4 March 2025
XP Power
Limited
(‘XP
Power’ or ‘the Group’ or ‘the Company’)
2024 Full
Year Results
Delivering
progress in a challenging market, significant long-term
potential
Share
Placing launched to prudently strengthen capital structure prior to
market recovery
XP Power,
one of the world's leading developers and manufacturers of critical
power control solutions for the Semiconductor Manufacturing
Equipment, Industrial Technology and Healthcare sectors, announces
its annual results for the year ended 31
December 2024 (“2024” or “the year”).
Year
ended 31 December
(£m
unless otherwise stated)
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
At
actual exchange rates
|
In
constant
currency
|
|
|
|
|
|
Order
intake
|
181.6
|
208.8
|
(13)%
|
(10)%
|
Revenue
|
247.3
|
316.4
|
(22)%
|
(20)%
|
Book-to-bill
|
0.73x
|
0.66x
|
0.07x
|
|
Order
book
|
122.3
|
192.0
|
|
|
Adjusted
results1:
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
margin
|
41.0%
|
41.5%
|
(50)bps
|
|
Operating
profit
|
25.1
|
38.1
|
(34)%
|
(32)%
|
Profit
before tax
|
13.8
|
26.6
|
(48)%
|
(46)%
|
Diluted
earnings per share (pence)
|
42.9p
|
81.8p
|
(48)%
|
|
Operating
cash flow
|
65.6
|
66.1
|
(1)%
|
|
Reported
results:
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
margin
|
39.2%
|
41.5%
|
(230)bps
|
|
Operating
profit
|
3.6
|
24.5
|
(85)%
|
|
(Loss) /
profit before tax
|
(7.7)
|
11.2
|
(169)%
|
|
Diluted
loss per share (pence)
|
(40.4)p
|
(45.3)p
|
(10.8)%
|
|
Net
Debt1
|
93.5
|
112.7
|
(17)%
|
|
Net Debt :
Adjusted EBITDA1
|
2.3x
|
2.0x
|
|
|
1 Details
of the adjustments made and reconciliations to the reported results
can be found in Note 2 of the consolidated financial
statements
Financial
Highlights
-
Order intake of
£181.6m:
-
Encouraging growth in
orders from the Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment sector, up
37% on prior year in constant currency, with momentum building as
the year progressed
-
Destocking continued in
the Industrial Technology and Healthcare sectors but with channel
inventory moving closer to equilibrium
-
Revenue of
£247.3m:
-
Year-on-year reduction due
to destocking in the Industrial Technology and Healthcare sectors
and the tail end of a market-wide downcycle within the
Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment sector
-
Record sales of High
Voltage High Power (HVHP) products, supported by backlog
clearance
-
Market position and share
maintained
-
Adjusted Operating Profit
of £25.1m:
-
Significant management
actions to protect profitability in challenging
conditions
-
Adjusted Gross Margin of
41.0%, improving during the year due to cost savings and other
efficiency measures
-
Adjusted Operating
Expenses 18% lower than the comparative period, with sources of
long-term competitive advantage preserved
-
Adjusted Operating Cash
Flow of £65.6m:
-
Cash generation maximised
in challenging market conditions
-
Inventory reduced by a
further £20.5m in the year to £71.1m
-
Net debt reduced by £19.2m
in the year to £93.5m, equal to 2.3x Adjusted
EBITDA
-
Diluted loss per share of
(40.4) pence and Adjusted Diluted
Earnings Per Share of 42.9
pence.
Operational
Highlights
-
Robust response to the
current market slowdown:
-
Rapidly right-sized the
cost base to reflect market conditions
-
Ringfenced resources
necessary for long-term growth
-
Inventory reduced and
optimised, generating cash and shortening delivery lead
times
-
Well positioned for
progress as the market recovers:
-
Healthy pipeline of new
products, with 25 scheduled for launch in 2025
-
Record new business wins
in the year, supporting medium-term growth
-
Improved customer service
and satisfaction levels
-
Improved supply chain
efficiency, supporting long-term gross margin
recovery
Update
on Comet Legal Action
-
As announced in
January 2025, the Group was recently
found liable for plaintiff’s legal fees and pre-judgement interest
of c.$19m or
£15.2m
-
Provision for costs
increased accordingly by £7.0m to £51.4m as at 31 December 2024
-
Appeal likely to be heard
in mid-2025
Share
Placing / Funding Actions
-
Wide range of full year
outcomes at this early stage of 2025, with uncertainty as to the
timing and scale of market recovery, resulting in significant H2
weighting
-
£40m Share Placing (before
costs) launched to proactively strengthen capital structure and
prudently manage though current unprecedented market conditions and
into the recovery. In the event of the expected market recovery,
the Group will return any excess proceeds from the Placing to
shareholders.
Gavin Griggs, Chief Executive Officer,
commented:
“2024 was
a mixed year. Importantly, our execution significantly improved,
delivering greater operational efficiency, an upgraded supply chain
capability, lower costs and substantial cash generation primarily
driven by a reduction in working capital. We also maintained our
focus on delivering our long-term strategy which is underlined by
our healthy pipeline of new products and record new business wins.
Despite the internal progress, market conditions were more
challenging than expected. We continued to experience industry-wide
customer destocking in the Industrial Technology and Healthcare
sectors and a slow Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment sector,
albeit with an improvement in the second half.
At the
start of 2025 we are seeing continued challenging market conditions
and recent US trade restrictions are causing increased headwinds
for sales to Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment customers in
China, which we expect to result
in a sequentially weaker first half result. We expect demand to
improve as the year progresses but the timing and scale of recovery
remains hard to predict. This leads to a wide range of potential
outcomes for 2025, with an expectation of a significant second half
weighting. The relative lack of visibility has led the Board to
prudently strengthen the balance sheet with a £40m share placing,
providing additional financial headroom while the timing of the
market recovery remains uncertain.
The
Group’s maintained market position, strong product pipeline, robust
operational performance and proven business model gives the Board
confidence in our long-term prospects and the fundamental and
strategic value of the Company.”
Enquiries:
XP
Power
Gavin Griggs, Chief Executive Officer +44
(0)118 976 5155
Matt Webb, Chief Financial Officer
+44
(0)118 976 5155
CDR
Kevin Smith/Lucy
Gibbs +44
(0)20 7638 9571
An
analyst meeting will be held at 10:15am
GMT on 4 March 2025 at the
offices of CDR, with refreshments served from 10:00am. 8th Floor, Holborn Gate, 26 Southampton Buildings,
London, WC2A 1AN. To register to
attend please email
jonah.boon@cdrconsultancy.com.
A live audio stream of the meeting can be accessed
via
https://brrmedia.news/XPP_FY24.
XP
Power designs and manufactures power controllers, essential
hardware components in all electrical equipment that converts power
from the electricity grid into the correct form for equipment to
function. Power controllers are critical for optimal delivery in
challenging environments but are a small part of the overall
customer product cost.
XP
Power designs power control solutions into the end products of
major blue-chip OEMs, with a focus on the Semiconductor
Manufacturing Equipment (circa 38% of sales), Industrial Technology
(circa 38% of sales) and Healthcare (circa 24% 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 five to
seven years depending on the industry sector. XP Power has invested
in research and development and its own manufacturing facilities in
Vietnam, China, North
America and Germany, 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 is a
constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index. XP Power serves a global
blue-chip customer base from over 30 locations in Europe, North
America, and Asia.
For
further information, please visit
www.xppowerplc.com
Forward-looking
statements
This
announcement contains forward-looking
statements that are subject to risk factors associated with, among
other things, the economic and business circumstances occurring
from time to time in the countries, sectors and markets in which
the Group operates. It is believed that the expectations reflected
in these statements are reasonable, but they may be affected by a
wide range of variables which could cause actual results to differ
materially from those currently anticipated. No assurances can be
given that the forward-looking
statements in this announcement will be realised.
The
forward-looking
statements reflect the knowledge and information available to
management at the date of preparation of this announcement. XP
Power and its Directors accept no responsibility to third parties
and undertake no obligation to update these
forward-looking
statements. Nothing in this announcement should be construed as a
profit forecast.
Chair’s
Statement
A
robust response to challenging market conditions with longer term
prospects remaining strong
In 2024,
we responded to an unusually challenging market by taking
broad-based action to protect gross margin, reduce costs and
strengthen our competitiveness.
The
combination of a cyclical downturn in the Semiconductor
Manufacturing Equipment sector and destocking within both the
Industrial Technology and Healthcare sectors was unprecedented. We
quickly right-sized our cost base to the prevailing demand
conditions, while preserving key capabilities that underpin our
long-term competitive advantages. We maximised cash generation,
thereby improving balance sheet resilience. We improved service
levels and reduced delivery lead times for our customers,
maintaining our strong positions in key markets.
Market
conditions were challenging throughout 2024, with some signs of
improvement as the year ended. Destocking in our sales channel
continued for longer than expected, with underlying demand in our
end markets remaining much healthier than our current revenue
performance and market trends suggest. It was pleasing to see
orders from customers in the Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment
sector return to growth later in the year, marking the end of a
market-wide downcycle that started in mid-2023. Recent changes to
US trade rules limit our ability to sell our products into China’s
Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment sector, resulting in a change
to our strategy for China which is
explained further in the Chief Executive Officer’s Review. We are
encouraged by the underlying trends we are seeing elsewhere in the
global Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment market.
Actions
taken in the year have protected our foundations and positioned us
well for long-term progress. We are seeing some tentative signs of
improvement in some of our end markets although we remain mindful
of macro and geopolitical risks. We are confident that the Group is
in a strong position to benefit as its markets recover.
Delivering
our Strategy
Our
strategy remains unchanged and focuses on growth through product
development, customer development, supply chain enhancement and
industry leadership in sustainability. Further details are provided
in the Chief Executive Officer’s report. The current market
slow-down has allowed a greater internal focus on developing the
capabilities needed to deliver our strategy.
We have
maintained healthy levels of investment in new product development,
creating a strong pipeline of new products scheduled for launch in
2025 and beyond. Our sales teams won record amounts of new business
in the year, supporting medium-term growth. The performance of our
vertically integrated supply chain improved notably, with
deliveries made with increasing speed and precision. Product costs
were reduced, improving gross margins as the year progressed.
Excess inventory was removed and converted into cash. Greenhouse
gas emissions reduced significantly, and we remain on track to
achieve our long-term emission reduction plans.
We
recognise that our diverse, talented and experienced workforce is
critical to the delivery of our strategic priorities, and we
continued to focus on people and talent development throughout the
year. The Board was encouraged to see that employee engagement was
maintained, as assessed via an annual survey; a considerable
achievement in a year of change.
Focus
on our People
Developing
our culture is a key priority across the business. Several
initiatives were undertaken during the year to strengthen
leadership capabilities across the business, improve the quality
and transparency of information provided to our employees and
enhance their experience at work. The Board recognises the
commitment to excellence seen from colleagues worldwide and I would
like to thank all of our employees for their efforts this
year.
Governance
Following
a comprehensive search process outlined in the Nomination Committee
Report, Daniel Shook was appointed
as a Non-Executive Director from 1 January
2025. Daniel’s 30 years' experience in global manufacturing,
supply chain and distribution companies including IMI, Borealis and
BOC will be of great value to the Board. In addition to joining the
Nomination, Remuneration and Audit Committees, he will take on the
role of Audit Committee Chair following the conclusion of the
Annual General Meeting in April
2025.
I would
like to extend my gratitude to Polly
Williams for her leadership as Audit Committee Chair since
April 2022 and for starting a
seamless handover of responsibilities to Daniel since his
appointment. I am pleased Polly will continue as a valued member of
the Audit Committee and will remain in her role as Senior
Independent Director, supporting the Board and providing continuity
until her successor is appointed.
Sustainability
Sustainability
is important to us and our stakeholders. In 2024, we made strong
progress on our sustainability goals. Our Science-Based Targets
were approved by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and we
now obtain 100% of our electricity from renewable sources across
our European operations. We enhanced supply chain engagement,
introduced a Product Carbon Rating system that provides customers
with flexibility in component selection while offering greater
transparency on product emissions, and continued developing
high-efficiency power converters to reduce emissions.
