Cineworld Group plc was founded in 1995 and is now one of the leading cinema groups in Europe. Originally a private company, it re-registered as a public company in May 2006 and listed on the London Stock Exchange in May 2007. Currently, Cineworld Group plc is the only quoted UK cinema business.
In December 2012, the Group acquired the Picturehouse chain of cinemas consisting of 21 cinemas, and in February 2014, the combination with Cinema City completed, creating the second largest cinema business in Europe (by number of screens). The enlarged Group now has 217 sites and a total of 2,000 fully digital screens. Our portfolio includes four out of the ten highest grossing cinemas in the UK and Ireland. We pride ourselves on outstanding picture quality and atmospheric surround sound; the soft, deep-down comfort of our modern seating; the crunch of our popcorn; and, most importantly, the friendliest customer service around. All our sites are digital, and we are one of the market leaders in 3D, a format which will become increasingly important.
In 2014, Cineworld accounted for 82.9 million admissions, had revenues of £619.4 million and an Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) before exceptional items of £126.6 million.

Half Yearly Report

Highlights
· Group revenue growth was 21.9% from £165.4m to £201.6m on a statutory basis;
· Cineworld Cinemas' revenue growth was 10.5% driven by increased Box Office receipts, up 10.5% at £131.0m (2012: £118.6m);
· Picturehouse revenue growth was 12.9% on a pro forma basis3;
· EBITDA growth was 22.1% on a statutory basis and 11.1% on a pro forma basis3;
· The Group including Picturehouse is the largest cinema operator in the UK & Ireland combined with a market share of 27.7%. Cineworld Cinemas' increased its market share4 to 25.2% (2012: 24.7%);
· Interim dividend increased by 7.9% to 4.1p;
· Net debt reduced by £6.4m from £126.9m in December 2012 to £120.5m in June 2013;
· Strong growth in Unlimited subscriber base - currently in excess of 350k members; and
· 2 million new MyCineworld registrations since the abolition of online booking fees in March 2012, taking the number of members to over 3 million.

Numis Add 390.63 425.00 450.00 Reiterates

N+1 Singer Buy 390.63 402.00 402.00 Reiterates

Canaccord Genuity Buy 390.63 360.00 450.00 Reiterates

Investec Buy 390.63 380.00 - Retains

3D effect boosts Cineworld
By Jamie Nimmo August 15 2013, 10:13am



3D films have proved a popular viewing choice for children3D films have proved a popular viewing choice for children

A string of 3D Box Office hits boosted ticket sales at Cineworld (LON:CINE) in the first half of 2013.

Britain’s biggest cinema operator said that even though there were fewer films in 3D, which are more expensive to view, they made up 30.5% of ticket sales, compared with just 18.5% last year.

"Les Miserables", "Iron Man 3", and "Star Trek: Into Darkness" all featured in 3D as demand picked up for the viewing choice.

“Film studios are becoming increasingly adept in discerning the genre and target audience of 3D films and the quality of 3D film product remains critical,” said chief executive Stephen Wiener.

Box office sales at Cineworld rose 10.5% to £131mln thanks to a 4.7% increase in the average ticket price to £5.39, which was largely due to the 3D effect.

Stripping out the acquisition of indie operator Picturehouse, which it snapped up for £47mln in December, profits were £17.9mln, in line with analyst estimates.

Cineworld’s profits rose from £13.3mln to £16.5mln in the first half, which led the company to raise the interim dividend by 7.9% to 4.1p.

Wiener said a strong current line-up at cinemas, including "Despicable Me 2", "Monsters University", and "The Wolverine", should help the company meet its full-year targets.

Shares added 2.5p to stand at 397p each.

16 Aug JP Morgan... 428.00 Overweight

Response to Competition Commission Announcement

RNS


RNS Number : 0431M

Cineworld Group plc

20 August 2013






20 August 2013



CINEWORLD GROUP plc



Response to Competition Commission Announcement





Cineworld Group plc ("Cineworld") notes the Competition Commission's Notice of Provisional Findings published today and in particular its provisional view that the acquisition of Picturehouse by Cineworld may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition in three local areas. Cineworld also notes the Commission's proposals to remedy any harm to competition in these areas, such as divestment of an appropriate Picturehouse or Cineworld cinema.



Cineworld confirms that the local areas in question are Aberdeen, Bury St Edmunds and Cambridge.



The Commission's findings are provisional at this stage and Cineworld now has an opportunity to respond before the Commission issues its final decision in October.



Commenting on the announcement, Stephen Wiener, Chief Executive Officer of Cineworld Group plc, said: "We are disappointed that in these three locations we have been unable to convince the Competition Commission that Cineworld and Picturehouse are two fundamentally different businesses that could operate in the same area. Nevertheless the combination of the two businesses will remain strategically compelling, as our recent results showed clearly, and we are committed to continuing the expansion and investment into both."



