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REG-Britvic plc Britvic plc Final Results

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Britvic plc (BVIC )
Britvic plc Final Results

20-Nov-2024 / 07:00 GMT/BST

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                      Britvic plc Preliminary Results – 20 November 2024

                             For the year ended 30 September 2024

                              ‘’Another outstanding performance”

Group Financial Headlines:

  • Revenue increased 9.5%1  to £1,899.0 million  (statutory increased 8.6%),  driven by  both
    price/mix and volume
  • Adjusted EBIT2 increased 15.2%1  to £250.9 million  (statutory increased 14.9%),  reported
    EBIT3 increased 12.6%1
  • Adjusted EBIT margin increased 60bps1 to 13.2% (statutory increased 70bps)

       ◦ Adjusting EBIT items2 net charge of £46.9 million, of which £38.7million was non-cash
         and £21.3 million related to the proposed Carlsberg transaction

  • Profit after tax increased 1.8%1 (statutory increased 1.5%) to £125.8 million
  • Adjusted earnings per share of 69.5p, increased 13.9%

  • Adjusted net debt to EBITDA at 1.98x

  • Full year dividend 34.5p, including a 25 pence per share dividend payable on completion of
    the acquisition of Britvic by Carlsberg

 

Operational Highlights:

  • Strong demand for portfolio  of family favourite brands,  including Pepsi, Tango,  Lipton,
    MiWadi and Ballygowan
  • Step-change  performance  in  Brazil,  with  established  and  acquired  brands  in   high
    double-digit revenue growth
  • Successfully scaling  our new  growth brands,  Plenish, Jimmy’s,  Aqua Libra,  and  London
    Essence to build scale in fast-growing categories
  • A 30.9%1 increase in A&P spend to support long-term brand growth
  • New growth capacity added across our markets with new lines in GB, Ireland and Brazil
  • Continued focus on healthier people with great tasting low calorie drinks, with an average
    of only 21 calories per serve
  • Promoting a healthier planet, through investment in decarbonisation and water  stewardship
    programmes

 

                            Year ended      Year ended                            Adjusted
                                                               % change
                           30 September    30 September                           % change
                                                            actual exchange
                               2024            2023                               constant
                                                           rate (statutory)
                                £m              £m                             exchange rate1
Revenue                       1,899.0         1,748.6            8.6%

Adjusted EBIT                  250.9           218.4             14.9%

Adjusted EBIT margin           13.2%           12.5%             70bps
                                                                                    9.5%
Adjusting EBIT items 2        (46.9)          (36.9)            (27.1)%
                                                                                   15.2%
Reported EBIT                  204.0           181.5             12.4%
                                                                                   60bps
Reported EBIT margin           10.7%           10.4%             30bps
                                                                                  (28.1)%
Profit after tax               125.8           124.0             1.5%
                                                                                   12.6%
Basic EPS                      50.8p           48.3p             5.2%
                                                                                   30bps
Adjusted basic EPS             69.5p           61.0p             13.9%
                                                                                    1.8%
Full year dividend per         34.5p           30.8p             12.0%
share
                               1.98x           1.94x               -
Adjusted net debt/EBITDA
                               19.4%           17.9%            150bps
ROIC
See glossary on pages 29-30 for definitions of performance measures and the appendix of
non-GAAP reconciliations on page 26 for the reconciliation of alternative performance measures
to IFRS measures.

 1. Adjusted for constant currency.
 2. Adjusting measures  are defined  and reconciled  to reported  measures on  page 26.  Total
    adjusting items were £48.0 million, of which £46.9 million are EBIT-related (year ended 30
    September 2023: £36.9 million).
 3. Reported measures include the effect of adjusting items

 

 

Simon Litherland, Chief Executive Officer commented:

“We have  delivered another  excellent financial  performance this  year, with  strong  growth
across our markets and portfolio  of market-leading brands. We  have also continued to  ensure
the business  is fit  for  the future,  adding  more capacity,  investing  in our  people  and
significantly increasing investment in marketing and innovation. I am extremely proud of  what
we have achieved,  and I thank  the entire Britvic  team for their  commitment and passion  to
deliver such  a great  result  in a  challenging environment.  Subject  to approval  from  the
regulatory authorities, we anticipate that the  acquisition by Carlsberg will complete in  the
first quarter  of 2025.  I am  confident that  the prospects  for our  brands and  people  are
extremely positive, and I look forward to them going from strength to strength.”

For further information please contact:

Investors:                                          
Rebecca Napier (Chief Financial Officer)           +44 (0) 1442 284330
Steve Nightingale (Director of Investor Relations) +44 (0) 7808 097784

 

Media:                                         
Marie-Pierre Burgess (Head of Communications) +44 (0) 7834 962942
Stephen Malthouse (Headland)                  +44 (0) 7734 956201

 

There will be a recorded webcast of  the presentation published at 9.30am by Simon  Litherland
(Chief Executive Officer) and  Rebecca Napier (Chief Financial  Officer). The webcast will  be
available at www.britvic.com/investors with a transcript available in due course.

 

About Britvic

Britvic is an international  soft drinks business,  rich in history  and heritage. Founded  in
England in the 1930s, it has grown into  a global organisation with 39 much-loved brands  sold
in over 100 countries. The  company combines its own  leading brand portfolio including  Fruit
Shoot, Robinsons, Tango,  J2O, London  Essence, Teisseire,  Plenish, Jimmy’s  Iced Coffee  and
MiWadi with PepsiCo brands such  as Pepsi, 7UP and Lipton  Ice Tea which Britvic produces  and
sells in Great Britain and Ireland under exclusive PepsiCo agreements.

Britvic is the largest supplier of branded still  soft drinks in Great Britain and the  number
two supplier of branded carbonated soft drinks in Great Britain. Britvic is an industry leader
in the island of Ireland with brands such as MiWadi and Ballygowan, in France with brands such
as Teisseire, Pressade and Moulin de Valdonne and in its growth market, Brazil, with  Maguary,
Bela Ischia, Extra  Power and Dafruta.  Britvic is  growing its reach  into other  territories
through franchising, export, and licensing.

Britvic is a purpose-driven organisation  with a clear vision and  a clear set of values.  Our
purpose, vision and values  sit at the heart  of our company, driving  us forward together  to
create a better tomorrow. We want to contribute positively to the people and world around  us.
This means ensuring that our sustainable  business practices, which we call Healthier  People,
Healthier Planet, are embedded in every element of our business strategy.

Britvic is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the code BVIC and is a constituent of the
FTSE 250 index. Find out more at  1 Britvic.com

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

This announcement  includes statements  that are  forward-looking in  nature.  Forward-looking
statements involve known and  unknown risks, uncertainties and  other factors which may  cause
the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Group to be materially different  from
any future results, performance or achievements  expressed or implied by such  forward-looking
statements. Except as required by the Listing Rules and applicable law, Britvic undertakes  no
obligation to update  or change  any forward-looking  statements to  reflect events  occurring
after the date such statements are published.

 

 

Market data

Great Britain take-home market data  referred to in this  announcement is supplied by  Nielsen
and runs to 21 September  2024. ROI take-home market data  referred to is supplied by  Nielsen
and runs  to 8  September 2024.  French market  data is  supplied by  Nielsen and  runs to  22
September 2024.

 

                               Chief Executive Officer’s Review

Performance highlights

Today, we present our results for the year ending 30 September 2024. It's a year of which we
can be exceptionally proud, as Britvic has not only delivered its best-ever financial
performance but also made significant strides in our strategic priorities. The Britvic team
has once again demonstrated their unwavering commitment to our overarching ambitions, even in
the face of challenging markets and a prospective change of ownership, with the proposed
acquisition of Britvic by Carlsberg Group. I want to publicly acknowledge the Britvic team’s
efforts, which have been instrumental in our outstanding performance.

Overall, revenue is ahead of last year by +9.5% (+8.6% on a statutory basis), at £1,899.0
million. Encouragingly, this was achieved through growth in both volume and price/mix,
reflecting strong consumer demand for our brands and appropriate revenue growth management
actions. Volume increased +3.1%, driven by both organic growth and the Extra Power and Jimmy’s
brand acquisitions. Average Realised Price grew +6.2%, benefiting from price realisation and
positive pack and brand mix. We have reported our highest-ever adjusted EBIT, £250.9m, 15.2%
ahead of last year (+14.9% on a statutory basis), with adjusted EBIT margin of 13.2%, 60 basis
points (bps) ahead of last year (+70bps on a statutory basis). Profit after tax increased 1.8%
(1.5% on a statutory basis) to £125.8 million. Our outstanding holistic performance, detailed
in our annual report, is even more impressive given the challenging summer weather conditions
across Great Britain and our European markets.

At the same time, total A&P spending increased by 30.9% to £87.2m, as we continued to invest
in the equity of our brand portfolio.

Our disciplined approach to cash has enabled us to invest in the business for sustainable
growth. We have continued to invest in our people and planet programmes, demonstrating our
commitment to sustainability, while building capacity and investment in technology. We have
also used the cash to acquire Extra Power in Brazil and to increase shareholder returns
through our dividend policy and the share buyback programme, which was suspended following the
announcement of the proposed acquisition of Britvic plc by the Carlsberg Group towards the end
of the year, a process that is ongoing at the time of writing.

Irrespective of the outcome of this process, I remain confident of Britvic's current and
future prospects, driven by our compelling and proven growth algorithm.

Our compelling approach to growth

In our 2023 preliminary results and strategy presentation, we shared our growth algorithm, as
a framework of where we believed our future revenue growth and category outperformance would
come from. The growth accelerators we identified were:

  • Outperforming the market with our broad portfolio of family favourite brands
  • Double-digit growth in Brazil
  • Strong double-digit growth in new growth brands such as Plenish, Jimmy’s, Aqua Libra and
    London Essence
  • Underpinned by underlying category volume growth and price/mix

 

This year, we have made excellent progress against these opportunities, with revenues growing
across our portfolio of family favourite brands by +5.5%, Brazil by +35.3% and new growth
brands by +52.1%.  Our growth strategy has underpinned this success, providing us with a clear
framework for sustainable performance. Each market has an important role: with Great Britain
to lead market growth, Brazil to accelerate and expand our presence, in other international
markets to globalise our premium brands, and to improve profitability in Western Europe.

Market highlights

Great Britain

Our performance in Great Britain has been strong, with robust volume growth and favourable
price/mix. The volume growth was driven by the retail channel, with a weaker hospitality
channel. From a revenue perspective, both channels delivered revenue growth, as did our owned
and PepsiCo brands. Encouragingly, we have delivered volume growth across all quarters, with
quarter four volume +2.0%, despite the poor summer weather.

Investment in our supply chain continued this year. In the spring, we commissioned another can
line to enable us to unlock consumer demand through increased capacity and access margin
benefits by bringing the production of certain co-packed products in-house. In August, we
completed a £25 million upgrade investment in our national distribution centre in Lutterworth,
Leicestershire. This state-of-the-art, lights-out facility now boasts 17 new automatic cranes,
18 despatch lanes, and 20 automated cars, enhancing our capacity to move 600 pallets an hour.

