RPC GROUP PLC – Full year results for the year ended 31 March 2018

RPC GROUP PLC

 

Full year results for the year ended 31 March 2018

 

 

RPC Group Plc, a leading global plastic products design and engineering company, announces its results for the year ended 31 March 2018.

 

Financial highlights:

 

§ Revenue growth of 36% to £3,748m driven by acquisitions and organic growth of 2.8%

§ Adjusted operating profit increase of 38% to £425.0m with adjusted basic EPS up 16% to 72.0p

§ Statutory operating profit increase of 85% to £355.7m with statutory basic EPS up 66% to 61.6p

§ Robust cash generation with net cash flows from operating activities increase of 40% to £386.7m

§ RONOA expansion of 150 basis points to 27.2% with ROCE at 14.8% (2016/17: 15.2%)

§ Final dividend of 20.2p giving a full year dividend of 28.0p, representing an increase of 17% on last year and the 25th year of consecutive dividend growth

 

Strategic highlights:

 

§ Capital investment to deliver continuing pipeline of growth opportunities 

§ Major European synergy programme substantially completed

§ Market position in flexibles strengthened by the Nordfolien acquisition (completed post year end)

§ Position outside Europe has been significantly enhanced

§ Active portfolio management: non-core businesses with a total revenue of £209m identified for disposal

 

 

Pim Vervaat, Chief Executive, said:

 

I am pleased with the progress made since launch of the Vision 2020 strategy five years ago with record profitability levels achieved this year on a significantly enlarged business whilst establishing a global footprint. I am excited by the many opportunities for the business to further develop both organically and through acquisitions. With our unique global network of design and engineering centres, the Group is well placed to benefit from the development opportunities driven by recent sustainability and e-commerce trends. We target through the cycle underlying organic growth ahead of GDP and to improve the adjusted operating profit of the core businesses, including the contribution from the recent Nordfolien acquisition, by at least £50m by the financial year ending March 2021. At the same time, within the overall capital allocation framework, the Group will continue to assess value-adding acquisition opportunities which meet our strict acquisition criteria. The new financial year has started in-line with management expectations.

 

 

Year ended 31 March 2018

Year ended

31 March 2017

Increase / (decrease)

 

Increase

(constant currency)

Key Financial Highlights

 

 

 

 

Revenue (£m)

3,748

2,747

36%

33%

Adjusted EBITDA (£m)1

590.3

441.4

34%

30%

Adjusted operating profit1(£m)

425.0

308.2

38%

34%

Return on sales1

11.3%

11.2%

10bps

10bps

Adjusted profit before tax (£m)1

389.4

286.1

36%

32%

Adjusted basic earnings per share1

72.0p

62.2p

16%

13%

Free cash flow (£m) 1

229.2

239.0

(4)%

 

Return on net operating assets (RONOA)1,2

27.2%

25.7%

150bps

 

 

Statutory

 

 

 

 

Operating profit (£m)

355.7

192.0

85%

 

Profit before tax (£m)

316.6

154.7

105%

 

Net profit attributable to equity shareholders (£m)

253.4

132.0

92%

 

Net cash flows from operating activities (£m)

386.7

276.5

40%

 

Basic earnings per share

61.6p

37.1p

66%

 

Full year dividend per share

28.0p

24.0p

17%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes

 

The directors have adopted various Alternative Performance Measures (APMs), as those not defined or specified under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).  The directors believe that these APMs assist in providing additional useful information on the underlying trends, performance and position of the Group. APMs are used by the directors and management for performance analysis, planning, reporting and incentive setting purposes and have remained consistent with the prior year. APMs should be considered in addition to, and are not intended to be a superior to, or a substitute for, IFRS measurements. The APMs that the Group has used this year are contained in this announcement, with further details on pages 39 to 42.  

The comparative RONOA has been restated from 26.0% to 25.7% following inclusion of the effects from Q4 2016/17 acquisitions and the pro forma results of the 2017/18 acquisition.

3 A glossary of terms used in this announcement can be found on page 42.   

 

 

RPC Group Plc 

01933 410064

Pim Vervaat, Chief Executive / Simon Kesterton, Group Finance Director/

Clare Banham, IR Director

 

 

 

FTI Consulting

020 3727 1340

Richard Mountain / Nick Hasell

 

 

There will be a call for analysts and investors at 9am. The dial in details are:

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+44 3333 000804                  PIN: 73176290#

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Forward looking statements

 

This announcement contains forward-looking statements, which have been made by the directors in good faith based on the information available to them up to the time of the approval of this announcement and such information should be treated with caution due to the inherent uncertainties, including both economic and business risk factors, underlying such forward-looking information. The Group undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements and nothing in this announcement should be construed as a profit forecast. Past performance is no guide to future performance and persons needing advice should consult an independent financial advisor.

 

Nothing in this announcement shall constitute, in any jurisdiction, an offer or solicitation to sell or purchase any securities or other financial instruments, nor shall it constitute a recommendation or advice in respect of any securities or other financial instruments or any other matter.

 

 

  About RPC

 

RPC is a leading global plastic product design and engineering company that works responsibly across a broad range of carefully selected industries from food to technical components, healthcare and industrial.

 

RPC is a global business with 189 operating sites in 34 countries that are well placed to support customers on a local, national and international basis, as well as providing multi-site security of supply. Our decentralised structure of specialist operations reflects the industry structure and we have expertise in all five of the major polymer conversion processes allowing us to get close to our customers, understand their needs, and produce innovative, sustainable products that add value.  As part of this, we are committed to actively working with our customers, as well as external organisations, to reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact of our products across the supply chain.

 

Key to this are our people. An unrelenting focus on Health & Safety, our comprehensive training programmes and an inclusive collaborative and entrepreneurial environment all contribute to ensuring that we attract the next generation of plastics experts to maintain our focus on technical and design innovation.

 

We continue to grow and deliver returns to our shareholders through the successful application of our strategy.

For further information and to subscribe to our mailing list please visit: www.rpc-group.com

  Follow us on Twitter: @rpc_group

 

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT

 

 

I am pleased to report another successful year of growth by the Group and continued financial, strategic and operational progress. The responsible use and disposal of plastics received an increasing amount of attention during the year, and recyclability and reusability have become key design criteria for our customers. RPC is committed to working with its customers to improve the environmental sustainability of products and, through its focus on innovation, coupled with in-house recycling facilities, it is well positioned to do so.