We
strengthened health and safety initiatives to support a zero-injury
workplace. Employee training, development, and well-being remain
key priorities.
We will
continue to drive progress towards our Science-Based Targets,
reinforcing our commitment to environmental responsibility.
Additionally, we will further strengthen our supplier engagement
initiatives, with a focus on building a resilient and sustainable
supply chain to lower Scope 3 emissions.
Looking
to the future
The
actions we have taken this year demonstrate the proactivity and
decisiveness necessary to successfully navigate through a period of
unusual market uncertainty. While the necessary focus was on our
performance for this financial year, our decisions have also been
designed to strengthen our long-term strategic capabilities. We are
now a leaner and more efficient organisation with our key sources
of competitive advantage fully preserved. The actions taken will
provide an enduring benefit as our end markets recover.
We
continue to enjoy leading positions in attractive markets with
structural growth characteristics. The Board is committed to
maximising shareholder value and I am confident that we have the
right strategy and the capabilities necessary to deliver the
long-term progress expected by our stakeholders.
Jamie Pike
Chair
Chief
Executive Officer’s Review
2024 has
been challenging for our industry, but, despite this backdrop, we
are pleased to have delivered a resilient performance. We took
decisive action in response to the difficult trading environment
while strengthening our long-term competitive position, continuing
to make good progress across our strategic initiatives.
We have
retained a healthy level of profitability and have been highly cash
generative in unprecedented conditions, highlighting the underlying
strength of our business model and the financial upside when
volumes recover. A full new product pipeline and record new
business wins provide us with additional confidence in our
long-term prospects.
Review
of our year
During
2024, the Group delivered revenue of £247.3m, 22% less than the
prior year (2023: £316.4m). The lower revenue reflects a highly
unusual simultaneous slowdown in all three of our market
sectors.
The
Industrial Technology and Healthcare sectors are not typically
cyclical, with the last two years being a rare exception driven by
specific global events. Global supply chain disruption during and
following the global pandemic resulted in many customers in these
markets significantly increasing their inventory of our products in
2023 to well above normal levels. Global supply chain normalisation
with improved component availability and shorter delivery lead
times allowed this extra channel inventory to be reduced in 2024,
resulting in a significant reduction in demand for our products
year-over-year. Underlying demand in these markets is at much
healthier levels. The Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment market
is inherently more cyclical and the sector entered an industry-wide
downcycle in mid-2023, extending through 2024. The coincidence of
channel destocking in Industrial Technology and Healthcare and a
down-cycle in Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment was
unprecedented. These challenges were reflected
industry-wide.
In
response, we took decisive action to protect profitability and
maximise cash generation. Overheads were reduced by 18%
year-over-year while protecting our sources of long-term growth.
Product costs were reduced by improved supply chain efficiency and
better sourcing deals. Normalised supply chain conditions and
improved working capital management facilitated a 22% reduction in
inventory, generating cash while improving customer service.
Actions were taken early in the year and continually reviewed as
market conditions evolved.
Customer
destocking in the Industrial Technology and Healthcare sectors
continued throughout the year, with a slightly faster pace in the
second half, and continued for longer than expected, but improved
order intake as the year drew to a close suggests channel inventory
is moving closer to equilibrium.
Our sales
into the Semiconductor
Manufacturing Equipment sector
began to slow in mid-2023 in response to the industry downcycle.
Sector revenue for 2024 was 7% lower than the prior year, but
revenue had returned to growth by the second half of the year. The
overall sector performance benefited from buoyant High Voltage High
Power (“HVHP”) sales, with increased manufacturing output allowing
order backlog clearance.
In late
2024, changes to US trade rules restricted the export of our
products to key direct and indirect customers in China’s
Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment sector, creating a near-term
trading headwind. The Board has concluded that our interests are
best served by exiting China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing
Equipment market once our existing order book is fulfilled, in
favour of other more compelling market opportunities in the region.
We sold £8m of product in 2024 to customers impacted by the US
trade rule change.
Currency
movements proved to be a headwind to revenue in 2024 with sterling
strengthening against the US dollar. A more favourable trend
emerged in late 2024, with the US dollar strengthening in response
to the outcome of the US election.
We
continue to focus on product development and have a robust pipeline
of new product launches across our portfolio scheduled in 2025. To
protect our core competencies in this area, we ringfenced
sought-after technical product development roles from the
cost-saving actions taken in 2023 and early 2024. We also opened
our new Customer Innovation Centre in Silicon Valley. This
exceptional facility allows us to collaborate and work directly
with our customers, many of whom are also based in Silicon Valley,
and accelerate the time to market for customised
products.
The Group
has made good progress with its preparations for the transfer to
our Asian manufacturing facilities of production of certain High
Voltage High Power (HVHP) and Radio Frequency (“RF”) products
currently made in the US. This capability adds resilience to our
supply chain and will lower product costs in 2025.
In a
challenging market, a faultless customer experience is essential,
and we made marked improvements to customer service in the year, as
validated by the significant improvement in our customer
satisfaction results, including delivery lead times and fill rates.
The remaining excess order backlog from the prior year was largely
cleared. Our sales teams responded quickly to opportunities with
innovative, often customised, design solutions and secured record
amounts of new business. These improvements were recognised by our
customers in our most recent customer survey.
Through
changes made during the year, we have built for the future;
establishing a leaner and more efficient organisation while
preserving key sources of competitive advantage to provide an
enduring benefit as our market sectors recover.
Subsequent
to the end of the year, we were notified of rulings from the judge
in the legal case with Comet, which awarded plaintiff’s legal fees
and pre-judgement interest of c.$19m
to Comet. We are progressing with our appeal against this judgement
and the original judgement on damages.
Revenue
by market sector
The
breakdown of our revenue by sector was as follows:
Revenue
|
2024
£m
|
2023
£m
|
%
change in
constant currency
|
|
|
|
|
Semiconductor
Manufacturing Equipment
|
94.8
|
102.2
|
(5%)
|
Industrial
Technology
|
94.8
|
136.3
|
(28%)
|
Healthcare
|
57.7
|
77.9
|
(24%)
|
Total
|
247.3
|
316.4
|
(20%)
|
Semiconductor
Manufacturing Equipment
This
sector provides an exciting long-term growth opportunity driven,
amongst other things, by artificial intelligence, the Internet of
Things and electric vehicles, as well as future innovations, which
will inevitably require new generations of semiconductor
technology.
Revenue
for 2024 was £94.8m, which was 5% lower than 2023 in constant
currency, primarily driven by the impact of the downcycle in the
semiconductor fabrication equipment industry, which commenced in
mid-2023. The impact of this downcycle was partially offset by
robust HVHP revenues, up
41% on the
prior year, largely driven by backlog clearance.
The market
improved as the year progressed. Global semiconductor chip sales
returned to strong growth during the year and chip manufacturing
capacity utilisation increased, both of which are leading
indicators of increased demand for Semiconductor Manufacturing
Equipment. Our own revenue in this sector returned to year-on-year
growth of 6% in constant currency in the second half of the year.
There has been good growth in project enquiries, and annual order
intake was 37% higher than the prior year in constant currency. Our
project sampling volumes were at record levels and conversion to
new business wins remains strong. Long-term structural growth
prospects in this sector remain attractive.
Our
book-to-bill ratio improved to 0.83x (2023: 0.58x) with order
intake in the year of £79.0m compared to £59.4m in the prior
year.
Industrial
Technology
We
participate in well-diversified markets within Industrial
Technology, which exhibit strong structural growth trends,
including the increasing automation of industrial processes. We see
an opportunity to grow our sales of HVHP products into this market,
particularly those offered by the FuG business acquired by the
Group in 2022.
Revenue
for 2024 was £94.8m, 28% lower than the prior year in constant
currency, due to customer destocking leading to reduced shipments.
The pace of destocking increased slightly from the first half to
the second half of the year and is lasting longer than expected.
The prolonged period of destocking likely reflects
softer-than-expected global macroeconomic conditions, greater
supply chain certainty and higher-than-expected borrowing costs,
which all lower channel inventory needs.
Order
intake showed some signs of improvement during Q4, with orders
being placed by some of our customers for the first time in two
years, indicating that channel inventory is moving closer to
equilibrium, but at this stage it seems likely that destocking will
continue into the first half of 2025. The outlook for the second
half of 2025 is currently unclear, with a range of potential
outcomes.
Our
book-to-bill ratio was 0.71x (2023: 0.68x) with order intake in the
year of £67.6m compared to £92.4m in the prior year.
Healthcare
An ageing
global population and advancements in healthcare technology will
both drive future demand for products that need the power supplies
that we can provide. With our breadth of products and deep
experience in this market we are well positioned to be able to
benefit from this growth.
Revenue
for 2024 was £57.7m, which was 24% lower than 2023 in constant
currency, primarily due to customer destocking.
Order
intake grew sequentially in the second half of 2024, indicating the
destocking cycle is progressing but will continue to impact demand
in the first half of 2025. The outlook for the second half is less
clear.
Our
book-to-bill ratio was 0.61x (2023: 0.73x) with order intake in the
year of £35.0m compared to £57.0m in the prior year.
Revenue
by region
The
decline in revenue in constant currency was broadly consistent
across all three regions, albeit with different
momentum.
Sales to
North America totalled £144.2m,
down 19% in constant currency. The lower revenue was mainly driven
by destocking in Industrial Technology and Healthcare. Revenue and
order intake improved as the year progressed, reflecting the
growing recovery in Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment, which
represents a larger proportion of revenue in North America than in our other
regions.
Sales to
Europe totalled £76.9m, down 22%
in constant currency. Revenue slowed as the year progressed as the
pace of destocking increased in the second half of the year,
particularly within the distribution channel. However, improved
order intake during the second half of the year provides support
for an improved result in 2025.
Sales to
Asia totalled £26.2m, down 21% in
constant currency due to the challenging destocking conditions.
Revenue and order intake both slowed as the year progressed,
reflecting the macroeconomic and geopolitical influences referenced
above. Direct sales into China
totalled £14m in 2024.
Delivery
of our strategy in the year
Our vision
is to be the first-choice power solutions provider and deliver the
ultimate experience for our customers and our people.
Products
During
this period of lower demand, we have accelerated the pace of new
product development. Our continued investment into strengthening
our product range and developing new solutions for our customers
will underpin our future growth.
During the
year, we launched 13 new product families, including the HPF3K0
series of programmable AC-DC power converters, which is ideal for a
wide range of medical and industrial applications. Our Engineering
Services Group delivered 19 new customised products to customers
during the year. Our pipeline of new products remains strong, and
we expect to bring new platform products to market across our
portfolio in the coming year. We have also refreshed our long-term
product development plans by portfolio to ensure focus on the most
promising market opportunities. In our Low
Voltage portfolio, we have advanced our product development
strategy by focusing on compact, high-efficiency solutions that
enable higher power density in space-constrained industrial and
medical applications. Our portfolio has expanded with the
introduction of newer products in our HP series which offer
advanced digital controls, a user-friendly GUI for seamless system
integration, and a scalable architecture to support future
expansion. Additionally, we are building on broad High Voltage
portfolio with miniature DC-DC modules, application-specific
platforms, and compact rack-mount high-voltage AC-DC solutions,
strengthening our position in the analytical instrumentation and
semiconductor manufacturing industry.
At the end
of 2024, we established an office for our existing engineering and
back-office staff in the
Philippines to provide a foundation for our long-term
presence in the country. With teams in both the Philippines and the West Coast of the US
working closely together, we can offer a “follow-the-sun”
engineering model to our customers to help get their products to
market quickly and cost effectively.
