REG - Autins Group PLC - Year-end Trading & Business Update

AutinsAnnouncement

05/05/2026 07:00

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RNS Number : 8941C  Autins Group PLC  05 May 2026

Autins Group plc

("Autins", the "Company" or the "Group")

Year-end Trading & Business Update

Strong Strategic Progress, Major Contract Wins and Substantial Margin Expansion

Autins Group plc (AIM: AUTG), the UK and European-based manufacturer of its
proprietary Neptune melt-blown material and specialist in acoustic and thermal
insulation solutions, provides a trading update for the year ended 31 March
2026 ("FY26"). The Company is pleased to report a year of substantial
strategic progress, decisive margin expansion and significant new contract
wins, with the Group returning to net profit for the first time since 2017.

FY26 Highlights: A Return to Net Profit

The Group has delivered a positive performance and tangible strategic progress
in a challenging market, with profitability metrics moving sharply in the
right direction.  Underlying numbers are as follows:

•    A return to net profit of £0.17 million (12 months to 31 March
2025: £1.2 million loss), a year-on-year improvement of more than £1.37
million, with momentum accelerating into the second half as operational
efficiencies gained further traction.

•     Earnings per share 0.3p (12 months to 31 March 2025:  loss per
share 2.2p)

•    EBITDA up 71.4% to £2.4 million (12 months to 31 March 2025: £1.4
million), representing 13.6% of sales This is a step-change in operating
profitability.

•    Gross margin expanded 430 basis points to 36.4% (12 months to 31
March 2025: 32.1%), reflecting the success of operational efficiencies and
disciplined commercial execution.

•   Gross profit increased to £6.4 million (12 months to 31 March 2025:
£6.2 million), demonstrating the structural improvements we have made across
our business.

•   Revenue of £17.6 million (12 months to 31 March 2025: £19.3
million), reflecting the well-publicised cyber-attack on the Group's largest
UK customer, together with the delay of certain customer tooling sales.
 Underlying customer demand and order intake remain robust.

 

These results reflect the continued success of the "Survive and Thrive"
strategy, which has driven meaningful margin expansion and operational
improvements across the UK, German and Swedish businesses.

Separate from our underlying results we are recognising non underlying costs
of £807k - this is the direct impact of the disruption caused by the
cyber-attack (£534k) and a one-off cost related to our flooring business in
Germany (£273k).  We have offset these costs with a one-off gain related to
the cessation of a commercial agreement (£802k).

Significant New Contract Wins: Providing Enhanced Multi-Year Revenue Visibility

Throughout the period, Autins has secured a major new wave of contracts that
will materially enhance the Group's revenue visibility, customer
diversification and long-term growth:

•     UK: £12.0 million of new and transfer business, peaking at
approximately £2.4 million per annum. The transfer element is already in
production, providing immediate revenue contribution.

•    Germany: €4.3 million of new business, peaking at approximately
€0.9 million per annum, including a strategic Lightfoam award with a new
customer that opens a meaningful new growth avenue with additional
opportunities in the pipeline.

These awards follow more than two years of focused commercial effort and
reflect growing customer confidence in the Group's technical capabilities,
quality and reliability. Together, they provide a solid platform for sustained
organic growth in the years ahead.

Future financial performance

The Board is now guiding to FY27 revenues of £22 million against market
expectations of £24 million. Reflecting the better than expected efficiency
gains delivered in FY26 rolling into FY27, the Board confirms that its' FY27
EBITDA expectations of £3.1 million are in line with current market
expectations. The Board is now also guiding to FY27 profit after tax of £0.8
million versus current market expectations of £0.7 million.

The Board is guiding to FY28 revenues of £26 million in line with current
market expectations of £25.9 million, with growth against FY27 supported by
the full year benefit of recently secured contracts, particularly for new
platforms supplied from our German and Swedish operations. The Board confirms
that it now expects FY28 EBITDA to be £3.8 million reflecting enhanced
operational leverage, against current market expectations of £3.4 million.
The Board expects this to result in additional substantial contribution to
profit and is therefore now guiding to a FY28 profit after tax of £1.4
million versus current market expectations of £1.0 million.