In March, we activated the unmissable brand refresh of Pepsi, which was supported by a
significant increase in investment behind a nationwide 360-degree marketing campaign,
including billboards, digital takeovers, in-store activation, a new bold TV advertisement and
engaging social media content. Pepsi MAX continued its successful association with Champions
League football, adding new signings such as Jack Grealish and Leah Williamson as brand
ambassadors. May also saw the launch of the limited-edition Pepsi Electric, a zesty, citrus
cola with a striking blue liquid.

Tango continued to excite consumers with great-tasting, sugar-free innovation. In August,
Tango brought back, by popular demand, a new and improved sugar-free Cherry flavour and
launched a bold new advertising campaign, "Warden," supported by social content across
Instagram and out-of-home activation.

Robinsons continued its association with The Hundred Cricket, rolling out an on-pack promotion
across the squash range for the first time alongside the ready-to-drink format. Robinsons
expanded its cordials range with two exciting new flavours, Elderflower and Ginger & Orange.

We have also successfully delivered significant growth in our emerging categories this year.
Plenish, our plant-based milk and shots brand, had an excellent year, with revenue +101.6%
compared to last year. The plant-based milk range, unique in its combination of all-natural
organic ingredients, is now the clear number three brand in the category. The Plenish Shots
range benefited from new launches such as Mango Sunshine and Beet Balance, offering consumers
an easy route to improving their nutritional balance through great-tasting products. New Shots
listings have been achieved across retail, grocery, and hospitality channels; distribution has
nearly doubled, and Plenish Shots grew value this year faster than any other shots brand.
Building Plenish brand awareness has extended to TV for the first time, with a six-month
partnership as the sponsor of Channel 4's breakfast programming.

Jimmy's Iced Coffee was acquired last summer, giving us access to the fast-growing cold/hot
drinks category. During the year, we added a larger 380ml BottleCan and a multipack format to
complement the existing pack range. Leveraging our innovation capability, we also launched a
new offering in conjunction with Myprotein and a new limited edition, Cinnamon Roll flavour.
New listings were secured across the Grocery, Hospitality, and Wholesale channels, providing a
solid foundation for the future and driving Jimmy’s brand value growth of +15.0% in the latest
26 weeks, versus category growth of 1.7%.

London Essence has made excellent progress this year, with revenue in Great Britain growing
+37.6% on last year and increased distribution points in retail and hospitality channels. Our
unique offering of premium soft drinks on dispense has resulted in 2,000 Freshly Infused
dispense fountains being installed. In the hospitality channel, we won over 50 new contracts,
including Center Parcs, Barons Pub Company and The Belfry.

Brazil

At the start of the financial year, we completed the acquisition of Extra Power and three
supporting brands to access the high margin and fast-growing energy category. The acquisition
also gave us a more significant presence in the centre-west region. The integration was
completed earlier this year, and we are already realising the anticipated cost synergies and
commercial benefits. It has allowed us to accelerate the presence of our existing brands in
the Goiás region and to roll out the acquired brands into our existing regions.

Performance in Brazil was very strong, with both existing brands and acquired brands
contributing to revenue growth of 35.3%. A combination of factors underpinned the growth. We
have continued to focus on categories and regions which enable us to build scale and grow
profitability. Growth was achieved across our Concentrates range as well as RTD formats such
as Fruit Shoot and Grape juice. We have focused on compelling store execution, increasing
investment in the merchandising team, feature and display, and in-store campaigns. We have
also focused on winning in the stores close to our factories, optimising supply chain costs to
serve, and realising margin benefits.

Building awareness of our brand portfolio has continued this year, with increased A&P spend.
This has included Carnival sponsorship in Rio de Janeiro, music events with Extra Power, and
sports sponsorship, such as encouraging sports among state school children in the Minas Gerais
region and sponsoring volleyball and football teams.

Other International markets

Performance in Ireland remained strong, with revenue up 7.8%, driven by price realisation and
mix, offsetting a modest volume decline of 1.8% in the year. Pepsi and Ballygowan were the
main drivers, with both the core water offering and Hint of Fruit delivering strong growth.
February saw the launch of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for PET bottles and cans in the
Republic of Ireland. As anticipated, we saw a volume decline in the early months following the
scheme's launch. In quarter four however, we saw a return to volume growth, up 5.9% on last
year. At the end of 2023, we completed a supply chain programme to release additional
production capacity in the Irish factories by introducing new work rosters while
simultaneously implementing cost-efficiency savings within the manufacturing and warehouse
operations. This has enabled us to reduce the cost and complexity created by introducing a
DRS. In July, we introduced tethered caps, which align with EU legislation. We also expanded
our production capacity for the fast-growing Ballygowan Hint of Fruit flavoured variant.

In France, volumes declined compared to last year. While branded volumes improved in the
second half of the year, total volume declined as we took a strategic decision to exit private
label contracts, and we faced stiff competition in the juice category. While volume was down,
revenue was slightly up on last year at 0.1%. Brand contribution materially improved due to
the favourable product mix. In the second half of the year, we activated a significant
marketing campaign for the Teisseire brand. As well as TV and social media campaigns, the
brand sponsored the Women's Tour de France, supported by in-store activation and on-pack
promotion of the sponsorship. A&P investment increased by nearly 80% on last year as we
continued to invest in our brands.

In other international markets, Mathieu Teisseire was in strong growth. This was offset by a
softer performance in the USA as Fruit Shoot transitioned to a new bottling partner and some
weakness for our brands in other export markets.

Healthier People, Healthier Planet

Our sustainability strategy, Healthier People, Healthier Planet, is a central and integrated
part of our business strategy. While full details of our Healthier People, Healthier Planet
performance this year can be found on pages 6-9 of the Annual Report, I am particularly proud
of some key highlights.

Healthier People

We continue to build our portfolio of healthier consumer choices, with a range of great
tasting, low calorie offerings, giving us an impressive average of only 21 calories per
serve.  Our people are our biggest asset, and we continue to invest in building capability by
launching new online learning tools and investing in expanded graduate and apprenticeship
schemes across the business to develop the next generation. Our active equity, diversity and
inclusion programme continues and is ably stewarded by our employee-led network groups. We
have supported the team's well-being with an innovative example this year: our partnership
with the award-winning sleep-science experience, the Night Club. They are helping our shift
workers across the supply chain to be happier and healthier at home and work.

In Ireland, MiWadi is celebrating eleven years of supporting its Trick or Treat for Sick
Children campaign, helping raise funds of over €3.9m for sick children, and supporting all
Children's Health Foundation hospitals and urgent care centres.

 

Healthier Planet

This year, we announced a power purchase agreement to deliver clean energy, meaning that 75%
of the National Grid electricity used to make our brands in Great Britain comes from solar
generation, thanks to a 160-acre solar farm in Northamptonshire. At our Beckton site, the heat
recovery system we announced last year is now fully operational, and we anticipate a 50%
reduction in the site's carbon emissions. To date we have reduced our Group carbon emissions
by 35%, in-line with our science-based targets.

In Ireland, Britvic has actively campaigned and supported the introduction of a DRS. Over 600
million drinks containers have been returned since the launch of the Deposit Return Scheme on
February 1, 2024, with over €70,000 raised in deposit donations for the Return for Children
charity initiative.

At our Rugby site, we have invested in new systems for our water processing plant. We can
treat the water used and reduce energy consumption by 60%.  True water stewardship means we
must look beyond our operations to the catchments we operate. Our Astolfo Dutra plant in
Brazil has become the first Britvic manufacturing site to receive the Alliance for Water
Stewardship standard certification.

A track record of generating shareholder value

Since I was appointed CEO in February 2013, following a turbulent period for Britvic plc, the
Group has benefitted from a rejuvenated leadership team and a clear strategy.  We set about
restoring confidence in Britvic, with the ambition of making the business future-fit to win in
a changing world. Since then, I have been consistently proud of what Team Britvic has
achieved. Some key highlights include:

  • The Business Capability Programme investment of c.£250m in our supply chain capacity and
    capability
  • Entering Brazil with the initial acquisition of Ebba and the subsequent expansion of our
    presence in one of the world's largest soft drinks markets
  • Revitalising our owned brands portfolio, including Tango, MiWadi and Robinsons
  • Continuing our long-standing relationship with PepsiCo, with a new 20-year bottling
    agreement
  • Accessing new growth spaces through both innovation and acquisition with brands such as
    Plenish, Aqua Libra, and Jimmy's
  • Leadership in healthier consumer choices by investing in our portfolio of family favourite
    brands that offer great tasting, low-calorie soft drinks that are better for you, with an
    industry-leading 21 average calories per serve
  • Becoming the first UK-listed soft drinks company to sign up to science-based carbon
    reduction targets
  • Building the capability and diversity of the Britvic team to release the company’s full
    potential, and
  • Establishing and maintaining a strong market and stakeholder reputation for delivering on
    our promises and punching above our weight

 

The relentless energy, focus and commitment demonstrated by the Britvic team over these past
12 years have generated superior returns for shareholders. Together, we have delivered Total
Shareholder Returns of 341.8%, significantly outperforming the FTSE350 (105.7%). I am
incredibly proud of what this business has delivered. I sincerely thank the team for their
achievements, just as I thank the Board and our shareholders for their support over the years.
I have every confidence that our brands and our Britvic people will go from strength to
strength in the years ahead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                               Chief Financial Officer’s Review

Overview

 

The Company has delivered  a strong financial  performance this year  across our key  metrics.
Volume increased 3.1% and  positive price strong price/mix  growth delivered Average  Realised
Price (ARP) growth of 6.2%. Consequently, Group revenue increased 9.5% (statutory +8.6%)  year
on year.

 

We delivered our highest ever  adjusted EBIT on record,  increasing by 15.2% (actual  exchange
rate +14.9%) to £250.9  million at an  adjusted EBIT margin of  13.2% (2023: 12.5%).  Adjusted
Earnings Per Share (EPS) increased 13.9% year on year, reflecting the growth in adjusted  EBIT
and the reduction  of the number  of shares in  issuance due to  the share buyback  programme,
which was  suspended following  the announcement  of the  proposed acquisition  of Britvic  by
Carlsberg Group. Basic EPS for the  period was 50.8 pence, an  increase of 5.2% on last  year,
while diluted EPS for the period was 50.2 pence,  an increase of 4.8% on the same period  last
year. This was primarily due to the impact of non-cash adjusting items.

 

Statutory profit after  tax increased 1.8%  from £124.0 million  to £125.8 million.  Adjusting
items totalled £48.0 million, of which £46.9 million are EBIT-related (year ended 30 September
2023: £36.9 million). Costs this year include an impairment on the Norwich site, which  closed
in 2019, and costs related to the acquisition of Britvic by Carlsberg.

