TIDMGAMA
RNS Number : 7851P
Gamma Communications PLC
05 September 2017
5 September 2017
Gamma Communications plc
Unaudited Results for six months ended 30 June 2017
Strong results for first half
Gamma Communications plc ("Gamma"), a leading, technology based
provider of communications services to the
UK business market, is pleased to announce its unaudited results
for the six months ended 30 June 2017.
Financial highlights
Six months ended
30 June
------------------------------- ---------------------- -------
2017 2016 Change
(%)
------------------------------- ---------- ---------- -------
Revenue GBP115.0m GBP104.7m +9.8%
------------------------------- ---------- ---------- -------
Gross profit GBP54.1m GBP47.7m +13.4%
------------------------------- ---------- ---------- -------
Gross margin 47.0% 45.6%
------------------------------- ---------- ---------- -------
EBITDA GBP18.5m GBP14.9m +24.2%
------------------------------- ---------- ---------- -------
Adjusted EBITDA GBP19.7m GBP16.3m +20.9%
------------------------------- ---------- ---------- -------
PBT GBP12.5m GBP10.6m +17.9%
------------------------------- ---------- ---------- -------
Adjusted PBT GBP13.7m GBP12.0m +14.2%
------------------------------- ---------- ---------- -------
Fully Diluted EPS 11.8p 9.1p +29.7%
------------------------------- ---------- ---------- -------
Adjusted EPS (Fully Diluted) 11.6p 10.1p +14.9%
------------------------------- ---------- ---------- -------
Dividend per share 2.8p 2.5p +12.0%
------------------------------- ---------- ---------- -------
Adj net operating cash inflow
(i.e. before tax) GBP15.3m GBP13.8m +10.9%
------------------------------- ---------- ---------- -------
Net operating cash inflow
before tax / Adj EBITDA 77.7% 84.7%
------------------------------- ---------- ---------- -------
All adjusted measures set out above and throughout this document
which are described as "adjusted" are reconciled within the
statement of comprehensive income or in the Financial Review
section or segment note and are applied consistently. Where
reference is made to adjusted EPS this is stated on a fully diluted
basis. Definitions of adjusted performance measures are included in
Note 2.
Operational highlights
-- The Cloud PBX and SIP Trunking connections continue to grow ahead of the market:
o The number of installed SIP Trunks increased from 511,000 at
31 December 2016 to 605,000 at 30 June 2017 ( +18.4%).
o The number of Cloud PBX users increased from 230,000 to
276,000 (+20.0%).
-- Growth in data products was strong:
o Business broadband connections increased from 54,000 to 65,000
(+20.4%).
o Ethernet connections rose from 3,520 to 4,322 (+22.8%).
-- As the new Gamma mobile network came into operation data
traffic on it grew from 20.5 Tbytes in H2 2016 to 35.0 Tbytes in H1
2017 (+70.7%).
-- Strong growth in the indirect business:
o Gross profit from indirect business increased from GBP37.6m to
GBP41.7m (+10.9%).
o The number of Channel Partners grew from 970 to 1,023
(+5.5%).
-- Significant wins in the direct business drive growth:
o Gross profit up from GBP10.1m to GBP12.4m (+22.8%).
o New customers include itsu, Savills plc and Care UK.
o Good progress in the public sector, key wins include Macmillan
Cancer Support, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation
Trust whilst Your Housing Group added data, Cloud PBX and contact
services to the previous SIP and mobile contract.
-- New product development has continued with:
o Launch of Cloud Compute and Backup, providing packaged server
applications for small to medium sized businesses.
o Extension of the Horizon Cloud PBX service to provide
increased integration with specific vertical CRM applications in
areas such as recruitment and primary healthcare.
o We remain on target for the launch of our fixed/mobile
converged product later this year.
Bob Falconer, Chief Executive Officer, commented
"I am pleased with the performance of the business in the first
half. We have continued to successfully grow revenue and margin
across our core products and markets, with a particularly strong
performance in enterprise and a growing capability in the public
sector, leading to contracts with organisations such as itsu,
Savills plc and Macmillan Cancer Support. Our SIP and Cloud PBX
services continue to perform well and we are now seeing accelerated
growth in data services following the investments we have made in
our network; important in a market where customers are increasingly
looking to buy all their communications services from one supplier.
Other initiatives, such as Gamma Accelerate, a marketing and lead
generation platform, are helping the channel, which is our primary
route to market, to increase sales. Significant resources also
continue to be placed on enhancing our current products whilst
developing exciting new capabilities, in particular maximising the
opportunities from our growing Full MVNO mobile service."
Enquiries:
Gamma Communications Tel: +44 (0)333 006
plc 5972
Bob Falconer, Chief
Executive Officer
Andrew Belshaw, Chief
Financial Officer
Investec Bank plc (NOMAD Tel: +44 (0)207 597
& Broker) 5970
Andrew Pinder / Sebastian
Lawrence
Patrick Robb / Matt
Lewis
Tulchan Communications Tel: +44 (0)207 353
LLP (PR Adviser) 4200
James Macey White /
Matt Low
Notes to Editors
Gamma is a rapidly growing, technology based, provider of
communications services to the UK business market. Gamma's
services, such as Cloud PBX, Inbound Call Control Services and SIP
Trunking, are designed to meet the increasingly complex voice, data
and mobility requirements of businesses, through the exploitation
of its know-how
and own intellectual property.
Gamma also provides business-grade mobile and data services and,
as a consequence of its history, has a substantial voice service
capability. These services enable Gamma to provide a comprehensive
range of communications services.
Gamma has enjoyed strong organic revenue and EBITDA growth
driven by a high percentage of repeat revenues. The business had
821 employees at 30 June 2017. It operates across six main
locations - headquartered in Newbury - with offices in London,
Manchester, Glasgow, Portsmouth and Budapest.
Chairman's statement
Introduction
I am pleased to present the unaudited results for the half year
ended 30 June 2017.
Overview of Results
Group revenue for the half year ended 30 June 2017 increased by
GBP10.3m to GBP115.0m (H1 2016: GBP104.7m) an increase of 9.8% on
the prior year and it is particularly pleasing that all of this
growth is organic. Of this increase, GBP5.1m came from the indirect
channel where revenue increased to GBP88.1m (H1 2016: GBP83.0m)
while GBP5.2m came from the direct business which saw revenue
increase to GBP26.9m (H1 2016: GBP21.7m). Gross profit for the six
months to 30 June 2017 rose to GBP54.1m, an increase of 13.4%
compared to the GBP47.7m achieved in the same period of 2016,
whilst the gross margin increased to 47.0% (H1 2016: 45.6%) due to
improved product mix. Adjusted EBITDA for the group increased by
20.9% to GBP19.7m (H1 2016: GBP16.3m).
Adjusted fully diluted earnings per share for the half year
increased by 14.9% to 11.6p (H1 2016: 10.1p).
The adjusted net operating cash inflow (pre-tax) for the first
half was GBP15.3m compared to GBP13.8m in H1 2016. This represents
a cash to adjusted EBITDA conversion ratio in respect of 2017 of
77.7% compared to 84.7% for H1 2016; the conversion ratio is lower
as Gamma has taken the opportunity to prepay some suppliers in
advance of normal payment terms in return for improved commercial
terms. Consequently, the closing cash balance for the half year was
GBP28.7m compared to GBP28.2m at the end of December 2016.
Dividend
Gamma remains committed to a progressive dividend policy. The
Board is therefore pleased to declare an interim dividend, in
respect of the six months ended 30 June 2017, of 2.8 pence per
share (2016: 2.5 pence) an increase of 12% which will be payable on
Thursday 19 October 2017 to shareholders on the register on Friday
22 September 2017.
Business Development
It was pleasing to see strong growth in Gamma's SIP Trunking,
Cloud PBX and data services, with margins remaining consistent with
the prior period. Whilst Gamma has competitors across its product
range, it has no similar sized peers in its sector offering such a
full suite of products. This differentiated market position
presents Gamma with opportunity for continued expansion as end
users seek to source their IT and communications from a single
supplier.
