Avecia Group plc
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results Of Operations
Introduction
Set forth below is a discussion of the financial condition and results of operations for the Group for the three month period ending March 31, 2003. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes for the three month period ended March 31, 2003 included herein.
Financial Results
Turnover
Total historical turnover excluding joint ventures increased from £131.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2002 to £135.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003, an increase of 2.5%.
Set forth below is a discussion of turnover for each of our principal businesses.
Electronic Materials’ turnover increased from £10.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2002 to £13.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003, an increase of 28.6%. Electronic Materials’ sales have increased mainly due to improved customer demand as order patterns for ink jet printing consumables returned to a more normal pattern following the de-stocking of these materials in 2002.
Fine Chemicals’ turnover increased from £34.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2002 to £39.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003, an increase of 16.4%. This increase in turnover reflects a high volume sale of intermediate to a Pharmaceutical customer which represents their full requirements in 2003, and will therefore not recur in subsequent quarters.
Specialty Products’ turnover decreased from £42.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2002 to £35.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003, a decrease of 16.1%. Specialty Products’ turnover decrease is mainly due to the exit from the Pigments business at the end of 2002 and the adverse currency effects caused by the weakening of the US Dollar.
NeoResins’ turnover increased from £42.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2002, to £43.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003, an increase of 3.6%. NeoResins’ increase in turnover reflects increased customer demand for the business’ specialized water-borne resin technologies.
Operating costs
Operating costs decreased from £135.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2002 to £131.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003. This decrease mainly reflects the exit from the Pigments business in 2002 and the positive impacts on cost from changes in exchange rates.
Operating profit / (loss)
Total operating results increased from £2.8 million loss for the three months ended March 31, 2002 to £4.4 million profit for the three months ended March 31, 2003.
Electronic Materials’ operating results increased from £3.3 million loss in the three months ended March 31, 2002, to £0.5 million loss for the three months ended March 31, 2003. The increase in was mainly due to the increased sales noted above.
Avecia Group plc
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results Of Operations – (continued)
Fine Chemicals’ operating results improved from a loss of £5.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2002, to a loss of £2.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003. Fine Chemicals’ operating results improved against 2002 mainly due to the sales increase noted above, offset by higher costs as additional resources were added to support increased capacity in the Biotechnology business.
Specialty Products’ operating profit remained stable at £7.7 million for both the three months ended March 31, 2002 and the three months ended March 31, 2003. The reduced sales noted above were offset by improved efficiency in raw materials and operations.
NeoResins’ operating profit remained stable at £7.4 million for both the three months ended March 31, 2002 and the three months ended March 31, 2003, with the increased sales noted above offset by adverse profit mix and higher raw material costs.
Central costs, including goodwill amortisation, decreased from £9.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2002 to £7.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003, mainly due to exchange benefits taken centrally arising from the translation of working capital at the period end.
Share of operating profit from joint ventures
Our pro-rata share of the earnings from both of our Image Polymers joint ventures decreased from £0.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2002, to £0.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003.
Profit on ordinary activities before interest and tax
The net loss increased from £16.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2002 to £19.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003.
Net interest
Net interest expense for the three months to March 31, 2003 was £22.7 million, compared to a net expense of £22.9 million for the three months to March 31, 2002. After allowing for the effects of unrealized exchange differences and reduced fee amortisation, the net decrease in the interest cost is due to lower interest rates and the effect of a weaker US Dollar on interest payments made in US Dollars.
Taxation
The charge for taxation for the three months to March 31, 2003 was £0.4 million against a charge of £2.0 million for taxation in the three months to March 31, 2002.
Avecia Group plc
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results Of Operations – (continued)
Liquidity and capital resources
Cash generated from operations totalled £0.8 million outflow for the three months to March 31, 2003 compared to £6.8 million inflow for the three months to March 31, 2002. Operating income plus depreciation and amortization was £20.9 million in the three months to March 31, 2003 compared to £15.1 million in the three months to March 31, 2002. Working capital outflows in the three months to March 31, 2003 were £21.8 million compared to outflows of £8.6 million in the three months to March 31, 2002, reflecting high sales towards the end off the quarter which were not due for collection until the following quarter.
The Group’s net cash requirement for servicing debt in the three months of operation ended March 31, 2003 was £18.9 million comprising interest income of £0.5 million and interest paid of £19.4 million.
Cash capital expenditure in the three months to March 31, 2003 was £10.7 million compared with a total of £7.3 million in the three months to March, 2002 , with the increase reflecting the construction of the new Advanced Biologics Centre in the UK.
In the three months to March 31, 2003 the cash outflow for taxation was £0.3 million. In the three months to March 31, 2002 the cash outflow for taxation was £0.6 million.
In the three months to March 31, 2003 the Group made payments of £1.9 million in respect of the acquisition of subsidiaries, representing the deferred amounts due as part of the purchase of Covion. The deferred proceeds of the Stahl disposal were received in the three months to March 31, 2003.
In total, the above factors contributed to a net decrease in cash in the three months to March 31, 2003 of £17.1 million. For the three months to March 31, 2002 the net decrease in cash was £1.4 million.
At March 31, 2003 the group had outstanding external borrowings of £594.6 million, gross of capitalised issue costs, comprising £343.9 million of 11% Senior Notes due 2009, £143.5 million of Senior Secured Credit Facility repayable in semi-annual instalments between 2003 and 2006 (Term Loan A), £54.9 million of Senior Secured Credit Facility repayable in 2007 (Term Loan B), £51.4 million of Senior Secured Credit Facility repayable in 2008 (Term Loan C) and £0.9 million of utilized overdrafts. Of the £100 million Senior Secured Revolving Credit, available until 2006, £18.5 million has been utilized as at March 31, 2003 to provide guarantee and overdraft facilities.