 

Our cash performance  remained robust, with  a free cash  flow of £85.5  million, driven by  a
continued focus  on cash  management and  the impact  of an  additional payment  run in  2024.
Consequently, our adjusted net  debt/EBITDA ratio remained broadly  flat at 1.98x. During  the
year, we acquired Extra Power for cash consideration and returned cash to shareholders through
the dividend and share buyback  programme. Subject to the  proposed takeover by the  Carlsberg
Group being successfully completed, shareholders would  receive a special dividend payment  of
25p per Britvic share,  which is expected  to be paid  to shareholders within  14 days of  the
effective date. The Board has  decided not to declare the  normal final dividend as  Carlsberg
reserves the right to decrease the acquisition price for any dividend declared, made, paid  or
that becomes payable  by Britvic on  or prior to  the effective date  (other than the  special
dividend).

 

Below is  a summary  of  the segmental  performance and  explanatory  notes related  to  items
including taxation, interest and free cash flow generation.

 

                                         Year ended   Year ended
                                                                      % change
                                       30 September 30 September
Great Britain                                                           actual
                                               2024         2023
                                                                 exchange rate
                                                 £m           £m
Volume (million litres)                     1,781.9      1,750.2          1.8%
Average Realised Price (ARP) per litre        72.3p        67.9p          6.5%
Revenue                                     1,288.7      1,187.7          8.5%
Brand contribution                            541.2        479.6         12.8%
Brand contribution margin                     42.0%        40.4%        160bps

 

In Great Britain,  revenue increased by  8.5%, with ARP  growth of 6.5%  and volume growth  of
1.8%, an impressive performance against  the backdrop of another  summer of poor weather.  The
ARP growth was driven through a combination of improved mix, price realisation and  optimising
promotional activity. Consequently, brand contribution increased 12.8% and brand  contribution
margin increased 160bps to 42.0%.

 

Both our owned-brand and PepsiCo portfolios were in growth. Pepsi, led by MAX, and Tango  were
the major growth  drivers, with  revenue increasing 7.5%  and 11.1%  respectively. J2O,  Fruit
Shoot and Lipton also enjoyed strong growth.  Robinsons was in modest growth, across both  the
squash and ready to drink ranges, reflecting the  impact on the squash category from the  poor
summer weather.  We continued  to leverage  the strength  of the  Britvic operating  model  to
deliver the potential of new growth spaces. Plenish revenue increased 101.6% and packaged Aqua
Libra increased  109.5%, benefiting  from our  innovation capability,  distribution model  and
strong customer relationships. London Essence revenue increased an impressive 37.6%. This year
also included the first full year benefit of Jimmy’s, which was acquired in July 2023,  giving
us immediate access to the Iced Coffee category.

 

                                         Year ended   Year ended                    Adjusted
                                                                      % change
                                       30 September 30 September                    % change
Brazil                                                                  actual
                                               2024         2023                    constant
                                                                 exchange rate
                                                 £m           £m               exchange rate
Volume (million litres)                       355.0        296.5         19.7%         19.7%
Average Realised Price (ARP) per litre        56.5p        52.7p          7.2%         13.0%
Revenue                                       200.5        156.2         28.4%         35.3%
Brand contribution                             61.2         36.2         69.1%         77.9%
Brand contribution margin                     30.5%        23.2%        730bps        730bps

 

In Brazil, revenue increased 35.3%, on a  constant currency basis, with volume +19.7%.  Brazil
benefited from strong growth in the existing portfolio, with organic revenue increasing 20.9%,
as well as  the first-year benefit  of the Extra  Power brand, which  was acquired in  October
2023. Revenue growth  was achieved  across the portfolio,  with concentrates  up 12.0%,  Fruit
Shoot up 32.4% and RTD juices  up 24.3%. Extra Power was  a major contributor to growth,  with
revenue up  32% compared  to the  previous year  when it  was under  different ownership.  The
combination of positive price/mix and a targeted regional commercial approach has resulted  in
a strong  brand contribution  performance and  a significant  increase in  brand  contribution
margin to 30.5%.

 

                                         Year ended   Year ended                    Adjusted
                                                                      % change
                                       30 September 30 September                    % change
Other International                                                     actual
                                               2024         2023                    constant
                                                                 exchange rate
                                                 £m           £m               exchange rate
Volume (million litres)                       402.1        416.5        (3.4)%        (3.4)%
Average Realised Price (ARP) per litre       101.9p        97.2p          4.8%          6.5%
Revenue                                       409.8        404.7          1.3%          2.8%
Brand contribution                            110.6         99.6         11.0%         12.6%
Brand contribution margin                     27.0%        24.6%        240bps        240bps

Note: Other  International  consists of  France,  Ireland, and  other  international  markets.
Volumes and ARP  include own-brand soft  drinks sales and  third-party product sales  included
within total revenue and  brand contribution. Concentrate sales  are included in both  revenue
and ARP but do not have any associated volume.

 

In other International, the combined markets’ volume declined 3.4%, with strong price/mix  ARP
growth of 6.5% resulting in  revenue growth of 2.8%. In  Ireland, revenue increased 7.8%.  The
implementation of the DRS was expected  to have an adverse impact  on volume as the trade  and
consumers get  used to  the concept  of  returning bottles  and cans  for a  nominal  deposit.
Consequently, Ireland saw a modest volume decline of 1.8%, with volume returning to growth  in
the final quarter. Scale brands in revenue growth were Pepsi up 15.4%, 7UP up 6.1%, MiWadi  up
12.5% and Ballygowan up 27.3%.

 

In France, volumes in the year went down compared to last year. While branded volumes improved
in the second half of the year, total volume declined as we took a strategic decision to  exit
private label contracts, and we  faced stiff competition in  the juice category. While  volume
was down, revenue was slightly up on last year at 0.1%. Branded syrups and Fruit Shoot revenue
growth was offset  by the  decline in  private label syrups  and Pressade,  our organic  juice
brand. Other International brand  contribution increased 12.6%  and brand contribution  margin
increased 240bps to 27.0%.

 

                                    Year ended   Year ended                    % change
                                                                 % change
                                  30 September 30 September               like for like
Fixed costs – pre-adjusting items                                  actual
                                          2024         2023                 at constant
                                                            exchange rate
                                            £m           £m               exchange rate
Non-brand A&P                           (18.0)       (11.8)       (52.5)%       (52.5)%
Fixed supply chain                     (170.6)      (145.5)       (17.3)%       (18.2)%
Selling costs                          (105.0)       (96.7)        (8.6)%        (9.4)%
Overheads and other                    (168.5)      (143.0)       (17.8)%       (18.5)%
Total                                  (462.1)      (397.0)       (16.4)%       (17.2)%
                                                                                 
Total A&P investment                    (87.2)       (67.0)                      
A&P as a % of own brand revenue           4.6%         3.8%                      

Overall, our fixed cost base increased 17.2% on a constant currency basis, due to inflationary
pressure and investment in our future growth drivers. Total A&P was £20.2 million higher year
on year, an increase of 30.9%, as we continued to increase investment in our brands. Fixed
supply chain investment during the period included increased production capacity, adding a new
can line in Great Britain and additional capacity in Brazil. The additional capacity in Great
Britain enabled savings in third-party co-packing costs.

Selling costs increased as we invested in additional field sales resource to support our
channel growth strategy. Overheads and other costs increased as we invested in our people,
reflecting investment in both additional resources and reward, to retain and recruit the best
talent. We adopted a tiered approach to salary increases, ensuring that those on lower
salaries received a higher percentage increase, in recognition of the increased costs of
living.

Interest

The net finance charge for  the year ended 30 September  2024 is £30.8 million, compared  with
£24.7 million in the comparative year, primarily  due to higher cost of borrowing on  floating
rate debt.

 

Adjusting items – pre-tax

In the year, the Group incurred, and has  separately disclosed, a net charge of £48.0  million
of pre-tax adjusting  items, of which  £46.9 million was  EBIT-related (2023: £36.9  million).
Adjusting items comprise: 

EBIT-related

  • Strategic restructuring  and M&A  costs of  £6.7 million,  including Group  organisational
    transformation costs and M&A costs in relation to the acquisition in Brazil,
  • Ballygowan trademark impairment reversal credit of £3.6 million,
  • Impairment and running costs of the Norwich site of £8.4 million,
  • £3.0 million in relation to costs for the setup of the DRS in Ireland,
  • £21.3 million of costs related to the proposed Carlsberg transaction, and
  • Acquisition-related amortisation of £11.1 million.

Interest-related

  • £1.1 million  of interest  in relation  to consideration  payable for  the acquisition  in
    Brazil.

Taxation

The adjusted tax charge was £49.0 million (2023: £38.5 million), which equates to an effective
tax rate  of 23.3%  (2023: 20.6%).  The  adjusted tax  charge increased  from the  prior  year
primarily due to the increase in profits and an increase in the applicable tax rate in the  UK
from 22% to 25%. The statutory net tax  charge was £47.4 million (2023: £32.8 million),  which
equates to an effective tax rate of 27.4%  (2023: 20.9%). The statutory effective tax rate  is
higher than the  adjusted effective  tax rate as  certain expenses  included within  adjusting
items, primarily related to the Carlsberg transaction, are non-deductible tax expenses.

 

Earnings per share (EPS)

Adjusted basic EPS for  the year was  69.5p, an increase of  13.9% on the  prior year, due  to
higher operating profits and  the impact of a  lower number of shares  in issue following  the
share buyback. Basic EPS  for the period  was 50.8 pence,  an increase of  5.2% on last  year,
while diluted EPS for the period was 50.2 pence,  an increase of 4.8% on the same period  last
year. This was due to the impact of adjusting items, which were primarily non-cash.

 

Dividends

Subject to the proposed takeover by the Carlsberg Group being successfully completed,
shareholders would receive a special dividend payment of 25p per Britvic share, which is
expected to be paid to shareholders within 14 days of the effective date.  The Board has
decided not to declare the normal final dividend as Carlsberg reserves the right to decrease
the acquisition price for any dividend declared, made, paid or that becomes payable by Britvic
on or prior to the effective date (other than the special dividend). The special dividend
combined with the interim dividend paid in July 2024 represents a total value of £85.5m, or
34.5p per share.

Share buyback programme

In May 2023, the  Company commenced a  share buyback programme  to repurchase ordinary  shares
with a market value of up to £75.0 million.  The purpose of the programme was to reduce  share
capital and, accordingly, the shares repurchased were subsequently cancelled. During the  year
ended 30 September 2024, the Company completed this share buyback programme.

 

In May 2024, the Board approved a share buyback programme for a further £75.0m, to be executed
over the period to 28  February 2025. This programme  was suspended following the  acquisition
offer  from  the  Carlsberg  Group  announced  on  21  June  2024.  The  Board  will  evaluate
recommencement of the programme should the circumstances change.

 

Excluding transaction costs, the  Company has returned £43.1  million to shareholders via  the
buyback programmes during the year ended 30 September 2024.

 

Free cash flow

Free cash flow (defined as cash generated  from operating activities, plus proceeds from  sale
of property, plant and  equipment, less capital expenditure,  interest and repayment of  lease
liabilities) was an  inflow of £85.5  million, compared  with £129.8 million  in the  previous
year, with the  impact of an  additional payment run  being absorbed into  the cash flow  this
year.

