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TUNE Focusrite Plc

367.50
0.00 (0.00%)
25 Apr 2024 - Closed
Delayed by 15 minutes
Share Name Share Symbol Market Type Share ISIN Share Description
Focusrite Plc LSE:TUNE London Ordinary Share GB00BSBMW716 ORD 0.1P
  Price Change % Change Share Price Bid Price Offer Price High Price Low Price Open Price Shares Traded Last Trade
  0.00 0.00% 367.50 365.00 370.00 0.00 01:00:00
Industry Sector Turnover Profit EPS - Basic PE Ratio Market Cap
Musical Instrument Stores 178.47M 17.8M 0.3038 12.10 215.31M

Focusrite PLC Final Results for the Year Ended 31 August 2018 (8305H)

20/11/2018 7:01am

UK Regulatory


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TIDMTUNE

RNS Number : 8305H

Focusrite PLC

20 November 2018

Strictly embargoed until: 07.00, 20 November 2018.

Focusrite plc

("the Company" or "the Group")

Final Results for the Year Ended 31 August 2018

Focusrite plc (AIM: TUNE), the global music and audio products company, announces Final Results for the year ended 31 August 2018.

Financial highlights

-- Group revenue grew by 13.7% (constant currency(1) : 15.3%) to GBP75.1 million (FY17: GBP66.1 million)

   --      EBITDA(2) grew by 18.1% to GBP15.5 million (FY17: GBP13.1 million) 
   --      Operating profit grew 26.1% to GBP11.9 million (FY17: GBP9.5 million) 
   --      Adjusted(3) operating profit grew 22.6% to GBP11.6 million (FY17: GBP9.5 million) 
   --      Diluted earnings per share grew 22.3% to 18.1p (FY17: 14.8p) 
   --      Adjusted(3) diluted earnings per share grew 18.9% to 17.6p (FY17: 14.8p) 
   --      Net cash of GBP22.8 million (FY17: GBP14.2 million) 
   --      Final dividend of 2.3p recommended, resulting in 3.3p for the year, up 22.2% on prior year 

Operational highlights

-- Once again, we experienced growth in both major segments (Focusrite and Novation) and in all reported geographic regions.

-- In Focusrite, all major ranges (Scarlett, Clarett, Red and RedNet) grew and the overall segment grew by 17.2%.

-- In Novation, the primary growth was in synthesisers following the launch of Peak, while the more established ranges such as Launch and Launchkey also grew, although at slower rates. Overall, Novation grew by 6.4%.

-- New efforts and investments in localised field personnel, marketing and support has increased net promoter scores (NPS) and driven widespread growth.

-- All major geographic regions grew: North America was up by 10.2%; Europe, Middle East and Africa by 18.1%; and the Rest of World by 13.3%.

   --     Five new products launched over the year. 

-- The software team continues to progress along its widened strategy of software development for both its own apps and the broader product development within the Group.

-- The e-commerce website is delivering products globally as part of the Group's efforts to ensure that customers can access the Group's products wherever they are in the world.

1 Constant currency revenue growth is calculated by taking the sterling value of FY18 revenue, converting to FY17 annual average exchange rates and comparing with the reported revenue for FY17. In addition, all foreign exchange movements disclosed in revenue are excluded from both years.

2 Comprising of earnings adjusted for interest, taxation, depreciation and amortization.

3 Adjusted for non-underlying items (see note 4).

Chief Executive Officer Tim Carroll said:

"We are very pleased to present a set of results where growth is the overarching theme: both Focusrite and Novation segments have grown; as have all major geographic regions.

This set of results is a testament to the solid momentum that we have worked hard to achieve and, while this is important, at Focusrite we are always looking to the future to ensure our continued success.

Importantly, we continue to see strong market and reseller acceptance across our expanding portfolio, which highlights the strength of our brands, and our new product pipeline continues to grow."

Executive Chairman Phil Dudderidge said:

"I am delighted Focusrite plc has delivered another record year.

I am very proud to have built a company that plays a long game. Focusrite is in its 30(th) year and has grown to become a global leader in recording hardware technology.

As a market leader, we continue to evolve and to that end the Group is also researching tools for the future direction of music recording, improving ease of workflow for the professional musician and ease of use for the musician for whom recording is a new skill to be developed.

Our history of being at the forefront of innovation in music technology, along with the fact that we have an established, global customer base, market-leading brands and a strong corporate culture, make us well placed for the future."

Availability of Annual Report and Notice of AGM

The Annual Report and Accounts for the financial year ended 31 August 2018 and notice of the Annual General Meeting ("AGM") of Focusrite will be posted to shareholders by 28 November 2018 and will be available on Focusrite's website at www.focusriteplc.com.

Dividend timetable

The final dividend is subject to shareholder approval, which is being sought at Focusrite's Annual General Meeting to be held on 21 December 2018.

The timetable for the final dividend is as follows:

 
27 December 2018     Ex-dividend Date 
28 December 2018     Record Date 
21 December 2018     AGM to approve the recommended final dividend 
18 January 2019      Dividend payment date 
 

- ends -

Enquiries:

 
 Focusrite plc: 
 Tim Carroll (CEO)           +44 1494 836301 
 Jeremy Wilson (CFO)         +44 1494 836301 
 
 Panmure Gordon 
 Freddy Crossley             +44 20 7886 2500 
 Erik Anderson               +44 20 7886 2500 
 
 Belvedere Communications 
 John West                   +44 20 3687 2753 
 Kim Van Beeck               +44 20 3687 2757 
 

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (MAR)

Notes to Editors

Focusrite plc is a global music and audio products group that develops and markets proprietary hardware and software products. Used by audio professionals and amateur musicians alike, its solutions facilitate the high-quality production of recorded and live sound. The Focusrite Group trades under four established and rapidly growing brands: Focusrite, Focusrite Pro, Novation and Ampify.

With a high-quality reputation and a rich heritage spanning decades, its brands are category leaders in the music-making industry. Focusrite and Focusrite Pro offer audio interfaces and other products for recording musicians, producers and professional audio facilities. Novation and Ampify products are used in the creation of electronic music, from synthesisers and grooveboxes to industry-shaping controllers and inspirational music-making apps.

The Focusrite Group has a global customer base with a distribution network covering approximately 160 territories. Focusrite is headquartered in High Wycombe, UK, with marketing offices in Los Angeles and Hong Kong. Focusrite plc is traded on the AIM market, London Stock Exchange.

Chairman's Statement

I am incredibly proud to introduce the 2018 Report and Accounts of Focusrite Plc and subsidiaries in what has once again been a record year for the Company.

Focusrite plays a long game. The business is in its 30(th) year and has become a global leader in recording hardware technology. Under the Focusrite brand, and working with Avid Pro Tools and Ableton Live recording software brands, we have gone from strength to strength and after the acquisition of Novation in 2004 the Group has grown to become a leading brand in the electronic music creation world.

This is the first full year since the appointment of Tim Carroll as Chief Executive Officer, a position he has held since January 2017. I am delighted to report that his appointment is recognised across the firm, suppliers and our customers as a great success. As this report indicates, he is leading a number of initiatives that support our growth strategy.

The Company continues to be highly cash generative, with net cash of GBP22.8 million at the year end, building an ability to pursue an acquisition strategy that we have aspired to since the IPO in December 2014. To that end we have appointed a Business Development Manager to coordinate and analyse opportunities as they arise and to identify appropriate businesses that might fit a Focusrite Family of complementary brands. We have rejected propositions that did not meet our tests of profitability and cash generation as we have clear goals as to the nature and performance potential of any business that might qualify for acquisition.

In addition to Ampify apps for the Apple iOS platform, the London-based software unit is also developing new products to complement Focusrite and Novation hardware on Mac and PC. As a market leader, we continue to evolve and to that end the Group is also researching tools for the future direction of music recording, improving ease of workflow for the professional musician and ease of use for the musician for whom recording is a new skill to be developed.