Customers
We opened
our Customer Innovation Centre in Silicon Valley in the year. The
new 85,000 sq ft. facility underlines our commitment to the North
American market and enhances our Engineering Services capabilities
in the Region. Engineering Services, in which we rapidly customise
base power supplies to meet an individual customer’s specification
requirements, is a highly successful line of business for the
Group. The facility offers a state-of-the-art reliability lab, an
etch plasma chamber for system validation of semiconductor
fabrication equipment and a three-metre EMC chamber for compliance
testing.
Last year,
we reported that we had entered a partnership with a new
“design-in” distributor in Europe
to expand our reach and to better service our customers,
particularly those with smaller projects that are less well suited
to support via our direct sales team. The new partnership is
delivering the results we hoped for, identifying 465 new project
leads and winning 58 new projects in the year.
We
progressed with the commercial integration of FuG and Guth, the
German businesses acquired in 2022, and fully trained our direct
sales team to cross-sell their products to existing and new
customers. We see significant growth potential in this
area.
Our
customers reported a further improvement in Net Promoter Score in
our 2024 annual customer survey, which was very pleasing to
see.
Despite
the challenging trading environment, our pre-sales activity has
remained robust. The number of projects which have reached the
sampling stage during the year (i.e. where we provide the customer
with a small batch of products for testing in their end
applications) has increased by 15% from 2023. We have also
increased our overall number of active projects by 2% and the
overall value of our sales funnel has been grown by 6%.
Supply
chain
A key
focus for our supply chain organisation in 2024 was to reduce our
lead times for purchasing components and for delivery to our
customers. The availability of components mostly returned to normal
and we have also made good progress on dual sourcing to ensure that
we have options if one of our suppliers is unable to deliver on
time. On-time delivery from suppliers improved in the year. Average
sales delivery lead times reduced. Our procurement team in
Asia drove material reductions in
component pricing in the year, either through renegotiation with
existing suppliers or through engaging with new suppliers. We have
also been able to negotiate more flexible purchasing arrangements
that will improve our ability to respond to our customers’
needs.
To improve
the resilience of our supply chain and reduce product costs, we
transferred some of the production of RF and HVHP products from the
US to Asia, as referenced
above.
The
construction of our manufacturing facility in Malaysia, which was paused at the end of 2023,
will recommence in 2025 to secure long-term capacity and improve
supply chain resilience.
We reduced
inventory from £91.6m to £71.1m, primarily as a result of a
concerted effort to sell through our brought-forward inventory and
remove the excess inventory buffer without impacting service.
Further reductions are targeted for 2025. £4.2m of the inventory
reduction was due to impairment of China Semiconductor market
specific components.
We
implemented plans to consolidate our European distribution
activities into our distribution centre in Bremen, Germany and announced the closure of
our facility in the UK, saving £0.2m per annum. We lowered our
shipping costs by improving the balance between sea and air freight
while managing disruption to sea freight in the Red Sea.
We also
tightly managed our global trading to comply with significant new
export regulations introduced in the year relating to the global
semiconductor industry and to certain specific national
markets.
People
Our
colleagues demonstrated characteristic resilience during this
challenging period and remained focused on serving our
customers.
We took
the difficult, but necessary, decision to reduce headcount in
response to the challenging market conditions. This was completed
in the first half of the year.
We
listened closely to, and acted upon, our employees’ feedback via
our annual engagement survey and were pleased to achieve strong
engagement scores and high retention rates. Our people are our
competitive advantage and we continue to build a unique,
meritocratic and collaborative culture in which the best and
brightest in our industry can achieve their full
potential.
Health and
safety is our highest priority and we are pleased with the progress
we made during 2024 to ensure all of our colleagues go home safe.
We launched our global health and safety initiative entitled
“Safety Begins With Me“, with 96% of colleagues completing the
associated training programme in the year.
We are
very confident that we have the team we need to meet our long-term
goals.
Sustainability
Sustainability
is embedded within our strategy and has been since 2009, when the
Group first formed its Sustainability Council. We realised early on
how important sustainability is to enable us to deliver value to
our stakeholders.
We set out
and publish our priorities in our annual Sustainability Report. We
delivered as follows against these priorities in 2024:
-
Our Science-Based Targets
were approved by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in
February 2024.
-
All electricity in our
European operations is provided from renewable sources. We have
also purchased Energy Attribution Certificates (EAC’s) to cover
100% of our non-EU electrical energy usage. This marks progress
toward the achievement of our Scope 2 emission
targets.
-
We have continued our
supply chain engagement and are establishing a baseline of our key
suppliers to identify further strategic actions. We have been
exploring different software platforms to assist with supply chain
risk assessments and enhance our supplier engagement
programme.
-
Our New Product
Development teams are focused on designing the most economically
efficient power converters. Efficiency gains will reduce
operational costs for our customers and reduce the amount of energy
wasted during operation (due to heat loss), which directly impacts
Scope 3 emissions.
-
We launched our new
Product Carbon Rating system, giving customers the option to choose
the components that best suit their carbon
requirements.
-
We received EcoVadis
Bronze Medal status in the year, an improvement on the prior year,
placing us in approximately the top third of businesses
assessed.
-
We continued the rollout
of our new Employee Health and Safety framework. This supports our
ambition to have zero injuries and ensuring everyone goes home
safely.
We
continue to support our employees through training and development,
promoting a fair working environment with equal opportunities, and
see mental health as a priority. Views are heard at Board level
through workforce engagement.
In 2025,
we will continue to prioritise delivery of our SBTi emissions
goals. We will also build on our supplier engagement work with the
ambition of building a resilient, sustainable supply chain and
helping to deliver Scope 3 emission reductions.
Funding
actions
The Group
has taken proactive action throughout the year to maximise its
performance in challenging conditions, particularly to maintain
balance sheet resilience.
The
combination of continued destocking and new macroeconomic headwinds
and trade restrictions in Asia
mean our performance in the first half of 2025 is expected to be
weak. We expect demand to improve as 2025 progresses, but the
timing and scale of the improvement is hard to predict, resulting
in a significant second half weighting and a range of outcomes for
the full year. We are confident that improved demand will bring
with it improved profitability and balance sheet
deleveraging.
However,
the breadth of potential outcomes has led the Board to take prudent
steps now to strengthen the Group’s capital structure with a £40m
share placing, launched today. This will allow the Group to
navigate the remainder of this unprecedented market-wide downturn
with confidence and prepare the business to seize the full
potential of the recovery. In the event of the expected market
recovery, the Group will return any excess proceeds from the
Placing to shareholders, but the Board believes a prudent
recapitalisation now is the best long-term interests of
shareholders.
Further
details are set out in the Chief Financial Officer’s
Review.
Outlook
2024 was a
mixed year. Importantly, our execution significantly improved,
delivering greater operational efficiency, an upgraded supply chain
capability, lower costs and substantial cash generation primarily
driven by a reduction in working capital. We also maintained our
focus on delivering our long-term strategy which is underlined by
our healthy pipeline of new products and record new business wins.
Despite the internal progress, market conditions were more
challenging than expected. We continued to experience industry-wide
customer destocking in the Industrial Technology and Healthcare
sectors and a slow Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment sector,
albeit with an improvement in the second half.
At the
start of 2025 we are seeing continued challenging market conditions
and recent US trade restrictions are causing increased headwinds
for sales to Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment customers in
China, which we expect to result
in a sequentially weaker first half result. We expect demand to
improve as the year progresses but the timing and scale of recovery
remains hard to predict. This leads to a wide range of potential
outcomes for 2025, with an expectation of a significant second half
weighting. The relative lack of visibility has led the Board to
prudently strengthen the balance sheet with a £40m share placing,
providing additional financial headroom while the timing of the
market recovery remains uncertain.
The
Group’s maintained market position, strong product pipeline, robust
operational performance and proven business model gives the Board
confidence in our long-term prospects and the fundamental and
strategic value of the Company.
Gavin Griggs
Chief
Executive Officer
Chief
Financial Officer’s Review
Statutory
Results
Revenue in
the year fell from the historic highs of 2023 by 20% on a constant
currency basis to £247.3m. Gross margin fell slightly to 39.2% due
to underutilised manufacturing capacity and a one-off inventory
impairment charge arising from our decision to exit China’s
Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment market. Cost saving actions
led to a reduction in operating expenses of £13.4m compared to
2023. As a result, operating profit was £3.6m. Loss for the year
was £9.4m, compared to £9.0m in 2023.
Adjusted
Results
As in
prior years, Adjusted and other alternative performance measures
are used in this announcement to describe the Group’s results.
These are not recognised under International Financial Reporting
Standards (IFRS) or other generally accepted accounting principles
(GAAP).
Adjustments
are items included within our statutory results that are deemed by
the Board to be unusual by virtue of their size or incidence. Our
Adjusted measures are calculated by removing such Adjustments from
our statutory results. The Board believes Adjusted measures help
the reader to understand XP Power’s underlying results and are used
by the Board and management team to interpret Group performance.
Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements includes
reconciliations of statutory metrics to their Adjusted equivalent
and provides a breakdown of the Adjustments made.
On an
Adjusted basis the Group delivered operating profits of £25.1m and
a profit before tax of £13.8m, compared to a profit before tax of
£26.6m in 2023.
The Chief
Executive Officer’s Review includes an explanation of revenue
performance and an analysis of order trends during the
year.
Gross
Profit
The Group
delivered a gross profit of £97.0m on revenue of £247.3m for the
year. This represents a gross margin of 39.2%, 230bps lower than
2023. Excluding the one-off impact from the impairment of China
Semiconductor market specific inventory, the Adjusted Gross Margin
was 41.0% and was 50 bps lower than 2023. This result is pleasing,
considering the margin headwind naturally created by reduced
utilisation of fixed factory overheads in a year of lower
production volumes. This headwind is worth 290bps, meaning
underlying margins advanced by 240bps.
This
underlying improvement was delivered through:
-
negotiated raw material
price reductions; these were worth c.5% of the value of our
existing raw material spend in Asia, with an expected benefit of around £1m
per annum. The benefit will arise gradually between 2024 and 2025
as the lower-priced raw materials pass through our supply
chain;
-
better supply chain
planning and better component availability, which resulted in less
need to pay extra for the expedited delivery of raw
materials;
-
continuous improvement
initiatives, which optimised the efficiency of our manufacturing
operations, particularly in our manufacturing facilities on the
East Coast of the US;
-
flexing our manufacturing
overheads with volume wherever possible; and
-
a reduction in our
outbound logistics costs by addressing the balance of air versus
sea deliveries (0.75% of revenue versus 1.02% in
2023).
The
actions taken are reflected in the improved Adjusted Gross Margin
between the first half of the year (40.6%) and the second half of
the year (41.2%).
While we
are pleased with our progress to date, there is opportunity for
further improvement over time, so continually enhancing our global
supply chain remains a key pillar of our strategy. We are now ready
to produce existing products with an annual revenue of £8.5m in
Asia, which have, so far, been
produced in the US. This ongoing initiative did not benefit our
margins in 2024, but will do so in 2025 and beyond.
Operating
Profit
On a
reported basis, operating profit was £3.6m compared to £24.5m for
the prior year. The reduction in gross profit resulting from the
decrease in revenue has been partly mitigated by savings in
operating expenses year-over-year. A large proportion of the
cost-saving initiatives were implemented in late 2023 or early
2024, meaning that we saw most of the cost benefit in 2024. As a
result, operating expenses were broadly flat between the first half
and the second half of the year, aside from the additional
provision for the Comet legal case.
Adjusted
Operating Profit for 2024 was £25.1m compared to £38.1m in the
prior year. Adjusted Operating Expenses for 2024 were £76.2m, a
£17.0m (18%) reduction from 2023.
Adjusted
Operating Expenses
|
2024
£m
|
2023
£m
|
Change vs
2023
£m
|
Distribution
and marketing
|
52.1
|
63.5
|
(11.4)
|
Administrative
|
4.2
|
3.3
|
0.9
|
Research
and development
|
19.9
|
26.4
|
(6.5)
|
Adjusted
Operating Expenses
|
76.2
|
93.2
|
(17.0)
|
The
decrease in distribution and marketing is due to reduced people
costs following restructuring (£7.7m reduction), a benefit on
revaluation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign
currencies (£1.6m reduction), and tight control over discretionary
spend in other overhead areas such as travel and professional fees
(£2.1m reduction).
