Preliminary Results.
Promethean World Plc
Preliminary results for the year ending 31 December 2011
Resilient Performance in Difficult Markets
· Results ahead of market expectations
· Modest growth delivered in H2
· Operating expenses down 6%, despite R&D investment up 13%
· Accelerating investments in new product development and key strategic initiatives
· Increase in total dividend by 4% to 2.5p per share
Financial Highlights
· Revenue £222.9m (2010: £235.3m) down 5.3% or 2.1% on a constant currency basis
o H2 Revenue £115.1m, up 1.9% on H2 2010 or 3.1% on a constant currency basis
· Gross margin 42.9% (2010: 43.3%)
· Adjusted EBITDA1 £31.1m (2010: £33.1m) down 6.0%.
· Adjusted operating profit1 £23.4m (2010: £27.4m). Margin 10.5% (2010: 11.6%)
· Operating profit £17.4m (2010: £21.1m)
· Pro forma net income1,2 £16.4m (2010: £19.2m)
· Pro forma basic earnings per share1,2,3 8.23p (2010: 9.63p)
· Net cash £21.8m as at 31 December 2011 (2010: £14.5m)
Business Highlights
· Accelerating investments in key strategic initiatives
o Increased government level education opportunities (e.g. Mexico Pilot project)
o Strategic content partnerships entered into with Channel One and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
o Entry foothold gained into adjacent business and government training market
· Maintaining technology leadership in new product and software development
o AB 500 Series multi-touch, multi-pen whiteboard
o Next generation ActivExpression assessment handset with full QWERTY keyboard
o ActivProgress changing the way classroom data and student records are managed
o New software launches including ActivEngage assessment software for mobile devices
o ActivTable, interactive multi-touch, multi-user table for collaborative working, very well received when shown at BETT in January 2012
· Promethean Planet membership growth of 42.8% to almost 1.2 million members
1 excluding exceptional items, share-based payments and amortisation of acquired intangible assets, 2 stated on a pro forma basis for post IPO debt structure (interest and tax) and excluding acquisition related fair value adjustments (2010 restated on this basis), 3 calculated for 2011 using the weighted average number of ordinary shares per the Basic earnings per share calculation; assumes 200 million ordinary shares in issue during 2010 less an annualised weighted average number of shares held by the Group's Employee Benefit Trust.