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RNS Number : 3100A Cordel Group PLC 22 January 2024
22 January 2024
Cordel Group PLC
("Cordel" or the "Company" or the "Group")
Interim Results
Cordel Group PLC (AIM: CRDL), the Artificial Intelligence platform for
transport corridor analytics, announces unaudited results for the six months
ending 31 December 2023.
Six months to Six months to % change % change
31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2022 (constant currency*)
£'000 £'000
Total revenue 1,961 945 108% 111%
Cost of sales (924) (268) 245% 233%
Total expenses (1,760) (1,523) 16% 27%
Other income 149 57 161% 165%
EBITDA (574) (789) 27% 14%
*Constant currency reflects the results had the underlying transactional
currencies, (i.e. USD, AUD and GBP) remained constant across the full
financial year.
Highlights:
● Total revenue increased by 108% in reported currency and 111% at
constant currency.
● Cost of sales increased by 245% (233% constant currency) due to an
increased proportion of hardware vs software and services in new contracts in
the half year.
● Total expenses increased by 16% (27% at constant currency) as the
Group executed on its strategy to invest in growth.
● As at 31 December 2023, cash balance was £1,191,528 compared with
£1,283,463 at 30 June 2023.
● Total assets as at 31 December 2023 were £4,358,514 whilst net assets
were £3,081,296 compared with £4,823,403 and £3,799,076,
respectively, as at 30 June 2023.
● UK achievements during the period included further development of
new business initiatives with our key partner Angel Trains in the field of
Unmanned Geometry, detection of vegetation infringements and prevention of
overhead line obstruction, a new Data-as-a-Service contract with High Speed
One ("HS1") and the move to live production for the Network Rail Railway
Gauging Data Solution ("RGDS") system.
● USA achievements included a new contract in Mexico in partnership
with Holland LP and continued, on-schedule progress with the Amtrak contract
announced last year.
● Australia achievements included the extension of the Australian
Rail Track Corporation ("ARTC") contract and a Level Crossing Safety Research
project with National Transport Research Organisation ("NTRO").
Ian Buddery, Chairman, Cordel, said: "The interim results show very pleasing
growth compared to the corresponding period last year, with sales momentum
building in all markets. The delivery of a LiDAR unit in Mexico and hardware
units supporting our Angel partnership reduced our normal operating margin,
but this is expected to balance out positively in the second half as software
and Data-as-a-Service components are delivered for these projects.
During the period, we added new sales, business development and technical
support staff in the USA and UK and are delighted with the resulting uplift in
market engagement, which gives us confidence for continuing success in 2024
and beyond. As always, we take care to balance the requirements of growth
opportunities while maintaining adequate cash reserves."
Enquiries:
Cordel Group PLC c/o Zeus Capital
Ian Buddery, Chairman
John Davis, CEO
Zeus Capital Limited Broker +44 (0)20 3829 5000
Simon Johnson / Alexandra Campbell-Harris
Strand Hanson Limited Nominated Adviser
Richard Johnson / James Bellman +44 (0)20 7409 3494
About Cordel
Cordel offers a patented cloud-based platform for master data management and
business analytics, together with specialist hardware and software for
capturing, analysing and reporting on large datasets within the transport
sector, employing sophisticated artificial intelligence algorithms.
Further information on the Company is available at: www.cordel.ai
(http://www.cordel.ai)
Cordel Group PLC
Review of operations by the Chief Executive Officer
31 December 2023
Cordel Group PLC ("the Group"), the developer of the Artificial Intelligence
platform for transport corridor analytics, offers a patented cloud-based
platform for master data management and business analytics, together with
specialist hardware and software for capturing, analysing and reporting on
large datasets within the transport and infrastructure sectors, employing
sophisticated artificial intelligence algorithms.
