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ACSO Accesso Technology Group Plc

720.00
8.00 (1.12%)
10 May 2024 - Closed
Delayed by 15 minutes
Share Name Share Symbol Market Type Share ISIN Share Description
Accesso Technology Group Plc LSE:ACSO London Ordinary Share GB0001771426 ORD 1P
  Price Change % Change Share Price Bid Price Offer Price High Price Low Price Open Price Shares Traded Last Trade
  8.00 1.12% 720.00 712.00 720.00 710.00 700.00 704.00 38,997 16:35:24
Industry Sector Turnover Profit EPS - Basic PE Ratio Market Cap
Cmp Integrated Sys Design 139.73M 10.06M 0.2395 29.65 298.15M

Accesso Technology Group PLC Half-year Report (1863B)

19/09/2018 7:01am

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TIDMACSO

RNS Number : 1863B

Accesso Technology Group PLC

19 September 2018

19 September 2018

accesso(R) Technology Group plc

("accesso" or the "Group")

INTERIM RESULTS

for the six-month period ended 30 June 2018

accesso Technology Group plc (AIM: ACSO), the premier technology solutions provider to leisure, entertainment and cultural markets, today announces interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2018. During the first half the Group has performed strongly, generating significant new business momentum and optimising its operational platform for future growth.

Financial Highlights

 
                                 Six months   Six months 
                                      ended        ended                   Year ended 
                                    30 June      30 June                  31 December 
                                       2018         2017                         2017 
                                  Unaudited    Unaudited      % change        Audited 
                                         $m           $m                           $m 
 
 Revenue                               54.4         46.6         16.7%          133.4 
 Operating profit                       2.3          2.1          9.5%            9.2 
 Adjusted operating profit*            11.0          6.5         69.2%           19.1 
 Adjusted EBITDA**                     15.1          8.7         73.6%           24.6 
 
 Profit before tax                      1.4          1.6        -12.5%            7.2 
 
 Net debt/ (cash)***                   11.6         23.8                       (12.5) 
 
 Earnings per share - basic 
  (cents)                              3.85         4.96        -22.4%          40.83 
 Adjusted earnings per share 
  - basic (cents)                     30.31        22.25         36.2%          56.73 
 

* Operating profit before the deduction of amortisation related to acquisitions, acquisition costs, deferred and contingent payments, profit recognised on the reduction of the earn-out liability, and costs related to share-based payments (note 5)

** Operating profit before the deduction of amortisation, depreciation, acquisition costs, deferred and contingent payments, profit recognised on the reduction of the earn-out liability, and costs related to share-based payments (note 5)

*** Cash and cash equivalents less borrowings

Operational Highlights

Operational Highlights - Continuing on our growth path

o Demand for our increasingly complementary suite of products and services remains strong.

o Unified ticketing businesses now supported by one operational backbone, supporting integration and future efficiencies.

o Underlying revenue growth during the period of 47%. Reported revenue growth was 16.7% following adoption of IFRS 15. Most significant impact of this adoption relates to a revenue stream formerly recognised on a gross basis now being recognised on a net basis, but with no overall impact on profit. Comparative reported numbers have not been restated.

Established Verticals (Theme Parks, Water Parks)

o Merlin rollout approaching completion this autumn; accesso Passport(SM) now present in more than 30 countries.

o Strength of proposition reflected in five-year extension with Cedar Fair and maiden TE2 / accesso Passport integration with Knott's Berry Farm.

o Post period-end, accesso Prism(SM) to initially replace Qbot(SM) at four additional Six Flags parks following a successful trial at Six Flags Over Georgia.

Adjacent Verticals (ski resorts, cultural attractions, tours and live event ticketing)

o Continued progress in Live Entertainment and Cultural Attractions with The Observation Deck at CEB Tower in Washington DC, Vibes International Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale and Hellgate Jetboat Excursions in Grants Pass joining as new clients during the period.

o Progress in Live Sports also continues with the Brampton Beast and Nanaimo Clippers Hockey teams, and with NOLA Gold Major League Rugby joining as clients post-period end.

o Also post-period end, the Perfect North Ski resort in Lawrenceburg, Indiana became the first ski location to sign a contract for an accesso Passport / accesso Siriusware(SM) same-site integration. accesso Passport and accesso Siriusware are now working in tandem in eight locations across four different vertical markets with two more to be implemented by the end of the year. This is a pleasing recognition of the value our combined products can offer our clients.

Greenfield Opportunities

o Landmark agreement signed with Henry Ford Health System, marking accesso's entrance into the Healthcare market. A new accesso Health division will focus solely on driving innovation for this market using the TE2 solution and our wearable offering based on the Prism form factor.

o Ingresso's US expansion is gaining momentum, allowing new and existing accesso clients to connect to an ever-expanding network of distribution channels.

o Continued advance into the hospitality space marked by agreement with Marriott International's Gaylord Hotels. The accesso ShoWare(SM) solution went live in four of Marriott's locations in July 2018.

o Significant post period-end win in a new market as TE2 has signed Alterra Mountain Company, a privately-owned company. Alterra Mountain Company will pilot and test TE2's Guest Experience platform.

Paul Noland, Chief Executive Officer, added:

"Since joining Accesso as CEO in April, it has been pleasing to see that the first half of the year has combined both the ongoing strength in our core business with our efforts to expand into high-potential areas like Healthcare, Hospitality and ticketing distribution. From theme parks to live entertainment and hospitals, we continue to impact more and more of the digital guest or visitor journey, combining our solutions to solve problems and drive revenue to create better guest experiences for our clients.

Operationally, we have taken meaningful steps to enhance the capacity of our ticketing business, which remains a central driver of our growth. In bringing the ticketing enterprise together, we have reduced organisational complexity and will be able to increase collaboration across the teams.

