Uniphar plc

2024 Preliminary Results

 

Uniphar plc, an international diversified healthcare services business, announces its full year results for the year ended 31 December 2024, delivering a strong performance with Adjusted EPS growth of 12%, ROCE of 15.2% and leverage of 1.47x.

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

			Growth
Year ended 31 December	2024 €'000	2023 €'000	Reported %	Constant Currency2 %
Revenue	2,770,429	2,553,062	8.5%	8.3%
Gross profit	427,604	389,984	9.6%	9.4%
Uniphar Medtech	108,915	99,870	9.1%	8.6%
Uniphar Pharma	121,561	103,187	17.8%	17.3%
Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail	197,128	186,927	5.5%	5.5%
Gross profit margin	15.4%	15.3%
EBITDA1	123,458	115,985	6.4%	6.4%
Operating profit	81,989	67,708	21.1%	21.1%
Profit before tax excluding exceptional items	61,130	53,321	14.6%	14.7%
Net bank debt1	(147,676)	(149,947)
Basic EPS (cent)	23.5	16.4
Adjusted EPS (cent)1	20.5	18.3

 

·      Gross profit growth of 9.6% (8.2% organic³). Organic growth delivered across all divisions with the Pharma and Medtech divisions delivering outstanding organic growth of 17.6% and 9.1% respectively.

·      Continued progression in gross profit margin from 15.3% to 15.4%, reflecting operational excellence and growth in higher margin activities.

·      EBITDA growth of 6.4% to €123.5m (2023: €116.0m), reflecting the successful execution of our strategy in each division together with investment for future growth across the Group.

·      Adjusted EPS growth of 11.8% to 20.5 cents (2023: 18.3 cent) reflecting strong EBITDA growth.

·      Robust liquidity with net bank debt of €147.7m as at 31 December 2024 (2023: €149.9m) and 1.47x leverage.

·      Total dividend for the year of €5.2m (€0.0192 per ordinary share) representing a 5% increase year-on-year, including a €1.8m interim (€0.0067 per ordinary share) dividend paid in October and a final dividend of €3.4m (€0.0125 per ordinary share) subject to approval at the AGM.

·      For 2025, Uniphar expects continued strong organic gross profit growth across all divisions. The strong growth momentum provides confidence in reaching our €200m EBITDA target in 2028 with at least 80% of that growth being organic.

·      The Board announces its intention to return capital to shareholders in the form of a share buyback programme of €35m. The use of capital is considered appropriate in light of the recent disposal of Inspired Health supported by the Group's strong balance sheet and confidence in the Group's prospects.

 

 

1.     Additional information is set out in Alternative Performance Measures (APMs) section.

2.     Constant currency growth is calculated by applying the prior year's actual exchange rate to the current year's result.

3.     Organic growth is calculated as the gross profit growth of the underlying business in the period adjusted for the contribution from prior period acquisitions and divestments to ensure a like-for-like comparison.

 

 

STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

·      Our business performed strongly in 2024 delivering EBITDA of €123.5m driven predominantly by organic growth (8.2% organic gross profit growth). We have invested in recent years in building the platforms in each division to enable them to achieve scale in their target markets and we are increasingly seeing that strategy delivering strong returns.

·      Organic gross profit growth of 8.2% in 2024, driven by growth across each of our three divisions:

§ Uniphar Medtech: 9.1% gross profit growth, all of which was delivered organically. Growth delivered across all regions through excellent performance with existing suppliers in the market, in addition to bringing new specialities to existing markets and developing new areas of partnership.

§ Uniphar Pharma: 17.8% gross profit growth of which 17.6% is organic growth. Strong performance in the On Demand business solving market supply challenges while 17 new Expanded Access Programs were onboarded in 2024.

§ Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail: 5.5% gross profit growth of which 2.7% is organic growth. Continued relentless focus on operational excellence, resulting in 7% volume growth ahead of underlying market growth of 5%. Our Retail pharmacy brands continue to be ranked among the most trusted in Ireland in national brand surveys.

·      The Group has made great progress towards the target of doubling EBITDA to €200m by 2028. The strength of the 2024 results gives confidence that at least 80% of the growth can be delivered organically. M&A remains an objective of the Group in delivering its medium-term targets with the Group continuing to maintain an active pipeline of opportunities.

·      Reported free cash flow conversion of 105.5% which includes temporary favourable working capital timing benefits that have arisen from the growth in the Pharma division.

·      Net bank debt remains relatively unchanged in 2024 at €147.7m (2023: €149.9m) representing a leverage multiple of 1.47x. The Group's strong Balance Sheet provides long-term strategic and financial flexibility with a revolving credit facility of €400m together with an additional uncommitted accordion facility of €150m.

·      The Group's strategic capital expenditure in a state-of-the-art distribution facility in Ireland is progressing well with the initial build completed and the focus moving to completing the technology infrastructure. Once completed in 2026, the investment will provide the infrastructure to meet growing market demands by doubling existing capacity levels and future proofing the market leading Supply Chain & Retail division whilst also enabling us to scale our global Pharma platform.

·      The Group remain focused on driving our sustainability agenda across our five sustainability pillars. SBTi targets have been validated in 2024 with our climate ambition target of at least a 50% reduction in our absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030. External ratings maintained with MSCI at 'AAA', CDP 'B' rating for a third consecutive year and a first percentile risk rating in the healthcare industry from Sustainalytics.

·      Uniphar has consistently deployed capital in a disciplined manner in both M&A and strategic investment opportunities that are expected to generate returns that exceed the hurdle rate of 12% - 15% within three years. The Board considers the launch of a share buyback programme as appropriate in light of the recent disposal of Inspired Health in addition to the Group's consistent ability to generate free cash flow together with the Board's confidence in the Group's prospects.

 

 

Ger Rabbette, Uniphar Group Chief Executive Officer said:

"2024 was an outstanding year for Uniphar with all our divisions contributing to strong organic Gross Profit growth of 8.2%. The results demonstrate the impact of our strategy on our ability to grow at pace organically. We are progressing well towards our target of delivering €200m EBITDA by 2028 and are confident that over 80% of that growth can now be delivered organically."

 

Analyst presentation

A conference call for analysts and investors will be held at 9.00 am (GMT), today, 25^th February 2025. To register for the call please visit www.uniphar.ie.

 

A copy of the presentation and announcement will be available on our website at the time of the call.

 

Contact details

Uniphar Group   Tel: +353 (0) 1 428 7777 Allan Smylie, Head of Strategy and IR Davy (Joint Corporate Broker, Nominated Advisor and Euronext Growth Listing Sponsor)   Tel: +353 (0) 1 679 6363 Daragh O'Reilly Niall Gilchrist Ivan Murphy RBC Capital Markets (Joint Corporate Broker)   Tel: +44 (0) 20 7653 4000 Jamil Miah Rupert Walford Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Joint Corporate Broker)   Tel: +44 (0) 20 7710 7600 Matt Blawat Ben Maddison Francis North Q4 PR   Tel: +353 (0) 1 475 1444 Iarla Mongey, Public Relations Advisor to Uniphar Group

 

About Uniphar plc

Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Uniphar is an international diversified healthcare services business servicing the requirements of more than 200 multinational pharmaceutical and medical technology manufacturers across three divisions - Uniphar Medtech, Uniphar Pharma and Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail. The Group is active in Europe, North America, APAC and MENA and delivers to 160+ countries.

