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Interim Trading Results 2009, 24 August 2009


BOVIS HOMES GROUP PLC

HALF-YEARLY FINANCIAL REPORT
for the six months ended 30 June 2009

Issued 24 August 2009

The Board of Bovis Homes Group PLC today announces its interim results for 2009.

·         Revenue of £122.6 million (2008 H1: £149.3 million)

·         Pre-exceptional profit before tax of £1.2 million (2008 H1: £11.7 million)

·         Pre-exceptional earnings per share of 0.4p (2008 H1: 7.1p)

·         Post-exceptional loss before tax of £8.6 million (2008 H1: £9.5 million profit)

·         Pre-exceptional gross margin of 16.2% (2008 H1: 26.3%) with pre-exceptional operating margin at 5.9% (2008 H1: 10.0%), reflecting the impact of falling average sales prices over 2008  

·         Successful management of overhead costs, 48% lower than in H1 2008

·         7.5 years of consented land at 30 June 2009 with 12,851 consented land plots
(31 December 2008: 13,545 plots)

·         Strategic landholdings of 18,588 potential plots
(31 December 2008: 18,972 potential plots)

·         Limited land write-downs of £8.9 million required as at 30 June 2009

·         Good progress in generating cash, with net cash inflow of £94 million 
(2008 H1: £49 million outflow)

·         Net debt before issue costs of £14 million and 2% gearing at 30 June 2009

 

Commenting on the results, David Ritchie, Chief Executive of Bovis Homes Group PLC said:

"The Group has made good progress during the first half of 2009, with a 92% increase in the volume of private home reservations.  The Group achieved a pre exceptional profit before tax for the half year, despite the adverse impact from significantly lower home sales prices, as private legal completions grew by 18% and overheads were successfully reduced by 48%.

 

Through good control of working capital, the Group delivered a strong cash flow performance, generating £94 million of cash inflow and reducing net debt to £14 million at 30 June 2009.  As at the date of these results, the Group has achieved a net cash in hand position of £7 million and anticipates having a net cash in hand position at the end of 2009, subject to the level of investment in new profitable land opportunities in the remainder of 2009.  The Group is well positioned now to take advantage of an increasing number of opportunities to invest in new consented residential land assets which can achieve profit returns at or above the Group's investment 'hurdle' rates."

Certain statements in this press release are forward looking statements.  Forward looking statements involve evaluating a number of risks, uncertainties or assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those statements.  Forward looking statements regarding past trends, results or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends, results or activities will continue in the future.  Undue reliance should not be placed on forward looking statements.


Enquiries: David Ritchie, Chief Executive            Results issued by:        Andrew Best / Emily Hunt           Neil Cooper, Group Finance Director                         Shared Value Limited    

                  Bovis Homes Group PLC                                                      Tel: 020 7321 5022 / 5027

                  Tel: 020 7321 5010


Interim Management Report

During the first six months of 2009, the Group has successfully generated significant positive cashflows, sharply increased sales rates and effectively controlled both direct and overhead costs: in line with the priorities set by the Group as it entered the year.

The Group’s net debt before issue costs fell from £108 million at 31 December 2008 to £14 million at 30 June 2009: a strong net cash inflow of £94 million.  Looking ahead, the Group now anticipates that it will exit 2009 in a net cash position, subject only to the level of new land investments that require cash expenditure.  Both production levels and land expenditure in the first half were sharply down on the prior year comparable, overhead cost was reduced by 48% and the Group grew its net private reservations in the first half of 2009 versus 2008 by 92%.  Whilst both average sales prices and profit margins have fallen between the first half of 2008 and the first half of 2009, reflecting general market conditions, the Group has been able to increase its private sales rate and deliver profit. 

Given the unprecedented market conditions in 2008, the Group took a range of decisive steps to position itself to manage its balance sheet over the mid term in an effective manner, so as to be able to take advantage of future investment opportunities.  These actions included substantial reductions in headcount and overhead costs, tight control over work in progress, near-cessation of land acquisition and the renegotiation of the Group’s banking arrangements.  The Group also sought to improve its selling capability through a revision to its pricing strategies and the restructuring of its sales operations with the introduction of sales ‘hubs’ running multiple geographically proximate sales outlets.  The Group’s first half performance has positively reflected the outcomes of these actions.