Our business is predicated on the commitment of over 200 people around the world. In addition to the usual head office activities, the 150 UK employees are focused on product development, customer support, sales and marketing. Our subsidiary, Focusrite Novation Inc. based in Los Angeles, supports the US market with marketing, customer support and retail channel communication. Similarly, other regional representatives in Germany, Hong Kong and Mexico (for Latin America) support their local regions with sales management, marketing and customer support.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge all our employees for their commitment and skills, each of whom makes an essential contribution to our success. Permanent employees are participants in share option schemes. This has proved rewarding to employees who are motivated to see the Company prosper for the benefit of all shareholders, themselves included.

This year, we welcomed Naomi Climer to the Board. Naomi has a huge amount of highly relevant technical and industry experience and we are delighted that she has joined us as a Non-executive Director. The Group aspires to high standards of corporate governance and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our Non-Executives for their wise guidance, counsel and acknowledge the variety of different skills and broad experience that they bring to the Board.

Finally, I would also like to acknowledge our excellent commercial partners. We have three principal vendors that manufacture our products to the highest standards of quality and reliability; our logistics partners that reliably handle physical distribution from factory to local distribution warehouses and onwards to our customers; and our third-party distributors who market our products in their own national territories.

We look forward to the coming years with enthusiasm for our industry, our customers, our employees, our partners around the world, and with an appreciation of our shareholders who invest in our vision of constant innovation and growth, as we continue 'Enriching Lives Through Music'.

Phil Dudderidge

Founder and Executive Chairman

Chief Executive's Statement

Introduction: innovation at our core

I am very pleased to update our shareholders on our record year of performance, with all key metrics showing growth. The Group has had another year of operational and financial success that extends across our portfolio as well as on a regional basis, with all reported regions showing growth.

This year has seen the launch of five new products, a host of upgrades to our existing portfolio, and investments in many new systems, people and resources to continue to drive our growth strategy.

Our employee footprint, growing this year to 210, continues to expand in our High Wycombe headquarters as well as our offices in London, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, with further employees in Germany and Mexico. We are fortunate to have so many employees globally that have a real passion for music and audio; many being musicians, audio engineers, or DJs themselves using our products in real-world environments every week. It continues to be a great pleasure and privilege to help guide and lead them, and I thank them for their hard work and dedication.

Our Operations

The Group's products are sold in approximately 160 territories and countries all over the world. We utilise an effective mix of retailers - online and 'bricks and mortar' locations, distributors in select areas, a hybrid approach in North America utilising a wholesale distributor with our own demand generation team, and direct business to consumer with our own e-commerce store and in-app software purchases.

We sold approximately 900,000 physical products to end-users last year, and our music creation apps were downloaded over 2 million times with over 750,000 in-app customer transactions. Our manufacturing partners are located in South China and we use third-party logistics support.

Our market

The global audio production market remains a growth sector for technology companies like Focusrite. Our products and solutions are key components for many personal and professional audio recording customers and musicians, allowing them to focus on the creative process. Alongside that, we recognise the opportunity to continue to make audio recording technology easier to use and more accessible to a larger addressable market.

While we lead the market in many product categories, we continuously seek ways to grow our core business while also exploiting opportunities to expand into adjacent product categories that would make commercial and strategic sense for the business. Focusrite is pursuing these opportunities with organic development as well as by acquisition.

Sales of our second-generation Scarlett USB audio interface range remained strong with 15% growth, increasing in overall market share from what was already a very high position.

RedNet is well poised to help any professional or facility scale their production capability; a vital component for success as we see sweeping increases in original content production, live sound events and multi-format on-air shows.

To that end, and to ensure we focus all of our resources and energy with precision, we have refined our customer personas into five core categories. We have identified 'The New Creator', a customer who might have little or no music knowledge; the 'Passionate Maker', someone who may or may not play a traditional instrument but wants to make 'good' music; the 'Serious Aspiring Producer', for whom music is more than just a hobby; and the 'Master' and 'Facility' personas - highly skilled musicians, audio engineers, or business entities focused on audio production.

Operating review of another record year

This year has seen further operational progress, and this has translated into financial success with careful management of our cost base and a focus on cash generation. Revenues grew by 13.7% to GBP75.1 million and gross margin grew from 39.9% to 42.2%, resulting in an operating profit of GBP11.9 million, representing year-on-year growth of 26.1%.

This positive performance has been driven by a number of factors. We have witnessed a wider market acceptance and growth of share in many of our core products. New product introductions over the course of the year resonated well with customers and provided incremental lift. Likewise, customer and sales channel satisfaction feedback remains strong on existing products illustrated by our top net promoter scores ('NPS') for individual products.

Additionally, we have begun to see positive results from many of our IT-based initiatives that we funded over the year: enhanced websites, social media demand generation, and localized online experiences in markets such as Japan, Mexico and Germany.

We continue to invest in talented and passionate people across the globe to support our business in sales, marketing, customer support and product development. We now have two full-time employees in Latin America and have increased our UK, German, Hong Kong and US hires to support the business.

Throughout this year we have witnessed several events, namely ongoing Brexit negotiations and the imposition of US tariffs, that require scrutiny to ensure the business is well prepared to mitigate any possible associated effects. The Group has spent considerable time weighing options and in some instances, such as for the US tariffs, are already acting to protect the profitability of the business. We believe we are well prepared for these events and further comment is included in the section on Principal Risks and Uncertainties.

Segmental Review

Focusrite

Within Focusrite, our Scarlett, Clarett and RedNet ranges all grew, leading to total segment revenue growth of 17.2%. In each category we increased market share and experienced growth beyond the industry norms.

Sales of our second-generation Scarlett USB audio interface range remained strong with 15% growth and grew in overall market share from what was already a high market share. This product line remains the number one selling audio interface product in the world and has earned the reputation as a best-in-class, premium solution at affordable pricing. The build quality, highly-skilled Mac and Windows driver development and well thought out suite of recording software tools make this the perfect solution for the new creator and aspiring producer.

Focusrite was honoured to have won our fourth Queen's Award this year for innovation for our Scarlett Gen 2 line.

The Clarett range continues to set new price/performance standards in our mid-range interface offerings. Created for both the aspiring and professional recordist, Clarett has disrupted the market with a price to performance mix that is unparalleled in the industry. Refreshing the line with a new USB range this year, we have widened our opportunity base and have seen pleasing growth from this part of our portfolio.

Our commercial and pro-audio range, led by RedNet, is gaining momentum as applications for its use and potential customers grow, especially in post production, education, installed sound and broadcast markets. Major broadcasters such as NBC, and Hollywood post-production facilities such as Formosa Group, have started implementing RedNet into their production workflows to reap numerous benefits in efficiency, costs and productivity. RedNet is well poised to help any professional or facility scale their production capability; a vital component for success as we see sweeping increases in original content production, live sound events and on multi-format distribution on-air shows.

Novation

The Novation product line is all about the creation and production of electronic music. Electronic music and its many genres has democratised music making in a powerful way, vastly widening the net of potential music makers. Our Launchpad, Launchkey, and synthesiser product categories all experienced growth, with overall growth in this business segment of 6.4%.

Launchpad continues to be a powerful and widely accepted creation and performance tool for electronic music. We have seen a continued growth of customers purchasing Launchpad that are just starting their journey into electronic music making. This, coupled with larger penetration from online distribution channels such as Amazon, has driven demand for Launchpad and made Novation an integral part of many electronic musician's workflows.

Our Launchkey family of keyboard controllers also enjoyed year-on-year growth. With an intuitive feature-set and extensive, integrated control features with top music-making software such as Ableton Live, Launchkey delivers a set of differentiated features that appeals to many music makers and performers.

Our family of professional synthesisers complete the Novation family of products. Synthesisers have been core to the Novation brand since inception and have developed a reputation as cutting-edge instruments that add a unique pallet of sounds and colour to an artist's production. Our new flagship synthesiser, Peak, has seen widespread adoption and won numerous accolades from the industry as a true next-generation synthesiser; building on the legacy of the Novation brand and its many famous, earlier synthesiser products.

