FFastFill is the leading SaaS Provider for trading and risk management serving the electronic trading community.

Preliminary results for the year ended 31 March 2006

FFastFill FFastFill plc (‘FFastFill’ or the ‘Company’), the leading provider of application services to the global derivatives community, announces its preliminary results for the year ended 31 March 2006.

Highlights
  • Achieved a turnover of £4.753 million (£4.327 million)
    -Continuing operations revenue growth of 18.7 %
    -Application services grew by 119% to £2.361 million
  • EBITDA loss in the period at £2.450 million (2005/6 £2.260 million)
  • Cash balance at 31March 2006 was £1.230 million (2004/5 £0.911million). We have also announced a £1.4 million placement subject to an EGM on 31 May
  • Grew our application services global banking customer base, including increasing our CME/ FX on Reuters customer base to seven global banks
  • Successfully launched our TT service in Chicago and now have six customers including two global banks
  • Achieved an order book of over £5 million to support the current year revenue

Commenting on the results, Keith Todd, Executive Chairman of FFastFill, said:
'I am pleased to report another year of progress in delivering our strategy to become the leading provider of application services to the futures industry. With a strong order book, a portfolio of strong service offerings and a customer base of over 40 companies we are well placed to achieve EBITDA profitability.'

The full chairman’s statement and preliminary results are included below.

For further information, please contact:
FFastFill plc

Keith Todd, Executive Chairman - Tel: (0207) 665 8900

Rostron Parry - Tel: (0207) 490 8062
John Parry

 

Chairman Statement

 

Introduction
I am pleased to report another year of progress in delivering our strategy to become the leading provider of application services (ASP) to the futures industry. During the past 12 months we have achieved.

  • Turnover of £4.753 million (£4.327 million)
    -Continuing operations revenue growth of 18.7 %
    -Application services growth of 119% to £2.361 million
  • Increased our CME/ FX on Reuters customer base to seven global banks
  • Successfully launched our TT service in Chicago and now have six customers including two global banks.
  • An order book of over £5 million to support current year revenue

Financial results for the year 2005/6
Full year revenue grew to £4.753 million (2004/5 £4.327 million). Continuing operations revenue was £4.753 million (2004/5 £4.004million), up 18.7%. Application Services revenue at £2.361 million (2004/5 £1.048 million) now accounts for 50% of our total revenue.

The revenue growth has been achieved by increasing the average income per customer and the increase in the number of customers to over 40. Our top 20 customers account for approximately 90% of revenue, and their average income is now £232k per customer, a growth of 16%.

During the year, we achieved new customer wins for our application services in addition to the major TT application service contract wins. There was delay in some contract signings, most of which have now been achieved, as well as some delay in user number growth under existing contracts. The CME FX on Reuters service growth is expected to improve following the recent launch of an enhanced version of the service.

The investment in technology and service offerings, combined with delays in signing new customers, has had a short-term negative impact on the company’s financial performance in the year ended 31 March 2006; however the Board is convinced that this investment will benefit shareholders in the medium and long term.

The EBITDA loss in the period at £2.450 million (2005/6 £2.260 million) increased due to the heavy investment in our service development programme including software development and operational delivery capability ahead of contract wins. We now have available a highly competitive range of services that are delivered from our three data centres in London and Chicago and supported 24 hours a day, 5.5 days a week. The increased Pre-tax loss of £3.328 million (2004/5 £2.879 million) was the result of the lower EBITDA and a higher depreciation charge.

We have continued to maintain a rigorous control of costs. However costs were increased in order to expand our delivery capability and to complete the development of a number of service offerings. We have recently re-organised our approach to customer management as our business has become increasingly centred on global customers. As a result of this we have been able to reduce cost by eliminating some overlapping activities. This cost reduction, together with other reductions achieved, means that we start the current year with a lower monthly cost base than that which we incurred on average during last year. We are not expecting any significant change in staffing numbers during the current year.

Cash outflow from operating activities was £2.162 million (2004/5 £2.859 million). This improvement was due to reduced working capital requirements. Capital expenditure was £1.171 million (2004/5 £1.138 million) in support of the additional data centre and customer contracts. £759k was financed as part of a customer backed finance lease.

The cash balance at 31 March 2006 was £1.230 million (2004/5 £911k). We have also announced a £1.4m placement subject to an EGM on 31 May 2006.



Operational review

Strategy: Our core application services strategy has remained unchanged; we have however expanded the breadth of the ASP offering to include a third party product, our multi asset class execution capability and our strengthened order book.

