ADVFN Logo ADVFN

We could not find any results for:
Make sure your spelling is correct or try broadening your search.

Trending Now

Toplists

It looks like you aren't logged in.
Click the button below to log in and view your recent history.

Hot Features

Registration Strip Icon for alerts Register for real-time alerts, custom portfolio, and market movers

MPE M.p. Evans Group Plc

868.00
20.00 (2.36%)
24 Apr 2024 - Closed
Delayed by 15 minutes
Share Name Share Symbol Market Type Share ISIN Share Description
M.p. Evans Group Plc LSE:MPE London Ordinary Share GB0007538100 ORD 10P
  Price Change % Change Share Price Bid Price Offer Price High Price Low Price Open Price Shares Traded Last Trade
  20.00 2.36% 868.00 850.00 868.00 864.00 836.00 836.00 12,945 16:35:18
Industry Sector Turnover Profit EPS - Basic PE Ratio Market Cap
General Farms,primarily Crop 326.92M 73.06M 1.3583 6.26 457.2M

M. P. Evans Group PLC Half-year Report (7985Y)

14/09/2020 7:00am

UK Regulatory


M.p. Evans (LSE:MPE)
Historical Stock Chart


From Apr 2019 to Apr 2024

Click Here for more M.p. Evans Charts.

TIDMMPE

RNS Number : 7985Y

M. P. Evans Group PLC

14 September 2020

M.P. EVANS GROUP PLC

M.P. Evans Group PLC ("MP Evans" or "the Group"), a producer of Indonesian palm oil, announces its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2020.

highlights

   --    16% increase in first-half crop 
   --    31% increase of CPO produced, including fresh fruit bunches bought in 
   --    23% increase in average price of CPO cif Rotterdam to US$648 per tonne 
   --    Cost of palm product maintained at US$385 per tonne 
   --    Operating profit US$6.0 million (2019 US$1.0 million) 
   --    Interim dividend maintained at 5.00 pence per share 

Post-period end

   --    Agreement to dispose of 70 hectares of land in Malaysia for US$24.1 million 

Commenting on the results, the chairman of M.P. Evans, Peter Hadsley-Chaplin, said: -

"Excellent crop growth during the first half of 2020, combined with a marked increase in the price of CPO, produced a healthy increase in profit. Operating profit for the period was US$6.0 million compared with US%1.0 million in 2019. World demand for CPO is recovering from the immediate effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and, given both the crop and price prospects for the coming months, the Group is maintaining its interim dividend."

14 September 2020

Enquires:

 
 M.P. Evans Group PLC     020 7220 0500 on 14 September 2020 
                           only 
                          Thereafter telephone 01892 516333 
 
 Peter Hadsley-Chaplin    Chairman 
 Tristan Price            Chief executive 
 Matthew Coulson          Finance director 
 
 finnCap                  020 7220 0500 
 Tim Redfern 
 Chris Raggett 
 Sunila de Silva 
 
 Peel Hunt LLP            020 7418 8900 
 Dan Webster 
 George Sellar 
 Guy Pengelley 
 
 Hudson Sandler           020 7796 4133 
 Charlie Jack 
 Elfie Kent 
 

An analysts' meeting will be held remotely at 9.30 a.m. and those wishing to participate should contact

mpevans@hudsonsandler.com   for further details. 

Overview

Operating profit for the first half of 2020 was US$6.0 million compared with US$1.0 million in the first half of 2019. This reflected an increase in gross profit from US$2.2 million to US$8.9 million as both prices and volumes increased. At the same time, cost per tonne remained the same. Overall, crop from the Group's areas rose by 16% during the first half of 2020 compared with the previous year, as did crop in the scheme-smallholder areas managed by the Group on behalf of smallholder co-operatives. There was a rather stronger increase, of 157%, in crop bought from third-parties following a decision in the middle of 2019 to promote purchases of outside crop. This increase occurred in all areas, but notably at Kota Bangun where the Group has been able to purchase fresh fruit bunches ("ffb") from other commercial operators who have not yet built their own mill. Altogether, therefore, the Group processed 34% more ffb than during the first half of 2019.

The Group holds itself to high operational standards in its plantations and its mills. This can be seen in the consistently high extraction rates that the Group achieves. This has continued to be the case in 2020: oil extraction in Group mills was 23.5%. By comparison with 2019, the Group's rate of oil extraction fell marginally, by 0.1%, as a result of a sharp increase in the proportion of independent smallholder fruit purchased by the Pangkatan mill. Whilst these purchases represent a profitable use of spare capacity at the mill, the quality of the bought-in ffb is lower than that produced in the Group's own areas and those of its scheme smallholders. This also affected the rate of palm-kernel extraction in Pangkatan.

