TIDMWEY
RNS Number : 3863F
Wey Education PLC
29 October 2018
29 October 2018
WEY EDUCATION PLC
("Wey", the "Group" or the "Company")
PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS
FOR THE YEARED 31 AUGUST 2018
Wey Education plc (AIM: WEY) the educational services group
announces the Group's results for the year to 31 August 2018.
HIGHLIGHTS:
-- Turnover increased 72.6% to GBP4.2 million (2017: GBP2.4 million)
-- Adjusted EBITDA up 162% at GBP452,569 (2017: GBP172,419)
-- Adjusted EPS almost doubled to 0.33p (2017:0.17p)
-- Academy 21 acquisition successfully integrated into group
-- Turnover expected to grow significantly again in current year
-- Encouraging start to current financial year
-- At year end, cash balances totalled over GBP4.0m (2017: GBP1.0m)
Commenting on the results, David Massie (Executive Chairman)
said:
"Wey had an excellent year in terms of turnover growth,
technical implementation and the acquisition of Academy 21. With
substantial cash resources of over GBP4 million we are well placed
for further significant growth in the current year and beyond. In
setting our budget for this year the Board has taken a prudent
approach to the timing of overseas expansion and expects to hit its
core targets primarily through organic growth. Any acceleration of
overseas revenues will enhance the group's results"
Enquires:
+44 (0) 207 518 9700
Wey Education plc +44 (0) 7785 957
David L Massie (Executive Chairman) 958
WH Ireland Limited
(Nominated Adviser and Broker)
Mike Coe / Chris Savidge (Corporate
Finance) +44 (0) 117 945 3470
Certain information contained in this announcement would have
constituted inside information (as defined by Article 7 of
Regulation (EU) No 596/2014) ("MAR") prior to its release as part
of this announcement and is disclosed in accordance with the
Company's obligations under Article 17 of MAR.
Executive Chairman's Statement
I am very pleased to report to shareholders on a year of
significant growth and achievement.
Financial Highlights
Group turnover of GBP4.2 million for the year to 31 August 2018
(2016/17 GBP2.4 million) represented growth of 72.6% year on year.
It included partial contribution from Academy 21 which was acquired
in December 2017. Underlying turnover grew by approximately
29.2%.
Much of this year has been spent on building the foundations for
further growth and, in certain areas, spending was at higher than
normal annual levels. In accordance with IFRS all this expenditure
will be expensed in the Company's audited accounts for the year
ending 31 August 2018. However, to provide shareholders with a more
meaningful method of measuring the Group's progress, year on year,
we have calculated our Adjusted EBITDA to reflect non-recurring
costs as set out below.
2017/18 2016/17
REVENUE
Existing activities 3,138,207 2,429,055
Acquisition 1,053,666 -
------------ ------------
TOTAL 4,191,873 2,429,055
Cost of sales (1,950,045) (1,221,009)
GROSS PROFIT 2,241,828 1,208,046
Adjusted administrative expenses (1,789,259) (1,035,627)
Adjusted EBITDA 452,569 172,419
------------ ------------
Adjusted EPS (p) 0.37 0.17
Adjusted Fully Diluted EPS (p) 0.33 0.15
This calculation includes a total of GBP238,466 of
non-continuing marketing and international costs which have been
added back to arrive at adjusted EBITDA.
The statutory loss was GBP196,381 (2017: profit GBP17,630) and
the EPS loss was 0.16p (EPS 2017: 0.02p)
The Group remains well funded for future expansion with cash
balances of over GBP4.2 million at year end which have increased
since.
Operational Review
The Group undertook a number of significant initiatives during
the year.
-- The Group's new "state of the art" online learning platform
went live on 1 September 2017 and has performed extremely well and
has attracted praise from both teachers and students. This new
technology cements the Group's position as the leading online
schools group in the UK. The Learning Platform combines a number of
market leading software packages to produce a powerful, flexible IT
system capable of delivering lessons to anywhere in the world with
an internet connection. The Learning Platform has been designed to
be scalable to almost any quantum of student use and is available
to students in all our target geographic locations 24 hours a day,
7 days a week, 365 days a year.
-- During the year a number of marketing initiatives were
trialled including large scale brand awareness campaigns, but
results suggest that in both student recruitment and overall spend
these were not as effective as the Group's traditional online
marketing and use of social media. Concentration of marketing
efforts in the current year has reverted to our traditional
channels and is showing a significant increase in opportunities
already.