Overview of results
During the half year ended 31 December 2023, the Company secured an extension
of its partnership with Angel Trains tackling new use cases in Unmanned
Geometry, quantified vegetation trending and overhead line obstruction
prevention, further strengthening our position in the UK rail market. We have
also secured a new Data-as-a-service contract with High Speed One and moved
our Network Rail RGDS system into live production. In the USA, we have secured
a new contract in Mexico in partnership with Holland LP and our delivery to
Amtrak as part of the contract announced earlier in 2023 is progressing on
track. We have recruited a new team in the USA and we are already seeing the
benefits of their genuine industry knowledge and experience and deeper
connections with Tier 1 and Tier 2 railroads. We remain optimistic about the
global opportunity for Cordel's services. Railroads worldwide want to use
digital analysis to optimise inspection and maintenance to create safer, more
efficient and sustainable railways.
The Company has simplified its operating structure by focusing all resources
into Cordel operations and discontinuing Airsight Australia and Nextcore
activities. The primary growth opportunity and investment focus is continuing
the development and commercialisation of the Cordel Artificial Intelligence
analytics platform.
Revenue for the half year is summarised as follows:
Six Months to Six Months to Change
31 December 2023 31 December 2022
£ '000 £ '000
NextCore 3 116 -97%
Cordel 1,958 829 136%
Total Revenue 1,961 945 108%
Ongoing operations
The Group operates from offices in London, UK and Newcastle, Australia with
staff in these locations and in the USA. The Company has customers in
Australia, UK, the USA and Mexico. As of 31 December 2023, the Company had
cash and receivables totalling £2.7m.
Outlook
The Company continues to be awarded new contracts following competitive bid
processes. This results in a steady growth of the total mileage of railway
track under long-term data management and, combined with new analytic services
released in 2023 and planned for 2024, is expected to produce further growth
in recurring revenue.
John Davis
Chief Executive Officer
22 January 2024
Cordel Group PLC
Review of operations by the Chief Financial Officer
31 December 2023
A summary of the Group's results are as follows:
Six Months to Six Months to
31 December 2023 31 December 2022 Change
£ '000 £ '000
Revenue from contracts with customers 1,961 945 108%
Total Revenue 1,961 945 108%
Direct cost of sales 924 268 245%
Gross Margin 1,037 677 53%
Employee expenses 1,453 1,162 25%
Occupancy expenses 24 14 71%
Other operating expenses 283 347 -18%
Total expenses 1,760 1,523 15%
Other income 149 57 162%
EBITDA (earnings before interest expenses, taxation, depreciation and (574) (789) 27%
amortisation adjusted for other one-off items)
Discontinued operations inventory written off 92 - 100%
Depreciation 45 61 -27%
Finance Costs 4 5 -23%
Loss before and after income tax (715) (855) 16%
The above consolidated statements of profit or loss and other comprehensive
income should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.
Revenue
Total revenue for the period increased by 108% to £1.96m.
Direct cost of sales
Direct cost of sales increased by £656k to £924k due to an increased
proportion of hardware vs software and services in new contracts in the half
year. Gross margin fell from 72% to 53% as a result but this is expected to
balance out in the full year.
Operating expenses
Overall operating expenses increased by £237k compared to the prior
corresponding period. An increase of staff expenses of £291k reflects the
investment in strategic new hires the Group has made. As at 31 December 2023,
Cordel had 35 employees in Australia, the UK and USA; an increase of 10
employees compared to the same period in the previous year.
Other operating costs were largely flat with small decreases in depreciation
and amortisation costs offset by slightly higher occupancy costs.
Other income of £141k relates to refundable R&D tax offset as well as
income received for grant-funded projects.
Underlying EBITDA (excluding one-off items) was a loss of £574k, an
improvement of 27% on the prior period. This excludes £92k of obsolete
inventory written off following the discontinuation of Nextcore operations.
The loss after tax for the period was £715k, an improvement of 16% compared
to a loss of £855k in the corresponding period to 31 December 2022.
Balance sheet, cash and working capital
The Group balance sheet shows cash resources of £1.19 million million and
receivables of £1.55 million as at 31 December 2023. Net cash inflow from
operating activities was £0.09 million.