In the channel the Group continues to add new partners, with the
number of partners increasing from 970 to 1,023. While Gamma will
continue to look to take on new partners, there is an increasing
focus toward encouraging our existing channel partners to sell more
Gamma products (thereby increasing market share for both parties).
One of our initiatives in this area is the launch of our partner
marketing platform 'Accelerate'.
The direct business continues to complement the indirect channel
with significant new contracts, including Macmillan Cancer Support,
Care UK and Savills Group plc. In the Public Sector, prior
investment in this market is delivering success, with several new
contracts in both education and health with wins such as the
Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Meanwhile continued network investment and strategic
partnerships with other carriers is accelerating data growth and
our Manchester venture "The Loop" has been selected by euNetworks
to provide them with a significant extension to their own
network.
We remain on target for the launch of our fixed/mobile converged
product 'Connect' later this year. With the migration from the
previous Vodafone Thin MVNO now complete, Gamma's own (Full MVNO)
mobile service is starting to grow. Connect is a good example of
the opportunities this presents for Gamma to create differentiated
services in the market.
Board and Employees
In June, Richard Bligh, Director of Business Development,
informed the Board of his intention to retire from full time
executive roles and subsequently stepped down from the Board on 30
June 2017, but will remain an employee of Gamma until the end of
September 2017. Thereafter, the Company will continue to benefit
from Richard's significant company knowledge and industry expertise
on a part-time consultancy basis. On behalf of everyone at Gamma, I
would like to thank him for his loyal service over the past
fourteen years.
As of the 30 June 2017, Gamma had 821 employees, an increase of
68 from 31 December 2016. This growth is driven by the general
expansion of the business and the continued investment in new
service development. Meanwhile operational gearing efficiencies
have helped adjusted EBITDA margin grow from 15.6% of revenue in
the first half of 2016 to 17.1% of revenue in the first half of
2017.
The company introduced a further three year sharesave scheme,
following on from that introduced successfully in 2015. Once again
it was particularly pleasing to see the exceptionally high take up
with 231 staff choosing to participate.
The Board recognise the high levels of support and commitment
from its staff and would like to express its thanks for their
dedication, hard work and enthusiasm.
Outlook
The Board looks forward enthusiastically to the remainder of
2017 and beyond. Gamma has a healthy pipeline of both prospective
customers and products. The channel is moving towards offering a
full communications service to its customers. In this endeavour the
channel needs good support and this broadens the market and creates
the opportunity for Gamma to play a wider role. While Gamma remains
a channel focused business, the direct arm is becoming a
significant player in its own right, with a strong reputation in
the market and we expect to see it continue to grow healthily.
Overall, the Board believe that Gamma has the products,
financial resources and technical capabilities to continue to
achieve its objectives.
Richard Last
Chairman
Chief Executive Review
Introduction
We are very pleased with the progress the business has made in
the six months to 30 June 2017. The strategic products of SIP
Trunking and Cloud PBX have continued their growth adding 94,000
SIP channels and 46,000 Cloud PBX seats respectively. Investments
in data infrastructure are showing clear dividends and mobile has
returned to growth following the migration from the Thin MVNO from
Vodafone to Gamma's Full MVNO.
Both Indirect and Direct Channels have shown excellent growth,
with the direct channel benefitting particularly as the more
complex projects are completed and delivered to our larger
enterprise and public sector customers.
Organisation
In January, we restructured the organisation both to focus all
our direct sales under one MD, David Macfarlane, and to give
increased product focus on both data and mobile through two
external appointments, thereby strengthening the senior team. As
part of that process, we significantly increased the sales and
support resources on the SI (Systems Integrator) and BPO (Business
Process Outsourcing) routes to market in recognition that these
organisations respond to complex bids and need a partner fully
engaged and resourced to support them in that process.
Products & Marketing
Gamma's core strategic products of SIP and Cloud PBX (the latter
under the Horizon brand) continue to grow strongly in an
increasingly competitive market. We continue to invest in
developing our products and over the period we have:
-- Increased the appeal of the product in specific vertical
markets by adding to the number of CRM (Customer Relationship
Management) systems interworking with Horizon (our Cloud PBX
service): for example Bullhorn is the market leading CRM system for
small / medium sized recruitment agencies, and the integration with
Horizon will embed the calling features of Horizon, so that they
can be utilised directly from the application.
-- Added a "Cloud Compute" product to our portfolio, offering
SMEs a packaged product of computer processing and backup services
in partnership with Amazon Web Services.
We look forward to Q4 this year when we are scheduled to bring
to market a number of exciting enhancements including:
-- Connect - Gamma's convergence service that combines our Cloud
PBX and Mobile products. This service will provide on a customer's
mobile the features that are normally on a fixed voice service.
-- Call Recording and PCI Compliance services to add value to
the Cloud PBX, SIP Trunking and Mobile products. These enhancements
will support businesses required to meet the increasingly stringent
regulatory compliance requirements in both financial trading and
credit card transactions.
We are also pleased with the return to growth of our mobile
service following the anticipated reduction in volumes following
the transition from the Vodafone Thin MVNO to Gamma's own Full MVNO
platform. As the new Gamma mobile network came into operation data
traffic on it grew from 20.5Tbytes in H2 2016 to 35Tbytes in H1
2017. These are still modest volumes but we believe mobile is a
critical service over which it is important to have a degree of
control to be able to build differentiated services, such as
Connect, for the business market. There remains a considerable
opportunity in this area, and the business continues to invest in
this capability.
Recent investments in Gamma's broadband and Ethernet data
products have allowed us to increase our price competitiveness by
reducing our cost to serve. As part of that, the second phase of
our build out programme to Openreach exchanges went live at the end
of March and the network also now has access (under a commercial
agreement) to TalkTalk's extensive network coverage alongside that
of both Virgin and BT Wholesale. This investment has accelerated
our growth in a market where Gamma currently has a low penetration
and where data access can often be bundled with other products.
Business broadband continues to migrate to fibre-based offerings
and, as the cost of ethernet falls, this higher capacity product
falls within the reach of a larger number of businesses in the SME
market, creating a displacement opportunity.
Further extensions of the service are planned and linked to the
previously announced investments in the national network.
We continue to invest in helping our channel partners succeed in
the business market and have now launched a new sophisticated
marketing platform - branded Accelerate - to assist them in
generating leads and driving sales of Gamma products.
Operational Performance and Security
Our core product platforms exceeded availability targets for the
first 6 months of the year, testimony to the comprehensive
operational governance we operate to ensure any potential risks to
services are understood and mitigated. The 'Gamma Academy' (our
online training environment for Channel Partners, which was
launched at the end of 2016) has been very well received and over
4,700 individuals have logged on to view training material. The
latter is aimed at equipping our channel partners' support teams to
deliver the high levels of service demanded by the business
market.
The Board regularly reviews the health of our security
governance, to ensure appropriate resource and high priority is
placed on mitigating risk in this area. The Group subscribes to a
number of sources of security intelligence, as well as
participating in relevant national working groups. It regularly
employs expert third parties to carry out penetration testing
against its network, product platforms, online interfaces and
employees to ensure high levels of security awareness and that any
vulnerabilities are understood and quickly addressed.
Indirect Business Channel
We continue to see plenty of growth and scope for further
development in the channel. With the majority of businesses now
planning to buy all of their communications services from a single
supplier, the channel is in a strong position to offer the supply
combination needed for a particular business, offering a clear
value-added model. Gamma is positioned to provide the channel with
services from the core of its network that either supplement or
replace site-based equipment. Our focus remains on being highly
relevant to the channel, straightforward to do business with, and
continuing to offer the channel exciting products that displace old
technology and improve the way businesses can work. The number of
partners actively trading with Gamma has increased from 970 at the
end of 2016 to 1,023.
Whilst the general focus of the channel remains on the SME
market some of our partners are having growing success in the
mid-market. Examples of recent successes with our valued added
partners include:
-- The National Autistics Society via our partner IBT; Gamma is
delivering the wide area network to over 150 sites.
-- Addison Lee, via our partner Unify Communications; Gamma
supplies Cloud PBX (Horizon) for up to 1500 users
-- Brooks McDonald investment management services via our
partner Ethos; Gamma delivered the Cloud PBX (Horizon) service to
over 600 UK staff.