 

Financial overview

Revenue grew 36% to £3,748m, adjusted operating profit increased 38% to £425.0m while adjusted basic earnings per share rose 16% to 72.0p. Cash generation was robust, with net cash flows from operating activities of £386.7m, up 40% compared with the previous year. Net profit attributable to equity shareholders for the year was £253.4m (2016/17: £132.0m) and basic earnings per share was 61.6p (2016/17: 37.1p), reflecting the significant decrease in adjusting items in the year and the full year effect of acquisitions in 2016/17.

At 14.8%, Return on capital employed (ROCE) remained strong although reduced marginally by 40 basis points (bps), primarily due to the full year effect of Letica. Return on net operating assets (RONOA), a key internal operating measure and indicator of asset quality, increased 150bps to 27.2%.

 

Strategy

The Group has continued to deliver its Vision 2020 strategy, which targets a balanced portfolio of cash generating and growth markets, and draws on the strength of both customer and supplier relationships. The strategy combines a focus on organic and acquisitive growth, with pursuing opportunities in the non-packaging markets and building the Group's exposure to attractive markets outside of Europe.

In the year, organic revenue growth of 2.8% remained ahead of GDP (weighted for territories where RPC operates). In the five years since the start of the current strategy, organic revenue growth has outperformed relevant GDP growth by more than 100 basis points (bps).

Reflecting the scale and pace of strategic progress in 2016/17, the focus in 2017/18 was on investing in the existing business to support future growth, while integrating acquired businesses and realising synergies. I am pleased to report that the major European integration programme, consisting of the GCS, Promens and BPI acquisitions, is now substantially complete, with the anticipated annualised synergy run-rate achieved at a lower cost than expected. Towards the end of the financial year, the Group announced the €75m acquisition of Nordfolien, which completed after the year end.

The position of the Group outside Europe was significantly strengthened with the acquisitions of Letica and Astrapak whilst growing the turnover in China organically by 26%. Revenues outside Europe of £831m (2016/17: £384m) now represents 22% of the Group.

The Group continues to increase its presence in the polymer-consuming, high growth technical components market. ESE World, a leading European provider of temporary waste storage systems, performed well in the first year of ownership and is well placed to make further progress as demand for enhanced waste management to avoid litter and plastic leakage into the environment accelerates.

The Group regularly reviews its portfolio of businesses with the aim of remaining relevant to industry and market dynamics by focusing on higher added-value plastic solutions that can be recycled or reused. After the year end, a number of non-core businesses were confirmed for disposal during 2018/19.

Board

Martin Towers, who joined the Company in 2009 as an independent non-executive director, will step down from the Board at the Annual General Meeting in July. During his time at RPC, Martin has served as Chairman of the Audit Committee and Senior Independent Director, and on behalf of the Board, I would like to thank him for his commitment and significant contribution to the success of the Company.

In September 2017, the Board was delighted to welcome Kevin Thompson as an independent non-executive director and, from January 2018, as Chairman of the Audit Committee. Kevin is currently Group Finance Director at Halma Plc.

I am pleased to say that Lynn Drummond, the current Chair of the Remuneration Committee, will take over the role of Senior Independent Director, subject to her re-election, following the Annual General Meeting.  This change will mean that we will need to appoint an additional independent non-executive director to join the Board who will be able to take over Lynn's current responsibilities for remuneration as the Company heads into a full review of the Remuneration Policy in the autumn. It is envisaged that this process will be started as soon as possible in order to provide sufficient time for a new independent non-executive director to work alongside Lynn in the initial stages of this process.

Corporate governance and responsibility

The Board is responsible for ensuring that the Group operates in accordance with all relevant governance and legal requirements. The last year has seen a large number of changes from regulatory bodies and the government that have remained firmly on the agenda for discussion and this will remain the case as many of these proposals are implemented over the coming year.

The Remuneration Committee's review of performance measures used in RPC Group's incentive schemes, launched in response to investor concerns, has been completed with a number of changes being made.

The key features of the new approach include the addition of ROCE in the performance share plan (alongside total shareholder return and earnings per share), and the removal of the RONOA moderator. Free cash flow and RONOA will be additive measures in the annual bonus plan (ABP) (alongside adjusted profit before interest and tax). There will be no moderators in the ABP.

The use of these combined measures will ensure management is consistently focused on delivering results and driving shareholder value for the medium and long-term.

 

People

Our people are our most important asset and we put their Health & Safety at the centre of everything we do. This approach, and providing opportunities for development across the business, will ensure that they find RPC a rewarding place to further their careers, and that we will continue to attract a diverse range of experts for the future.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank our loyal and hardworking employees who have contributed to yet another year of progress and look forward to their continued support and involvement in the future.

 

Capital allocation and dividends

The Board maintains a disciplined approach to capital and continuously reviews capital allocation priorities with the aim of maximising shareholder value and returns.

During the year, further capital was deployed to support the organic growth strategy and position the business for future growth. The Board considers the dividend to be an important component of shareholder returns and is recommending a final dividend of 20.2p, taking the total dividend for the year to 28.0p, an increase of 17% and representing the 25th year of consecutive growth. Share buybacks are considered relative to the attractiveness of alternative uses of capital. In July 2017, the Board announced a buyback of up to £100m of shares and at the year-end £83m had been spent acquiring 9.6m shares. In what was a quieter year for acquisitions, the addition of Astrapak was completed for an enterprise value of £80m.

 

Looking ahead

RPC Group is a strategically strong and well-managed business and, as a leading design and engineering company, has the scale, innovative capabilities and ambition coupled with the financial strength to exploit unprecedented market opportunities. RPC has a strong track record of working with customers to develop environmentally-responsible plastic products and is uniquely placed to contribute to a sustainable future for plastics and to deliver further growth and returns to shareholders. I look forward to the year ahead and to reporting on the continued progress and growth of the Group.

 

Jamie Pike

Chairman

 

OPERATING REVIEW

 

Results summary

The Group delivered a good set of results, with record profitability levels, robust cash generation and solid organic growth. Synergy realisation continued and the majority of the remaining spend associated with the major European integration programme was substantially completed. The acquisition of Astrapak was completed in the first half and in the second half, the Group announced the acquisition of Nordfolien which completed in April 2018.

 

Revenue grew by 36% to £3,748m, with strong growth in both the packaging and non-packaging segments, and included organic growth of 2.8%. Revenue was further driven by the contribution of acquisitions announced or completed in the previous financial year and at constant exchange rates grew 33%.

