Halma develops and sells products for use in the enhancement of public safety and for minimising hazards in the workplace. Its six business divisions cover the development and supply of visual warning systems, toxic gas and smoke detectors, electronic alarm systems and water leakage detectors.

Recent deals have taken the company into medical tests that show some promise. The company has no debt and good dividend growth

Halma at new record
Date: 21 June 2005

LONDON (ShareCast) - Engineer and fire safety products specialist Halma reported another record year despite difficult trading conditions and an adverse currency and raw material hit of 2.5m.

Underlying profits in the year to March rose to 50.4m, from 50.3m, despite currencies moving against it. Sales rose 2% to 299.1m. Pre-tax profits came in at 44.9m against 36.9m.

Resistors and water had a difficult year, chairman Geoff Unwin said, though other sectors held their own or were better.

'Overall, despite little fundamental help from our markets, we remain cautiously optimistic for the year ahead,' he added.

The dividend for the year goes up by 5% to 6.5p.

Decent set of interim figures again today - a classic example of the best companies having few followers on these boards. Market cap now well over £2bn.

Has to be one of the best FTSE250 performers over many years. Excellent interims again today. Market cap now £2.8Bn. Hope a few more have enjoyed HLMA success.

Halma's amazing record run continues
By Lee Wild | Tue, 14th June 2016 - 14:00

UK technology smoke alarms Halma profits reliable dividend growth 37 years If there was a prize for consistency, Halma (HLMA) would probably win it. I seem to write that, or something like it, every time I cover the smoke detectors and automatic door sensors firm, but now, more than ever, it's a point worth ramming home.
Halma delivered a thirteenth consecutive year of record revenue and profit in the 53 weeks to 2 April. It also increased the dividend by 7%, the 37th year in a row it's risen by 5% or more. It can do this because management has built a highly diversified, defensive business with four divisions. A tough year at one is offset by strength at the others.

Adjusted pre-tax profit grew by 8% to £166 million on revenue up 11% to £808 million, or up 3% and 6% respectively at organic constant currency. Three of the divisions - infrastructure safety, medical, and environmental and analysis - had a record year, which offset a 15% organic decline in constant currency profit at the oil-related process safety unit.

"Given the varied market conditions you're reminded of the strength of strategy and business model, like regulation, healthcare, demand for water," chief executive Andrew Williams told Interactive Investor on Tuesday. "We offer some certainty in an uncertain environment."

Crucially, Williams also said that order intake continues to exceed revenue and order intake last year, and at this early stage, the company is on track to meet expectations.

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Halma is diversified geographically, too. Every major region posted top line growth and revenue grew by 22%, or 9% at organic constant currency, in the US, Halma's largest market.

More money was spent on Mergers and Acquisitions last year than ever before. Four deals got done last year, at a cost of £193 million, almost half of which went on American sensors firm CenTrak, which enables real-time monitoring of doctors and hospital assets. Expect more smaller deals in future as many large businesses are overpriced.

"We continue to believe in Halma's quality and today's results are further demonstration of its defensive growth traits, and remain positive on the shares on a long-term basis," wrote analysts at Barclays.

"Our only struggle, given our 12-month ratings horizon, is with the significant valuation premium the shares are already ascribed relative to its UK industrial peers."

Halma shares currently trade on a price/earnings (PE) ratio of 24.7 times consensus earnings estimates for 2017. That's a 43% premium to the UK industrial sector average compared with a five-year average premium of 27.5%.

Wee punt, Trading Statement Thursday, Limit Buy filled on the spreads @ 981p

Bit of a result, never traded this before moved my stop right up to lock in profits. RNS below:-

The results for the year ending 1 April 2017 will be released on 13 June 2017.

Audit Tender conclusion

Halma has concluded an external audit tender process and intends to propose to shareholders, at the 2017 Annual General Meeting, the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as auditor for the accounting year ending 31 March 2018.

The decision follows a competitive process undertaken by the Audit Committee, concluding with a recommendation, approved by the Board, to appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Further details of the tender process will be included in the Company's Annual Report and Accounts 2017.

The current Statutory Auditor, Deloitte LLP, will continue in its role and undertake the audit of Halma plc for the year ending 1 April 2017.



For further information, please contact:

Halma plc Tel: +44 (0)1494 721111
Andrew Williams, Chief Executive
Kevin Thompson, Finance Director

MHP Communications Tel: +44 (0)20 3128 8100
Rachel Hirst/Andrew Jaques


Notes:

1.
Adjusted profit before tax is before amortisation of acquired intangible assets, acquisition items and profit or loss on disposal of operations and restructuring.

2.
The Board believes current market forecasts for adjusted profit before tax to be in the range of £183.7 million to £199.4 million with a consensus of £191.4 million.

3.
This Trading Update is based on unaudited management accounts information and has been prepared solely to provide additional information to the shareholders of Halma plc. It should not be relied on by any other party, for other purposes. Forward-looking statements have been made by the Directors in good faith using information available up until the date that they approved this statement. Forward-looking statements should be regarded with caution because of the inherent uncertainties in economic trends and business risks.

4.
A copy of this announcement, together with other information about Halma, may be viewed on its website: www.halma.com

Well done CC - but as I believe Warren Buffett's mate Charlie Munger once said "You make your real money by waiting, not by buying and selling". If you had held Halma since the 1970s, a classic example!

partridge - Hindsight is wonderful can't disagree with your sentiments, in the 1970's I was more interested in my career and had no knowledge or interest in stocks and shares, wish I had now of course. I only became interested and started trading/investing in the Stock Market in 2006. To me it is a hobby, I won't be alive in forty or fifty years time so long term investing not really an option for me personally.