-- Blackstar, the UK data centre specialist via our partner G3
Communications; Gamma delivers SIP trunking services to its data
customers.
-- Homebase serviced by contact centre specialist partner Sabio;
Gamma provides resilient cloud inbound services and voice business
continuity.
We have increased the resources supporting Systems Integrators
(SIs) and Business Process Outsourcers (BPOs) and this is showing
early results via partners such as Capita and Atos, whilst Coretx
has agreed to consolidate its hosted telephony on to the Horizon
cloud PBX platform.
Direct Business Channel
Our Direct Business has had an excellent start to the year with
Gamma's Cloud Communication solutions resonating with all market
sectors.
Some notable wins in the SME and Enterprise space include:
-- itsu the UK food retailer has entered a three year contract
with Gamma for a managed data network to its 70 UK locations whilst
extending its existing Gamma Cloud PBX service to these
locations.
-- Savills plc has selected Gamma to deploy a high speed managed data network.
-- Stackhouse Poland, a top 10 independent UK insurance broker,
will be migrating its entire data, voice and mobility estate to
Gamma as part of a three year managed services agreement.
-- Care UK, a leading health and social care provider has signed
an agreement for Gamma to deploy and manage Gamma's Cloud PBX
service, to over 80 sites for a minimum of three years.
The Public Sector also performed well, with contract wins
including:
-- Macmillan Cancer Support who selected Gamma to provide a
fully managed data, voice and mobility solution across its 15 sites
and 1,500 staff. This deployment will also see Macmillan adopt an
omni-channel contact centre for its cancer support and fund raising
activities.
-- Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have
selected Gamma to provide high resilient SIP trunks to support a
number of hospitals across Manchester.
-- Next generation housing provider, Your Housing Group, has
awarded Gamma a further multi-year contract to deliver and manage a
complete data, voice and mobility solution to its extensive estate
and workforce.
-- Shropshire Council awarded Gamma a 24 month framework
contract for the supply of mobile voice and data services to over
2,000 of its workforce.
-- Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and the University of
Bath also awarded material contracts to Gamma.
In addition, we are particularly pleased with the level of
customer contract extensions and re-signs secured in the first half
of 2017 including Dignity plc who have extended their complete
managed communications infrastructure agreement with Gamma until
late 2020. This demonstrates the high levels of customer
satisfaction attained by our team.
Network
The GBP5m investment in a new, high capacity, core network we
announced in 2016 is progressing well, with the optical fibre
expected to be handed over to Gamma in Q4 2017, following which a
progressive network upgrade will be conducted enabling customer
access speeds of 10Gbit/s.
A parallel programme to remove legacy voice equipment and reduce
both data centre and ongoing support costs is proceeding well with
significant amounts of equipment now decommissioned. Overall this
programme, spread over three years, will remove network costs of c
GBP3m p.a. against 2016 levels.
Employees
We were once again pleased to be recognised as one of The Sunday
Times "Best 100 Companies to Work For 2017". This is the fifth year
in a row that Gamma has been in this index. This has benefit in
both enabling us to continue to focus on areas important to
employee engagement and to help attract new employees, and
graduates in particular.
The number of people in the company grew over the period from
753 to 821 largely to support the growth in sales and customer
numbers, and the continued investment in products.
We continue to assist apprentices to gain valuable work
experience, to continue their education and to gain nationally
recognised qualifications. Apprentices are currently employed in
IT, HR, Infrastructure Support, Software Development and Customer
Service. We have a good track record of offering permanent
employment at the end of the apprenticeships. Expanding
opportunities for apprentices across the business remains a
priority for Gamma.
Property
We have agreed a lease on a second property in Glasgow to cater
for the growth in the organisation. We plan to consolidate all of
our Glasgow based staff onto a single site at a later date.
Outlook
The business continues to execute on its stated strategy, with a
strong focus of investment in new products for the business market
sold primarily through the channel. We see an increased opportunity
in particular vertical markets for which we can relatively easily
adapt our products (for example, we can allow our Cloud PBX service
to inter-work with a CRM system which has a high market share of GP
surgeries and this opens up a market for Gamma and its channel).
Meanwhile, we see no slowdown as yet in the growth of SIP Trunking
or Cloud PBX, and an encouraging upturn in data. The planned Q4
launch of Connect - our first converged fixed and mobile product -
marks what we believe will be a turning point in the market that
few operators are currently able to fully address.
Whilst the channel remains our primary route to market, our
direct business continues to grow successfully, particularly in the
larger enterprise and public sector markets where customers often
choose to work with the asset owning supplier. We remain very
optimistic about the growth prospects for the business.
Bob Falconer
Chief Executive Officer
Financial review
Revenue and gross profit
Indirect business
Revenue from the indirect business in the first half grew from
GBP83.0m in H1 2016 to GBP88.1m (+6.1%) and gross profit grew from
GBP37.6m to GBP41.7m - an increase of GBP4.1m compared to the same
period of the previous year. Gross profit from our "growth"
products ("growth" products are SIP, Cloud PBX, Inbound, Data and
Mobile products) grew by GBP5.8m whilst there was a reduction of
GBP1.7m from our "traditional" products (calls and lines and our
carrier business).
The increase in revenue is all organic and, because sales are
all to UK customers and denominated in Sterling the weakness of
Sterling compared to the same period last year has no effect on
these results.
Revenue from growth product sales increased from GBP54.9 m to
GBP62.0m (+12.9%) and gross profit grew from GBP29.1m to GBP34.9m
(+19.9%). The gross margin grew from 53.0% to 56.3% which reflects
the fact that the main contributor to this growth was SIP Trunking,
which has a higher margin than other products.
The key drivers of growth in our gross profit line continue to
be SIP Trunking and Cloud PBX where we have seen volume growth and
margins consistent with previous periods but with pressure on
margins in some areas. Following infrastructure investments to
reduce our cost base, data products also continue to grow well in a
more commoditised and price competitive market. Sales of our
Inbound product were lower in H1 2017 than H1 2016 which is, in
part, due to end users moving to our Cloud PBX service (which
generates a higher gross profit per user) and also price pressure.
As anticipated, we did enter the period with lower mobile volumes
as a result of moving from the Vodafone Thin MVNO to our own Full
MVNO, but now that transition is complete, we have now moved back
to a position of volume growth and anticipate this continuing.
Direct business
The direct business had a very strong half as the order book
(which was very strong at the end of 2016) was rolled out and began
to generate revenue. Revenue increased from GBP21.7m in 2016 to
GBP26.9m (+24.0%) and gross profit from GBP10.1m to GBP12.4m
(+22.8%). Margin decreased slightly from 46.5% to 46.1% but this
was really a mix impact from a sale of equipment at low margin; the
underlying margin grew if that "one off" sale were excluded.
The growth was attributable to the growth products and gross
profit on these products grew from GBP8.1m to GBP10.5m. The
business continues to move from selling to smaller customers to
larger businesses and the public sector on multi-year deals.
The order book and sales pipeline continue to be strong.
Adjusted operating expenses
Adjusted operating expenses grew from GBP31.4m (H1 2016) to
GBP34.4m. This was due to a number of factors:
-- Ongoing growth in the number of customers buying new products
for the first time continues to be a driver of overhead especially
in the area of provisioning product to our new enterprise
customers.
-- Increased investment in product R&D that doesn't meet capitalisation criteria.
-- Continued investment in our sales teams.
The above increases were offset to some degree by:
-- a reduction in the costs of support of our mobile platform
which were high in H1 2016 as we were preparing it for launch;
and
-- our ongoing programme to reduce the running costs of our
network through selective additional investment.
Alternative performance measures
Our policy for adjusted performance measures is set out in Note
2 to the unaudited financial statements.