 

Net cash flow from operating activities was £190.9 million, compared to £238.4 million in  the
previous year. There  was a  working capital  outflow of  £80.9 million  (2023: £16.6  million
outflow), comprising of an outflow  from increases in inventory  of £5.0 million (2023:  £37.8
million outflow) and an inflow from increase in provisions of £0.2 million (2023: £0.9 million
outflow), offset by an  outflow from decreases  in trade and other  payables of £64.1  million
(2023: £5.8 million inflow) and  an outflow from increases in  trade and other receivables  of
£12.0 million (2023: £16.3 million inflow).

 

Net income taxes paid in the year were £34.5 million (12 months ended 30 September 2023: £21.9
million). Cash capital expenditure was £68.6 million (2023: £76.6 million). 

 

Impairment testing

Impairment reviews of goodwill and intangible  assets with indefinite lives are undertaken  by
management annually. Recoverable amounts are calculated  in line with accounting standards  at
the higher of value in use  and fair value. An impairment loss  from prior years of £3.6m  was
fully reversed on the Ballygowan brand in  Britvic Ireland, as a result of strong  performance
in year and the  projected performance of  Ballygowan’s Hint of Fruit  range in the  flavoured
water category. Otherwise, during the current year there has been no impairment to goodwill or
intangible assets with indefinite lives. Further details will be provided in the Annual Report
and Accounts.

 

Treasury management

The financial  risks faced  by the  Group are  identified and  managed by  a central  treasury
department, whose activities are  carried out in accordance  with Board approved policies  and
subject to regular Audit and Treasury Committee reviews. The department does not operate as  a
profit centre and  no transaction is  entered into  for trading or  speculative purposes.  Key
financial risks managed by the treasury department include exposures to movements in  interest
rates, foreign exchange rates and commodities,  while managing the Group’s debt and  liquidity
profile. The Group uses  financial instruments to hedge  against raw materials, interest  rate
and foreign currency exposures.

 

On 30 September 2024, the Group had £1,039.9 million of committed debt facilities,  consisting
of a £400.0 million bank facility,  of which £8.3 million was  drawn, and a series of  private
placement notes, with maturities between February 2025  and May 2035. A one-year extension  to
the maturity of  the Group’s £400.0  million bank facility  was approved by  six of the  seven
lenders in  February 2022,  extending  the maturity  of £366.7  million  of this  facility  to
February 2027. The remaining £33.3 million will mature in February 2025. The next maturity for
the Company’s  private  placement notes  is  in February  2025,  when notes  with  outstanding
principal amounts of £35.0 million will be due for repayment.

 

On 30 September 2024, the  Group’s adjusted net debt, including  the impact of cross  currency
swaps hedging the  private placement  notes, was £607.1  million, which  compares with  £538.1
million at 30 September 2023.  Adjusted net debt to EBITDA  leverage at 30 September 2024  was
1.98x, broadly maintaining the same level as at 30 September 2023.

 

The Group uses derivative financial instruments to hedge its exposure to movements in interest
rates, foreign exchange rates and commodity prices. At 30 September 2024, the Group’s  balance
sheet included  derivatives with  a net  fair value  of £5.1  million (2023:  £24.8  million),
comprising cross currency swaps of £10.0 million (2023: £22.3 million), interest rate swaps of
£0.8 million  (2023: £2.4  million), forward  currency contract  liabilities of  £4.1  million
(2023: £0.2 million assets), commodity swaps liabilities of £0.1 million (2023: £0.1  million)
and a solar power  purchase agreement liability  of £1.5m (2023: £nil).  The decrease in  fair
value compared to 30 September  2023 is driven by settlements  during the year and fair  value
decreases linked to the appreciation of sterling against the dollar and the euro.

 

Acquisitions and disposals

At the  start of  the financial  year, the  Group completed  an acquisition  in Brazil,  which
includes the Extra  Power and  Flying Horse  energy drink brands,  juice brand  Juxx and  acai
smoothie  brand  Amazoo.  The  consideration  for  the  acquisition  comprised  initial   cash
consideration of  £24.1m  (net  of  derivatives hedging  the  acquisition)  and  deferred  and
contingent consideration as set out further in note 12 to the financial statements.

 

In June 2024, Britvic terminated the existing contract for the sale of the Norwich  production
site. Management remains committed  to the sale of  the site and have  an active programme  to
locate a buyer. The assets remain classified as held for sale but have been revalued downwards
to reflect latest market  conditions, resulting in  an expense of £7.7  million for the  year,
presented within adjusting items.

 

Pensions

At 30 September 2024, the Group recognised  IAS 19 defined benefit pension surpluses in  Great
Britain and Ireland totalling £68.3  million and an IAS 19  pension deficit in France of  £1.6
million (30 September 2023: pension surpluses  in Great Britain, Ireland and Northern  Ireland
totalling £74.0 million  and a  pension deficit  in France of  £1.4m). In  aggregate, the  net
pension assets and liabilities decreased by £5.9 million, comprising a net remeasurement  loss
of £14.4 million  and a translation  loss of  £0.3 million recognised  in other  comprehensive
income, partially offset by an asset increase from employer contributions of £5.8 million  and
net income recognised in profit and loss of £3.0 million. The net remeasurement loss  includes
£9.1 million on the Great Britain scheme and £6.3 million on the Northern Ireland scheme.

 

The net income for the defined benefit schemes recognised in the income statement for the year
ended 30 September 2024 was  £3.0 million (2023: net expense  of £15.2 million). In the  prior
year, the Group recognised  a £20.5 million  past service cost for  the Great Britain  scheme,
presented within adjusting items, which  arose following an amendment  to the scheme rules  in
relation to pension  increases. There is  no equivalent  past service cost  recognised in  the
current year.  

 

Contributions are ordinarily paid into the defined  benefit section of the Great Britain  plan
as determined by the trustee, agreed by the Company and certified by an independent actuary in
the schedule of contributions. No deficit funding  payments were paid during the year,  except
for the £5.0 million  pension funding partnership payment  which will continue annually  until
2025.

 

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT

                                                                   Year ended   Year ended

                                                                 30 September 30 September
                                                            Note
                                                                         2024         2023

                                                                           £m           £m
Revenue                                                      4        1,899.0      1,748.6
Cost of sales                                                       (1,089.2)    (1,049.1)
Gross profit                                                            809.8        699.5
Selling and distribution expenses                                     (303.2)      (271.1)
Administration expenses                                               (302.6)      (246.9)
Operating profit                                                        204.0        181.5
Finance income                                                            3.6          1.1
Finance costs                                                          (34.4)       (25.8)
Profit before tax                                                       173.2        156.8
Income tax expense                                           5         (47.4)       (32.8)
Profit for the year attributable to the equity shareholders             125.8        124.0
Earnings per share                                                                        
Basic earnings per share                                     6          50.8p        48.3p
Diluted earnings per share                                   6          50.2p        47.9p

 

All activities relate to continuing operations.

 

 

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

                                                                       Year ended   Year ended

                                                                     30 September 30 September
 
                                                                             2024         2023

                                                                               £m           £m
Profit for the year attributable to the equity shareholders                 125.8        124.0
 
                                                                                              
Other comprehensive (expense)/income:
Items that will not be reclassified to profit or loss                                         
Remeasurement losses on defined benefit pension plans                      (14.4)       (55.5)
Deferred tax on defined benefit pension plans                                 3.7         13.4
Deferred tax on other temporary differences                                 (0.1)            -
                                                                           (10.8)       (42.1)
Items that may be subsequently reclassified to profit or loss                                 
Losses in respect of cash flow hedges                                      (21.7)       (34.3)
Amounts reclassified to the income statement in respect of cash              12.9        (4.6)
flow hedges
Current tax in respect of cash flow hedges accounted for in the               0.1        (0.2)
hedging reserve
Deferred tax in respect of cash flow hedges accounted for in the              1.8          7.3
hedging reserve
Exchange differences reclassified to profit or loss on disposal of              -        (0.3)
foreign operations
Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations                  (37.9)        (3.4)
Tax on exchange differences accounted for in the translation                (0.9)        (0.6)
reserve
                                                                           (45.7)       (36.1)
Other comprehensive expense for the year, net of tax                       (56.5)       (78.2)
Total comprehensive income for the year attributable to the equity           69.3         45.8
shareholders

 

 

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

                                                                    
                                           30 September
                                                        30 September
                                      Note         2024
                                                                2023
                                                     £m
                                                                  £m
Non-current assets                                                  
Property, plant and equipment                     551.0        535.3
Right-of-use assets                                64.1         61.1
Goodwill and intangible assets                    440.2        434.3
Trade and other receivables                        11.1          8.1
Derivative financial instruments       9            9.7         16.0
Deferred tax assets                                 7.9          4.2
Retirement benefit assets                          68.3         74.0
                                                1,152.3      1,133.0
Current assets                                                      
Inventories                                       202.9        209.8
Trade and other receivables                       420.7        425.6
Current income tax receivables                      1.1          5.3
Derivative financial instruments       9            3.8         17.4
Interest-bearing deposits                          11.3         10.9
Cash and cash equivalents                          52.8         79.2
                                                  692.6        748.2
Assets held for sale                   11           9.1         16.8
                                                  701.7        765.0
Total assets                                    1,854.0      1,898.0
Current liabilities                                      
Trade and other payables                        (477.7)      (533.6)
Commercial rebate liabilities                   (111.8)      (123.3)
Lease liabilities                                 (9.2)        (7.5)
Interest-bearing loans and borrowings  8         (43.5)       (50.9)
Derivative financial instruments       9          (6.7)        (8.3)
Current income tax liabilities                    (0.5)        (0.1)
Overdrafts                                       (16.5)       (48.9)
Provisions                                        (0.9)        (0.7)
Other current liabilities                        (36.4)        (8.4)
                                                (703.2)      (781.7)
Non-current liabilities                                             
Lease liabilities                                (62.3)       (59.8)
Interest-bearing loans and deposits    8        (620.7)      (551.0)
Deferred tax liabilities                        (112.2)      (111.1)
Retirement benefit obligations                    (1.6)        (1.4)
Derivative financial instruments       9          (1.7)        (0.3)
Provisions                                        (0.9)        (1.0)
Other non-current liabilities                     (8.3)            –
                                                (807.7)      (724.6)
Total liabilities                             (1,510.9)    (1,506.3)
Net assets                                        343.1        391.7
Equity                                                              
Issued share capital                   10          49.8         50.9
Share premium account                             157.2        157.2
Own shares reserve                     10        (23.4)       (21.4)
Other reserves                                     35.7         78.8
Retained earnings                                 123.8        126.2
Total equity                                      343.1        391.7

 

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue on
19 November 2024. They were signed on its behalf by:

        

Simon Litherland  Rebecca Napier

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENt OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

