TIDMXPP
5 March 2019
XP Power Limited
("XP Power" or "the Group" or the "Company")
Annual Results for the year ended 31 December 2018
XP Power, one of the world's leading developers and manufacturers of critical
power control components for industrial, healthcare, semiconductor and
technology markets, today announces its annual results for the year ended 31
December 2018.
2018 2017 Change
Order intake GBP198.4m GBP184.3m +8%
Revenue GBP195.1m GBP166.8m +17%
Gross margin 47.3% 46.5% +80bps
Final dividend per share 33.0p 29.0p +14%
Total dividend per share 85.0p 78.0p +9%
Adjusted
Adjusted profit before tax1 GBP41.2m GBP36.1m +14%
Adjusted profit attributable to equity GBP33.9m GBP28.8m +18%
holders2
Adjusted diluted earnings per share2 172.8p 147.0p +18%
Reported
Operating cash flow GBP26.7m GBP29.7m -8%
Net debt GBP52.0m GBP9.0m N/A
Profit before tax GBP37.6m GBP32.2m +17%
Profit attributable to equity holders GBP30.2m GBP28.3m +7%
Diluted earnings per share 154.9p 146.0p +6%
1Adjusted for acquisition costs, both completed and aborted, of GBP0.6 million
(2017: GBP3.3 million), costs related to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
implementation of GBP0.2 million (2017: GBPnil) and amortisation of intangible
assets due to business combination of GBP2.8 million (2017: GBP0.6 million)
2Adjusted for acquisition costs, both completed and aborted of GBP0.6 million
(2017: GBP3.3 million), costs related to ERP implementation of GBP0.2 million
(2017: GBPnil) and amortisation of intangible assets due to business combination
of GBP2.8 million (2017: GBP0.6 million) and non-recurring tax benefits of GBP0.1
million (2017: GBP3.7 million)
· Record order intake, revenues and earnings achieved in 2018
· Order intake of GBP198.4 million (2017: GBP184.3 million) - an increase of 8%
(12% in constant currency or 5% on a like for like basis)
· Full year revenues increased by 17% (21% in constant currency and 11% on
a like for like basis) to GBP195.1 million (2017: GBP166.8 million)
· Revenues from our own-designed products set a new record of GBP155.3
million in the year (2017: GBP127.4 million), representing 80% of revenue (2017:
76%).
· Acquisition of Glassman High Voltage expands product portfolio and
addressable market
· Completed the construction of a second production facility in Vietnam to
expand manufacturing capacity - new factory to commence production in Q2 2019
James Peters, Chairman, commented:
"2018 was another year of significant progress. We achieved a third successive
year of record revenues and earnings per share, demonstrating the strength of
our business model and successful execution of our strategy. The acquisition of
Glassman High Voltage expands our addressable market by an estimated $500
million and gives us a foothold in an exciting new product segment. In
addition, we completed construction of our second manufacturing facility in
Vietnam which will start production in Q2 2019, increasing our Asia production
capacity by approximately 75%."
"The new financial year has begun against a background of ongoing macroeconomic
uncertainty. While we are not immune from the impact of external events, we are
encouraged by our start to 2019 in terms of order intake and our healthy order
book. On this basis, and with the benefit of the Glassman acquisition, we
expect further revenue growth in 2019 but this will be weighted to the second
half of the year."
Enquiries:
XP Power
Duncan Penny, Chief Executive
Officer +44 (0)118 976 5155
Gavin Griggs, Chief Financial Officer
Citigate Dewe
Rogerson
Kevin Smith/Jos
Bieneman +44
(0)20 7638 9571
XP Power designs and manufactures power controllers, the essential hardware
component in every piece of electrical equipment that converts power from the
electricity grid into the right form for equipment to function.
XP Power typically designs power control solutions into the end products of
major blue-chip OEMs, with a focus on the industrial (circa 43% of sales),
semiconductor manufacturing suppliers (circa 24% of sales), healthcare (circa
22% sales) and technology (circa 11% of sales) sectors. Once designed into a
programme, XP Power has a revenue annuity over the life cycle of the customer's
product which is typically 5 to 7 years depending on the industry sector.
XP Power has invested in research and development and its own manufacturing
facilities in China and Vietnam, to develop a range of tailored products based
on its own intellectual property that provide its customers with significantly
improved functionality and efficiency.
Headquartered in Singapore and listed on the Main Market of the London Stock
Exchange since 2000, XP Power serves a global blue-chip customer base from 27
locations in Europe, North America and Asia.
For further information, please visit xppower.com
Chairman's Statement
Our Progress in 2018
2018 was another year of significant progress. We have achieved a third
successive year of record revenues and earnings per share demonstrating the
strength of our business model and successful execution of our strategy.
Significantly, we completed the acquisition of Glassman High Voltage which
expands our addressable market by an estimated $500 million and gives us a
foothold in an exciting new product segment. In addition, we completed
construction of our second manufacturing facility in Vietnam which will start
production in Q2 2019.
Results
Our financial performance in the year was good. Revenues were GBP195.1 million,
exceeding the prior year total of GBP166.8 million. This was an increase of 21%
in constant currency or an increase of 11% on a like for like basis, excluding
the acquisitions of Comdel in September 2017 and Glassman in May 2018. Order
intake also set a new record of GBP198.4 million, exceeding the GBP184.3 million
achieved in 2017, and representing a 12% increase in constant currency. On a
like for like basis after excluding the acquisitions of Comdel and Glassman,
the increase in order intake was 5%. We grew across all our regions and
sectors however we did see a slowdown in the semiconductor manufacturing sector
in the fourth quarter in line with the wider market and as outlined in our
January Trading Update.
Reported profit before tax was GBP37.6 million (2017: GBP32.2 million). After
adding back acquisition costs, both completed and aborted, of GBP0.6 million
(2017: GBP3.3 million), costs related to ERP implementation of GBP0.2 million
(2017: GBPnil) and amortisation of intangible assets due to business combination
of GBP2.8 million (2017: GBP0.6 million), adjusted profit before tax was GBP41.2
million (2017: GBP36.1 million), an increase of 14% over that reported in 2017.
Basic earnings per share increased by 6% to 157.8 pence (2017:148.3 pence).
Diluted adjusted earnings per share increased by 18% to 172.8 pence (2017:
147.0 pence).
Strategy Review
The key essence of the Group's strategy has remained consistent for a
significant period of time and is built on the development of a market leading
range of competitive products, either organically or by acquisition, to enable
further penetration of our existing target accounts where we still have
relatively low market shares. This approach has served the Group well and our
conclusion is that we can still continue to grow and take market share by
executing this strategy.
During the year the Board completed a review of the Group's strategic progress.
It was determined that strategy was working effectively to grow the Group's
revenues, market share in our target sectors and customers and our brand
strength as demonstrated by the 18% revenue growth compound annual growth rate
performance from 2016 to 2018 whilst building the processes to operate a global
supply chain which balances high efficiency with market leading customer
responsiveness. We continue to drive improvements in engineering, the supply
chain and manufacturing to support the sales growth we are generating. This
includes a project to upgrade our ERP system to the latest version of SAP S/4
Hana across the Group.
Our Board
Mike Laver, currently an executive director, will not be standing for
re-election to the Board at this year's Annual General Meeting. On stepping
down from the Board, Mike will retain his operational role as President,
Corporate Development.
Peter Bucher, non-executive director, retired from the Board on 31 December
2018. I would like to thank Peter for his contribution to the development of
the Group since joining the Board in 2014 and wish him a happy retirement.
Under the new UK Corporate Governance Code that came into effect in 2019,
public companies are required to have at least an equal number of non-executive
directors to executive directors, excluding the Chairman. To address this
requirement, we are actively searching for a replacement for Peter.