 

The Company's vision is to improve patient access to pharmaco-medical products and treatments by enhancing connectivity between manufacturers and healthcare stakeholders. Uniphar represents a strong combination of scale, growth, and profitability.

 

Uniphar Medtech

Uniphar Medtech is a leading pan-European medical device distributor and solutions partner. The Group's strategy for Uniphar Medtech is to grow our service offering across Europe and expand our addressable market by serving new specialities and new manufacturers.

 

Uniphar Pharma

Uniphar Pharma operates a global business with high-value services across the life cycle of a pharmaceutical product. We enable pharma and biotech companies to bring innovative medicines to global markets and provide healthcare professionals with access to medicines they cannot source through traditional channels. Our strategy is to build a leading platform to provide the specialist support and expertise needed to improve access to these medicines.

 

Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail

Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail is the leading pharmaceutical wholesaler in Ireland with a growing symbol group offering of retail pharmacies. The Group's strategy for Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail is to grow our wholesale market share, our symbol group network and our own brand, in-licenced and consumer products portfolio.

 

Cautionary statement

This announcement contains certain projections and other forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations, businesses, and prospects of the Uniphar Group. These statements are based on current expectations and involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend upon circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. There are a number of factors which could cause actual results or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these projections and forward-looking statements. Any of the assumptions underlying these projections and forward-looking statements could prove inaccurate or incorrect and therefore any results contemplated in the projections and forward-looking statements may not actually be achieved. Recipients are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any projections and forward-looking statements contained herein. Except as required by law or by any appropriate regulatory authority, the Uniphar Group undertakes no obligation to update or revise (publicly or otherwise) any projection or forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or other circumstances.

 

Overview

Uniphar Group has delivered an excellent performance in 2024 achieving growth in gross profit and EBITDA. The Group grew gross profit by 9.6% which resulted in EBITDA growth of 6.4%. The majority of the gross profit growth was achieved organically at 8.2% with the remainder due to acquisitions completed in the prior year. Importantly, the growth was achieved right across the Group with each division delivering organic gross profit growth. 2024 represents one of our best performing years for organic gross profit growth.

 

Uniphar Pharma delivered an excellent performance with gross profit growth of 17.8% with both the On Demand and Pharma Services business units contributing to that growth. Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail achieved another strong performance with 5.5% gross profit growth. Excluding the impact of the McCauley Pharmacy Group and a small number of Independent Community Pharmacy ('ICP') acquisitions, organic growth of 2.7% represents consistent growth across the division. Uniphar Medtech achieved 9.1% gross profit growth, all of which was delivered organically reflecting strong performances in all our markets with noteworthy growth in our UK and European markets.

 

Gross profit margin increased to 15.4% (2023: 15.3%), with increases in both the Pharma and Medtech divisions and the Supply Chain & Retail division broadly unchanged. The overall increase is driven by a continued focus on operational excellence and growth into higher margin sectors and businesses.

 

EBITDA has increased by 6.4% (€7.5m) to €123.5m (2023: €116.0m) primarily reflecting the organic growth, partially offset with the continued investment in our teams, technology and new business opportunities which will support the delivery of the Group's €200m EBITDA target. Adjusted EPS of 20.5 cent is 11.8% (2.2 cent) ahead of 2023 driven by the increased operating profits and strong cash flow management is reflected in low leverage of 1.47x.

 

Return on capital employed (ROCE) for the rolling 12-month period closed at 15.2% (2023: 15.2%) which is at the upper end of the Group's medium-term target of 12-15%. The ROCE is expected to move to within the guided range as the Group completes its strategic investment programme which will deliver improved growth and returns in the medium-term.

 

The Group's Balance Sheet remains robust with net bank debt of €147.7m and leverage of 1.47x being well below the Group's medium-term target of not exceeding 2.5x. This strong cash performance reflects effective cash management and the benefit of favourable temporary cash flow timing movements arising from the growth in the Pharma Services business that has led to an increase in prepayments on certain EAP programmes. Free cash flow conversion for the year was 105.5%, the definition of which was updated during 2024 to include the principal and interest payments on leases. The Group's banking facility consists of a €400m revolving credit facility and €150m of an uncommitted accordion facility that supports a robust Balance Sheet to provide the Group with long-term strategic and financial flexibility to drive shareholder value over the long-term.

 

Further to the recent sale of Inspired Health, the Group's strong track record of generating free cash flow, and the Board's confidence in the Group's prospects, the Board considers the launch of a share buyback programme as timely and appropriate. The intention is that the share buyback programme will be for €35m and is expected to commence tomorrow 26^th February 2025 subject to market conditions.

 

Sustainability

Sustainability remains a key focus for the Group and a core principle of how we operate day-to-day. The Group has identified five sustainability pillars that define our approach and we continue to make progress against each of the pillars.

 

In April 2024 SBTi (Science Based Targets Initiative) validated the science-based greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets submitted by Uniphar plc to reduce absolute Scope 1 & 2 emissions by at least 50% by 2030. Furthermore, as part of our commitment to SBTi we have also submitted a target that over 73.5% of our suppliers (by emissions) covering purchased goods and services will have science-based targets for emissions by 2027. In order to achieve this, we have commenced an active supplier engagement programme in the year. The Group also continues to focus on maintaining strong ratings from external rating agencies with our most recent ratings with CDP being "B", MSCI being "AAA" and a first percentile risk rating in the healthcare industry from Sustainalytics.

 

The Group's commitment to community is reflected in our ongoing support of the 100 Million Trees Project throughout Ireland, together with our Unity for Hope fundraising programme that raised €155,000 in 2024 and in excess of €1m since its inception five years ago.

 

Acquisitions update

Uniphar continues to evaluate potential acquisition opportunities and maintains an active pipeline of opportunities to further expand our capability and geographic reach. The Group maintains a disciplined approach to capital allocation and remains committed to ensuring capital is deployed in investments that deliver a Return on Capital Employed within our target range of 12% - 15% within three years.

 

Strategic capital expenditure update

Uniphar's track record of investment in technology has been a critical enabler of the Group's transformational growth journey to date. Investing in modern infrastructure in strategic locations has driven the Group's ability to achieve growth at pace.

 

We are mid-way through a multi-year strategic investment programme in an Irish-based distribution facility together with the technology platform to maximise the efficiency of the facility. This facility will incorporate the latest technologies to enable the business to drive operational efficiencies and provide the infrastructure to double current capacity levels in the Supply Chain & Retail division. The IT investment will provide the foundation to future proof this market-leading division whilst enabling us to scale our global Pharma platforms and is a key component in achieving our target of €200m EBITDA by 2028. The initial build of the facility is complete with the focus now moving to completing the technology infrastructure.

 

Our new distribution hub in the US is now operational and presents an opportunity for Uniphar to expand the services we offer clients in the North American market. We have completed the first phase of our continental European hub in the Netherlands, with phase two due to complete in 2025 providing extra capacity to support our rapidly growing Pharma and Medtech divisions. Given the scale of the opportunity in the UK market, we are examining opportunities to expand our current footprint there.

 

Current trading

Uniphar has entered the year with strong trading momentum and is trading in-line with expectations.