The tables below reconcile the alternative performance measures
used in this document -
2017
Measure Share Other
Statutory Depreciation based non-recurring Adjusted
basis and amortisation payment Tax effect items basis
--------------------- ---------- ----------------- --------- ----------- --------------- -----------
Operating Expenses
(GBPm) 41.7 (6.1) (1.2) - - 34.4
EBITDA (GBPm) 18.5 - 1.2 - - 19.7
PBT (GBPm) 12.5 - 1.2 - - 13.7
PAT (GBPm) 11.1 - 1.2 (1.2) - 11.1
Net cash flows
from operating
activities (GBPm) 14.2 - - 1.1 - 15.3
2016
Measure Share Other
Statutory Depreciation based non-recurring Adjusted
basis and amortisation payment Tax effect items basis
--------------------- ---------- ----------------- --------- ----------- --------------- ---------
Operating Expenses
(GBPm) 37.2 (4.4) (1.4) - - 31.4
EBITDA (GBPm) 14.9 - 1.4 - - 16.3
PBT (GBPm) 10.6 - 1.4 - - 12.0
PAT (GBPm) 8.6 - 1.4 (0.5) - 9.5
Net cash flows
from operating
activities (GBPm) 11.9 - - 1.9 - 13.8
The reconciliation of EPS to adjusted EPS for the first six
months of the year is shown below (both are shown on a Fully
Diluted basis):
2017 2016
pence pence
------------------------------------------------ ------- -------
EPS 11.8 9.1
Share based payment expense 1.3 1.5
Tax effect associated with share based payment
expense (0.4) (0.5)
Additional effect of dilution (0.1) -
Non-recurring tax credit due to the conclusion (1.0) -
of a previously unresolved tax matter
------------------------------------------------ ------- -------
Adjusted EPS 11.6 10.1
------------------------------------------------ ------- -------
See also note 6 to the unaudited financial statements.
Adjusted EBITDA
The combination of increasing sales of new products and
operational improvements means that adjusted EBITDA grew from
GBP16.3m in H1 2016 to GBP19.7m or 20.9%.
Taxation
The effective tax rate for the first half of 2017 was 11.2%.
This rate is however depressed significantly by a non-recurring tax
credit of GBP0.9m which related to a tax overpayment from 2014 and
earlier years where the underlying position has only recently been
resolved. Taking the credit into account, the underlying effective
tax rate for the first half of the year was 18.4% (2016: 18.9%).
The tax rate is lower than the statutory rate for the year of
19.25% (2016: 20.00%) because the Group benefits from research and
development tax credits.
Cash flows
The cash balance at the end of June 2017 was GBP28.7m, up
fractionally from GBP28.2m at the end of the previous year. The
adjusted net operating cash inflow (i.e. stated before tax
payments) for the half was GBP15.3m which represents 77.7% of
adjusted EBITDA for the year (H1 2016: 84.7%).
We continue to turn our trading profit into cash. However, cash
conversion from adjusted EBITDA in the half is slightly lower than
originally guided because Gamma has taken the opportunity to prepay
some suppliers in return for improved commercial terms.
Capital spend for the first half was GBP9.1m, which is an
increase from GBP7.6m in the comparative period. This is discussed
in detail below.
The Group continues to be debt free and a number of lenders have
indicated that they would be willing to support the Group with debt
were it to be required for capital expenditure programmes or
M&A activity.
Capital expenditure
The Group spent GBP9.1m (H1 2016: GBP7.6m) on capital which was
split as follows.
Regular capital expenditure of GBP8.6m (being the normal levels
of capital expenditure that Gamma spends to run the business) (H1
2016: GBP6.8m) -
-- GBP3.0m was on enhancement, replacement, increasing capacity
and development of the core network as well as other minor items
such as IT and fixtures and fittings (H1 2016: GBP2.6m).
-- GBP0.5m was the capitalisation of development costs incurred
during the year (H1 2016: GBP0.5m).
-- GBP5.1m was on customer premises equipment; this is "success
based" expenditure and has increased in line with sales in our data
and Cloud PBX products (H1 2016: GBP3.7m). (See also the notes on
implementation of IFRS15 below).
Additional capital expenditure which was spent to develop new
products was GBP0.5m (H1 2016: GBP0.8m) which was spent on
augmenting the mobile platform.
At the time of our final results for 2016, we announced that we
expect to spend an additional GBP5m in 2017 on our new national
network which will replace our existing fibre ring. None of this
was spent in the first half and therefore will largely occur in the
second half of 2017 with a small amount in 2018. This will provide
Gamma with a core infrastructure for the next twenty-five
years.
Adjusted EPS
Adjusted EPS increased from 10.1p to 11.6p (14.9%). The growth
in adjusted EPS is slightly behind that of adjusted EBITDA due to
depreciation and amortisation in the half increasing from GBP4.4m
in 2016 to GBP6.1m. This is driven by the investment programme and
success based capital spend described above.
Dividends
The Board has proposed an interim dividend of 2.8p (2016: 2.5p).
This is an increase of 12% and is in line with our progressive
dividend policy.
The interim dividend is payable on Thursday 19 October 2017 to
shareholders on the register as at Friday 22 September 2017.
New accounting standards
Gamma has been working on the new accounting standards relating
to revenue recognition (IFRS 15) and leases (IFRS 16). Our
assessment is discussed in Note 2 to the interim financial
statements. We do not expect EPS to be materially affected.
Andrew Belshaw
Chief Financial Officer
MANAGEMENT STATEMENT
This Interim Management Report (IMR) has been prepared solely to
provide additional information to shareholders to assess the
Group's strategies and the potential for those strategies to
succeed. The IMR should not be relied on by any other party or for
any other purpose.
The IMR contains certain forward-looking statements. These
statements are made by the directors in good faith based on the
information available to them up to the time of their approval of
this report but such statements should be treated with caution due
to the inherent uncertainties, including both economic and business
risk factors, underlying any such forward-looking information.
RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
We confirm that to the best of our knowledge:
-- the condensed set of interim financial statements has been
prepared in accordance with IAS34 "Interim Financial
Reporting";
-- the interim management report includes a fair review of the
information required by DTR 4.27R (indication of important events
during the first six months and description of principal risks and
uncertainties for the remaining six months of the year); and
-- the interim management report includes a fair review of the
information required by DTR 4.28R (disclosure of related party
transactions and changes therein).
By the order of the board
4 September 2017
INDEPENT REVIEW REPORT TO GAMMA COMMUNICATIONS PLC
We have been engaged by the company to review the condensed set
of financial statements in the half-yearly financial report for the
six months ended 30 June 2017 which comprises the unaudited
condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive income, the
unaudited condensed consolidated statement of financial position,
the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of cash flows, the
unaudited condensed consolidated statement of changes in equity and
related notes 1 to 11. We have read the other information contained
in the half-yearly financial report and considered whether it
contains any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies
with the information in the condensed set of financial
statements.
This report is made solely to the company in accordance with
International Standard on Review Engagements (UK and Ireland) 2410
"Review of Interim Financial Information Performed by the
Independent Auditor of the Entity" issued by the Auditing Practices
Board. Our work has been undertaken so that we might state to the
company those matters we are required to state to it in an
independent review report and for no other purpose. To the fullest
extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility
to anyone other than the company, for our review work, for this
report, or for the conclusions we have formed.
Directors' responsibilities
The half-yearly financial report is the responsibility of, and
has been approved by, the directors. The directors are responsible
for preparing the half-yearly financial report in accordance with
the AIM Rules of the London Stock Exchange.
As disclosed in note 1, the annual financial statements of the
group are prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the
European Union. The condensed set of financial statements included
in this half-yearly financial report has been prepared in
accordance with International Accounting Standard 34 "Interim
Financial Reporting," as adopted by the European Union.
Our responsibility
Our responsibility is to express to the company a conclusion on
the condensed set of financial statements in the half-yearly
financial report based on our review.
Scope of review
We conducted our review in accordance with International
Standard on Review Engagements (UK and Ireland) 2410 "Review of
Interim Financial Information Performed by the Independent Auditor
of the Entity" issued by the Auditing Practices Board for use in
the United Kingdom. A review of interim financial information
consists of making inquiries, primarily of persons responsible for
financial and accounting matters, and applying analytical and other
review procedures. A review is substantially less in scope than an
audit conducted in accordance with International Standards on
Auditing (UK and Ireland) and consequently does not enable us to
obtain assurance that we would become aware of all significant
matters that might be identified in an audit. Accordingly, we do
not express an audit opinion.