Ampify develops powerful yet brilliantly simple music creation tools for new creators. Requiring no more than an iOS device, our apps allow anyone to create amazing music tracks in a wide variety of styles. Our apps consistently rank in the top ten for music creation tools on Apple's app store and are currently included on products displayed in Apple stores worldwide. We are investing substantially in Ampify, as we aim to grow the Company's own software capability and 'leverage' software to further our ability to enable creative workflows for users at all levels.

We are extremely proud that our apps have now been downloaded over 9.5 million times and this is an indication of the strength not only of our software products but the size of the market opportunity.

Distribution

We are happy to report that revenue from this segment grew by 8.4% over the prior year. These products, such as KRK monitors and sE Electronics microphones, are a small overall proportion of Group revenue but remain important to us as they offer add-on products within the music-making industry and provide us with invaluable market feedback, insight and knowledge.

Geographic overview

I am pleased to report that our success this year was global and sales in all our major regions grew. North America finished with a 10.2% rise in revenue when compared with last year. Europe, Middle East and Africa experienced 18.1% growth. Rest of World finished the year with 13.3% year-on-year growth.

North America

The US market, which accounts for approximately 41% of total Group revenue, grew by 11%. This growth was realised in all product categories. The US had a very strong first half with the holiday season showing robust sales for our more retail-oriented products such as Scarlett and Launchpad. The second half also experienced year-on-year growth but, as predicted, at a slower rate than the first half. We continue to invest in our US demand generation and customer support team, and have successfully moved into a new Los Angeles location to accommodate our growth.

Canada, which accounts for approximately 2% of Group revenue was flat year-on-year. We are increasing our investment into this region this coming year by utilising our demand generation teams in the US and expect to see solid growth out of the region in future.

Europe, Middle East and Africa ('EMEA')

EMEA, which represents approximately 40% of Group revenue, had a successful year with strong growth performance in all major product categories. Including the UK and mainland Europe, the region is comprised of direct resellers, distributors and our own e-store. We have offices in the UK and a team in Germany to support our European business.

Rest of the World

Within the Rest of the World region, Asia-Pacific had a good year with 19% growth. We continue to invest in people for the region and our Hong Kong office is now fully functional and integrated with our Company systems, including local and 'follow the sun' customer support.

This year was an investment year for Latin America as we made our first full-time hires for Mexico and Brazil, as well as new IT infrastructure to support localised content and transactions. These new hires came on board late in the financial year, but early signs are positive, as is feedback from our new localised customer experience. We view Latin America as an area with significant growth potential and will continue to assign resources over the course of this year.

Growth drivers

Innovation is clearly a key focus for us and has been a key driver of growth. We continue to spend approximately 6% of revenue on R&D so as to provide a constant stream of new and relevant products for our various customer channels.

During the year we launched five new hardware products and numerous software/firmware updates to expand and enhance our product offerings. These new products are across different price segments and target different customer markets, giving us further penetration and reach. Feedback from the consumer, retailer and distribution channels continues to be positive and acceptance so far has been very pleasing.

We regularly update and enhance our offerings to improve the creative workflow, maintain world-class customer service and make our solutions easier to install and use, generating industry-leading NPS and overall customer experience statistics.

Another key part of our drive towards growth is our e-commerce store with special emphasis on markets where we see an opportunity to augment local distribution with localised content, language support and swift delivery to end-users. Currently our e-commerce business is about 1% of Group revenue. However, the e-store is also a powerful marketing tool and, in many countries, helps support the local reseller channel as well with its reseller locator features.

We continue to refine and improve the 'out-of-the-box' experience for all our customers, beginners and professionals alike. We believe that a great first experience with our products is paramount to our overall success.

Summary and outlook

We are focused on three core goals: growing our customer base; increasing the lifetime value of our customers; and expanding into new market segments. To achieve this, we will continue to innovate, disrupt, grow our audience and help all our customers, from beginners to professionals, remove barriers from the creative process of music creation and audio recording.

There is much change in the trading environment, providing risk and some opportunity: changes in technology and new customer requirements can emerge quickly, macroeconomic and political factors affect our end customers and distributors alike and competitive pressures remain strong. We manage these factors proactively.

Last year, we had a record period pre-Christmas driven by a burst of demand for the Group's more consumer-oriented products such as Launchpad, resulting in a weighting in favour of the first half. As anticipated, trading in the first few months of this financial year has been broadly similar to the results achieved in the same period last year. The Board expects the current year to follow the Group's more usual seasonal pattern and, at this early stage, believes that Focusrite is well placed to deliver further growth for shareholders.

Tim Carroll

Chief Executive Officer

Financial Review

Overview

The Group has generated growth of 13.7% in revenue, growth of 18.1% in EBITDA and growth of 18.9% in adjusted diluted earnings per share ('EPS').

The Group has regularly reported longer-term growth. Since FY09, the overall revenue growth is 729%, or if you prefer, 26.4% compound; all of which has been organic.

Income statement

Revenue

Revenue grew 13.7% (15.3% at constant exchange rates) from GBP66.1 million to GBP75.1 million.

The Focusrite segment comprises the products used in the recording and broadcasting of music. The primary ranges are Scarlett, Clarett, Red and RedNet. All ranges grew in revenue. Scarlett, which is approximately three-quarters of the revenue in this segment, increased by 15%. As a segment, Focusrite increased by 17.2%, from GBP44.6 million to GBP52.2 million, as the Group launched further products in the Clarett and Red ranges in addition to further Scarlett second-generation growth in market share.

The Novation segment is directed towards the creation of music and consists of the Novation and Ampify brands. About half of this segment relates to the Launchpad range although the star product this year was the new synthesiser (Peak). Peak was launched in 2017 and helped our sales of synthesisers to grow by 46%, while the bigger ranges such as Launchpad and Launchkey grew more slowly. The segment revenue was GBP20.1 million, up 6.4% on GBP18.9 million last year.

Finally, in the UK, the Group distributes products such as studio monitors and microphones manufactured by other organisations. Revenue was GBP2.9 million, up 8.4% from GBP2.6 million in 2017.

All the major regions grew. North America is 43% of the Group and grew at 10.2% (constant currency: 17%) to GBP32.7 million. North America is biased towards the Focusrite brands versus Novation (Focusrite is 76% of the total revenue). The growth was across all brands although Pro was the strongest, growing at 24%.

Europe represents 40% of Group revenue. Europe grew 18.1% (constant currency: 11%) to GBP29.7 million. Within Europe, UK was weaker, while EMEA grew more strongly. For the brands, Focusrite was strong.

The Rest of the World ('ROW') comprises mainly Asia and South America and is the remaining 17% of Group revenue. This has been a key area of investment as the Group has opened a sales and marketing office in Hong Kong and now employed a full-time regional sales manager in Mexico. ROW grew by 13.3% (constant currency: 21%) to GBP12.7 million. Within this region the faster growth was within Focusrite.

Exchange rates were more stable this year. In FY17, GBP weakened, which helped the result: reported revenue growth was 21.6% and constant exchange rate growth was 13%. In FY18, foreign exchange rates represented a minor headwind. In particular, the US Dollar weakened from an average of $1.27 = GBP1 to $1.35 = GBP1. Therefore, constant exchange rate revenue growth (15.3%) was stronger than reported growth (13.7%).

Furthermore the Board are aware of the possible results of the Brexit discussions and the effect that the resultant agreement will have on the Euro/GBP exchange rate. This effect would be mitigated partially by the Group's hedging arrangements: the Group aims to hedge 75% of net Euro flows in the coming financial year, and 50% in the following financial year.

Segment profit

Segment profit is disclosed in the note to the accounts, 'Business Segments'. For each reportable segment, Focusrite, Novation and Distribution, the revenue is compared with the directly attributable costs to create a segment profit.

The segment profit for Focusrite was GBP25.1 million (2017: GBP20.2 million). This increased by 24.2% over the prior year, driven primarily by revenue growth and higher gross margin. The segment profit for Novation was GBP10.1 million (2017: GBP9.2 million). This increased by 9.4% over the prior year. Finally, the segment profit for Distribution was GBP0.8 million (2017: GBP0.7 million).

