REG-Wood Group (John)PLC: Pre-close trading update <Origin Href="QuoteRef">WG.L</Origin>

John WoodAnnouncement

13/12/2017 07:01

13 December 2017

Pre-close trading update for the year to 31 December 2017

“Focused on operational delivery and transformational change to create a
platform for long term growth “

Highlights:
* Acquisition of Amec Foster Wheeler completed on 9 October to create Wood, a
global leader in project, engineering and technical services delivery to
energy and industrial markets
* Integration progressing ahead of schedule with sustainable annualised cost
savings already achieved ahead of plan
* Currently estimate that 2017 Proforma Wood EBITA from continuing businesses
will be in the region of $590m to $610m
* Net debt at 31 December expected to be around $1.8bn
We entered 2017 in a strong market position with a structurally lower overhead
cost base reflecting our cautious near term outlook in our core oil & gas
market that continued to present challenges. We retained our focus on M&A and
accelerated delivery of our strategic objectives including broadening our end
market exposure. Following shareholder and competition approval we completed
the acquisition of Amec Foster Wheeler (“AFW”) on 9 October 2017 to create
Wood, a global leader in project, engineering and technical services delivery
to energy and industrial markets. Customer reaction has been positive, we have
momentum in contract awards and see good opportunities for future revenue
synergies.

As previously announced, full year results will be released on 20 March 2018,
later than usual to accommodate the reporting and auditing process for the
enlarged business. There is no change to our proportionally consolidated
approach which includes the contribution from joint ventures.  EBITA and AEPS
will be retained as our principal profit measures. EBITA will be stated after
costs relating to asbestos. Reported full year actual results will comprise
the heritage Wood Group business and a contribution from AFW for the period
from completion on 9 October 2017 to 31 December 2017. Results will also be
presented on a Proforma basis to provide better insight into the underlying
continuing business performance.

There have been no material developments in Wood Group’s internal
investigation into historical engagement with Unaoil since the update provided
in the half year results.

We continue to cooperate with the investigation by the SFO and voluntary
requests for information from the DOJ and SEC regarding AFW’s past use of
third party agents.

Heritage Wood Group Trading

Our core oil & gas market continued to present challenges in 2017.

In Asset Solutions EAAA we saw improved activity in the second half as
expected, led by work in the Asia Pacific region including Exxon PNG and
Malaysia and commencement of our SAGE operating partner contract with Ancala.
In Saudi Arabia work under our GES Plus contract continues to be released at a
slow rate.

In Asset Solutions Americas, hook up and commissioning work on Hebron made a
good contribution and reached completion in the second half. We have seen
modest growth in US onshore construction and infrastructure work and are at an
advanced stage of engineering delivery on our upstream greenfield projects
including Husky White Rose, Peregrino, Leviathan and Mad Dog 2.  Performance
in US onshore engineering has been weaker than anticipated.

In Specialist Technical Solutions, automation is delivering growth but this is
more than offset by the reduction in Subsea where activity levels are down on
2016.

Amec Foster Wheeler Integration and Trading

Integration is progressing ahead of schedule with significant progress being
made, utilising the lessons learned from the Wood Group 2016 transformation
programme. The operating structure and executive leadership team of Wood was
in place prior to completion and we have since announced a further two levels
of organisational leadership. At the leadership levels alone, we have already
delivered sustainable annualised cost savings ahead of plan since completion
in October. We have also made good progress on real estate rationalisation,
merged bidding pipelines and aligned tendering and delivery governance. We
remain very confident of delivering cost synergies of over $170m by the end of
the third year following completion.

Since completion, a number of themes highlighted in the AFW half year results
have been evident in our review of the business post close. In the second half
we have seen a better than anticipated outcome on certain oil & gas projects,
offset by delays and cost overruns on a small number of fixed price contracts
in the legacy Transmission & Distribution and Environment & Infrastructure
businesses.

Wood – Reported FY 2017 Actual Results

We currently estimate that 2017 full year EBITA comprising the heritage Wood
Group business and a contribution from AFW for the period from 9 October to 31
December will be in the region of $335m to $355m.

Wood – Proforma H1 2017 and FY2017

We previously outlined our approach to proforma financial metrics and
segmental reporting(1).  Proforma 2017 will include the results of AFW and
heritage Wood Group from 1 January. It will exclude the results of businesses
disposed; principally the AFW North Sea upstream business, the AFW North
American nuclear operations and the disposed elements of GPG.

In the first half of 2017, Wood generated EBITA of $264m from revenues of
$4.7bn on a proforma basis. Margins continued to be impacted by challenges in
oil & gas markets overall and the anticipated reduction in AFWs solar activity
from record levels in 2016. These challenges were largely offset by growth
elsewhere including Environment and Infrastructure, improvements in US
offshore greenfield engineering and the impact of cost reduction programmes.

Reflecting the current trading conditions and typical second half weighting of
profit in both heritage Wood Group and AFW,  we currently estimate that 2017
Proforma EBITA from continuing businesses will be in the region of $590m to
$610m.

Net Debt and Financing

As expected, net debt to trailing Proforma EBITDA at completion was c. 2.2x
and net debt was $2.0bn. The disposal of the AFW UK upstream business has
reduced net debt by c $300m, although this is partly offset by expected
transaction and synergy delivery costs. Net debt at 31 December is expected to
be around $1.8bn(2).  There is no change to our preferred long term capital
structure and reducing debt to below 1.5x EBITDA remains our preferred use of
free cashflow.

We retain our progressive dividend policy and increased the first half
dividend by 3%. Former AFW holders will be entitled to the full year dividend.

Conference Call

A telephone conference call for analysts will be held at 8:30am today;
participant dial-in details below:

UK: 0800 012 1325

International: +44 844 800 4255

Passcode: 386005 #

Note to editors:

Wood is a global leader in the delivery of project, engineering and technical
services to energy and industrial markets. We operate in more than 60
countries, employing around 55,000 people, with revenues of around $10
billion.  We provide performance-driven solutions throughout the asset
life-cycle, from concept to decommissioning across a broad range of industrial
markets including the upstream, midstream and downstream oil & gas, power &
process, environment and infrastructure, clean energy, mining, nuclear and
general industrial sectors. We strive to be the best technical services
company to work with, work for and invest in. http://www.woodplc.com/

For further information contact:

Wood

Andrew Rose – Group Head of Investor
Relations                                       
01224 532 716

Ellie Dixon – Investor Relations
Manager                                                     
01224 851 369

Brunswick

Patrick
Handley                                                                                              020
7404 5959

Charles Pemberton

1 We disclosed our proposed operating structure in August. Proportionally
consolidated EBITA and AEPS remain our principal profit measures. Wood has
four reportable segments, Asset Solutions (Americas), Asset Solutions (EAAA),
Specialist Technical Solutions and Environment and Infrastructure Solutions.
Revenue, EBITA, Margin and headcount will continue to be disclosed for our
Reportable Segments.  In addition our presentation on Financial Metrics and
Segmental Reporting in November can be found here.
(https://www.woodplc.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/32720/2017-financial-reporting-and-revised-segments-analyst-update.pdf)

2 For the purpose of comparing net debt at 31 December 2017 to EBITDA,
estimated 2017 proforma EBITA in the region of $590m to $610m should be
adjusted by an amount of around $100m to calculate EBITDA.



Copyright (c) 2017 PR Newswire Association,LLC. All Rights Reserved