In the second half, we will continue to focus on global growth and cross-product integrations that will expand our portfolio of clients using multiple Accesso solutions in their venues.

Commenting on the results Tom Burnet, Executive Chairman of accesso, said:

In addition to strong first half results, the first half of 2018 has also marked the beginning of Paul Noland's tenure as Accesso CEO. Since taking the reins Paul has made a significant impact on the business and the Board is delighted to have the benefit of his expertise and leadership as the Group enters its next phase of growth.

**

The information contained within this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 ("MAR"). Upon the publication of this announcement, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain

For further information, please contact:

 
 accesso Technology Group plc             +44 (0)118 934 7400 
 Tom Burnet, Executive Chairman 
  Paul Noland, Chief Executive Officer 
 John Alder, Chief Financial Officer 
 
 FTI Consulting, LLP                      +44 (0)20 3727 1000 
 Matt Dixon, Adam Davidson 
 
 Canaccord Genuity Limited                +44 (0)20 7523 8000 
 Simon Bridges, Richard Andrews 
 
 Numis Securities Limited                 +44 (0)20 7260 1000 
 Simon Willis, Mark Lander 
 

About accesso Technology Group

At accesso, we believe technology has the power to redefine the guest experience. Our patented and award-winning solutions drive increased revenue for attraction operators while improving the guest experience. Currently serving over 1,000 venues in over 30 countries around the globe, accesso's solutions help our clients streamline operations, generate increased revenues, improve guest satisfaction and harness the power of data to educate business and marketing decisions.

accesso stands as the leading technology provider of choice for tomorrow's attractions, venues and institutions. We invest heavily in research and development because our industries demand it, our clients benefit from it and it makes a positive impact on the guest experience. Our innovative technology solutions allow venues to increase the volume and range of on-site spending and to drive increased transaction-based revenue through cutting-edge ticketing, point-of-sale, virtual queuing, distribution and experience management software.

Many of our team members come from backgrounds working within the attractions and cultural industry. In this way, we are experienced operators who run a technology company serving attractions operators, versus a technology company that happens to serve the market. Our staff understands the day-to-day operations of managing complex venues and the challenges this creates, and together we strive to provide our clients and their guests with technology that empowers them to do more and enjoy more. From our agile development team to our dedicated client service specialists, every team member knows that their passion, integrity, commitment, teamwork and innovation are what drive our success.

accesso is a public company, listed on AIM: a market operated by the London Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.accesso.com. Follow accesso on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

***

Financial Review

The first half of 2018 has once again seen accesso deliver a strong set of financial results, with the Group benefitting from new business momentum, the impact of the two acquisitions undertaken in 2017 and improved operational leverage resulting from platform and operational investments that have supported the increased global scale of the business.

Reporting changes following the adoption of IFRS 15

The Group adopted IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers from 1 January 2018, using the cumulative effect method, with the effect of initially applying this standard recognised at the date of initial application (i.e. 1 January 2018). Accordingly, the information presented for 2017 has not been restated.

The most significant impact from the adoption of IFRS 15 relates to revenue recognition in respect of certain accesso LoQueue(SM) agreements. Under the previous revenue recognition standard (IAS 18), management determined the Group was acting as the principal in such agreements, revenue was recognised on a gross basis and amounts due to the operator were recorded as an expense within cost of sales.

IFRS 15 introduces revised criteria for determining the principal or agent relationship, focusing on control of the goods or services provided by the Group under the terms of the agreement. Management has determined that, under IFRS 15, the Group acts as the agent in its queuing contracts, and subsequently now recognises the net revenue portion of the sale as revenue, rather than the full amount of the guest payment for the service.

Revenue for the comparative six-month period to 30 June 2017 would have been $37.0m, had the group restated the comparative period, with reported revenue growth of 47%.

There is no impact on profit of the Group due to the revised assessment of agent vs principal and therefore the Group will present improved operating margins in the current year and looking forward.

The adoption of IFRS 15 generally is not expected to materially impact full year adjusted profit metrics or cash generation in current or future periods. In the six-month period ended 30 June 2018, adjusted operating profit and adjusted EBITDA included a net $1.6m benefit in respect of IFRS 15 revenue recognition changes.

Further details relating to the adoption of IFRS 15 are included in note 3.

Key financial metrics

Group revenue for the first half of 2018 was $54.4m (1H 2017: $46.6m), with reported revenues (impacted by the adoption of IFRS 15 as detailed above) increasing by 16.7%. Underlying revenue growth in 1H 2018, excluding the impact of IFRS 15 adoption, was 47% and benefited from the inclusion of the acquisitions undertaken in 2017 including six months of TE2 and three months of Ingresso. Underlying like for like growth, on a consistent IFRS 15 basis, was approximately 11%. The impact of foreign exchange movements, between periods, on revenue, or costs, was not material.

The reported gross profit margin was 73.4% in 1H 2018, compared to 57.8% in 1H 2017. This increase primarily results from the recognition of queuing revenues on a net basis reducing both revenue and cost of sales. If 2017 were to be restated a gross profit margin of 76.9% would have been reported, with the modest underlying year on year reduction attributable to changes within the revenue mix.