 

Adjusted EBITDA grew 34% to £590.3m and adjusted operating profit increased 38% to £425.0m due to the contribution of acquisitions and business improvement benefits (including the realisation of synergies partly offset by a £6m increase in central costs to support the enlarged business) more than offsetting cost inflation. Return on sales increased 10bps to 11.3%.  At constant exchange rates adjusted EBITDA and adjusted operating profit grew by 30% and 34% respectively.

 

RONOA expanded 150 bps to 27.2%, benefiting from synergy realisation and improved profitability. ROCE, at 14.8%, remains well ahead of the Group's weighted average cost of capital, with the slight dilution of 40bps primarily reflecting the inclusion of the first full year of Letica trading within the Group's result.

 

Adjusting items included within profit before tax were significantly lower at £72.8m (2016/17: £131.4m), and primarily consisted of £50.7m (2016/17: £31.0m) non-cash amortisation of intangible assets that arise on acquisition and the remaining integration costs associated with the Promens, GCS and BPI acquisitions. Reflecting the significant reduction in adjusting items, statutory profit before tax grew by 105% to £316.6m.

 

Cash flow generation was robust, with net cash flows from operating activities up 40% to £386.7m. Free cash flow was also solid at £229.2m (2016/17: £239.0m), though lower than the prior year due to the non-repeatability of working capital related cash synergies realised during the prior year and investments in capital expenditure and working capital to drive growth. These investments resulted in an adjusted operating cash conversion of 77% (2016/17: 95%).

 

The Group retains a strong balance sheet with net debt of £1,139m (2016/17: £1,049m) representing a pro forma 2.0x EBITDA multiple (2016/17:1.9x) on a basis consistent with banking covenants. Total undrawn finance facilities of £1,004m (2016/17: £974m) were available as at 31 March 2018 and the Group has full access to funds held having no restricted cash balances.

 

Market backdrop

 

Recent industry reports forecast the global plastic packaging market to grow at an annual average rate of 3.7% between 2017 and 2022*, taking a 1.4%pts share from other packaging materials and, at £344bn accounting for around one third of the global packaging market by 2022. By region, Asia is forecast to lead the growth as its economies continue to develop, while Europe, where RPC generates 78% of its revenue, is forecast to grow at an annual average rate of 2.8% including 2.1% in Western Europe. Demand for plastic packaging in more mature geographies will be driven by factors including a rise in single-person households, e commerce, demand for light weight packaging reducing transport costs and emissions, barrier technology leading to savings in food waste, and recyclability.

 

*Smithers Pira 2017

 

 

Plastics in the spotlight

 

During the year, the recyclability, reusability and responsible disposal of plastic products came into greater focus with the announcement of a 25 Year Environment Plan in the UK and, at the end of May 2018, the launch of a draft Directive on Single use Plastics by the EU Commission. RPC does not manufacture any of the items that will be restricted under the proposed EU directive, and is proactively working with the policy makers and industry bodies to best achieve their wider goals.

 

Following the acquisitions of BPI and ESE World, RPC is able to 'close the loop' by collecting agricultural films and used products and then using in-house recycling facilities to manufacture new films and by collecting and recycling disused bins into new bins. Through ESE World the Group is also leading in storage and collection systems for sorted waste.

 

The Group continues to manufacture products that incorporate polymer resin from recycled sources and during the year, a pilot scheme tested the feasibility of establishing a closed loop recycling solution for used plastic paint containers, whereby disused containers are collected and recycled into new bins.

 

In response to increasing customer requests to demonstrate the recyclability of their products, a proprietary 'circular design tool' was developed by RPC in line with RecyClass criteria which also allows the measurement and demonstration of improved recyclability post redesign.

 

Other initiatives in the year included ongoing research into incorporating biobased polymers and compostable materials in plastic products, and the launch of a skincare range for men incorporating over 50% sugarcane in the packaging while retaining full recyclability.

Overall, RPC remains uniquely placed to benefit from the market growth trends and to work with customers at the design stage and throughout the product lifecycle to improve the recyclability and reusability of their products and contribute to a sustainable future for plastic.

 

 

Vision 2020: Focused Growth Strategy

 

Against this backdrop, the Group continued to deliver its Vision 2020: Focused Growth Strategy, which comprises:

 

·     Continuing focus on organic growth

·     Selective consolidation in Europe

·     Creating a meaningful presence outside Europe

·     Pursuing added value opportunities in non-packaging markets

 

Underpinning this strategy is a centralised approach to purchasing polymer that allows the Group to benefit from its combined scale as well as a flexibility to purchase many different grades. The Group now purchases 1,100kt on an annualised basis across over 1,000 different grades of polymer.  A strong balance sheet and a disciplined approach to capital allocation that prioritises investing in organic and acquisitive growth and sustaining a progressive dividend policy, complements the overall strategy (see the Financial review for details). Once again, the strategy has delivered another successful year of growth for the Group.

 

 

Active portfolio management

 

RPC conducts ongoing reviews of its business portfolio. In doing so, the Group has improved its exposure to added-value products including plastic products that can be more easily recycled or reused, and overall quality of earnings.

 

 

Following the most recent review businesses equating to £209m turnover have been identified for disposal and this has been approved by the Board subsequent to the year end. These businesses are smaller strategic business units of larger entities acquired over the last four years and are typically either sub-scale in the markets in which they operate or operate outside of RPC's core competencies in plastic packaging and technical components.

 

 

Continuing focus on organic growth

 

Organic revenue growth was 2.8% in the year and included growth of over 4% in the second half. The annual average organic revenue growth since the launch of Vision 2020 is 2.9%, well ahead of comparable weighted GDP growth of 1.9%.

 

Organic revenue growth was achieved in both the packaging and non-packaging segments and was delivered despite four fewer trading days in the year and the impact of certain adverse natural events in the first half. All end-markets delivered organic growth except beverage, where the coffee capsules market remained soft. Towards the end of the year, the outlook for beverage improved and the Group's coffee capsules plant in Brazil is now fully operational.

 

By geography, China was notably strong, with organic revenue growth of 26% in the year, while organic revenue growth in the US was hindered by the impact of hurricanes in the first half.

 

Innovation and investment

 

RPC has an attractive portfolio of innovative and proprietary products and, following the completion of the Nordfolien acquisition following the year end, has 33 design centres.

 

Significant capital investment was made during the year positioning the Group for continued growth. Purchase of property, plant and equipment of £241.4m (2016/17: £175.2m) included spend of 53% on growth and efficiency projects, and represented 6.4% of revenue and 1.5x depreciation.

