Latest Results

Interim Management Report

Strategic Update

The Board has reviewed the structure and composition of the Group and concluded that both the Engineering and Agriculture Divisions are quality assets demonstrating significant value creation opportunities. Given the scale of the businesses, the complexity resultant from operating two divisions which display no significant synergies has created in an inefficient structure and central organisation.

Current trading as well as the short, medium and long term growth opportunities within the Engineering Division are likely to result in there being a near-term opportunity to deliver attractive value to shareholders.

Following implementation of the ongoing tactical and strategic initiatives developed by management, in combination with the anticipated macro-economic recovery in the sector, the opportunity to develop significant incremental value in the Agriculture Division is longer term.

The Board has, therefore, concluded that it is appropriate to explore the opportunities to realise value for the Engineering Division. A process to explore value is currently in its nascent stages, and further information will be provided in due course.

Interim results

During the six months ended 29 February 2024 revenues increased 2.0% to £81.4m (H1 2023: £79.8m) reflecting growth in Engineering of £5.9m (26.1%), somewhat offset by a reduction in Agriculture revenue of £4.3m (7.5%). Adjusted operating profit for the Group of £5.8m was unchanged from the prior year (H1 2023 restated: £5.8m).  Adjusted profit before tax was unchanged from the prior year at £5.6m (H1 2023 restated: £5.6m).  Adjusted earnings per share for continuing operations decreased by 4.0% to 4.8p (H1 2023 restated: 5.0p) for the six month period.

Operational review

Engineering

The Engineering Division comprises specialist fabrication and precision engineering businesses in the UK, robotics businesses in the UK, Europe and USA, and engineering solutions businesses in the UK and USA.

Strength in performance continued from the second half of FY23 with first half revenue of £28.5m, up 26.1% on the prior year. Adjusted operating profit of £2.4m was more than double the prior year, bringing LTM adjusted operating profit to £6.6m, an adjusted operating margin of 11.7% from revenues of £56.5m.

The order book remains strong with £57.8m recorded at the period end, significantly ahead of the £41.3m prior half comparative. Orders since February 2024 have returned the order book above the £59.8m in hand at the end of FY23. This continued strength sets the Engineering Division up well for another strong second half performance, and for further steady growth. 

Fabrication and precision engineering revenues were up 23% in the period, supported by continued high activity levels in the nuclear sector and strong order intake from the oil and gas sector. The businesses in these sectors are increasingly benefitting from the integration of decision making and customer relationship management.

Revenues in the robotics business increased 60.4% from last year, benefitting from the significant order wins last year including a prestigious £10m contract for the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory, the largest single contract signed by Wälischmiller.

Management is confident in the outlook for the Engineering Division in the second half and beyond the current financial year. The division has confirmed high value contracts continuing into FY25 and beyond, and a well-balanced spread of current orders across all the business units in the division. The pipeline of opportunities and prospects beyond confirmed orders is very encouraging. The Engineering Division is increasingly focused on the specific opportunities that match its market leading skills, technical strengths and high-quality manufacturing assets and is benefitting from long term CRM activity aligned across the division.

Agriculture

The Agriculture Division manufactures livestock supplements including branded feed blocks, essential minerals, and precision dose trace element boluses, sold to farmers in the UK, Europe, North America, and New Zealand through a long-established distribution network.

With challenging conditions continuing in the agriculture sector, revenues decreased by 7.5% in the period. This was largely driven by the high inflationary and reduced volume environment of FY23 that saw average feed block prices increase by 21% but feed block volumes decrease by 16%. In H1 FY24 the UK has returned to volume growth (+11% year on year) whilst the US feed blocks business has seen further year on year decline (18%) as herd sizes continue to decrease cyclically, accentuated by continued drought in the southern states.

Encouragingly, at Animax (the UK animal health business acquired in 2018), transformational automation of the production process was implemented late in the first half of FY24. The benefits of this automation on each of capacity, cost and specification accuracy will be apparent in the second half. Prior to these improvements being evident first half performance was broadly flat year on year.

Our New York State based dairy cattle feed supplement business recorded volume growth of 19% in the first half but remains loss making. Actions to raise margins and achieve profitability are in progress.  