Underlying basis of EBITDA
The Group manages its operations by looking at the underlying EBITDA which
excludes the impact of one-off and non-cash items as this, in the Board's
opinion, provides a more representative measure of the Group's performance. A
reconciliation between the reported loss before tax and underlying EBITDA is
included at Note 6 to the financial statements.
Thouraya Walker
Chief Financial Officer
22 January 2024
Cordel Group PLC
Consolidated statements of profit and loss and other comprehensive income
For the period ended 31 December 2023
Unaudited six months Audited year
ended 31 December ended 30 June
Note 2023 2022 2023
£ £ £
Revenue from contracts with customers 4 1,960,934 945,020 3,046,496
Total Revenue 1,969,934 945,020 3,046,496
Direct Cost of sale (924,438) (267,749) (791,668)
Gross Margin 1,045,496 677,271 2,254,828
Employee expenses (1,452,558) (1,162,233) (2,367,385)
Occupancy expenses (24,278) (13,587) (34,411)
Depreciation & Amortisation (44,687) (60,953) (117,302)
Other operational expenses (375,649) (347,797) (593,297)
Finance Costs (3,841) (5,160) (16,819)
Total expenses (1,901,013) (1,589,730) (3,129,214)
Other income 5 149,325 57,080 408,756
Interest income 99 15 46
Loss before income tax expenses (715,093) (855,364) (465,584)
Income tax - - (132,566)
Loss after income tax expense for the period (715,093) (855,364) (598,150)
Other comprehensive income
Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss
Foreign currency translation (2,687) (53,613) (17,257)
Share option reserve - - 54,601
Total comprehensive income for the period (717,780) (908,977) (560,806)
Loss for the period attributable to:
Non-controlling interest - - -
Owners of Cordel Group PLC (715,093) (855,364) (598,150)
(715,093) (855,364) (598,150)
Total comprehensive income for the period is attributable to:
Non-controlling interest - - -
Owners of Cordel Group PLC (717,780) (908,977) (560,806)
(717,780) (908,977) (560,806)
Basic earnings per share (pence per share) 15 (0.004) (0.50) (0.30)
Diluted earnings per share (pence per share) 15 (0.004) (0.50) (0.30)
The above consolidated statements of profit or loss and other comprehensive
income should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.
Cordel Group PLC
Consolidated Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2023
Unaudited Audited
December 31 June 30
Note 2023 2022 2023
Assets £ £ £
Non-current assets
Goodwill 1,223,403 1,223,403 1,223,403
Right to use assets - 45,582 28,858
Property, plant & equipment 145,849 99,383 73,872
Deferred tax asset 85,991 157,405 84,069
Total non-current assets 1,455,243 1,525,773 1,410,202
Current assets
Trade and other receivables 7 1,554,216 458,345 1,985,957
Inventory 157,527 154,336 143,781
Cash and cash equivalents 1,191,528 433,945 1,283,463
Total current assets 2,903,271 1,046,626 3,413,201
Total Assets 4,358,514 2,572,399 4,823,403
Liabilities
Non-Current liabilities
Lease Liabilities - 15,126 -
Deferred tax 2,031 - 2,031
Total non-current liabilities 2,031 15,126 2,031
Current liabilities
Trade and other payables 8 1,052,789 456,526 662,160
Unearned Income 29,425 11,363 133,290
Lease Liabilities - 35,445 32,700
Borrowings - 78,622 -
Employee benefits 192,972 149,022 194,146
Total current liabilities 1,275,186 730,978 1,022,296
Net assets/(liabilities) 3,081,296 1,826,295 3,799,076
Equity
Share Capital 1,994,886 1,704,272 1,994,886
Share premium account 10,856,854 9,525,617 10,856,854
Other reserves 9 2,434,421 2,346,151 2,437,108
Accumulated losses (12,204,865) (11,749,745) (11,489,772)
Equity/(deficiency) attributable to the owners of Cordel Group PLC 3,081,296 1,826,295 3,799,076
Non-controlling interest - - -
Total equity/(deficiency) 3,081,296 1,826,295 3,799,076
The above consolidated balance sheet should be read in conjunction with the
accompanying notes.