-- The core Interhigh business grew turnover by 20% and it is
expected that this will accelerate in the current year.
-- In December 2017 the Company acquired Academy 21, a provider
of online secondary teaching to pupils in the state school and
other public-sector bodies. The acquisition has been successfully
integrated and has performed very well with both sales growth and
improved profitability post acquisition. The Group has created a
unified B2B sales force, closed the Academy 21 local office and
integrated all administrative and accounting systems. B2B revenues
grew more than management anticipated and further expansion is
expected in 2018/19.
-- The group concluded a GBP5 million oversubscribed placing at
22p per share in November 2017 primarily with institutional
investors. The funds were partly used for the acquisition of
Academy 21 and to fund other initiatives. At the year end, the
Group retains substantial cash resources of GBP4.2m.
-- In addition to my own move from non-executive to Executive
Chairman, two senior appointments were made in 2018. Barry
Nichols-Grey was appointed Company Secretary and Finance Director
(designate) in April 2018. Barry has now been promoted to Executive
Director and joins the Plc board. Tony Knowles joined as Executive
Director of Human Resources in May 2018, reflecting the importance
of human resources in our otherwise online business where the
majority of our staff work remotely from Head Office.
Geographic Analysis
The Group has an active export business served from the UK. An
analysis of turnover for the year shows that 14.8% of 2018 turnover
arose outside the UK (2017: 23.6%) which reflected growth in the UK
business rather than a decline in export sales. At GBP620,259
(2017: GBP573,112) export sales were up 8.2%.
Middle
UK Europe East Africa Other countries Total
2018 GBP GBP GBP GBP GBP GBP
Online Education 3,553,063 275,949 183,715 29,531 132,064 4,174,322
Other 17,551 - - - - 17,551
3,570,614 275,949 183,715 29,531 132,064 4,191,873
2017 GBP GBP GBP GBP GBP GBP
Online Education 1,830,809 246,493 165,777 54,123 106,719 2,403,921
Other 25,134 - - - - 25,134
Total 1,855,943 246,493 165,777 54,123 106,719 2,429,055
The Group is making further efforts to expand its export and
overseas business as detailed below.
Artificial Intelligence ("AI")
The Group has taken its first steps on AI introducing certain
features into lessons. Further applications have been commissioned
in areas such as "induction of new pupils" to automate current
manual processes. A longer-term plan for greater use of AI is under
development and the Group is conducting further research in
partnership with the University of South Wales.
Staffing and Premises
Management functions, administrative staff and senior teaching
personnel are based at the Group's administrative headquarters in
Crickhowell, Wales while teaching staff are home based. At 1
September 2018, analysis of the Group's staff was as follows: -
Age Bracket Number
of Staff
19-28 : 6
29-38 : 23
39-48 : 33
49-58 : 28
59-68 : 18
69-78 : 2
Total 110
As of 1 September 2018, most of our teaching staff moved to a
new form of employment contract which provides for greater
flexibility in teaching hours over that in a typical 'teaching'
contract. This will assist us in broadening our time zone offering
both in the UK and overseas.
Overseas Update
In addition to its traditional export businesses the Group is
developing a number of overseas channels. Since year end we have
reported on our new venture in Nigeria and the work necessary to
both launch the traditional British curriculum and to teach the
Nigerian curriculum online continues. We are pleased with progress
to date.
We are progressing opportunities in Kenya and the Middle East to
offer both our British Curriculum and English Language
teaching.
Shareholders will be aware that the Group believes that
expansion into China holds great potential for growth in both
revenues and profitability. However, the company is only prepared
to make the necessary investment when it is satisfied that on
matters of transparency and compliance, the local systems adopted
will be compatible with those required of an AIM listed company in
London. At the current time, we continue to discuss how this will
be achieved with our potential partners but continue preparatory
works in the interim.
The Directors anticipate that overall revenues from overseas
operations will be modest in 2018/19 and concentrated in the second
half of the year.
Outlook
The Group remains in a dynamic phase of expansion offering a
market leading product to a largely untapped sector. The year has
started encouragingly and sales activity in the Interhigh and B2B
divisions are materially ahead of the equivalent position at this
time last year.
The Group's emphasis this year is to generate more sales
utilising the new Learning Platform and in particular to grow its
core InterHigh and B2B sales while nurturing its businesses in
development stage including Quoralexis, our online English language
school. The Group has a number of other initiatives under
consideration but will be careful to balance the time, commitment
and expense of these with building on the excellent progress made
in its core divisions over the last two years.