The Group produced positive operating cash flow of US$4.5 million in the six months to June 2020 (2019 US$4.5 million) even after taking into account an increase in working capital of US$5.2 million. Capital investment of US$16.6 million was met through operating cash flows, planned use of the Group's cash balance and a small amount of additional debt. At the end of June, the Group's gross debt stood at US$97.7 million compared with US$94.5 million at the end of 2019. The Group continues to manage its debt in a careful and conservative manner. This has allowed it to continue its investment in new plantations and milling capacity at an optimal rate. The Group therefore expects substantially to complete the investment programme on its existing projects by the end of 2022, very significantly reducing demands on operating cash flow whilst crop and production levels are expected to continue to grow. If maintained, the recovery in CPO prices discussed under 'The palm-oil market' below would lead to a reduction in the Group's net debt position from its high point, funded from within existing facilities, reached during 2020.

Whilst not accounted for in the results to June 2020, following the end of the half the Group signed a conditional agreement to dispose of 70 hectares of land in Malaysia for US$23.5 million. This value was in line with the valuation published in its 2019 annual report. The proceeds will be paid over a three-year period and support investment in the Group's Indonesian oil-palm projects.

Covid-19 pandemic and other risks

The global Covid-19 pandemic has had little effect on the Group's operations. The wellbeing of our employees has remained a priority, and as soon as the widespread nature of the virus became known, preventative measures were quickly introduced to protect the Group's employees. These included restricting staff travel, limiting access to our plantations and putting the Jakarta office onto remote working. All estates and mills have continued to operate without interruption during the pandemic; its effect on the price of CPO is described in the section "The palm-oil market" below. In light of the potential for new risks to emerge as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Group has reviewed its principal risks. It concluded there were no additional risks to those disclosed in the 2019 annual report.

Dividend

The board proposes to pay an interim dividend of 5.00 pence per share (2019 - 5.00 pence per share). As previously announced, the board intends, where possible, to increase or at least to maintain the level of normal dividends. The board plans to maintain this long-standing policy given the unusual circumstances leading to price weakness during the earlier part of the year, significant price increases since the middle of May, and strong increases in crop and production projected over the coming years.

The palm-oil market

The palm-oil price rose strongly at the end of 2019 and into the start of 2020. This rise was prompted by expectations of modest vegetable-oil supply increases during 2020 failing to match increased demand, combined with depleted stock levels compared with recent years. However, the price of crude palm oil fell sharply from the middle of February as the global Covid-19 pandemic took hold and bore down on demand and trade: exports of CPO during the first half of 2020 were 13% lower than a year earlier. Global CPO stocks began to build up again in the second quarter, having fallen in the first months of the year, but remain at a multi-year low. Hence, despite a background of tight supply of all major vegetable oils, the price reached a low point of US$510 per tonne cif Rotterdam in the middle of May. During June, trade in CPO picked up and the price recovered on a rising trend to reach US$585 at the end of the month. On average, the price of CPO cif Rotterdam during the first half of 2020 was US$648 per tonne, 23% higher than the US$528 per tonne recorded in the first half of 2019.

Palm-kernel-oil prices strengthened in 2020 compared with 2019. This was particularly noticeable at the beginning of the year, after which prices fell despite a sharp dip in production of its main competitor, coconut oil, during the second quarter.

Results for the period

Crops

In total, crops from the Group's own areas increased to 334,100 tonnes compared with 287,200 in the first half of 2019. The very high pace of crop growth during the first two months of the year moderated coming into the second quarter and then maintained a steady rate to finish the half 16% ahead of crops in the same period of 2019.

This increase in crop was due largely to continued strides being made at Bumi Mas, the Group's newest estate purchased in 2017, and at Musi Rawas. At Bumi Mas, improvements in agronomic standards as well as investment in the road network have allowed the Group to access, harvest and transport increasing ffb from this highly promising estate. In Musi Rawas, young areas continue to come into maturity and so are being harvested for the first time. The project is still young, so crop increase is coming off a low base at present but is expected to strengthen significantly over the coming years. Replanting carried out at the long-held Pangkatan group and Simpang Kiri estates is becoming visible in the crop figures.

Drier weather in the middle of 2019 affected the formation of ffb in Kota Bangun and, more acutely, in Bangka. Kota Bangun was able to achieve the same level of crop in 2020 as in 2019 whilst Bangka saw an 8% decline. Crop is expected to increase during the second half in both areas, but in Bangka over the year as a whole is likely to fall short of the levels achieved in 2019. In Kota Bangun, the second mill begins its commissioning later this month, and planting of areas previously affected by flooding, but now protected by bunds, is nearing completion. The mill at Bumi Mas is under construction. There is a risk that its planned completion in mid 2021 will be delayed due to travel restrictions imposed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At 16%, the level of crop increase from scheme smallholders was the same as that for the Group, rising to 84,600 tonnes. The Group's mills are designed to handle the Group's and scheme smallholders' crop at the point these plantings reach peak yield; up to this point the mills have spare capacity, which is being profitably used by buying in ffb from third parties. The Group purchased a significantly higher volume of ffb from third parties, notably in Kota Bangun and Pangkatan. In Kota Bangun, purchases from independent sources had been reduced in 2019 as the Group searched for reliable sources of ffb. Taking this into account, total crop increased by 34%.

