⌘K
t
On 20 January 2025, Reach plc announced strong Q4 2024 trading and expects full-year results to be ahead of current market expectations. The company also disclosed a historical error requiring an estimated £5m additional funding for the West Ferry Printers Pension Scheme, expected to be paid in 2025. Additionally, Reach plc completed refinancing its banking facilities, establishing a £145m Revolving Credit Facility maturing in December 2028, with an option to extend by up to one year, and a £72.5m uncommitted accordion facility.
| Date | 20 Jan 2025 |
| Time | 07:00:05 |
| Category | Trading updates |
| ID | 9236T |
20 January 2025
Reach plc ("the Company")
Q424 Trading update and full year guidance
Trading in Q4 was strong. As a result, we now expect to deliver results ahead of current market expectations for the full year.¹
Additional funding to West Ferry Printers Pension Scheme
The West Ferry Printers Pension Scheme (WF Scheme) is a legacy scheme inherited in the 2018 acquisition of Express Newspapers. As part of the due diligence to prepare the WF Scheme for buy-out, a historical error has been discovered resulting in an estimated £5m additional funding requirement, which we expect to pay in 2025. We have reviewed our other schemes for the same error, and we have not identified any material items. This is unrelated to the 2022 triennial pension valuations for our remaining schemes which remain unchanged.
Completion of refinancing
The Company completed refinancing of its banking facilities. The facility comprises a £145m Revolving Credit Facility ("RCF"), with a four-year maturity to December 2028 including an option to extend by up to one year. The RCF also includes a £72.5m uncommitted accordion facility. The financial covenants are unchanged.2
The Company is scheduled to report full year results on 4 March 2025.
Notes
|
¹ |
Market expectations compiled by the Company are an average of analyst published forecasts - consensus adjusted operating profit for FY24 £97.8m. |
|
2 |
Financial covenants Interest cover: (Adjusted) profit before Interest and tax (PBIT) to net interest payable >5.0 Leverage: Net Borrowings to (Adjusted) EBITDA <1.75
|
|
Enquiries |
|
|
Reach plc |
Investorrelations@reachplc.com |
|
Jim Mullen, Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
Darren Fisher, Chief Financial Officer |
|
|
Jo Britten, Investor Relations |
+44 (0)7557 557447 |
|
|
|
|
Teneo |
|
|
David Allchurch/Giles Kernick |
+44 (0)207 353 4200 |
LEI: 213800GNI5XF3XOATR61
Classification: 3.1 Additional regulated information required to be disclosed under the laws of the United Kingdom