 

Outlook

Uniphar remains well positioned to achieve continued organic Gross Profit growth in each division in line with our medium-term targets and is confident of delivering on current market expectations for the full year.

 

The Group announced an ambitious target in 2023 to grow Group EBITDA to €200m over the medium-term which it now expects to deliver in 2028. This target will be achieved through a combination of strong organic growth across each division, complemented by M&A. The Group now expects that at least 80% of the growth will be organic. Consistent with its medium-term targets, the Group is targeting organic gross profit growth in 2025 as follows:

 

·      Uniphar Pharma: Double-digit

·      Uniphar Medtech: High single-digit

·      Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail: Low single-digit

 

M&A will continue to play an important role in Uniphar's growth strategy, and the Group continues to have a disciplined approach to capital allocation while managing an active pipeline of acquisition opportunities to further enhance the Group's growth potential.

 

Principal Risks & Uncertainties 

The Group's Risk Management Policy provides the framework to identify, assess, monitor, and manage the risks associated with the Group's business. It is designed to enable the Group to meet its business objectives by appropriately managing, rather than eliminating, these risks.

 

2024 Highlights

The Group continues to ensure that the Risk Management Framework is integrated in the day-to-day activities across the business. During the year ended 31 December 2024, the Group carried out the following:

 

·      Reviewed the Group Risk Register, updating for all the key risks facing the Group at this time.

·      Performed a review of emerging and new risks, including considering economic and geopolitical risk.

·      Reviewed the relevance of existing risks and identified the current principal risks.

·      Continued to focus on Cybercrime related risks.  

The key principal risks and uncertainties faced by the Group for the year ended 31 December 2024 are summarised as follows:

 

Strategic Risks

·      Economic, geopolitical and external environment risk - The global macroeconomic, regulatory, political, and legal environment may impact the markets in which we operate and in turn our client and supplier base. This may adversely affect the financial and operational results of the Group. The Group closely monitors global political and economic conditions and responds quickly to any changes in circumstances or events.

·      Acquisitions - Growth through acquisitions continues to remain a key strategy for the Group. Failure to identify, complete and integrate acquisitions successfully may directly impact the Group's projected growth.

·      Key personnel and succession planning - Failure to attract, retain and develop the skills and expertise of its people may adversely impact the Group's performance.

·      Market perception and reputational risk - Failure to deliver in line with market expectations may result in reputational damage, impacting the Group's ability to achieve its strategic targets.

·      Loss of competitive position - Failure of the Group to respond to any changes in the environment in which it operates may result in loss of market share, which may put pressure on profitability and margins.

·      Environment and sustainability - The global focus on environmental and sustainability governance is recognised by the Group, and by its stakeholders. Failure to appropriately assess, monitor, report and manage the Group's impact on the environment and the communities in which it operates may result in reputational damage, impacting the Group's ability to deliver results. Furthermore, failure to comply with environmental and climate change regulations and legislation may negatively affect the Group.

·      Transformational project execution - The Group has embarked on several transformational projects that will provide the platform and capacity to grow over the coming years. Failure of the Group to effectively deliver such projects may result in cost overruns or reputational damage impacting the Group's ability to deliver strategic targets.

 

Operational Risks

·      Cybercrime - Failure to protect against the ongoing threat of a cyber-attack could lead to a breach in security, impacting operations, financial transactions, and sensitive information. The knock-on impact from an attack on one of our business partners is also an area of risk for the Group.

·      IT systems - Digital capabilities are a specific strategic offering of Uniphar; interruption or downtime may have a negative impact on the Group's operations, financial, and competitive positions.

·      Business interruption - External factors such as natural disasters, environmental hazard or industrial disputes may result in potential lost sales and loss of customer loyalty.

·      Health & safety - Failure to implement and follow proper health and safety procedures may have adverse effects on employees and patients.

·      Laws, regulations & compliance - Failure to operate under any of the stringent laws and regulations the Group is subject to could result in financial penalties, reputational damage, and a risk to business operations.

 

Financial Risks

·      Foreign currency - The Group's reporting currency is Euro. Exposure to foreign currency is present in the normal course of business, together with the Group operating in jurisdictions outside of the Eurozone.

·      Treasury - The Group is exposed to liquidity, interest rate and credit risks. The Group is exposed to increases in interest rates and credit risks from changes to economic conditions.

 

Financial Review

 

Summary Financial Performance

 

			Growth
Year ended 31 December	2024 €'000	2023 €'000	Reported	Constant  currency
IFRS measures
Revenue	2,770,429	2,553,062	8.5%	8.3%
Gross profit	427,604	389,984	9.6%	9.4%
Operating profit	81,989	67,708	21.1%	21.1%
Basic EPS (cent)	23.5	16.4	43.3%
Alternative performance measures
Gross profit margin	15.4%	15.3%
EBITDA	123,458	115,985	6.4%	6.4%
EBITDA %	4.5%	4.5%
Adjusted EPS (cent)	20.5	18.3	11.8%
Net bank debt	(147,676)	(149,947)
Return on capital employed	15.2%	15.2%

 

Revenue

Revenue in the year amounted to €2.8bn representing an increase of 8.5% (8.3% constant currency) on 2023. Revenue growth was achieved in all three divisions with the most significant increase being in Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail. This growth is driven by a strong performance in the year together with the full year impact of the McCauley pharmacy acquisition in early 2023.

 

Gross Profit

Gross profit growth of 9.6% (9.4% constant currency) with growth delivered across all three divisions. This growth is mainly reflective of revenue growth in addition to an increase in the Group's gross margin to 15.4% (2023: 15.3%). Uniphar Pharma delivered a standout performance with gross profit growth of 17.8% whilst Uniphar Medtech and Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail delivered growth of 9.1% and 5.5% respectively. Gross profit growth was predominantly organic with Supply Chain & Retail reflecting the full year benefit of the McCauley pharmacy group and a small number of ICP acquisitions in 2023.

 

Divisional gross profit

			Growth
Year ended 31 December	2024 €'000	2023 €'000	Reported	Constant         Currency	Organic
Uniphar Medtech	108,915	99,870	9.1%	8.6%	9.1%
Uniphar Pharma	121,561	103,187	17.8%	17.3%	17.6%
Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail	197,128	186,927	5.5%	5.5%	2.7%
	427,604	389,984	9.6%		8.2%

 

Administrative expenses

Pre-exceptional administrative expenses have increased by €25.3m to €260.9m in 2024. This increase of 10.7% reflects the revenue growth of 8.5% together with an element of investment in new business streams primarily in the Uniphar Pharma division that are at an early stage of development. These investments are developing their revenue pipelines and are anticipated to be an important part of the growth of the Uniphar Pharma division in future years.

 

EBITDA

EBITDA increased by €7.5m to €123.5m representing growth of 6.4% in the year (constant currency 6.4%) and a consistent year-on-year EBITDA margin of 4.5%. The growth is reflective of the organic gross profit growth and an element of incremental investment in the business to enable future growth. Cost management and return on capital remains a focus of management especially given the macroeconomic environment.

Exceptional Items

Exceptional items in the year amounted to a gain of €14.5m before tax (2023: charge of €0.4m). This comprises three elements of costs totalling €5.6m primarily relating to acquisition, redundancy and strategic business transformation costs. This is partly offset by a gain on the disposal of businesses and assets of €2.4m primarily relating to the sale of Inspired Insight, LLC. A net release was booked of deferred contingent consideration of €17.6m following a review of the expected performance against earn-out targets and contractual obligations. Further details can be found in Note 3 of the financial statements.