Our People and Our Values
The success of an organisation is dependent on its culture and the people and
talent within it. The DNA of our business is built around our core values of
Integrity, Knowledge, Flexibility, Speed and Customer Focus. We have
significant strength and depth within our Company, with the majority of our
executives boasting long tenures with XP Power. We have conducted annual
employee engagement surveys since 2015 and I am pleased that we have shown
strong scores each time we repeat the survey, having taken actions to address
any issues arising from the results of the prior year. One of the main findings
from these employee surveys was that our employees are proud to be part of our
Company, highlighting the significant engagement we have between the business
and our people. Our cultural survey score is one of our non-financial key
performance indicators.
As the Group has grown, we have consistently added more talent across the
business to build even greater strength and depth and we hired more people in
2018 than in any year in our history. A key focus is engineering where we will
continue to add talent to partner effectively with our customers and address
all the opportunities we see before us.
Dividend
Our continued financial performance and confidence in the Group's long-term
prospects have enabled us to increase dividends consistently since listing in
2000. The Board is recommending a final dividend of 33 pence per share for the
fourth quarter of 2018. This dividend will be payable to members on the
register on 22 March 2019 and will be paid on 23 April 2019. When combined with
the interim dividends for the previous quarters, the total dividend for the
year will be 85 pence per share (2017: 78 pence), an increase of 9%.
The compound average growth rate of our dividend has been 15% over the last ten
years, demonstrating the Board's commitment to our progressive dividend
policy.
Sustainability
We are committed to the long-term sustainable success of XP Power in all its
aspects. We have helped lead the industry in developing "green" products which
consume less energy while powering the application or in standby mode. These
products reduce CO22emissions year over year and are by far the biggest
positive impact we can make on the environment.
Sustainability also resonates with our employees. We have adopted energy and
water saving practices throughout the Group and have a network of passionate
environmental representatives who promote best practice and raise awareness
regarding sustainability across our global workforce.
Outlook
The new financial year has begun against a background of ongoing macroeconomic
uncertainty. While we are not immune from the impact of external events, we are
encouraged by our start to 2019 in terms of order intake and our healthy order
book. On this basis, and with the benefit of the Glassman acquisition, we
expect further revenue growth in 2019 but this will be weighted to the second
half of the year.
James Peters
Chairman
Performance: Operational Review
Review of our year
XP Power has enjoyed another excellent year, building our position in our
chosen markets, expanding our product portfolio both through acquisition and
organically and making significant progress towards the achievement of our
vision of being the first choice power solutions provider, delivering the
ultimate experience to our customers and our people.
The consistent execution of our strategy has led to another year of successive
growth in order intake, revenue, adjusted operating profit and adjusted
earnings per share. All market sectors showed revenue growth over 2017. The
first half of 2018 saw extremely good growth from our semiconductor equipment
manufacturing sector which then softened in the second half of the year in line
with wider market performance, and in particular the fourth quarter as detailed
in the Group's Trading Update on 14 January 2019. In contrast, the industrial,
healthcare and technology sectors all showed growth in the second half of 2018
versus the first half and remained robust in the fourth quarter.
Our design win pipeline was strong in 2018, boding well for continued future
market share and revenue growth. We also continued to move our product
portfolio up to higher power and technically more complex applications, and to
expand the number of design wins with higher engineering solutions content.
We announced the acquisition of Glassman High Voltage in May 2018. This
business gives XP Power an entry into the high voltage, high power market. We
are one of the few companies worldwide that can offer our customers a complete
range of power solutions across voltage and power. This makes us an ideal
partner to many of our target customers and greatly expands our value
proposition.
Marketplace
All industry sectors and all geographies experienced revenue growth in 2018
over 2017 and, significantly, sequential growth in the second half of 2018 over
the first half, with the exception of the semiconductor equipment manufacturing
sector.
The order performance was also strong, with order intake up 8% on a reported
basis to GBP198.4 million (2017: GBP184.3 million). In constant currency this
growth was 12% and on a like for like basis, excluding the Comdel and Glassman
acquisitions growth was 5%. The resulting book to bill ratio was 1.02.
Overall revenues grew 17% to GBP195.1 million (2017: GBP166.8 million) on a
reported basis. In constant currency the growth was 21% or 11% on a like for
like basis, excluding the Comdel and Glassman acquisitions.
The average exchange rate for US Dollar to Sterling was 1.34 in 2018 versus
1.28 in 2017, representing a 5% strengthening. We discuss the impact of foreign
exchange volatility in more detail in our Financial Review.
Marketplace: Sector Dynamics
Revenues from industrial customers grew 7% to GBP83.7 million (2017: GBP78.1
million) as the recovery in that sector continued into 2018. Revenues from
industrial customers represented 43% (2017: 47%) of overall revenues but very
few of these customers make it into our top 30 customer list due to the highly
fragmented nature of this market. The applications in this sector are very
diverse and include test and measurement equipment, displays, factory
automation, smart grid and industrial printing; the areas that drove the 2018
growth included distribution, analytical instrumentation, defence and
industrial printing. All items of industrial equipment that are electrically
powered will require a power converter.
The semiconductor manufacturing equipment sector has been an interesting area
for XP Power. Revenues from these customers grew 60% to GBP47.4 million (2017: GBP
29.7 million). Revenues from semiconductor manufacturing equipment sector
customers represented 24% of overall revenues (2017: 18%). In the first half of
2018 we benefitted from a cyclical upswing in that sector which began in 2017,
combined with strong market share gains and the revenues from the acquisition
of Comdel and Glassman. Our expansion into high voltage and high power
products, combined with our engineering services offering, has made us an
attractive supplier to the industry. The new products we have allow us to
service considerably more of the opportunities we see in this sector. The
sector slowed significantly in the second half of 2018, as widely reported, and
this impacted our fourth quarter order intake and revenues.
Despite the sector's cyclicality this market remains highly attractive due to
its robust fundamentals, which are being driven by the proliferation of
applications involving the internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence
(AI), autonomous vehicles and big data.
Revenues from healthcare customers grew by 4% to GBP43.6 million (2017: GBP41.8
million) representing 22% of overall revenues (2017: 25%). Healthcare remains
another attractive market for XP Power given the breadth of our medical product
range and high level of customer service. These are demanding customers in
terms of quality and reliability, and this means our value proposition is
attractive to these customers. We provide mission critical power solutions for
numerous applications in the healthcare arena, from patient contact
applications, to diagnostic equipment such as MRI and ultrasound, through to
laboratory equipment. There are special requirements and regulatory approvals
that a medical power solution has to meet. Healthcare tends to be much less
cyclical than the other sectors we address which adds resilience to our
diversified business model.
Revenues from technology customers grew 19% to GBP20.4 million (2017: GBP17.2
million) representing 11% of overall revenues (2017: 10%). Typical applications
in technology include areas such as broadcast, high end communications such as
satellite and telecom base stations, and high-end computing. These programmes
are often quite large but generally have much shorter lifetimes than the seven
to eight years which are typical in the other market sectors we serve.
Marketplace: North America
North America revenues were US$159.5 million in 2018 (2017: US$121.3 million),
an increase of 31%. The increase was 13% after excluding the revenues from the
acquisitions of Comdel of US$19.7 million (2017: US$5.4 million) and Glassman
of US$8.8 million (2017: US$nil). North America represented 61% of overall
revenues (2017: 57%).
The North America business particularly benefitted from the growth in the
semiconductor equipment manufacturing sector, but all sectors grew year on
year.
Order intake in North America was US$158.1 million (2017: US$139.2 million), an
increase of 14% resulting in a book to bill ratio of 0.99. The increase was 2%
after excluding the order intake from the Comdel acquisition of US$14.6 million
(2017: US$7.7 million) and Glassman of US$9.4 million (2017: US$nil). Comdel
had exceptionally strong order intake in the fourth quarter of 2017 as
semiconductor manufacturing equipment makers placed orders for delivery
throughout 2018.