Operating costs during the period increased 51.6% to $37.6m (1H 2017: $24.8) This reflects the increased cost base from the acquisitions undertaken in 2017, the related increases of amortization of acquired intangibles and the increase of employment related acquisition consideration. Underlying administrative expenditure is presented below:

 
                                                  Six months       Six months 
                                                    ended 30    ended 30 June 
                                                   June 2018             2017 
                                                        $000             $000 
                                                 -----------  --------------- 
 Administrative expenses - reported                   37,614           24,828 
 Acquisition expenses                                      -            (687) 
 Deferred acquisition consideration 
  (i)                                                (1,723)            (471) 
 Amortisation related to acquired intangibles        (5,928)          (2,706) 
 Share based payments                                (1,047)            (582) 
 Amortisation and depreciation (excluding 
  acquired intangibles)                              (4,054)          (2,179) 
 
 Underlying administrative expenditure                24,862           18,203 
                                                 ===========  =============== 
 

Adjusted operating profit

Adjusted operating profit, which the Board considers a key underlying metric, increased by 69.2% to $11.0m (1H 2017: $6.5m), while adjusted EBITDA, increased by 73.6% to $15.1m (2017: $8.7m).

The table below sets out a reconciliation between statutory operating profit, adjusted operating profit and adjusted EBITDA:

 
                                                   Six months   Six months 
                                                        ended        ended     Year ended 
                                                      30 June      30 June    31 December 
                                                         2018         2017           2017 
                                                         $000         $000           $000 
                                                  -----------  -----------  ------------- 
 Operating profit                                       2,304        2,092          9,241 
 Add: Acquisition expenses                                  -          687          1,249 
 Add: Deferred acquisition consideration 
  (i)                                                   1,723          471          2,131 
 Add: Amortisation related to acquired 
  intangibles                                           5,928        2,706          8,591 
 Less: Profit recognized on reduction 
  of earn-out liability                                     -            -        (3,228) 
 Add: Share based payments                              1,047          582          1,089 
                                                  -----------  -----------  ------------- 
 Adjusted operating profit                             11,002        6,538         19,073 
 Add: Amortisation and depreciation (excluding 
  acquired intangibles)                                 4,054        2,179          5,531 
                                                  -----------  -----------  ------------- 
 Adjusted EBITDA                                       15,056        8,717         24,604 
                                                  ===========  ===========  ============= 
 

(i) Under IFRS 3, consideration paid to employees of the acquired entity, who must remain employees post-acquisition in order to receive earn out or deferred consideration, is treated as compensation expense rather than consideration.

Profit before tax decreased to $1.4m (1H 2017: $1.6m), Adjusted earnings per share in the first half of 2018 increased by 36.2% to 30.31 cents (1H 2017: 22.25 cents).

Development Expenditure

Product development and innovation continues to be central to our strategy to extend our leadership position in our established markets, while facilitating our ability to take advantage of opportunities within adjacent verticals. Total development expenditure increased in 2018, partly driven by the full year impact of the 2017 acquisitions and total expenditure for the full year is expected to be in the region of $30m (FY2017: $20m). In 1H 2018, the group capitalised development expenditure of $11.2m (1H 2017: $4.9m) and on a full year basis the % of total development expenditure capitalised is expected to be approximately 66%. The net benefit in the period of development capitalisation less related amortisation, increased to $7.7m (1H 2017: $3.3m).

Cash and net debt

Consistent with previous years due to the traditional seasonality of the business, the first half has not been significantly cash generative and not indicative of the underlying cash generation cycle of the Group on a full year basis. Cash outflow from operations in the period was $4.1m (1H 2017: Cash inflow $1.3m). This included outflows of $6.7m relating to cash balances, inherited with the 2017 acquisitions which, while beneficially owned, are not relevant when considering the underlying cash conversion of the business. Consequently, underlying conversion for the period was 17.2%. (1H 2017:19.3%)

Net debt at 30 June 2018 was $11.6m, representing a total outflow of $24.1m from the position at 31 December 2017 (net cash: $12.5m). In addition to the outflow of $6.7m referenced above, the Group made a final earn-out payment relating to the acquisition of Ingresso, of $9.6m and incurred development expenditure of $11.2m. Financing costs included bank interest of $0.3m (1H 2017: $0.3m). The board believes that the Group remains in a strong financial position at the period end.

Taxation

The Board expects the 2018 effective tax rate on adjusted profit before tax to be approximately 22% (2017: 24%), while the effective tax rate on statutory profit before tax for the full year is expected to be approximately 29% (2017: 38.2%) which are the rates used within 1H 2018.

The Group continues to review and implement opportunities for maintaining or lowering its effective tax rate, while mindful of the fact that incremental taxable income is expected to be generated in markets with higher headline tax rates than the UK.

Dividend

The Board maintains its view that the payment of a dividend is unlikely in the short to medium term with cash better invested in growth focused investment opportunities.

Operational Progress

Established Verticals

accesso continues to show strength in its core Theme Park, Water Park and Attractions markets. We are now very substantially through the rollout of ticketing and eCommerce technology related to our landmark 2015 agreement with Merlin Entertainments, which has provided significant impetus for the internationalisation of our business and from which we are now starting to derive meaningful operational leverage. accesso Passport is present today in more than thirty countries across six continents. In 2015, we were present in just five countries. This expanding geographic footprint has helped us gain a foothold in a range of new markets, driving revenue from these core verticals and opening doors to new ones.

Our ticketing solutions remain a key driver of our growth in this area, and in the period, we were delighted to announce a five-year extension to our existing agreement with Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. This contract, among others, contributed to overall Group ticketing volumes in 1H 2018 growing 20.5%.

Alongside the success of our ticketing solutions, our offering to these established verticals continues to expand. The sustained investment in our platform is bearing fruit and we are seeing the benefit of the opportunity to combine our market-leading ticketing and eCommerce offering with other accesso products and services that now reaches further across the digital guest journey. For example, in 1H 2018 we were pleased to sign an agreement for the first same-site accesso Passport/ TE2 integration with California theme park, Knotts Berry Farm. This combination will enable guests to combine pre and in-venue experiences by porting their tickets and itinerary purchased through accesso passport into the TE2 app ahead of their day out.