 

Earnings per Share

Basic earnings per share for the year at 23.5 cent is an increase of 7.1 cent on 2023 which reflects strong growth in operating profit and the impact of the exceptional gain relating to the net release of deferred contingent consideration. The weighted average number of shares remains the same as in 2023.

 

Adjusted earnings per share is calculated after adjusting for amortisation of acquisition related intangibles, exceptional costs and share-based payment expenses. The Group's adjusted earnings per share for 2024 was 20.5 cent (2023: 18.3 cent). Underlying adjusted earnings have increased by 11.8% from €50.0m in 2023 to €55.9m in 2024.

 

Cash Flow and Net Bank Debt

The Group delivered a strong cash performance during the year, with a free cash flow conversion of 105.5% and a net bank debt position of €147.7m (2023: €149.9m).

 

Year ended 31 December	2024 €'000	2023 €'000
Net cash inflow from operating activities	124,268	52,511
Net cash outflow from investing activities	(96,479)	(90,428)
Net cash (outflow)/inflow from financing activities	(11,488)	19,630
Foreign currency translation movement	1,039	235
Increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents in the year	17,340	(18,052)
Movement in restricted cash	121	173
Non-cash movement in borrowings*	(2,663)	577
Cash flow from movement in borrowings	(12,527)	(41,428)
Movement in net bank debt	2,271	(58,730)
*The Non-cash movement relates to foreign currency movement and amortisation of refinancing transaction fees.

 

The Group continues to maintain a strong focus on working capital management, and this is reflected in the cash generated from operating activities of €124.3m. The main year-on-year movements reflect favourable working capital benefits from the growth in the Pharma Services division that have led to an increase in prepayments on certain programmes being partially offset by higher interest and tax paid in the year.

 

The net cash outflow from investing activities of €96.5m principally consisted of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets investment of €101.9m (including strategic capital invested) together with deferred and deferred contingent consideration payments of €16.3m. This is offset by the disposal of businesses of €21.9m, principally Inspired Insight, LLC ("Inspired Health").

 

The net cash outflow from financing activities of €11.5m was primarily due to repayments of borrowings of €33.7m which included the repayment of a US Dollar loan following the disposal of Inspired Health, principal lease payments of €18.3m and dividends of €5.1m, offset by loan drawdowns from the revolver facility of €50.1m and a decrease in invoice discounting facilities of €3.9m.

 

Debt Facility

The Group operates a revolving credit facility of €400m with an additional uncommitted accordion facility of €150m. This facility which commenced in August 2022 runs for five years to August 2027 with an option to extend by one year and a further option to extend by an additional year up to August 2029 with repayment of all loans due on termination of the facility. There are seven international banks in the current banking syndicate. Net bank debt was €147.7m at 31 December 2024 (2023: 149.9m) and leverage marginally decreased to 1.47x (2023: 1.58x). The facility combined with modest leverage and strong free cash flow provides the Group with the platform to support future growth and investment.

 

Taxation

The Group's total tax expense has increased by €3.6m to €11.4m driven by the increase in pre-exceptional profits. The effective tax rate before exceptional items has increased from 16.6% to 18.4% reflective of the financial performance over multiple tax jurisdictions. The effective tax rate is calculated as the pre-exceptional income tax expense for the year as a percentage of the profit before tax and exceptional items.

 

Currency Exposure

The Group continues to expand into new geographies which, together with the continued growth in existing geographies outside of the Eurozone, results in a foreign exchange exposure for the Group being the translation of local income statements and balance sheets into Euro for consolidation purposes.

 

On a constant currency basis, revenue increased by 8.3% vs. 8.5% reported growth, gross profit increased 9.4% vs 9.6% reported growth and operating profit increased by 21.1% vs. 21.1% reported growth.

 

	2024 Average	2023 Average
Great British Pound	0.847	0.870
US Dollar	1.082	1.081
Swedish Krona	11.431	11.473
Australian Dollar	1.639	1.628

 

Return on Capital Employed (ROCE)

Group ROCE of 15.2% (2023: 15.2%) is consistent with the prior year and is marginally ahead of the Group's target range of 12%-15%. This strong return is achieved notwithstanding the significant investment in 2024 in the Group's new high-tech distribution facility in Ireland. Once complete, this investment will deliver significant efficiencies and capabilities and support the long-term growth of the Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail division. The ROCE metric is anticipated to trend to within the Group's target range of 12%-15% as the strategic investment programme reaches completion. Details on the calculation of ROCE is included in the APMs section.

 

Dividends

The Board remains committed to a progressive dividend policy as stated at the time of IPO. The Directors are proposing a final dividend of €3.4m (€0.0125 per ordinary share), subject to approval at the Company's AGM. It is proposed to pay the dividend on 16 May 2025 to ordinary shareholders on the Company's register at 5 p.m. on 25 April 2025. Together with the interim dividend of €1.8m (€0.0067 per ordinary share) paid in October 2024 this brings the total dividend for the year to €5.2m (€0.0192 per ordinary share) representing an increase of 4.9% on 2023 (€0.0183 per ordinary share).

 

Operational overview

 

Uniphar Medtech

 

			Growth
Year ended 31 December	2024 €'000	2023 €'000	Reported	Constant currency
Revenue	267,968	249,216	7.5%	7.1%
Gross profit	108,915	99,870	9.1%	8.6%
Gross margin %	40.6%	40.1%

 

Performance highlights

-       Gross profit growth of 9.1% all of which is organic

-       Growth strategy delivering significant growth in the UK laying the foundation for further significant growth in both the UK and EU

-       Continued focus on operational excellence delivering increase in Gross margin to 40.6%

-       Number of specialities serviced in the UK market increased from two to six

-       Growth of our European offering by leveraging existing interventional specialities into new countries

-       74 manufacturers represented in two or more countries

 

Who we are

Uniphar Medtech is the leading European medical device distributor offering end-to-end solutions and expertise across sales, marketing, quality, compliance, regulatory and market access to the world's top medical device manufacturers. The division is a high-growth diversified healthcare services provider, offering best-in-class products and services across multiple specialities to both the public and private sectors. The business is headquartered in Ireland with a presence in 16 markets primarily across Europe in addition to a partnership network elsewhere.

 

What we do

Uniphar Medtech is an expert provider across a wide range of specialisms with market-leading positions in interventional cardiology/radiology, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, minimally invasive surgery, diagnostic imaging and critical care. We enable life changing innovation across each of our markets of operation and view our compliance offering as a competitive advantage. The division has established long-standing exclusive distribution agreements with some of the world's leading manufacturers of medical devices and is one of only a few companies in Europe fully accredited with service license agreements for several global medical device brands. Our team excels at building strong partnerships between healthcare providers and world-class medical device manufacturers, ensuring that life-changing medical devices reach the healthcare professionals and the patients who need them.