Marketplace: Tariffs and Trade
The Section 301 tariffs which the USA government has imposed upon Chinese
sourced products has a mixed impact on XP Power. From 24 September 2018 a 10%
tariff has been imposed on power converters imported from China where XP Power
has a manufacturing facility. There are proposals to increase this to 25% if
there is not a satisfactory outcome to USA/China trade negotiations. Where
possible we have been recovering some of these tariffs from customers where we
are able. However, XP Power's facility in Vietnam has presented a notable
opportunity over many of our competitors who largely manufacture in China as
Vietnam is not caught by the new tariffs. We have been moving our lower power
products from China to Vietnam and the Section 301 tariffs development has
caused us to accelerate this process. We are fortunate to be bringing our
second Vietnam facility on stream in the second quarter of 2019 which we expect
will give us a competitive advantage in respect of the USA tariff situation.
Marketplace: Europe
Our European business grew by 6% to GBP61.1 million (2017: GBP57.5 million). All
sectors grew year on year, but Healthcare showed the strongest growth due to a
number of larger medical programmes entering production from some of our bigger
customers. The semiconductor equipment manufacturing business in Europe is
currently insignificant.
Europe represented 31% of overall revenues (2017: 34%).
Order intake in Europe was GBP64.6 million (2017: GBP61.5 million), an increase of
5%, resulting in a book to bill ratio of 1.06.
Marketplace: Asia
Asia revenues were US$19.9 million in 2018 (2017: US$19.0 million), an increase
of 5%, with the strongest growth in industrial, and declines in healthcare and
technology as programmes went end of life. Asia represented 8% of overall
revenues (2017: 9%).
Order intake in Asia was US$21.4 million (2017: US$19.0 million), an increase
of 13%, resulting in a book to bill ratio of 1.08.
Supply Chain
As previously announced, during the first half of 2018 we started to see
significant tightening of the supply chain for certain electronic components,
which resulted in increased lead times and component cost inflation. In
response, we went into the market to secure supplies of critical components, at
prices beyond our standard costs, in order to ensure we could continue to meet
our lead times to customers. Lead times for certain components increased
dramatically, in some cases lead times moved from 12 to 52 weeks. The result of
these lead time extensions has meant we have had to increase our safety
inventories significantly. The higher prices we had to pay for components were
a drag on gross margins in the second half of 2018 which were offset by other
cost savings and favourable product mix.
Recently, the supply of certain components such as multi-layer ceramic
capacitors and chip type resistors has started to improve but many of the
active power semiconductor devices we use remain on long lead times. We will
continue to proactively manage our inventory to ensure continuity of supply but
expect the levels to reduce in 2019 and 2020 as lead times reduce.
Adapting to the market and the competition
Since listing on the London Stock Exchange in 2000, XP Power has evolved from a
specialist distributor of power conversion products to a designer and then
manufacturer of power solutions for the industrial, semiconductor manufacturing
equipment, healthcare and technology markets.
We continue to perform well against our traditional established competition.
Our broad range of standard products, now augmented by recent acquisitions, and
excellent customer service delivered by the largest direct sales force in our
industry, is an attractive customer proposition. We are now one of very few
power solutions providers who can supply our target customers with a complete
portfolio of products from low to high power and low to high voltage, including
radio frequency (RF) power. This combined with our engineering services
offering, where we take standard products and tailor them to provide complete
plug and play power systems, makes us a compelling business partner.
We expect future competitors to emerge from Asia as companies with low cost
manufacturing and engineering capabilities attempt to enter parts of the
industrial and healthcare markets in Europe and North America. We will continue
to adapt our product offering and services to respond to this threat.
Low cost Asian competitors continue to become more prevalent, particularly in
the low power/low complexity end of the market. It is straightforward to source
low cost/low power products directly from Asian manufacturers. Engineering
solutions are not easily managed remotely and work most effectively when
situated close to the customer, so design discussions and design reviews can
take place face-to-face. We continue to add more and more value to our
customers as we expand our engineering service groups across the globe.
In addition to providing a higher engineering solutions content, we have moved
our product portfolio up in terms of power level and complexity to help protect
our business from low cost Asian competition, which remains a significant
threat. Specifically, we have expanded the capability within our product
portfolio with the acquisition of Comdel, which gives us RF power at high power
levels, and more recently, with Glassman which provides very high power at very
high voltage.
We are building a broad and compelling product offering which will make us an
increasingly attractive partner for leading companies in the industrial,
healthcare, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and technology sectors to
choose to power their mission-critical applications.
Strategic Progress
We have followed a consistent strategy which has enabled us to produce strong
results over a sustained period of time. The fundamental essence of the
strategy - targeting key accounts where we can add value and gaining more of
the available business in those accounts - continues to remain appropriate and
effective. We constantly challenge and refine our strategy, as we have done
again in 2018.
Our strategy can be summarised as follows:
· Develop a market leading range of competitive products, organically and
through selective acquisitions;
· Target accounts where we can add value;
· Increase vertical penetration of target accounts;
· Build a Global Supply Chain which balances high efficiency with market
leading customer responsiveness;
· Lead our industry on environmental matters; and
· Make selective acquisitions in identified strategic markets or of
complementary businesses to expand our product offering.
We continue to make significant progress against each of these strategic
objectives. We believe we have the broadest, most up-to-date portfolio of
products, many of which are class-leading in terms of efficiency and low
stand-by power. We also continue to see revenues from our own-designed/
manufactured products grow at a faster rate than those from other products.
We consider that our transition from a specialist distribution company, through
the addition of a design capability, to designer and manufacturer is now
complete. We are now clearly recognised as both a designer and manufacturer by
key customers in our target markets. Revenues from our own-designed products
set a new record of GBP155.3 million in the year (2017: GBP127.4 million),
representing 80% of revenue (2017: 76%).
We expect further improvement in the mix of own-designed products in 2019. We
are now moving our business further up the value chain by providing our key
customers with engineering solutions where we add value, enabling the customer
to more easily integrate the power solution into their critical systems. These
services range from providing simple voltage and connector changes, through to
changes in mechanical format, the addition of thermal management, communication
to the customer's end equipment utilising firmware and ultimately full custom
designs. This is a much more engineering intense activity but does mean we work
very closely with the customer's design engineers to provide them with a
complete power solution in the shortest possible time, delivering genuine
value.
Acquisition of Glassman HV
On 25 May 2018 XP Power acquired the business and assets of Glassman High
Voltage, a designer and manufacturer of high voltage, high power, power
converters. The acquisition also included the purchase of Glassman's small
European sales business.
Total consideration of US$47.5 million (GBP35.7 million) was paid in cash on
completion. The acquisition was on a debt and cash free basis and was funded
with a US$45.0 million extension of the Group's existing revolving credit
facility.
We share several customers with Glassman and while there is no direct overlap
in product lines, the power supply solutions of the two companies are highly
complementary. Glassman's products and engineering capabilities have enhanced
the Group's ability to implement its strategy of winning a greater share of
business from its largest customers by achieving wider vertical penetration of
key accounts. The business is being integrated into the Group well, and we are
already finding exciting new opportunities for these products in our existing
and new customers. As well as a product offering suitable for an array of
applications used by some of XP Power's existing customer base, Glassman has
also brought a number of new customers to the Group.
We continue to review acquisition opportunities that will enhance our product
or sector offering and meet our strict criteria.
Manufacturing
In October 2017 we commenced construction of a second manufacturing facility in
Vietnam on our existing site near Ho Chi Minh City. Construction of this second
facility is now complete and we expect to begin production during the second
quarter of 2019. In terms of end revenues, our existing manufacturing capacity
in China and Vietnam I is $170 million. Vietnam II conservatively adds an
additional $130 million of capacity bringing our total Asia manufacturing
capacity up to $300 million.