 

The roll out of production lines for the patented CSD Lite and sports cap closures continued in the second half albeit with some customer delays in the US. Other projects included the addition of further electroplating capacity in China and investment in an innovative, patented trigger spray which is expected to provide good cross-selling opportunities given its compatibility with many RPC existing products.

 

Elsewhere, following marketing in the first half, a number of applicator machines for the WaveGrip film solution have been ordered. WaveGrip is a multipack beverage solution supported by both BPI and Letica. The pipeline for further growth remains strong. 

 

After the year end, plans for a further production facility in Shanghai were approved. The project will expand the capacity in China for higher added-value products. The first phase of the expansion is expected to cost around £35m and will commence production in c.12 months.

 

Selective consolidation in Europe

 

In July 2017, the Group announced that it did not anticipate making any significant acquisitions, or incurring further acquisition related exceptional costs (now referred to as adjusting items) in the financial year ending 31 March 2018. Instead, the Group focused on delivering the announced synergy realisation programme.

 

Accordingly, further acquisitions announced in the year were limited to the recently completed acquisition of Nordfolien for an enterprise value of €75m. Nordfolien is a leading player in the design and manufacture of higher added value polythene films for both industrial and consumer packaging markets. It will contribute to the Group's future growth while affording the opportunity to realise an attractive level of cost synergies, without incurring material adjusting items. In addition to a small in-house recycling facility, Nordfolien has spare capacity that can be used to grow the bpi indupac business without requiring additional investment. The Nordfolien deal was completed following the year end.

There continues to be a good pipeline of further acquisition opportunities in this consolidating industry which will be assessed against the Group's strict acquisition criteria.

 

Creating a meaningful presence outside Europe

 

Reaching £831m (2016/17: £384m), Group revenue outside of Europe grew 116% with Letica and Ace key contributors. On a constant currency basis, revenue outside of Europe grew by 118%.

 

The Ace Hefei site, which focuses on personal care packaging, became fully operational in year, as did the start-up plant in Brazil, whilst the completion and integration of the Astrapak acquisition also enhanced RPC Group's presence outside of Europe.

 

Astrapak is a leading South African manufacturer of rigid plastic packaging products and components with a broad offering across injection moulding, blow moulding and thermoforming technology platforms. The company is a 'mini-RPC' serving customers in sub-Saharan Africa with industrial and consumer products; it provided RPC with a strategic opportunity to acquire a rigid plastic packaging group of scale, with well-established market positions in a new territory with attractive medium to long-term growth prospects.

 

Although the softening of the South African economy during the year tempered the performance of the business, relationships with global customers are already showing positive benefits and there are opportunities to share technology expertise across the Group.

 

 

Pursuing added value opportunities in non-packaging markets

 

Revenue in the non-packaging segment grew by 54% to £589m, including by 50% on a constant currency basis and 7.3% organically. Adjusted operating profit grew by 23%.

 

Further progress has been made in expanding the Group's propositions in non-packaging markets, where the focus is on niche products and markets where higher added value products deliver strong returns, and the Group's scale in polymer purchasing creates a further competitive advantage.

 

The Ace business benefited from the start of production with vehicle manufacturers albeit with some launch costs associated with new business wins impacting on margins. The rebuild and upgrade of the Zhuhai manufacturing plant in the first half also effected margins, although leaves the business well placed for future growth.

 

ESE World, which was acquired in January 2017, performed well in the first full year of ownership, with a strong pipeline of opportunities driven by the need to enhance waste management to increase recycling and avoid litter and plastic leakage into the environment.

 

Business integration

 

RPC has a proven track record of successfully and efficiently combining organisations following acquisition, with good integration capability across the organisation enhanced by a decentralised operating structure, cross-functional integration teams and, in many cases, by retaining key management.

 

Letica/Astrapak

 

As a well-established and independent business, the integration effort required for Letica has been relatively minimal. Letica management has been retained and are incentivised to deliver growth and additional cost savings through a two-year earn-out period. Preparations for their succession following the earn-out period are ongoing.

 

Astrapak management has been retained and work is ongoing to transfer design and engineering expertise to South Africa. Post year-end, a small design and moulding business was acquired to support the development towards higher added value products.

 

Promens/GCS/BPI

 

Promens, GCS and BPI were individually significant acquisitions, providing combined revenue of c.€1,725m and 82 manufacturing sites to the Group within a 30 month period. The businesses required varying degrees of integration effort to maximise synergy realisation, which was achieved through a combination of purchasing savings, elimination of cost duplication, business optimisation initiatives and the rationalisation of operations within existing facilities.

 

The integration programme is substantially complete, with the French site restructurings, the closure of Bjæverskov (Denmark) and the consolidation and sale of the Manuplastics (UK) operation into the remaining M&H facilities all finalised at the start of the 2018/19 financial year. Proceeds from the sale of the Manuplastics manufacturing site were received just after the year end and are expected to largely offset remaining cash costs under the programme of £6.5m, which relate to restructuring provisions at sites recently closed.

 

In total, 22 locations have closed (including four head offices and two operations in progress for closure when acquired) and over 300 production lines have been relocated. However, cost inefficiencies remain in the current footprint and there are ongoing opportunities for cost improvements.

 

 

Acquisition related restructuring and cost synergies

 

At €187m, the total cost of the major European integration programme was lower than originally anticipated, with cash costs of €100m also lower than expected. These costs are included within adjusting items.

 

As at the end of the financial year, synergies from this programme have reached €95m, leaving the Group on track to achieve its stated target of €105m by the end of the 2018/19 financial year and which equates to c.6% of the acquired business revenues.

 

The cost of realising the Letica synergies was minimal and the Group continues to expect that the synergies resulting from the acquisition of Nordfolien will be achieved without incurring material adjusting items.

 

 

Acquisition criteria and pipeline

 

The opportunity to consolidate the European market remains both significant and highly attractive, and RPC has the scale, innovation capabilities, and ambition to continue to exploit this. RPC maintains disciplined acquisition criteria, which include:

 

·     Strategic fit

·     Strength of incumbent management

·     Financial track record

·     Financial criteria including quantifiable cost and cash synergies; impact on return of capital employed, return on sales, return on net operating assets; and earnings accretion

 

In line with these, the Group has continued to build and maintain links with potential targets and is supported by a strong balance sheet with significant headroom in its debt facilities.