-Ends-



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


20 Aug Numis 450.00 Add
20 Aug Investec N/A Buy

21 Aug Investec 420.00 Buy

A buy in this weeks IC - With rising admissions and higher spend per customer Cineworld is ticking all the right boxes. Now priced on 15 times Investec's forecast 2014 earnings, the underlying strength of the business warrants such a rating.

Closed at -

420.25p

5:38pm 24/08/13

CINEWORLD & IMAX EXPAND REVENUE SHARE PARTNERSHIP

RNS


RNS Number : 6420M

Cineworld Group plc

28 August 2013








IMAX CORPORATION

2525 Speakman Drive

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5K 1B1

Tel: (905) 403-6500 Fax: (905) 403-6450

www.imax.com





CINEWORLD GROUP AND IMAX® EXPAND REVENUE SHARE PARTNERSHIP



UK's Largest Cinema Chain to Add New IMAX® Theatre to Circuit and

Transition Glasgow Science Centre's IMAX® Theatre to Ground-Breaking Laser Projection System



GLASGOW - Aug. 28, 2013 - IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX; TSX: IMX) and Cineworld Group PLC, the UK's largest cinema chain, today announced an expansion of the companies' revenue sharing agreement with an IMAX theatre to be added at a location yet to be determined and the installation of IMAX's next-generation laser digital projection technology at Glasgow Science Centre's IMAX® theatre in Scotland. This deal brings Cineworld Group's IMAX commitment to 13 under the parties' revenue share arrangement.



Cineworld has recently reached an agreement with the Glasgow Science Centre, an IMAX exhibitor since 2000, to take over the operations of its IMAX theatre - the first IMAX theatre in Scotland. Under the terms of the deal announced today, Cineworld will install an IMAX digital theatre system before transitioning to IMAX's dual 4K laser system.



"Cineworld is delighted to add another IMAX theatre to our circuit and to install IMAX's upcoming laser solution at the Glasgow Science Centre, which will allow us to present the full spectrum of IMAX content," said Crispin Lilly, Vice President of Business Affairs, Cineworld Group PLC. "The IMAX Experience® has become synonymous with the biggest event movies and, as such, we're pleased to build on our successful partnership."



"As we expand our network throughout Europe, growing relationships with partners such as Cineworld is a key strategy to support our growth," said Andrew Cripps, President, IMAX EMEA. "Together with Cineworld we look forward bringing even more audiences across the UK the biggest blockbusters in the world's most immersive film format."



IMAX's next-generation laser digital projection system, which represents the culmination of the largest R&D initiative in IMAX's history, incorporates the laser digital intellectual property IMAX licensed exclusively from Eastman Kodak and Barco's unique laser innovations. It is expected to set a new benchmark as the industry's premium entertainment experience and will enable IMAX's largest screens to deliver the highest-quality digital content available with greater brightness and clarity, a wider color gamut and deeper blacks.



About Cineworld Group

Cineworld Group was founded in 1995 by Steve Wiener, the current Chief Executive, and is the #1 UK cinema chain by both box office and admissions. The Group operates 81 cinemas across the UK & Ireland of which 77 are multiplex sites with five screens or more. In 2007 Cineworld successfully floated on the London Stock Exchange.

Ex-Dividend

04 Sep 13 Cineworld Group PLC [CINE] (4.1 p)

10 Sep Canaccord... 450.00 Buy

Merger Update

RNS


RNS Number : 1254P

Office of Fair Trading

27 September 2013




Invitation to Comment



Completed Acquisition by Cineworld Group PLC of Glasgow Science Centre IMAX



The Office of Fair Trading is considering whether this acquisition has resulted in the creation of a relevant merger situation under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002 and, if so, whether the creation of that situation has resulted, or may be expected to result, in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the United Kingdom for goods or services..



Affected sector: Motion picture projection

Response to Competition Commission Announcement

Cineworld Group plc ("Cineworld") notes the Competition Commission's final decision regarding the acquisition of Picturehouse by Cineworld published today and in particular its requirement that Cineworld dispose of one cinema in each of the local areas of Aberdeen, Bury St Edmunds and Cambridge.

Having looked at a range of financial and strategic considerations, Cineworld reluctantly intends to dispose of the local Picturehouse cinema in both Aberdeen and Bury St Edmunds. In Cambridge we are still evaluating our options whether the local Picturehouse or Cineworld cinema will be sold.

Commenting on the announcement, Stephen Wiener, Chief Executive Officer of Cineworld Group plc, said: "We are very disappointed by the Competition Commission's final decision to sell three of our cinemas. We will be selling these cinemas as going concerns and will be supporting our affected cinema teams through the sale. In the meantime, Cineworld Group continues to invest in and grow both Picturehouse and Cineworld estates."