The
decrease in research and development was primarily driven by a
one-off impairment of capitalised product development during 2023
(£2.1m reduction), a reduction in administrative roles (£2.7m
reduction), an increase in newly capitalised Product Development
costs (£0.9m reduction) and reduced external spending (£0.8m
reduction).
The
reduction in Adjusted Operating Profit can be explained as
follows:
-
Lost gross profit on
revenue volume reduction of £28.7m
-
Reduction in gross margin
% of £1.3m
-
Decrease in Adjusted
Operating Expenses of £17.0m
To achieve
the reduced operating expenses, we incurred restructuring costs in
2023 and in 2024. These costs were part of a programme of
simplification and reorganisation in line with our funding plan. We
incurred £2.3m of non-recurring restructuring costs in the current
year and £2.7m in 2023.
Adjusting
Items
Items
which have been treated as Adjusting and are therefore excluded
from underlying operating profit are shown below.
Income /
(cost) impact by
Income
Statement line
£m
|
2024
|
2023
|
Operating
profit
|
Net
finance expense
|
Profit
before tax
|
Operating
profit
|
Net
finance expense
|
Profit
before tax
|
Restructuring
costs
|
(2.3)
|
-
|
(2.3)
|
(2.7)
|
-
|
(2.7)
|
Exit from
China Semi market
|
(6.7)
|
-
|
(6.7)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Site
double running costs
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(2.6)
|
(2.4)
|
(5.0)
|
Supply
chain transformation
|
(1.6)
|
-
|
(1.6)
|
(2.7)
|
-
|
(2.7)
|
Comet
legal case
|
(7.6)
|
-
|
(7.6)
|
(2.1)
|
-
|
(2.1)
|
Amortisation
of acquired intangibles
|
(3.1)
|
-
|
(3.1)
|
(3.2)
|
-
|
(3.2)
|
Bid
defence costs
|
(0.2)
|
-
|
(0.2)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
ERP
implementation
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(0.3)
|
-
|
(0.3)
|
Acquisition
costs
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(0.1)
|
-
|
(0.1)
|
Other
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
0.1
|
0.6
|
0.7
|
Total
|
(21.5)
|
-
|
(21.5)
|
(13.6)
|
(1.8)
|
(15.4)
|
Restructuring
costs incurred in the current year of £2.3m include severance
payments of £1.4m, costs relating to the closure of our UK
warehouse and consolidation into our European hub in Germany totalling £0.6m, and an increase in
the provision for IT licences that will no longer be used due to
our restructuring of £0.3m.
In late
2024, changes to US trade rules restricted the export of our
products to certain customers in China’s Semiconductor
Manufacturing Equipment sector. The products in question are, for
the most part, made in China but
were designed in the US, hence falling under US trade compliance
rules. Tighter US trade rules are now forcing the China
Semiconductor industry to reduce its dependency on US suppliers,
reducing the attractiveness of the market to us. We have therefore
decided to exit the China Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment
market and will prioritise growth opportunities elsewhere in
Asia. These events have led to the
one-off, non-cash write down of goodwill, inventory and fixed
assets and an onerous contract provision totalling £6.7m at
31 December 2024.
Supply
chain transformation costs of £1.6m primarily relate to temporary
engineering resources employed to transfer manufacturing from the
US to Asia.
In
January 2025 there was a substantial
development in the Comet legal case with the ruling that
plaintiff's legal fees and pre-judgement interest of c.$19m in
total are to be paid by the Group. As a result of this post-balance
sheet event, we reviewed our provision and recorded an additional
£7.0m of costs. During the year we also incurred a total £0.6m of
expense in the current year for legal fees related to
administrative matters on our appeal and the premium on the appeal
bond.
During the
current year, we incurred costs of £0.2m defending an unsolicited
approach to acquire the Group in the first half of 2024. No further
costs were incurred during the remainder of the year.
Currency
We report
our results in sterling; however, most of our revenues and costs
arise in other currencies. A large proportion of our revenue and
costs are denominated in US dollars, so our results are impacted by
relative movements in the currencies that the underlying
transactions arise in compared to pounds sterling.
Adjusted
Operating Profit reduced by £13.0m to £25.1m and is bridged as
follows:
|
2023
|
Currency
impact
|
Constant
Currency1
|
2024
|
Adjusted
£m
|
Revenue
|
316.4
|
(9.2)
|
(59.9)
|
247.3
|
Revenue
growth %
|
|
(2.3)%
|
(19.5)%
|
(21.8)%
|
Cost of
sales
|
(185.1)
|
6.1
|
33.0
|
(146.0)
|
Gross
margin
|
131.3
|
(3.1)
|
(26.9)
|
101.3
|
Gross
margin %
|
41.5%
|
0.2%
|
(0.7)%
|
41.0%
|
Operating
expenses
|
(93.2)
|
1.8
|
15.2
|
(76.2)
|
Operating
profit
|
38.1
|
(1.3)
|
(11.7)
|
25.1
|
Operating
margin %
|
12.0%
|
-
|
(1.9)%
|
10.1%
|
1 The
constant currency change is calculated with reference to the prior
year amount at current year exchange rates.
The
Adjusted Operating Profit decrease at constant currency was 32%,
with a 2.4% impact from currency movements.
Currency
movements had an overall negative impact on revenue, but a positive
effect on cost of sales and operating expenses
year-over-year.
Net
finance expense
Adjusted
Net Finance Expense was £11.3m (2023: £11.5m). During the year, we
substantially reduced our Net Debt from £112.7m to £93.5m. This had
a positive impact on the interest expenses associated with our
Revolving Credit Facility (RCF), although this has been partially
offset by higher interest charges arising on lease liabilities
(primarily due to the new leases for our facilities on the East
Coast of the US).
There was
some benefit in the second half of the year from a reduction in
interest rates. The reduction in Net Debt throughout the year led
to a lower net finance expense in the second half, compared to the
first half of the year.
Taxation
Adjusted
Tax Expense for the year was £3.4m which represents an effective
rate applicable to Adjusted Profit Before Tax of 25%. This is a
reduction from 2023 where the effective tax rate was 37% due to a
one-off write down to deferred tax assets in the US.
On a
reported basis, the tax expense for the year was £1.7m on a loss
before tax of £7.7m. This was primarily caused by losses in the US
arising from the increase in provision for legal costs in the Comet
case for which it was not possible to recognise an associated
deferred tax asset.
Profit
after tax
The Group
reported a loss after tax of £9.4m compared to a loss of £9.0m in
2023. Adjusted Profit For The Year was £10.4m. Decisive actions
taken protected profitability despite the external headwinds. The
basic loss per share was 40.5 pence
compared with a basic loss per share of 45.4
pence in 2023. Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share was
42.9 pence compared with 81.8 pence in 2023. The decrease in Adjusted
Diluted Earnings Per Share is primarily due to the reduction in
revenues due to an extended period of destocking, partially offset
by the robust cost-saving actions taken by the Group.
Cash
flows
Adjusted
|
2024
£m
|
2023
£m
|
Operating
profit
|
25.1
|
38.1
|
Depreciation,
amortisation & impairment
|
15.8
|
17.3
|
Adjusted
EBITDA
|
40.9
|
55.4
|
Change in
working capital
|
25.0
|
14.0
|
Other
items
|
(0.3)
|
(3.5)
|
Operating
cash flow
|
65.6
|
65.9
|
Net
capital expenditure – Product development costs
|
(10.1)
|
(9.5)
|
Net
capital expenditure – Other assets
|
(10.1)
|
(30.5)
|
Net
interest paid
|
(12.1)
|
(11.9)
|
Tax
paid
|
(6.6)
|
(4.9)
|
Other
items
|
(1.5)
|
(2.3)
|
Free
cash flow
|
25.2
|
6.8
|
Free cash
flow was £18.4m higher than 2023, mainly driven by a reduction in
capital expenditure and working capital. The reduction in capital
expenditure relates to the development of our two new sites in
California which were largely
completed in 2023. Total expenditure during 2023 on these sites was
£16.6m, with £7.6m of cash outflows for the completion of the sites
in 2024, mostly weighted to the first half of the year.
During the
year, there was minimal expenditure relating to our new
manufacturing facility in Malaysia
as we had agreed an extension of the project with the contractor.
Work on this site recommences in 2025.
The change
in working capital of £25.0m in the current year reflects the
efforts of our teams to bring down our inventory holding and to
reduce our aged debtors (excludes the impairment of Asia
Semiconductor market specific components which is treated as
Adjusting).This means that, despite the lower Adjusted EBITDA
caused by the challenging trading environment, we have still
achieved an Adjusted Operating Cash Flow of £65.6m. We are pleased
with the cash performance in the year.
Funding
position and capital structure
Our Net
Debt reduced from £112.7m to £93.5m. During this period of market
slowdown, we acted to better manage our working capital and to
reduce our inventory holding to £71.1m, a reduction of £20.5m or
22%. This allowed us to improve our Adjusted Operating Cash
Conversion from 173% to 261% and make debt repayments to reduce our
interest costs. Our gross cash balance was £15.4m (31 December 2023: £13.4m).
Key
financing ratios at 31 December 2024
were as follows:
-
Leverage ratio: Net Debt :
Adjusted EBITDA of 2.3x (2023: 2.0x)
-
Interest cover: Adjusted
EBITDA : Adjusted Net Finance Expense of 3.6x (2023:
4.8x)
In early
2024, we committed to keeping our leverage ratio below 2.5x at
31 December 2024, which we achieved
despite tougher than expected market conditions, with year-end
leverage of 2.3x. We complied with the financial covenants set out
within our borrowing facility agreement. Additional
liquidity available to the Group at 31
December 2024 consisted of £15.4m of cash on deposit and
£57.6m of undrawn committed borrowing facility.
Whist the
Board is very confident in the Group’s ability to de-lever the
balance sheet in normal market conditions, in early 2025 we became
aware of factors that would increase leverage in the short-term
prior to market recovery. The award of plaintiff’s legal fees and
pre-judgement interest in respect of the Comet legal case was more
costly than we had expected and resulted in a cash payment in
February 2025, increasing borrowing.
Continued customer destocking, combined with headwinds in
China following trade rule changes
in December 2024, are likely to
result in a weak first half of 2025, reducing Adjusted EBITDA. All
other things being equal, these factors would bring leverage in
close proximity to the normal covenant limit of 3.0x. While market
conditions are expected to improve as the year progresses, which
would lead to reduced leverage, we cannot be certain of the extent
and timing. Therefore, the Board has decided to act now to
prudently improve balance sheet resilience.
Today, we
are announcing the issuance of new shares on a non-pre-emptive
basis, to rank pari-passu with existing shares. The issuance will
be made through a placing, or via a direct subscription where
necessary. The issuance will be made available to both retail and
institutional investors and is expected to raise c.£40m.
Our
syndicate of banks has also recently agreed to amend the covenants
appliable to our borrowing facilities as follows, providing
additional financial headroom:
Leverage
ratio (not more than)
|
Previous
covenant limit
|
New
covenant limit
|
|
|
|
Q1
2025
|
3.00
|
3.10
|
Q2
2025
|
3.00
|
3.35
|
Q3
2025
|
3.00
|
3.60
|
Q4
2025
|
3.00
|
3.75
|
Q1
2026
|
3.00
|
3.55
|
Q2
2026
|
3.00
|
3.25
|
Q3
2026
|
3.00
|
3.00
|
Q4
2026
|
3.00
|
3.00
|
Interest
Cover (not less than)
|
Previous
covenant limit
|
New
covenant limit
|
|
|
|
Q1
2025
|
2.75
|
2.75
|
Q2
2025
|
2.50
|
2.50
|
Q3
2025
|
2.75
|
2.75
|
Q4
2025
|
3.25
|
2.35
|
Q1
2026
|
3.50
|
2.45
|
Q2
2026
|
4.00
|
2.55
|
Q3
2026
|
4.00
|
2.70
|
Q4
2026
|
4.00
|
2.75
|
An
additional covenant has been added to the borrowing facilities to
ensure that the aggregate of the Group’s consolidated cash and cash
equivalents and undrawn committed facility is not less than £25m at
each month-end.