Gross profit

While revenue grew by 13.7%, gross profit grew by 20.2% to GBP31.7 million. This was a function of the higher revenue and a higher gross margin. Gross margin was 42.2% (FY17: 39.9%). The significant increase in gross margin was due to the stronger Euro and closer management of customer discounts.

Administrative expenses

Administrative expenses consist of sales, marketing, operations, the uncapitalised element of R&D and central functions such as legal, finance and the Group Board. These expenses were GBP19.7 million, up from GBP16.9 million last year. Again, the major part of the growth was in sales and marketing, including the Focusrite Pro sales team, further investment in the Hong Kong office, further investment in e-commerce and marketing expenditure, especially on-line marketing.

EBITDA

EBITDA is used within the Group for two particular reasons. Firstly, it is a widely-used measure of underlying trading performance, enhancing comparability between industries. Secondly, it forms the basis of much of the incentivisation of senior management within the Group. EBITDA increased by 18.1% to GBP15.5 million (FY17: GBP13.1 million).

Depreciation and amortisation

Depreciation is charged on tangible fixed assets on a straight-line basis over the assets' estimated useful lives, normally ranging between 2 and 5 years.

Amortisation is mainly charged on capitalised development costs, writing off the development cost over the life of the resultant product. It is intended that the costs are capitalised cautiously and amortised quickly, with all development costs related to an individual product written off over a period up to three years. In the year, the development costs capitalised were GBP3.0 million (FY17: GBP2.7 million) and the equivalent amortisation was GBP2.4 million (FY17: GBP2.8 million).

Non-underlying item

The Group has considered the amortisation of research and development intangible assets on a project-by-project basis rather than applying a standard principle across all. This change of estimation of the start date of amortisation has resulted in a single adjustment to reduce the amortisation previously charged by GBP0.3m and has been shown as a non-underlying item in FY18. There were no non-underlying items in FY17.

Income statement

 
                                         2018             2018       2018        2017             2017        2017 
                                         GBPm             GBPm       GBPm        GBPm             GBPm        GBPm 
---------------------------------- 
                                     Adjusted   Non-underlying   Reported    Adjusted   Non-underlying    Reported 
----------------------------------  ---------  ---------------  ---------  ----------  ---------------  ---------- 
 Revenue                                 75.1                -       75.1        66.1                -        66.1 
 Cost of sales                         (43.4)                -     (43.4)      (39.7)                -      (39.7) 
----------------------------------  ---------  ---------------  ---------  ----------  ---------------  ---------- 
 Gross profit                            31.7                -       31.7        26.4                -        26.4 
 Administrative expenses               (20.1)              0.3     (19.8)      (16.9)                -      (16.9) 
----------------------------------  ---------  ---------------  ---------  ----------  ---------------  ---------- 
 Operating profit                        11.6              0.3       11.9         9.5                -         9.5 
 Net finance income                     (0.2)                -      (0.2)       (0.0)                -       (0.0) 
----------------------------------  ---------  ---------------  ---------  ----------  ---------------  ---------- 
 Profit before tax                       11.4              0.3       11.7         9.5                -         9.5 
 Income tax expense                     (1.2)            (0.0)      (1.2)       (0.9)                -       (0.9) 
----------------------------------  ---------  ---------------  ---------  ----------  ---------------  ---------- 
 Profit for the period                   10.2              0.3       10.5         8.6                -         8.6 
----------------------------------  ---------  ---------------  ---------  ----------  ---------------  ---------- 
 
                                         2018             2018       2018        2017             2017        2017 
                                         GBPm             GBPm       GBPm        GBPm             GBPm        GBPm 
---------------------------------- 
                                     Adjusted   Non-underlying   Reported    Adjusted   Non-underlying    Reported 
----------------------------------  ---------  ---------------  ---------  ----------  ---------------  ---------- 
 Operating profit                        11.6              0.3       11.9         9.5                -         9.5 
 Add - amortisation of intangible 
  assets                                  3.1            (0.3)        2.8         2.9                -         2.9 
 Add - depreciation of tangible 
  assets                                  0.8                -        0.8         0.7                -         0.7 
----------------------------------  ---------  ---------------  ---------  ----------  ---------------  ---------- 
 EBITDA                                  15.5                -       15.5        13.1                -        13.1 
----------------------------------  ---------  ---------------  ---------  ----------  ---------------  ---------- 
 

Foreign exchange and hedging

The exchange rates have been more consistent in the last financial year.

 
 Exchange rates    2018   2017 
----------------  -----  ----- 
 Average 
 USD:GBP           1.35   1.27 
----------------  -----  ----- 
 EUR:GBP           1.13   1.16 
----------------  -----  ----- 
 
 Year end 
----------------  -----  ----- 
 USD:GBP           1.30   1.29 
----------------  -----  ----- 
 EUR:GBP           1.12   1.09 
----------------  -----  ----- 
 

The average US Dollar rate has weakened from $1.27 to $1.35. The US Dollar accounts for approximately 60% of Group revenue so this reduces the revenue growth. However, the Group also buys product in US Dollars and has some US Dollar operating costs so there is a natural hedge. Therefore, the US Dollar weakening reduced revenue but had little effect on gross profit.

The Euro comprises approximately a quarter of revenue but little cost. The Group enters into forward contracts to convert Euro to GBP. In FY17, approximately three-quarters of Euro flows were hedged at EUR1.28, thereby creating a blended exchange rate of approximately EUR1.26. In FY18, the equivalent hedging contracts were at EUR1.12, being very close to the transactional rate of EUR1.13 and so creating a blended exchange rate of EUR1.12.

Hedge accounting is used, meaning that the hedging contracts have been matched to income flows and, providing the hedging contracts remain effective, movements in fair value are shown in a hedging reserve in the balance sheet, until the hedge transaction occurs.

The major part of the balance within financing costs was the cumulative foreign exchange loss on the translation of cash held in US Dollars.

Corporation tax

Corporation tax as a proportion of profit before tax was 10.3% (FY17: 10.1%). The major part of the Group's profits are taxed in UK, where the headline rate is 19%. The effective tax rate is lower than this headline rate, due largely to enhanced tax relief on R&D costs.

Earnings per share

The basic EPS for the year was 18.4 pence, up 19.5% from 15.4 pence in FY17. This rise was driven largely by the rise in profit, but also included the impact of a non-underlying item in FY18. The more comparable measure, excluding non-underlying items and including the dilutive effect of share options, is adjusted diluted EPS. This was 17.6 pence, up 18.9% from 14.8 pence in FY17.

Earnings per share

 
                     2018   2017   Growth 
                        P      P        % 
------------------  -----  -----  ------- 
 Basic               18.4   15.4    19.5% 
 Diluted             18.1   14.8    22.3% 
 Adjusted basic      18.0   15.4    16.9% 
 Adjusted diluted    17.6   14.8    18.9% 
------------------  -----  -----  ------- 
 

Balance sheet

 
                                  2018    2017 
                                  GBPm    GBPm 
-----------------------------  -------  ------ 
 Non-current assets                7.3     6.3 
 Current assets 
 Inventories                      11.4     8.3 
 Trade and other receivables      13.4    13.0 
 Cash                             22.8    14.2 
 Current liabilities            (11.1)   (8.7) 
 Non-current liabilities         (0.4)   (0.2) 
-----------------------------  -------  ------ 
 Net assets                       43.4    32.9 
-----------------------------  -------  ------ 
 

Cash flow

 
                                       2018   2017 
                                       GBPm   GBPm 
 Free cash flow(1)                     10.0    9.4 
 Add - non-underlying cash outflows     0.0    0.1 
------------------------------------  -----  ----- 
 Underlying free cash flow             10.0    9.5 
------------------------------------  -----  ----- 
 

(1) Defined as net cash from operating activities less net cash used in investing activities.

Balance sheet

Non-current assets

The non-current assets comprise mainly capitalised development costs; property, plant and equipment; and software. Approximately 70% of development costs are capitalised and they are amortised over three years. This policy is unchanged from last year.