Crop on the Group's 38%-owned associated-company estate, Kerasaan, was 29,400 tonnes during the first half of 2020, 8% higher than in the previous year as the estate is gradually increasing yield following replanting carried out between 2008 and 2012.

Production

The Group produced 124,800 tonnes of CPO in the first half of 2020, and 27,800 tonnes of palm kernels. Production of CPO was 31% higher than in the previous year; that of palm kernels 28% higher. These rates were lower than the increase in total ffb processed since the crop from newer areas is sold to outside mills which offer lower rates of extraction than the Group's own mills. Efficiency in the Group's mills has remained high. Aggregated extraction in its own mills was 23.5%, notwithstanding the significant tonnage of ffb bought from independent smallholders that is of a lower quality than the Group's own ffb. At Kota Bangun, the rate of palm-kernel extraction fell due to the crop from very young palms being purchased from outside which, as expected, contains smaller kernels.

Whilst the Group does not have its own mills at Bumi Mas, Musi Rawas and Simpang Kiri, it sells its ffb to local mills based on the commodity price for CPO and an assumed rate of extraction. To reflect the substance of this arrangement, oil produced from the crop grown on these estates has been included in CPO production. The extraction rate offered by third-party mills fluctuates in line with their own capacity and availability of crop generally.

Of the Group's production, 53% is certified sustainable palm oil. Certification is awarded to mills rather than for the crop, so as the Group's crop increases in areas where it does not yet have its own mills, this percentage will fall in the short term. However, the percentage of sustainable production will then rise as the Group constructs its own mills. The Group is committed to achieving full traceability of the CPO it produces, so is working with independent smallholders who want to supply it with ffb to achieve Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil ("RSPO") certification. By 2024, the Group anticipates that all of its production, other than from Simpang Kiri, will be certified sustainable. In the meantime, all of the Group's crop and that of its scheme smallholders is produced in full accordance with RSPO standards.

Crops, production and selling-price details for the estates controlled by the Group are as follows:-

 
                             6 months ended               6 months ended    Year ended 
                                    30 June   Increase/          30 June   31 December 
                                       2020  (decrease)             2019          2019 
                                     Tonnes           %           Tonnes        Tonnes 
------------------------------  -----------  ----------  ---------------  ------------ 
 Crop 
  Fresh fruit bunches 
 Own crops 
  Kota Bangun                        86,300           -           86,300       194,000 
  Bangka                             52,000         (8)           56,600       128,900 
  Pangkatan group                    79,000          10           71,500       164,300 
  Bumi Mas                           78,900          60           49,300       122,000 
  Musi Rawas                         15,800         210            5,100        15,400 
  Simpang Kiri                       22,100          20           18,400        38,700 
                                    334,100          16          287,200       663,300 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
 Scheme smallholder crops 
  Kota Bangun                        38,900           1           38,600        87,300 
  Bangka                             24,900           5           23,700        57,500 
  Bumi Mas                           13,800          68            8,200        19,600 
  Musi Rawas                          7,000         192            2,400         7,700 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
                                     84,600          16           72,900       172,100 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
 Independent smallholder 
  crop 
 processed 
  Kota Bangun                        53,600         807            5,900        39,600 
  Bangka                             58,900          63           36,200       105,200 
  Pangkatan group                    18,400         109            8,800        21,300 
                                    130,900         157           50,900       166,100 
                                    549,600          34          411,000     1,001,500 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
 
   Production 
 Crude palm oil 
  Kota Bangun                        43,600          37           31,800        79,000 
  Bangka                             31,400          16           27,000        67,400 
  Pangkatan group                    22,000          19           18,500        42,800 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
                                     97,000          25           77,300       189,200 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
  Bumi Mas                           18,400          53           12,000        29,500 
  Musi Rawas                          4,600         188            1,600         4,800 
  Simpang Kiri                        4,800          17            4,100         8,400 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
                                     27,800          57           17,700        42,700 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
                                    124,800          31           95,000       231,900 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
 Palm kernels 
  Kota Bangun                         8,600          26            6,800        17,000 
  Bangka                              7,700          18            6,500        16,200 
  Pangkatan group                     5,100          13            4,500        10,100 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
                                     21,400          20           17,800        43,300 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
  Bumi Mas                            4,400          63            2,700         6,800 
  Musi Rawas                          1,000         150              400         1,100 
  Simpang Kiri                        1,000          11              900         1,800 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
                                      6,400          60            4,000         9,700 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
                                     27,800          28           21,800        53,000 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
 