This additional capacity is necessary to accommodate our growth trajectory. It
also gives us the opportunity to transfer the production of more products from
China to Vietnam, thereby saving the costs of the Section 301 Tariffs currently
imposed on Chinese goods by the authorities in the USA. We believe this will
give us a competitive cost advantage over many of our competitors with Chinese
based manufacturing.
Our end objective is to have the flexibility to be able to build all products
in either China or Vietnam to provide flexibility and robust business
continuity planning.
Engineering Solutions
As well as expanding our product offering, we have continued to expand our
engineering solutions groups in Asia, Europe and North America. Our customers
frequently require a high degree of customisation to allow the power conversion
system to operate within their end equipment or simply to make it easier for
them to integrate the power conversion solution into their application. Our
engineering solutions groups work closely with the customer's engineering teams
to provide these customised solutions. Speed and proximity to the customer are
critical as the power solution is often one of the last parts of the system to
be designed, so is invariably one of the gating items to get the end product to
market. This is an area where XP Power adds significant value to the customer
and we are seeing increasing demand for these services.
Research and Development
We have continued to invest in research and development to further expand our
portfolio of products and the size of our addressable market opportunity. In
particular, we increased our design engineering resource and capabilities
during 2018. We released 27 new product families in 2018 (2017: 27) and 20 of
these can be classified as "Green XP Power" products having ultra-high
efficiency and/or low standby power (2017: 19).
One example is a high efficiency 4,500 watt product which has a variable,
rather than fixed output voltage, that can be adjusted via a digital control.
This is an example of moving up the power and complexity level, producing more
sophisticated products which can communicate directly with the customer's
system.
Duncan
Penny
Chief Executive Officer
Performance: Financial Review
XP Power delivered another good performance in 2018. The order and revenue
growth, coupled with clear investment priorities and effective control of
operating expenditure, has delivered year-on-year growth in profits. We have
also made further investment in capital projects in order to increase the
production capacity and build the capabilities necessary to support our
future sales growth. The business exited the year with a robust financial
position.
Statutory Results
On a statutory basis, revenue was GBP195.1 million (2017: GBP
166.8 million), representing growth of 17%. Operating profit was GBP39.3 million
(2017: GBP32.5 million), an increase of 21% over the prior year, with operating
margin at 20.1% (2017: 19.6%). Net finance costs were GBP1.7 million (2017: GBP
0.3 million) resulting in Profit before tax of GBP37.6 million (2017: GBP
32.2 million) giving rise to an income tax expense of GBP7.2 million (2017: GBP
3.6 million), equivalent to an effective tax rate of 19% (2017: 11%). Basic
earnings per share were 157.8 pence (2017: 148.3 pence), an increase of 6%.
Adjusted Results
Throughout this Earnings Release, adjusted and other alternative performance
measures are used to describe the Group's performance. These are not recognised
under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) or other generally
accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
When reviewing XP Power's performance, the Board and management team
particularly focus on adjusted results rather than statutory results. There are
a number of items that are included in statutory results, but which are
considered to be one-off in nature or not representative of the Group's
performance and which are excluded from adjusted results. The tables on pages
19 and 20 show the full list of adjustments between statutory operating profit
and adjusted operating profit by business, as well as between statutory profit
before tax and adjusted profit before tax at Group level for both 2018 and
2017.
Revenue Performance
The Group generated revenue growth of 17% during the year on a reported
basis, 21% in constant currency and 11% on a like for like constant currency
basis, adjusting for the foreign exchange headwind and the impacts of the
Comdel and Glassman acquisitions in 2017 and 2018. The
Group's revenue performance was driven by growth in the Semiconductor equipment
manufacturing sector, which grew 60% to GBP47.4 million (2017: GBP29.7 million) and
the Technology sector, which grew 18% to GBP20.4 million (2017: GBP17.2 million).
The Industrial sector grew 7% to GBP83.7 million (2017: GBP78.1 million) and the
Healthcare sector grew 4% to GBP43.6 million (2017: GBP41.8 million).
All three of our regions delivered growth in 2018. North America was up 26%
(31% in constant currency) due in part to the effect of the Glassman and Comdel
acquisitions. On a like for like basis North America grew by 8% to GBP
97.7 million (2017: GBP90.4 million), due to strong growth in the Semiconductor
equipment manufacturing sector. Europe delivered growth of 6% (6% in constant
currency) to GBP61.1 million (2017: GBP57.5 million), driven by a good
performance in the Nordics, up 22% and Central Europe, up 9%. Asia revenues
grew 6% in constant currency with reported revenue flat compared to 2017 at GBP
14.9 million.
This revenue performance was a result of a good order backlog at the start of
2018 and order bookings of GBP198.4 million in 2018, an increase of 8% over 2017
on a reported basis, or 12% in constant currency. Orders and revenue for
2018 represent a full year book to bill ratio of 1.02 (2017: 1.11) and we ended
the year with an equally good order backlog as at the start of the year.
Gross Profitability
Gross margin improved to 47.3% (2017: 46.5%), largely due to product mix,
improving performance at Comdel and the effect of the appreciation of Sterling
versus the US Dollar. This improvement helped offset the impact of price
increases on components resulting from the scarce supply seen in the first half
of 2018.
Adjusted Operating Expenses and Margins
The Group increased its investment in operating resources, excluding specific
items, by 20% to GBP49.4 million (2017: GBP41.2 million). Investing in our people
remains a focus and resulted in payroll and staff costs increasing by 25%.
Headcount, excluding factories and acquisitions, increased by 10% compared
to 2017 as we invested in our engineering and sales capabilities. Non-cash
share-based payment charges amounted to GBP0.8 million (2017: GBP0.1 million) and
related to a grant to senior management under the Long-Term Incentive Scheme
during the year. Adjusted operating margins were in line with 2017 at 22.0%
(2017: 21.8%).
Foreign Exchange
The average Sterling to US Dollar exchange rate increased by 5%, from 1.28 to
1.34. The majority of this movement was seen in the first half of 2018, with a
10% strengthening in Sterling compared with 2017. For the second half of the
year the Sterling to US Dollar exchange rate was marginally lower than
2017. Approximately 84% of our revenues (2017: 82%) are denominated in US
Dollars and due to the stronger Sterling the translation of these revenues for
reporting purposes has had a negative effect.
Finance Cost
Net finance cost increased to GBP1.7 million (2017: GBP0.3 million) due to
increased average borrowings following the acquisition of Glassman in May 2018
and additional requirement for inventory in the second half of 2018 as a result
of the significant increases in component lead times.
Interest cover (EBITDA as a multiple of net interest expense as defined by our
Revolving Credit Facility) was 32 times (2017: 199 times) which is well in
excess of the four times minimum required in our banking covenants. Net debt
to EBITDA at the year-end was comfortable at 1.07 (2017: 0.22).
Adjusted Profit Before Tax
The Group generated adjusted profit before tax and specific items of GBP41.2
million, up 14% compared to last year, lower than revenue growth due to
increased investment in operating costs.
Specific Items
Specific items are excluded from management's assessment of profit because by
either their size, their nature or are non-repetitive and therefore could
distort the Group's underlying earnings. In 2018, the Group incurred GBP3.6
million (2017: GBP3.9 million) of specific items, predominantly related to costs
associated with acquisitions, both completed and aborted, of GBP0.6 million, GBP2.8
million for amortisation of intangible assets due to business combination and GBP
0.2 million costs related to ERP implementation.
Taxation
The effective tax rate from continuing operations
before specific items increased by 750bps to 17.5% (2017: 10.0%). The rate
returned to more normal levels as the prior year benefitted from refunds of
historic taxation paid predominantly in Singapore and the revaluation of the
deferred tax credit in the United States following the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs
Act. In 2018, the Group benefitted from the reduction in the corporate tax
rate in the United States.
The effective tax rate from continuing operations after specific items
increased by 790 bps to 19.1% (2017: 11.2%). Going forward, XP Power expects
the effective tax rate to be approximately 17-19% depending predominantly on
the regional mix of profits.