The interim financial statements of Cordel Group PLC (company number 1109701
(England and Wales)) were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised
for issue on 22 January 2024. They were signed on its behalf by:
Ian Buddery
Jonathan Macleod
Chairman
Director
22 January
2024
22 January 2024
Cordel Group PLC
Consolidated statements of changes in equity
For the period ended 31 December 2023
Share Share Other Accumulated Total
Unaudited six months ended Capital premium reserves Losses Equity
31 December 2022 account*
£ £ £ £ £
Balance at 1 July 2022 1,704,272 9,525,617 2,399,764 (10,894,381) 2,735,272
Loss after income tax expense for the period - - - (855,364) (855,364)
- - (53,613) - (53,613)
Other comprehensive income for the period, net of tax
Total comprehensive income for the period - - (53,613) (855,364) (908,977)
Transactions with owners in their capacity as owners:
Share-based payments (note 16) - - - - -
Balance at 31 December 2022 1,704,272 9,525,617 2,346,151 (11,749,745) 1,826,295
Share Share Other Accumulated Total
Unaudited six months ended Capital premium reserves Losses Equity
31 December 2023 account*
£ £ £ £ £
Balance at 1 July 2023 1,994,886 10,856,854 2,437,108 (11,489,772) 3,799,076
Loss after income tax expense for the period (715,093) (715,093)
(2,687) (2,687)
Other comprehensive income for the period, net of tax
Total comprehensive income for the period 1,994,886 10,856,854 2,434,421 (12,204,865) 3,081,296
Transactions with owners in their capacity as owners:
Share-based payments /Share Issue - - -
Balance at 31 December 2023 1,994,886 10,856,854 2,434,421 (12,204,865) 3,081,296
*The share premium account is used to recognise the difference between the
issued share capital at nominal value and the share capital received, net of
transaction costs.
Cordel Group PLC
Consolidated statements of changes in equity (cont'd)
For the period ended 31 December 2023
Share Share Other Accumulated Total
Audited year ended Capital premium reserves Losses Equity
30 June 2023 account*
£ £ £ £ £
Balance at 1 July 2022 1,704,272 9,525,617 2,399,764 (10,894,381) 2,735,272
Loss after income tax expense for the period - - - (598,150) (598,150)
Other comprehensive income for the period, net of tax - - 37,344 2,759 40,103
Total comprehensive income for the period - - 37,344 (595,391) (558,047)
Transactions with owners in their capacity as owners:
Share Issue 290,614 1,331,237 - - 1,621,851
Balance at 30 June 2023 1,994,886 10,856,854 2,437,108 (11,489,772) 3,799,076
The above consolidated statement of changes in equity should be read in
conjunction with the accompanying notes
Cordel Group PLC
Consolidated statements of cash flows
For the period ended 31 December 2023
Unaudited six months Audited year
ended December 31 ended June 30
2023 2022 2023
£ £ £
Cash flows from operating activities
Loss before income tax expense for the period (715,093) (855,364) (465,584)
Adjustments for:
Depreciation and amortisation 44,687 60,953 117,302
Loss/(Gain) on disposal of equipment (1,687) - (36,423)
Discontinued operations inventory written off 92,437 - -
Share option reserve - - 57,360
Foreign exchange differences 2,130 283 15,136
Interest received (98) (15) (46)
Interest and other finance costs 3,841 5,160 16,819
(573,783) (788,983) (295,436)
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Decrease/(increase) in inventories (13,746) 92,604 103,159
Decrease/(increase) in trade and other receivables 431,741 904,311 (676,561)
(Decrease)/Increase in trade and other payables 390,629 (123,294) 81,920
(Decrease)/Increase in other liabilities (137,739) (59,098) 169,852
97,102 25,540 (617,066)
Interest Received 98 15 46
Interest and other finance costs paid (3,841) (5,160) (12,133)
Net cash used in operating activities 93,360 20,395 (629,153)
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase of property, plant and equipment (116,665) (45,432) (60,809)
Proceeds from disposal of fixed asset 1,687 36,378 69,422
Net cash used in investing activities (114,978) (9,054) 8,613
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from issue of shares - - 1,725,066
Interest on lease payments (1,061) - (4,685)
Repayment lease arrangements (19,960) (56,201) (37,650)
Proceeds from borrowings - 103,076 -
Transaction costs on issue of shares - - (103,214)
Net cash from financing activities (21,021) 46,875 1,579,517
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (42,639) 58,216 958,977
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the financial period 1,283,463 339,655 339,665
Effects of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (49,296) 36,074 (15,179)
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the financial period 1,191,528 433,945 1,283,463
The above consolidated statements of cash flows should be read in conjunction
with the accompanying notes.