Working capital

Working capital was stable at 18.2% of revenue (FY17: 19.1%). Experience over the four years since the IPO suggests that this is an appropriate level. If the working capital is closer to 25% of revenue, the cash generation is reduced and there is likely to be too much stock. If the working capital falls closer to 15% of revenue, it is likely that some stock may be running low.

The improved business practices around stock have been maintained. Stock was increased from GBP8.3 million to GBP11.4 million. The majority of this increase was to support the increase in demand.

Customers continue to pay essentially on time with only 5% of customer debts overdue at the year end. Finally, suppliers are paid on time.

Cash flow

The total cash balance year end was GBP22.8 million, up from GBP19.7 million at the half year and GBP14.2 million at 31 August 2017. There was no debt in either year. The movement in working capital was a small outflow of GBP0.4 million (FY17: inflow of GBP0.4 million). Given that revenue increased by GBP9.1 million, the movement in working capital was very low. If working capital is approximately 20% of revenue, then barring any extenuating circumstances, it would be reasonable for the movement in working capital to be an outflow of 20% of the increase in revenue, so the movement in working capital this year is a positive result. Free cash flow was again strong, at GBP10.0 million (FY17: GBP9.4 million), which represented 13.3% of revenue (FY17: 14.3%). Since IPO, the average free cash flow as a percentage of revenue has been 9.9%. Finally, the Group has a committed five-year GBP10 million revolving credit facility with HSBC, expiring in December 2020.

Dividend

The Board is proposing a final dividend of 2.3 pence per share (FY17 final dividend: 1.95 pence), which would result in a total of 3.3 pence per share for the year (FY17: 2.7 pence). This represents an adjusted earnings dividend cover of 5.3 times (FY17: 5.5 times) and moves the Group closer to its stated target of 5 times.

Summary

The Group has had another strong year with growth across revenue, profits, cash and dividend. Revenue has grown by 13.7%, EBITDA by 18.1%, adjusted operating profit by 22.6% and adjusted diluted EPS by 18.9%. In addition, the free cash flow has been strong and the cash balance has been increased from GBP14.2 million to GBP22.8 million. The strategy is clear and we press on.

Jeremy Wilson

Chief Financial Officer

Principal Risks and Uncertainties

Risk factors

In common with all businesses, the Group faces risks, the effective management of which is necessary to enable it to achieve its strategic objectives and secure the resilience of the business for the long term. Management of risk is critical to the effective running of the business and is considered as part of the Group's decision-making processes.

 
 Risk area              Description                        Mitigation 
---------------------  ---------------------------------  ---------------------------------------- 
 Economic environment   The Group operates in the          The Group sells products 
                         global economy and ultimately      at all levels of the market 
                         within the retail environment      in c.160 territories worldwide 
                         with products being sold           via two distinct product 
                         to consumer end-user musicians.    categories and is working 
                         Such operations are influenced     to reduce reliance on any 
                         by global and national             single product or territory. 
                         economic factors. 
---------------------  ---------------------------------  ---------------------------------------- 
 Macro-economic         The impact of the decision         The Group is positioning 
  changes affecting      to exit the European Union         itself to be able to react 
  the ease and           remains uncertain. There           to the uncertainties faced 
  cost of moving         has already been foreign           by the business. The Group 
  stock between          exchange volatility. It            has previously increased 
  countries              is probable that the UK            selling prices in the UK 
                         will not be part of the            to correct the imbalance 
                         customs union and the Group        caused by the significant 
                         anticipates the imposition         foreign exchange rate changes, 
                         of some additional duties          and will continue to monitor 
                         and minor disruption to            other possible effects of 
                         the logistics network.             Brexit and act accordingly 
                                                            as they become known. 
                         In September 2018 the USA 
                         implemented tariffs of             The Group has increased the 
                         10% (potentially rising            minimum advertised price 
                         to 25% in January 2019)            to cover the additional tariffs. 
                         on the importing of most           This provides a possible 
                         products manufactured in           upside from the higher price 
                         China. The Group has product       charged but an uncertainty 
                         manufactured in China,             regarding the effect of the 
                         so selling product in the          higher price on consumer 
                         US will become more expensive.     demand. 
---------------------  ---------------------------------  ---------------------------------------- 
 Technological          The market for the Group's         R&D remains one of the Group's 
  changes, product       products is characterised          largest investments. The 
  innovation and         by continued evolution             Group has a bespoke project 
  competition            in technology, evolving            system that facilitates the 
                         industry standards, changes        operation of a rigorous, 
                         in customer needs and frequent     disciplined product introduction 
                         new competitive product            process to ensure that as 
                         introductions. If the Group        far as possible the fast-changing 
                         is unable to anticipate            needs of its target markets 
                         or respond to these challenges     are met. In addition, the 
                         or fails to develop and            Group continuously seeks 
                         introduce successful products      efficiencies and minimises 
                         on a timely basis, it could        costs where possible. 
                         have an adverse impact 
                         on the Group's business 
                         and prospects. 
---------------------  ---------------------------------  ---------------------------------------- 
 Dependence on          The Group is dependent             The Group has supply agreements 
  a small number         on a small number of suppliers,    with four major Chinese manufacturers. 
  of suppliers           in particular its largest          The Group works with its 
                         supplier, which supplies           resellers and distributors 
                         Focusrite interfaces. Failure      to ensure they are holding 
                         or material delay by its           sufficient stock levels should 
                         suppliers to perform or            there be disruption to the 
                         failure by the Group to            supply chain. Relationships 
                         renew such arrangements            are long-lasting and strong. 
                         could have a material adverse      Members of the operations 
                         effect on the Group's business,    department within Focusrite 
                         operating results and financial    meet each supplier three 
                         position.                          to four times per year to 
                                                            review performance and costs. 
---------------------  ---------------------------------  ---------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
 Key resellers             In certain countries, including        In cases where there is a 
  and distributors          the USA, the Group operates            large distributor in a significant 
                            via a single distributor               market, the Group also communicates 
                            or has large individual                with the major retailers. 
                            reseller customers. In                 In addition, the Group carefully 
                            certain cases, a failure               monitors customer credit 
                            of or breakdown in the                 limits and has credit insurance 
                            relationship with a key                which typically covers the 
                            reseller or distributor,               majority of the customer 
                            or even the failure of                 debts outstanding at any 
                            a major customer of that               point in time. 
                            distributor, could significantly 
                            and adversely affect the 
                            Group's business. 
------------------------  -------------------------------------  ----------------------------------------- 
 Development of            Significant change in the              The Group or its distributors 
  the channels              methods by which end-users             sell to both 'bricks and 
  to market                 wish to buy Focusrite products         mortar' and e-commerce retailers 
                            could significantly affect             so that the Group can satisfy 
                            the Group's business.                  customer demand via both 
                                                                   methods. 
------------------------  -------------------------------------  ----------------------------------------- 
 Currency risks            The Group is exposed to                There is a largely effective 
                            currency and exchange rate             natural hedge for US Dollar 
                            fluctuations which may                 transactions as the Group 
                            affect the Group's revenue             uses its generation of US 
                            and costs when reported                Dollars to buy product in 
                            in Sterling.                           US Dollars. In addition, 
                                                                   the Group mitigates its Euro 
                                                                   exposure by entering into 
                                                                   forward foreign exchange 
                                                                   hedging contracts for the 
                                                                   conversion of Euros to Sterling. 
------------------------  -------------------------------------  ----------------------------------------- 
 Scarcity of experienced   The nature of the Group's              The Group is a leading company 
  technical personnel      business requires its employees         in the UK music industry 
                           in the technical                        and so attracts high-quality 
                           and development teams to                technical personnel. The 
                           be highly skilled and experienced       Group also attracts graduates 
                           in their respective fields.             from music technology, electronics 
                           The Group is dependent                  and engineering courses at 
                           for its continued success               renowned universities. The 
                           on being able to attract,               Group invests in developing 
                           retrain and motivate such               its employees and incentivises 
                           individuals.                            them through wide-ranging 
                                                                   share ownership incentives 
                                                                   and other employment benefits 
                                                                   to aid retention. 
------------------------  -------------------------------------  ----------------------------------------- 
 Intellectual                The intellectual property                The Group has established 
  property and                and data developed by the                a programme for protecting 
  data protection             Group is valuable and the                its intellectual property 
                              Group could be harmed by                 and pursues infringements. 
                              infringement or loss.                    The Group has data and information 
                                                                       technology controls which 
                                                                       are reviewed by the Group 
                                                                       Board. Additionally, the 
                                                                       Group includes data protection 
                                                                       provisions in the contracts 
                                                                       of all Group employees. 
--------------------------  ---------------------------------------  ------------------------------------- 
 Information security        Information security and               The Group has carried out 
                              cyberthreats are currently             a detailed review of IT systems 
                              a priority across all industries       to identify elements requiring 
                              and remain a key government            upgrade. There has already 
                              agenda item.                           been a widespread upgrade 
                                                                     of core IT functionality 
                                                                     including cybersecurity (firewalls, 
                                                                     anti-virus, mobile device 
                                                                     management) and the implementation 
                                                                     of backup and disaster recovery 
                                                                     processes. The Group has 
                                                                     moved core enterprise resource 
                                                                     planning systems to the cloud 
                                                                     with robust service level 
                                                                     agreements in place to ensure 
                                                                     data availability and security. 
                                                                     The Group implemented a customer 
                                                                     relationship management system 
                                                                     to ensure GDPR compliance. 
                                                                     There is an improving business 
                                                                     continuity framework and 
                                                                     a dedicated internal IT support 
                                                                     team aided by external support 
                                                                     providers. 
--------------------------  -------------------------------------  --------------------------------------- 
 