Conclusion
Based on our review, nothing has come to our attention that
causes us to believe that the condensed set of financial statements
in the half-yearly financial report for the six months ended 30
June 2017 is not prepared, in all material respects, in accordance
with International Accounting Standard 34 as adopted by the
European Union and the AIM Rules of the London Stock Exchange.
Deloitte LLP
Statutory Auditor
Reading, United Kingdom
4 September 2017
Condensed consolidated unaudited statement of comprehensive
income
For the six month period ended 30 June 2017
Six months Six months Year ended
ended ended 31 December
30 June 30 June 2016
Notes 2017 2016 GBPm
GBPm GBPm Audited
Unaudited Unaudited
==================================================================== ====== ================ ================ =============
Revenue 3 115.0 104.7 213.5
Cost of sales (60.9) (57.0) (114.7)
==================================================================== ====== ================ ================ =============
Gross profit 54.1 47.7 98.8
Operating expenses (41.7) (37.2) (77.4)
==================================================================== ====== ================ ================ =============
Operating profit before
share based payment,
depreciation, and non-recurring
items (adjusted EBITDA) 19.7 16.3 34.2
Share based payment
expense (1.2) (1.4) (2.9)
---------------- ---------------- -------------
Operating profit before
depreciation and amortisation 18.5 14.9 31.3
Depreciation and amortisation (6.1) (4.4) (9.9)
==================================================================== ====== ================ ================ =============
Profit from operations 12.4 10.5 21.4
Interest income 0.1 0.1 0.2
==================================================================== ====== ================ ================ =============
Profit before tax 12.5 10.6 21.6
Tax expense 5 (1.4) (2.0) (3.9)
==================================================================== ====== ================ ================ =============
Profit after tax 11.1 8.6 17.7
==================================================================== ====== ================ ================ =============
Total
comprehensive
income
attributable
to the owner
of the
parent 11.1 8.6 17.7
==================================================================== ====== ================ ================ =============
Earnings per share
Basic per ordinary share
(pence) 12.0 9.5 19.4
Fully diluted per ordinary
share (pence) 11.8 9.1 18.8
==================================================================== ====== ================ ================ =============
Condensed consolidated unaudited statement of financial
position
At 30 June 2017
30 June 30 June 31 December
Notes 2017 2016 2016
GBPm GBPm GBPm
Unaudited Unaudited Audited
=============================== ======= =========== ============ ============
Assets
Non-current assets
Property, plant and
equipment 7 36.7 26.7 33.5
Intangible assets 9.8 10.3 10.0
Trade and other receivables 1.0 - -
Deferred tax asset 1.8 2.0 1.8
=============================== ======= =========== ============ ============
49.3 39.0 45.3
=============================== ======= =========== ============ ============
Current assets
Inventories 4.0 2.6 3.0
Trade and other receivables 51.1 39.8 39.9
Cash and cash equivalents 28.7 27.8 28.2
=============================== ======= =========== ============ ============
83.8 70.2 71.1
=============================== ======= =========== ============ ============
Total assets 133.1 109.2 116.4
=============================== ======= =========== ============ ============
Liabilities
Non-current liabilities
Provisions 2.0 1.4 1.9
Deferred tax liability 0.2 0.4 0.2
=============================== ======= =========== ============ ============
2.2 1.8 2.1
=============================== ======= =========== ============ ============
Current liabilities
Trade and other payables 40.8 32.6 32.5
Current tax liability 2.6 2.4 1.6
=============================== ======= =========== ============ ============
43.4 35.0 34.1
=============================== ======= =========== ============ ============
Total liabilities 45.6 36.8 36.2
=============================== ======= =========== ============ ============
Issued capital and reserves
attributable to owners
of the parent
Share capital 8 0.2 0.2 0.2
Share premium reserve 3.8 3.7 3.8
Merger reserve 2.3 2.3 2.3
Share option reserve 2.3 2.7 3.5
Investment in own shares (0.8) (0.8) (0.8)
Retained earnings 79.7 64.3 71.2
=============================== ======= =========== ============ ============
Total equity 87.5 72.4 80.2
=============================== ======= =========== ============ ============
Total equity and liabilities 133.1 109.2 116.4
=============================== ======= =========== ============ ============
Condensed consolidated unaudited statement of cash flows
For the six month period ended 30 June 2017
Six months Six months Year ended
ended ended 31 December
30 June 30 June 2016
Notes 2017 2016 GBPm
GBPm GBPm Audited
Unaudited Unaudited
================================ ======= ============ =========== =============
Cash flows from operating
activities
Profit for the period
before tax 12.5 10.6 21.6
Adjustments for:
Depreciation of property,
plant and equipment 7 5.4 3.8 8.6
Amortisation of intangible
assets 0.7 0.6 1.3
Share based payment expense 1.2 1.4 2.9
Interest income (0.1) (0.1) (0.2)
================================ ======= ============ =========== =============
19.7 16.3 34.2
Increase in trade and
other receivables (11.5) (7.4) (7.3)
Increase in inventories (1.0) (0.3) (0.7)
Increase in trade and
other payables 8.1 5.2 4.6
Increase in provisions
and employee benefits - - 0.5
Taxes paid (1.1) (1.9) (4.8)
================================ ======= ============ =========== =============
Net cash flows from operating
activities 14.2 11.9 26.5
Investing activities
Purchases of property,
plant and equipment (8.6) (7.1) (18.7)
Expenditure on development
costs (0.5) (0.5) (0.9)
Repayment of loans made
to individuals to subscribe
for shares - 2.6 2.6
Interest received 0.1 0.1 0.2
================================ ======= ============ =========== =============
Net cash used in investing
activities (9.0) (4.9) (16.8)
Financing activities
Share issues - - 0.1
Investment in own shares - - -
Dividends paid (4.7) (4.0) (6.4)
================================ ======= ============ =========== =============
Net cash used in financing
activities (4.7) (4.0) (6.3)
Net increase in cash
and cash equivalents 0.5 3.0 3.4
Cash and cash equivalents
at beginning of period 28.2 24.8 24.8
================================ ======= ============ =========== =============
Cash and cash equivalents
at end of period 28.7 27.8 28.2
================================ ======= ============ =========== =============
Condensed consolidated unaudited statement of changes in
equity
For the six month period ended 30 June 2017
Share capital Share premium Merger Share option Investment Retained Total equity
GBPm GBPm reserve reserve in earnings GBPm
GBPm GBPm own shares GBPm
GBPm
========================== ============= ============= ======== ============ =========== ========= ============
1 January 2017 0.2 3.8 2.3 3.5 (0.8) 71.2 80.2
========================== ============= ============= ======== ============ =========== ========= ============
Issue of shares - - - (2.1) - 2.1 -
Recognition of share
based payments - - - 0.9 - - 0.9
Dividends paid - - - - - (4.7) (4.7)
========================== ============= ============= ======== ============ =========== ========= ============
Transaction with owners - - - (1.2) - (2.6) (3.8)
========================== ============= ============= ======== ============ =========== ========= ============
Profit for the period - - - - - 11.1 11.1
========================== ============= ============= ======== ============ =========== ========= ============
Total comprehensive income - - - - - 11.1 11.1
========================== ============= ============= ======== ============ =========== ========= ============
30 June 2017 0.2 3.8 2.3 2.3 (0.8) 79.7 87.5
========================== ============= ============= ======== ============ =========== ========= ============
1 January 2016 0.2 3.7 2.3 3.8 (0.8) 57.5 66.7
========================== ============= ============= ======== ============ =========== ========= ============
Issue of shares - - - (2.2) - 2.2 -
Recognition of share
based payments - - - 1.1 - - 1.1
Dividends paid - - - - - (4.0) (4.0)
========================== ============= ============= ======== ============ =========== ========= ============
Transaction with owners - - - (1.1) - (1.8) (2.9)
========================== ============= ============= ======== ============ =========== ========= ============
Profit for the period - - - - - 8.6 8.6
========================== ============= ============= ======== ============ =========== ========= ============
Total comprehensive income - - - - - 8.6 8.6
========================== ============= ============= ======== ============ =========== ========= ============
30 June 2016 0.2 3.7 2.3 2.7 (0.8) 64.3 72.4
========================== ============= ============= ======== ============ =========== ========= ============
Notes forming part of the condensed consolidated unaudited
interim financial information
For the six month period ended 30 June 2017
1. Basis of preparation
The unaudited interim consolidated financial information for the
six months ended 30 June 2017 has been prepared following the
recognition and measurement principles of IFRS as adopted by the
European Union and in accordance with International Accounting
Standard 34 Interim Financial Reporting ('IAS34'). The interim
consolidated financial information does not include all the
information and disclosures required in the annual financial
information, and should be read in conjunction with the audited
statutory financial statements for the year ended 31 December
2016.