Cordel Group PLC
Notes to the consolidated financial statements
For the period ended 31 December 2023
Note 1. General information
Cordel Group plc is a public company, registered in England and Wales and
listed on the Alternative Investment Market ('AIM').
Its registered office and principal place of business are:
Registered office
Principal place of business
10 John Street
Level 4/745 Hunter Street
London WC1N 2EB
Newcastle West NSW 2302
United
Kingdom
Australia
A description of the nature of the Group's operations and its principal
activities are included in the directors' report, which is not part of the
financial statements. The financial statements were authorised for issue, in
accordance with a resolution of directors, on 22 January 2024. The directors
have the power to amend and reissue the financial statements.
Note 2. Significant accounting policies
These financial statements for the interim half-year reporting period ended 31
December 2023 have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting
Standards IAS 34 'Interim Financial Reporting'.
These interim financial statements do not include all the notes of the type
normally included in annual financial statements. Accordingly, these financial
statements are to be read in conjunction with the annual report for the year
ended 30 June 2023 and any public announcements made by the Company during the
interim reporting period.
New or amended Accounting Standards and Interpretations adopted
The Group has adopted all of the new or amended Accounting Standards and
Interpretations issued by the International Accounting Standards Board that
are mandatory for the current reporting period. Any new or amended
Accounting Standards or Interpretations that are not yet mandatory have not
been early adopted.
Going concern
The financial statements have been prepared assuming the Group will continue
as a going concern. Under the going concern assumption, an entity is
ordinarily viewed as continuing in business for the foreseeable future. In
assessing whether the going concern assumption is appropriate, the directors
have considered the Group's existing working capital and are of the opinion
that the Group has adequate resources to undertake its planned program of
activities for the 12 months from the date of approval of these financial
statements.
Note 3. Operating segments
Identification of reportable operating segments
The Group operates in one segment being provision of data integration and
analytic services. This operating segment is based on the internal reports
that are reviewed and used by the Board of Directors (who are identified as
the Chief Operating Decision Makers ('CODM')) in assessing performance and in
determining the allocation of resources.
The operating segment information is the same information as provided
throughout the consolidated financial statements and are therefore not
duplicated.
Note 4. Revenue from contracts with customers
Unaudited six months Audited year
ended December 31 ended June 30
2023 2022 2023
£ £ £
Nextcore 3,145 115,636 117,867
Cordel 1,957,789 829,384 2,928,629
Revenue from contracts with customers 1,960,934 945,020 3,046,496
Disaggregation of revenue
The disaggregation of revenue from contracts with customers is as follows:
Unaudited six months Audited year
ended December 31 ended June 30
Geographical regions 2023 2022 2023
£ £ £
United Kingdom 1,045,959 659,997 1,545,453
Australia/New Zealand 123,812 235,734 318,412
United States of America 791,163 49,289 1,182,631
1,960,934 945,020 3,046,496
Enterprise implementation and enterprise subscriber income are recognised as
revenue over time as opposed to a point in time.