                                                    Other reserves                            
                 Issued   Share     Own
                                           Capital Hedging Translation  Merger Retained
                  share premium  shares redemption                                       Total
                                           reserve reserve     reserve reserve earnings
                capital account reserve                                                     £m
                                                £m      £m          £m      £m       £m
                     £m      £m      £m
At 1 October       52.7   157.2   (7.2)        0.9    27.3       (9.5)    87.3    179.3  488.0
2022
Profit for            –       –       –          –       –           –       –    124.0  124.0
the year
Other
comprehensive         –       –       –          –  (31.8)       (4.3)       –   (42.1) (78.2)
loss
Total
comprehensive         –       –       –          –  (31.8)       (4.3)       –     81.9   45.8
(loss)/income
Share buyback     (1.8)       –   (1.7)        1.8       –           –       –   (73.7) (75.4)
programme
Own shares
purchased for         –       –  (20.1)          –       –           –       –      9.8 (10.3)
share schemes
Own shares
utilised for          –       –     7.6          –       –     –             –    (5.3)    2.3
share schemes
Movement in
share-based           –       –       –          –       –           –       –      9.3    9.3
schemes
Current tax    
on                    –       –       –          –       –           –       –      0.2    0.2
share-based    
payments
Deferred tax   
on                    –       –       –          –       –           –       –      0.2    0.2
share-based    
payments
Transfer of
cash flow
hedge reserve         –       –       –          –     7.1           –       –        –    7.1
to
inventories
Payment of            –       –       –          –       –           –       –   (75.5) (75.5)
dividend
At 30
September          50.9   157.2  (21.4)        2.7     2.6      (13.8)    87.3    126.2  391.7
2023
Profit for            –       –       –          –       –           –       –    125.8  125.8
the year
Other
comprehensive         –       –       –          –   (6.9)      (38.8)       –   (10.8) (56.5)
loss
Total
comprehensive         –       –       –          –   (6.9)      (38.8)       –    115.0   69.3
(loss)/income
Share buyback     (1.1)       –     2.7        1.1       –           –       –   (46.2) (43.5)
programme
Own shares
purchased for         –       –  (22.4)          –       –           –       –        - (22.4)
share schemes
Own shares
utilised for          –       –    17.7          –       –           –       –   (17.7)      -
share schemes
Proceeds from  
share schemes         –       –       –          –       –           –       –      6.0    6.0
               
Movement in
share-based           –       –       –          –       –           –       –     15.0   15.0
schemes
Current tax    
on                    –       –       –          –       –           –       –      0.4    0.4
share-based    
payments
Deferred tax   
on                    –       –       –          –       –           –       –      4.2    4.2
share-based    
payments
Transfer of
cash flow
hedge reserve         –       –       –          –     2.0           –       –        –    2.0
to
inventories
Transfer of
cash flow             –       –       –          –   (0.5)           –       –        –  (0.5)
hedge to
goodwill
Payment of            –       –       –          –       –           –       –   (79.1) (79.1)
dividend
At 30
September          49.8   157.2  (23.4)        3.8   (2.8)      (52.6)    87.3    123.8  343.1
2024
                                                                                         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

                                                          Year ended              Year ended

                                                        30 September            30 September
                                         Note                                                 
                                                                2024                    2023

                                                                  £m                      £m
             Cash flows from operating                                                        
             activities
             Profit before tax                                 173.2                   156.8  
             Net finance costs                                  30.8                    24.7  
             Other financial instruments                        14.5                   (0.6)  
             Depreciation of property,                          48.4                    44.8  
             plant and equipment
             Depreciation of                                    10.2                    10.1  
             right-of-use assets
             Amortisation                                       19.1                    15.6  
             Loss on disposal of
             property, plant and                                   -                     3.2  
             equipment and intangible
             assets
             Reversal of impairment of                         (3.6)                       -  
             intangible assets
             Impairments of assets held                          7.7                       -  
             for resale
             Impairment of property,                               -                     3.8  
             plant and equipment
             Share-based payments charge                        15.0                     9.3  
             Net pension (credit)/charge                       (8.8)                     9.4  
             less contributions
             Net foreign exchange                              (0.2)                     0.1  
             (gain)/loss
             Exchange differences
             reclassified to profit or                             -                   (0.3)  
             loss from other
             comprehensive income
             Operating cash flows before
             movements in working                              306.3                   276.9  
             capital
             Increase in inventories                           (5.0)                  (37.8)  
             (Increase)/decrease in                           (12.0)                    16.3  
             trade and other receivables
             (Decrease)/increase in                           (54.1)                    19.5  
             trade, other payables
             Decrease in commercial                                                           
             rebate liabilities               (10.0)                 (13.7)
             Increase/(decrease) in                              0.2                   (0.9)  
             provisions
                                                               225.4                   260.3  
             Income tax paid                                  (34.5)                  (21.9)  
             Net cash flows from                               190.9                   238.4  
             operating activities
             Cash flows from investing                                                        
             activities
             Purchases of property,                           (63.4)                  (69.8)  
             plant and equipment
             Government grants towards                           2.1                     1.3  
             purchase of equipment
             Purchases of intangible                           (7.3)                   (8.1)  
             assets
             Investments in                                   (11.3)                  (11.2)  
             interest-bearing deposits
             Proceeds from                                      10.9                    11.8  
             interest-bearing deposits
             Interest received                                   1.9                     0.5  
             Acquisition of
             subsidiaries, net of cash                        (24.1)                  (24.8)  
             acquired
             Net cash flows used in                           (91.2)                 (100.3)  
             investing activities
             Cash flows from financing                                                        
             activities
             Interest paid, net of
             related derivative                               (25.9)                  (21.1)  
             financial instruments
             Net movement on revolving                        (35.4)                    45.5  
             credit facility
             Repayment of other loans                              -                   (1.9)  
             Payment of principal
             portion of lease                                  (8.8)                   (9.0)  
             liabilities
             Payment of interest portion                       (2.1)                   (1.9)  
             of lease liabilities
             Proceeds from issue of                            150.0                       -  
             private placement notes
             Repayment of private                                                           
             placement notes, net of                                                          
             related derivative                               (39.2)                  (27.8)
             financial instruments
             Other net derivative                                  -                   (0.2)  
             cashflows
             Issue costs paid                                  (0.6)                       –  
             Proceeds from employee                              6.0                     2.3  
             share incentive schemes
             Purchase of own shares                           (12.5)                  (20.3)  
             related to share schemes
             Share buyback programme                          (45.8)                  (73.7)  
             Dividends paid to equity                         (79.1)                  (75.5)  
             shareholders
             Net cash flows used in                           (93.4)                 (183.6)  
             financing activities
             Net increase/(decrease) in                          6.3                  (45.5)  
             cash and cash equivalents
             Cash and cash equivalents
             at the beginning of the                            30.3                    76.1  
             year
             Net foreign exchange
             differences on cash and                           (0.3)                   (0.3)  
             cash equivalents
             Cash and cash equivalents                          36.3                    30.3  
             at the end of the year
 

                                                                                              

Presented in the balance
sheet as:
Cash and cash equivalents                                 52.8                            79.2
Overdrafts 1                                            (16.5)                          (48.9)
Cash and cash equivalents at                              36.3                            30.3
the end of the year
                                                                                              

 

 1. Bank overdrafts are included in the cash and cash equivalents presented in the statement
    of cash flows because they form an integral part of the Group’s cash management.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. General information

The preliminary consolidated financial  information was authorised for  issue by the Board  of
Directors on 19 November 2024.

 

The preliminary consolidated financial  information for the year  ended 30 September 2024  has
been prepared  in  accordance  with  the  Companies  Act  2006  and  UK-adopted  international
accounting standards. The preliminary consolidated  financial information does not  constitute
statutory consolidated financial  statements as defined  by section 434  of the Companies  Act
2006.

 

The Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 September 2024 was approved by the  board
on 19 November  2024. The report  of the auditor  on those accounts  was unqualified, did  not
contain an emphasis of matter paragraph and did not contain any statement under section 498 of
the Companies  Act 2006.  The Annual  Report and  Accounts for  2024 will  be filed  with  the
Registrar of Companies in due course.

 

The Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 September 2023 was approved by the  board
on 21 November 2023 and has  been delivered to the Registrar  of Companies. The report of  the
auditor on those accounts was unqualified, did not contain an emphasis of matter paragraph and
did not contain any statement under section 498 of the Companies Act 2006.

 

2. Accounting policies

The accounting  policies applied  by  the Group  for  the year  ended  30 September  2024  are
consistent with those applied by the Group in  its financial statements for the year ended  30
September 2023. There were no new amendments, standards or interpretations that had a material
effect on the financial position or performance of the Group in the period.

 

The Group  has not  identified any  changes to  its key  sources of  accounting judgements  or
estimations of  uncertainty  compared with  those  disclosed in  the  2023 Annual  Report  and
Accounts.

 

3. Going concern

The Directors are satisfied that the Group has adequate resources to continue to operate as a
going concern and that no material uncertainties exist which could cause significant doubt
with respect to this assessment.

In making this assessment, the Directors have considered the Group’s balance sheet position
and forecast earnings and cash flows for the period from the date of approval of these
financial statements to 30 September 2026. This period covers the upcoming maturity of £35m
private placements notes in February 2025, and a further maturity of £46m private placement
notes at hedged exchange rates in February 2026. The assessment period also covers the
maturity in February 2025 of £33m of the Group’s £400m revolving credit facility (of which
£8.3m had been drawn at 30 September 2024).

As part of the going concern assessment, the Group has modelled both a base case scenario and
a plausible downside scenario, to assess the extent to which mitigating actions would be
required, all of which are within management’s control. Mitigating actions can be initiated as
they relate to discretionary and investment spend, without significantly impacting the ability
to meet demand. The scenarios considered as part of the going concern assessment are
consistent with those used in the longer-term viability statement.

At 30 September 2024, the Group was operating within the banking covenants related to its
revolving credit facility and private placement notes. The consolidated balance sheet reflects
a net asset position of £343.1m and the liquidity of the Group remains strong. Both the
Group’s revolving credit facility and private placement notes have a net debt/EBITDA covenant
limit of 3.5x, excluding IFRS 16 impact. Based on adjusted net debt of £607.1m and adjusted
EBITDA of £306.6m for the preceding 12 months, the adjusted net debt/adjusted EBITDA ratio at
30 September 2024 was 1.98x and well within the covenant limit.

Under all the scenarios modelled, the Group’s forecasts did not indicate a covenant breach or
any liquidity shortfall.

 

 

Consideration of the acquisition by Carlsberg UK Holdings Limited (‘Carlsberg’)

The shareholders of Britvic plc have approved the terms of a recommended cash offer by
Carlsberg to acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Britvic plc.
Completion of the acquisition remains subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining
conditions set out in the Scheme Document, including, but not limited to, certain regulatory
approvals. Subject to the satisfaction of those regulatory conditions and the scheme receiving
the sanction of the court, the scheme is expected to become effective during the first quarter
of 2025. The Directors have assessed the impact of this on the going concern basis of
accounting below.

As stated in the Scheme Document, Carlsberg has entered into a Bridge Facility Agreement with
BNP Paribas, Danske Bank A/S and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB. The proceeds of loans drawn
under the Bridge Facility are to be applied towards financing the aggregate cash consideration
payable by Carlsberg in connection with the acquisition, certain fees and expenses in
connection with the acquisition and/or refinancing of Britvic’s existing indebtedness. The
Group’s existing financing arrangements include change of control clauses as detailed in note
21 to the 2024 Annual Report and Accounts, that may result in certain facilities becoming
repayable upon a change of control. However, as a result of the Bridge Facility the Directors
are confident that Carlsberg has the financing in place to acquire and operate the Group after
the completion of the acquisition. Accordingly, the Directors believe that sufficient
liquidity should be in place to allow the Group to continue as a going concern.