 Extraction rate                          %                            %             % 
 Crude palm oil 
  Kota Bangun                          24.4           -             24.3          24.6 
  Bangka                               23.1           -             23.1          23.1 
  Pangkatan group                      22.6         (2)             23.1          23.1 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
                                       23.5           -             23.6          23.7 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
  Bumi Mas                             19.9         (4)             20.8          20.9 
  Musi Rawas                           20.3         (6)             21.5          20.6 
  Simpang Kiri                         21.5         (4)             22.3          21.8 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
 
 Palm kernels 
  Kota Bangun                           4.8         (8)              5.2           5.3 
  Bangka                                5.7           2              5.6           5.6 
  Pangkatan group                       5.2         (5)              5.5           5.4 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
                                        5.2         (3)              5.4           5.4 
                                -----------              ---------------  ------------ 
  Bumi Mas                              4.8           2              4.7           4.8 
  Musi Rawas                            4.6         (4)              4.8           4.6 
  Simpang Kiri                          4.5        (10)              5.0           4.8 
 
 Average selling prices                 US$                          US$           US$ 
 Crude palm oil (cif 
  Rotterdam)                            648          19              528           556 
 Palm-kernel oil                        718          16              605           668 
------------------------------  -----------  ----------  ---------------  ------------ 
 
 

Costs

The cost per tonne of palm product (CPO and palm kernels) produced from the Group's estates was US$385, the same level as in the first half of 2019. There was a small increase in unit costs associated with additional labour deployed to maintain newly-mature areas, and there was a significant increase in depreciation on mature plantation hectarage. These were offset by efficiencies in other areas and higher volumes of crop processed. As is usual, the unit cost is expected to fall during the second half of the year.

The cost of palm product from ffb supplied by smallholders attached to the Group's projects is a little higher than US$385, reflecting the high level of the commodity price of CPO at the beginning of the year, to which purchases of their ffb are pegged. This also affected the cost of palm product milled from independent smallholders' ffb, which was higher again than scheme smallholder production on account of these ffb inherently yielding less oil than ffb produced under the Group's management.

The Group has experienced falling unit costs as the young palms on its new projects matured and so crop volume and average bunch weight rose, irrespective of the CPO price. The Group's ability to convert ffb to palm oil and kernels at a diminishing cost per tonne demonstrates its position as an efficient low-cost operator. The Group projects increasing crop volumes in future, but is reaching a point in its development where the benefit of this increased volume on unit costs will largely be absorbed by cost inflation in production.

Mill-gate price

Compared with the low CPO prices that held sway during the first half of 2019, prices were significantly higher in the first half of 2020, as described in the section 'The palm-oil market' above. The average cif Rotterdam price for the period was US$648 or 23% higher than in the first half of 2019. The rise in the palm-oil price fed quickly through to the mill-gate price received by the Group. During the first half of 2020, the Group received on average US$533 per tonne of CPO, US$80 more than in the first half of 2019. At the same time, the average sustainability premium additionally received by the Group diminished by US$1 to US$8 per tonne.

For palm kernels, the Group received US$289 per tonne, somewhat higher than the US$254 in the previous year, following a modest recovery in the price of palm-kernel oil. In addition, the Group received US$9 per tonne in both periods in sustainability premia available for suitably certificated kernels.

Planting

Essentially all of the Group's new planting is at Musi Rawas. Development here remains paused to allow the Group time to assess the new RSPO standards introduced in 2019 and obtain the RSPO's confirmation that it complies with them. This is necessary for the ffb from these areas to be certified as being produced sustainably. As a result of this, the only new planting was 28 hectares in Kota Bangun. In North Sumatra, no replanting is planned for 2020.

New land

The Group is exploring the acquisition of additional hectarage close to its existing projects to bring them to an optimal size. The Group's experience is that 10,000 hectares of oil palm with a 60-tonne mill provides a unit that is both big enough to provide economies of scale in production and administration, and small enough to allow the careful scrutiny by field management needed to maintain high standards. The Group's projects in Bangka and Musi Rawas, including scheme-smallholder areas, are of this size and the board is seeking eventually to extend the Kota Bangun project from the current 15,000 hectares towards the equivalent of two 10,000-hectare units.

Associated company: Malaysia

Bertam Properties Sdn. Berhad ("Bertam Properties"), 40% held, broke even in the six months to June 2020 compared with the Group's share in profit of US$0.5 million for the equivalent period in 2019. A break-even result for 2020 demonstrates a certain continuing resilience in the market for the types of properties developed by Bertam Properties, and of the Penang region, as compared with the general slowdown in the Malaysian property market overall.

Result

As a result of the operational outcomes described above, gross profit for the first half of 2020 was US$8.9 million, US$6.7 million higher than the US$2.2 million recorded for the same period in 2019. Operating profit for the period was US$6.0 million, six times higher than that recorded for the first half of 2019. Net finance costs of US$1.6 million were similar to the previous year. The rate of corporation tax in Indonesia decreased on 1 January 2020 from 25% to 22%, and will decrease to 20% from 2021 onwards. After interest, tax and its share in the profits of associated companies, the Group made a profit of US$4.3 million compared with a loss of US$0.5 million in 2019.

