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RNS Number : 4688Z

Trinity Mirror PLC

15 December 2017

15 December 2017

Trinity Mirror plc

Trading Update

We continue to make progress against our strategic initiatives whilst supporting profits and delivering strong cash flows which will contribute to a further fall in net debt. The Board expects performance* for the year to be in line with expectations.

Group revenue** on a like for like basis is expected to fall by 9% in the fourth quarter. We experienced improving trends in publishing digital display and transactional revenues which are expected to grow by 20% in the final quarter, which is offset by expected declines in print advertising and circulation revenue of 21% and 7% respectively. Classified publishing digital revenue, which is substantially jointly sold with print, remains under pressure reducing expected publishing digital revenue growth for the quarter to 10%.

Share buyback

During November 2017, the Group completed the GBP10 million share repurchase programme announced in August 2016. The Group acquired a total of 10 million shares.

Triennial Pension Funding Valuations

The 31 December 2016 triennial pension funding valuations have progressed well during the year and we expect these to be finalised ahead of the statutory deadline of 31 March 2018. We have agreed with the Trustees that annual contributions to the three pension schemes will increase by GBP8 million to GBP44 million per annum for a period of 10 years commencing 2018. The increase in annual contributions reflects the increase in deficits since the last valuation which has been largely driven by the fall in long term interest rates.

Proposed acquisition of 100% of the publishing assets of Northern & Shell

Further to the update on 9 October 2017, we continue to make good progress with the proposed acquisition of 100% of the publishing assets of Northern & Shell. Further updates will be provided as and when appropriate.

Enquiries

 
 Trinity Mirror                  Brunswick 
  020 7293 3553                   020 7404 5959 
 Simon Fox, Chief Executive      Nick Cosgrove, Partner 
  Vijay Vaghela, Group Finance    William Medvei, Director 
  Director

The statement on future performance is given as at the date of this announcement and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and actual results and events could differ materially from those currently being anticipated as reflected in the statement. The Company undertakes no obligation to update this forward-looking statement.

-- On an adjusted basis excluding non-recurring items, restructuring charges in respect of cost reduction measures, the amortisation of intangible assets, the pension administrative expenses, the retranslation of foreign currency borrowings, the impact of fair value changes on derivative financial instruments, the pension finance charge and the impact of tax legislation changes.

** The like for like trends for 2017 exclude from the 2016 comparative: the extra week of trading in 2016, the Independent print and distribution contract which ceased in April 2016, Rippleffect which was sold in August 2016, the four Metros handed back to DMGT and other portfolio changes.

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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December 15, 2017 02:00 ET (07:00 GMT)

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