Adjusted Earnings Per Share
Basic and diluted adjusted earnings per share from continuing operations
before specific items increased by 18% and 18% to 176.1 pence and 172.8 pence
respectively (2017: 149.4 pence and 147.0 pence). This was driven by the
increase in continuing profit before tax during the year.
Operating Cash Flow
The Group generated GBP26.7 million net cash from operations compared with GBP29.7
million in the previous year. The lower level of operating cash flows was
largely a result of increased inventory, due to component shortages and longer
lead times seen in 2018, which led to working capital outflows of GBP16.4
million.
Net Debt
We finished 2018 in a net debt position of GBP52.0 million (2017: GBP9.0 million),
with the increase due to funding the acquisition of Glassman (GBP35.7 million)
and higher working capital levels. The Group continued its progressive dividend
policy which meant returning GBP15.3 million (2017: GBP14.0 million) to
shareholders in the form of dividends.
Statement of Financial Position
The Group has a revolving credit facility of US$105 million (2017: US$40
million), which matures in September 2021. The Group funded the acquisition of
Glassman through the credit facility and at the balance sheet date had drawn
down on US$81 million (2017: US$33 million) of the facility. The Group
continues to operate well within its banking covenants with significant
headroom under each financial ratio.
Fixed Assets
We continue to invest in our business with the majority of spend on
manufacturing and supporting our future sales growth. The majority of the
manufacturing spend relates to our new Vietnam site located adjacent to our
current facility. As expected, we plan to invest circa GBP10 million during the
new financial year, a GBP5 million increase on 2018. This acceleration is
principally due to the completion of our new Vietnam site and an investment in
upgrading our ERP system.
Dividends
The attractive cash flow generated by the XP Power business model has enabled
the Company to pursue a progressive dividend policy over a sustained period of
time.
The policy is to increase dividends progressively whilst maintaining an
appropriate level of cover. This year's financial performance in terms of both
profitability and cash flow has enabled us to recommend a final dividend
of 33 pence per share which, together with the quarterly dividends already
paid, gives a total dividend for the year of 85 pence per share (2017: 78 pence
per share), an increase of 9%. Dividend cover for the year was 1.9 times (2017:
1.9 times).
Financial Instruments
The Group's financial instruments consist of cash, money market deposits, and
various other items such as trade receivables and trade payables that arise
directly from its business operations.
The Group uses forward currency contracts to hedge highly probable forecast
transactions. The instruments purchased are denominated in the currencies of
the Group's principal markets. The Group had GBP10.8 millions of forward currency
contracts outstanding at 31 December 2018 (2017: GBP7.8 million).
Brexit
In terms of the broader economic impacts of Brexit on our business, we do not
consider that they will be material. Our products are made in Asia and are
already imported into Europe where we have warehouses in both Germany and the
United Kingdom and hence, we could ship our product destined for the European
Union directly into Germany or another appropriate location. Plans are in
place that will help minimise any logistical issues that may arise following
the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union.
Systems Development
Efficient and robust systems are essential in order for us to manage an
international business and supply chain with a highly diverse customer base. We
operate a global Customer Relationship Management system covering all three
regions which allows us to collaborate, share information and provide efficient
and effective customer service. The cornerstone of our supply chain is built on
the SAP ERP System. In 2018, we started on a project to implement the latest
version of SAP across our entire global supply chain with the first focus being
on our existing operating regions and then the China and Vietnam manufacturing
facilities. We expect this implementation to have significant benefits in terms
of factory planning and will of course give us significant operational
advantages with the factory systems running on the same platform as sales
companies. Further gains will be realised when we migrate the most recent
acquisitions of Comdel and Glassman likely to be in 2020.
This integrated approach ensures that we have the robust systems and reporting
necessary to support our future growth.
Gavin Griggs
Chief Financial Officer
XP Power Limited
Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income for the
financial year ended 31 December 2018
GBP Millions Note 2018 2017
Revenue 2 195.1 166.8
Cost of sales (102.8) (89.2)
Gross profit 92.3 77.6
Expenses
Distribution and marketing (38.7) (31.7)
Administrative (2.9) (4.6)
Research and development (11.4) (8.8)
Operating profit 39.3 32.5
Finance charge (1.7) (0.3)
Profit before income tax 37.6 32.2
Income tax expense 3 (7.2) (3.6)
Profit after tax 30.4 28.6
Other comprehensive income:
Items that may be reclassified subsequently to
profit or loss:
Cash flow hedges 0.3 (0.5)
Exchange differences on translation of foreign 4.4 (3.9)
operations
4.7 (4.4)
Items that will not be reclassified subsequently to
profit or loss:
Currency translation differences arising from 0.2 *
consolidation
Other comprehensive income/(loss) for the year, net 4.9 (4.4)
of tax
Total comprehensive income for the year 35.3 24.2
Profit attributable to:
Equity holders of the Company 30.2 28.3
Non-controlling interests 0.2 0.3
30.4 28.6
Total comprehensive income attributable to:
Equity holders of the Company 34.9 23.9
Non-controlling interests 0.4 0.3
35.3 24.2
Earnings per share attributable to equity holders of the Company (pence per
share)
- Basic earnings per share 5 157.8 148.3
- Diluted earnings per share 5 154.9 146.0
*Balances are less than GBP100,000.
The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.
XP Power Limited
Consolidated Balance Sheet
As at 31 December 2018
GBP Millions Note
2018 2017
ASSETS
Current assets
Corporate tax recoverable 0.8 2.9
Cash and cash equivalents 11.5 15.0
Inventories 56.5 37.8
Trade receivables 33.0 23.8
Other current assets 3.3 3.8
Derivative financial * 0.2
instruments
Total current assets 105.1 83.5
Non-current assets
Goodwill 54.1 40.4
Intangible assets 43.6 23.5
Property, plant and equipment 30.7 22.5
Deferred income tax assets 0.6 1.4
ESOP loan to employees 0.2 0.3
Total non-current assets 129.2 88.1
Total assets 234.3 171.6
LIABILITIES
Current liabilities
Current income tax liabilities 4.2 3.5
Trade and other payables 22.4 21.4
Derivative financial instruments 0.2 0.2
Total current liabilities 26.8 25.1
Non-current liabilities
Accrued consideration 1.4 1.4
Borrowings 6 63.5 24.0
Deferred income tax liabilities 4.7 4.2
Provisions 0.5 -
Total non-current liabilities 70.1 29.6
Total liabilities 96.9 54.7
NET ASSETS 137.4 116.9
EQUITY
Equity attributable to equity holders of the
Company
Share capital 27.2 27.2
Merger reserve 0.2 0.2
Treasury shares and share option reserve 1.1 0.4
Hedging reserve 0.1 (0.2)
Translation reserve 4.0 (0.4)
Other reserve (0.8) (0.8)
Retained earnings 104.6 89.6
136.4 116.0
Non-controlling interests 1.0 0.9
TOTAL EQUITY 137.4 116.9
*Balances are less than GBP100,000.
The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.