CURRENT TRADING AND PROSPECTS

During July 2020, CPO prices strengthened from just below US$600 per tonne to reach a high point of US$740 per tonne. Since then the price has fluctuated, mainly trading within a band of US$700 to US$720 per tonne. At the end of the first week of September, the price stood at US$720 per tonne against the anticipated background of tight supply of all major vegetable oils and recovery in demand, notably in India and China, following the shock of the Covid-19 pandemic. Overall, production increase in palm oil is expected to slow compared with 2019. The likely positive impact of this on prices may be at least partly counterbalanced by a lower demand for palm biodiesel in the face of low mineral-oil prices. The forward markets for CPO anticipate further price increases before the end of the year and a price holding firm into 2021.

The strong pace of the Group's crop growth during the first half of the year abated somewhat during the third quarter. This was as its estates in Bangka and Kota Bangun felt the effects of a dry period in, respectively, the middle quarters of 2019, and the end of 2019 and the early months of 2020. The conditions in these areas have also had some impact on the availability of crop to buy from third parties, so the Group will not in the second half of 2020 match the volume of third-party crop purchased in the equivalent period in 2019.Crop volumes are, however, expected to improve during the fourth quarter. The Group has put measures in place in respect of Covid-19, and does not expect the pandemic to affect its ability to harvest ffb or produce CPO. The increasing maturity of the Group's palms in all areas provide the basis for significant growth in crop into the middle of decade, and hence rising revenue, even without the acquisition of any further hectarage. The Group anticipates increasing production of certified sustainable palm oil as it completes the development of its new projects.

The board remains confident that the fundamentals of the palm-oil market continue to be encouraging. Vegetable oil is a basic foodstuff and increasing demand from a growing world population looks likely to persist. In the longer term, insufficient levels of replanting in Malaysia and a reduction in new Indonesian planting are likely to curb growth in production. Palm oil delivers by far the highest yield per hectare of all the vegetable oils and has the lowest cost of production. Hence, the board remains of the view that palm oil is well placed to benefit from rising global demand for vegetable oil and, therefore, that the outlook for the Group remains positive.

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT

FOR THE SIX MONTHSED 30 JUNE 2020

 
                                                 6 months   6 months 
                                                    ended      ended    Year ended 
                                                  30 June    30 June   31 December 
                                                     2020       2019          2019 
                                          Note    US$'000    US$'000       US$'000 
----------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 Continuing operations 
  Revenue                                    3     75,894     46,249       119,341 
  Cost of sales                                  (67,023)   (44,086)     (102,297) 
----------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
  Gross profit                               3      8,871      2,163        17,044 
  (Loss)/gain on biological assets                  (647)        408           927 
  Foreign-exchange losses                           (799)       (72)         1,161 
  Other administrative expenses                   (2,207)    (1,689)       (3,466) 
  Other income                                        824        230           458 
----------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
  Operating profit                                  6,042      1,040        16,124 
  Finance income                                      308        108           403 
  Finance costs                                   (1,928)    (1,705)       (3,747) 
----------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
  Profit/(loss) before taxation                     4,422      (557)        12,780 
  Tax on profit/(loss) on ordinary 
   activities                                       (749)      (868)       (7,183) 
----------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
  Profit/(loss) after tax                           3,673    (1,425)         5,597 
  Share of associated companies' profit 
   after tax                                 3        635        907         1,873 
----------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 Profit/(loss) for the period                       4,308      (518)         7,470 
----------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 
 Attributable to: 
 Owners of M.P.Evans Group PLC                      3,896      (884)         6,333 
 Non-controlling interests                            412        366         1,137 
----------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
                                                    4,308      (518)         7,470 
----------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 
 
                                                 US cents   US cents      US cents 
----------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 Continuing operations 
  Basic earnings/(loss) per 10p share                 7.2      (1.6)          11.6 
  Diluted earnings/(loss) per 10p 
   share                                              7.1      (1.6)          11.5 
----------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 
                                                    Pence      Pence         Pence 
----------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 Basic earnings/(loss) per 10p share 
  Continuing operations                               5.7      (1.2)           9.0 
----------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