The Group’s existing bottling arrangements with PepsiCo include clauses that could become
effective upon a change of control of the Group. On 24 June 2024, Carlsberg announced it had
reached agreement with PepsiCo to waive the change of control clause in these bottling
arrangements, should an acquisition of Britvic by Carlsberg proceed to completion. The
Directors have therefore concluded that the proposed acquisition would not result in the loss
of the Group’s agreements with PepsiCo when assessing the Group’s ability to continue as a
going concern.

On the basis of these reviews, the Directors consider it is appropriate for the going concern
basis to be adopted in preparing the Annual Report and Accounts.

 

4. Segmental reporting

Operating segments are reported in a manner consistent with the internal reporting provided to
the chief operating decision-maker. The chief operating decision-maker, who is responsible for
allocating resources and assessing performance of the operating segments, has been  identified
as the plc Executive team and Board of Directors of the Company.

 

For management purposes, the Group  is organised into business  units and has five  reportable
segments:

  • Great Britain (United Kingdom excluding Northern Ireland)
  • Brazil
  • Ireland (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland)
  • France
  • International

 

These business units sell soft drinks into their respective markets. Management monitors the
operating results of its business units separately for the purpose of making decisions about
resource allocation and performance assessment. Segment performance is evaluated based on
brand contribution. This is defined as revenue less material costs and all other marginal
costs that management considers to be directly attributable to the sale of a given product.
Such costs include brand specific advertising and promotion costs, raw materials and marginal
production and distribution costs. All other costs, including net finance costs and income
taxes, are managed on a centralised basis and are not allocated to reportable segments.

 

The ‘Other International’ subtotal comprising the Ireland, France and International reportable
segments has been presented to provide linkage to the Chief Financial Officer’s Review section
of this preliminary results announcement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                        
                                                                    

                                                                                              

                                                          Other International
                                       GB Brazil Ireland France International Subtotal   Total
Year ended 30 September 2024
                                       £m     £m      £m     £m            £m       £m      £m
Revenue from external customers   1,288.7  200.5   170.6  181.9          57.3    409.8 1,899.0
Brand contribution                  541.2   61.2    60.1   43.5           7.0    110.6   713.0
Non-brand advertising and                                                               (18.0)
promotion(i)
Fixed supply chain(ii)                                                                 (170.6)
Selling costs(ii)                                                                      (105.0)
Overheads and other costs(i)                                                           (168.5)
Adjusted EBIT(iii)                                                                       250.9
Net finance costs pre-adjusting                                                         (29.7)
items
Adjusting items(iii)                                                                    (48.0)
Profit before tax                                                                        173.2
                                                                                        

 

                                                          Other International           
Year ended 30 September 2023           GB Brazil Ireland France International Subtotal   Total

                                       £m     £m      £m     £m            £m       £m      £m
Revenue from external customers   1,187.7  156.2   160.3  185.0          59.4    404.7 1,748.6
Brand contribution                  479.6   36.2    52.3   35.7          11.6     99.6   615.4
Non-brand advertising and                                                               (11.8)
promotion(i)
Fixed supply chain(ii)                                                                 (145.5)
Selling costs(ii)                                                                       (96.7)
Overheads and other costs(i)                                                           (143.0)
Adjusted EBIT(iii)                                                                       218.4
Net finance costs pre-adjusting                                                         (23.2)
items
Adjusting items(iii)                                                                    (38.4)
Profit before tax                                                                        156.8

 

i. Included within ‘administration expenses’ in the consolidated income statement. ‘Overheads
   and other costs’ relate to central expenses including salaries, IT maintenance,
   depreciation and amortisation (excluding acquisition-related amortisation).
ii. Included within ‘selling and distribution costs’ in the consolidated income statement.
iii. See non-GAAP reconciliations at the end of this announcement for further details on
     adjusting items.

 

5. Income tax

                                                    2024   2023
 
                                                      £m     £m
Current income tax                                             
Current tax charge                                (42.9) (31.1)
Amounts over provided in previous years              2.3    2.5
Total current tax charge                          (40.6) (28.6)
Deferred income tax                                            
Origination and reversal of temporary differences  (3.9)  (3.3)
Impact of change in tax rates                          -  (0.1)
Amounts under provided in previous years           (2.9)  (0.8)
Total deferred tax charge                          (6.8)  (4.2)
Total tax charge in the income statement          (47.4) (32.8)

 

6. Earnings per share

Basic earnings per share amounts are calculated by dividing the net profit for the year
attributable to the equity shareholders of the parent by the weighted average number of
ordinary shares outstanding during the year.

 

Diluted earnings per share amounts are calculated by dividing the net profit attributable to
the ordinary equity shareholders of the parent by the weighted average number of ordinary
shares outstanding during the year plus the weighted average number of ordinary shares that
would be issued on the conversion of all the dilutive potential ordinary shares into ordinary
shares.

 

The following table reflects the income and share data used in the basic and diluted earnings
per share computations:

                                                                                    2024  2023
Basic earnings per share                                                                      
Profit for the year attributable to equity shareholders (£m)                       125.8 124.0
Weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue for basic earnings per share   247.8 256.9
Basic earnings per share (pence)                                                   50.8p 48.3p
                                                                                              
Diluted earnings per share                                                                    
Profit for the year attributable to equity shareholders (£m)                       125.8 124.0
Effect of dilutive potential ordinary shares – share schemes                         2.9   1.9
Weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue for diluted earnings per share 250.7 258.8
Diluted earnings per share (pence)                                                 50.2p 47.9p

 

7. Dividends paid and proposed

                                                                 2024 2023
 
                                                                   £m   £m
Declared and paid during the year                                         
Equity dividends on ordinary shares                                    
Final dividend for 2023: 22.6p per share (2022: 21.2p per share) 55.8 54.5
Interim dividend for 2024: 9.5p per share (2023: 8.2p per share) 23.3 21.0
Dividends paid                                                   79.1 75.5
Proposed                                                                  
Special dividend for 2024: 25.0p per share*                      62.2    -
Final dividend for 2024: Nil per share (2023: 22.6p per share)      - 57.4

 

* Subject to the proposed takeover by the Carlsberg Group being successfully completed,
shareholders would receive a special dividend payment of 25p per Britvic share, which is
expected to be paid to shareholders within 14 days of the effective date. The Board has
decided not to declare the normal final dividend as Carlsberg reserves the right to decrease
the acquisition price for any dividend declared, made, paid or that becomes payable by Britvic
on or prior to the effective date (other than the special dividend).

The special dividend combined with the interim dividend paid in July 2024 represents a total
value of £85.5m, or 34.5p per share.

8. Interest-bearing loans and borrowings

                                               2024    2023
 
                                                 £m      £m
Current                                                    
Private placement notes                      (43.6)  (51.1)
Less: unamortised issue costs                   0.1     0.2
Total current                                (43.5)  (50.9)
Non-current                                                
Bank loans                                    (8.3)  (44.7)
Private placement notes                     (614.4) (508.1)
Less: unamortised issue costs                   2.0     1.8
Total non-current                           (620.7) (551.0)
Total interest-bearing loans and borrowings (664.2) (601.9)

 

Total interest-bearing loans and borrowings comprise the following:

                                               2024    2023
 
                                                 £m      £m
2014 notes                                   (56.1) (108.5)
2017 notes                                  (175.0) (175.0)
2018 notes                                  (118.3) (119.7)
2020 notes                                  (150.0) (151.9)
2024 notes                                  (150.0)       -
Bank loans                                    (8.3)  (44.7)
Accrued interest                              (8.6)   (4.1)
Unamortised issue costs                         2.1     2.0
Total interest-bearing loans and borrowings (664.2) (601.9)

 

 

 

Analysis of changes in interest-bearing loans and borrowings:

                                                  2024    2023
 
                                                    £m      £m
At the beginning of the year                   (601.9) (605.3)
Net movement on revolving credit facility         35.4  (45.5)
Other loans acquired                                 -   (1.9)
Other loans repaid                                   -     1.9
Repayment of private placement notes*             45.7    36.6
Issue of private placement notes               (150.0)       –
Issue costs                                        0.6       -
Amortisation of issue costs                      (0.5)   (0.6)
Net translation gain and fair value adjustment    11.0    13.5
Accrued interest                                 (4.5)   (0.6)
At the end of the year                         (664.2) (601.9)
Derivatives hedging balance sheet debt**           9.5    22.6
Debt translated at contracted rate             (654.7) (579.3)

 

* During the  year ended  30 September  2024,  the Group  repaid £45.7m  of the  2014  private
placement notes. £6.5m was also  received on maturity of  derivatives hedging the 2014  Notes,
resulting in  net cash  outflows presented  in the  consolidated statement  of cash  flows  of
£39.2m.

During the year ended 30 September 2023, the Group repaid £36.6m of the 2010 private placement
notes. £7.8m was also received on maturity of derivatives hedging the 2010 notes and £1.0m was
received in respect of the firm commitment for the 2010 notes, resulting in net cash outflows
presented in the consolidated statement of cash flows of £27.8m.

 

** Represents the intrinsic value  of interest rate currency  swaps hedging the balance  sheet
value of the private placement notes. This amount has been disclosed separately to demonstrate
the impact of  foreign exchange  movements which are  included in  interest-bearing loans  and
borrowings.

 

9. Derivatives and hedge relationships

                                                           2024  2023
 
                                                             £m    £m
Non-current assets: derivative financial instruments                 
USD GBP cross currency fixed interest rate swaps*           9.5  14.0
Forward currency contracts*                                   -   0.1
Commodity contracts*                                        0.2   1.2
Interest rate swaps*                                          -   0.7
                                                            9.7  16.0
Current assets: derivative financial instruments                     
USD GBP cross currency fixed interest rate swaps*           0.5   8.3
Forward currency contracts*                                   -   1.1
Forward currency contracts                                    -   0.2
Commodity contracts*                                        2.5   6.1
Interest rate swaps*                                        0.8   1.7
                                                            3.8  17.4
Current liabilities: derivative financial instruments                
Forward currency contracts*                               (3.4) (1.2)
Forward currency contracts                                (0.4)     –
Commodity contracts*                                      (2.2) (7.1)
Power purchase agreement                                  (0.7)     –
                                                          (6.7) (8.3)
Non-current liabilities: derivative financial instruments            
Forward currency contracts*                               (0.2)     -

Forward currency contracts                                (0.1)     -

Commodity contracts*                                      (0.6) (0.3)

Power purchase agreement                                  (0.8)     -
                                                          (1.7) (0.3)
                                                                     
Net derivative financial assets                             5.1  24.8

 

* Instruments designated as part of a cash flow hedge relationship.