Business Development: We are seeing significant progress in our ability to win new global customers and to expand the business we do with these large banks. The combination of our offerings, the increased acceptance of our application services approach and our reputation are underpinning this progress.

We launched the TT service in October in Chicago and this has led to a number of wins including two global banks. These contracts have demonstrated the value of our strategy to offer third party products as part of our service offering.

We recently announced three new services to complement our existing ASP trade execution service and Reuters CME service.

European based TT service: We will be launching a London-based service which will be available from July 2006. This will allow us to support the European operations of existing US TT service customers with a European-based offering and will open up new opportunities for London-based trading firms.

Multi-asset class trading service: We have now completed the development of our multi-asset class trading system. This will allow firms who predominantly trade listed derivatives to also trade foreign exchange, equities, contracts for difference and bonds via their FFastFill execution screen.

New generation ‘Global Order Book’: We announced the availability of the first phase of a new generation of global order book which the board believe will substantially improve order and risk management for participants in the derivatives industry. New functionality will be released during 2006/7 which will include the integration of traditional clearing functionality.

Staff: We could not have achieved the progress we have made without the skill and commitment of our teams in London, Chicago and Prague. The board and I would like to thank them for their dedication and commitment.

Governance
The board consist of two executive directors and four non executive directors, three of whom are independent. During the year Mr Jim Oliff has become a part time non executive director but remains joint deputy chairman. The senior independent non-executive is Mr Nigel McCorkell who is also a joint deputy chairman.

Outlook
Whilst delays in signing new customers together with the investment made in expanding our service offerings have adversely affected our financial results for the year ended 31 March 2006, the Board is convinced that this investment will benefit shareholders in the medium and long term.

FFastFill now has a strong order book of over £5 million. The Directors believe that this order book, together with the substantial completion of the company’s investment programme and the implementation of various cost reduction measures, position the company well to achieve EBITDA profitability. The Directors believe that the funds raised via the placing will be sufficient to achieve this goal.

Keith Todd
Executive Chairman
24 May 2006

 


CONSOLIDATED PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT
for the period ended 31 March 2006


Notes




Unaudited

Audited



2006

2005



£’000

£’000

£’000

£’000







Turnover






- continuing operations


4,753


4,004


- discontinued operations


-


323





4,753


4,327







Administrative expenses






- exceptional



-


(92)

- other



(8,160)


(7,035)







Other operating income



31


51







Operating loss






- continuing operations


(3,286)


(2,507)


- discontinued operations


-


(242)





(3,376)


(2,749)

Exceptional items –






reorganisation costs



-


(219)







Interest receivable and similar






income



83


99







Interest payable and similar charges



(35)


(10)







Loss on ordinary activities






before taxation



(3,328)


(2,879)







Tax on loss on ordinary activities



(8)


(7)







Loss on ordinary activities after






taxation



(3,336)


(2,886)







Minority interest



-


4







Loss for the financial year






attributable to shareholders



(3,336)


(2,882)







Basic and diluted loss per share

2


(1.43p)


( 1.60p)



CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF TOTAL RECOGNISED GAINS AND LOSSES
for the period ended 31 March 2005


Unaudited

Audited


2006

2005


£’000

£’000




Loss for the financial year

(3,336)

(2,882)




Currency translation differences on foreign currency net



investments

(11)

(83)




Total recognised gains and losses relating to the year

(3,347)

(2,965)






CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
as at 31 March 2006


Notes

Unaudited

Audited



2006

2005



£’000

£’000





Fixed assets




Intangible asset


1,680

1,799

Tangible assets


1,566

1,139







3,246

2,938





Current assets




Debtors


1,011

2,666

Cash at bank and in hand


1,230

911







2,241

3,577





Creditors: amounts falling due within one year


(1,940)

(1,978)





Net current assets


301

1,599





Total assets less current liabilities


3,547

4,537

Creditors: amounts falling due more than one year


(360)

-





Deferred income


(930)

(1,953)





Net assets


2,257

2,584





Capital and reserves




Called up share capital

3

2,427

1,949

Share premium account

3

25,706

23,156

Other reserves

3

235

235

Merger reserve

3

890

890

Profit and loss account

3

(27,001)

(23,654)





Equity shareholders’ funds

3

2,257

2,576





Minority interest


-

8





Total capital employed


2,257

2,584



CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT
for the period ended 31 March 2006


 