Market conditions

The housing market has shown signs of stabilisation during the first half of 2009, with external house price indices indicating that the rate of price decline has lessened over this period and the number of mortgage approvals for home purchase has increased, albeit from a low base.  Notwithstanding this, transaction volumes remained at historically low levels during this period and pricing remains substantially below the peak levels of late 2007.

Whilst this period of relative improvement has been welcomed, the Group remains cautious in its expectations on pricing in the short term, given the continuing challenges seen both in terms of mortgage availability and in terms of the approach taken by surveyors in arriving at mortgage valuations.  There also remains concern about the possible impact on house prices from rising unemployment and from a potential increase in supply of properties for sale in the second hand market.      

Income statement

The Group generated £122.6 million of revenue in the first half of 2009, a fall of 18% versus the comparable period (2008: £149.3 million).  Within this, housing revenue fell by 16% from £142.6 million in 2008 to £120.4 million in 2009.  The Group chose not to sell any development land during the first half of 2009 (2008: Land sales revenue of £4.9 million).  Other revenue totalled £2.2 million in 2009 versus £1.8 million in 2008.

The Group legally completed 754 homes in the first half of 2009 (2008: 851 homes).  Of these, 738 homes or 98% were private, an 18% increase on the comparable number in 2008 (624 homes or 73%).  The Group delivered 16 (2%) social homes in the first half of 2009, as expected a much lower number versus 227 (27%) social homes in the first half of 2008. 


For private homes legally completed in the first half, the Group achieved an average net sales price of £160,400, as compared to £196,700 in the first six months of 2008 and £164,700 in the second half of 2008, reflecting house price reductions in the market.  Overall, including social and partnership homes, the average sales price achieved by the Group for the six months ended 30 June 2009 was £159,700 compared with £167,600 in the first half of 2008.

The average size of private homes legally completed during the first half was 996 square feet, as compared to 964 square feet in the first half of 2008 and 980 square feet in the second half of 2008.  Adjusting for this size difference, the average sales price per square foot for private homes was £161 in the first half of 2009, as compared to £204 in the first half of 2008 and £168 in the second half of 2008.  As private pricing in the first half of 2008 was at its peak on a per square foot pricing basis for the Group, the performance in 2009 reflects an approximate 21% fall from this peak. Pricing in the first half of 2009 was 4% below that achieved in the second half of 2008. 
 
With no land sales in the first half of 2009, the Group incurred a net cost from option fee amortisation of £0.5 million in the first half, as compared to land sale profits, less option costs, of £2.1 million in the first half of 2008.

The lower average private sales price achieved led to a fall in the Group’s private housing gross margin against the comparable period last year.  As the Group has been selling, in the main, advanced build stock, the income statement benefit from reductions in construction costs has to date been limited.  Accordingly, the Group saw its pre-exceptional gross profit margin fall by c10 ppts: from 26.3% in H1 2008 to 16.2% in H1 2009.

Actions taken by the Group during 2008 to reduce its overheads are now generating the expected level of saving.  Overheads in the first six months of 2009 were £12.6 million, some 48% lower than the overhead in the first half of 2008, representing 10.3% of revenue versus 16.3% in the first half of 2008.  This has partially offset the fall in gross profit margin, and provides the Group with a 5.9% pre-exceptional operating margin for the first half of 2009 as compared to 10.0% in 2008 in the same period.

At each period end, the Group is required to assess the carrying value of its inventory.  Based on current estimates of achievable prices in the market, there were a small number of specific sites where a write-down was required at the half year, totalling £8.9 million.  This represented c2% of the value of the land bank.  In total to date the Group has now taken inventory write-downs amounting to c14% of its landbank value.  A further £0.9 million was also provided against potentially onerous contracts for land transactions conditional on achieving acceptable planning consents.  In total, the Group has taken exceptional charges of £9.8 million in the first half of 2009.  In the first half of 2008 the Group incurred an exceptional charge of £2.2 million linked to restructuring.