In our queuing business, accesso Prism, our state-of-the-art wearable device, also continues to gain traction. While we are already seeing the product's potential for new parks, it also has an important role to play in providing an upgrade path for users of accesso's existing proprietary queuing hardware. It is pleasing to see key customers adopting this technology, and following a successful trial during the first half of 2018, Six Flags has now committed to initially replace Qbot with accesso Prism at four of its parks.

Adjacent Verticals

We believe that the fundamental ingredients for a positive interaction between operator and guest are the same for Cultural Attractions and Live Events as they are for Theme and Water Parks. This fact makes accesso's technology applicable to operators of museums, music concerts and sporting events, among others.

In particular, accesso has won a range of new business in the Live Entertainment and Attractions market, adding The Observation Deck at the CEB tower in Washington DC, the Vibes International Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale and Hellgate Jetboat Excursions as new clients during the period. In Live Sports, we added the Brampton Beast and Nanaimo Clippers Canadian minor league hockey teams, as well as NOLA GOLD Major League Rugby post period-end.

Also after the period-end, we achieved a notable landmark in the ski industry, an important part of the accesso client-base since the accesso Siriusware acquisition in December 2013. Perfect North Ski Resort in Grants Pass became the first in its industry to sign a contract for an accesso Siriusware / accesso Passport same-site integration. These products are now working in tandem in eight locations across three vertical markets and reflect the growth in recognition of a highly productive synergy between eCommerce, point-of-sale and guest management technologies.

Greenfield Opportunities

The 2017 acquisitions of Ingresso and TE2 added both a range of additional capability to accesso's existing offering and will enable opportunities for the Group to accelerate its expansion into greenfield areas including Healthcare and ticketing distribution. The Group has made progress in these areas during the first half of 2018, establishing itself in Healthcare through its agreement with Henry Ford Health Systems ("HFHS") and progressing the technical and commercial work to allow accesso to expand its distribution capabilities into the USA. accesso expects both areas to be meaningful future contributors to growth.

accesso's agreement with HFHS represents a significant entrance into a greenfield market. This exciting step opens a sizable additional opportunity for the Group to capitalize on the commonalities in guest or visitor experience in a new vertical. accesso will leverage its TE2 solution to improve the patient and caregiver experience. HFHS is a six-hospital system headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and a thought leader and innovator within the healthcare sector. accesso's technology will be used to build unique patient profiles to enable a convenient and frictionless patient experience, in real-time. The project will commence in Autumn 2018 and a full production roll-out, once tested, will coincide with the opening of the new centre for the Henry Ford Cancer Institute, expected in 2020.

A new accesso Health division will focus solely on driving innovation for this market using the TE2 solution. This will require the Group to commit to additional investment in the coming periods. We look forward to further updating the market in due course.

After the period end, the Group has also continued its advance into the greenfield Hospitality industry with Marriott International's Gaylord Hotels and the Alterra Mountain Company. The first of these agreements saw accesso ShoWare go-live in four Marriott venues in July, and the second saw TE2 land its first major contract in the ski market in July.

People

accesso continues to invest in its people, creating a positive working environment that attracts and retains the best talent in our industry. We are proud to have been named as one of Orlando's best places to work and the Group has maintained a 4.1 out of 5 rating on Glassdoor, with more than 80% of our staff saying they would recommend accesso as a place of work to family and friends. These indicators reflect the strength of our culture and the quality of our people, who remain the driving force behind our success.

Outlook

The first half of 2018 has been positive for accesso and the business continues to see sustained opportunities for its technology within current verticals and is now pushing forward into new areas, where we see the potential for both organic and inorganic growth. While work remains to be done in the remainder of 2018, the Board is happy to reiterate its confidence in its expectations for the full year.

-S -

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income

for the six-month period ended 30 June 2018

 
                                              Six months     Six months          Year 
                                                   ended          ended         ended 
                                                                          31 December 
                                            30 June 2018   30 June 2017          2017 
                                               Unaudited      Unaudited       Audited 
                                                    $000           $000          $000 
   --------------------------------------  -------------  -------------  ------------ 
 Revenue                                          54,374         46,590       133,429 
 
 Cost of sales                                  (14,456)       (19,670)      (59,984) 
                                           -------------  -------------  ------------ 
 
 Gross profit                                     39,918         26,920        73,445 
 
 Administrative expenses                        (37,614)       (24,828)      (64,204) 
                                           -------------  -------------  ------------ 
 
 Operating profit                                  2,304          2,092         9,241 
 
 Finance expense                                   (897)          (495)       (2,099) 
 
 Finance income                                       41             16            24 
                                           -------------  -------------  ------------ 
 
 Profit before tax                                 1,448          1,613         7,166 
 
 Income tax charge                                 (426)          (503)         2,735 
 
 Profit for the period                             1,022          1,110         9,901 
                                           =============  =============  ============ 
 
 Other comprehensive income 
 Items that will be reclassified 
  to the income statement 
 Exchanges differences on translating 
  foreign operations                               (832)            353           166 
                                           -------------  -------------  ------------ 
 
 Other comprehensive (loss) / 
  income for the period, net of 
  tax                                              (832)            353           166 
                                           -------------  -------------  ------------ 
 
 Total comprehensive income for 
  the period                                         190          1,463        10,067 
                                           =============  =============  ============ 
 
 All profit and comprehensive income are 
  attributable to the owners of the parent 
 
 Earnings per share expressed 
  in cents per share: 
 Basic                                              3.85           4.96         40.83 
 Diluted                                            3.71           4.68         38.70 
 
 

All activities of the company are classified as continuing.

