EKF Diagnostics Holdings PLC Trading Update & Structure Update (6548E)
May 10 2017 - 2:00AM
UK Regulatory
TIDMEKF
RNS Number : 6548E
EKF Diagnostics Holdings PLC
10 May 2017
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes
of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (MAR).
EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc
("EKF", the "Company")
Trading update &
Update re: possible demerger and share buyback
EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc (AIM: EKF), the AIM listed
point-of-care business, wishes to update shareholders on its
current trading and the proposals it set out in its announcement on
20 March 2017.
Trading update
The Company is pleased to announce that trading in the first
quarter of the current financial year was comfortably ahead of
budget. The strong start to the financial year is entirely
attributable to organic growth. However, whilst the Board remain
optimistic about the Company's prospects for the full year, there
can be no guarantee that this will continue for the remainder of
the year given the relatively short lead time on new orders.
In addition, as anticipated in its announcement on 9 January
2017, the Company was net cash positive in the first quarter of the
2017 financial year following continued strong cash generation.
Possible demerger and share buyback
The Directors are continuing to evaluate plans under which they
would split the Company into two separate legal entities based on
the business divisions, namely Point of Care and Lab Diagnostics.
As previously announced, whilst both these business divisions are
valuable in their own right, the Directors consider that separating
them into distinct legal entities represents a better route for
shareholders and one under which they are more likely to achieve a
fair reflection of the value of each separate business.
Whilst tax advice and work on the possible deal structure is
ongoing, it is the Board's latest understanding that the demerger
can be carried out at subsidiary level and therefore, initially at
least, remain within the existing EKF group. EKF Diagnostics plc
will remain as the ultimate parent company of both legal entities
and importantly also remain quoted on AIM. Further, whilst the
initial demerger can be carried out intra-group, the Board's
current expectation is that the Lab Diagnostics business will
nevertheless be spun-out of the EKF Group at an appropriate
point.
The Company continues to evaluate the possibility of a share
buyback offer to shareholders at 21.5p enabling them to exit their
shareholding in cash. However, in view of the fact that the current
advice is suggesting that EKF can, for the time being at least,
remain both the ultimate parent of both business divisions and
quoted on AIM, the original purpose of the proposed share buyback,
namely to provide a potential exit for shareholders that could not
or did not wish to hold shares in private companies, now seems less
important. Accordingly, the Board is now contemplating a more
limited share buyback offer of up to 15% of the Company's current
issued share capital.
There can of course be no guarantee that the above proposals,
including any share buyback, will be capable of being completed in
the manner currently anticipated. Further announcements will be
made at the appropriate time.
EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc www.ekfdiagnostics.com
Christopher Mills, Non-Executive Tel: 029 2071 0570
Chairman
Julian Baines, CEO
Richard Evans, FD & COO
N+1 Singer (Nomad & Broker) Tel: 020 7496 3000
Alex Price / Shaun Dobson
/ Ali Laughton-Scott
Walbrook PR Limited Tel: 020 7933 8780 or ekf@walbrookpr.com
Paul McManus / Lianne Cawthorne Mob: 07980 541 893 / 07584 391 303
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
TSTSSDFMUFWSESI
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 10, 2017 02:00 ET (06:00 GMT)
Ekf Diagnostics (LSE:EKF)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Ekf Diagnostics (LSE:EKF)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024