The Board expects further growth in revenue, EBITDA and profit after tax in
FY29 onwards, substantially underpinned by secured contracts across the
geographies served by the Group.

While risks remain that vehicle production volumes may underperform initial
assumptions, or that certain new platform launches may be delayed, the Board
believes these are well balanced by opportunities for additional transfer
business and further contract awards over the forecast period.

Note: references above to market expectations reflect the Board's
understanding of market expectations for FY27 and FY28 immediately prior to
publication of this announcement.

Industry Consolidation: platform for M&A

The UK automotive supply chain has faced significant headwinds over recent
years. In the past few months, it has become clear that this is now
translating into an accelerating trend of industry consolidation. The Board
believes that, as a direct result of Autins' strategic focus and commercial
restructuring over the past few years, the Group is well placed to capture
further growth opportunities arising from consolidation situations within the
UK supply chain with the potential for additional, immediate sales uplift.

Disciplined Balance Sheet Management:

The Group has continued to meet all its borrowing obligations through the
year. Only one further repayment of £144,000 remains on the Group's CBILS
facility with HSBC, due July 2026 after which this legacy facility will be
fully discharged.

Net debt at the year-end stood at approximately £1.6 million (31 March 2025:
£1.1 million), the movement principally reflecting the working capital impact
of the customer cyber-attack referenced above. With improving profitability
and disciplined cash management, the Board expects net debt to trend downwards
as the new business wins ramp up.

Outlook: Entering the Growth Phase

Having successfully navigated a period of well-publicised industry headwinds,
the Group has moved to the "Thrive" element of its "Survive and Thrive"
strategy and is fully focused on delivering sustainable, profitable growth.

With an expanded and more resilient order book, embedded operational
efficiencies, a structurally stronger gross margin and a deleveraging balance
sheet, Autins is well placed to capitalise on its strengthened market
position. While the European automotive sector remains subject to
macroeconomic and geopolitical volatility, the Board is confident that the
combination of new business momentum, margin discipline and financial
flexibility will enable the Group to deliver long-term value for shareholders.

All figures are unaudited. The Group expects to publish its audited FY26
results on or around 30 June 2026. Further details on the next phase of the
Group's growth strategy will be provided when the FY26 results are published.

Andy Bloomer, Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"I am delighted with the trading update we provide today. The Group has
achieved its first  net profit since 2017 - this is a fantastic achievement
by the entire Autins team.

The Group has shown tremendous resilience and commercial focus in the last 12
months, winning the trust of both existing and new customers through
consistent delivery and innovation and we now enter a profitable growth phase.
We're well positioned, with good visibility on future revenues as new
contracts come through, and we remain focused on delivering sustainable value
over the medium term.

 

Despite the existing and new headwinds in the automotive industry and wider
economic climate, the outlook for Autins is positive and we look forward to
updating the market as these new programmes ramp up."

 

For further information please contact:

 Autins Group plc

 Andy Bloomer, Chief Executive    Via Singer Capital Markets

 Adam Attwood, Chairman

 Des Dimitrov, CFO

 Singer Capital Markets           Tel: 020 7496 3000

 (Nominated Adviser and Broker)

 Peter Steel

 Sara Hale

 James Todd

 Anastassiya Eley

 

About Autins

 

Autins is a UK and continental Europe based industrial materials
technology business that specialises in the design, manufacture, and supply of
acoustic and thermal products. Its key markets are automotive, flooring,
office furniture and commercial vehicles where it supplies products and
services to more than 160 customer locations across Europe.

 

Autins is the UK and European manufacturer of the proprietary Neptune
melt-blown material and specialises in the design, manufacture, and supply of
acoustic and thermal insulation solutions.

 

 

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