Note 5. Other income Unaudited six months Audited year
ended December 31 ended June 30
2023 2022 2023
£ £ £
Government grants and rebates 147,638 20,585 372,172
Other Income 1,687 36,510 36,584
149,325 57,095 408,756
Note 6. EBITDA reconciliation (earnings before interest expense, taxation,
depreciation and amortisation)
Unaudited six months Audited year
ended December 31 ended June 30
2023 2022 2023
EBITDA reconciliation £ £ £
Loss before income tax (715,093) (855,364) (465,584)
Less: Interest revenue (98) (15) (46)
Add: Interest expense 3,841 5,160 16,819
Add: Depreciation and amortisation 44,687 60,953 117,302
Add: Other non-operating costs - 283 -
EBITDA (666,663) (788,983) (331,509)
Unaudited six months Audited year
ended December 31 ended June 30
2023 2022 2023
Underlying EBITDA reconciliation £ £ £
EBITDA (666,663) (788,983) (331,509)
Discontinued operations 92,437 - -
Underlying EBITDA (574,226) (788,983) (331,509)
The financial statements include both the statutory financial statements and
additional performance measures of EBITDA and Underlying EBITDA. The
directors believe these additional measures provide useful information on the
underlying trend in operational
performance going forward without these unusual and other one-off items.
Note 7. Current assets - trade and other receivables Unaudited six months Audited year
ended December 31 ended June 30
2023 2022 2023
£ £ £
Trade receivables 1,178,328 238,824 1,389,988
Other receivables 121,702 - 21,698
Prepayments 140,186 219,521 242,250
R&D tax offset refundable 114,000 - 332,021
1,554,216 458,345 1,985,957
Note 8. Current liabilities - trade and other payables Unaudited six months Audited year
ended December 31 ended June 30
2023 2022 2023
£ £ £
Trade payables 473,512 171,579 240,697
Accrued expenses 566,712 172,898 314,960
Other payables 12,565 112,049 106,503
1,052,789 456,526 662,160
Note 9. Equity - other reserves Unaudited six months Audited year
ended December 31 ended June 30
2023 2022 2023
£ £ £
Foreign currency reserve 358,784 325,115 361,471
Share-based payments reserve 185,797 131,196 185,797
Capital reorganisation reserve 1,889,840 1,889,840 1,889,840
2,434,421 2,346,151 2,437,108
Movements in reserves
Movements in each class of reserve during the current financial period are set
out below:
Unaudited six months ended 31 December 2023 Foreign Share-based Capital Total
Currency payments reorganisation
£ £ £ £
Balance as at 1 July 2023 361,471 185,797 1,889,840 2,437,108
Foreign currency translation (2,687) - - (2,687)
Share-based payment - - - -
Balance at 31 December 2023 358,784 185,797 1,889,840 2,434,421
Note 10. Equity - dividends
There were no dividends paid, recommended, or declared during the current or
previous financial period.
Note 11. Fair value measurement
The carrying amounts of trade and other receivables and trade and other
payables are assumed to approximate their fair values due to their short-term
nature.
The fair value of financial liabilities is estimated by discounting the
remaining contractual maturities at the current market interest rate that is
available for similar financial liabilities.
Note 12. Related party transactions
Parent entity
The parent entity and ultimate parent entity is Cordel Group PLC. There is no
ultimate controlling party.
Transactions with related parties
Ian Buddery was remunerated through his personal service company during the
period.
Receivable from and payable to related parties
There were no trade receivables from or trade payables to related parties at
the current and previous reporting date.
Loans to/from related parties
There were no loans to or from related parties at the current and previous
reporting date.
Note 13. Earnings per share Unaudited six months Audited year
ended December 31 ended June 30
2023 2022 2023
£ £ £
Loss after income tax (715,093) (855,364) (598,150)
Non-controlling interest - - -
Loss after income tax attributable to the owners of Cordel Group PLC (715,093) (855,364) (598,150)
Number Number Number
Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in calculating basic earnings 199,488,614 170,427,186 199,488,614
per share
Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in calculating diluted 199,488,614 170,427,186 199,488,614
earnings per share
Pence Pence Pence
Basic earnings per share (0.40) (0.50) (0.30)
Diluted earnings per share (0.40) (0.50) (0.30)
Note 14. Events after the reporting period
The Group entered into a three-year operating lease for new premises in
Newcastle, Australia after the balance sheet date. The Group has future
commitments of AUD$199,200 per annum under the terms of the lease.
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