TOP NEWS: Homeserve Confident On Full Year Despite Interim Profit Drop

(Alliance News) - Homeserve PLC on Monday said it now sees full-year earnings ahead of prior ...

Alliance News 17 November, 2020 | 9:17AM
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(Alliance News) - Homeserve PLC on Monday said it now sees full-year earnings ahead of prior expectations, following a better-than-expected first half and despite posting a significant drop in profit.

Shares in the FTSE 100 home repairs and improvements company were trading 1.1% higher at 1,250.00 pence each on Tuesday morning in London.

For the six months ended September 30, Homeserve reported pretax profit of GBP10.1 million, a 49% drop from GBP19.7 million recorded the year prior. This was despite a 17% year-on-year rise in revenue to GBP536.7 million from GBP457.7 million, as demand for home remodellings surged during the Covid-19 lockdown. Revenue growth was aided as well by growth in Homeserve's North American business and the inclusion of income from recently purchased Home Experts business Elocal.

Homeserve said the fall in profit was due to the absence of exceptional gains recorded in the prior period of GBP7.4 million and higher acquisition-related amortisation of GBP23.0 million compared to GBP16.3 million a year ago. Adjusted pretax profit was up 16% to GBP33.1 million.

An interim dividend of 6.2p was declared, up from 5.8p the year prior.

Homeserve said it exited the first half with the business "trading well", having recovered "earlier and more strongly" from the first global lockdown than originally anticipated.

Looking ahead, the Walsall, England-based company said it performed better than expected in the first half, and it expects to deliver adjusted pretax profit for the current financial year "slightly ahead" of current consensus.

"The latest wave of lockdowns has made no fundamental difference to our operations, and the good news for us and our customers is that engineers can continue to work in peoples' homes. Based on what we see today, we are confident of delivering a healthy mix of organic and acquired revenue growth at the full year, with profits ahead of our prior expectations," said Founder & Chief Executive Richard Harpin.

Cash held as at September-end was GBP101.1 million, up from GBP67.0 million on September 30, 2019.

Separately, Homeserve said it has hired Ross Clemmow to the new role of chief executive of EMEA regions, adding he will join the board in early 2021.

Since 2019, Clemmow has been chief executive of online sports retailer WiggleCRC and managing director within the operational support group of private equity investor Bridgepoint, where he has been responsible for improving digital capability across Bridgepoint's portfolio.

Homeserve said Clemmow's hire frees up Tom Rusin, global CEO of Membership, to take on an expanded US-based role as chief executive of the North American region.

"I am delighted to welcome Ross to HomeServe. His arrival creates additional management bandwidth to deliver transformation, growth and digitisation across European Membership, and frees up Tom Rusin to capitalise on our considerable opportunities in North America," Harpin said.

By Ife Taiwo; ifetaiwo@alliancenews.com

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