The
changes were implemented at modest cost. The Group’s committed
borrowing facilities were reduced by $20m to $190m at
the same time to reflect the reduction in borrowing achieved in the
year and the Board’s commitment to further reductions in
future.
While the
covenant changes above were designed to be a standalone funding
solution absent new equity, the Board concluded that an equity
raise offered superior balance sheet resilience and would better
support the planned refinancing of the Group’s borrowing facilities
in 2025. The covenant amendments above will be revisited as part of
the refinancing considering the equity now being raised.
The Board
is very confident that the Group will continue to de-lever as
market conditions recover until it enters its target leverage range
of 0-1x Adjusted EBITDA. In the event of the expected market
recovery, the Group will return any excess proceeds from the
Placing to shareholders.
The
Director’s assessment of going concern has involved consideration
of the Group’s forecast covenant position in various scenarios,
including a severe but plausible downside case. The Group is
forecast to remain compliant with its covenants and have ample
borrowing liquidity in all scenarios. Further details can be found
in Note 1 of the consolidated financial statements. The Viability
Statement is set out in the 2024 Annual Report and
Accounts.
At the end
of 2024, net current assets stood at £62.8m compared to £92.0m at
the beginning of the year. Trade and other payables reduced by
£7.5m due to the slowdown in production volumes and, to a lesser
extent, the standardisation of payment terms with significant
suppliers. Trade receivables reduced by £12.9m, partly due to the
reduction in revenues, and partly because of a concerted effort by
both our finance and commercial teams to reduce aged debt.
Inventories reduced by £20.5m.
Dividends
Dividend
payments were suspended in late 2023. Dividends remain an important
part of the Group’s long-term capital allocation strategy. However,
the Board believes it is in Shareholders’ long-term interests for
debt reduction to be prioritised over Shareholder distributions
until net debt returns sustainably to our target range of 1-2x
Adjusted EBITDA. Our long-term aim is to operate in a range of 0-1x
Adjusted EBITDA. As a result, no dividends have been declared
during, or in respect of, the financial year ended 31 December 2024.
Matt Webb
Chief
Financial Officer
Consolidated
Income
Statement
for
the
year ended
31
December
2024
£m
|
Note
|
Adjusted
|
Adjustments
|
2024
|
Adjusted
|
Adjustments
|
2023
|
Revenue
|
2
|
247.3
|
-
|
247.3
|
316.4
|
-
|
316.4
|
Cost
of
sales
|
|
(146.0)
|
(4.3)
|
(150.3)
|
(185.1)
|
-
|
(185.1)
|
Gross
profit
|
|
101.3
|
(4.3)
|
97.0
|
131.3
|
-
|
131.3
|
Operating expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distribution
and
marketing
|
|
(52.1)
|
(6.6)
|
(58.7)
|
(63.5)
|
(6.1)
|
(69.6)
|
Administrative
|
|
(4.2)
|
(10.6)
|
(14.8)
|
(3.3)
|
(7.4)
|
(10.7)
|
Research
and
development
|
|
(19.9)
|
-
|
(19.9)
|
(26.4)
|
(0.1)
|
(26.5)
|
Operating
profit
|
|
25.1
|
(21.5)
|
3.6
|
38.1
|
(13.6)
|
24.5
|
Net
finance
expense
|
|
(11.3)
|
-
|
(11.3)
|
(11.5)
|
(1.8)
|
(13.3)
|
Profit/(loss)
before
tax
|
|
13.8
|
(21.5)
|
(7.7)
|
26.6
|
(15.4)
|
11.2
|
Tax (expense)
/credit
|
3
|
(3.4)
|
1.7
|
(1.7)
|
(9.8)
|
(10.4)
|
(20.2)
|
Profit/(loss)
for the
year
|
|
10.4
|
(19.8)
|
(9.4)
|
16.8
|
(25.8)
|
(9.0)
|
Attributable
to:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity
shareholders
|
|
|
|
(9.6)
|
|
|
(9.2)
|
Non-controlling
interests
|
|
|
|
0.2
|
|
|
0.2
|
Loss
for the
year
|
|
|
|
(9.4)
|
|
|
(9.0)
|
Earnings
per
share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
earnings/(loss) per share
|
5
|
43.0
|
(83.5)
|
(40.5)
|
81.9
|
(127.3)
|
(45.4)
|
Diluted
earnings/(loss) per share
|
5
|
42.9
|
(83.3)
|
(40.4)
|
81.8
|
(127.1)
|
(45.3)
|
Consolidated
Statement
of
Comprehensive
Income
for
the
year
ended
31
December
2024
|
2024
|
2023
|
Loss
for the
year
|
(9.4)
|
(9.0)
|
Items
that
may
be
reclassified
subsequently
to
profit
or
loss:
|
|
|
Exchange
differences
on
translation
of
foreign
operations
|
(1.8)
|
(5.3)
|
Other
comprehensive loss for the year, net of tax
|
(1.8)
|
(5.3)
|
Total
comprehensive loss for the year
|
(11.2)
|
(14.3)
|
Attributable
to:
|
|
|
Equity
shareholders
|
(11.3)
|
(14.4)
|
Non-controlling
interests
|
0.1
|
0.1
|
Total
comprehensive loss for the year
|
(11.2)
|
(14.3)
|
The
accompanying
notes
form
an
integral
part
of
these
financial
statements.
Consolidated
Balance
Sheet
As
at
31
December
2024
£m
|
Note
|
2024
|
2023
|
ASSETS
|
|
|
|
Current
assets
|
|
|
|
Cash and
cash equivalents
|
|
13.9
|
12.0
|
Inventories
|
|
71.1
|
91.6
|
Trade
receivables
|
|
30.2
|
43.1
|
Bond
receivable
|
|
39.2
|
36.7
|
Other
current assets
|
|
5.6
|
8.1
|
Current
income tax recoverable
|
|
0.7
|
0.5
|
Total
current assets
|
|
160.7
|
192.0
|
Non-current
assets
|
|
|
|
Cash and
bank balances
|
|
1.5
|
1.4
|
Goodwill
|
|
73.2
|
75.6
|
Intangible
assets
|
|
63.5
|
63.1
|
Property,
plant and equipment
|
|
64.4
|
59.5
|
Right-of-use
assets
|
|
51.8
|
54.0
|
Deferred
income tax assets
|
|
1.0
|
0.7
|
ESOP loan
to employees
|
|
0.1
|
-
|
Total
non-current assets
|
|
255.5
|
254.3
|
Total
assets
|
|
416.2
|
446.3
|
LIABILITIES
|
|
|
|
Current
liabilities
|
|
|
|
Accrued
consideration
|
|
0.8
|
-
|
Current
income tax liabilities
|
|
0.4
|
5.0
|
Trade and
other payables
|
|
40.8
|
48.3
|
Lease
liabilities
|
|
1.6
|
1.4
|
Provisions
|
|
54.0
|
44.9
|
Borrowings
|
6
|
0.3
|
0.4
|
Total
current liabilities
|
|
97.9
|
100.0
|
Non-current
liabilities
|
|
|
|
Accrued
consideration
|
|
0.7
|
1.7
|
Borrowings
|
6
|
108.6
|
125.7
|
Deferred
income tax liabilities
|
|
9.1
|
9.3
|
Provisions
|
|
1.3
|
1.0
|
Lease
liabilities
|
|
52.7
|
53.3
|
Total
non-current liabilities
|
|
172.4
|
191.0
|
Total
liabilities
|
|
270.3
|
291.0
|
NET
ASSETS
|
|
145.9
|
155.3
|
EQUITY
|
|
|
|
Equity
attributable to equity holders of the Company
|
Share
capital
|
|
71.2
|
71.2
|
Merger
reserve
|
|
0.2
|
0.2
|
Share
option reserve
|
|
3.1
|
2.1
|
Translation
reserve
|
|
(2.6)
|
(0.9)
|
Other
reserve
|
|
8.6
|
7.6
|
Retained
earnings
|
|
64.8
|
74.4
|
|
|
145.3
|
154.6
|
Non-controlling
interests
|
|
0.6
|
0.7
|
TOTAL
EQUITY
|
|
145.9
|
155.3
|
The
accompanying
notes
form
an
integral
part
of
these
financial
statements.
Consolidated
Statement of Changes in Equity
for the
year ended 31 December
2024
£m
|
Share capital
|
Share option reserve
|
Merger reserve
|
Translation reserve
|
Other reserve
|
Retained earnings
|
Total
|
Non-
controlling interests
|
Total equity
|
Balance
at
1
January
2023
|
27.2
|
2.5
|
0.2
|
4.2
|
6.1
|
98.4
|
138.6
|
0.9
|
139.5
|
Exercise
of
share-based
payment awards
|
-
|
(1.2)
|
-
|
-
|
1.6
|
-
|
0.4
|
-
|
0.4
|
Share-based
payment expenses
|
-
|
1.1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1.1
|
-
|
1.1
|
Tax
on
share-based
payment expenses
|
-
|
(0.2)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(0.2)
|
-
|
(0.2)
|
Issuance
of
shares
|
44.0
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
44.0
|
-
|
44.0
|
Dividends
paid
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(14.8)
|
(14.8)
|
(0.3)
|
(15.1)
|
Future
acquisition of non-controlling interest
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(0.1)
|
-
|
(0.1)
|
-
|
(0.1)
|
Exchange
differences on translation of financial
statements
of foreign operations
|
-
|
(0.1)
|
-
|
(5.1)
|
-
|
-
|
(5.2)
|
(0.1)
|
(5.3)
|
(Loss)/profit
for
the
year
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(9.2)
|
(9.2)
|
0.2
|
(9.0)
|
Total
comprehensive
(loss)/income
for
the
year
|
-
|
(0.1)
|
-
|
(5.1)
|
-
|
(9.2)
|
(14.4)
|
0.1
|
(14.3)
|
Balance
at
31
December
2023
|
71.2
|
2.1
|
0.2
|
(0.9)
|
7.6
|
74.4
|
154.6
|
0.7
|
155.3
|
Exercise
of
share-based
payment awards
|
-
|
(0.9)
|
-
|
-
|
0.9
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Share-based
payment
expenses
|
-
|
1.6
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1.6
|
-
|
1.6
|
Tax
on
share-based
payment
expenses
|
-
|
0.3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
0.3
|
-
|
0.3
|
Dividends
paid
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(0.2)
|
(0.2)
|
Future
acquisition of non-controlling interest
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
0.1
|
-
|
0.1
|
-
|
0.1
|
Exchange
differences on translation of financial
statements
of foreign operations
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(1.7)
|
-
|
-
|
(1.7)
|
(0.1)
|
(1.8)
|
(Loss)/profit
for the year
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(9.6)
|
(9.6)
|
0.2
|
(9.4)
|
Total
comprehensive (loss)/income for the year
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(1.7)
|
-
|
(9.6)
|
(11.3)
|
0.1
|
(11.2)
|
Balance
at 31 December 2024
|
71.2
|
3.1
|
0.2
|
(2.6)
|
8.6
|
64.8
|
145.3
|
0.6
|
145.9
|
The
accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial
statements.