For the six months ended 30 June 2009 the Group achieved a pre-tax profit before exceptional charges of £1.2 million (pre-tax loss of £8.6 million after exceptional charges) as compared to £11.7 million pre-tax profit before exceptional charges in the first half of 2008.  Basic earnings per share before exceptional charges has decreased accordingly, from 7.1p in 2008 to 0.4p in 2009 (loss per share of 5.5p after exceptional charges).

Dividends

Given the importance of retaining the financial capacity to take full advantage of the opportunity to invest in the residential land market at attractive values, and having regard to the likely level of profitability during 2009, the Board does not intend to declare an interim dividend for 2009.


Cashflow and net debt

As at 30 June 2009, the Group had reduced net debt to £14 million following a period of strong net cash inflow which saw net debt reduced by £94 million over the first half of 2009.  Through tight control of production levels, and targeting of sales efforts towards finished stock units, the Group successfully released cash from working capital.  The Group also generated cash from a range of other sources including the reduction of its part-exchange portfolio and from receivables.  It also received c£22 million in tax rebates arising from the Group’s taxable losses in 2008.  No final dividend for 2008 was paid in 2009.  Average net debt for the first half of 2009 was £69 million (2008: £81 million).  As a consequence, the Group has substantial financial headroom against committed loan facilities of £220 million negotiated in December 2008, reducing to £160 million in September 2010 and maturing in March 2011.

The Group now anticipates being cash positive at the end of 2009 as the Group continues to reduce work in progress levels.  This assumes that the Group does not make significant cash expenditure on new land opportunities during the second half of 2009, beyond its previous guidance.  There are an increasing number of land opportunities currently being assessed by the Group which may be acquired during 2009.  The Group will, however, seek to manage cashflows associated with such acquisitions such that cash expenditure can be spread over a period of time.

The first half average borrowing position gave rise to total financing charges of £6.0 million, substantially higher than the comparable period at £3.2 million.  Of this total financing charge, bank interest expenses were £3.1 million (2008: £2.4 million) reflecting a higher interest rate arising from the 2008 refinancing.  The Group amortised £2.0 million of the issue costs relating to the 2008 refinancing and charged £0.9 million (2008: £0.8 million) arising from a number of non-cash technical interest items, including imputed interest expenses arising from land creditors and pension financing interest income.   

Land

The Group’s controlled and consented landbank reduced from 13,545 plots at the end of 2008 to 12,851 plots at the end of June 2009.  This represented 7.5 years of supply at current levels of legal completions.  The strategic land bank at 30 June 2009 stood at 18,588 potential plots as compared to 18,972 potential plots held at the start of the year.  The reductions in both strategic and consented land banks reflect a lower level of acquisition activity by the Group. 

Pensions

As at 30 June 2009, the Group’s actuary estimated that the Group’s defined benefits pension scheme had moved from a deficit of £6.8 million at the end of 2008 to a deficit of £11.1 million.  Whilst the value of the scheme’s assets has fallen by £1.1 million over this period (1.7% of asset values at year end 2008), the main driver of this adverse movement has been the impact of assumption changes on the value of the scheme’s liabilities, in particular assumptions relating to inflation.   

Principal risks and uncertainties

In a manner consistent with the Disclosure and Transparency Rules, the Board has formally identified a number of principal risks and uncertainties that may impact the business, reporting on these in full in its 2008 Annual report and accounts.  The purpose of doing so is to ensure that the Group is able to arrange its affairs such that it can avoid the risk or mitigate the impact of the risk occurring.  A number of these risks relate to the Group’s day to day operations, such as the risk of accidents occurring as a result of breaches of health and safety standards or of environmental damage arising.

Other risks and uncertainties are inherent in the activity of speculative housebuilding and are principally commercial in nature.  During the worsening trading environment during 2008, the Group reviewed and reassessed the likelihood and impact of risk occurring in this changing business environment.  Having done so, the Group identified that the principal commercial risks of the business fell into a number of categories, principally market driven risks around the ability to deliver sales pricing and sales volume, legislative risks posed by planning and legislative changes, liquidity risks given the difficulties in financial markets and finally organisational risks given the stresses of operating in tough markets with downsized teams.