 

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this full year report are forward looking. Although the Directors believe that their expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, any statements about future outlook may be influenced by factors that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different.

Consolidated Income Statement

For the year ended 31 August 2018

 
                                                     Note       2018                    2017 
                                                             GBP'000                 GBP'000 
--------------------------------------------------  -----  ---------  ---------------------- 
 Revenue                                              1       75,121                  66,055 
 Cost of sales                                              (43,447)                (39,704) 
--------------------------------------------------  -----  ---------  ---------------------- 
 Gross profit                                                 31,674                 26,351 
 Administrative expenses                                    (19,732)                (16,881) 
--------------------------------------------------  -----  ---------  ---------------------- 
 EBITDA (non-GAAP measure)                                    15,485                  13,109 
 Depreciation and amortisation                               (3,872)                 (3,639) 
 Non-underlying items                                 4          329                       - 
--------------------------------------------------  -----  ---------  ---------------------- 
 Operating profit                                             11,942                   9,470 
--------------------------------------------------  -----  ---------  ---------------------- 
 Finance income                                                    4                      86 
 Finance costs                                                 (274)                    (44) 
--------------------------------------------------  -----  ---------  ---------------------- 
 Profit before tax                                            11,672                   9,512 
 Income tax expense                                   5      (1,199)                   (959) 
--------------------------------------------------  -----  ---------  ---------------------- 
 Profit for the period from continuing operations             10,473                   8,553 
--------------------------------------------------  -----  ---------  ---------------------- 
 
 Earnings per share 
 From continuing operations 
 Basic (pence per share)                              7         18.4                    15.4 
--------------------------------------------------  -----  ---------  ---------------------- 
 Diluted (pence per share)                            7         18.1                    14.8 
--------------------------------------------------  -----  ---------  ---------------------- 
 

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

For the year ended 31 August 2018

 
                                                                                       2018                       2017 
                                                                            Note    GBP'000                    GBP'000 
------------------------------------------------------------------------  -------  --------  ------------------------- 
 Profit for the period (attributable to equity holders of the Company)               10,473                      8,553 
 Items that may be reclassified subsequently to the income statement 
 Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations                               19                        (8) 
 Profit/(loss) on forward foreign exchange contracts designated and effective as 
  a hedging 
  instrument                                                                            541                        659 
 Tax on hedging instrument                                                            (106)                      (134) 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  --------  ------------------------- 
 Total comprehensive income for the period                                           10,927                      9,070 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  --------  ------------------------- 
 Total comprehensive income attributable to: 
 Equity holders of the Company                                                       10,927                      9,070 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  --------  ------------------------- 
                                                                                     10,927                      9,070 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------  --------  ------------------------- 
 

The notes form part of the financial statements.

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

As at 31 August 2018

 
                                                      2018                     2017 
                                                   GBP'000                  GBP'000 
----------------------------------------------   ---------  ----------------------- 
 Assets 
 Non-current assets 
 Goodwill                                              419                      419 
 Other intangible assets                             5,620                    4,544 
 Property, plant and equipment                       1,275                    1,369 
 Total non-current assets                            7,314                    6,332 
-----------------------------------------------  ---------  ----------------------- 
 
 Current assets 
 Inventories                                        11,391                    8,334 
 Trade and other receivables                        13,310                   12,952 
 Cash and cash equivalents                          22,811                   14,174 
 Derivative financial instruments                      100                        - 
----------------------------------------------              ----------------------- 
 Total current assets                               47,612                   35,460 
                                                 --------- 
 Total assets                                       54,926                   41,792 
-----------------------------------------------  ---------  ----------------------- 
 
 Equity and liabilities 
 Capital and reserves 
 Share capital                                          58                       58 
 Share premium                                         115                        - 
 Merger reserve                                     14,595                   14,595 
 Merger difference reserve                        (13,147)                 (13,147) 
 Translation reserve                                    50                       31 
 Hedging reserve                                        46                    (389) 
 EBT reserve                                           (1)                      (3) 
 Retained earnings                                  41,731                   31,739 
 Equity attributable to owners of the Company       43,447                   32,884 
-----------------------------------------------  ---------  ----------------------- 
 Total equity                                       43,447                   32,884 
-----------------------------------------------  ---------  ----------------------- 
 
 Current liabilities 
 Trade and other payables                           10,709                    7,720 
 Current tax liabilities                               427                      459 
 Derivative financial instruments                        -                      484 
 Total current liabilities                          11,136                    8,663 
-----------------------------------------------  ---------  ----------------------- 
 
 Non-current liabilities 
 Deferred tax                                          300                      245 
 Derivative financial instruments                       43                        - 
 Total liabilities                                  11,479                    8,908 
-----------------------------------------------  ---------  ----------------------- 
 Total equity and liabilities                       54,926                   41,792 
-----------------------------------------------  ---------  ----------------------- 
 

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors and authorized for issue on 20 November 2018. They were signed on its behalf by:

   Tim Carroll                                            Jeremy Wilson 
   Chief Executive Officer                       Chief Financial Officer 

The notes form part of the financial statements.