 

 

Operational review

 

Packaging

 

 

Year ended

31 March 2018

Year ended

31 March 2017

Increase

Increase (constant currency)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue (£m)

3,159

2,365

34%

31%

Adjusted operating profit (£m)

349.0

246.2

42%

38%

Return on sales

11.0%

10.4%

60bps

60bps

RONOA

26.8%

24.1%

270bps

 

 

The Packaging segment serves an attractive, diverse range of end-markets encompassing both growth and defensive characteristics including the e-commerce market, where the Group is particularly well placed with its unique network of design and engineering centres. Included in this business are both rigid and flexible plastic packaging and a range of polymer conversion processes including injection moulding, blow moulding, thermoforming and, following the acquisition of BPI in August 2016, blown film extrusion.

 

Revenue grew 34% to £3,159m (31% on a constant currency basis), and was driven by the full year contributions from BPI, Letica and other acquisitions net of disposed businesses, and organic revenue growth of 2%. Adjusted operating profit increased 42% to £349.0m and by 38% on a constant currency basis. A return on sales increase of 60bps to 11.0% included the benefits of further cost synergy realisation as well as mix improvements, partially offset by a full year contribution from the BPI business (which typically has a lower return on sales profile as well as lower capital intensity) and higher central costs following the enlarged scale of the Group.

 

End-Market

Revenue

 2017/18

Organic growth

 

Performance

Food

£1,082m

4.6%

The market for food packaging continues to be driven by an increasing recognition of the need to minimise food waste and reduce the carbon footprint of production e.g. through shelf-life enhancing solutions, lighter weight packaging options and crop yield improvements.

During the year, there was good growth in the agricultural films, confectionary and fresh dairy markets. Sustainable design is increasingly important in this market and RPC is well placed to contribute through its unique platform of design and engineering centres.

 

Non-food

£790m

0.1%

The non-food end-market comprises a number of different packaging products all with innovation in product design a key driver.

There was good demand for Nicotine delivery systems throughout the year and the popularity of these is expected to continue. In industrial packaging, the market in surface coatings remained soft in both the US and the UK.

More generally, the Group continues to work with customers to redesign products, taking out weight, reducing complexity, adding recycled content and improving recyclability and reusability.

 

 

 

 

Personal Care

£476m

 6.8%

Demand for personal care packaging remains attractive, driven by trends towards higher end products, substitution from glass to plastic and globalisation. The Group performed well in personal care, particularly in the US and at the Hefei site in China (included in the non-packaging segment). Launch of an air-free, patented dispenser has enhanced the future growth potential and RPC is well placed with the ability to leverage its global platform and portfolio of patented, innovative solutions.

 

Beverage

£502m

(1.1%)

Innovation, globalisation and demand for sustainable design are key drivers in beverage solutions, though overall beverage revenue declined in the year. Despite some customer delays, growth in sports caps and CSD Lite was achieved, particularly in Asia where revenue grew 19%.This was offset by softness in European coffee capsule customers, and in the Letica foodservice business. RPC is well-placed for next generation coffee capsule projects and further business wins in Sports caps.

 

Healthcare

£166m

0.7%

An ageing population, demand from emerging markets and innovation in developed economies are all growth drivers in this end-market. During the year, there was good growth in standard inhaler products although delays in new product launches continued.

RPC continues to support customers switching to plastic from alternative materials and the formation of the Pharmaceutical Cluster including Plastiape (acquired in 2016) has enhanced medium to longer term growth projects.

 

 

In addition there was a further £143m of Technical Component revenue from businesses which are reported in the Packaging segment.

 

Non-packaging

 

Year ended

31 March 2018

Year ended

31 March 2017

Increase / (decrease)

Increase / (decrease) constant exchange

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue (£m)

589

382

54%

50%

Adjusted operating profit (£m)

76.0

62.0

23%

20%

Return on sales

12.9%

16.2%

(330bps)

(330bps)

RONOA

32.9%

37.4%

(450bps)

 

 

The Non-packaging businesses of the Group cover many different product and market combinations which are all linked by innovation, application of technical knowledge and consumption of polymer. Market drivers include ongoing demand for lightweighting, for example, in the automotive and large vehicles industries where components traditionally made out of metal are being replaced with plastic alternatives. In the market for temporary waste solutions, key drivers include the need to enhance integrated waste management to avoid litter and plastic leakage into the environment, and broader waste solutions including underground bins and containers for hazardous chemicals.

 

Revenue grew 54% to £589m (50% on a constant currency basis) aided by a full year contribution from ESE World and foreign exchange. Organic revenue growth of 7.3% was driven by strong growth in demand for higher added-value automotive components and Ace moulds.

Adjusted operating profit increased 23%, or 20% on a constant currency basis, with a decline in return on sales reflecting the change in revenue mix following the ESE World acquisition, start-up costs associated with new automotive contract awards in the Ace and the injection moulded automotive business and an increase in central costs. RONOA declined by 450bps reflecting the reduction in return on sales and investment in new facilities to support automotive contract wins and continued growth.

 

ESE World performed well in the first full year of ownership with notable success in high end systems in Scandinavia and in the export of four wheel temporary waste solutions.

 

Non-financial key performance indicators

 

RPC has three main non-financial key performance indicators, which provide perspectives on employee welfare and the Group's progress in improving its contribution to the environment.

 

The electricity and water usage per tonne improved during the year as the Group is investing in environmentally friendly efficiencies. Electricity usage improvement largely reflects the impact of new acquisitions, mainly a full year impact of BPI and Letica whose average consumption is well below the rest of the Group. Excluding the impact of the new acquisitions the Group has seen a small improvement. It is pleasing to note that the reportable accident frequency rate continues to improve to better than industry average levels. Further improvements are being targeted.

 

 

 

Year ended

31 March 2018

Year ended

31 March 2017

Non-financial KPIs:

 

 

 Reportable accident frequency rate1

490

534

 Electricity usage per tonne (kWh/T)

1,508

1,965

 Water usage per tonne (L/T)

793

795

 

1  Reportable accident frequency rate (RAFR) is defined as the number of accidents resulting in more than three days off work, excluding accidents where an employee is travelling to or from work, divided by the average number of employees, multiplied by the constant 100,000.

 

Outlook

 

I am pleased with the progress made since launch of the Vision 2020 strategy five years ago with record profitability levels achieved this year on a significantly enlarged business whilst establishing a global footprint. I am excited by the many opportunities for the business to further develop both organically and through acquisitions. With our unique global network of design and engineering centres, the Group is well placed to benefit from the development opportunities driven by recent sustainability and e-commerce trends. We target through the cycle underlying organic growth ahead of GDP and to improve the adjusted operating profit of the core businesses, including the contribution from the recent Nordfolien acquisition, by at least £50m by the financial year ending March 2021. At the same time, within the overall capital allocation framework, the Group will continue to assess value-adding acquisition opportunities which meet our strict acquisition criteria. The new financial year has started in-line with management expectations.