Given the actual cashflow performance of the Group over the last six months, together with the Group’s expectations of performance in the next six months, the risks to the Group from tight liquidity in the short term have lessened.  This said, there is little sign that credit availability has eased in general and the Group’s current banking agreement expires in March 2011, hence this remains an area of focus for the Group. 

From the perspective of marketplace risk, mortgage availability has improved during the first half of 2009, and pricing declines appear to have stabilised but substantial uncertainties remain over the direction and scale of price movements as well as in regard to the ability of the current mortgage market to fund transactions at levels previously regarded as the ‘norm’.

Whilst risks around liquidity and the marketplace have reduced in the recent past, the Group remains vigilant in terms of its organisational effectiveness, as workloads remain high, with additional activities such as re-planning consuming management time.

Current clarification by Government in regards to the Code for Sustainable Homes and more generally the sustainability agenda has been helpful in reducing uncertainty relating to legislative risks. However, the possibility of a change in Government at the next election, with differing views at present on future planning processes, does continue to pose potential risks and opportunities that will need to be assessed and, where possible, managed. 
 
Cumulative reservations

The Group achieved 901 net private reservations in the six months since 1 January 2009; an increase of 92% over that achieved in the first six months of 2008, reflecting the Group’s plan to drive volume more assertively during 2009.  The lower volume of social housing available for delivery in 2009 led to a combined net reservation total in the first six months of 939 homes as compared to 666 homes in the comparable period in 2008.

Cumulative sales achieved to
30 June 2009 for 2009 legal completion stood at 1,364 homes as compared to 1,482 homes at the same point last year.  Within these totals, private sales stood at 1,086 homes in 2009 compared to 888 homes in 2008, reflecting the improved private sales performance.  The total cumulative sales also reflect the significantly lower volume of social homes sold for 2009 at 278 homes versus 594 homes in the prior period.  This cumulative position included the reservations held at 1 January 2009 which stood at 425 homes compared to 816 homes at 1 January 2008.

Prospects

Cumulative sales achieved to 21 August 2009 for 2009 legal completion stood at 1,530 homes as compared to 1,574 homes at the same point last year, a 3% decline year over year.  Within this total, private sales reservations taken within the year now stand at 1,076, up 93% on the 558 reservations achieved to the same point last year.  Net cash as at 21 August was £7 million.


Looking to the full year, the Group’s sales performance to date supports the Group’s existing guidance on anticipated 2009 volumes of circa 1,800 legal completions.  The Group continues to anticipate legally completing only circa 300 social homes in 2009 compared to 594 social homes in 2008.  This suggests a private legal completion volume of circa 1,500 homes, circa 25% ahead of the 1,223 private legal completions achieved in 2008.  This guidance assumes sales rates will continue at or around current levels for the remaining sales weeks of 2009, after the Group’s experience of a modestly slower summer sales period.

The Group has positioned itself well to trade through the current downturn and continues to benefit from its longstanding prudence in the consented land market and the relatively high proportion of its land supply sourced strategically.  2009 will be a year of delivering strong positive cash flow, repositioning the Group’s balance sheet with lower work in progress and anticipated net cash in hand at the year end.  The Group is also now operating with a sustainable reduced overhead base which allows the achievement of trading profits despite relatively low levels of revenue.  These positive attributes make Bovis Homes an attractive potential buyer when considering relative capabilities to invest in cost effective consented residential land opportunities and in doing so to generate attractive returns.

The short term outlook for the housing market is a continuation of relatively low levels of activity constrained by ongoing illiquidity in the mortgage market.  House prices appear to be demonstrating a degree of stability at present, aided by the current low level of second hand homes being offered for sale across the housing market.  With improved home affordability and growing consumer confidence, homebuyer activity will in time increase creating an improvement in demand for the Group’s homes.