 

Relationships

At Uniphar Medtech, people and the relationships they cultivate are at the heart of our business. Supplier expansion is a key pillar of our growth strategy, with long-standing partnerships with manufacturers driving our entry into new geographical regions. Our manufacturers trust us to represent their brands in daily interactions with healthcare professionals, making our relationships with the medical community crucial. The majority of our sales representatives in the Medtech division come from clinical backgrounds, allowing them to engage with customers in a peer-to-peer manner. As medtech solutions become more sophisticated, the purchasing decision is increasingly led by physicians with the specific knowledge of the individual patients' case. Our strong relationships with these frontline professionals are a key asset to the division.

 

Innovation

The Medtech sector has been a leader in the healthcare industry, driving innovation to enhance the quality of patient care. Recent advancements in products and technologies have delivered significant operational and cost efficiencies for healthcare providers, while also improving clinical outcomes for patients. One area experiencing notable growth is the use of robotics in surgery, as physicians increasingly turn to technology to enhance their skills and achieve greater precision, particularly for routine procedures. Uniphar Medtech is proud to represent global robotic manufacturers in the orthopaedic and minimally invasive surgery specialties, playing a key role in accelerating the digital transformation of healthcare.

 

Performance in 2024

The division delivered a strong performance in 2024 growing gross profit by 9.1% all of which was achieved organically. This growth was delivered across all of our regions through excellent performance with existing suppliers in the market, in addition to bringing existing and new suppliers into new areas of partnership. In particular, the division achieved strong growth in Germany, the UK and the Nordics in 2024. Furthermore, in the UK, the division grew the number of specialities serviced from two to six in the year.

 

An efficient central support function is essential to providing a world-class service to our clients. The current scale of the division enables it to optimise technical and clinical knowledge along with central support services to drive growth in new markets. The platform that the division has developed in recent years enables it to leverage these essential skills in building a sustainable and efficient platform to further expand.

 

Outlook

Uniphar Medtech has a strong team in place with the experience and tenure to understand its clients and provide solutions to the challenges they encounter. The business has delivered significant growth in recent years expanding both the range of specialities and the geographies it services. As the business moves forward, it has significant opportunities notably in the UK and mainland Europe in supporting existing and new clients grow their market share. Furthermore, the division has now established a presence in Switzerland and Austria to better support clients in those markets. The division has deep relationships in the Irish market which are expected to continue to drive growth there.

 

Our growth strategy is driven by our dedication to deliver an outstanding performance for manufacturers and growing with them into a multiplicity of markets delivering the same success wherever we work with them. 2024 witnessed great strides in partnership across the EU and the UK setting a great foundational platform for future growth. The division has the market access, service platform, leadership team, expertise and track record to capitalise on the opportunities ahead of it.

 

Uniphar Pharma

 

			Growth
Year ended 31 December	2024 €'000	2023 €'000		Reported	Constant  currency
Revenue	658,814	592,226		11.2%	10.7%
Gross profit	121,561	103,187		17.8%	17.3%
Gross margin %	18.5%	17.4%

 

Performance highlights

-       Gross profit growth of 17.8% achieved in 2024 of which 17.6% was achieved organically with growth in both the On Demand and Pharma Services business units

-       Continued growth in gross profit margin as the business expands into higher margin activities

-       Strong performance in the On Demand business solving market supply challenges and ensuring continued access to difficult-to-source medicines for customers

-       17 new Expanded Access Programs (EAPs) onboarded in the year

 

Who we are

Uniphar Pharma's goal is to provide access to innovative medicines and therapies and help manufacturers optimise value for their assets globally. The division operates on a global scale, delivering integrated, high-value services throughout the life cycle of a pharmaceutical product- from molecule to market.

 

What we do

We collaborate with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to address the challenges of today's healthcare market, from bringing innovative medicines to global markets to ensuring healthcare professionals have access to medicines that are difficult to source through traditional channels. The division utilises our global network of facilities and locally-based clinical, regulatory and logistics experts to support our clients and to solve their unique challenges with customised solutions. The division offers two distinct service lines: On Demand and Pharma Services.

 

On Demand

Our On Demand business is a leading global provider of unlicenced and difficult to source medicines serving both primary and secondary care customers. Our procurement teams specialise in resolving supply challenges for medicines that are in short supply to ensure the continuity of supply to patients who rely on them around the globe. On Demand also supports clinical trials through the sourcing, labelling and supply of comparator medicines in addition to operating an Aid and Development business that supplies much-needed products to governments and international organisations. Our unrivalled expertise in logistics, national and international regulatory affairs, reimbursement policies and quality procedures together with strong relationships with pharma manufacturers, make our team a leading partner in their field. The business sources medicines from in excess of 40 countries and supplies more than 160 countries.

 

Pharma Services

The Pharma Services business provides high-value services to pharma and biotech companies across the life cycle of a product supporting our clients in navigating the barriers to launch and commercialisation in their target markets. Our end-to-end suite of services remove barriers to launch and increase access to providers and patients. Uniphar is the only company worldwide to have provided global expanded access programs for cell and gene therapies and is the market leader for these complex treatments. Our capabilities in the market include Outsourced Product Development, Expanded Access Programs, Regulatory Affairs, Medical Affairs, Insight-Driven Sales & Marketing, Quality Assurance, and Supply Chain Management.

 

Future of Pharma

The pharmaceutical industry is undergoing significant changes that pose challenges for manufacturers, healthcare professionals, and patients alike. New complex treatments, growing regulatory burden and a focus on larger markets have disrupted the traditional balance of the healthcare sector. Consequently, pharma/biotech companies are seeking partners with the global expertise and reach to help them to supply and commercialise their specialist products in smaller markets. Simultaneously, healthcare professionals are grappling with persistent medicine shortages needed for patient care.

 

Performance in 2024

Uniphar Pharma delivered an outstanding performance in 2024 with organic gross profit growth of 17.6%. The On Demand business continues to perform well by offering solutions and expertise to help our customers bring difficult-to-source medicines to those who need them in addition to serving markets where medicines may otherwise be unavailable. The On Demand business operates across Europe, Asia Pacific and US markets. The recent acquisitions of BModesto and Orspec Group have enabled the Group to further leverage relationships in their respective markets for the benefit of the wider Group. BModesto announced the investment in a new state of the art distribution facility in the Netherlands during 2024 which will significantly expand their capacity and the services the business can offer our customers and the market and provide the Group with a sizable facility in mainland Europe.

 

Pharma Services performed strongly in the year with continued growth in EAP programs. As our EAP offering becomes more established in the market, clients are increasingly looking to Uniphar to partner with them to provide additional services across the product life cycle. Uniphar is proud to have been the only company to have provided global expanded access for cell and gene therapies in 2024 making the business a market leader for bringing these treatments to market.

 

Outlook

Uniphar Pharma has strengthened its service offering considerably in recent years both through acquisition and the development of new capabilities. The business is now capable of supporting manufacturers from "molecule to market" across all stages of the product life cycle in addition to helping healthcare practitioners (HCPs) get access to difficult-to-source medicines. Uniphar Pharma's target for organic gross profit growth is to deliver double digit growth over the medium-term. Our flexible and innovative approach to providing solutions, combined with our enhanced scale and reach, will allow us to take a leadership position in this market in the medium-term.