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

For the year ended 31 August 2018

 
                                                       Merger 
                     Share      Share     Merger   difference   Translation    Hedging        EBT   Retained 
                   capital    premium    reserve      reserve       reserve    reserve    reserve   earnings     Total 
                   GBP'000    GBP'000    GBP'000      GBP'000       GBP'000    GBP'000    GBP'000    GBP'000   GBP'000 
 Balance at 1 
  September 
  2016                  58          -     14,595     (13,147)            39      (914)        (5)     23,251    23,877 
---------------  ---------  ---------  ---------  -----------  ------------  ---------  ---------  ---------  -------- 
 Profit for the 
  period                 -          -          -            -             -          -          -      8,553     8,553 
 Other 
  comprehensive 
  income for 
  the 
  period                 -          -          -            -           (8)        525          -          -       517 
---------------  ---------  ---------  ---------  -----------  ------------  ---------  ---------  ---------  -------- 
 Total 
  comprehensive 
  income for 
  the 
  period                 -          -          -            -           (8)        525          -      8,553     9,070 
 Transactions 
 with owners of 
 the 
 Company: 
 Share-based 
  payment 
  deferred tax 
  deduction in 
  excess of 
  remuneration 
  expense                -          -          -            -             -          -          -        114       114 
 Share-based 
  payment 
  current tax 
  deduction in 
  excess of 
  remuneration 
  expense                -          -          -            -             -          -          -        558       558 
 Shares from 
  EBT exercised          -          -          -            -             -          -          2        256       258 
 Share-based 
  payments               -          -          -            -             -          -          -        145       145 
 Dividends paid          -          -          -            -             -          -          -    (1,138)   (1,138) 
 Balance at 1 
  September 
  2017                  58          -     14,595     (13,147)            31      (389)        (3)     31,739    32,884 
---------------  ---------  ---------  ---------  -----------  ------------  ---------  ---------  ---------  -------- 
 Profit for the 
  period                 -          -          -            -             -          -          -     10,473    10,473 
 Other 
  comprehensive 
  income for 
  the 
  period                 -          -          -            -            19        435          -          -       454 
---------------  ---------  ---------  ---------  -----------  ------------  ---------  ---------  ---------  -------- 
 Total 
  comprehensive 
  income for 
  the 
  period                 -          -          -            -            19        435          -     10,473    10,927 
 Transactions 
 with owners of 
 the 
 Company: 
 Share-based 
  payment 
  deferred tax 
  deduction in 
  excess of 
  remuneration 
  expense                -          -          -            -             -          -          -         95        95 
 Share-based 
  payment 
  current tax 
  deduction in 
  excess of 
  remuneration 
  expense                -          -          -            -             -          -          -        698       698 
 New shares 
  issued                 -        115          -            -             -          -          -          -       115 
 Shares from 
  EBT exercised          -          -          -            -             -          -          2        189       191 
 Share-based 
  payments               -          -          -            -             -          -          -        216       216 
 Dividends paid          -          -          -            -             -          -          -    (1,679)   (1,679) 
---------------  ---------  ---------  ---------  -----------  ------------  ---------  ---------  ---------  -------- 
 Balance at 31 
  August 2018           58        115     14,595     (13,147)            50         46        (1)     41,731    43,447 
---------------  ---------  ---------  ---------  -----------  ------------  ---------  ---------  ---------  -------- 
 

The notes form part of the financial statements.

Consolidated Cash Flow Statement

For the year ended 31 August 2018

 
                                                                       2018      2017 
                                                             Note   GBP'000   GBP'000 
----------------------------------------------------------  -----  --------  -------- 
 Operating activities 
 Profit for the financial year                                       10,473     8,553 
 Adjustments for: 
 Income tax expense                                                   1,199       959 
 Net interest                                                           270      (42) 
 Profit on disposal of property, plant and equipment                   (14)       (8) 
 Amortisation of intangibles                                          2,804     2,950 
 Depreciation of property, plant and equipment                          740       689 
 Share-based payments charge                                            216       145 
----------------------------------------------------------  -----  --------  -------- 
 Operating cash flows before movements in working capital            15,688    13,246 
 Increase in trade and other receivables                              (358)   (1,728) 
 (Increase)/decrease in inventories                                 (3,057)     3,027 
 Increase/(decrease) in trade and other payables                      2,989     (892) 
----------------------------------------------------------  -----  --------  -------- 
 Operating cash flows before interest and tax paid                   15,262    13,653 
 Net interest paid                                                     (36)      (42) 
 Income taxes paid                                                    (478)     (633) 
----------------------------------------------------------  -----  --------  -------- 
 Cash generated by operations                                        14,748    12,978 
 Net foreign exchange movements                                       (226)        84 
----------------------------------------------------------  -----  --------  -------- 
 Net cash from operating activities                                  14,522    13,062 
 Investing activities 
 Purchases of property, plant and equipment                           (651)     (493) 
 Purchases of intangible assets                                     (3,880)   (3,121) 
 Proceeds from disposal of property, plant and equipment                 19         - 
 Net cash used in investing activities                              (4,512)   (3,614) 
----------------------------------------------------------  -----  --------  -------- 
 Financing activities 
 Issue of equity shares                                                 306       258 
 Equity dividends paid                                        6     (1,679)   (1,138) 
 Net cash used in financing activities                              (1,373)     (880) 
----------------------------------------------------------  -----  --------  -------- 
 Net increase in cash and cash equivalents                            8,637     8,568 
 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year                      14,174     5,606 
 Cash and cash equivalents at end of year                            22,811    14,174 
----------------------------------------------------------  -----  --------  -------- 
 

The notes form part of the financial statements.

Notes to the Final Results

For the year ended 31 August 2018

These condensed preliminary financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries ("the Group") for the year ended 31 August 2018 have been prepared using accounting policies consistent with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs).

The information contained within this announcement has been extracted from the audited financial statements which have been prepared in accordance with IFRS as adopted by the European Union ('adopted IFRS'), and with those parts of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies reporting under adopted IFRS. They have been prepared using the historical cost convention except where the measurement of balances at fair value is required.

The Directors believe that the Group is well placed to manage its business risks successfully despite the current uncertainties within the global economy. The Group has considerable financial resources, ongoing revenue streams and a broad spread of customers. As a consequence of these factors and having reviewed the forecasts for the coming year, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus, they continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing these financial statements.

The statutory accounts for the year ended 31 August 2017 have been reported on by the Company's auditors and delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The statutory accounts for the year ended 31 August 2018 will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies following the Company's Annual General Meeting. The auditors have reported on those accounts; their report was unqualified, did not include references to any matter which the auditors drew attention by way of emphasis without qualifying their report and did not contain statements under section 498(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006.

Availability of audited accounts:

Copies of the 31 August 2018 audited accounts will be will be available on 20 November 2018 on the Company's website (www.focusriteplc.com/investors) for the purposes of AIM rule 26 and will be posted to shareholders in due course.

   1    Revenue 

An analysis of the Group's revenue is as follows:

 
                                       Year ended 31 August 
                                         2018           2017 
-------------------------------- 
                                      GBP'000        GBP'000 
--------------------------------    ---------  ------------- 
 Continuing operations 
 North America                         32,720         29,702 
 Europe, Middle East and Africa        29,706         25,153 
 Rest of the World                     12,695         11,200 
 Consolidated revenue                  75,121         66,055 
----------------------------------  ---------  ------------- 
 

In previous financial statements the Group has disclosed revenue earned in Canada within the Rest of the World region. In the year ended 31 August 2018 this revenue was reclassified to the USA region, and the region was renamed North America. The table below sets out the regional analysis of revenue under the previous classification:

 
                                       Year ended 31 August 
                                         2018           2017 
-------------------------------- 
                                      GBP'000        GBP'000 
--------------------------------    ---------  ------------- 
 Continuing operations 
 USA                                   31,184         27,990 
 Europe, Middle East and Africa        29,706         25,153 
 Rest of the World                     14,231         12,912 
 Consolidated revenue                  75,121         66,055 
----------------------------------  ---------  ------------- 
 
   2    Business segments 

Information reported to the Board of Directors for the purposes of resource allocation and assessment of segment performance is focused on the main product groups which Focusrite sells. While the results of Focusrite and Focusrite Pro are reported separately to the Board, they are aggregated together for the purposes of segmental reporting. Similarly, the results of Novation and Ampify also meet the aggregation criteria set out in IFRS 8 segmental reporting. The Group's reportable segments under IFRS 8 are therefore as follows:

   Focusrite               -              Sales of Focusrite or Focusrite Pro branded products 
   Novation               -              Sales of Novation or Ampify branded products 

Distribution - Distribution of third-party brands including KRK, Ableton, Stanton, Cerwin-Vega,

Cakewalk and sE Electronics

Segment revenues and results

The following is an analysis of the Group's revenue and results by reportable segment:

The accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as the Group's accounting policies described in note 3 within the Annual Report. Segment profit represents the profit earned by each segment without allocation of the share of central administration costs including Directors' salaries, investment revenue and finance costs, and income tax expense. This is the measure reported to the Board of Directors for the purpose of resource allocation and assessment of segment performance.

Central administration costs comprise principally the employment-related costs and other overheads incurred by Focusrite and its USA subsidiary, net of inter-company commission income. Also included within central administration costs is the charge relating to the share option scheme of GBP216,000 for the year ended 31 August 2018 (2017: GBP145,000).