 


Malcolm Harris

Chairman

 



Bovis Homes Group PLC

Group income statement

 

For the six months ended 30 June 2009

(unaudited)

Six months ended 30 June 2009

Six months ended 30 June 2008

Year ended 31 Dec 2008

 

Before

exceptional

items

 

Exceptional

items

 

Total

 

Before

exceptional

items

 

Exceptional

items

 

Total

 

Before

exceptional

items

 

Exceptional

items

 

 

Total

 

 

£000

 

£000

 

£000

 

£000

 

£000

 

£000

 

£000

 

£000

 

£000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

122,611

 

-

 

122,611

 

149,288

 

-

 

149,288

 

282,326

 

-

 

282,326

 

Cost of sales

(102,849

)

(9,843

)

(112,692

)

(109,965

)

-

 

(109,965

)

(219,011

)

(76,487

)

(295,498

)

Gross profit/(loss)

19,762

 

(9,843

)

9,919

 

39,323

 

-

 

39,323

 

63,315

 

(76,487

)

(13,172

)

Administrative expenses

(12,582

)

-

 

(12,582

)

(24,356

)

(2,248

) 

(26,604

)

(42,018

)

(16,641

)

(58,659

)

Operating profit/(loss) before financing costs

7,180

 

(9,843

)

(2,663

)

14,967

 

(2,248

)

12,719

 

21,297

 

(93,128

)

(71,831

)

Financial income

764

 

-

 

764

 

608

 

-

 

608

 

1,389

 

-

 

1,389

 

Financial expenses

(6,708

)

-

 

(6,708

)

(3,823

)

-

 

(3,823

)

(8,292

)

-

 

(8,292

)

Net financing costs

(5,944

)

-

 

(5,944

)

(3,215

)

-

 

(3,215

)

(6,903

)

-

 

(6,903

)

Profit/(loss) before tax

1,236

 

(9,843

)

(8,607

)

11,752

 

(2,248

)

9,504

 

14,394

 

(93,128

)

(78,734

)

Income tax (expense)/credit

(725

)

2,756

 

2,031

 

(3,245

)

629

 

(2,616

)

(3,319

)

23,058

 

19,739

 

Profit/(loss) for the period attributable to equity

holders of the parent

511

 

(7,087

)

(6,576

)

8,507

 

(1,619

)

6,888

 

11,075

 

(70,070

)

(58,995

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings/(loss) per share

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

0.4p

 

(5.9p

)

(5.5p

)

7.1p

 

(1.4p

)

5.7p

 

9.2p

 

(58.3p

)

(49.1p

)

Diluted

0.4p

 

(5.9p

)

(5.5p

)

7.1p

 

(1.4p

)

5.7p

 

9.2p

 

(58.3p

)

(49.1p

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dividend per share charged in period

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2008 interim paid November 2008

 

 

 

 

-

 

   

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

 

5.0p

 

2007 final paid May 2008

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

 

17.5p

 

 

 

 

 

17.5p

 

 

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

 

17.5p

 

 

 

 

 

22.5p

 

 


Bovis Homes Group PLC

Group statement of comprehensive income

For the six months ended 30 June 2009 (unaudited)

Six months ended

 

Six months ended

 

Year ended

 

 

30 June 2009

 

30 June 2008

 

31 Dec 2008

 

 

£000

 

£000

 

£000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revaluation of available for sale financial assets

-

 

(17

)

-

 

Deferred tax on revaluation of available for sale financial assets

-

 

5

 

-

 

Actuarial losses on defined benefit pension scheme

(4,400

)

(3,100

)

(8,820

)

Deferred tax on actuarial movements on defined benefit pension scheme

1,232

 

868

 

2,470

 

Current tax on share based payments recognised directly in equity

-

 

-

 

498

 

Deferred tax on other employee benefits

(19

)

(402

)

(22

)

Other comprehensive expenses for the period net of tax

(3,187

)

(2,646

)

(5,874

)

(Loss)/profit for the period

(6,576

)

6,888

 

(58,995

)

Total comprehensive (expense)/income for the period attributable to equity holders of the parent

(9,763

)

4,242

 

(64,869

)

 


Bovis Homes Group PLC

Group balance sheet

At 30 June 2009 (unaudited)

30 June 2009

 

30 June 2008

 

31 Dec 2008

 

 

£000

 

£000

 

£000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodwill

-

 

9,176

 

-

 

Property, plant and equipment

11,895

 

13,915

 

12,347

 

Available for sale financial assets

13,989

 

3,789

 

6,030

 

Investments

22

 

22

 

22

 

Deferred tax assets

9,028

 