Consolidated statement of financial position

as at 30 June 2018

 
                                                                 31 December 
                                   30 June 2018   30 June 2017          2017 
                                      Unaudited      Unaudited       Audited 
                                           $000           $000          $000 
--------------------------------  -------------  -------------  ------------ 
  Assets 
  Non-current assets 
  Intangible assets                     198,829        116,231       198,298 
  Property, plant and equipment           3,707          3,458         3,400 
  Deferred tax                            9,186          6,945         8,937 
                                                 -------------  ------------ 
                                        211,722        126,634       210,635 
                                  -------------  -------------  ------------ 
 
  Current assets 
  Inventories                               830            653           506 
  Trade and other receivables            20,702         18,189        19,761 
  Tax receivable                          1,060              -             - 
  Cash and cash equivalents              14,690         12,836        28,668 
                                                 -------------  ------------ 
                                         37,282         31,678        48,935 
                                  -------------  -------------  ------------ 
 
  Liabilities 
  Current liabilities 
  Trade and other payables               24,951         27,628        49,874 
  Finance lease liabilities                   -             37             9 
  Corporation tax payable                 1,940            680           613 
                                                 -------------  ------------ 
                                         26,891         28,345        50,496 
                                  -------------  -------------  ------------ 
 
  Net current assets                     10,391          3,333       (1,561) 
                                  -------------  -------------  ------------ 
 
  Non-current liabilities 
  Deferred tax                           14,551         12,079        14,629 
  Other non-current liabilities             930              -         3,024 
  Borrowings                             26,239         36,662        16,140 
                                                 -------------  ------------ 
 
                                         41,720         48,741        33,793 
                                  -------------  -------------  ------------ 
 
 Total liabilities                       68,611         77,086        84,289 
                                  -------------  -------------  ------------ 
 
  Net assets                            180,393         81,226       175,281 
                                  =============  =============  ============ 
 
  Shareholders' equity 
  Called up share capital                   421            359           411 
  Share premium                         106,840         29,538       105,207 
  Own shares held in trust                (675)        (1,163)       (1,163) 
  Other reserves                         17,076          9,824        14,453 
  Retained earnings                      41,214         31,029        39,820 
  Merger reserve                         19,641         14,540        19,641 
  Translation reserve                   (4,124)        (2,901)       (3,088) 
                                  -------------  -------------  ------------ 
 
  Total shareholders' equity            180,393         81,226       175,281 
                                  =============  =============  ============ 
 

Consolidated statement of cash flows

for the six-month period ended 30 June 2018

 
                                                Six months    Six months          Year 
                                                     ended         ended         ended 
                                                   30 June       30 June   31 December 
                                                      2018          2017          2017 
                                                 Unaudited     Unaudited       Audited 
                                                      $000          $000          $000 
 
 Cash flows from operations 
  Profit for the period                              1,022         1,110         9,901 
 
  Adjustments for: 
  Amortisation on acquired intangibles               5,928         2,706         8,591 
  Amortisation on development costs                  3,504         1,500         4,166 
  Depreciation and amortization on 
   other fixed assets                                  550           679         1,365 
  Share based payments and contingent 
   deferred consideration                            2,539           582         1,089 
  Finance expense                                      897           495         2,099 
  Finance income                                      (41)          (16)          (24) 
  Loss on disposal of fixed assets                       -             -            12 
  Foreign exchange (gain) / loss                      (69)           110         (241) 
  Income tax expense                                   426           503       (2,735) 
                                              ------------  ------------  ------------ 
                                                    14,756         7,669        24,223 
 
  Increase in inventories                            (340)         (162)          (15) 
  Increase in trade and other receivables          (1,652)       (3,914)       (2,792) 
  Decrease in trade and other payables            (16,830)       (2,783)        11,681 
                                                            ------------  ------------ 
  Cash generated from operations                   (4,066)           810        33,097 
 
  Tax (paid) / received                              (411)           188         (224) 
                                                            ------------  ------------ 
  Net cash inflow from operating activities        (4,477)           998        32,873 
                                              ------------  ------------  ------------ 
 
  Cash flows from investing activities 
  Investment in subsidiary, net of 
   cash acquired                                         -      (16,034)      (78,074) 
  Payment of contingent consideration 
   - Ingresso                                      (9,596)             -             - 
  Purchase of intangible fixed assets             (11,181)       (4,845)      (12,395) 
  Purchase of property, plant and equipment          (997)         (478)         (936) 
  Interest received                                     41            16            24 
                                              ------------  ------------  ------------ 
  Net cash used in investing activities           (21,733)      (21,341)      (91,381) 
                                              ------------  ------------  ------------ 
 
 Cash flows from financing activities 
  Share Issue                                        1,643         1,390        77,112 
  Sale of shares held in trust                         403             -             - 
  Interest paid                                      (300)         (279)         (741) 
  Capitalised finance costs                              -         (350)         (410) 
  Payments to finance lease creditors                  (9)          (27)          (54) 
  Proceeds from borrowings                          15,737        31,375        31,376 
  Repayment of borrowings                          (4,720)       (4,835)      (26,037) 
  Net cash generated from financing 
   activities                                       12,754        27,274        81,246 
                                              ------------  ------------  ------------ 
 
  (Decrease) / increase in cash and 
   cash equivalents in the period                 (13,456)         6,931        22,738 
  Cash and cash equivalents at beginning 
   of year                                          28,668         5,866         5,866 
  Exchange (loss) / gain on cash and 
   cash equivalents                                  (522)            39            64 
                                              ------------  ------------  ------------ 
 
  Cash and cash equivalents at end 
   of period                                        14,690        12,836        28,668 
                                              ============  ============  ============ 
 