 

Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail

 

					Growth
Year ended 31 December	2024 €'000	2023 €'000		Reported		Constant  currency
Revenue	1,843,647	1,711,620		7.7%		7.7%
Gross profit	197,128	186,927		5.5%		5.5%
Gross margin %	10.7%	10.9%

 

Performance highlights

-       5.5% growth in gross profit of which 2.7% was achieved organically

-       Retail brands among the most trusted in Ireland with all four brands ranked in top 12 in CXi Customer Experience survey

-       Wholesale volumes increased by 7% ahead of the market growth of 5%

-       Multi-year investment in new distribution facility and IT infrastructure progressing to plan with property fitout completed during the year

 

Who we are

Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail is the vertically integrated pharmaceutical distribution and retail pharmacy division of the Group. The division comprises of Pre-wholesale, Wholesale and Retail pharmacy businesses that work together to supply medicines, consumer products and pharmacy services to our customers. Uniphar holds c.54% of the wholesale market and c.60% of the hospital supply market in Ireland.

 

What we do

Pre-wholesale

The pre-wholesale business unit supports pharmaceutical manufacturers with tailored and innovative distribution solutions to bring their products to the Irish market. Pre-wholesale is a key element of the vertically integrated offering that Supply Chain & Retail brings to the market. The Pre-wholesale business performed strongly in 2024 and begins 2025 from a position of strength, having secured contract renewals with several long-established manufacturers whilst advancing new business opportunities with key client partners. The growing demand for specialist medicines requiring temperature-controlled storage and distribution, combined with the expertise of our team, places the Pre-wholesale business in an ideal position to meet the rising needs of its clients.

 

Wholesale

The Wholesale business efficiently, reliably, and securely supplies critical medicines to pharmacies and hospitals in Ireland, playing a vital role in improving patient health. At the heart of the business is the delivery of prescription and OTC (over-the-counter) products to community and hospital pharmacies across Ireland. Additionally, we offer a broad range of consumer products, which have become a key driver of growth in recent years. Our goal is to be the preferred partner for pharmacies by delivering world-class service levels alongside a comprehensive range of consumer products. The investment programme in the new distribution facility in Dublin continues to progress well while the business prepares for the extra capacity, efficiencies and capabilities that the new infrastructure will deliver for the Group.

 

Retail

Our Retail pharmacy business unit comprises 445 pharmacies that are owned, franchised or supported by the Group. The business operates across four brands - Hickey's, McCauley, Allcare and Life Pharmacy - and together form one of the largest pharmacy groups in Ireland. Community pharmacy plays a prominent role as a trusted support to patients and is increasingly seen as a primary care destination for healthcare services. During 2024, all four of our brands featured in the top 12 brands in Ireland in the CXi Customer Experience annual survey with Life Pharmacy ranked number two overall and the number one brand for customer experience.

 

Performance in 2024

The division achieved Gross profit growth of 5.5% of which 2.7% was achieved organically. This level of growth is delivered through relentless focus on operational excellence and a dedication to offering a high service level to customers. The Wholesale business grew at a higher rate than the market in 2024 increasing market share to c.54%. The Retail brands are among the most trusted in Ireland by consumers who look to us as their healthcare partner. The division continues to focus on investing in the people and infrastructure to take the business forward. The multi-year investment in our new distribution facility and IT infrastructure in Dublin continues to progress to plan with the division substantially completing the fitout of the property during the year.

 

Outlook

The Supply Chain & Retail division's success is defined by its commitment to operational excellence and service delivery for our customers. Our goal is to be the one-stop shop for community pharmacies, offering reliable solutions for not only their prescription and OTC (over-the-counter) needs but also their front-of-shop and consumer product requirements. Community pharmacy in Ireland is an important element of the healthcare system with 7 out of 8 Irish adults visiting a pharmacy every month and 42% of the population living within one kilometre of a pharmacy. Our vertically integrated Supply Chain & Retail division is well positioned to capitalise on the growth of community pharmacy as one of Ireland's largest pharmacy networks. The division continues to look forward to its new distribution facility which will significantly expand capacity and provide the infrastructure for the coming years to scale the division further in addition to supporting the next generation of digital pharmacy.

 

Group Income Statement

for the year ended 31 December 2024

 

	Notes	2024 Pre- exceptional €'000	2024 Exceptional (Note 3) €'000	2024 Total   €'000	2023 Pre- exceptional €'000	2023 Exceptional (Note 3) €'000	2023 Total   €'000
Revenue	2	2,770,429	-	2,770,429	2,553,062	-	2,553,062
Cost of sales		(2,342,825)	-	(2,342,825)	(2,163,078)	-	(2,163,078)
Gross profit		427,604	-	427,604	389,984	-	389,984
Selling and distribution costs		(82,018)	-	(82,018)	(76,976)	-	(76,976)
Administrative expenses		(260,936)	(5,556)	(266,492)	(235,648)	(8,865)	(244,513)
Other operating income/(expense)		500	2,395	2,895	395	(1,182)	(787)
Operating profit		85,150	(3,161)	81,989	77,755	(10,047)	67,708
Finance cost	4	(25,917)	17,625	(8,292)	(25,024)	9,624	(15,400)
Finance income	4	1,897	-	1,897	590	-	590
Profit before tax		61,130	14,464	75,594	53,321	(423)	52,898
Income tax expense		(11,239)	(119)	(11,358)	(8,834)	1,084	(7,750)
Profit for the financial year		49,891	14,345	64,236	44,487	661	45,148
Attributable to:
Owners of the parent				64,203			44,815
Non-controlling interests				33			333
Profit for the financial year				64,236			45,148
Attributable to:
Continuing operations				64,236			45,148
Profit for the financial year				64,236			45,148
Earnings per ordinary share (in cent):
Continuing operations				23.5			16.4
Basic and diluted earnings per share (in cent)	5			23.5			16.4

 

 

 

Group Statement of Comprehensive Income

for the year ended 31 December 2024

 

		2024 €'000	2023 €'000
Profit for the financial year		64,236	45,148
Other comprehensive income/(expense)
Items that may be reclassified to the Income Statement:
Unrealised foreign currency translation adjustments		6,380	697
Cumulative exchange difference on translation recycled on disposal		(223)	-
Total comprehensive income for the financial year		70,393	45,845
Attributable to:
Owners of the parent		70,360	45,512
Non-controlling interests		33	333
Total comprehensive income for the financial year		70,393	45,845

 

 

Group Balance Sheet

As at 31 December 2024     

 

ASSETS	Notes	2024 €'000	2023 €'000
Non-current assets
Intangible assets - goodwill	7	507,607	517,087
Intangible assets - other assets	7	59,696	44,565
Property, plant and equipment, and right-of-use assets	8	284,796	206,700
Financial assets - Investments in equity instruments		25	25
Deferred tax asset		8,718	11,792
Other receivables		1,244	1,458
Total non-current assets		862,086	781,627
Current assets
Inventory		201,582	184,549
Trade and other receivables		248,882	237,560
Cash and cash equivalents		102,992	85,652
Restricted cash		294	173
Total current assets		553,750	507,934
Total assets		1,415,836	1,289,561
EQUITY
Capital and reserves
Called up share capital presented as equity	9	21,841	21,841
Share premium		176,501	176,501
Share-based payment reserve		5,936	3,542
Other reserves		8,862	2,705
Retained earnings		188,615	128,213
Attributable to owners		401,755	332,802
Attributable to non-controlling interests		126	818
Total equity		401,881	333,620
LIABILITIES
Non-current liabilities
Borrowings	10	241,646	222,604
Deferred contingent consideration	11	7,157	31,538
Provisions	12	1,827	1,752
Lease obligations	13	132,612	126,083
Total non-current liabilities		383,242	381,977
Current liabilities
Borrowings	10	9,316	13,168
Deferred contingent consideration	11	32,025	43,523
Lease obligations	13	22,580	20,134
Trade and other payables		562,969	490,283
Corporation tax		3,823	6,856
Total current liabilities		630,713	573,964
Total liabilities		1,013,955	955,941
Total equity and liabilities		1,415,836	1,289,561