-Ends-

9 Oct JP Morgan... 428.00 Overweight

17 Oct N+1 Singer 402.00 Buy

Another cinema group rumoured to be joining aim by Christmas. Everyman cinemas.
Expected to raise £10m to fund expansion and be valued at £50m upon administration. (from Shares)

Interim management Statement

N+1 Singer Hold 389.00 389.00 402.00 376.00 Downgrades

Investec Buy 386.88 389.00 420.00 420.00 Retains

Numis Add 386.88 389.00 450.00 450.00 Reiterates

.

Cineworld hopes watching Tolkien-blockbusters is Hobbit-forming
By John Harrington October 22 2013, 9:59am



This summer saw a larger proportion of family films; good for popcorn sales but not so good for full-price ticket sales.This summer saw a larger proportion of family films; good for popcorn sales but not so good for full-price ticket sales.

The assimilation of art-house chain Picturehouse into the Cineworld (LON:CINE) portfolio gave a boost to the group’s revenues over summer and early autumn.

In the 16 weeks to 17 October, the group’s total revenues rose 11.0% year-on-year on a pro-forma basis (i.e. assuming Picturehouse had been part of the group a year earlier), with box office takings up 8.1% and retail revenues – popcorn, ice creams and the like – up 12.1%.

The group’s core Cineworld chain saw revenues rise 1.7% from a year earlier, with box office sales up 1.4% and retail revenues up 1.1%. That performance was not bad considering the weather was not helpful during July and August, but it is also worth noting that in a large part of the period a year earlier a lot of Britons were eschewing the cinema to stay at home and watch the Olympics.

Cineworld said the proportion of family films in the schedule was higher this year, which means that, though admissions were up 2.3%, the growth in takings was lower because kids don’t pay full price for tickets.

The Picturehouse chain, which specialises in independent and foreign language films, saw pro-forma revenues surge 30.6%. Even the art-house crowd likes a snack while watching a film, apparently, as retail revenue growth at 17.3% outstripped a 12.3% rise in box office takings.

Picturehouse saw a 19.5% year-on-year decline in “other income” (such as advertising) but the group as a whole saw a 43.8% increase on this measure. Cineworld said Picturehouse’s decline in other income was due to the timing of film distribution income.

Though it went up against fairly soft comparatives over the summer period, the company will be hard pressed in the final quarter to match last year’s performance, when the James Bond “Skyfall” film did boffo business at the box office.

Cineworld is pinning its hopes on a “promising" line-up that includes "Thor: The Dark World", "Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug". No sequel is complete with a colon in the title: apparently ...

With this in mind, the company said it expects full-year results to be broadly in line with market expectations.

City firm Investec, which rates the shares a ‘buy’, said it looks as if strong first half (1H) trading continued into the third quarter, but it has shaved its fourth quarter forecasts a little, “to allow more certainty on delivery”.

“Our above consensus EBITDA [underlying earnings] £76mln felt justified at 1H given strong performance, but tougher 3Q industry trading implies 4Q has limited margin for error despite CINE strength/outperformance. We move FY13E EBITDA to £74mln (£76mln) - adj EPS [adjusted earnings per share] is c. -3% to 22.2p (22.9p). FY14E falls similarly to 24.3p (25p),” the Investec team revealed.

Shares in Cineworld were barely changed at 388.5p in mid-morning trading.

In Shares - Cineworld is a big hit.

A sell off in Cineworld provides a good buying opportunity in one of the more resilient stocks in the leisure sector. Investors have been nervous about tough comparative figures in the fourth quarter, thanks to last years strong takings from the James Bond film, Skyfall. This risk looks fully priced into the shares as does the need for Cineworld to sell three sites at the behest of the competition Commission.
Since Cineworld's trading update 22 Oct the film industry has generated plenty of positive headlines. Released on 30 Oct , Thor: The Dark World has posted the biggest opening at UK cinemas since Despicable Me 2 in late June, the latter being 2013's highest -grossing film of the year so far . Sci-fi epic Gravity was released last weekend and is expected to repeat its success in the US where it was October's highest grossing live action film release of all time.
More important to Cineworld is the positive impact Gravity may have in revitalising
public interest in 3D films. Gravity has received critical acclaim with notable recommendations to see the film in 3D, given its visual style. Filmgoers have slowly moved away from 3D versions of films, particularly family titles.
Reversing this trend would be lucrative for the likes of Cineworld as a premium applies to 3D film prices.

Cineworld has long been pone of our top picks in the leisure sector. Its copious cash generation funds the expansion of its own multiplex sites and will aid Picturehouse's growth. The liquidity also pays for a respectable dividend which equates at the time of writing to a yield of 3.4%.
Next year's earnings face disruption from the FIFA world Cup football tournament but Cineworld has shown it can always bounce back from high -profile sporting distractions. The slate for 2015's film release schedule looks immensely attractive with wall-t0-wall potential blockbusters including new titles from mega franchises including star Wars, Batman, Avengers and James Bond, and even an animated Charlie Brown/ Peanuts film.