The Board has recently reviewed its plans and budgets for the
coming year and while setting challenging targets which will see
the group expand significantly, has decided to be very prudent in
relation to the pace at which it assumes its overseas sales will
grow. Average growth of group turnover in the last three years has
been 66% per annum. The Board's ambition is to maintain that trend
in the current year and beyond and any acceleration in overseas
development should enhance this figure further.
It is expected that the emphasis placed upon core Interhigh
recruitment and B2B will influence results throughout the year
while other initiatives will be concentrated in the second
half.
Capital Reconstruction
The Capital Reconstruction approved by shareholders at the
General Meeting on 24 September 2018 awaits a further court hearing
for the High Court to sanction the proposals. Assuming such is
granted, the effects will be reflected in the 2018/19 accounts. A
further RNS will be made when the process is complete.
Shareholders
The prevalence of nominee holdings makes it difficult for listed
companies to communicate directly with its shareholders. Therefore,
the Directors were very pleased that a number of individual
shareholders were able to attend its private investor shareholder
evenings held in London during the year. The Company intends to
repeat the event in the New Year, around the time of its Annual
General Meeting. The Group's provisional reporting timetable for
2018/19 is as follows:
Date of AGM 25 February 2019
Publication of Interim Results 13 May 2019
Preliminary Announcement 11 November 2019
David L. Massie
Executive Chairman
WEY EDUCATION PLC
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
YEARED 31 AUGUST 2018
Year ended 31 Year ended 31
August 2018 August 2017
CONTINUING OPERATIONS GBP GBP
REVENUE 4,191,873 2,429,055
Cost of sales (1,950,045) (1,221,009)
GROSS PROFIT 2,241,828 1,208,046
Administrative expenses (2,027,725) (1,035,627)
EBITDA 214,103 172,419
Depreciation (36,479) (10,823)
Amortisation (189,378) (160,000)
Equity based share awards (95,452) (107,555)
Equity based share payments - (33,000)
Exceptional income 7,500 156,533
Exceptional items (130,603) -
Other operating income 400 -
OPERATING (LOSS)/PROFIT (229,909) 17,574
Finance income 433 56
(LOSS)/PROFIT BEFORE TAXATION (229,476) 17,630
Taxation 33,095 -
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR
THE YEAR (196,381) 17,630
Earnings per share
Basic Earnings per share (0.16p) 0.02p
Diluted Earnings per share (0.16p) 0.02p
The Group has no recognised gains or losses other than the
results for the year as set out above.
WEY EDUCATION PLC
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
AS AT 31 AUGUST 2018
31 31
August August
2018 2017
GBP GBP
NON CURRENT ASSETS
Goodwill 1,630,939 201,217
Intangible assets 562,645 737,119
Tangible fixed assets 188,859 102,378
Total non current assets 2,382,443 1,040,714
CURRENT ASSETS
Trade and other receivables 732,234 266,246
Cash and cash equivalents 4,225,182 1,005,120
Total current assets 4,957,416 1,271,366
TOTAL ASSETS 7,339,859 2,312,080
EQUITY AND LIABILITIES
EQUITY AND RESERVES
Share capital 1,307,072 1,039,685
Share premium 7,515,023 2,868,263
Option reserve 110,323 77,288
Retained earnings (2,498,969) (2,323,251)
Total equity and reserves 6,433,449 1,661,985
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Trade and other payables 203,253 167,899
Accruals, deferred income,
receipts in advance and refundable
deposits 703,157 482,196
Total current liabilities 906,410 650,095
TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 7,339,859 2,312,080
WEY EDUCATION PLC
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
YEARED 31 AUGUST 2018
Share Share Option Retained Total
Capital Premium Reserve Earnings
GBP GBP GBP GBP GBP
At 1 September 2016 957,712 2,695,844 48,135 (2,409,283) 1,292,408
Comprehensive Income
Profit for the year - - - 17,630 17,630
Total Comprehensive
Income - - - 17,630 17,630
Transaction with
owners
Issue of shares - - - - -
for cash
Issue of shares
for deferred consideration 26,404 75,250 - - 101,654
Equity based share
payments 8,505 24,495 - - 33,000
Exercise of share
options 47,064 72,674 (77,182) 67,182 109,738
Transfer on lapsing
of share options - - (1,220) 1,220 -
Equity based share
awards - - 107,555 - 107,555
Total Transaction
with owners 81,973 172,419 29,153 68,402 351,947
At 1 September 2017 1,039,685 2,868,263 77,288 (2,323,251) 1,661,985
Comprehensive Income
Loss for the year - - - (196,381) (196,381)
Total Comprehensive
Income - - - (196,381) (196,381)
Transaction with
owners
Issue of shares