 

Pim Vervaat

Chief Executive

 

 

FINANCIAL REVIEW

 

The Group performed well during the year ended 31 March 2018, with organic revenue growth of 2.8%, 4.0% in the second half of the year and benefiting from a full year contribution from acquisitions completed in the previous year. Group adjusted operating profit and return on sales also increased although free cash flow decreased by 4% to £229.2m reflecting an investment in capital expenditure and in working capital to position the Group for continued growth.

 

On a statutory basis, operating profit grew by 85% to £355.7m and net cash flows from operating activities increased by 40% to £386.7m.

 

The Consolidated income statement and Consolidated cash flow statement are shown on pages 23 and 26 respectively.

 

Foreign exchange

Currency had a positive impact on the Group's reported results. The favourable exchange rate variance for revenue and adjusted operating profit was principally due to the weakening of sterling against the euro. Sterling strengthened slightly against the US dollar during the year, particularly in the second half.

 

Year ended

31 March 2018

Year ended

31 March 2017

Average to £

 

 

Euro €

1.13

1.19

USD $

1.33

1.31

Closing to £

 

 

Euro €

1.14

1.17

USD $

1.41

1.25

 

Impact of polymer prices

Polymer resin is the major raw material cost for the business, representing around one third of adjusted costs in the year. As a global commodity, its price can vary with supply and demand and RPC has arrangements with many of its customers to pass on polymer price changes which serves as a hedge against price volatility. As there is a time lag in passing on polymer price adjustments to the customer, typically around three months, this can have a negative or positive impact on revenue and adjusted operating profit depending on whether prices are increasing or reducing. During the first half of the year, polymer prices were relatively stable overall, with modest increases in euro and sterling at the end of the period. Larger increases were encountered in the USA at the end of the first half due to the disruptive effect of hurricanes on the supply chain. In the second half of the year, there was a steady increase in euro, sterling and US dollar indices, leading to a further headwind in the second half.

 

Overall, there was an adjusted operating profit headwind of £9m in the year. This compares to a £3m headwind at the end of 2017 which has resulted in a negative pass-through variance of £6m impacting adjusted operating profit.

 

Revenue

The increase in revenue is shown below impacted by a favourable change in polymer pricing, effects from foreign currency translation and a full year contribution from acquisitions made in the previous year, net of disposals. At £99.3m, organic growth was 2.8%.

Movement in revenue

£m

2017 revenue

2,747.2

Acquisitions

804.7

Disposals

(34.3)

Pro forma prior year revenue before FX and polymer (A)

3,517.6

Foreign currency translation

86.2

Polymer pricing

44.6

Organic growth (B)

99.3

2018 revenue

3,747.7

 

 

Organic growth (B/A)

2.8%

 

  

Operating profit

The increase in adjusted operating profit is shown below:

Movement in adjusted operating profit

£m

2017 adjusted operating profit

308.2

Acquisitions

80.9

Disposals

(2.7)

2017 at constant exchange rates and polymer prices

386.4

Foreign currency translation

 

 

11.4

Polymer pricing

(5.3)

Business improvement

 

77.5

Inflation

(45.0)

2018 adjusted operating profit

425.0

 

Adjusted operating profit benefited from foreign currency translation, contribution from acquisitions net of disposals and business improvement, offset by polymer price headwinds and general cost inflation.

 

Return on sales increased 10bps to 11.3%, with the positive impact of further cost synergies realised in the year partially offset by start-up costs relating to new contract wins in the automotive sector and a full year contribution from bpi group, which has a structurally lower return on sales.

 

The following table shows a reconciliation of adjusted operating profit to operating profit:

 

£m

2018 adjusted operating profit        

425.0

Acquisition, integration and related restructuring costs

(27.4)

Amortisation of acquired intangible assets

(50.7)

Other adjusting items

8.8

2018 statutory operating profit

355.7

 

Adjusting items

 

Adjusting items replace the previously disclosed exceptional costs and non-underlying items and comprise the following within operating costs:

 

Acquisition, integration and related restructuring costs:

 

Acquisition transaction costs of £3.9m (2016/17: £18.9m) are the direct external costs associated with making an acquisition. They are primarily financial, legal, tax, environmental, due diligence, plus representation and warranty insurance and other advisor fees. These are substantially lower than last year due to lower acquisition activity.

 

Major integration programme costs of £23.8m (2016/17: £56.1m) are the residual costs incurred to deliver synergies from the combined Promens, GCS and BPI integration programmes. This brings the total cost of this programme to €187m with €87m of working capital synergies, proceeds on asset sales and asset write-downs meaning that the cash costs were €100m. During the year an additional €27m of synergies relating to this programme were realised, taking the total to €95m and realising the total run-rate of synergies associated with this programme, €105m, with a full effect of the run-rate expected in 2018/19.

 

Other restructuring costs of £11.2m (2016/17: £6.4m) include costs related to the integration of other acquisitions including ESE World and Plastiape, costs in respect of the restructure of the Belgian footprint following the fire at Eke, Belgium and fees related to aborted acquisitions.

 

The movement on post-acquisition remuneration and contingent consideration amounted to a net credit of £11.5m (2016/17: net credit of £11.2m). These movements arise where an earn-out arrangement is part of an acquisition and the selling owner/management is retained within the business (post-acquisition remuneration) and/or there is a change in the expected level of payment (post-acquisition remuneration and contingent consideration). The net £11.5m credit consists of a remuneration charge of £9.2m and a favourable reassessment of earn-out liabilities of £20.7m. This write back reflects the current view of the final payments that will be made primarily in respect of the Ace and Letica acquisitions. Other earn-out obligations are less significant.

 

Amortisation of acquired intangible assets of £50.7m (2016/17: £31.0m) reflects a full year of acquisitions made in the previous financial year and arises as a consequence of acquisition accounting. Intangible assets take the form of intellectual property, brands, know-how and customer contacts. RPC amortises these amounts over 5-10 years.

 

Other adjusting items: 

These total £8.8m of income (2016/17: £4.3m charge) and are predominantly insurance proceeds relating to the replacement of capital equipment following the Eke fire in December 2016 received in the year of £11.0m, offset by a charge of £2.2m of other adjusting items.