AS AT 30 JUNE 2020

 
                                         30 June   30 June   31 December 
                                            2020     2019*          2019 
                                  Note   US$'000   US$'000       US$'000 
--------------------------------  ----  --------  --------  ------------ 
 Non-current assets 
 Goodwill                                 11,767    11,767        11,767 
 Other intangible assets                   1,453     1,450         1,433 
 Property, plant and equipment           376,199   349,611       368,744 
 Investments in associates                21,272    21,349        21,553 
 Investments                                  63        62            66 
 Deferred-tax asset                        4,985     6,195         5,284 
 Trade and other receivables              11,555         -        11,555 
--------------------------------  ----  --------  --------  ------------ 
                                         427,294   390,434       420,402 
--------------------------------  ----  --------  --------  ------------ 
 Current assets 
 Biological assets                         1,419     1,547         2,067 
 Inventories                              12,359    14,442        11,072 
 Trade and other receivables              44,970    48,613        45,117 
 Current-tax asset                         3,430     4,414         4,245 
 Current-asset investments                   329     2,547         1,160 
 Cash and cash equivalents                11,822    34,201        25,947 
                                          74,329   105,764        89,608 
--------------------------------  ----  --------  --------  ------------ 
 Total assets                            501,623   496,198       510,010 
--------------------------------  ----  --------  --------  ------------ 
 Current liabilities 
 Borrowings                               37,426    18,578        28,337 
 Trade and other payables                 21,374    19,021        22,215 
 Current-tax liabilities                     715       623         3,657 
--------------------------------  ----  --------  --------  ------------ 
                                          59,515    38,222        54,209 
--------------------------------  ----  --------  --------  ------------ 
 Net current assets                       14,814    67,542        35,399 
--------------------------------  ----  --------  --------  ------------ 
 Non-current liabilities 
 Borrowings                               60,296    48,231        66,137 
 Trade and other payables                    151         -           265 
 Deferred-tax liability                   10,173    11,799        12,312 
 Retirement-benefit obligations           10,091     9,525         9,401 
--------------------------------  ----  --------  --------  ------------ 
                                          80,711    69,555        88,115 
--------------------------------  ----  --------  --------  ------------ 
 Total liabilities                       140,226   107,777       142,324 
--------------------------------  ----  --------  --------  ------------ 
 Net assets                              361,397   388,421       367,686 
--------------------------------  ----  --------  --------  ------------ 
 Equity 
 Share capital                       5     9,204     9,220         9,200 
 Other reserves                           55,514    54,832        55,385 
 Retained earnings                       287,305   300,644       294,139 
--------------------------------  ----  --------  --------  ------------ 
 Equity attributable to the 
  owners of M.P.Evans Group PLC          352,023   364,696       358,724 
 Non-controlling interests                 9,374    23,725         8,962 
--------------------------------  ----  --------  --------  ------------ 
 Total equity                            361,397   388,421       367,686 
--------------------------------  ----  --------  --------  ------------ 
 

*restated - see note 2

UNAUDITED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN CONSOLIDATED TOTAL EQUITY

FOR THE SIX MONTHSED 30 JUNE 2020

 
 
                                              6 months   6 months          Year 
                                                 ended      ended         ended 
                                               30 June    30 June   31 December 
                                                  2020      2019*          2019 
                                       Note    US$'000    US$'000       US$'000 
-------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 Profit/(loss) for the period                    4,308      (518)         7,470 
 Other comprehensive (loss)/gain 
  for the period                                 (979)          3         1,086 
-------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 Total comprehensive income/(loss) 
  for the period                                 3,329      (515)         8,556 
-------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 Issue of share capital                             23        218           218 
 Share buy-backs                               (1,155)      (957)       (2,286) 
 Dividends paid                           4    (8,594)    (8,845)      (12,364) 
 Credit to equity for equity-settled 
  share-based payments                             108        184           643 
 Acquisition                                         -          -      (25,417) 
-------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 Transactions with owners                      (9,618)    (9,400)      (39,206) 
-------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 At 1 January                                  367,686    398,336       398,336 
-------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 Balance at period end                         361,397    388,421       367,686 
-------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 
 

*restated - see note 2

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED CASH-FLOW STATEMENT

FOR THE SIX MONTHSED 30 JUNE 2020

 
                                                   6 months   6 months          Year 
                                                      ended      ended         ended 
                                                    30 June    30 June   31 December 
                                                       2020      2019*          2019 
                                            Note    US$'000    US$'000       US$'000 
------------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 Net cash generated by operating 
  activities                                   6      4,514      4,522        32,002 
------------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 Investing activities 
 Purchase of property, plant and 
  equipment                                        (16,459)   (20,326)      (46,531) 
 Purchase of intangible assets                        (102)      (211)         (721) 
 Interest received                                      308        108           210 
 Decrease/(increase) in bank deposits 
  treated as 
  current asset investments*                            831       (45)         1,342 
 Decrease in receivables from smallholder 
  co-operatives*                                      3,172      1,106         4,690 
 Proceeds on disposal of property, 
  plant and equipment                                   206         97           489 
 Loan related to party                                    -          -      (11,747) 
 Net cash used by investing activities             (12,044)   (19,271)      (52,268) 
------------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 Financing activities 
 New borrowings                                      10,000     75,000       110,419 
 Repayment of borrowings                            (6,752)   (38,247)      (46,134) 
 Lease liability payments                             (104)          -         (167) 
 Dividends paid to Company shareholders             (8,594)    (8,845)      (12,364) 
 Purchase of non-controlling interests                    -          -      (25,417) 
 Exercise of Company share options                        -        218           218 
 Buy-back of Company shares                         (1,155)      (957)       (2,286) 
------------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 Net cash (used)/generated by financing 
  activities                                        (6,605)     27,169        24,269 
------------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 Net (decrease)/increase in cash and 
  cash equivalents                                 (14,135)     12,420         4,003 
 Cash and cash equivalents at 1 January              25,947     21,626        21,626 
 Effect of foreign-exchange rates on cash 
  and cash equivalents                                   10        155           318 
------------------------------------------------  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 Net cash and cash equivalents at 
  period end                                         11,822     34,201        25,947 
------------------------------------------  ----  ---------  ---------  ------------ 
 
