Interim Management Statement
Summary
The Group has continued to make progress and, in the period under review, achieved revenue and earnings in line with management expectations.
The Group reconfirms its expectation of an outcome for its current financial year in line with that anticipated in April 2013, at the time of its Half Year Results.
In light of the improving prospects in both Advanced Engineered Products ("AEP") and the majority of the Engineered Conveyor Solutions ("ECS") businesses and notwithstanding current conditions in the Australian mining industry, the Group looks forward to a return to growth in its 2013/14 financial year.
Trading
During the period under review, the ECS division in North America achieved order levels and revenues which showed continuing improvement from the uncharacteristically soft demand in the second half of 2012. ECS's business in Australia was, as anticipated, impacted by the widely reported and continuing pressures on expenditure in the mining industry. ECS's businesses in other locations generally continued to trade well.
In the AEP division, activity levels have continued to improve following the destocking experienced in the early months of the financial year. There has been a particularly strong performance by Fenner Advanced Sealing Technologies, which is benefitting from the strength of its industry-leading brands and technologies, its exposure to the oil & gas industry as well as recent acquisitions. Other AEP businesses have also generally performed well and in line with previous expectations.
Balance sheet and financing
The Group's balance sheet remains strong with borrowings at a level consistent with management's expectations.
Disposal
On 29 April 2013, the Group sold Svenska Brandslangfabriken AB, a non-core business in Sweden, which was acquired as part of the Mandals businesses on 3 September 2012. Net cash proceeds before selling costs were SEK 46.4m (£4.6m at current exchange rates).
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