Half-year Results

PHSC (AIM: PHSC), a leading provider of health, safety, hygiene and environmental consultancy services and security solutions to the public and private sectors, is pleased to announce its unaudited interim results for the six-month period ended 30 September 2023.

GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S STATEMENT

Financial Highlights

Group revenue of £1.651m (H1 FY23: £1.679m).

EBITDA of £174k (H1 FY23: £162k).

Earnings per share of 1.04p (H1 FY23: 0.90p).

Cash of £638k following payment of increased dividend and completion of share buyback programme (H1 FY22: £691k).

Net asset value (unaudited) of £3.5m (H1 FY23: £3.6m).

Pro-forma net asset value (unaudited) per share of 32.2p, compared to a mid-market share price as at market close on 29 September 2023 of 18.5p.

Interim dividend declared of 0.75p per ordinary share.

Operational Highlights and Business Outlook

Whilst income for the first half of the financial year was approximately £28k lower than at this stage in 2022, EBITDA for the same period rose by approximately £12k. Overall, profitability was further boosted by £7.6k of bank interest, compared with none for H1 last year. All subsidiaries made a contribution to this improved performance and there is a breakdown of how each part of the Group has performed provided later in this report.

The Group continued to respond to challenges caused by a shortage of skilled professional staff, which is not unique to our subsidiaries, and seeks to mitigate the cost pressures that this shortage is causing. The expectations of fee-earning personnel in particular have risen markedly, and recruitment of appropriately qualified staff at sustainable salary levels is proving difficult. To mitigate this, we have had to increase the fees we charge for many of our services and ensure that the quality of our service enables us to retain our existing clients and to attract new contracts.

Although the UK retail sector is still under considerable pressure, our bias towards more clients in the food sector has helped our Security Division. As noted later in this report, the profitability of B2BSG Solutions at the halfway stage represents a great improvement versus H1 2022, and management are confident that the subsidiary can make a positive contribution over the remainder of the year.

Across the Safety Division, combined sales were £28k below where they were at this point in 2022 but EBITDA was circa £12k higher as a result of improved margins. In last year’s interim report, we noted that there had been a marked improvement in the fortunes of RSA Environmental Health, which predominantly sells into the education sector. This year we have to report that net profit growth at this subsidiary was not replicated and fell below where it had been in the corresponding period. Despite this, it will be seen that the Safety Division as a whole performed better than before. This demonstrates the strength of the Safety Division overall and the cyclic nature of its business. In addition, a decline in the fortunes of one subsidiary can be offset by improvement in another.

The Management Systems Division of the Group, QCS International, saw some slippage in both revenue and EBITDA. The subsidiary is seeking to take on more staff to assist with demand, as current personnel are already working to capacity.

Looking to the remainder of the current year, the Board believes there are plenty of opportunities for each of our three Divisions (safety, security and management systems). With the recruitment of extra personnel of the right calibre, we firmly believe we will be able to continue to deliver positive outcomes for shareholders.

Dividend

Based on our projections that the Group will continue to have adequate and growing cash reserves from trading activities, the Board has declared an interim dividend of 0.75p per ordinary share to be paid on 12 January 2024 to those shareholders on the register of members on 22 December 2023. This represents a 50% increase on the 0.5p interim dividend in the previous year.

Any recommendation by the Board for the payment of a final dividend will be subject to the Group’s full year performance, cash reserves, and the outlook at that time and will be notified in due course.

Cash Flow

Cash at bank on 30 September 2023 stood at £0.638m compared to approximately £0.7m at the same time last year. The figure shown is net of around £208k, inclusive of costs, for the successful share buyback programme completed in August 2023.

Despite no current expectation of having to call upon it, the Group has agreed to renew its £50,000 banking facility with HSBC.

The cancellation of those shares previously bought back and initially held in treasury has reduced the total cost of dividend payments. The Group has sufficient cash reserves to service the proposed interim dividend and all requirements arising in the normal course of business. There are no additional calls on the Company’s cash. It is noted that authority was obtained at the last AGM for the Company to potentially undertake a further share buyback programme(s), however, no decision has been taken on this matter at the present time.

Discrete Performance by Trading Subsidiaries

Profit/loss figures for the individual subsidiaries below are stated before tax and inter-company charges (including the costs of operating the parent plc which are recovered through management charges levied on, and dividends received from, trading subsidiaries), interest paid and received, depreciation and amortisation.

Inspection Services (UK) Limited

Invoiced sales of £100,960 yielding a profit of £5,654 (H1 FY23: £95,620 and £4,962).

Personnel Health and Safety Consultants Limited

Invoiced sales of £393,594 yielding a profit of £158,501 (H1 FY23: £423,253 and £119,478).

RSA Environmental Health Limited

Invoiced sales of £161,109 resulting in a profit of £17,055 (H1 FY23: £174,625 and £32,767).

Quality Leisure Management Limited

Invoiced sales of £201,985 resulting in a profit of £70,279 (H1 FY23: £192,014 and £67,769).

QCS International Limited

Invoiced sales of £353,647 yielding a profit of £114,889 (H1 FY23: £408,894 and £138,463).

B2BSG Solutions Limited

Invoiced sales of £439,920 resulting in a profit of £38,901 (H1 FY23: £384,340 and £2,825).

Capital and reserves attributable to equity holders of the Group

Notes to the Interim Financial Statements

Basis of preparation

These condensed consolidated financial statements are presented on the basis of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted by the European Union and interpretations issued by the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) and have been prepared in accordance with the AIM Rules for Companies and the Companies Act 2006, as applicable to companies reporting under IFRS.

The financial information contained in this announcement, which has not been audited, does not constitute statutory accounts as defined by Section 434 of the Companies Act 2006. The Group’s statutory financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023, prepared under IFRS, have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. The auditor’s report for the 2023 financial statements was unqualified and did not contain a statement under Section 498 (2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006.

The same accounting policies and methods of computation are followed within these interim financial statements as adopted in the most recent annual financial statements.

Impairment of goodwill

The Board has considered the carrying value of goodwill and is satisfied that the assumptions made at the time of the last adjustment remain valid.

Segmental Reporting

Earnings per share

The calculation of the basic earnings per share is based on the following data.