Consolidated
Statement
of
Cash
Flows
for
the
year
ended
31
December
2024
£m
|
Note
|
2024
|
2023
|
Cash
flows
from
operating
activities
|
|
|
|
Loss
for the
year
|
|
(9.4)
|
(9.0)
|
Adjustments
for:
|
|
|
|
-
Income tax expense
|
3
|
1.7
|
20.2
|
-
Amortisation
and
depreciation
|
|
18.7
|
20.1
|
-
Net
finance
expense
|
|
11.3
|
13.3
|
-
Share-based
payment
expenses
|
|
1.6
|
1.1
|
-
Fair
value
gain
on
derivative
financial
instruments
|
|
-
|
(0.1)
|
-
Loss
on
disposal
of
property,
plant
and
equipment
|
|
0.1
|
-
|
-
Impairment loss on goodwill
|
|
1.4
|
-
|
-
Impairment
loss
on
intangible
assets
|
|
0.2
|
2.5
|
-
Impairment loss on right-of-use of
assets
|
|
0.3
|
-
|
-
Gain
on
disposal
on
right-of-use
of
assets
|
|
-
|
(0.1)
|
-
Property, plant and equipment written off
|
|
0.2
|
-
|
-
Unrealised
currency
translation
(gain)/loss
|
|
(1.0)
|
0.3
|
-
Provision
for
doubtful
debts
|
|
-
|
0.1
|
Change
in
working
capital:
|
|
|
|
-
Inventories
|
|
21.2
|
17.4
|
-
Trade
and
other
receivables and other current assets
|
|
15.4
|
(3.1)
|
-
Trade
and
other
payables
|
|
(8.0)
|
(1.8)
|
-
Provision
for
liabilities
and
other
charges
|
|
8.3
|
1.5
|
Cash
generated
from
operations
|
|
62.0
|
62.4
|
Income
tax
paid,
net
of
refund
|
|
(6.6)
|
(4.9)
|
Net
cash
provided
by
operating
activities
|
|
55.4
|
57.5
|
Cash
flows
from
investing
activities
|
|
|
|
Purchases
and
construction
of
property,
plant
and
equipment
|
|
(9.8)
|
(30.6)
|
Additions
of
development
costs
|
|
(10.0)
|
(9.5)
|
Additions
of
software
and
software
under
development
|
|
(0.3)
|
-
|
Proceeds
from
disposal
of
property,
plant
and
equipment
|
|
-
|
0.1
|
Interest
received
|
|
0.1
|
0.1
|
Net
cash
used
in
investing
activities
|
|
(20.0)
|
(39.9)
|
Cash
flows
from
financing
activities
|
|
|
|
Proceeds
from
issuance
of
new
ordinary
shares
|
|
-
|
44.0
|
Proceeds
from
borrowings
|
|
3.8
|
14.5
|
Repayment
of
borrowings
|
|
(23.4)
|
(55.7)
|
Principal
payment
of
lease
liabilities
|
|
(1.6)
|
(2.7)
|
Proceeds
from
exercise
of
share-based
payment
awards
|
|
-
|
0.4
|
Interest
paid
|
|
(12.1)
|
(12.0)
|
Dividend
paid
to
equity
holders
of
the
Company
|
|
-
|
(14.8)
|
Dividend
paid
to
non-controlling
interests
|
|
(0.2)
|
(0.3)
|
Bank
deposit
pledged
|
|
-
|
(0.4)
|
Net
cash
used
in
financing
activities
|
|
(33.5)
|
(27.0)
|
Net
increase/(decrease)
in
cash
and
cash
equivalents
|
|
1.9
|
(9.4)
|
Cash
and
cash
equivalents
at
beginning
of
financial
year
|
|
12.0
|
22.1
|
Effects
of
currency
translation
on
cash
and
cash
equivalents
|
|
-
|
(0.7)
|
Cash
and
cash
equivalents
at
end
of
year
|
|
13.9
|
12.0
|
The
accompanying
notes
form
an
integral
part
of
these
financial
statements.
Notes
to
the
Consolidated
Financial
Statements
For
the
year
ended
31
December
2024
-
Basis
of
preparation
This
financial
information
is presented in Pounds Sterling
and
has been
prepared
in accordance with the
provisions
of the Singapore Financial Reporting Standards (International)
(“SFRS(I)”) and International Financial Reporting Standards
(“IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board
(“IASB”).
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 19 Tai Seng Avenue, #07-01, Singapore 534054.
The
financial information set out in this announcement does not
constitute the Company’s statutory accounts for the years ended
31 December 2023 or 2024. The
financial information for the year ended 31
December 2023 is derived from the XP Power Limited statutory
accounts for the year ended 31 December
2023, 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 2024 will
be finalised based on 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.
While the
financial information included in this earnings announcement has
been computed in accordance with SFRS(I) and IFRS as issued by the
IASB, this announcement does not itself contain sufficient
information to comply with SFRS(I) and IFRS as issued by the IASB.
The Company expects to publish full financial statements that
comply with SFRS(I) and IFRS as issued by the IASB.
Going
concern
Overview
of liquidity
The Group
has available to it a US $ denominated Revolving Credit Facility
(RCF) of $190m
(£152m).
The
facility matures in December 2026 and
therefore is committed throughout the minimum period for which
going concern is assessed, which is 12 months from the date of
signing these financial statements.
Liquidity
available to the Group at 31 December
2024 consisted of £15.4m of cash on deposit and £57.6m of
undrawn committed borrowing facility.
Assuming
the successful completion of the current share placing, we would
expect to increase liquidity by c.£39m after fees.
Financial
covenants within the RCF agreement are as follows:
-
Leverage
ratio:
Net
Debt
:
Adjusted EBITDA as
follows:
Leverage
ratio
|
Not more
than
|
|
|
Q1
2025
|
3.10
|
Q2
2025
|
3.35
|
Q3
2025
|
3.60
|
Q4
2025
|
3.75
|
Q1
2026
|
3.55
|
Q2
2026
|
3.25
|
Q3
2026
|
3.00
|
Q4
2026
|
3.00
|
-
Interest
cover:
Adjusted
EBITDA
:
Adjusted
Net
Finance
Expense
as
follows:
Interest
Cover
|
Not less
than
|
|
|
Q1
2025
|
2.75
|
Q2
2025
|
2.50
|
Q3
2025
|
2.75
|
Q4
2025
|
2.35
|
Q1
2026
|
2.45
|
Q2
2026
|
2.55
|
Q3
2026
|
2.70
|
Q4
2026
|
2.75
|
Each
covenant is tested quarterly.
An
additional covenant has been added to the borrowing facilities to
ensure that the aggregate of the Group’s consolidated cash and cash
equivalents and undrawn committed facility is not less than £25m at
each month-end.
Approach
to going concern review
The Group
has developed a range of scenarios for financial performance over
the going concern assessment period, including a severe but
plausible downside scenario, assessing estimated liquidity and
covenant compliance in each case. The assessment period applied in
this review was the period to 31 March
2026.
The key
assumption in these forecasts was revenue, particularly revenue
beyond the first half of 2025 for which the business already has
reasonable visibility via existing sales orders. The revenue beyond
this initial period, of which the Group has limited visibility
currently, will depend on various factors including the impact of
stock movements within the sales channel on future orders and
changes in underlying market demand, particularly within the
Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment sector which has seen a
cyclical downcycle recently. Profit beyond this initial period will
also be dependent on actions taken in response to the revenue
achieved.
Given that
the Group's borrowings are US $ denominated, net debt and therefore
the leverage ratio can be impacted by future movements in the US $
exchange rate.
In all
scenarios, the US $ exchange rate is assumed to be $1.25.
None of
these scenarios included the positive effect on liquidity and
covenant ratios of the share placing launched today.
Summary
of assessed scenarios
The first
scenario assumes a 1% overall increase in revenue between 2024 and
2025 in total. This is assumed to arise from an end to channel
destocking at the end of the first half of 2025, followed by a
period of channel restocking in the second half of 2025 as end
markets prepare for recovery. The restocking benefit is assumed to
not continue into subsequent years as it would be a one-off revenue
uplift.
The second
scenario assumes a 3% decrease in revenue between 2024 and 2025.
This is assumed to arise from an end to channel destocking at the
end of the first half of 2025 without any restocking in the second
half of 2025.
The third
scenario is a severe but plausible downside scenario which results
in a 9% decline in revenue between 2024 and 2025 in total. This is
assumed to arise from continued channel destocking at current rates
until 31 December 2025.
All
scenarios assume that our future interest costs are calculated with
reference to the current Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) of
4.3%.
In all
scenarios, the Group remains in full compliance with its financial
covenants and with adequate liquidity throughout the going concern
assessment period.
Conclusions
Without
adjusting for the impact of the Share Placing, in the case of the
severe but plausible downside scenario, the lowest point of
headroom in the Leverage Ratio covenant is at 30 June 2025.
Adjusted
EBITDA would need to fall c.7% short of expectations in the period
1 January to 30 June 2025 for a
breach to occur.
The lowest
point of headroom in the Interest Cover covenant is at 30 September 2025.
Adjusted
EBITDA would need to fall c.5% short of expectations in the period
1 January to 30 September 2025 for a
breach to occur.
This
headroom significantly improves on completion of the Share Placing
launched today. The lowest point of headroom in the Leverage Ratio
covenant would be 31 March 2025 at
1.80 compared to a covenant limit of 3.10. The lowest point of
headroom in the Interest Cover covenant would be 31 March 2025 at 3.52 compared to a covenant
threshold of 2.75. In both cases the covenant would not be breached
even in the very unlikely event that the Group did not generate any
Adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter of 2025.
The
Directors are confident that the scenarios considered provide an
appropriate basis for the going concern assumption to be applied in
preparing the financial statements, while recognising modest
headroom in the severe but plausible case without the benefits of
the share placing.
Therefore,
the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Group has
adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the
foreseeable future. The Group, therefore, continues to adopt the
going concern basis in preparing its consolidated financial
statements.
-
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.
The
revenue
by
class
of
customer
and
location
of
the
design
win
is
as
follows:
£m
|
Europe
|
North America
|
Asia
|
2024 Total
|
Europe
|
North America
|
Asia
|
2023
Total
|
Semiconductor
Manufacturing Equipment
|
4.1
|
79.0
|
11.7
|
94.8
|
3.4
|
86.0
|
12.8
|
102.2
|
Industrial
Technology
|
52.2
|
32.8
|
9.8
|
94.8
|
67.6
|
54.0
|
14.7
|
136.3
|
Healthcare
|
20.6
|
32.4
|
4.7
|
57.7
|
26.8
|
44.5
|
6.6
|
77.9
|
Total
|
76.9
|
144.2
|
26.2
|
247.3
|
97.8
|
184.5
|
34.1
|
316.4
|
Revenue of
£59.0m (2023: £56.6m) is derived from a single external customer.
This is attributable to the semiconductor manufacturing equipment
sector across all geographical regions.
Reconciliation
of
segment
results
to
loss
for
the
year:
|
|
|
£m
|
2024
|
2023
|
Europe
|
18.7
|
24.2
|
North
America
|
40.7
|
55.1
|
Asia
|
10.3
|
11.9
|
Segment
results
|
69.7
|
91.2
|
Research
and
development
|
(16.5)
|
(21.9)
|
Manufacturing
|
(12.4)
|
(11.5)
|
Corporate
cost
from
operating
segment
|
(15.7)
|
(19.7)
|
Adjusted
Operating
Profit
|
25.1
|
38.1
|
Net
finance
expense
|
(11.3)
|
(13.3)
|
Adjustments
–
as
set
out
below
|
(21.5)
|
(13.6)
|
(Loss)/profit
before tax
|
(7.7)
|
11.2
|
Taxation
|
(1.7)
|
(20.2)
|
Loss
for the year
|
(9.4)
|
(9.0)
|
-
Reconciliation of non-statutory measures
The Group
presents Adjusted Gross Profit, Adjusted Operating Expenses and
Adjusted Operating Profit by adjusting 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 from business
combinations.
In
addition, the Group presents Adjusted profit measures for the year
by adjusting for certain tax charges and credits which represent
the tax effect of Adjusting items or which management believe to be
significant by virtue of their size, nature, or incidence or which
have a distortive effect (shown as Tax effects of Adjusting items
below).