3,761

 

5,548

 

Trade and other receivables

2,343

 

6,222

 

2,418

 

Total non-current assets

37,277

 

36,885

 

26,365

 

Inventories

689,490

 

887,893

 

780,808

 

Trade and other receivables

25,808

 

34,082

 

37,947

 

Cash

4,791

 

4,006

 

11,634

 

Current tax asset

859

 

-

 

23,550

 

Total current assets

720,948

 

925,981

 

853,939

 

Total assets

758,225

 

962,866

 

880,304

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issued capital

60,514

 

60,482

 

60,497

 

Share premium

157,228

 

157,054

 

157,127

 

Retained earnings

404,988

 

489,403

 

414,654

 

Total equity attributable to equity holders of the parent

622,730

 

706,939

 

632,278

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bank loans

12,797

 

25,000

 

111,730

 

Trade and other payables

28,490

 

28,891

 

24,907

 

Retirement benefit obligations

11,050

 

1,530

 

6,790

 

Provisions

1,950

 

562

 

1,623

 

Total non-current liabilities

54,287

 

55,983

 

145,050

 

Bank overdraft

-

 

1,015

 

-

 

Bank loans

-

 

71,383

 

-

 

Trade and other payables

79,661

 

125,353

 

101,964

 

Provisions

1,547

 

728

 

1,012

 

Current tax liabilities

-

 

1,465

 

-

 

Total current liabilities

81,208

 

199,944

 

102,976

 

Total liabilities

135,495

 

255,927

 

248,026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total equity and liabilities

758,225

 

962,866

 

880,304

 

These condensed consolidated interim financial statements were approved by the Board of directors on 21 August 2009.


Bovis Homes Group PLC

Group statement of changes in equity

 

For the six months ended 30 June

Total

 

Issued

Share

Total

 

(unaudited)

retained

 

capital

premium

 

 

 

earnings

 

 

 

 

 

 

£000

 

£000

£000

£000

 

Balance at 1 January 2008

506,594

 

60,415

156,734

723,743

 

Total recognised income and expense

4,242

 

-

-

4,242

 

Issue of share capital

-

 

67

320

387

 

Share based payments

(402

)

-

-

(402

)

Dividends paid to shareholders

(21,031

)

-

-

(21,031

)

Balance at 30 June 2008

489,403

 

60,482

157,054

706,939

 

Balance at 1 January 2008

506,594

 

60,415

156,734

723,743

 

Total recognised income and expense

(64,869

)

-

-

(64,869

)

Issue of share capital

-

 

82

393

475

 

Share based payments

(22

)

-

-

(22

)

Dividends paid to shareholders

(27,049

)

-

-

(27,049

)

Balance at 31 Dec 2008

414,654

 

60,497

157,127

632,278

 

Balance at 1 January 2009

414,654

 

60,497

157,127

632,278

 

Total recognised income and expense

(9,763

)

-

-

(9,763

)

Issue of share capital

-

 

17

101

118

 

Share based payments

97

 

-

-

97

 

Balance at 30 June 2009

  404,988

 

60,514

157,228

622,730

 


Bovis Homes Group PLC

Group statement of cash flows

For the six months ended 30 June 2009 (unaudited)

Six months ended

 

Six months ended

 

Year ended

 

 

30 June 2009

 

30 June 2008

 

31 Dec 2008

 

 

£000

 

Restated £000

 

£000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash flows from operating activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Loss)/profit for the period

(6,576

)

6,888

 

(58,995

)

Depreciation

420

 

644

 

1,168

 

Impairment of goodwill

-

 

-

 

10,036

 

Impairment of assets

-

 

-

 

2,241

 

Financial income

(764

)

(608

)

(1,389

)

Financial expense

6,708

 

3,823

 

8,292

 

Profit on sale of property, plant and equipment

(10

)

(33

)

(146

)

Equity-settled share-based payment expense/(credit)

97

 

(402

)

(22

)

Income tax (credit)/expense

(2,031

)

2,616

 

(19,739

)

Write-down of inventories

8,895

 

-

 

75,202

 

Operating profit before changes in working capital and provisions

6,739

 

12,928

 

16,648

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decrease in trade and other receivables