Consolidated statement of changes in equity

for the six-month period ended 30 June 2018

 
                        Share       Share     Retained     Merger       Other         Own      Translation    Total 
                        capital     premium    earnings    reserve     Reserves      shares      reserve 
                                                                                      held 
                                                                                    in trust 
                           $000        $000        $000       $000         $000         $000          $000      $000 
-------------------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ---------  -----------  -----------  ------------  -------- 
 
  Balance at 
   31 December 
   2017                     411     105,207      39,820     19,641       14,453      (1,163)       (3,088)   175,281 
 
 Impact of 
  IFRS 15                     -           -         457          -            -            -         (204)       253 
 
 Restated balance 
  at 31 December 
  2017                      411     105,207      40,277     19,641       14,453      (1,163)       (3,292)   175,534 
 
  Comprehensive 
   Income for 
   the year 
  Profit for 
   period                     -           -       1,022          -            -            -             -     1,022 
 Other 
  comprehensive 
  income                      -           -           -          -            -            -         (832)     (832) 
                     ----------  ----------  ----------  ---------  -----------  -----------  ------------  -------- 
 
  Total 
   comprehensive 
   income for 
   the year                   -           -       1,022          -            -            -         (832)       190 
                     ----------  ----------  ----------  ---------  -----------  -----------  ------------  -------- 
 
  Contributions 
  by and 
  distributions 
  by owners 
  Issue of 
   share capital             10       1,633           -          -            -            -             -     1,643 
 Reduction 
  of shares 
  held in trust               -           -        (85)          -            -          488             -       403 
 Equity settled 
  deferred 
  consideration               -           -           -          -        1,576            -             -     1,576 
  Share based 
   payments                   -           -           -          -        1,047            -             -     1,047 
                     ----------  ----------  ----------  ---------  -----------  -----------  ------------  -------- 
 
  Total 
   contributions 
   by and 
   distributions 
   by owners                 10       1,633        (85)          -        2,623          488             -     4,669 
                     ----------  ----------  ----------  ---------  -----------  -----------  ------------  -------- 
 
  Balance at 
   30 June 2018             421     106,840      41,214     19,641       17,076        (675)       (4,124)   180,393 
                     ==========  ==========  ==========  =========  ===========  ===========  ============  ======== 
 
  Balance at 
   31 December 
   2016                     357      28,150      29,919     14,540        9,242      (1,163)       (3,254)    77,791 
 
  Comprehensive 
   Income for 
   the year 
  Profit for 
   period                     -           -       1,110          -            -            -             -     1,110 
 Other 
  comprehensive 
  income                      -           -           -          -            -            -           353       353 
 
  Total 
   comprehensive 
   income for 
   the year                   -           -       1,110          -            -            -           353     1,463 
 
  Contributions 
  by and 
  distributions 
  by owners 
  Issue of 
   share capital              2       1,388           -          -            -            -             -     1,390 
 Share based 
  payments                    -           -           -          -          582            -             -       582 
 
  Total 
   contributions 
   by and 
   distributions 
   by owners                  2       1,388           -          -          582            -             -     1,972 
                     ----------  ----------  ----------  ---------  -----------  -----------  ------------  -------- 
 
  Balance at 
   30 June 2017             359      29,538      31,029     14,540        9,824      (1,163)       (2,901)    81,226 
                     ==========  ==========  ==========  =========  ===========  ===========  ============  ======== 
 

Notes to the Interim Statements

   1.   Basis of preparation 

accesso Technology Group plc (the "Group") is a company domiciled in England. The basis of preparation of this financial information is consistent with the basis that will be adopted for the full year accounts which will be prepared in accordance with IFRS as adopted by the European Union.

While the financial figures included in this half-yearly report have been computed in accordance with IFRS applicable to interim periods, this half-yearly report does not contain sufficient information to constitute an interim financial report as that term is defined in IAS 34.

This is the first set of the Group's financial statements where IFRS 15 and IFRS 9 have been applied. Changes to significant accounting policies are described in Note 3.

This interim financial information has neither been audited nor reviewed pursuant to guidance issued by the FRC and the financial information contained in this report does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of Section 434 of the Companies Act 2006. The period to 31 December 2017 has been extracted from the audited financial statements for that period.

Having considered the principal risks and uncertainties as presented in the 31 December 2017 audited financial statements, and those additional risks and uncertainties disclosed below, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Therefore, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the half-yearly financial information.

   2.   Accounting policies 

The condensed consolidated interim financial information has been prepared using accounting policies consistent with those set out on pages 34 to 41 in the audited financial statements for the period ended 31 December 2017. These accounting policies have been applied consistently to all periods presented in this financial information.

3. Changes to significant accounting policies

Except as described below, the accounting policies applied in these interim financial statements are the same as those applied in the Group's consolidated financial statements as at and for the year ended 31 December 2017. The policy for recognising and measuring income taxes in the interim period is described in Note 4.

The changes in accounting policies are also expected to be reflected in the Group's consolidated financial statements as at and for the year ending 31 December 2018.

The Group has initially adopted IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers and IFRS 9 Financial Instruments from 1 January 2018. The adoption of IFRS 9 did not have a material impact on the company. A number of other new standards are effective from 1 January 2018, but they do not have a material effect on the Group's financial statement.

The effect of initially applying IFRS 15 is mainly attributed to the following:

-- earlier recognition of revenue from software licenses in certain contracts which are non-cancellable during the term of the agreement;

-- the delayed recognition of revenue from software license contracts in certain contracts which require the annual payment of maintenance and technical support to maintain an active license; and,

-- a change in the factors considered in determining whether the company is acting as a principal or agent in certain accesso LoQueue agreements.

IFRS 15 establishes a comprehensive framework for determining whether, how much and when revenue is recognised. It has replaced existing revenue recognition guidance, including IAS 18 Revenue, IAS 11 Construction Contracts and IFRIC 13 Customer Loyalty Programmes.