As a
result, the Group also presents certain Adjusted measures which
include the consequential impact of the adjustments made in
Adjusted Gross Profit and Adjusted Operating Profit. This includes
Adjusted Gross Margin %, Adjusted Profit Before Tax, Adjusted
Profit For The Year, Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share, Adjusted
Operating Cashflow and Cash Conversion %.
The Group
uses these Adjusted measures to evaluate performance and as a
method to provide shareholders with clear and consistent
reporting.
The Group
also reports key financing measures which are relevant to
shareholders as they are used in determining covenant compliance.
These include Leverage, Interest Cover, Net Debt, Adjusted Net
Finance Expense and Adjusted EBITDA.
See below
for a reconciliation of all non-statutory measures to the closest
statutory measure included in these financial
statements.
(i)
Adjusted
Gross Profit, Operating Expenses Operating Profit, Net
Finance
Expense,
Profit
Before
Tax,
Tax
Expense and
Profit
2024
£m
|
Gross
profit
|
Operating
expenses
|
Operating
profit
|
Net
finance
expense
|
Loss
before
tax
|
Tax expense
|
Profit
for
the year
|
Statutory
result
|
97.0
|
(93.4)
|
3.6
|
(11.3)
|
(7.7)
|
(1.7)
|
(9.4)
|
Adjusted
for:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Restructuring
costs
|
-
|
2.3
|
2.3
|
-
|
2.3
|
-
|
2.3
|
Exit China
Semiconductor market
|
4.3
|
2.4
|
6.7
|
-
|
6.7
|
-
|
6.7
|
Costs
relating
to
legal
dispute
|
-
|
7.6
|
7.6
|
-
|
7.6
|
-
|
7.6
|
Amortisation
of intangible assets acquired from
business
combinations
|
-
|
3.1
|
3.1
|
-
|
3.1
|
-
|
3.1
|
Global
supply
chain
transformation
|
-
|
1.6
|
1.6
|
-
|
1.6
|
-
|
1.6
|
Bid
defence
costs
|
-
|
0.2
|
0.2
|
-
|
0.2
|
-
|
0.2
|
Tax
effects of Adjusting items1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(1.7)
|
(1.7)
|
Adjusted
result
|
101.3
|
(76.2)
|
25.1
|
(11.3)
|
13.8
|
(3.4)
|
10.4
|
Adjusted
Gross Margin is
the Adjusted Gross Profit expressed as a percentage of revenue.
Adjusted Operating Margin is the Adjusted Operating Profit
expressed as a percentage of revenue.
2023
£m
|
Gross
profit
|
Operating
expenses
|
Operating
profit
|
Net
finance expense
|
Profit
before tax
|
Tax
expense
|
Profit
for the
year
|
Statutory
result
|
131.3
|
(106.8)
|
24.5
|
(13.3)
|
11.2
|
(20.2)
|
(9.0)
|
Adjusted
for:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Restructuring
costs
|
-
|
5.3
|
5.3
|
2.4
|
7.7
|
-
|
7.7
|
Costs
relating
to
legal
dispute
|
-
|
2.1
|
2.1
|
-
|
2.1
|
-
|
2.1
|
Amortisation
of
intangible
assets
acquired
from
business
combinations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-
|
3.2
|
3.2
|
-
|
3.2
|
-
|
3.2
|
Global
supply chain transformation
|
-
|
2.7
|
2.7
|
-
|
2.7
|
-
|
2.7
|
Costs
related
to
Enterprise
Resource
Planning system implementation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-
|
0.3
|
0.3
|
-
|
0.3
|
-
|
0.3
|
Acquisition
costs
|
-
|
0.1
|
0.1
|
-
|
0.1
|
-
|
0.1
|
Fair
value
gain
on
derivative
financial
instruments
|
-
|
(0.1)
|
(0.1)
|
-
|
(0.1)
|
-
|
(0.1)
|
Gain
on
modifications
of
revolving
credit
facility
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(0.6)
|
(0.6)
|
-
|
(0.6)
|
Tax
effects of Adjusting items1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
10.4
|
10.4
|
Adjusted
result
|
131.3
|
(93.2)
|
38.1
|
(11.5)
|
26.6
|
(9.8)
|
16.8
|
1
Adjusted
for tax on Adjusting items relating to costs to amortisation of
Intangible assets acquired from business combinations of £0.4m
(2023: £nil), legal dispute of £nil (2023: £0.5m), gain on
modification of revolving credit facility of £nil (2023: £ 0.1m),
restructuring cost of £0.5m (2023: £1.9m), exit from China
Semiconductor market of £0.8m (2023: £nil), global supply chain
transformation £nil (2023: £0.7m) and tax loss relating to legal
claim £nil (2023: £13.4m).
(ii)
Adjusted
Operating Cash Flow and Conversion %
£m
|
2024
|
2023
|
Cash
generated
from
operations
|
62.0
|
62.4
|
Adjusted
for
cash
flows
in
respect
of:
|
|
|
Restructuring
costs
|
1.1
|
1.2
|
Global
supply
chain
transformation
|
0.9
|
-
|
Costs
relating
to
legal
dispute
|
1.6
|
1.9
|
Costs
related
to
Enterprise
Resource
Planning
system
implementation
|
-
|
0.4
|
Adjusted
Operating
Cash
Flow
|
65.6
|
65.9
|
Adjusted
Operating
Profit
|
25.1
|
38.1
|
Adjusted
Operating Cash Conversion
|
261%
|
173%
|
(iii)
Adjusted
EBITDA
£m
|
2024
|
2023
|
(Loss)/profit
before
tax
|
(7.7)
|
11.2
|
Adjusted
for:
|
|
|
Net
finance
expense
|
11.3
|
13.3
|
Depreciation
|
8.8
|
9.6
|
Amortisation
|
9.9
|
10.5
|
EBITDA
|
22.3
|
44.6
|
Adjusted
for:
|
|
|
Restructuring
costs
|
2.3
|
3.8
|
Exit from
China Semiconductor market
|
6.7
|
-
|
Costs
relating
to
legal
dispute
|
7.6
|
2.1
|
Global
supply
chain
transformation
|
1.6
|
2.7
|
Impairment
loss
on
intangible
assets
|
0.2
|
1.9
|
Costs
related
to
Enterprise
Resource
Planning
system
implementation
|
-
|
0.3
|
Acquisition
costs
|
-
|
0.1
|
Fair
value
gain
on derivative
financial
instrument
|
-
|
(0.1)
|
Bid
defence
costs
|
0.2
|
-
|
Adjusted
EBITDA
|
40.9
|
55.4
|
(iv)
Net
Debt
£m
|
2024
|
2023
|
Borrowings:
|
|
|
Current
|
0.3
|
0.4
|
Non-current
|
108.6
|
125.7
|
Total
borrowings
|
108.9
|
126.1
|
Cash
and
bank
balances:
|
|
|
Cash
at
bank
and
on
hand
|
15.3
|
13.3
|
Short-term
bank
deposits
|
0.1
|
0.1
|
Total
cash
and
bank
balances
|
15.4
|
13.4
|
|
|
|
Net
Debt
|
93.5
|
112.7
|
(v)
Leverage
ratio (Net Debt : Adjusted EBITDA)
£m
|
2024
|
2023
|
Net
Debt
(Note
2(iv))
|
93.5
|
112.7
|
Adjusted
EBITDA
(Note
2(iii))
|
40.9
|
55.4
|
Leverage
(Net
Debt
: Adjusted
EBITDA)
|
2.3x
|
2.0x
|
(vi)
Interest
Cover (Adjusted
EBITDA : Adjusted Net Finance Expense)
£m
|
2024
|
2023
|
Adjusted
EBITDA
(Note
2(iii))
|
40.9
|
55.4
|
Net
finance
expense
|
11.3
|
13.3
|
Adjusted
for:
|
|
|
Restructuring
costs1
|
-
|
(2.4)
|
Gain
on
modification
of
revolving
credit
facility
|
-
|
0.6
|
Adjusted
Net
Finance
Expense
|
11.3
|
11.5
|
Interest
Cover
(Adjusted
EBITDA : Adjusted Net Finance Expense)
|
3.6x
|
4.8x
|
1
Restructuring
costs in 2023 consist of interest on lease liabilities related to
lease for office spaces in the United
States of America which were treated as Adjustments from the
start of the lease until the date of initial occupation. The office
spaces have been occupied since January
2024.
-
Income
taxes
£m
|
2024
|
2023
|
Singapore
corporation
tax:
|
|
|
- current
year
|
0.3
|
3.6
|
- over
provision
in
prior
financial
year
|
-
|
(0.3)
|
Overseas
corporation
tax:
|
|
|
- current
year
|
1.6
|
3.3
|
- under
provision in
prior
financial
year
|
(0.1)
|
-
|
|
|
|
Withholding
tax
|
0.1
|
0.6
|
Current
income
tax
|
1.9
|
7.2
|
Deferred
income
tax:
|
|
|
- current
year
|
(0.2)
|
13.7
|
- over
provision
in
prior
financial
years
|
-
|
(0.7)
|
Tax
expense
|
1.7
|
20.2
|
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:
£m
|
2024
|
2023
|
(Loss)/profit
before income
tax
|
(7.7)
|
11.2
|
Tax
on
profit
at standard
Singapore
tax
rate
of
17%
(2023:
17%)
|
(1.3)
|
1.9
|
Tax
incentives
|
(0.3)
|
(0.9)
|
Higher
rates
of
overseas
corporation
tax
|
(0.3)
|
(0.9)
|
Non-deductible
expenditure
|
1.4
|
1.1
|
Non-taxable
income
|
(0.3)
|
(0.2)
|
Deferred
tax
effect
of
change
in
tax
rate
|
(0.1)
|
0.4
|
Deferred
tax
asset
on
tax
losses
and
wear
and
tear
allowances
not
provided
for
|
2.6
|
5.8
|
Over
provision of
tax
in
prior
financial
years
|
(0.1)
|
(1.0)
|
Deferred
tax
arising
from
adjustments
to
the
value
of
deferred
tax
assets
|
-
|
13.4
|
Withholding
tax
|
0.1
|
0.6
|
Tax
expense
|
1.7
|
20.2
|
|
|
|
|
-
Dividends
Amounts
recognised
as
distributions
to
equity
holders
in
the
period:
|
2024
|
|
2023
|
|
|
Pence
per
share
|
£m
|
Pence
per
share
|
£m
|
Prior
year
third
quarter
dividend
paid
|
-
|
-
|
21.0
|
4.1
|
Prior
year
final
dividend
paid
|
-
|
-
|
36.0
|
7.1
|
First
quarter
dividend
paid
|
-
|
-
|
18.0*
|
3.6
|
Second
quarter
dividend
paid
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Total
|
-
|
-
|
75.0
|
14.8
|
*
Dividends
in
respect
of
2023
(18.0p).
No
dividends
are
proposed
in
respect
of
the 2024
financial
year as previously highlighted by the Board.
-
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:
£m
|
2024
|
2023
|
Loss after
tax attributable to equity holders of the Company
|
(9.6)
|
(9.2)
|
Loss
for earnings
per
share
|
(9.6)
|
(9.2)
|
Number
of
shares
|
|
|
Weighted
average
number
of
shares
for
the
purposes
of
basic
earnings per share (thousands)
|
23,720
|
20,281
|
Effect
of
potentially
dilutive
share
options
(thousands)
|
60
|
23
|
Weighted
average
number
of
shares
for
the
purposes
of
dilutive
earnings per share (thousands)
|
23,780
|
20,304
|
Earnings/(loss)
per
share:
|
|
|
Basic
|
(40.5)p
|
(45.4)p
|
Basic
Adjusted*
|
43.0p
|
81.9p
|
Diluted
|
(40.4)p
|
(45.3)p
|
Diluted
Adjusted*
|
42.9p
|
81.8p
|
*Reconciliation
to
compute
the
Adjusted
Earnings
Per Share is
as
per
below:
£m
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
|
Loss after
tax attributable to equity holders of the Company
|
(9.6)
|
(9.2)
|
Restructuring
costs
|
2.3
|
7.7
|
Exit from China Semiconductor market
|
6.7
|
-
|
Costs
relating
to
legal
dispute
|
7.6
|
2.1
|
Amortisation
of
intangible
assets
acquired
from
business
combination
|
3.1
|
3.2
|
Global
supply
chain
transformation
|
1.6
|
2.7
|
Costs
related
to
Enterprise
Resource
Planning
system
implementation
|
-
|
0.3
|
Acquisition
costs
|
-
|
0.1
|
Gain
on
modification
of
revolving
credit
facility
|
-
|
(0.6)
|
Fair
value
gain
on
derivative
financial
instruments
|
-
|
(0.1)
|
Bid
defence costs
|
0.2
|
-
|
Tax effect
of Adjusting items
|
(1.7)
|
10.4
|
Adjusted
Earnings
for
the
purposes
of
Basic
Adjusted
and
Diluted
Adjusted Earnings Per Share
|
10.2
|
16.6
|
-
Borrowings
The
Group’s
debt
is
sourced
from
a
US$190m Revolving Credit Facility
(“RCF”). The
RCF
facility
is
committed
until
December 2026. The
facility
has
no
fixed
repayments
until
maturity.