4,366

 

12,289

 

8,924

 

Decrease/(increase) in inventories

82,422

 

(17,341

)

13,345

 

Decrease in trade and other payables

(19,210

)

(18,206

)

(43,444

)

Increase/(decrease) in provisions and employee benefits

852

 

(673

)

702

 

Cash generated from operations

75,169

 

(11,003

)

(3,825

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest paid

(4,154

)

(2,564

)

(8,769

)

Income taxes received/(paid)

22,460

 

(14,942

)

(16,924

)

Net cash from operating activities

93,475

 

(28,509

)

(29,518

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash flows from investing activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest received

522

 

78

 

187

 

Acquisition of property, plant and equipment

(15

)

(143

)

(143

)

Proceeds from sale of plant and equipment

57

 

68

 

214

 

Net cash from investing activities

564

 

3

 

258

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash flows from financing activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dividends paid

-

 

(21,031

)

(27,049

)

Proceeds from the issue of share capital

118

 

387

 

475

 

(Repayment)/drawdown of borrowings

(101,000

)

55,383

 

79,000

 

Costs associated with refinancing

-

 

-

 

(8,290

)

Net cash from financing activities

(100,882

)

34,739

 

44,136

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents

(6,843

)

6,233

 

14,876

 

Cash and cash equivalents at the start of period

11,634

 

(3,242

)

(3,242

)

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of period

4,791

 

2,991

 

11,634

 


Notes to the accounts

1          Basis of preparation

Bovis Homes Group PLC (‘the Company’) is a company domiciled in the United Kingdom.  The condensed consolidated interim financial statements of the Company for the six months ended 30 June 2009 comprise the Company and its subsidiaries (together referred to as ‘the Group’) and the Group’s interest in associates. 

The condensed consolidated interim financial statements were authorised for issue by the directors on 21 August 2009.  The financial statements are unaudited but have been reviewed by KPMG Audit Plc.

The condensed interim financial statements do not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of Section 434 of the Companies Act 2006.  The figures for the half years ended 30 June 2009 and 30 June 2008 are unaudited.  The comparative figures for the financial year ended 31 December 2008 are not the Company’s statutory accounts for that financial year.  Those accounts have been reported on by the Company’s auditors and delivered to the Registrar of Companies.  The report of the auditors was (i) unqualified, (ii) did not include a reference to any matters to which the auditors drew attention by way of emphasis without qualifying their report, and (iii) did not contain a statement under Section 237 (2) or (3) of the Companies Act 1985.

The preparation of a condensed set of financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of accounting policies and the reported amount of assets, liabilities, income and expenses.  Actual results may differ from these estimates. 

Judgements made by management in the application of adopted IFRSs that have significant effect on the financial statements and estimates with a significant risk of material adjustment in following years remain those published in the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2008.

The condensed interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IAS34 ‘Interim Financial Reporting’ as endorsed by the EU.  As required by the Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the Financial Services Authority, the condensed consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared applying the accounting policies and presentation that were applied in the preparation of the Company’s published consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2008, which were prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU.  

The following new standards, amendments to standards or interpretations are mandatory for the first time for the Company’s year ending 31 December 2009. They are not expected to have a material impact on the Group’s financial statements.

IAS1 (2007) - Presentation of financial statements.  This relates to the presentation of financial statements and in particular the presentation of a statement of changes in equity as a primary statement.  Previously this statement was disclosed as a note to the accounts.

IFRS8 – Operating segments. This relates to the degree to which financial information is disaggregated in published financial information to aid the reader in a better understanding of the performance of the Group.  The Group’s main operation remains that of a housebuilder operating entirely within
England and Wales.  Following a review of the Group’s internal management reporting and having regard to the aggregation testing provisions of the standard, there are no separate segments, either business or geographic, to disclose. 

IAS23 - (Amended) Borrowing costs.  This amendment requires an entity to capitalise borrowing costs directly attributable to the acquisition, construction and production of a qualifying asset, as part of the cost of that asset.  A qualifying asset is one that takes a substantial period of time to get ready for use or sale.  Inventories which are produced in large quantities on a repetitive basis over a short period of time are not qualifying assets.  This amendment is not expected to have any material impact on the Group’s financial statements as the activities performed by the Group do not generally produce qualifying assets.