XP Power Limited
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
For the financial year ended 31 December 2018
Attributable to equity holders of the
Company
GBP Millions Treasury
shares
and
share Non-
Share option Merger Hedging Translation Other Retained controlling Total
capital reserve reserve reserve reserve reserve earnings Total interests equity
Balance at 27.2 (0.5) 0.2 0.3 3.5 - 75.4 106.1 0.8 106.9
1 January 2017
Sale of treasury - 1.0 - - - - (0.1) 0.9 - 0.9
shares
Purchase of - (1.6) - - - - - (1.6) - (1.6)
treasury shares
Employee share - 1.5 - - - - - 1.5 - 1.5
option plan
expenses, net of
tax
Dividends paid - - - - - - (14.0) (14.0) (0.2) (14.2)
Future - - - - - (0.8) - (0.8) - (0.8)
acquisition of
non-controlling
interest
Exchange - - - - (3.9) - - (3.9) * (3.9)
difference
arising from
translation of
financial
statements of
foreign
operations
Net change in - - - (0.5) - - - (0.5) - (0.5)
cash flow hedges
Profit for the - - - - - - 28.3 28.3 0.3 28.6
year
Total - - - (0.5) (3.9) - 28.3 23.9 0.3 24.2
comprehensive
income for the
year
Balance at 27.2 0.4 0.2 (0.2) (0.4) (0.8) 89.6 116.0 0.9 116.9
31 December 2017
Changes in - - - - - - 0.4 0.4 - 0.4
accounting policy
Restated total 27.2 0.4 0.2 (0.2) (0.4) (0.8) 90.0 116.4 0.9 117.3
equity as at 1
January 2018
Sale of treasury - 0.8 - - - - (0.3) 0.5 - 0.5
shares
Employee share - (0.1) - - - - - (0.1) - (0.1)
option plan
expenses, net of
tax
Dividends paid - - - - - - (15.3) (15.3) (0.3) (15.6)
Exchange - - - - 4.4 - - 4.4 0.2 4.6
difference
arising from
translation of
financial
statements of
foreign
operations
Net change in - - - 0.3 - - - 0.3 - 0.3
cash flow hedges
Profit for the - - - - - - 30.2 30.2 0.2 30.4
year
Total - - - 0.3 4.4 - 30.2 34.9 0.4 35.3
comprehensive
income for the
year
Balance at 27.2 1.1 0.2 0.1 4.0 (0.8) 104.6 136.4 1.0 137.4
31 December 2018
*Balances are less than GBP100,000.
The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.
XP Power Limited
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
For the financial year ended 31 December 2018
GBP Millions Note
2018 2017
Cash flows from operating activities
Profit after tax 30.4 28.6
Adjustments for:
- Income tax expense 7.2 3.6
- Amortisation and depreciation 9.1 5.9
- Finance charge 1.7 0.3
- Equity award charges, net of tax 0.8 0.4
- Fair value loss/(gain) of derivative 0.5 (0.5)
financial instruments
- Unrealised currency translation loss/(gain) 2.7 (2.9)
Change in working capital, net of effects from
acquisitions:
- Inventories (16.4) (2.5)
- Trade and other receivables (5.6) (1.6)
- Trade and other payables (0.1) 5.3
- Provision for liabilities and other charges 0.5 (0.8)
Cash generated from operations 30.8 35.8
Income tax paid, net of refund (4.1) (6.1)
Net cash provided by operating activities 26.7 29.7
Cash flows from investing activities
Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired (35.5) (18.2)
Purchases and construction of property, plant and (7.9) (4.9)
equipment
Capitalisation of research and development (6.2) (5.2)
expenditure
Capitalisation of intangible software and software (0.9) -
under development
Proceeds from disposal of property, plant and 0.1 0.4
equipment
Repayment of ESOP loans 0.1 0.4
Payment of accrued consideration - (0.5)
Net cash used in investing activities (50.3) (28.0)
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings 39.4 25.2
Repayment of borrowings (3.4) (5.4)
Sale of treasury shares 0.5 1.0
Purchase of treasury shares by ESOP - (1.6)
Interest paid (1.5) (0.2)
Dividend paid to equity holders of the Company (15.3) (14.0)
Dividend paid to non-controlling interests (0.3) (0.2)
Net cash provided by financing activities 19.4 4.8
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash (4.2) 6.5
equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of 15.0 9.2
financial year
Effects of currency translation on cash and cash 0.7 (0.7)
equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at end of financial year 11.5 15.0
Reconciliation of liabilities arising from
financing activities:
Bank borrowings
At 1 January 24.0 5.5
Principal and interest payments (4.9) (5.6)
Proceeds from borrowings 39.4 25.2
Non-cash changes:
Accrued interest expenses 1.5 0.2
Foreign exchange movement 3.5 (1.3)
At 31 December 63.5 24.0
The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.
Notes to the Annual Results Statement
For the year ended 31 December 2018
1. Basis of preparation
This financial information is presented in Pounds Sterling and has been
prepared using the accounting principles incorporated within International
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted by the European Union.
2. Segmental reporting
The Group is organised on a geographic basis. The Group's products are a single
class of business; however, the Group is also providing information in respect
of sales by end market to assist the readers of this report.
Analysis by class of customer
The revenue by class of customer is as follows:
Year to 31 December 2018 Year to 31 December 2017
North North
GBP Millions Europe America Asia Total Europe America Asia Total
Semiconductor 0.5 46.2 0.7 47.4 0.3 28.1 1.3 29.7
Manufacturing
Technology 6.2 13.0 1.2 20.4 5.9 8.6 2.7 17.2
Industrial 43.2 30.6 9.9 83.7 42.1 29.8 6.2 78.1
Healthcare 11.2 29.3 3.1 43.6 9.2 27.9 4.7 41.8
Total 61.1 119.1 14.9 195.1 57.5 94.4 14.9 166.8
Revenues of GBP27.9 million (2017: GBP17.0 million) are derived from a single
external customer. These
revenues are attributable to the semiconductor manufacturing sector.
Reconciliation of segment results to profit after tax:
GBP Millions 2018 2017
Europe 15.9 14.6
North America 40.8 35.4
Asia 4.9 4.5
Segment results 61.6 54.5
Research and development (8.7) (7.2)
Manufacturing (2.7) (1.9)
Corporate cost from operating segment (7.3) (9.0)
Adjusted Operating Profit 42.9 36.4
Finance charge (1.7) (0.3)
Specific items (3.6) (3.9)
Profit before income tax 37.6 32.2
Income tax expense (7.2) (3.6)
Profit after tax 30.4 28.6
Reconciliation of adjusted measures
Adjusted measures
The Group presents adjusted operating profit, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted
profit before tax by making adjustments for costs and profits which management
believes to be significant by virtue of their size, nature or incidence or
which have a distortive effect on current year earnings. Such items may
include, but are not limited to, costs associated with business combinations,
gains and losses on the disposal of businesses, fair value movements,
restructuring charges, acquisition related costs and amortisation of intangible
assets arising on business combinations.
The Group discloses adjusted EBITDA, being adjusted operating profit before
depreciation of property, plant and equipment and amortisation of intangible
assets. Adjusted EBITDA is broadly used by analysts, rating agencies, investors
and the Group's banks as part of their assessment of the Group's performance. A
reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA from operating profit is shown below.
In addition, the Group presents an adjusted profit after tax measure by making
adjustments for certain tax charges and credits which management believe to be
significant by virtue of their size, nature or incidence or which have a
distortive effect.
The Group uses these adjusted measures to evaluate performance and as a method
to provide shareholders with clear and consistent reporting. See below for a
reconciliation of profit before tax to adjusted profit before and after tax and
a reconciliation of operating profit to adjusted EBITDA and adjusted operating
profit.