 

 

Group Statement of Changes in Equity

for the year ended 31 December 2024

				Other Reserves
	Share capital	Share premium	Share-  based payment reserve	Foreign currency translation reserve	Revaluation reserve			Capital redemption reserve	Retained earnings	Attributable to non- controlling interests		Total shareholders' equity
	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000			€'000	€'000	€'000		€'000
At 1 January 2023	21,841	176,501	718	1,248	700			60	88,476	239		289,783
Profit for the financial year	-	-	-	-	-			-	44,815	333		45,148
Other comprehensive expense
Movement in foreign currency translation reserve	-	-	-	697	-			-	-	-		697
Transactions recognised directly in equity:
Movement in share-based payment reserve	-	-	2,824	-	-			-	-	-		2,824
Purchase of non-controlling interest	-	-	-	-	-			-	(246)	246		-
Dividends paid	-	-	-	-	-			-	(4,832)	-		(4,832)
At 31 December 2023	21,841	176,501	3,542	1,945	700			60	128,213	818		333,620
At 1 January 2024	21,841	176,501	3,542	1,945	700			60	128,213	818		333,620
Profit for the financial year	-	-	-	-	-			-	64,203	33		64,236
Other comprehensive income
Movement in foreign currency translation reserve	-	-	-	6,157	-			-	-	-		6,157
Transactions recognised directly in equity:
Movement in share-based payment reserve	-	-	2,944	-	-			-	-	-		2,944
Transfer on exercise, vesting or lapse of share-based payments	-	-	(550)	-	-			-	550	-		-
Purchase of non-controlling interest	-	-	-	-	-			-	725	(725)		-
Dividends paid	-	-	-	-	-			-	(5,076)	-		(5,076)
At 31 December 2024	21,841	176,501	5,936	8,102	700			60	188,615	126		401,881

 

 

Group Cash Flow Statement

Year ended 31 December 2024

 

	Notes	2024 €'000	2023 €'000
Operating activities
Cash inflow from operating activities	15	162,816	82,149
Interest paid		(22,080)	(16,186)
Interest received		1,897	590
Interest paid on lease liabilities	13	(7,235)	(4,884)
Corporation tax payments		(11,130)	(9,158)
Net cash inflow from operating activities		124,268	52,511
Investing activities
Payments to acquire property, plant and equipment - Maintenance		(10,911)	(7,192)
Payments to acquire property, plant and equipment - Strategic projects		(68,643)	(14,066)
(Payments)/Receipts from disposal of property, plant and equipment (net of disposal expenses)		(180)	991
Receipts from disposal of businesses (net of cash disposed and disposal expenses)		21,934	718
Payments to acquire intangible assets - Maintenance		(6,172)	(3,771)
Payments to acquire intangible assets - Strategic projects		(16,182)	(6,925)
Receipts from disposal of assets held for sale		-	1,600
Payments to acquire subsidiary undertakings (net of cash acquired)		-	(29,809)
Repayment of debt acquired on acquisition of subsidiary undertakings		-	(22,664)
Payments on prior year acquisitions		(254)	(842)
Payment of deferred and deferred contingent consideration		(16,071)	(8,568)
Receipt of deferred consideration receivable		-	100
Net cash outflow from investing activities		(96,479)	(90,428)
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings		50,050	35,750
Repayments of borrowings		(33,671)	(1,600)
(Decrease)/increase in invoice discounting facilities		(3,852)	7,278
Movement in restricted cash		(121)	(173)
Payment of dividends		(5,076)	(4,832)
Acquisition of further equity in subsidiaries		(483)	(189)
Principal element of lease payments		(18,335)	(16,604)
Net cash (outflow)/inflow from financing activities		(11,488)	19,630
Increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents in the year		16,301	(18,287)
Foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents		1,039	235
Opening balance cash and cash equivalents		85,652	103,704
Closing balance cash and cash equivalents	14	102,992	85,652

 

 

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

1. General information

 

Basis of preparation

The 2024 financial statements have been audited, with an unqualified audit report and have been approved by the Board of Directors. The financial information set out in this document does not constitute full statutory financial statements but has been derived from the Group financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. In accordance with the AIM and Euronext Growth Rules the consolidated financial statements of Uniphar plc and its subsidiaries (the 'Group') have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and interpretations issued by the IFRS Interpretations Committee (IFRS IC) applicable to companies reporting under IFRS, as adopted by the EU and as applied in accordance with the Companies Act 2014.

 

The financial information in the consolidated financial statements has been prepared on a basis consistent with that adopted for the year ended 31 December 2023.

 

The Group's consolidated financial statements are prepared for the year ended 31 December 2024. The consolidated financial statements incorporate the Company and all of its subsidiary undertakings. A subsidiary undertaking is consolidated by reference to whether the Group has control over the subsidiary undertaking. The Group controls an entity when the Group is exposed to, or has rights to, variable returns from its involvement with the entity and has the ability to affect those returns through its power to direct the activities of the entity.

 

Uniphar plc is incorporated in the Republic of Ireland under registration number 224324 with a registered office at 4045 Kingswood Road, Citywest Business Park, Co. Dublin, D24 V06K.

 

The statutory financial statements will be filed with the Companies Registration Office in line with the Annual Return date.

 

Going Concern

The Directors have made appropriate enquiries and carried out a thorough review of the Group's forecasts, projections and available banking facilities taking account of committed outflows including contingent consideration and committed capital expenditure. Consideration was also given to possible changes in trading performance and potential business risks. The forecasts indicate significant liquidity headroom will be maintained above the Group's borrowing facilities and applicable financial covenants will be met throughout the forecast period.

 

The Group has a robust capital structure with strong liquidity, supported into the future by the banking facility, with a remaining term extending to August 2027 with an option to extend by one year and a further option to extend by an additional year up to August 2029. At the 31 December 2024, the headroom on the undrawn portion of the borrowing facilities (both committed and uncommitted facilities) was €308.4m (2023 €327.4m).

 

Having regard to the factors outlined above, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future, being a period of 12 months from the date of approval of these financial statements. As a result, the Directors consider that it is appropriate to continue to adopt the going concern basis, in preparing the financial statements.

 

New Standards, Amendments, and Interpretations

The Group has applied the following standards and amendments for the first time for its annual reporting period commencing 1 January 2024:

New

·      Amendments to IAS 1 - Classification of Liabilities as Current or Non-current liabilities with covenants

·      Amendments to IAS 7 and IFRS 7 - Supplier finance arrangements

·      Amendments to IFRS 16 - Lease Liability in a Sale and Leaseback

 

The amendments listed above did not have any impact on the amounts recognised in prior periods and are not expected to significantly affect the current or future periods.