10. Share capital and own shares reserve

The movements in the Company’s issued share capital were as follows:

                                                               Nominal value
Issued, called up and fully paid ordinary shares No. of shares
                                                                          £m
At 1 October 2022                                  263,300,881          52.7
Shares cancelled pursuant to share buyback         (9,032,384)         (1.8)
At 30 September 2023                               254,268,497          50.9
Shares cancelled pursuant to share buyback         (5,362,235)         (1.1)
At 30 September 2024                               248,906,262          49.8

The issued share  capital is wholly  comprised of  ordinary shares carrying  one voting  right
each.

The nominal value of  each ordinary share is  £0.20. There are no  restrictions placed on  the
distribution of dividends, or the return of capital on a winding up or otherwise.

The movements in the Company’s own shares reserve were as follows:

                                              Value
                                                 £m
At 1 October 2022                               7.2
Shares issued/purchased for share schemes      20.1
Shares used to satisfy share schemes          (7.6)
Shares purchased pursuant to share buyback     74.8
Shares cancelled pursuant to share buyback   (73.1)
At 30 September 2023                           21.4
Shares purchased for share schemes             22.4
Shares used to satisfy share schemes         (17.7)
Shares purchased pursuant to share buyback     43.1
Shares cancelled pursuant to share buyback   (45.8)
At 30 September 2024                           23.4

The own shares reserve represents shares in the Company purchased from the market and held  by
an employee benefit trust to satisfy share awards  under the Group’s share schemes as well  as
shares purchased for cancellation as part of  the share buyback programme (see below).  Shares
purchased for cancellation are included in the own shares reserve until cancellation, at which
point the consideration paid is transferred to retained earnings and the nominal value of  the
shares is transferred from share capital to the capital redemption reserve.

Share buyback programme

On 24 May 2023, the Company commenced a share buyback programme to repurchase ordinary shares
with a market value of up to £75.0m. The programme took place within the limitations of the
authority granted to the Board at the Company’s Annual General Meeting held on 26 January
2023, pursuant to which the maximum number of shares that could be bought back by the company
was 26,081,857. During the year ended 30 September 2024 the Company completed the programme,
purchasing 4,478,603 ordinary shares (2023: 4,327,964) at an average price of 838.9p per share
(2023: 865.0p) and an aggregate cost of £37.8m including £0.3m of transaction costs (2023:
£37.5m including £0.1m of transaction costs).

On 3 June 2024, the Company commenced a further share buy-back programme to repurchase
ordinary shares with a market value of up to £75.0m, up to a maximum number of shares of
24,954,864. The programme was subsequently suspended on 25 June 2024, in light of the
commencement of the offer period with respect to Carlsberg Group announced on 21 June 2024.
During the year ended 30 September 2024 the Company purchased 572,702 ordinary shares at an
average price of 968.3p per share and an aggregate cost of £5.7m including £0.1m of
transaction costs.

A financial liability of £nil (2023: £2.8m) in respect of shares to be delivered under a share
repurchase agreement with an external bank is included in other current liabilities. During
the year ended 30 September 2024, the Company cancelled 5,362,235 ordinary shares that had
been purchased pursuant to the buyback (2023: 9,032,384).

11. Assets held for sale

 

Norwich land and buildings

The Group classified property, plant and equipment  related to the Norwich production site  of
£9.1m as assets held for  sale at 30 September 2024  (30 September 2023: £16.8m). Assets  held
for sale are measured at the lower of carrying amount and fair value less costs to sell.

In October 2020, contracts were exchanged for the sale of the Norwich site (jointly owned with
Unilever) and the land and buildings (forming  part of the Group’s GB operating segment)  were
classified as assets held for sale. This  sale was subject to conditions precedent,  including
certain planning consents being obtained by the buyer.

In June 2024, Britvic  terminated the existing contract  to sell the site  due to a breach  of
contract by the purchaser. In  line with IFRS 5, management  have revalued the asset held  for
sale based on  the latest  market conditions  to reflect its  estimated fair  value. This  has
resulted in an impairment being recognised of £7.7m. Given this transaction does not form part
of our  underlying  performance  the  charge  has  been  recognised  within  adjusting  items.
Management remains committed to the sale of the site and have an active programme to locate  a
buyer. The assets are available for sale in  their present condition and a future sale  within
one year is considered highly probable.

 

12. Acquisition in Brazil

 

On 4 October 2023, the Group acquired 100% of the issued share capital of GlobalBev Comércio
de Bebidas Ltda (GCB). This comprised of all the voting equity interests and resulted in the
Group obtaining control of GCB. The acquired entity owns the Extra Power energy drink brand as
well as the energy brand Flying Horse, the juice brand Juxx and the acai smoothie brand
Amazoo. Collectively, this acquisition in Brazil enables the Group to expand its brand
portfolio and regional footprint. The acquisition marks an important extension of Britvic’s
Brazilian operations, consistent with the Group’s strategy to accelerate and expand its
presence across Brazil.

 

The consideration for the acquisition comprises initial cash consideration of BR$151.1m
(£24.1m), deferred consideration of BR$70.0m (£11.4m, at exchange rate on acquisition), due in
instalments on the first and second anniversary of completion, and contingent consideration of
up to BR$25.0m (£4.1m, at exchange rate on acquisition), subject to performance criteria.

 

GCB contributed £21.7m of revenue and a profit of £4.4m to the Group’s profit after tax for
the period between the date of acquisition and 30 September 2024.

The amounts recognised in respect of the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed
are set out below:

                              4 October 2023
 
                                          £m
Assets                                      
Property, plant and equipment            0.2
Right-of-use assets                      0.4
Intangible assets                       24.1
Inventories                              1.8
Trade and other receivables              2.0
Total assets                            28.5
                                            
Trade and other payables               (3.1)
Lease liabilities                      (0.4)
Total liabilities                      (3.5)
                                            
Total identifiable net assets           25.0
Goodwill                                13.5
Total consideration                     38.5
Satisfied by:                               
Cash                                    24.1
Deferred consideration                  11.1
Contingent consideration                 3.3
Total consideration                     38.5

The net cash outflow arising on acquisition was £24.1m.

The goodwill of £13.5m includes the value of the assembled workforce as well as expected
synergies arising from the acquisition such as from integrating back-office arrangements with
the Group’s existing Brazilian operations and from the sale of the Group’s existing brands in
territories served by the acquiree. All of the goodwill has been allocated to the Group’s
Brazil operating segment. It is expected that the goodwill arising on acquisition will be tax
deductible in Brazil.

Intangible assets identified separately from goodwill comprise trademarks of £18.7m related to
the Extra Power, Flying Horse, Juxx and Amazoo brands and customer relationships of £5.4m.

Trade and other receivables with a fair value of £2.0m have been recognised on acquisition.
The gross contractual amount of these receivables is £2.0m, all of which is expected to be
collected.

The Group measured acquired lease liabilities using the present value of the remaining lease
payments at the date of acquisition. The right-of-use assets were measured at an amount equal
to the lease liabilities, reflecting that the lease rentals are comparable to market rates.

The contingent consideration arrangement is based on the sales volume growth of the acquired
energy drinks brands compared to the energy drinks market in Brazil over the two years
following acquisition, with potential payments after each of the two years. The potential
undiscounted amount of all future payments that the Group could be required to make under the
arrangement is between £nil and £4.1m. The fair value of the contingent consideration
arrangement on acquisition of has been estimated at £3.3m and takes into consideration the
likelihood of achieving the target performance and discounting to present value. A
reconciliation of the fair value measurement of the contingent consideration liability is
provided below:

                                                           Year ended 30 September 2024
 
                                                                                     £m
As at 1 October 2023                                                                  —
Liability arising on acquisition                                                    3.3
Unrealised fair value changes recognised in profit or loss                          0.2
Exchange differences                                                              (0.5)
As at 30 September 2024                                                             3.0

 

In addition to the consideration outlined above, acquisition and integration costs of £2.0m
have been incurred during the year ended 30 September 2024. These are included within
administrative expenses and are presented as adjusting items (see non-GAAP reconciliations at
the end of this report).

13. Events after the reporting period

There were no material events after the reporting period requiring disclosure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS

  Adjusting items

In addition to statutory  financial measures, the Group  uses certain alternative  performance
measures (APMs) which are not defined by adopted  IFRS and therefore may not be comparable  to
other companies’ APMs.  These APMs are  intended to provide  additional useful information  on
trading performance to  the users of  the Financial Statements  and are not  intended to be  a
substitute for IFRS measures.

These APMs are used by management to assess the operating performance and financial position
of the Group, and exclude certain items, referred to as adjusting items, which are not
incurred in the ordinary course of business due to their size, frequency and nature.

For the year ended 30 September 2024 these items primarily relate to the reversal of
Ballygowan impairment charge, impairment charge of Norwich land and buildings, Carlsberg
acquisition costs, strategic M&A activity and amortisation of acquisition related intangibles.

Adjusted KPIs  are used  to  measure the  underlying profitability  of  the Group  and  enable
comparison of performance against peers.  They are also used in  the calculation of short  and
long-term reward schemes.

                                                                                    Year ended
                                                                       Year ended
                                                                                  30 September
                                                          Notes 30 September 2024
                                                                                          2023
                                                                               £m
                                                                                            £m
Reversal of impairment of trademarks                       (a)                3.6            –
Strategic restructuring – Norwich site                     (b)              (8.4)        (0.9)
Strategic restructuring and M&A activity                   (c)              (6.7)        (6.7)
Deposit Return Scheme set-up costs in Ireland              (d)              (3.0)        (0.5)
Carlsberg acquisition related costs                        (e)             (21.3)            -
Pension scheme costs                                       (f)                  -       (20.5)
Acquisition related amortisation                           (g)             (11.1)        (8.3)
Total included in operating profit                                         (46.9)       (36.9)
Unwind of discount on consideration payable for            (h)              (1.1)            -
acquisitions
Ineffectiveness on cash flow hedges related to debt        (i)                  -        (1.5)
Total included in finance costs                                             (1.1)        (1.5)
Total adjusting items pre-tax                                              (48.0)       (38.4)
Tax on adjusting items included in profit before tax                          1.6          5.7
Net adjusting items                                                        (46.4)       (32.7)

 

a) Reversal of impairments of £3.6m related to the Ballygowan trademark intangible following
growth in sales and the successful launch of Ballygowan’s Hint of Fruit range in the flavoured
water category. This was originally impaired in 2010, with partial reversals in 2017 and 2018.
Following the strong brand performance, the remaining impairment has been reversed.

b) Strategic restructuring – Norwich site. Costs in the year total £8.4m (2023: £0.9m) of
which £7.7m relates to the impairment of the land and buildings and £0.7m of site running
costs.

c) Strategic restructuring & M&A activity– £2.0m of the current year costs relate to legal and
professional costs of acquiring GlobalBev Comércio de Bebidas Ltda and £4.7m of organisational
transformation costs across the group.  £4.3m of the prior year cost primarily relates to
redundancy costs in relation to additional production capacity in Ireland and £2.4m of costs
associated with acquiring Jimmy’s Iced Coffee Ltd and GlobalBev Comércio de Bebidas Ltda
(Extra Power) in 2023, as well as aborted M&A costs.

d)   Costs for the set-up of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in Ireland.

e)     Costs incurred and accrued in relation to the Carlsberg acquisition including legal
fees, broker fees and retention bonuses

f) Prior year balance relates to pension scheme costs of £20.5m in the prior year comprise
past service costs on the GB defined benefit pension scheme resulting from an amendment to the
scheme rules related to pension increases.

g) Acquisition-related amortisation relates to the amortisation of intangibles recognised on
acquisitions in Britvic Ireland, Britvic France, Britvic Brazil, Aqua Libra Co, Plenish and
Jimmy’s Iced Coffee.

h)    Unwind of discount on consideration payable for acquisitions.

i) Ineffectiveness on cash flow hedges in the prior year relate to hedge ineffectiveness on
private placement loan hedging.