for cash 227,273 4,772,727 - - 5,000,000
Exercise of share
options and warrants 40,114 157,954 (20,663) 20,663 198,068
Expenses associated
with share issue (283,921) (283,921)
Equity based share
awards - - 53,698 - 53,698
Total Transaction
with owners 267,387 4,646,760 33,035 20,663 4,967,845
At 31 August 2018 1,307,072 7,515,023 110,323 (2,498,969) 6,433,449
WEY EDUCATION PLC
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2018
GROUP
31 31
August August
2018 2017
GBP GBP
Cash flows from operating activities
Profit/(Loss) before taxation (229,476) 17,630
Adjustments for:
Amortisation 189,378 160,000
Depreciation 36,479 10,823
Loss on disposal of fixed assets - 544
Finance costs (433) (56)
Equity based share payments - 33,000
Equity based share awards 53,698 107,555
Taxation 33,095 -
Changes in working capital:
Trade and other receivables (206,494) (49,142)
Trade and other payables (64,626) 158,737
Accruals, deferred income, receipts in advance
and refundable deposits (50,480) 112,394
Net cash generated from/(used in) operating
activities (238,859) 439,091
Cash flow from financing activities
Issue of shares 4,914,147 109,738
Net cash (used in)/generated from financing
activities 4,914,147 109,738
Cash flow from investing activities
Acquisition of business net of cash (1,338,279) (101,654)
Interest received/(paid) 433 56
Purchase of intangible assets (14,904) (267,388)
Proceeds from sale of assets - 83
Purchase of fixed assets (102,476) (84,748)
Net cash (used in)/generated from investing
activities (1,455,226) (453,651)
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 3,220,062 95,178
Cash and cash equivalents brought forward 1,005,120 909,942
Cash and cash equivalents carried forward 4,225,182 1,005,120
WEY EDUCATION PLC
NOTES TO THE RESULTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2018
1. The financial information set out above does not constitute
statutory accounts for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006.
These financial statements have not been reviewed or approved by
the Group's auditors.
2. Wey Education Plc has adopted International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"), IFRIC interpretations and the Companies Act 2006 as applicable to companies reporting under IFRS.
Note to editors
The Group
The Group is a provider of online educational services teaching
both the British academic curriculum (Years 5 - 13) and also
operates an online English language school. Founded in 2005, it is
the market leader and has successfully educated thousands of
students.
The main operating divisions are: -
InterHigh (www.interhigh.com), a non-selective fee-paying
secondary school, established in 2005 and a pioneer in online
education. It provides live, interactive teaching of the British
curriculum for years 5 - 13 including teaching both iGCSE and A
levels and with some vocational courses, particularly in computer
gaming. It is a complete school with full academic, pastoral and
enrichment programmes ensuring that the young people who join the
school study successfully for their future career choices.
InterHigh continues to expand and pupil numbers are at an all-time
high.
Wey ecademy (www.weyecademy.com) was established in 2016/17 but
now also includes the Academy 21 business bought in December 2017.
Wey ecademy is the Group's B2B division. It provides services and
tuition to and for other education providers and schools both in
the UK and overseas across a broad range of subjects and curricula.
This can be teaching of individual subjects or a wider range of
subjects including iGCSE and A levels or specialist vocational
courses. The Wey ecademy can offer short term support for a young
person with the aim of re-engaging them in their education or a
more comprehensive longer-term service depending on what is
required.
The Group's developing businesses are: -
Infinity Education (www.infinityeducation.org.uk) addresses
premium, fee paying students in overseas markets. Pupils will be
those aiming to achieve top grades at both iGCSE and A Level and to
move on to study at leading universities in the UK and
overseas.
Quoralexis, (www.quoralexis.com) established in September 2017,
is an online live interactive language school that welcomes
students from all parts of the world, who wish to learn English and
improve their language skills. Quoralexis offers an extensive range
of courses in English as a Foreign Language ("EFL"), for
individuals and the corporate sector, across all age groups and all
language ability levels.
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END
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