(i) A reconciliation of operating profit to adjusted Earnings Before
Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation ("EBITDA") is as follows:
GBP Millions 2018 2017
Operating Profit 39.3 32.5
Amortisation of intangible assets 5.7 3.1
Depreciation 3.4 2.8
EBITDA 48.4 38.4
Adjusted for:
Acquisition costs 0.6 3.3
Costs related to ERP implementation 0.2 -
Adjusted EBITDA 49.2 41.7
(ii) A reconciliation of operating profit to adjusted operating profit is
as follows:
GBP Millions 2018 2017
Operating Profit 39.3 32.5
Adjusted for:
Acquisition costs 0.6 3.3
Costs related to ERP implementation 0.2 -
Amortisation of intangible assets due to business 2.8 0.6
combination
3.6 3.9
Adjusted Operating Profit 42.9 36.4
(iii) A reconciliation of profit before income tax to adjusted profit before
tax is as follows:
Profit before income tax ("PBT") 37.6 32.2
Adjusted for:
Acquisition costs 0.6 3.3
Costs related to ERP implementation 0.2 -
Amortisation of intangible assets due to business 2.8 0.6
combination
3.6 3.9
Adjusted PBT 41.2 36.1
(iv) A reconciliation of profit after tax to adjusted profit after tax is as
follows:
Profit after tax ("PAT") 30.4 28.6
Adjusted for:
Acquisition costs 0.6 3.3
Costs related to ERP implementation 0.2 -
Amortisation of intangible assets due to business 2.8 0.6
combination
Non-recurring tax benefits1 (0.1) (3.7)
3.5 0.2
Adjusted PAT 33.9 28.8
1 Adjusted for tax on exceptional expense for both completed and
aborted acquisitions of GBP0.1 million (2017: GBP1.1 million), one-off tax
adjustment of GBPnil (2017: GBP1.3 million) and tax effect of change in US federal
tax of GBPnil (2017: GBP1.3 million).
3. Income taxes
GBP Millions 2018 2017
Singapore corporation tax
- current year 3.5 3.1
- over-provision in prior financial year (0.2) (1.5)
Overseas corporation tax
- current year 3.3 2.6
- under/(over)-provision in prior financial 0.3 (0.4)
year
Current income tax 6.9 3.8
Deferred income tax
- current year 0.3 1.1
- change in tax rate - (1.3)
Income tax expense 7.2 3.6
Taxation for other jurisdictions is calculated at the rates prevailing in the
respective jurisdictions at the balance sheet date.
The differences between the total income tax expense shown above and the amount
calculated by applying the standard rate of Singapore income tax rate to the
profit before income tax are as follows:
GBP Millions 2018 2017
Profit before income tax 37.6 32.2
Tax on profit at standard Singapore tax rate of 17% 6.4 5.5
(2017: 17%)
Tax incentives (0.5) (0.9)
Higher rates of overseas corporation tax 1.1 2.0
Deduction for employee share options (0.2) 0.2
Non-deductible expenditure 0.3 -
Adjustment in respect of prior year 0.1 (1.9)
Change in tax rate - (1.3)
Income tax expense 7.2 3.6
4. Dividends
Amounts recognised as distributions to equity holders in the period:
2018 2017
Pence per GBP Millions Pence per GBP Millions
share share
Prior year third quarter dividend 18.0* 3.4 16.0 3.0
paid
Prior year final dividend paid 29.0* 5.5 26.0 5.0
First quarter dividend paid 16.0^ 3.1 15.0* 2.9
Second quarter dividend paid 17.0^ 3.3 16.0* 3.1
Total 80.0 15.3 73.0 14.0
* Dividends in respect of 2017 (78.0p).
^ Dividends in respect of 2018 (85.0p).
The third quarter dividend of 19.0 pence per share was paid on 9 January 2019.
The proposed final dividend of 33.0 pence per share for the year ended 31
December 2018 is subject to approval by Shareholders at the Annual General
Meeting scheduled for 16 April 2019 and has not been included as a liability in
these financial statements. It is proposed that the final dividend be paid on
23 April 2019 to members on the register as at 22 March 2019.
5. Earnings per share
The calculations of the basic and diluted earnings per share attributable to
the ordinary equity holders of
the Company are based on the following data:
2018 2017
GBP Millions
Earnings
Earnings for the purposes of basic and diluted 30.2 28.3
earnings per share
(profit attributable to equity holders of the
Company)
Earnings for earnings per share 30.2 28.3
Number of shares
19,134 19,082
Weighted average number of shares for the purposes of
basic earnings per share (thousands)
Effect of potentially dilutive share options 366 306
(thousands)
Weighted average number of shares for the purposes of 19,500 19,388
dilutive earnings per share (thousands)
Earnings per share from operations
Basic 157.8p 148.3p
Basic adjusted* 176.1p 149.4p
Diluted 154.9p 146.0p
Diluted adjusted* 172.8p 147.0p
*Reconciliation to compute the adjusted earnings from operations is as per
below:
GBP Millions
Earnings for the purposes of basic and diluted
earnings per share
(profit attributable to equity holders of the 30.2 28.3
Company)
Amortisation of intangible assets due to business 2.8 0.6
combination
Acquisition costs 0.6 3.3
Non-recurring tax benefits (0.1) (3.7)
Costs related to ERP implementation 0.2 -
Adjusted earnings 33.7 28.5
6. Borrowings
The borrowings are repayable as follows:
GBP Millions 2018 2017
On demand or within one year - -
In the second year - -
In the third year 63.5 -
In the fourth year - 24.0
Total 63.5 24.0
The carrying amounts of the Group's borrowings are denominated in the following
currency:
GBP Millions 2018 2017
Bank loans (in USD) 63.5 24.0
Total 63.5 24.0
Undrawn borrowing facilities
GBP Millions 2018 2017
Expiring beyond one year 19.0 5.4
Total 19.0 5.4
The average interest rates paid were as follows: 2018 2017
Bank overdrafts - 1.8%
Bank loans 3.3% 2.1%
There is no drawdown on bank overdrafts (2017: GBP1.3 million) during the year.
The fair value of the Group's bank loans and overdrafts approximates their book
value.
The other principal features of the Group's borrowings are as follows:
1) On 27 September 2017, the Group entered into a revolving credit
facility of US$40.0 million with a US$20.0 million additional accordion option
with HSBC and Fifth Third Bank. In May 2018, the Group increased the revolving
credit facility to US$85.0 million with a US$20.0 million additional accordion
option. In November 2018, the Group has fully exercised US$20.0 million
additional accordion option and the revolving credit facility has increased to
US$105.0 million. The facility has no fixed repayment terms until maturity. The
revolving loan is priced at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.2% for the utilisation
facility and a margin of 0.4% to 0.5% for the unutilised facility.
2) Management assessed all loan covenants have been complied with as at
31 December 2018.
7. Accrued consideration
The Group owns 89.9% (2017: 89.9%) of the shares of Powersolve Electronics
Limited ("Powersolve") and entered into an amended agreement on 29 October 2016
to purchase the remaining 10.1% of the shares in 2022. The Group owns 51%
(2017: 51%) of the shares of Hanpower Co., Ltd ("Hanpower") and entered into an
agreement on 20 May 2015 to purchase an additional 15.0% of the shares in 2020
and another 15.0% of the shares in 2025.
The commitment to purchase the remaining ownership interests has been accounted
for as accrued consideration and is calculated based on the expected future
payment which will be based on a predefined multiple of the average earnings
for three years.
The future payment is discounted to the present value, with the discount
amortised to interest expense each period as the payment draws nearer. At each
reporting period, the anticipated future payment is recalculated, and an
adjustment made accordingly, with a corresponding adjustment to goodwill for
Powersolve. For Hanpower, the amount that is payable under the agreement is
initially recognised at the present value of the redemption amount within
liabilities with a corresponding charge directly to equity. The liability is
subsequently accreted through equity up to the redemption amount that is
payable in 2020 and 2025.
8. Principal risks and uncertainties
Board Responsibility
Like many other international businesses, the Group is exposed to a number of
risks which may have a material effect on its financial performance. The Board
has overall responsibility for the management of risk and sets aside time at
its meetings to identify and address risks.
Exposure to exchange rate fluctuations
The Group deals in many currencies for both its purchases and sales including
US Dollars, Euro and its reporting currency Pounds Sterling. In particular,
North America represents an important geographic market for the Group where
virtually all the revenues are denominated in US Dollars. The Group also
sources components in US Dollars and the Chinese Yuan. The Group therefore has
an exposure to foreign currency fluctuations. This could lead to material
adverse movements in reported earnings.