Adjusted profit

                                                                  Year ended   Year ended

                                                                30 September 30 September
 
                                                                        2024         2023

                                                                          £m           £m
Operating profit as reported                                           204.0        181.5
Add back: adjusting items in operating profit                           46.9         36.9
Adjusted EBIT                                                          250.9        218.4
Net finance costs                                                     (30.8)       (24.7)
Add back: adjusting net finance costs                                    1.1          1.5
Adjusted profit before tax and acquisition-related amortisation        221.2        195.2
Acquisition-related amortisation                                      (11.1)        (8.3)
Adjusted profit before tax                                             210.1        186.9
Taxation                                                              (47.4)       (32.8)
Less: adjusting tax credit                                             (1.6)        (5.7)
Adjusted tax                                                          (49.0)       (38.5)
Adjusted profit after tax                                              161.1        148.4
Adjusted effective tax rate                                            23.3%        20.6%

 

Adjusted earnings per share

                                                                                  2024    2023
Adjusted earnings per share                                                                   
Profit for the year attributable to equity shareholders (£m)                     125.8   124.0
Add: net impact of adjusting items (£m)                                           46.4    32.7
Adjusted earnings (£m)                                                           172.2   156.7
Weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue for basic earnings per       247.8   256.9
share (m)
Adjusted earnings per share (pence)                                              69.5p   61.0p
Adjusted diluted earnings per share                                                           
Adjusted earnings (£m)                                                           172.2   156.7
Effect of dilutive potential ordinary shares – share schemes (m)                   2.9     1.9
Weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue for diluted earnings per     250.7   258.8
share (m)
Adjusted diluted earnings per share (pence)                                      68.7p   60.5p

 

Free cash flow

                                                                       Year ended   Year ended

                                                                     30 September 30 September
 
                                                                             2024         2023

                                                                               £m           £m
Net cash flows from operating activities                                    190.9        238.4
Purchases of property, plant and equipment (net of government              (61.3)       (68.5)
grants)
Purchases of intangible assets                                              (7.3)        (8.1)
Interest paid, net of derivative financial instruments                     (25.9)       (21.1)
Repayment of principal portion of lease liabilities                         (8.8)        (9.0)
Repayment of interest portion of lease liabilities                          (2.1)        (1.9)
Free cash flow                                                               85.5        129.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted net debt/EBITDA and EBITDA/net interest ratios

                                                                       Year ended   Year ended

                                                                     30 September 30 September
 
                                                                             2024         2023

                                                                               £m           £m
Operating profit as reported                                                204.0        181.5
Add back adjusting items in operating profit                                 46.9         36.9
Adjusted EBIT                                                               250.9        218.4
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment                                48.4         44.8
Depreciation of right-of-use assets                                          10.2         10.1
Amortisation (excluding acquisition-related amortisation)                     8.0          7.3
Impairment of property, plant and equipment                                     -          3.8
Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment and intangible                -          3.2
assets
Adjusted EBITDA pre-IFRS 16 rental charges                                  317.5        287.6
Less: payment of lease liabilities as estimate for pre-IFRS16 rental       (10.9)       (10.9)
charges
Adjusted EBITDA                                                             306.6        276.7
Adjusted net debt                                                           607.1        538.1
Adjusted EBITDA                                                             306.6        276.7
Net debt/EBITDA ratio                                                       1.98x         1.9x
Net interest as reported                                                   (30.8)       (24.7)
Add back hedge ineffectiveness                                                  -          1.5
Add back IFRS 16 interest on lease liabilities                                2.1          1.9
Adjusted net interest                                                      (28.7)       (21.3)
EBITDA/net interest ratio                                                   10.7x        13.0x

 

Adjusted net debt

 

                                       30 September 30 September

                                               2024         2023

                                                 £m           £m
Interest-bearing deposits                    (11.3)       (10.9)
Cash and cash equivalents                    (52.8)       (79.2)
Overdrafts                                     16.5         48.9
Derivatives hedging balance sheet debt        (9.5)       (22.6)
Interest-bearing loans and borrowings         664.2        601.9
Adjusted net debt                             607.1        538.1

 

Return On Invested Capital (ROIC)

 

ROIC is a performance ratio that shows how efficiently a company is using investors’ funds to
generate profits. It is calculated by dividing the Group’s adjusted net operating profit after
tax by total invested capital:

 

                                         30 September 30 September

                                                 2024         2023

                                                   £m           £m
Equity                                          343.1        391.7
Adjusted net debt                               607.1        538.1
Total invested capital                          950.2        929.8
Adjusted EBIT                                   250.9        218.4
Less acquisition related amortisation          (11.1)        (8.3)
Adjusted net operating profit before tax        239.8        210.1
Adjusted effective tax rate                     23.3%        20.6%
Tax                                            (55.8)       (43.3)
Adjusted net operating profit after tax         184.0        166.8
Adjusted ROIC                                   19.4%        17.9%

 

 

Glossary

 

A&P (Advertising and Promotions) is a measure of marketing spend including marketing, research
and advertising.

Acquisition-related amortisation is the  amortisation of intangibles recognised  as part of  a
business combination.

Adjusted earnings  per share  (Adjusted EPS)  is  a non-GAAP  measure calculated  by  dividing
adjusted earnings  by the  average number  of shares  during the  year. Adjusted  earnings  is
defined as the  profit/(loss) attributable  to ordinary equity  shareholders before  adjusting
items. Average number of shares during the year  is defined as the weighted average number  of
ordinary shares outstanding during the  period excluding any own  shares held by Britvic  that
are used to satisfy various employee share-based incentive programmes.

Adjusted EBIT is a non-GAAP measure and is defined as operating profit before adjusting items.

Adjusted EBIT margin is a non-GAAP measure and is defined as Adjusted EBIT as a proportion  of
Revenue.

Adjusted EBITDA is  a non-GAAP  measure calculated  by taking  Adjusted EBIT  and adding  back
depreciation, amortisation and loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment and deducting
payments of lease liabilities as an estimate for pre-IFRS16 rental charges.

Adjusted  effective  tax  rate  is  a  non-GAAP   measure  and  defined  as  the  income   tax
charge/(credit), excluding the tax effect of Adjusting items, as a proportion of the  Adjusted
profit before tax.

Adjusted net debt is a non-GAAP measure and is defined as net debt, adding back the impact  of
derivatives hedging the balance sheet debt.

Adjusted net debt/EBITDA is a is  a non-GAAP measure and is  defined as the ratio of  Adjusted
net debt to Adjusted EBITDA (calculated for the preceding 12 months).

Adjusted profit  before tax  is  a non-GAAP  measure  and is  defined  as profit  before  tax,
excluding Adjusting items, with the exception of acquisition-related amortisation.

Adjusted profit after  tax is a  non-GAAP measure and  is defined as  profit after tax  before
adjusting items, with the exception of acquisition related amortisation.

Adjusting items are those items of income and expense set out in the non-GAAP  reconciliations
section that have  been identified  because of  their size,  frequency and  nature to  provide
shareholders with management’s view of the underlying financial performance in the period.

ARP is defined as average  revenue per litre sold,  excluding factored brands and  concentrate
sales.

BPS is basis points and is a measure used to describe the percentage change in a value. One
basis point is equivalent to 0.01%.

Brand contribution is a non-GAAP  measure and is defined as  revenue, less material costs  and
all other marginal costs that management considers to be directly attributable to the sale  of
a given  product. Such  costs include  brand specific  advertising and  promotion costs,  raw 
materials and marginal production and distribution costs. Brand contribution is reconciled  to
profit before tax in note 4 of the financial statements.

Brand contribution margin  is a non-GAAP  measure and  is a percentage  measure calculated  as
brand contribution divided by  revenue. Each business unit’s  performance is reported down  to
the brand contribution level.

Constant exchange rate  is a non-GAAP  measure of  performance in the  underlying currency  to
eliminate the impact of foreign exchange movements.

DRS is Deposit  Return Scheme. Deposit  return schemes are  used to encourage  more people  to
recycle packaging. The schemes work  by charging anyone who buys  a drink a small deposit  per
container. They get this money back when they return the container to a collection point to be
recycled.

EBIT is earnings before interest and taxation.

EBIT margin is operating profit as a proportion of revenue, both as reported in the
consolidated income statement.

EPS is Earnings Per Share.

Free cash flow is defined as cash generated from operating activities, plus proceeds from the
sale of property, plant and equipment, less capital expenditure, interest and repayment of
lease liabilities.

GB is Great Britain.

Group is Britvic plc, together with its subsidiaries.

Immediate Consumption is  defined as  pack formats  to be  consumed on  purchase, rather  than
deferred packs which are purchased and consumed later.

Innovation is defined as  new launches over  the last five years,  excluding new flavours  and
pack sizes of established brands.

M&A is mergers and acquisitions.

Net debt is the sum of interest-bearing loans and borrowings, overdrafts, cash and cash
equivalents and interest-bearing deposits.

NI is Northern Ireland.

Non-GAAP measures are  provided because  they are closely  tracked by  management to  evaluate
Britvic’s operating performance and to make financial, strategic and operating decisions.

PepsiCo is PepsiCo, Inc., a company incorporated under the laws of the State of North Carolina
with company number 0198463, together with its subsidiaries.

RCF is revolving credit facility.

Revenue is defined  as sales achieved  by the Group  net of price  promotional investment  and
retailer discounts.

ROI is Republic of Ireland.

ROIC is Return On Invested Capital, a performance ratio that shows how efficiently a company
is using investors’ funds to generate profits. It is calculated as set out in the non-GAAP
reconciliations section.

Scheme Document is the document dated 22 July 2024 addressed to Britvic shareholders in
respect of the recommended cash acquisition of Britvic plc by Carlsberg UK Holdings Limited.

Volume is defined as number of litres sold. No volume is recorded in respect of  international
concentrate sales or Brazil fruit pulp sales.

 

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Dissemination of a Regulatory Announcement, transmitted by EQS Group.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

   ISIN:           GB00B0N8QD54
   Category Code:  FR
   TIDM:           BVIC
   LEI Code:       635400L3NVMYD4BVCI53
   OAM Categories: 1.1. Annual financial and audit reports
   Sequence No.:   360102
   EQS News ID:    2033733


    
   End of Announcement EQS News Service

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