Notes to the accounts continued

The cashflow statement for the first six months to 30 June 2008 has been re-presented to be consistent with the presentational format adopted for the year ended 31 December 2008, and used subsequently.  £2,704,000 previously disclosed as Available for sale financial assets has been reclassified as movement in Trade and other receivables, and £147,000 previously disclosed as Other non cash items has been reclassified as movement in Inventories.  Operating profit before changes in working capital and provisions is now £12,928,000 (previously £10,371,000), decrease in Trade and other receivables is now £12,289,000 (previously £14,993,000) and increase in Inventories is now £17,341,000 (previously £17,488,000). Cash generated from operations has not changed.

2          Seasonality

In common with the rest of the UK housebuilding industry, activity occurs year-round, but there are two principal selling seasons: spring and autumn.   As these fall into two separate half years, the seasonality of the business is not pronounced, although it is biased towards the second half of the year under normal trading conditions.

3          Exceptional items

The Group has reviewed the carrying costs of its inventory items, comparing the carrying cost of the asset against estimates of net realisable value.  Net realisable value has been arrived at using the Board’s estimates of achievable selling prices taking into account current market conditions, and after deduction of an appropriate amount for selling costs.  This has given rise to a land write-down of £8.9 million.  The Group has made a further £0.9 million provision for potential onerous land contracts.  In total, this represents £9.8 million of exceptional charges (six months ended 30 June 2008: £2.2 million; year ended 31 December 2008: £93.1 million).

4          Loss per share

Basic loss per share

Basic loss per ordinary share for the six months ended 30 June 2009 is calculated on a loss after tax of £6,576,000 (six months ended 30 June 2008: profit after tax of £6,888,000; year ended 31 December 2008: loss after tax of £58,995,000) over the weighted average of 120,376,631 (six months ended 30 June 2008: 120,194,838; year ended 31 December 2008: 120,268,986) ordinary shares in issue during the period. 

Basic earnings per ordinary share before exceptional items for the six months ended 30 June 2009 is calculated on the pre-exceptional profit after tax of £511,000 (six months ended 30 June 2008: profit after tax of £8,507,000; year ended 31 December 2008: profit after tax of £11,075,000).  Basic loss per share on exceptional items for the six months ended 30 June 2009 is calculated on the exceptional loss after tax of £7,087,000 (six months ended 30 June 2008: exceptional loss after tax of £1,619,000; year ended 31 December 2008: exceptional loss after tax of £70,070,000).  In all cases this is expressed on a per share basis using the weighted average share information disclosed above.

Diluted loss per share

Under normal circumstances, the average number of shares is diluted by reference to the average number of potential ordinary shares held under option during the period.  This dilutive effect amounts to the number of ordinary shares which would be purchased using the aggregate difference in value between the market value of shares and the share option exercise price.  The market value of shares has been calculated using the average ordinary share price during the period.  Only share options which have met their cumulative performance criteria have been included in the dilution calculation.  The Group’s diluted weighted average ordinary shares potentially in issue during the six months ended 30 June 2009 was 120,392,032 (six months ended 30 June 2008: 120,298,768; year ended 31 December 2008: 120,314,451).



Notes to the accounts
continued

As a loss per share cannot be reduced through dilution, this dilution adjustment has been applied to the calculation of diluted earnings per share before exceptional items for the six months ended 30 June 2009, the six months ended 30 June 2008 and the year ended 31 December 2008 and to the calculation of diluted earnings per share for the six months ended 30 June 2008.  It has not been applied to the calculation of diluted loss per share for the six months ended
30 June 2009 and the year ended 31 December 2008, or to the calculation of diluted loss on exceptional items per share.  In all cases this diluted per share metric is calculated using the respective profit or loss information disclosed above.

5          Dividends

The following dividends per qualifying ordinary share were paid by the Group:

(unaudited)

Six months ended

 

Six months ended

 

Year ended

 

 

30 June 2009

 

30 June 2008

 

31 Dec 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 2009: nil (May 2008: 17.5p)

-

 

21,031