 

Interest

 

Net financing costs before adjusting items of £36.3m compared to £22.8m in the previous year reflecting a full year impact from the incremental borrowings drawn in 2016/17 and a higher interest rate on the term loan put in place at the time of the Letica acquisition. The intention remains to refinance this $750m term loan which, as is customary with bridge financing, increases in cost over time.

 

Profit before tax

 

Adjusted profit before tax (being profit before tax and excluding adjusting items included in operating profit and net financing costs) was £389.4m (2016/17: £286.1m).  The growth of 36% reflects the 38% increase in adjusted operating profit partly offset by an increase in net financing costs. Statutory profit before tax was £316.6m (2016/17: £154.7m).

 

Taxation

 

The Group's tax strategy is to comply with relevant laws and regulations in the countries in which it operates and is aligned with its corporate governance framework. The Group's tax strategy has been approved by the Board and is published on the RPC Group Plc website within the Corporate Responsibility section.

The effective tax rate on underlying activities for the Group varies based on a number of factors. Key drivers are the profit mix and tax rates of the territories in which the Group operates. Other factors that can impact the effective tax rate include assessment and recognition of deferred tax on losses, provisions for uncertain tax positions, local tax incentives (including research and development tax credits) and foreign exchange movements. The tax rate on adjusted profit before tax for the Group increased to 23.8% (2016/17: 22.8%), mainly due to changes in the geographic mix of profits and recent acquisitions in higher tax rate countries.

The Group's overall taxation charge was £62.8m (2016/17: £22.7m) resulting in a reported tax rate of 19.8% (2016/17: 14.7%). The reported tax rate is low mainly as a result of one-off deferred tax credits of £12.9m following the recent US Tax Reforms and tax relief on certain adjusting items. The 2016/17 reported tax rate was lower mainly as a result of an adjusting tax credit item of £19.2m relating to future taxable profit being available to access historic tax losses following restructuring in the year.

Earnings per share

 

Adjusted basic earnings per share increased by 9.8p to 72.0p primarily reflecting growth in adjusted operating profit although partially offset by the full year impact of incremental shares issued at the time of the Letica and bpi group acquisitions. During the year, the share repurchase added 0.5p to earnings per share.

 

The weighted average number of shares increased from 355.5m in 2017 to 411.5m for 2018.

 

Dividends

 

The Group has a progressive dividend policy of targeting a dividend cover of two and a half times adjusted earnings through the cycle and this is its 25th consecutive year of dividend growth.

 

A final dividend of 20.2p has been recommended, making a total for the year of 28.0p (2016/17: 24.0p), which is a 17% increase over the previous year.

 

Acquisitions

 

On 19 June 2017 the Group completed the acquisition of Astrapak for cash consideration of £65.7m, funded from existing financing facilities. The provisional goodwill on acquisition amounted to £26.6m.

 

During the year, the Group announced the acquisition of Nordfolien GmbH for an enterprise value of €75m. Following the receipt of clearance from both the Polish and German competition authorities, the acquisition completed after the year-end. Some transaction fees associated with this acquisition occurred during the financial year 2017/18.

Consolidated income statement

for the year ended 31 March 2018

 

 

2018

 

 

2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before

adjusting

 items

Adjusting

items

 (note 4)

Total

 

 

Before

adjusting

 items

Adjusting items

 (note 4)

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes

£m

£m

£m

 

 

£m

£m

£m

 

                     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

3

3,747.7

3,747.7

 

 

2,747.2

2,747.2

 

Operating costs

 

(3,322.7)

(69.3)

(3,392.0)

 

 

(2,439.0)

(116.2)

(2,555.2)

 

Operating profit

3

425.0

(69.3)

355.7

 

 

308.2

(116.2)

192.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financial income

 

11.2

11.2

 

 

12.6

12.6

 

Financial expenses

 

(47.5)

(3.5)

(51.0)

 

 

(35.4)

(15.2)

(50.6)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net financing costs

5

(36.3)

(3.5)

(39.8)

 

 

(22.8)

(15.2)

(38.0)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share of profit from investment

accounted for under the equity method

 

0.7

 

 

0.7

 

 

 

0.7

 

 

0.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Profit before taxation

 

389.4

(72.8)

316.6

 

 

286.1

(131.4)

154.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taxation

6

(92.7)

29.9

(62.8)

 

 

(65.1)

42.4

(22.7)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Profit after taxation for the year

 

296.7

(42.9)

253.8

 

 

221.0

(89.0)

132.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Profit attributable to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity shareholders

 

296.3

(42.9)

253.4

 

 

221.0

(89.0)

132.0

 

Non-controlling interests

 

0.4

0.4

 

 

 

Profit after taxation for the year

 

296.7

(42.9)

253.8

 

 

221.0

(89.0)

132.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings per share

 

2018

 

 

 

2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

7

 

 

61.6p

 

 

 

 

37.1p

Diluted

7

 

 

61.3p

 

 

 

 

36.8p

Adjusted basic

7

72.0p

 

 

 

 

62.2p

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                 

 

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income

for the year ended 31 March 2018

 

 

2018

2017

 

 

£m

£m

 

 

 

 

Profit after taxation for the year

 

253.8

132.0

 

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income

 

 

 

 Items that will not subsequently be reclassified to the income statement

 

 

Actuarial re-measurement of defined benefit pension plans

 

54.4

(7.2)

Deferred tax on actuarial re-measurement of defined benefit pension

plans

(10.4)

1.0

 

 

44.0

(6.2)

 

 

 

 

Items that may subsequently be reclassified to the income statement

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foreign exchange translation differences

 

(19.9)

101.3

Effective portion of movement in fair value of cross currency interest

rate swaps

(26.7)

6.1

Deferred tax on movement in fair value of cross currency interest rate swaps

 

(0.7)

0.7

Amounts recycled to the income statement

 

31.5

(8.0)

Amounts recycled to the balance sheet

 

(0.4)

(1.7)

Changes in fair value of derivative instruments designated as net investment hedges

 

(11.8)

(3.8)

 

 

(28.0)

94.6

 

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income for the year, net of tax

 

16.0

88.4

 

 

 

 

Total comprehensive income for the year

 

269.8

220.4

 

Consolidated balance sheet 

at 31 March 2018

 

 

2018

2017*

 

Notes

£m

£m

 

Non-current assets

 

 

 

Goodwill

9

1,575.2

1,578.7

Other intangible assets

9

324.2

376.7

Property, plant and equipment

9

1,357.6

1,264.9

Investments accounted for under the equity method

 

