf.reuters.com/Regnews/regnews.asp?i=43059c3bf0e37541&u=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20120919:nRSS5828Ma RNS Number : 5828M Optimal Payments PLC 19 September 2012 Optimal Payments Plc Interim Results for the six months ended 30 June 2012 Strong first half growth, on track to exceed full year market expectations Optimal Payments Plc (LSE: OPAY) ("Optimal Payments", the "Group" or the "Company"), a leading online payments provider, today announces its results for the six months ended 30 June 2012. Highlights · EBITDA(1) up 76% to $11.2m (H1 2011: $6.4m). · Revenues up 37% to $78.9m (H1 2011: $57.4m). Fixed costs marginally down following headcount reduction in Q1. · Profit before tax $1.7m (H1 2011: loss of $4.1m). · Strong organic growth from NETBANX Straight Through Processing division ("STP"), up 68% to $61.9m (H1 2011: $36.9m) with continued strength and growth in Asia. · NETELLER Stored Value ("SV") revenues down to $16.2m (2011:$18.0m(2)) principally as a result of the fallout from Black Friday(3) in H1 2011. § Initiatives undertaken in H1 have produced improved results in second half to date. Major investment in NETELLER SV platform now complete and cost base aligned. § US online gaming opportunity taking shape. · Strong demand from existing customers and from new customers won during the first half including Ford Credit, Hockey Canada and Rona. Commercial agreement signed with Lotus F1 Team. · Strong H1 revenue exit run rate positions the Company for further growth in second half and on track to exceed the market consensus full year expectations. Financial summary (unaudited) Six months ended 30 June 2012 2011(5) US$ million US$ million Revenue Straight Through Processing (NETBANX bureau & gateway services) 61.9 36.9 Stored Value (NETELLER eWallet & Net+ cards) 16.2 18.0 Stored Value - discontinued revenues (4) - 2.1 Investment income 0.7 0.4 Total Revenue 78.9 57.4 EBITDA (1) 11.2 6.4 Profit/(loss) before tax 1.7 (4.1) Tax (charge)/recovery (6) (2012 charge relates to 2004/5 period) (2.5) 0.5 Net loss for the period (0.8) (3.6) (1) EBITDA is defined as results of operating activities before depreciation and amortisation and exceptional non-recurring items which are defined as items of income and expense of such size, nature or incidence, that in the view of management their disclosure is relevant to explain the performance of the Group. (2) Excluding discontinued revenues - see note 4. (3) "Black Friday" refers to the regulatory action taken in April 2011 against certain major poker operators which resulted in many players ceasing to play poker worldwide. (4) Discontinued revenues were derived from e-money expiry which is now subject to different rules under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011. (5) 2011 comparables include only 5 months of revenues and costs from the OP Inc business acquired on 1 February 2011. (6) Tax charge in the period relates to expected reassessment of 2004/5 Canadian taxes following a review by the Canadian Revenue Agency which commenced in 2005. The Board has made a full provision for the amount it believes it is likely to be required to pay in respect of withholding taxes and interest. See note 17 in the Financial Statements for more detail. Commenting on today's results announcement, Joel Leonoff, President & CEO, said: The combination of NETELLER and OP Inc. has produced a multi-faceted payment product offering and positioned the emerged business Optimal Payments Plc to benefit from a rapidly evolving online payment market. Our efforts have resulted in a fully integrated and right-sized business with an efficient cost base. Our operationally geared business model, continued focus on product development and R&D, along with our strong presence in the internet payment market have combined to produce significant organic revenue and EBITDA growth. Our H1 results and strong foundation position the Company well for further growth in H2. The online payment industry continues to consolidate and the Group should benefit from the expected significant growth in both the online and mobile commerce markets. We see substantial opportunities to provide innovative solutions to merchants and consumers in both the NETELLER eWallet and NETBANX

Not me!! I am sure there is more to come.

End of year Trading Update next monday chap from shares mag says.

Last year it beat expectations.

New 450p broker SP target today.


Holding firm in fact might add tomorrow.

Another good day here for us - wonder what the results will be on Monday?

I hope it bodes well for the results having been a green day today. All the best 3m.

On my screen dc it is up 13.25 so that is blue to me. I know I went out for lunch this afternoon which is a rare occasion and have had half a bottle of red wine but my screen definitely looks blue but cheers anyway.

Green on the charts.

Not your fault dc money am reckon it opened at £396 25 and closed at £406.75 so my calculation is that it went up 10.50 and not 13.25 so perhaps their mathematical calculations are different to mine. However I like you can only state what it says. mmm!!!!

Well done anyway, one of many for you lets hope. :-))

Its up 13.25p on other sites as well 3m. Looks good

Broker Berenberg upped its SP Target to 452p last week.........saying a mooted acquisition will see this surpassed.

Hopefully this will happen and even higher than that in the not too distant future.

Tomorrow may tell us some good results, not long to go now, good bad or indifferent. Don't know whether to phone money am tomorrow as every time I go to investors room I keep getting thrown into some betting programme, i.e. poker game, and various other betting sites. Anyone else experiencing this irritating experience?

Strange no probs here 3m.

Still cant find out how that bloke from shares mag knew trading statement was tomorrow but he swears blind.

I have actually looked during the course of the day on LSE comments and they are of the same opinion that the statement should come out tomorrow -there again I am not convinced that many of them on there are not on here also so who knows, we shall see. My other problem still persists so shall ring money a.m. or so be it there could be something in my computer like another bug, just for a change. Cheers gf.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Just had BET FRED on now, I am getting very irate. Have to keep calm and relax.

Far from a computer expert 3m, can you not do a computer restore to an earlier date that your computer worked fine .

Thank you dc but I don't know how to do that.

Just shut down the moneyam page, press the start button far left ,type in restore down the bottom corner in the search programmes and files box and run through the instructions given. The computer should throw up some dates you can restore your computer too.

Think you got some malware in your system somehow, do a scan with spybot search an destroy and malware bytes might be good. BB