Risk mitigation - The Group reviews balance sheet and cash flow currency
exposures and where considered appropriate, uses forward exchange contracts to
hedge these exposures. Any forward contract requires the approval of both the
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer.
The Group does not hedge any translation of its subsidiaries' results to
Sterling for reporting purposes.
Competition from new market entrants and new technologies
The power supply market is diverse and competitive. The Directors believe that
the development of new technologies could give rise to significant new
competition to the Group, which may have a material effect on its business. At
the lower end of the Group's target market, in terms of both power range and
programme size, the barriers to entry are lower and there is, therefore, a risk
that competition could quickly increase, particularly from emerging low-cost
manufacturers in Asia.
Risk mitigation - The Group reviews activities of its competition, in
particular product releases, and stays up-to-date with new technological
advances in our industry, especially those relating to new components and
materials. The Group also tries to keep its cost base competitive by operating
in low cost geographies where appropriate.
The general direction of our product roadmap is to move away from lower
complexity products and to increase our engineering solutions capabilities so
reducing the inherent market competitiveness.
An event that causes a disruption to one of our manufacturing facilities
An event that results in the temporary or permanent loss of a manufacturing
facility would be a serious issue. As the Group manufactures 80% of revenues,
this would undoubtedly cause at least a short-term loss of revenues and profits
and disruption to our customers and therefore damage to reputation.
Risk mitigation - We now have two facilities (China and Vietnam) where we are
able to produce power supplies. However, not all power converter series can be
produced in both facilities.
We have disaster recovery plans in place for both facilities.
We have undertaken a risk review with the manufacturing management to identify
and assess risks which could cause a serious disruption to manufacturing, and
then identified and implemented actions to reduce or mitigate these risks where
possible.
Loss of key personnel or failure to attract new personnel
The future success of the Group is substantially dependent on the continued
services and continuing contributions of its Directors, senior management and
other key personnel. The loss of the services of key employees could have a
material adverse effect on own business.
Risk mitigation - The Group undertakes performance evaluations and reviews to
help it stay close to its key personnel as well as annual employee engagement
surveys. Where considered appropriate, the Group also makes use of financial
retention tools such as equity awards.
Dependence on key customers/suppliers
The Group is dependent on retaining its key customers and suppliers. Should the
Group lose a number of its key customers or key suppliers, this could have a
material impact on the Group's financial condition and results of operations.
However, for the year ended 31 December 2018, no single customer accounted for
more than 14% of revenue.
Risk mitigation - The Group mitigates this risk by providing excellent service.
Customer complaints and non-conformances are reviewed monthly by members of the
Executive Leadership team.
As the proportion of our own-manufactured products has increased, the reliance
on suppliers for third party product has been mitigated proportionally. There
has been a shift from a finished goods risk to a raw materials risk.
We conduct regular audits of our key suppliers and in addition keep large
amounts of safety inventory of key components.
Product recall
A product recall due to a quality or safety issue would have serious
repercussions to the business in terms of potential cost and reputational
damage as a supplier to critical systems.
Risk mitigation - We perform 100% functional testing on all own-manufactured
products and 100% hi-pot testing, which determines the adequacy of electrical
insulation, on own-manufactured products. This ensures the integrity of the
isolation barrier between the mains supply and the end user of the equipment.
We also test all the medical products we manufacture to ensure the leakage
current is within the medical specifications.
Where we have contracts with customers we always limit our contractual
liability regarding recall costs.
No single customer project accounts for more than 4% of overall revenue.
Fluctuations of revenues, expenses and operating results due an economic
downturn or external shock
The revenues, expenses and operating results of the Group could vary
significantly from period to period as a result of a variety of factors, some
of which are outside its control. These factors include: general economic
conditions; adverse movements in interest rates; conditions specific to the
market; seasonal trends in revenues, capital expenditure and other costs; and
the introduction of new products or services by the Group, or by their
competitors. In response to a changing competitive environment, the Group may
elect from time to time to make certain pricing, service, marketing decisions
or acquisitions that could have a short-term material adverse effect on the
Group's revenues, results of operations and financial condition.
Risk mitigation - Although not immune from an economic shock or the cyclicality
of the capital equipment markets, the Group's diverse customer base, geographic
spread and revenue annuities reduces exposure to this risk.
The Group's business model is not capital intensive and the strong profit
margins lead to healthy cash generation which also helps mitigate risks from
these external factors.
The Group benefits from good order exposure 12 months out allowing it to
recognise market changes and mitigate the impact.
Cyber-security/Information systems failure
The Group is reliant on information technology in multiple aspects of the
business from communications to data storage. Assets accessible online are
potentially vulnerable to theft and customer channels are vulnerable to
disruption. Any failure or downtime of these systems or any data theft could
have a significant adverse impact on the Group's reputation or on the results
of operations.
Risk mitigation - The Group has a defined Business Impact Assessment which
identifies the key information assets; replication of data on different systems
or in the Cloud; an established backup process in place as well as a robust
anti-malware solution on our networks.
Internally produced training materials are used to educate users regarding good
IT security practice and to promote the Group's IT policy.
A cyber assessment carried out by the outsourced internal auditor resulted in
recommendations that are being implemented to further mitigate cyber risk and
safeguard the Group's assets.
Risks relating to regulation, compliance and taxation
The Group operates in multiple jurisdictions with applicable trade and tax
regulations that vary. Failing to comply with local regulations or a change in
legislation could impact the profits of the Group. In addition, the effective
tax rate of the Group is affected by where its profits fall geographically. The
Group's effective tax rate could therefore fluctuate over time and have an
impact on earnings and potentially its share price.
Risk mitigation - An outsourced internal audit function has been introduced to
provide risk assurance in targeted areas of the business and recommendations
for improvement. The scope of these reviews includes behaviour, culture and
ethics.
The Group hires employees with relevant skills and uses external advisers to
keep up-to-date with changes in regulations and to remain compliant.
Strategic risk associated with valuing or integrating new acquisitions
The Group may elect from time to time to make strategic acquisitions. A degree
of uncertainty exists in valuation and in particular in evaluating potential
synergies. Post-acquisition risks arise in the form of change of control and
integration challenges. Any of these could have an effect on the Group's
revenues, results of operations and financial condition.
Risk mitigation - Preparation of robust business plans and cash projections
with sensitivity analysis and the help of professional advisers if appropriate.
Post-acquisition reviews are performed to extract "lessons learned".
9. Responsibility Statement
The Directors confirm to the best of their knowledge and believe that this
condensed set of financial statements:
- Gives a fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit
of the Group; and
- Includes a fair review of the information required by the Disclosure and
Transparency Rules.
10. Other information
XP Power Limited (the "Company") is listed on the London Stock Exchange and
incorporated and domiciled in Singapore. The address of its registered office
is 401 Commonwealth Drive, Lobby B, #02-02, Haw Par Technocentre, Singapore
149598.
The financial information set out in this announcement does not constitute the
Company's statutory accounts for the years ended 31 December 2017 or 2018. The
financial information for the year ended 31 December 2017 is derived from the
XP Power Limited statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 2017, which
have been delivered to the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority in
Singapore. The auditors reported on those accounts; their report was
unqualified. The statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 2018 will be
finalised on the basis of the financial information presented by the Directors
in this earnings announcement and will be delivered to the Accounting and
Corporate Regulatory Authority in Singapore following the Company's Annual
General Meeting.
Whilst the financial information included in this earnings announcement has
been computed in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards
(IFRS) as adopted by the European Union, this announcement does not itself
contain sufficient information to comply with IFRS as adopted by the European
Union. The Company expects to publish full financial statements that comply
with IFRS as adopted by the European Union later this month.
This announcement was approved by the Directors on 5 March 2019.
END
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 05, 2019 02:00 ET (07:00 GMT)
XP Power (AQSE:XPP.GB)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2024 to Jul 2024
XP Power (AQSE:XPP.GB)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2023 to Jul 2024