4.4

4.2

Derivative financial instruments

 

7.2

39.0

Deferred tax assets

 

108.9

115.7

Total non-current assets

 

3,377.5

3,379.2

 

 

 

 

Current assets

 

 

 

Assets held for sale

 

6.3

5.6

Inventories

 

524.9

480.2

Trade and other receivables

 

663.6

632.3

Current tax receivables

 

12.4

3.3

Derivative financial instruments

 

12.2

1.0

Cash and cash equivalents

 

186.5

266.2

Total current assets

 

1,405.9

1,388.6

Total assets

 

4,783.4

4,767.8

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities

 

 

 

Bank loans and overdrafts

 

(167.7)

(93.2)

Trade and other payables

 

(948.8)

(899.7)

Current tax liabilities

 

(63.3)

(42.6)

Contingent consideration

12

(30.4)

(2.8)

Provisions and other liabilities

13

(18.1)

(62.2)

Derivative financial instruments

 

(2.1)

(2.3)

Total current liabilities

 

(1,230.4)

(1,102.8)

 

 

 

 

 

Non-current liabilities

 

 

 

Bank loans and other borrowings

10

(1,174.4)

(1,259.6)

Employee benefits

11

(196.9)

(256.0)

Deferred tax liabilities

 

(219.1)

(230.4)

Contingent consideration

12

(6.9)

(49.4)

Provisions and other liabilities

13

(35.2)

(46.2)

Derivative financial instruments

 

(0.4)

(0.7)

Total non-current liabilities

 

(1,632.9)

(1,842.3)

Total liabilities

 

(2,863.3)

(2,945.1)

Net assets

 

1,920.1

1,822.7

 

 

 

 

Equity

 

 

 

Share capital

14

20.4

20.8

Share premium account

 

689.9

680.6

Merger reserve

 

727.4

727.4

Capital redemption reserve

 

1.4

0.9

Translation reserve

 

140.0

171.7

Cash flow hedging reserve

 

2.6

(1.1)

Retained earnings

 

335.4

222.1

Equity attributable to equity shareholders

 

1,917.1

1,822.4

 

 

 

 

Non-controlling interest

 

3.0

0.3

Total equity

 

1,920.1

1,822.7

 

 

 

 

*Restated for hindsight review of prior year acquisitions as required by IFRS 3, see note 16 for further details.

 

Consolidated cash flow statement

for the year ended 31 March 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2018

2017

 

Notes

£m

£m

 

 

 

 

Cash generated from operations

15

484.2

332.9

 

 

 

 

Taxes paid

 

(59.5)

(33.2)

Interest paid  

 

(38.0)

(23.2)

Net cash flows from operating activities

 

386.7

276.5

 

 

 

 

Cash flows from investing activities

 

 

 

Interest received

 

1.3

1.5

Proceeds on disposal of property, plant and equipment and assets held for sale

 

3.8

4.5

Purchase of property, plant and equipment

 

(241.4)

(175.2)

Purchase of intangible assets

 

(4.6)

(5.0)

Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired

 

(65.2)

(938.1)

Proceeds from disposal of businesses

 

0.5

0.1

Net cash flows from investing activities

 

(305.6)

(1,112.2)

 

 

 

 

Cash flows from financing activities

 

 

 

Dividends paid to equity shareholders

8

(105.8)

(62.1)

Purchase of own shares – share buyback programme

 

(83.4)

Purchase of own shares – share-based incentive arrangements

 

(2.6)

(5.1)

Proceeds from the issue of share capital

 

9.4

629.2

Repayment of borrowings

 

(7.7)

(85.6)

Proceeds of borrowings

 

54.3

444.8

Net cash flows from financing activities

 

(135.8)

921.2

 

 

 

 

Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents 

 

(54.7)

85.5

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

 

183.0

86.3

Effect of foreign exchange rate changes

 

(3.4)

11.2

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

 

124.9

183.0

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents comprise:

 

 

 

Cash at bank

 

186.5

266.2

Bank overdrafts

 

(61.6)

(83.2)

 

 

124.9

183.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consolidated statement of changes in equity

for the year ended 31 March 2018

 

 

Share capital

Share premium account

Merger reserve

Capital redemption reserve

Translation  reserve

Cash flow hedging reserve

Retained earnings

Non-controlling interests

Total equity

 

 

£m

£m

£m

£m

£m

£m

£m

£m

£m

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At 1 April 2017

20.8

680.6

727.4

0.9

171.7

(1.1)

222.1

0.3

1,822.7

 

Profit for the year

253.4

0.4

253.8

 

Actuarial re-measurement, net of tax

44.0

44.0

 

Exchange differences

(19.9)

(19.9)

 

Hedging movements, net of tax

(11.8)

3.7

(8.1)

 

Total comprehensive

income for the year

 

 

 

 

 

(31.7)

3.7

297.4

 

0.4

269.8

 

Issue of shares

0.1

9.3

9.4

 

Non-controlling interest on acquisition

2.3

2.3

 

Share-based payments

6.8

6.8

 

Deferred tax on share-based payments

(0.9)

(0.9)

 

Current tax on share-based payments

1.8

1.8

 

Purchase of own shares – share buyback

(0.5)

0.5

(83.4)

(83.4)

 

Purchase of own shares – share-based incentive arrangements

(2.6)

(2.6)

 

Dividends paid to equity shareholders

(105.8)

(105.8)

 

At 31 March 2018

20.4

689.9

727.4

1.4

140.0

2.6

335.4

3.0

1,920.1

 

 

 

 

At 1 April 2016

15.2

591.4

52.2

0.9

74.2

1.8

157.9

0.3

893.9

 

Profit for the year

132.0

132.0

 

Actuarial re-measurement, net of tax

(6.2)

(6.2)

 

Exchange differences

101.3

101.3

 

Hedging movements, net of tax

(3.8)

(2.9)

(6.7)

 

Total comprehensive

income for the year

 

 

 

 

 

97.5

 

(2.9)

 

125.8

 

220.4

 

Issue of shares

5.6

89.2

675.2

770.0

 

Share-based payments

4.5

4.5

 

Deferred tax on share-based payments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.3

 

 

0.3

 

Current tax on share-based payments

0.8

0.8

 

Purchase of own shares – share-based incentive arrangements

(5.1)

(5.1)

 

Dividends paid to equity shareholders

(62.1)

(62.1)

 

At 31 March 2017

20.8

680.6

727.4

0.9

171.7

(1.1)

222.1

0.3

1,822.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                               

 

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