The condensed interim financial information contained in this
interim statement does not constitute financial statements as
defined by section 434(3) of the Companies Act 2006. The condensed
interim financial information has not been audited. The financial
information for the year ended 31 December 2016 is derived from the
audited statutory financial statements for the year ended 31
December 2016, which were unqualified and did not contain any
statement under section 498(2) or 498(3) of the Companies Act
2006.The comparative financial information for the period ended 30
June 2016 does not constitute statutory accounts for that
period.
There are no additional standards or interpretations applicable
to the Group for the accounting period commencing 1 January 2017
for adoption.
In preparing the condensed interim financial information the
Directors have considered the Group's financial projections,
borrowing facilities and other relevant financial matters, and the
Board is satisfied that there is a reasonable expectation that the
Group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence
for the foreseeable future. For this reason the Directors continue
to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial
information. The condensed financial information for the six month
period were approved by the board on 4 September 2017.
2. Accounting policies
The accounting policies adopted are consistent with those
followed in the preparation of the audited statutory financial
statements for the year ended 31 December 2016.
Taxation
Taxes on income in the interim periods are accrued using the tax
rate that is expected apply to total annual earnings.
New accounting standards
Three amendments to IFRSs became effective for the financial
year beginning on 1 January 2017. The changes comprise amendments
to IAS 7 (Cash Flow Statements) and IAS 12 (Income Taxes) and the
annual improvements project 2014-2016 relating to IFRS 12
(Disclosure of interests in other entities).
The amendments to IAS 7 (Cash Flow Statements) requires a
disclosure of changes in liabilities arising from financing
activities. This amendment is not required for interim financial
statements and has not yet been endorsed by the European Union. The
Directors expect to provide these additional disclosures in the
Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2017.
The changes to IAS 12 (Income Taxes) and IFRS 12 (Disclosure of
interests in other entities) do not have an impact on the Group's
financial statements.
There are two new accounting standards which will come into
effect shortly and are expected to have an effect on companies
within our industry (and many others). These are IFRS15 "Revenue
from Contracts with Customers" and IFRS16 "Leases". These standards
are expected to have a noticeable effect on both the timing of
recognition of revenue items and also where revenue and costs
appear within the Statement of Comprehensive Income.
IFRS 9 (Financial Instruments) has also been revised but this is
not expected to have a material effect on the Group.
Gamma intends to adopt these in the Financial Statements for the
year ended 31 December 2018 (i.e. the transition date will be 1
January 2018). Therefore IFRS16 will be early adopted.
Implementation of IFRS 15 and 16
Gamma has been working with its auditors and other advisors to
consider how these new standards will affect the results. Whilst
Gamma does not offer a full reconciliation of the 2017 interim
results from the former standards to the new standards, we take
this opportunity to set out below a summary of how the changes in
standards are likely to affect Gamma's financial statements in 2018
and beyond.
In summary -
-- We do not expect significant changes in the timing of recognition of overall earnings.
-- We do not expect EPS to be materially affected.
-- We expect material changes to EBITDA as items which were
shown as depreciation will now be shown within operating profit and
vice-versa. Gamma's history of strong EBITDA growth would have
occurred under either the new or the old accounting standards.
-- We will provide a full reconciliation with the year end results.
IFRS15 - Revenue from Contracts with Customers
Gamma (working with its advisors) has identified four areas
where the new standard will change existing accounting
policies.
Sales of Cloud PBX via the "Upfront Subscription" model
Most Channel Partners purchase our Cloud PBX on a "per seat, per
month" basis (i.e. the same fee is charged each month for each
seat). However, some purchase the product by paying an "up front"
subscription followed by a reduced monthly amount. Historically,
the revenue for the subscription has been taken at the time of
sale. However, IFRS 15 will require this revenue to be amortised
over the likely length of usage of the product. Sales of this type
in the first half of 2017 totalled GBP3.2m which has been
recognised as revenue in these interim statements. Under IFRS15
this would have been deferred and recognised over (on average) 48
months. Note that revenue recognised in previous periods would also
be deferred into the first half of 2017 under IFRS 15 and therefore
(assuming that sales do not fluctuate significantly) the effect on
revenues overall is not expected to be significant.
Were sales of this variant of the Cloud PBX product to fluctuate
significantly in the second half of 2017 and 2018 then the
transitional adjustment would be greater than we presently
expect.
Customer Premises Equipment
When Gamma sells our Cloud PBX product or our Data products,
customers are allowed to use a piece of equipment (a phone or a
router) which enhances the service experience. Historically, these
pieces of equipment (known as Customer Premises Equipment or CPE)
have been capitalised, held as tangible assets on Gamma's Statement
of Financial Position and amortised over the length of the
contract. IFRS 15 requires that they be treated as separate sales
and therefore at the inception of the service when the CPE is
shipped, an accrued revenue balance is created to offset the cost
of the asset which is taken to cost of sales. This accrued revenue
balance is released over the length of the contract. The effect of
this is that the debit to the Statement of Comprehensive Income
which had historically gone through the "depreciation" line as a
monthly charge over the expected useful life of the asset will now
be reported monthly as a reduction in revenue. There is also a
small timing difference because the original sale will be made at a
small margin (typically between 5-10%) which has the effect of
accelerating the recognition of a small amount of profit on the
sale.
In the first half of 2017 the amount of CPE capitalised was
GBP5.1m and the depreciation charge was GBP2.4m. The adoption of
IFRS15 would have a small effect on EPS but a significant negative
impact on EBITDA (because depreciation has, in effect, been
replaced by "negative revenue"). As for the above, the conclusion
that there is small effect on EPS relies on the assumption that
provision of CPE is in line with the current trends.
Installation costs
In our Direct Business, Gamma will sometimes incur "installation
costs" at the start of a contract which are not passed on to a
customer. These costs are taken as they are incurred. Under IFRS
15, they will be allocated to the initial equipment sale and the
ongoing service revenues (the latter element will be capitalised
and amortised over the length of the contract). This has the effect
of recognising profit at an earlier stage of the contract than
under the present policy.
The level of installation costs in the first half of 2017 was
GBP2.4m. The impact is not expected to be significant. It may be
slightly positive or negative (for both EBITDA and EPS) depending
on the level of installation costs on new contracts won compared to
corresponding amounts in previous years.
Commission payments to sales staff
In our Direct Business, when a member of the sales team is
responsible for winning a multi-year term contract they will
receive commission. Historically, this was expensed at the time it
was paid. IFRS15 requires that this be capitalised and amortised
over the length of the contract which has the effect of increasing
profit in the period in which the commission is paid (and therefore
decreasing it in future periods).
The level of such commission paid in the first half of 2017 was
GBP1.2m. Because of the growth of the Direct Business, the amounts
paid are increasing year-on-year and hence the impact of this
change will be to increase EPS and EBITDA but not
significantly.
IFRS16
IFRS 16 specifies how an IFRS reporter will recognise, measure,
present and disclose leases. The standard provides a single lessee
accounting model, requiring lessees to recognise assets and
liabilities for all leases unless the lease term is twelve months
or less or the underlying asset has a low value.
Gamma has a number of leased properties for which the accounting
will be different in future. The effect on the Statement of
Comprehensive Income is that costs which had previously been shown
as "operating expenses" will now be shown as depreciation and a
small amount of interest (the latter driven by the fact that the
future liability is discounted). The effect of discounting will
also skew the lease costs towards the start of a lease and this
effect is most marked when interest rates are high.
Total lease payments which will be treated in this way were
GBP0.8m in the first half of 2017. This change is unlikely to
affect EPS (unless interest rates increase substantially such that
the discounting element becomes material) but will increase EBITDA
as costs which were shown as operating expenses become, in effect,
depreciation.