 

*restated - see note 2

NOTES TO THE INTERIM STATEMENTS

FOR THE SIX MONTHSED 30 JUNE 2020

   Note 1                        General information 

The financial information for the six-month periods ended 30 June 2020 and 2019 has been neither audited nor reviewed by the Group's auditors and does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of section 434 of the Companies Act 2006. The financial information for the year ended 31 December 2019 is abridged from the statutory accounts. The 31 December 2019 statutory accounts have been reported on by the Group's auditors for that year, BDO LLP, and have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. The report of the auditors thereon was unqualified and did not contain a statement under section 498(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006, nor did it contain any matters to which the auditors drew attention without qualifying their audit report.

   Note 2                        Accounting policies 

The consolidated financial results have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS and IFRIC interpretations) issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) as adopted by the EU, and with those parts of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies preparing accounts under IFRS.

The accounting policies of the Group follow those set out in the annual financial statements at 31 December 2019. The Group has made a number of critical accounting judgements and key estimates in the preparation of this interim report, and they remain consistent with those set out in note 3(r) to the 2019 annual financial statements.

In the 2019 annual financial statements, adjustments were made to the treatment of certain financial reporting items, without any impact on reported profit or cash. For consistency, the same adjustments have been made to the comparative figures reported here for the six months to 30 June 2019. Specifically:

-- US$1.4 million of software has been adjusted from property, plant and equipment to intangible assets;

-- US$2.6 million of deferred profit relating to land previously sold to an associate has been adjusted from revaluation reserve to investments in associates, and at the same time a US$1.3 million debit has been adjusted from the revaluation reserve to retained earnings; and

-- In the cash flow statement movements in receivables from smallholder co-operatives and changes in bank deposits treated as current-asset investments have been included in investing activities, having previously been included in operating and financing activities respectively.

   Note 3                        Segment information 

The Group's reportable segments are distinguished by location and product: palm-oil plantation crops in Indonesia and property development in Malaysia.

 
                                   Plantation    Property 
                                     Indonesia   Malaysia      Other      Total 
                                       US$'000    US$'000    US$'000    US$'000 
--------------------------------  ------------  ---------  ---------  --------- 
 6 months ended 30 June 2020 
 Revenue                                75,863          -         31     75,894 
 Gross profit/(loss)                     8,915          -       (44)      8,871 
--------------------------------  ------------  ---------  ---------  --------- 
 Share of associated companies' 
  profit after tax 
  Kerasaan                                 592          -          -        592 
  Bertam Properties                          -         43          -         43 
--------------------------------  ------------  ---------  ---------  --------- 
                                           592         43          -        635 
--------------------------------  ------------  ---------  ---------  --------- 
 6 months ended 30 June 2019 
 Revenue                                46,212          -         37     46,249 
 Gross profit/(loss)                     2,201          -       (38)      2,163 
--------------------------------  ------------  ---------  ---------  --------- 
 Share of associated companies' 
  profit after tax 
  Kerasaan                                 372          -          -        372 
  Bertam Properties                          -        535          -        535 
--------------------------------  ------------  ---------  ---------  --------- 
                                           372        535          -        907 
--------------------------------  ------------  ---------  ---------  --------- 
 Year ended 31 December 2019 
 Revenue                               119,250          -         91    119,341 
 Gross profit/(loss)                    17,100          -       (56)     17,044 
--------------------------------  ------------  ---------  ---------  --------- 
 Share of associated companies' 
  profit after tax 
  Kerasaan                                 799          -          -        799 
  Bertam Properties                          -      1,074          -      1,074 
--------------------------------  ------------  ---------  ---------  --------- 
                                           799      1,074                 1,873 
--------------------------------  ------------  ---------  ---------  --------- 
 
 
   Note 4                        Dividends 
 
                                  6 months ended   6 months ended    Year ended 
                                         30 June          30 June   31 December 
                                            2020             2019          2019 
                                         US$'000          US$'000       US$'000 
-------------------------------  ---------------  ---------------  ------------ 
 
 2018 final dividend - 12.75p 
  per 10p share                                -            8,845         8,845 
 2019 interim dividend - 5.00p 
  per 10p share                                -                -         3,519 
 2019 final dividend - 12.75p              8,594                -             - 
  per 10p share 
-------------------------------  ---------------  ---------------  ------------ 
                                           8,594            8,845        12,364 
-------------------------------  ---------------  ---------------  ------------ 
 

Subsequent to 30 June 2020, the board has declared an interim dividend of 5.00p per 10p share. The dividend will be paid on or after 6 November 2020 to those shareholders on the register at the close of business on 16 October 2020.