 
                                                             Year ended 31 August 
                                                               2018            2017 
                                                            GBP'000         GBP'000 
--------------------------------------------------------  ---------  -------------- 
 Revenue from external customers 
 Focusrite                                                   52,193          44,552 
 Novation                                                    20,066          18,862 
 Distribution                                                 2,862           2,641 
 Total                                                       75,121          66,055 
--------------------------------------------------------  ---------  -------------- 
 Segment profit 
 Focusrite                                                   25,107          20,221 
 Novation                                                    10,063           9,198 
 Distribution                                                   795             711 
--------------------------------------------------------  ---------  -------------- 
                                                             35,965          30,130 
 Central distribution costs and administrative expenses    (24,352)        (20,660) 
 Non-underlying items                                           329               - 
--------------------------------------------------------  ---------  -------------- 
 Operating profit                                            11,942           9,470 
 Finance income                                                   4              86 
 Finance costs                                                (274)            (44) 
--------------------------------------------------------  ---------  -------------- 
 Profit before tax                                           11,672           9,512 
 Tax                                                        (1,199)           (959) 
 Profit after tax                                            10,473           8,553 
--------------------------------------------------------  ---------  -------------- 
 

The Group's non-current assets, analysed by geographical location were as follows:

 
                                      2018            2017 
                                   GBP'000         GBP'000 
--------------------------------  --------  -------------- 
 Non-current assets 
 North America                          81              52 
 Europe, Middle East and Africa      6,705           5,676 
 Rest of the World                     528             604 
 Total non-current assets            7,314           6,332 
--------------------------------  --------  -------------- 
 

Information about major customers

Included in revenues shown for 2018 is GBP31.2 million (2017: GBP28.0 million) attributed to the Group's largest customer, which is located in the USA. Amounts owed at the year end were GBP6.3 million (2017: GBP6.8 million).

   3    Profit for the year 

Profit for the year has been arrived at after charging/(crediting):

 
                                                                          Year ended 31 August 
                                                                             2018          2017 
                                                                 Note      GBP000        GBP000 
--------------------------------------------------------------  ------  ---------  ------------ 
 Net foreign exchange losses/(gains)                                          234          (84) 
 Research and development costs                                             1,524         1,120 
 Depreciation and impairment of property, plant and equipment                 740           689 
 Profit on disposal of property, plant and equipment                         (14)           (8) 
 Amortisation of intangibles                                                2,804         2,950 
 Operating lease rental expense                                               384           306 
 Cost of inventories recognised as an expense                              39,093        35,493 
 Staff costs (excluding share-based payments)                               8,969         6,478 
 Impairment loss recognised on trade receivables                               29          (20) 
 Share-based payments charged to profit and loss                              216           145 
----------------------------------------------------------------------  ---------  ------------ 
 
   4    NON-UNDERLYING ITEMS 

During the year ended 31 August 2018, the Directors considered the date from which amortisation of development costs should start and decided that it was more appropriate that the amortisation start date be assessed for each product developed rather than applying a single, albeit more prudent, rule for all. As a result, there has been an adjustment to the Income Statement to reduce the amortisation charged to date by GBP329,000 and this has been shown as a non-underlying item in the Income Statement.

   5    Tax 
 
                                             Year ended 31 August 
                                            2018                  2017 
                                         GBP'000               GBP'000 
 Corporation tax charges: 
 Under/(over) provision in prior year      (160)                  (13) 
 Current year                              1,315                   895 
--------------------------------------  --------  -------------------- 
                                           1,155                   882 
 Deferred taxation 
 Current year                                 44                    77 
--------------------------------------  --------  -------------------- 
                                           1,199                   959 
--------------------------------------  --------  -------------------- 
 

Corporation tax is calculated at 19% (2017: 19.58%) of the estimated taxable profit for the year. Taxation for the US subsidiary is calculated at the rates prevailing in the respective jurisdiction.

The tax charge for each year can be reconciled to the profit per the income statement as follows:

 
                                                              Year ended 31 August 
                                                                   2018        2017 
                                                                GBP'000     GBP'000 
----------------------------------------------------------  -----------  ---------- 
 Current taxation 
 Profit before tax on continuing operations                      11,672       9,512 
----------------------------------------------------------  -----------  ---------- 
 Tax at the UK corporation tax rate of 19% (2017: 19.58%)         2,218       1,862 
 Effects of: 
 Expenses not deductible for tax purposes                            48          20 
 R&D tax credit                                                   (872)       (773) 
 Prior period adjustment - current tax                            (160)       (113) 
 Prior period adjustment - deferred tax                               -        (18) 
 Effect of change in standard rate of deferred tax                   14        (19) 
 Overseas tax                                                      (49)           - 
 Current tax charge for period                                    1,199         959 
----------------------------------------------------------  -----------  ---------- 
 

A reduction in the UK corporation tax rate from 20% to 19% (effective from 1 April 2017) was substantively enacted on 25 Octobr 2015. Further reduction to 18% (effective from 1 April 2020) was substantively enacted on 25 October 2015, and an additional reduction to 17% (effective 1 April 2020) was substantively enacted on 6 September 2016. This will reduce the Company's future current tax charge accordingly. The deferred tax asset at 31 August 2018 has been calculated based on these rates.

   6    Dividends 

The following equity dividends have been declared:

 
                                                   Year to           Year to 
                                            31 August 2018    31 August 2017 
----------------------------------------  ----------------  ---------------- 
 Dividend per qualifying ordinary share              3.30p             2.70p 
----------------------------------------  ----------------  ---------------- 
 

During the year, the Company paid an interim dividend in respect of the year ended 31 August 2018 of 1.00 pence per share.

On 20 November 2018, the Directors recommended a final dividend of 2.30 pence per share (2017: 1.95 pence per share), making a total of 3.30 pence per share for the year (2017: 2.70 pence per share).

   7    Earnings per share 

The calculation of the basic and diluted EPS is based on the following data:

 
                                                                                               Year ended 31 August 
 Earnings                                                                                     2018                2017 
                                                                                          --------  ------------------ 
                                                                                           GBP'000             GBP'000 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  --------  ------------------ 
 Earnings for the purposes of basic and diluted EPS, being net profit for the period        10,473               8,553 
 Non-underlying items                                                                        (329)                   - 
 Tax on non-underlying items                                                                    63                   - 
 Total underlying profit for adjusted EPS calculation                                       10,207               8,553 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  --------  ------------------ 
 
                                                                                               Year ended 31 August 
                                                                                              2018                2017 
                                                                                          --------  ------------------ 
                                                                                            Number              Number 
                                                                                              '000                '000 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  --------  ------------------ 
 Number of shares 
 Weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purposes of basic EPS calculation       56,825              55,432 
 Effect of dilutive potential ordinary shares: 
 EMI Scheme and unapproved share option plan                                                 1,151               2,357 
 Weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purposes of diluted EPS calculation     57,976              57,789 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  --------  ------------------ 
 
 EPS                                                                                         Pence               Pence 
 Basic EPS                                                                                    18.4                15.4 
 Diluted EPS                                                                                  18.1                14.8 
 Adjusted basic EPS                                                                           18.0                15.4 
 Adjusted diluted EPS                                                                         17.6                14.8 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  --------  ------------------ 
 

At 31 August 2018, the total number of ordinary shares issued and fully paid was 58,111,639. This included 1,159,021 (2017: 2,546,845) shares held by the EBT to satisfy options vesting in future years. The operation of this EBT is funded by the Group so the EBT is required to be consolidated, with the result that the weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purpose of the basic EPS calculation is the net of the weighted average number of shares in issue (58,103,307) less the number of shares held by the EBT (1,278,311). It should be noted that the only right relinquished by the Trustees of the EBT is the right to receive dividends. In all other respects, the shares held by the EBT have full voting rights.

The effect of dilutive potential ordinary share issues is calculated in accordance with IAS 33 and arises from the employee share options currently outstanding, adjusted by the profit element as a proportion of the average share price during the period.

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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