Taxation in respect of new accounting standards
We expect the overall cumulative effect on transition will be a
reduction to retained earnings and this will result in a one-off
tax benefit in 2018. This one-off benefit will be taken to reserves
but will result in reduced payments for Corporation Tax in 2018.
This has not yet been quantified.
Judgements and estimates
Some of the significant accounting policies require management
to make difficult, subjective or complex judgements or estimates.
The policies which management consider critical because of the
level of complexity, judgement or estimation involved in their
application and their impact on the financial Information are:
-- Revenue recognition
-- Taxation
-- Leasehold dilapidations
-- Capitalisation of internal development costs
-- Onerous lease provisions
Adjusted measures
Adjustments to EBITDA, PBT, EPS and net operating cash inflow
have been presented because the Group believes that adjusted
measures provide valuable additional information for users of the
financial statements in assessing the Group's performance.
Moreover, they provide information on the performance of the
business that management is more directly able to influence and on
a basis comparable from year to year.
For example, to ensure trading performance year-on-year is not
flattered by the unwinding of an exceptional share award made at
the time of the float, Share Based Payments are removed from
adjusted EBITDA, PBT and EPS to allow a user to obtain a better
understanding of the trading performance.
Share based payment expense
The adjusted EBITDA excludes Share Based Payment expense because
the historical charges are inflated by significant levels of awards
made at IPO and have reduced significantly period on period. The
charge includes options being issued to senior management, an SAYE
and a SIP scheme offered to all staff, and the costs of Employer's
National Insurance on share option gains. Because of the special
float award made in 2014, the Share Based Payment charges have
decreased year-on-year and this leads to increases in EBITDA, PBT
and EPS which are not reflective of the business performance but
are merely reflective of the fact that lower levels of options have
been awarded post float. Therefore management excludes Share Based
Payments from the adjusted figures to ensure that the trading
performance of the business is properly understood. This exclusion
will be reviewed in future years and when the levels of option
awards have stabilised will be removed from the adjustments.
Other non-recurring items
Non-recurring items are those which are considered significant
by virtue of their nature, size or incidence, and are presented
separately in the Statement of Comprehensive Income to enable a
full understanding of the Group's financial performance.
There were none in the period or comparative period which
affected EBITDA or PBT.
Depreciation and amortisation
Depreciation and amortisation relate to assets which were
acquired by the Group, mainly in previous periods. They are omitted
from adjusted operating expenses to allow a user to see how costs
which management can control in the short term have varied from
period to period.
Brexit
Britain's impending departure from the EU creates uncertainty
and will result in changes for some businesses. This is likely to
produce both risks and opportunities for Gamma. The main risks
anticipated are; possible reduction in economic activity across the
UK, possible long term reduction in the size of the financial
sector in London, possible increases in costs of international call
termination and international roaming charges. Gamma will manage
its pricing policies and its contractual arrangements with
customers and suppliers in the light of the evolution of the
government's Brexit negotiations.
3. Segment information
The Group has two operating segments:
(R) Indirect - This division sells Gamma's traditional and
growth products and services to channel partners and contributed
76.6% (2016: 79.3%) of the Group's external revenue; and
(R) Direct - This division sells Gamma's traditional and growth
products and services to end users in the SME, Enterprise and
public sectors. They contributed 23.4% (2016: 20.7%) of the Group's
external revenues.
There are no material non UK segments and no material
non-current assets outside the UK.
Both operating segments sell a combination of traditional
products (which is mainly voice traffic from which revenues are
derived from channel partners and other carriers as well as rentals
for wholesale lines) and growth products (which consist of IP voice
traffic, rental income derived from SIP Trunking, hosted IP voice
systems and Gamma's hosted inbound product and data products).
Factors that management used to identify the Group's reportable
segments
The Group's reportable segments are strategic business units
that offer products and services into different markets. They are
managed separately
because each business requires different marketing strategies
and are reported separately to the Board and management team.
Measurement of operating segment profit or loss, assets and
liabilities
The accounting policies of the operating segments are the same
as those described in the summary of significant accounting
policies.
The Group evaluates performance on the basis of profit or loss
from operations but excluding the effects of share based
payments.
Inter-segment sales are priced along the same lines as sales to
external customers, with an appropriate discount being applied to
encourage use of Group resources at a rate acceptable to local tax
authorities. This policy was applied consistently throughout the
current and prior period.
Indirect Direct Total
GBPm GBPm GBPm
==================================== ======== ====== =====
Period to 30 June 2017
Traditional products and services 26.1 5.8 31.9
Growth (being strategic and
enabling) products and services 62.0 21.1 83.1
==================================== ======== ====== =====
Total revenue from external
customers 88.1 26.9 115.0
==================================== ======== ====== =====
Inter-segment revenue 6.7 - 6.7
Traditional products and services 6.8 1.9 8.7
Growth (being strategic and
enabling) products and services 34.9 10.5 45.4
==================================== ======== ====== =====
Total gross profit 41.7 12.4 54.1
==================================== ======== ====== =====
Segment operating profit before
share based payment, depreciation,
amortisation and non-recurring
items 13.8 5.9 19.7
Share based payment expense (1.2) - (1.2)
-------- ------ -----
Segment EBITDA 12.6 5.9 18.5
Depreciation and amortisation (5.6) (0.5) (6.1)
==================================== ======== ====== =====
Segment profit 7.0 5.4 12.4
==================================== ======== ====== =====
Interest income 0.1 - 0.1
Tax (0.6) (0.8) (1.4)
==================================== ======== ====== =====
Group profit after tax 6.5 4.6 11.1
==================================== ======== ====== =====
External revenue of customers has been derived principally from
the United Kingdom and no single customer contributes more than 10%
of revenue.
Indirect Direct Total
GBPm GBPm GBPm
================================ ======== ====== =====
Additions to non-current assets 8.4 0.7 9.1
================================ ======== ====== =====
Reportable segment assets 116.5 16.6 133.1
================================ ======== ====== =====
Reportable segment liabilities 37.1 8.5 45.6
================================ ======== ====== =====
Indirect Direct Total
GBPm GBPm GBPm
==================================== ======== ====== =====
Period to 30 June 2016
Traditional products and services 28.1 5.3 33.4
Growth (being strategic and
enabling) products and services 54.9 16.4 71.3
==================================== ======== ====== =====
Total revenue from external
customers 83.0 21.7 104.7
==================================== ======== ====== =====
Inter-segment revenue 7.3 - 7.3
Traditional products and services 8.5 2.0 10.5
Growth (being strategic and
enabling) products and services 29.1 8.1 37.2
==================================== ======== ====== =====
Total gross profit 37.6 10.1 47.7
==================================== ======== ====== =====
Segment operating profit before
share based payment, depreciation,
amortisation and non-recurring
items 11.8 4.5 16.3
Share based payment expense (1.4) - (1.4)
-------- ------ -----
Segment EBITDA 10.4 4.5 14.9
Depreciation and amortisation (4.0) (0.4) (4.4)
==================================== ======== ====== =====
Segment profit 6.4 4.1 10.5
==================================== ======== ====== =====
Interest income 0.1 - 0.1
Tax (1.2) (0.8) (2.0)
==================================== ======== ====== =====
Group profit after tax 5.3 3.3 8.6
==================================== ======== ====== =====
External revenue of customers has been derived principally from
the United Kingdom and no single customer contributes more than 10%
of revenue.
Indirect Direct Total
GBPm GBPm GBPm
================================ ======== ====== =====
Additions to non-current assets 7.3 0.3 7.6
================================ ======== ====== =====
Reportable segment assets 77.1 32.1 109.2
================================ ======== ====== =====
Reportable segment liabilities 14.9 21.9 36.8
================================ ======== ====== =====
4. Non-recurring items
There were no non-recurring items in either period affecting
EBITDA or PBT.
5. Taxation on profit on ordinary activities
Tax expense is recognised based on management's best estimate of
the weighted average annual tax rate expected for the full year.
The estimated average annual tax rate used for the year to 31
December 2017 is 18.4% (the estimated tax rate for the first half
to 30 June 2016 was 18.9%).
Taxes on profit in the interim periods are accrued using the tax
rate that would be applicable to expected total annual
earnings.