With new management now in situ we maintain a positive longer-term outlook for the Agriculture Division from both an internal operational effectiveness perspective and in terms of macro-economic conditions. In the UK and Ireland, farm input prices, particularly for feed and fertiliser, are coming down, easing the pressure on customer spending budgets. Farm input and output price indices have matched in early 2024 for the first time since Q2 2021, with input prices having been over 15% higher than outputs in Q3 2022. These increasingly positive macro-economic trends have translated to volume increases but have yet to result in improved margins.  In the USA, the area affected by drought is markedly reduced from 12 months previously, whilst the cyclical outlook specifically for beef will improve as herds rebuild over the next five years.

Management actions already underway at the UK animal health business coupled with the progress at the other Agriculture businesses will result in improved financial performance and increased resilience over time. The Agriculture businesses are founded on respected brands with a track record of quality, innovation and service, that will ultimately support sales and margins as markets recover from recent unprecedented conditions.

Adjusted results

Revenue increased by 2.0% to £81.4m (H1 2023: £79.8m), with a year on year increase of 26.1% in Engineering offset by a reduction of 7.5% in Agriculture.

Adjusted operating profit was unchanged at £5.8m (H1 2023 restated: £5.8m). Engineering grew by 119.2% offset by a 17.4% reduction in Agriculture.

Central costs, on an adjusted basis, were £0.3m higher at £1.6m (H1 2023 restated: £1.3m) driven by the impact of inflationary pay increases in the prior year and costs associated with the completion of strategic projects.

Net finance costs of £0.1m (H1 2023: £0.2m) were slightly lower than the prior period. Higher interest rates were offset by lower borrowings across the period after existing facilities were reduced using consideration received from the sale of the Carr’s Billington business.

The Group’s adjusted profit before tax was unchanged at £5.6m (H1 2023 restated: £5.6m). Adjusted earnings per share decreased by 4.0% to 4.8p (H1 2023: restated 5.0p).

Adjusting items

The Group provides the adjusted profit measures referred to above to present additional useful information on business performance consistent with how business performance is measured internally. These measures show underlying profits before certain adjusting items. Adjusting items related to continuing operations during the period were a net charge before tax of £2.2m (H1 2023: £0.6m), with full details included in note 8.

Statutory results

Reported operating profit on a statutory basis was £3.5m (H1 2023 restated: £5.2m) and reported profit before tax was £3.4m (H1 2023 restated: £5.0m). Basic earnings per share on a statutory basis was 3.0p (H1 2023: restated 4.5p).

Balance sheet and cash flow

Net cash generated from operating activities in continuing operations in the first half was £5.5m (H1 2023: £3.6m). Cash generated from continuing operations in the period of £4.3m was ahead of the same period last year (cash generated of £4.0m).

Excluding leases, the Group moved from net cash of £4.2m at the financial year end to net cash of £8.0m at 29 February 2024. This change has been driven by receipt of the £4.0m deferred consideration related to the sale of the Carr’s Billington Agriculture business.

The Group’s defined benefit pension scheme remains in surplus, with a balance of £5.9m compared to £5.3m at 2 September 2023.  The Trustees are in discussion with insurers regarding a potential buy-in of the scheme.

Shareholders’ equity at 29 February 2024 was £107.7m (2 September 2023: £107.9m).

An interim dividend of 2.35 pence per ordinary share will be paid on 5 June 2024 to shareholders on the register on 3 May 2024. The ex-dividend date will be 2 May 2024. The increased dividend of 2.35p reflects the previously announced updated policy of a single interim dividend and final rather than two interims and final dividend.

Outlook

Trading conditions in agriculture remain challenging, particularly in the US. The Board expects this to continue through the current financial year, while retaining confidence in prospects improving in the medium to long term. Our short-term focus is on ensuring that performance is optimised during persistently challenging conditions whilst making the changes necessary to deliver longer term value creation. The Engineering Division delivered a strong first half performance, building on FY23. The Board remains confident that order book levels will enable year on year growth during FY24, while also providing confidence beyond the current financial year.  Board expectations for FY24 remain unchanged.

Principal risks and uncertainties

The Group has a process in place to identify and assess the impact of risks on its business, which is reviewed and updated regularly. The principal risks and uncertainties for the remainder of the financial year are not considered to have changed materially from those included on pages 20 to 23 of the Annual Report and Accounts 2023 (available on the Company’s website at http://investors.carrsgroup.com).