The Group has adopted IFRS 15 using the cumulative effect method (without practical expedients), with the effect of initially applying this standard recognised at the date of initial application (i.e. 1 January 2018). Accordingly, the information presented for 2017 has not been restated - i.e. it is presented, as previously reported, under IAS 18, IAS 11 and related interpretations.

The following table summarises the impact, net of tax, of transition to IFRS 15 on retained earnings at 1 January 2018.

 
                                   Impact of adopting IFRS 15 
                                            at 1 January 2018 
 Retained Earnings                                       $000 
                                  --------------------------- 
 License fees recognized 
  up front                                              4,542 
 License fees recognized 
  over time                                           (4,160) 
 Deferred contract commissions                            234 
 Related tax                                            (159) 
 
 Impact at 1 January 2018                                 457 
                                  --------------------------- 
 

If reporting under IAS 18 for the period, revenue would have been $9.9m higher, and operating profit $1.6m lower. There was no material impact on the Group's interim statement of cash flows for the six-month period ended 30 June 2018.

The details of the new significant accounting policies and the nature of the changes to previous accounting policies in relation to the Group's various goods and services are set out below. Under IFRS 15, revenue is recognised when a customer obtains control of the goods or services. Determining the timing of the transfer of control - at a point in time or over time - requires judgement.

 
                           Nature, timing of satisfaction 
                            of the performance obligation,   Nature of change in accounting 
 Type of product/service    significant payment terms         policy 
------------------------  --------------------------------  ------------------------------------------ 
 
 a. Point-of-sale          Customers obtain control          Under IAS 18, the license revenue 
  (POS) licenses            of the POS license once           was recognised equally over the 
                            it is installed on their          term of the agreement, reflecting 
                            hardware. With agreements         the pattern of availability to 
                            longer than 1 year, invoices      the customer. 
                            are generated either 
                            quarterly or annually,            IFRS 15 considers these licenses 
                            usually payable within            to be delivered at a point in 
                            30 days.                          time, at the beginning of the 
                                                              contract term, with the transaction 
                            Although payments are             price payable over the term of 
                            made over the term of             the agreement via the annual 
                            the agreement, the agreement      or quarterly instalments. Accordingly, 
                            is binding for the negotiated     the license revenue is recognised 
                            term.                             sooner under IFRS 15, with support 
                                                              revenue, equal to a percentage 
                                                              of the license fee, recognised 
                                                              over the term of the agreement. 
 
                                                              The impact of these changes on 
                                                              items other than revenue is an 
                                                              increase in trade and other receivables. 
 b. Software               Certain software licenses         Under IAS 18, these software 
  licenses                  are installed on a customer's     licenses were recognised when 
                            hardware, but require             accepted by the client, as there 
                            a separate payment for            was a non-refundable right to 
                            maintenance and support,          payment. 
                            which is billed annually. 
                                                              The requirement to pay support 
                            The contracts required            to maintain an active license 
                            the customer continue             creates an option to renew under 
                            to pay annual support             IFRS 15. The license fee revenue 
                            fees to keep the license          is considered a material right 
                            active, regardless of             to renew and is spread over the 
                            the term of the contract.         term, recognised on the day the 
                                                              customer renews. 
 
                                                              The impact of these changes on 
                                                              items other than revenue is an 
                                                              increase in deferred revenue. 
 c. Virtual                Virtual queuing systems           Under IAS 18, certain queuing 
  queuing system            are installed at a client's       contracts were recognised on 
                            location, and revenue             a gross basis, where management 
                            is recognised when the            determined the company was acting 
                            park guest uses the service.      the principal in the agreement. 
                            The Group's performance 
                            obligation is either              IFRS 15 has different criteria 
                            to provide a license              for determining who is the principal 
                            to and maintain a system          in an agreement, focusing on 
                            in the park or operate            control of the goods or services. 
                            the system within the             Management has determined the 
                            park.                             Group is acting as the agent 
                                                              in all queuing contracts, and 
                                                              therefore only recognises its 
                                                              portion of the sale as revenue, 
                                                              rather than the full amount of 
                                                              the guest payment. 
 
                                                              There is no impact on profit 
                                                              of the Group due to this change. 
 d. Ticketing              Revenue is recognised             IFRS 15 did not have a significant 
  revenue                   at the time the ticket            impact on the Group's accounting 
                            is sold. Invoices are             policies. 
                            issued monthly and generally 
                            payable within 30 days. 
 e. Professional           Revenue is recognised             IFRS 15 did not have a significant 
  services                  over time as the services         impact on the Group's accounting 
                            are provided. Invoices            policies. 
                            are issued monthly and 
                            generally payable within 
                            30 days. 
 
   4.   Taxation 

The tax expense for each period has been calculated on the expected annual effective rate. The adjusted earnings per share (note 6) for the six months ended 30 June 2018 has been presented using an estimated adjusted rate for the period, which has been adjusted to remove the effect of earn out and deferred consideration expected in relation to the acquisitions of Ingresso and TE2. Under IFRS 3, consideration paid to employees of the acquired entity, who must remain employees post-acquisition to receive earn out or deferred consideration, is treated as compensation expense rather than consideration for book purposes. For tax purposes, these amounts are considered part of the earn out or deferred consideration, which is not deductible for tax purposes.

5. Reconciliation of alternative performance measures

Management has presented the alternative performance measures below because it monitors performance at a consolidated level and believes these measures are relevant to an understanding of the Group's underlying financial performance. The definitions of the measures are the same as in the last annual financial statements.

The measures are not a defined performance measure under IFRS. The Group's definition of each measure may not be comparable with similarly titled performance measures and disclosures by other entities.