Six months Six months
ended ended
30 June 30 June
2017 2016
GBPm GBPm
--------------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------
Current tax expense
Current tax on profits for the year 2.4 2.1
Adjustment in respect of prior year (0.9) -
--------------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------
Total current tax 1.5 2.1
--------------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------
Deferred tax expense
Origination and reversal of temporary differences (0.1) (0.1)
--------------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------
Total tax expense 1.4 2.0
--------------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------
The reasons for the difference between the actual tax charge for
the year and the standard rate of corporation tax in the United
Kingdom applied to profits for the year are as follows:
Six months Six months
ended ended
30 June 30 June
2017 2016
GBPm GBPm
------------------------------------------------ ----------- -----------
Profit before income taxes 12.5 10.6
Expected tax charge based on the standard
rate of United Kingdom corporation tax
at the domestic rate of 19.25% (2016: 20.25%) 2.4 2.1
Additional deduction for R&D expenditure (0.1) (0.1)
Adjustment in respect of prior year (0.9) -
------------------------------------------------ ----------- -----------
Total tax expense 1.4 2.0
------------------------------------------------ ----------- -----------
The Finance Act 2016 includes provision for the main rate of
corporation tax to reduce to 17% for the year beginning 1 April
2020.
6. Adjusted earnings per share and dividends
Adjusted earnings per share
The calculation of basic earnings per Ordinary Share is based on
a profit after tax of GBP11.1 m for the six months ended 30 June
2017 (Six months ended 30 June 2016: GBP8.6m) and 92,239,933
Ordinary Shares for the six months ended 30 June 2017 (Six months
ended 30 June 2016: 90,799,608 Ordinary Shares), being the weighted
average number of Ordinary Shares in issue during the period.
The fully diluted earnings per Ordinary Share is calculated by
including in the weighted average number of shares the dilutive
effect of potential Ordinary Shares related to committed share
options. For the six months ended 30 June 2017 the fully diluted
Ordinary Shares were based on 94,193,010 Ordinary Shares (Six
months ended 30 June 2016: 94,286,518) that included 1,953,077
potential Ordinary Shares (Six months ended 30 June 2016:
3,486,910).
The following reflects the income and share data used in the
calculation of adjusted earnings per share computations before
share based payments, one-off costs and their associated tax
effect.
Six months Six months
ended ended
30 June 30 June
2017 2016
GBPm GBPm
Unaudited Unaudited
======================================= ========== ==========
Profit for the year 11.1 8.6
Tax adjustment in respect of prior
years (0.9) -
Share based payment costs 1.2 1.4
Less tax benefit associated with share
based payment costs (0.3) (0.5)
======================================= ========== ==========
Adjusted profit after tax for the year 11.1 9.5
======================================= ========== ==========
The adjusted fully diluted earnings per Ordinary Share is
calculated by including in the weighted average number of shares
the dilutive effect of all potential Ordinary Shares as management
believe they will all be exercised. For the six months ended 30
June 2017 the fully diluted Ordinary Shares were based on
95,326,426 Ordinary Shares (Six months ended 30 June 2016:
94,395,910) that included 3,086,493 potential Ordinary Shares (Six
months ended 30 June 2016: 3,596,302).
Six months Six months
ended ended
30 June 30 June
2017 2016
No. No.
Unaudited Unaudited
============================================ ========== ==========
EPS
-------------------------------------------- ---------- ----------
Weighted average number of Ordinary
Shares for basic earnings per share 92,239,933 90,799,608
Effect of dilution resulting from share
options 1,953,077 3,486,910
============================================ ========== ==========
Weighted average number of Ordinary
Shares adjusted for the effect of dilution 94,193,010 94,286,518
-------------------------------------------- ---------- ----------
Adjusted EPS
-------------------------------------------- ---------- ----------
Weighted average number of Ordinary
Shares for basic earnings per share 92,239,933 90,799,608
Effect of dilution resulting from share
options 3,086,493 3,596,302
============================================ ========== ==========
Weighted average number of Ordinary
Shares adjusted for the effect of dilution 95,326,426 94,395,910
============================================ ========== ==========
Adjusted earnings per Ordinary Share
- basic (pence) 12.0 10.5
Adjusted earnings per Ordinary Share
- fully diluted (pence) 11.6 10.1
============================================ ========== ==========
For statutory Earnings Per Share, the number of shares used for
the fully diluted calculation is prescribed by IFRS 2. For adjusted
Earnings Per Share, the Company produces a calculation formulated
on management's judgement of the number of options which will vest
based on full management forecasts and budgets.
There have been no material transactions involving Ordinary
Shares or potential shares between the reporting date and the date
of completion of the financial statements.
Dividends
A final dividend of 5.0p was paid on the 19 June 2017 (2016:
4.4p).
The Board have declared an interim dividend of 2.8p per share
payable on 19 October 2017 to shareholders on the register as at 22
September 2017. In the prior year an interim dividend of 2.5p was
paid
7. Property, plant and equipment
Customer
Network Premises Computer Fixtures
assets equipment equipment and Total
GBPm GBPm GBPm fittings GBPm
GBPm
====================== ========= ========== =========== ========== =======
Cost
At 1 January 2017 54.5 13.3 6.2 0.7 74.7
Additions 3.1 5.1 0.3 0.1 8.6
Disposals - (0.5) - - (0.5)
At 30 June 2017 57.6 17.9 6.5 0.8 82.8
====================== ========= ========== =========== ========== =======
Depreciation
At 1 January 2017 33.6 4.0 3.4 0.2 41.2
Charge for the period 2.4 2.4 0.5 0.1 5.4
Disposals - (0.4) - (0.1) (0.5)
At 30 June 2017 36.0 6.0 3.9 0.2 46.1
====================== ========= ========== =========== ========== =======
Net book value
At 1 January 2017 20.9 9.3 2.8 0.5 33.5
====================== ========= ========== =========== ========== =======
At 30 June 2017 21.6 11.9 2.6 0.6 36.7
====================== ========= ========== =========== ========== =======
Cost
At 1 January 2016 45.9 5.8 4.6 0.5 56.8
Additions 2.5 3.7 0.8 0.1 7.1
Disposals - (0.4) - (0.1) (0.5)
At 30 June 2016 48.4 9.1 5.4 0.5 63.4
====================== ========= ========== =========== ========== =======
Depreciation
At 1 January 2016 29.4 1.7 2.2 0.1 33.4
Charge for the period 1.9 1.3 0.5 0.1 3.8
Disposals - (0.4) - (0.1) (0.5)
At 30 June 2016 31.3 2.6 2.7 0.1 36.7
====================== ========= ========== =========== ========== =======
Net book value
At 1 January 2016 16.5 4.1 2.4 0.4 23.4
====================== ========= ========== =========== ========== =======
At 30 June 2016 17.1 6.5 2.7 0.4 26.7
====================== ========= ========== =========== ========== =======
The estimated cost of the property, plant and equipment which
the Group is contractually committed to purchase at 30 June 2017 is
GBP1.6m (30 June 2016: GBPnil).
8. Share capital
2017 2017
Number GBPm
----------------------------------- ----------- ------
1 January 2017
Ordinary Shares of GBP0.0025 each 91,751,499 0.2
Number Notes
----------------------------------- ----------- ------
1 January 2017 91,751,499
27 March 2017 272,992 (a)
10 May 2017 1,224,949 (a)
30 June 2017 93,249,440
----------------------------------- ----------- ------
(a) Ordinary shares were issued to satisfy options which have been exercised.
2017 2017
Number GBPm
----------------------------------- ----------- -----
30 June 2017
Ordinary Shares of GBP0.0025 each 93,249,440 0.2
9. Related party transactions
Dividends totalling GBP0.4m (being the final dividend for 2016)
were paid in the first half of the year in respect of ordinary
shares held by the Company's directors (2016: GBP0.3m).
10. Events after the reporting date
There were no reportable events after the balance sheet
date.
11. Ultimate controlling party
There is no ultimate controlling party. Gamma Communications plc
is the ultimate controlling party of the Gamma Communications
Group.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
IR BLGDCIBGBGRS
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 05, 2017 02:00 ET (06:00 GMT)
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