   Note 5                        Share capital 
 
                    30 June      30 June   31 December   30 June   30 June   31 December 
                       2020         2019          2019      2020      2019          2019 
                     Number       Number        Number   US$'000   US$'000       US$'000 
--------------  -----------  -----------  ------------  --------  --------  ------------ 
 Shares of 10p each 
 At 1 January    54,461,220   54,677,872    54,677,872     9,200     9,228         9,228 
 Issued             182,320       50,000        50,000        23         6             6 
 Redeemed         (153,287)    (109,680)     (266,652)      (19)      (14)          (34) 
--------------  -----------  -----------  ------------  --------  --------  ------------ 
 At period 
  end            54,490,253   54,618,192    54,461,220     9,204     9,220         9,200 
--------------  -----------  -----------  ------------  --------  --------  ------------ 
 

During the period the Company issued 182,320 10p shares for US$23,000 cash consideration with the intention to satisfy the exercise of share options. In addition, the Company bought back and cancelled 153,287 10p shares for a total cost of US$1,155,000.

   Note 6                        Analysis of movements in cash flow 
 
                                          6 months ended   6 months ended    Year ended 
                                                 30 June          30 June   31 December 
                                                    2020             2019          2019 
                                                 US$'000          US$'000       US$'000 
-------------------------------------  -----------------  ---------------  ------------ 
 Operating profit                                  6,042            1,040        16,124 
 Biological loss/(gain)                              647            (408)         (927) 
 Disposal of property, plant 
  and equipment                                      194               10           (7) 
 Release of deferred profit                         (21)            (128)         (204) 
 Depreciation of property, plant 
  and equipment                                    8,580            7,549        15,340 
 Amortisation of intangible 
  assets                                              82               45           112 
 Remeasurement of investment                           -                -           (1) 
 Retirement-benefit obligation                       690            1,121         1,846 
 Share-based payments                                108              184           643 
 Dividends from associated companies                   -                -           580 
-------------------------------------  -----------------  ---------------  ------------ 
 Operating cash flows before 
  movements 
  in working capital                              16,322            9,413        33,506 
 (Increase)/decrease in inventories              (1,287)          (1,559)         1,811 
 Increase in receivables                         (3,025)          (1,298)         (545) 
 (Decrease)/increase in payables                   (851)            3,992         6,986 
-------------------------------------  -----------------  ---------------  ------------ 
 Cash generated by operating 
  activities                                      11,159           10,548        41,758 
 Income tax paid                                 (4,717)          (4,321)       (6,009) 
 Interest paid                                   (1,928)          (1,705)       (3,747) 
-------------------------------------  -----------------  ---------------  ------------ 
 Net cash generated by operating 
  activities                                       4,514            4,522        32,002 
------------------------------------------  ------------  ---------------  ------------ 
 
 
   Note 7                        Exchange rates 
 
                                             30 June   30 June   31 December 
                                                2020      2019          2019 
-----------------  ------------------------  -------  --------  ------------ 
 US$1=Indonesian 
  Rupiah                   *    average       14,579    14,194        14,142 
 
         *    period end                      14,285    14,128        13,883 
 ------------------------------------------  -------  --------  ------------ 
 US$1=Malaysian 
  Ringgit                  *    average         4.25      4.12          4.14 
 
         *    period end                        4.29      4.13          4.09 
 ------------------------------------------  -------  --------  ------------ 
 
 GBP1=US Dollar            *    average         1.26      1.29          1.28 
 
         *    period end                        1.24      1.27          1.32 
 ------------------------------------------  -------  --------  ------------ 
 
   Note 8                        Post-balance sheet event 

On 20 July 2020, the Group entered into a conditional agreement to sell 70 hectares of land owned by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bertam Consolidated Rubber Limited, to Bertam Properties Sdn Berhad, a Malaysian property-development company in which the Group has a 40% shareholding. Total consideration is 99.9 million Malaysian Ringgit (approximately US$24.1 million at current exchange rates), with 10% paid on signing of the agreement, 50% paid once the sale conditions are completed (expected to be March 2021), and the remaining balance over the next two years.

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.

RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our Privacy Policy.

END

IR SFUFLFESSEFU

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 14, 2020 02:00 ET (06:00 GMT)

1 Year M.p. Evans Chart

1 Year M.p. Evans Chart

1 Month M.p. Evans Chart

1 Month M.p. Evans Chart

Your Recent History

Delayed Upgrade Clock