The Group has initially applied IFRS 15 and IFRS 9 at 1 January 2018. Under the transition methods chosen, comparative information is not restated.

 
                                                   Six months   Six months 
                                                        ended        ended     Year ended 
                                                      30 June      30 June    31 December 
                                                         2018         2017           2017 
 Adjusted operating profit and adjusted 
  EBITDA                                                 $000         $000           $000 
                                                  -----------  -----------  ------------- 
 Operating profit                                       2,304        2,092          9,241 
 Add: Acquisition expenses                                  -          687          1,249 
 Add: Deferred acquisition consideration 
  (i)                                                   1,723          471          2,131 
 Add: Amortisation related to acquired 
  intangibles                                           5,928        2,706          8,591 
 Less: Profit recognized on reduction 
  of earn-out liability                                     -            -        (3,228) 
 Add: Share based payments                              1,047          582          1,089 
                                                  -----------  -----------  ------------- 
 Adjusted operating profit                             11,002        6,538         19,073 
 Add: Amortisation and depreciation (excluding 
  acquired intangibles)                                 4,054        2,179          5,531 
                                                  -----------  -----------  ------------- 
 Adjusted EBITDA                                       15,056        8,717         24,604 
                                                  ===========  ===========  ============= 
 

(ii) Under IFRS 3, consideration paid to employees of the acquired entity, who must remain employees post-acquisition to receive earn out or deferred consideration, is treated as compensation expense rather than consideration.

 
                                                   Six months   Six months 
                                                        ended        ended     Year ended 
                                                      30 June      30 June    31 December 
                                                         2018         2017           2017 
 Adjusted cash from operations                           $000         $000           $000 
                                                 ------------  -----------  ------------- 
 Cash flow from operating activities                  (4,477)          998         33,097 
 Add: Acquisition related expenses                          -          687          1,249 
 Add: TE2 option cash paid in period                    1,641            -        (5,500) 
 Add/deduct: Decrease/ (increase) in Ingresso 
  near term settlement cash                             5,109                     (7,600) 
 Underlying cash from operations                        2,273        1,685         21,246 
                                                 ============  ===========  ============= 
 
   6.   Earnings per share ("EPS") 

The calculation of the basic earnings per share is based on the earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders divided by the weighted average number of shares in issue during the period.

Diluted earnings per share is calculated by dividing the profit attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted average of ordinary shares outstanding during the period adjusted for the effects of dilutive instruments.

Adjusted basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the profit attributable to ordinary shareholders adjusted for costs related to acquisition expenses, the amortisation on acquired intangibles, share based compensation, deferred and contingent payments arising from acquisitions, and amortisation of loan refinancing charges, net of tax effects, by the weighted average number of shares used in basic EPS. The denominator for adjusted diluted earnings per share is the weighted average number of shares used in diluted EPS.

 
                                                               Six months          Year 
                                                   Six months       ended         ended 
                                                        ended     30 June   31 December 
                                                 30 June 2018        2017          2017 
                                                         $000        $000          $000 
----------------------------------------------  -------------  ----------  ------------ 
Profit attributable to ordinary shareholders            1,022       1,110         9,901 
 
Basic EPS 
Denominator 
Weighted average number of shares used 
 in basic EPS                                          26,539      22,375        24,250 
                                                -------------  ----------  ------------ 
Basic earnings per share - cents                         3.85        4.96         40.83 
                                                =============  ==========  ============ 
 
Diluted EPS 
Denominator 
Weighted average number of shares used 
 in basic EPS                                          26,539      22,375        24,250 
Effect of dilutive securities 
    Options                                             1,023       1,333         1,337 
                                                               ----------  ------------ 
Weighted average number of shares used 
 in diluted EPS                                        27,562      23,708        25,587 
Diluted earnings per share - cents                       3.71        4.68         38.70 
                                                =============  ==========  ============ 
 
 
  Adjusted EPS 
Profit attributable to ordinary shareholders            1,022       1,110         9,901 
 
Adjustments to profit for the period: 
Acquisition expenses (including debt 
 arrangement fees)                                          -         687         1,474 
Amortisation relating to acquired intangibles           5,928       2,706         8,591 
Deferred and contingent payments                        1,723         471         2,131 
Interest expense related to deferred 
 and contingent liabilities                               537                     1,131 
Shared based compensation and social 
 security costs on unapproved options 
 and LTIPs                                              1,047         582         1,089 
Profit recognised on reduction of earn-out 
 liability                                                  -           -       (3,228) 
US tax code - tax credit from revaluation 
 of US deferred taxes                                       -           -       (4,450) 
Amortisation of capitalised finance costs                  57         163 
                                                -------------  ----------  ------------ 
Adjusted profit before tax                             10,314       5,709        16,639 
 
Tax at the adjusted effective rate: (2018: 
 22%; H1 2017: 20%; FY 2017: 24.0%)                   (2,269)       (731)       (2,880) 
                                                -------------  ----------  ------------ 
 
Adjusted profit attributable to ordinary 
 shareholders                                           8,045       4,978        13,759 
 
Adjusted basic EPS 
Denominator 
Weighted average number of shares used 
 in basic EPS                                          26,539      22,375        24,250 
Adjusted earnings per share - cents                     30.31       22.25         56.73 
                                                =============  ==========  ============ 
 
Adjusted diluted EPS 
Denominator 
Weighted average number of shares used 
 in diluted EPS                                        27,562      23,708        25,587 
Adjusted earnings per share - cents                     29.19       21.00         53.77 
                                                =============  ==========  ============ 
 

7. Dividend

No dividend has been proposed or recommended during the period. The Board maintains the view that the payment of a dividend is unlikely in the short to medium term with cash better invested on growth-focused investment opportunities.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

END

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