The
revolving
loan
is
priced
based
on
the
Secured
Overnight Financing
Rate
(SOFR)
administered
by
the
Federal
Reserve
Bank
of
New
York
plus
a
margin.
The
margin
applicable to drawn amounts range from 1.5-3.25%, depending on the
Net Debt :Adjusted EBITDA ratio for the previous
quarter. The
non-utilisation
fee
payable
for
the
undrawn
element
of
the
facility
is
priced
at
40%
of
the
margin
applicable to drawn amounts.
The
covenants
attaching
to
the
RCF
are set
out in Note 1.
The
borrowings
are
repayable
as
follows:
£m
|
2024
|
2023
|
On
demand
or
within
one
year
|
0.3
|
0.4
|
In
the
second
year
|
108.6
|
-
|
In
the
third
year
|
-
|
125.7
|
In
the
fourth
year
|
-
|
-
|
Total
|
108.9
|
126.1
|
All
loan
covenants
have
been
complied
with
as
at
31
December
2024.
-
Foreign exchange rates
Exchange
rates applied in these financial statements are the average for the
twelve-month period for Income Statement items (including
£1/USD1.2786, £1/€1.1789,
£1/SGD1.7081) and are the closing
rate for Balance Sheet items (including £1/USD1.2530, £1/€1.2077, £1/SGD1.7089 at 31 December
2024).
-
Principal risks and uncertainties
Responsibility
The
Group
has
well
established
risk
management
processes
to
identify
and
assess
risks.
The
Group’s
principal
risks
are regularly
reviewed
by
the
Board
and
are
mapped
onto
a
risk
universe
from
which
risk mitigation
or
reduction
can
be tracked
and
managed.
This
helps
facilitate
further
discussions
regarding
risk
appetite
and
draws
out
the
risks
that
require a greater level of attention.
Disruption
to
manufacturing
An event
that results in the temporary or permanent loss of a manufacturing
facility could result in the Group being unable to sell products to
customers. This could include fire, flood, infectious disease,
climate-related events or government-imposed restrictions or
compulsory purchase orders. As the
Group
manufactures
approximately
80%
of
revenues, this would cause
a short-term
loss of revenues and profits and disruption to our
customers and therefore would risk reputational damage.
Risk
mitigation – We now have two facilities (China and Vietnam) where we can produce most of our
power converters. We have
disaster recovery plans in place for both facilities.
We have
epidemic control and prevention measures that can be introduced at
all facilities in line with local guidelines and
regulations.
We have
undertaken a risk review with manufacturing management to identify
and assess risks which could cause serious disruption
to
manufacturing,
and
identified
and
implemented
actions
to
reduce
or
mitigate
these
risks
where
possible.
Our
key
facilities
are
owned
or
on
long-term
leases
and
we
have
business
interruption
insurance
in
place.
Supply
chain
risks
The
Group
is
dependent
on
retaining
its
key
suppliers
and
ensuring
that
deliveries
are
on
time
and
materials
supplied
are of an appropriate quality.
As the
Group makes significant use of its Asian manufacturing footprint to
supply US and European markets, it is exposed to
any
risks
relating
to
threats
to
global
shipping.
While
alternative
routes
by
sea
or
air
freight
can
be
used,
these would come with a time or cost impact.
Some key
product components remain on relatively long lead times, increasing
the risk of shortages at the point of manufacture.
Poor
supplier conduct can negatively impact the business by damaging our
reputation, leading to legal liabilities, and increasing costs due
to supply chain disruptions.
Risk
Mitigation
–
Components
are dual sourced wherever possible.
We conduct
regular audits of our key suppliers.
Appropriate
amounts of safety inventory of key components are held and these
levels are regularly reviewed with reference to demand and lead
times.
We
monitor
risks
to
our
established
transport
routes,
developing
contingency
plans
and
ensuring
our
customers
are kept
aware of issues and implications.
Market/customer-related
risks
The
semiconductor
market
represents
a
significant
%
of
Group
revenue
and
is
inherently
cyclical.
A
material
proportion
of
the
Group’s
revenue
is
derived
from
its
largest
customers.
Demand
for
our
products
may
be
impacted by gains or losses of business with them, or changes in
their inventory levels of our products.
A
significant
semiconductor
downturn
could
have
a
material
adverse
impact
on
the
Group’s
revenue,
profitability
and
financial condition.
If
the
Group
lost
some
of
its
key
customers,
this
could
have
a
material
impact
on
its
financial
condition
and
results
of
operations. However, for the year ended 31
December 2024, no single customer accounted for more than
26% of revenue, and that revenue was spread over a large number of
individual programmes.
New export
controls may limit our ability to serve some customers. Failure to
adhere to export compliance controls could lead to financial
penalties.
Risk
mitigation - Staying close to our key customers and understanding
the end-market to provide visibility of likely market
movements.
The
Group
focuses
on
providing
excellent
service.
Customer
complaints
and
non-conformances
are
reviewed
monthly by members of the Executive Leadership team.
While
visibility
of
customer
inventory
levels
is
naturally
limited,
our
sales
teams
discuss
this
with
customers
wherever
possible and reflect it in their demand projections.
We have
automated due diligence checks in place for new
customers.
Product-related
risks
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.
Failure
to
develop
new
products
or
to
not
respond
to
new
disruptive
products/technologies
would
impact
the
Group’s
future revenue stream.
Risk
mitigation – We perform 100% functional testing on all
own-manufactured products and 100% hi-pot testing, which
determines
the
adequacy
of
electrical
insulation.
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
that
we
manufacture
to
ensure the
leakage current is within the medical specifications.
We
prioritise investment and work closely with our customers to ensure
that our product offering remains market-
leading.
IT/data
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 its ability to operate. Further,
incomplete or inaccurate data can lead to poor decision
making.
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 large
proportion of the Group uses a single unified ERP platform with
standardised processes, comprehensive training, and robust
financial reporting controls, supported by an experienced
management team and effective governance mechanisms.
Funding/Treasury
The
Group
is
reliant
on
external
bank
funding
and
needs
to
comply
with
the
related
covenants.
The
Group
could
find
itself in breach of banking covenants and lose access to its
funding.
Changes
in
interest
rate
%
impacts
the
interest
payments
and
charges.
The
majority of the Group’s sales and material purchases are in US
dollars, creating a natural transactional hedge. However, a
minority of sales and costs are denominated in other currencies,
exposing the Group to some transactional risks. The Group faces
translation currency risk from reporting in sterling. This could
lead to material adverse movements in reported earnings and cash
flows.
Risk
mitigation
-
The
Group
has
set
a
clear
and
conservative
leverage
policy
and
performs
detailed
and
regular
cash
forecasting to ensure the leverage targets are met.
The
Group
reviews
balance
sheet
and
cash
flow
currency
exposures
and,
where
appropriate,
uses
forward
exchange
contracts to
hedge
these
exposures.
The
Group
does
not
hedge
any
translation
of
its
subsidiaries’
results
to
sterling
for reporting purposes.
Legal
&
regulatory
The Group
operates in multiple jurisdictions with applicable trade and tax
regulations that vary. The Group ships product internationally,
both
in
terms
of
the
internal
supply
chain
and
from
third
party
supplier and
to
end
customers
and also transfers manufacturing from North America to Asia locations. Compliance
with export laws is critical. Failing to
comply
with
local
regulations
could
impact
the
profits
and
reputation
of
the
Group
and
its
ability
to
conduct
business.
Intellectual
property
in
terms
of
product
design
is
an
important
feature
of
the
power
converter
industry.
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. It could also fluctuate if an efficient tax
structure is not maintained.
Risk
mitigation – The Group
hires
employees with relevant
skills and
uses external advisers
to keep
up
to
date with
changes in regulations and to remain compliant.
Export
compliance
software
is
in
place
to
monitor
customers
and
sales.
An
outsourced
internal
audit
function
provides
risk
assurance
in
targeted
areas
of
the
business
and
recommendations
for improvement. The scope of these reviews includes behaviour,
culture, and ethics.
The
Group
establishes
clear
healthy
and
safety
policy
and
procedures.
Business Transformation
The Group
undertakes various business transformation projects, which involve
adapting and innovating processes, products, and organisational
structures to maintain relevance across multiple planning
horizons.
The risk
arises due to uncertainties surrounding the success of these
transformation efforts and whether the current operating model
supports future growth and resilience.
Risk
mitigation – We have implemented standardised business processes to
ensure consistency, efficiency, and compliance across business
units.
Major
business cases undergo a thorough review process, requiring
approval from both the CFO and CEO.
People-related
risks
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 key employees
could have a material adverse effect on the Group’s
business.
A decline
in employee morale and engagement, could have a significant impact
on productivity and business performance.
Fraudulent
and unethical behaviour could have negative reputational impact and
cause financial loss to the Group.
Risk
mitigation – The Group undertakes performance evaluations and
reviews to help it stay close to its key personnel. Where
appropriate, the Group also makes use of financial retention tools
such as equity awards.
The Group
focuses on training, upskilling, and career progression
opportunities for employees. In addition, the Group holds an annual
employee survey to assess engagement and identify improvement
actions.
Climate-related
risks
The Group
is exposed to climate related risks that can have a negative impact
on the business. Severe
weather could affect
our
own
locations
or
the
supply
chain.
Not
meeting
net
zero
targets
may
cause
reputational
damage
and
reduced revenue.
Significant
harm to the environment resulting from inadequate
controls.
Risk
Mitigation – Ensure we maintain as flexible a manufacturing
footprint as possible to allow us to respond any single-site
disruption. We look to have dual-sourced supplies for material
purchases and conduct regular review of safety inventories to
ensure we have sufficient stocks.
We
put
relevant
policies
and
KPIs
to
ensure
environmental
targets
are
deliverable.
We have
procedures in plants to avoid damage to the surrounding
environment.
-
Responsibility
Statement
The
statements below have been prepared in connection with the
Company's full Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended
31 December 2024. Certain parts are
not included in this announcement.
The
Directors
consider
that
the
Annual
Report
and
Accounts,
taken
as
a
whole,
is
fair,
balanced
and
understandable,
and provides the information necessary for shareholders to assess
the Group's position, performance, business model and
strategy.
Each
of
the
Directors,
whose
names
and
functions
are
listed in
the
Annual
Report
and
Accounts confirm that,
to the best
of their knowledge:
-
that
the
balance
sheet
of
the
Company
and
consolidated
financial
statements
of
the
Group,
are
drawn
up
in
accordance
with the applicable set of accounting standards, to give a true and
fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit
or loss of the Group for the year ended 31
December 2024; and
-
the
Annual Report and Accounts includes a fair review of the
development and performance of the business
and
the
financial
position
of
the
Group
and
the
Company,
together
with
a
description
of
the principal
risks and uncertainties they face.
This
announcement
was
approved
by
the
Directors
on
4 March 2025.