Notes

Unaudited

Audited



2006

2005



£’000

£’000





Net cash outflow from operating activities

A

(2,162)

(2,859)





Returns on investments and servicing of finance




Interest received


83

99

Interest element of finance lease payments


(35)

(10)





Net cash inflow from returns on investments and




servicing of finance


48

89





Taxation




Overseas tax paid


(6)

(7)





Capital expenditure




Purchase of tangible fixed assets


(1,171)

(1,138)





Acquisitions




Purchase of subsidiary undertakings


-

(36)

Net cash acquired with subsidiary undertaking


-

75





Net cash inflow from acquisitions


-

39





Cash outflow before financing


(3,291)

(3,876)





Financing




Issue of ordinary shares


3,020

3,821

Sale and leaseback


759

-

Capital element of finance lease payments


(169)

(1)





Net cash inflow from financing


3,610

3,820





Increase/(decrease) in cash

B

319

(56)



NOTES TO THE CASH FLOW STATEMENT
for the year ended 31 March 2006

A. Reconciliation of operating loss to operating cash flow


Unaudited

Audited


2006

2005

 

£’000

£’000




Operating loss

(3,376)

(2,749)

Reorganisation costs of subsidiaries acquired



during the year

-

(177)

Depreciation

744

359

Amortisation of goodwill

182

130

Foreign exchange translation differences

(11)

32

Decrease/(increase) in debtors

1,767

(1,218)

(Decrease)/increase in creditors

(1,468)

764




Net cash outflow from operating activities

(2,162)

(2,859)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B. Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net funds


2006

2005


£’000

£’000




Increase/(decrease) in cash in the year

319

(56)

Sale and leaseback

759

-

Repayment of finance leases

(169)

1

 




Change in net funds resulting from cash flows

909

(55)

 




Net funds at beginning of year

911

966

 




Net funds at end of year

1,820

911



NOTES TO THE INTERIM RESULTS

1. Accounting policies
Basis of accounting
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with applicable accounting standards.

Basis of consolidation
The consolidated accounts incorporate those of FFastFill plc and all of its subsidiary undertakings. Subsidiaries acquired during the year are consolidated using the acquisition method. Their results are incorporated from the date that control passes. All subsidiaries have accounting year ends of 31 March 2006.

Going concern
During the year the group made losses of £3.3 million (2005: £2.9 million) and had net assets at 31 March 2006 of £2.3 million (2005: £2.6 million).

As a result of winning a number of significant new customers during the year, the group’s order book of recurring and run-rate revenue at the end of March was over £5 million. This has already increased further in the period since the end of the year and the group has a strong pipeline of further business from both current and new customers. During the year the group substantially completed its investment programme and the directors have also implemented a number of cost reduction measures.

In addition, since the year end, the company has raised £1.4 million (before expenses) by the placing of 46,669,000 new ordinary shares of 1p, at 3p per share. This placing of shares is subject to EGM approval on 31 May 2006. The company will use the net proceeds to provide further working capital and strengthen the company’s balance sheet.

On this basis, the directors have prepared the accounts on the going concern basis. The accounts do not include any adjustments that would arise if this basis were inappropriate.

2. Loss per share and diluted loss per share
Loss per share is calculated by dividing the loss attributable to ordinary shareholders for each year amounting to £3,336,000 (2005: £2,882,000) for the year ended 31 March 2006 by 233,676,355 (2005: 181,494,031), being the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during each year.

For the purposes of dilution, share options are non-dilutive.

3.Statement of movement on shareholders’ funds



Share



Profit

Share-


Share

premium

Other

Merger

and loss

holders’


capital

account

reserves

reserve

account

funds


£’000

£’000

£’000

£’000

£’000

£’000








At 1 April 2005




 


 



(audited)

1,949

23,156

235

890

(23,654)

2,576

Loss for the period

-

-

-

-

(3,336)

(3,336)

Issue of shares

478

2,658

-

-

-

3,136

Share issue costs

-

(108)

-

-

-

(108)

Foreign exchange







movement

-

-

-

-

(11)

(11)








At 31 March 2006







(unaudited)

2,427

25,706

235

890

(27,001)

2,257


4. Financial information
The financial information set out in this report does not constitute statutory accounts as defined in section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. The financial information for the year ended 31 March 2006 is unaudited. Information in respect of the year end 31 March 2005 is extracted from the statutory accounts for that year. The auditors’ report on those accounts was unqualified and did not contain a statement under section 237(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 1985.

4. Dividend
The directors are not declaring a dividend.