 

New standards and interpretations not yet adopted

The following accounting standards and interpretations have been published but are not mandatory for 31 December 2024 reporting periods and have not been early adopted by the Group:

 

·      Amendments to IAS 21 to clarify the accounting when there is a lack of exchangeability

·      Amendments to IFRS 9 and IFRS 7 - Amendments to the classification and measurement of Financial Instruments

·      IFRS 8 - Presentation and Disclosure in Financial Statements

·      IFRS 19 - Subsidiaries without Public Accountability: Disclosures

These standards are not expected to have a material impact in the current or future reporting periods or on foreseeable future transactions.

 

2. Revenue and Operating Segments

	2024 €'000	2023 €'000
Revenue	2,770,429	2,553,062
	2024 €'000	2023 €'000
Uniphar Medtech	267,968	249,216
Uniphar Pharma	658,814	592,226
Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail	1,843,647	1,711,620
Total Revenue	2,770,429	2,553,062

 

Segmental information

Segmental information is presented in respect of the Group's geographical regions and operating segments. The operating segments are based on the Group's management and internal reporting structures.

 

Geographical analysis

The Group operates in three principal geographical regions being the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK. The Group also operates in several other European countries, the US and the Asia Pacific region which are not material for separate identification.

 

The following is a geographical analysis presented in accordance with IFRS 8 'Operating Segments' which requires disclosure of information about the country of domicile (Ireland) and countries with material revenue.

 

	2024	2023
	€'000	€'000
Ireland	2,108,815	1,952,604
UK	206,896	186,820
The Netherlands	206,266	205,905
Rest of the World (ROW)	248,452	207,733
	2,770,429	2,553,062

Operating segments

IFRS 8 "Operating Segments" requires the reporting information for operating segments to reflect the Group's management structure and the way the financial information is regularly reviewed by the Group's Chief Operating Decision Maker (CODM), which the Group has defined as the Board of Directors.

 

The Group operates with three divisions: Uniphar Medtech, Uniphar Pharma and Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail. These divisions align to the Group's operational and financial management structures:

 

·    Uniphar Medtech provides outsourced services, specifically sales, distribution and support services to medical device manufacturers. The business is headquartered in Ireland with a presence in 16 markets primarily across Europe in addition to a facility in the US to support clients seeking to access the North American market;

 

·    Uniphar Pharma operates a global business with high-value services across the life cycle of a pharmaceutical product. The business enables pharma and biotech companies to bring innovative medicines to global markets and provide healthcare professionals with access to medicines they cannot source through traditional channels. Our strategy is to build a leading platform to provide the specialist support and expertise needed to improve access to these medicines. The division operates through its On Demand and Pharma Services business units; and

 

·    Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail provides both pre-wholesale and wholesale distribution of pharmaceutical, healthcare and animal health products to pharmacies, hospitals and veterinary clinics in Ireland. Uniphar operates a network of pharmacies under the Life, Allcare, Hickey's and McCauley brands. Additionally, through the extended Uniphar symbol group, the business provides services and supports that help independent community pharmacies to compete more effectively.

 

Operating segments results

The Group evaluates performance of the operational segments on the basis of gross profit from operations.

 

	2024 Uniphar Medtech   €'000	2024 Uniphar Pharma   €'000	2024 Uniphar Supply Chain  & Retail €'000	2024 Total     €'000
Revenue	267,968	658,814	1,843,647	2,770,429
Gross profit	108,915	121,561	197,128	427,604
	2023 Uniphar Medtech   €'000	2023 Uniphar Pharma   €'000	2023 Uniphar Supply Chain & Retail €'000	2023 Total     €'000
Revenue	249,216	592,226	1,711,620	2,553,062
Gross profit	99,870	103,187	186,927	389,984

 

There are no material dependencies or concentrations on individual customers which would warrant disclosure under IFRS 8 'Operating Segments'.

 

Assets and liabilities are reported to the Board at a Group level and are not reported on a segmental basis.

 

3. Exceptional income/(charge)

 

	2024 €'000	2023 €'000
Professional fees including acquisition costs	(1,243)	(2,206)
Redundancy and restructuring costs	(2,369)	(2,679)
Acquisition integration costs	(488)	(2,611)
Strategic business transformation	(1,320)	(1,413)
Gain/(loss) on disposals of businesses and assets	2,395	(1,182)
Other exceptional (costs)/ income	(136)	44
Exceptional charge recognised in operating profit	(3,161)	(10,047)
Decrease in deferred contingent consideration	17,625	9,624
Exceptional credit recognised in finance cost	17,625	9,624
Exceptional (charge)/credit recognised in income tax	(119)	1,084
Total exceptional income	14,345	661

 

Professional fees including acquisition costs:

Professional fees including acquisition costs are primarily costs relating to transactions under consideration in the year.

 

Redundancy and restructuring costs:

Redundancy and restructuring costs include redundancy, ex gratia and termination costs and other costs arising on reorganisations and recent acquisitions.

 

Acquisition integration costs:

Acquisition integration costs primarily relate to costs incurred on the integration of recent acquisitions into the expanded Group. Such costs include those associated with winding-down and exiting facilities acquired in recent acquisitions in addition to professional fees incurred to optimise the integration of recent acquisitions.

 

Strategic business transformation:

Strategic business transformation are costs associated with establishing the strategic platform that will enable the next phase of growth. They include costs associated with the Group's strategic capital expenditure programmes whilst in the initiation phase together with the costs of establishing a strategic presence in new markets. The costs include setup costs, initiation costs and relocation costs in addition to the costs of a long-term incentive plan associated with building a strategically significant business in the US market.

 

Deferred contingent consideration:

Deferred contingent consideration of €17,625,000 relates to a net credit to the Group Income Statement following a review of the expected performance of a number of acquisitions completed in prior years against contractual earn-out targets. An additional provision of €21,622,000 was recognised in respect of acquisitions in the Uniphar Pharma division that have exceeded previous performance expectations.  For these acquisitions, the expectation is that the maximum amount payable under the earn-out agreement will be payable. An amount of €39,247,000 was released in respect of acquisitions in the Uniphar Pharma and Uniphar Medtech divisions following a review of expected performance having reference to the application of the specific earn-out terms.  This includes €22,219,000 in respect of acquisitions whose earn-outs concluded on 31 December 2024 and €13,100,000 in respect of acquisitions whose earn-outs conclude in mid-2025.  There were various factors involved in the performance outcomes and the ultimate payments are sensitive to relatively small movements in profitability. Further information is included in Note 11.

 

In the prior year, deferred contingent consideration relates to a release of €6,768,000 following a review of expected performance against contractual earn out targets in relation to US-based acquisitions. A further amount of €2,856,000 was released in respect of three other acquisitions that had reached the end of their contractual earn out periods.

 

Gain on disposal of businesses and assets

	Notes	Businesses 2024		Assets 2024		Total 2024
		€'000		€'000		€'000
Property, plant and equipment, and right-of-use assets		(1,505)		(22,880)		(24,385)
Goodwill	7	(17,704)		-		(17,704)
Deferred tax asset		(5,420)		-		(5,420)
Deferred contingent consideration		4,446		-		4,446
Cash disposed		(846)		-		(846)
Inventories, receivables and payables		(653)		2,102		1,449
Other non-current liabilities		1,242		21,259		22,501
Net (assets)/liabilities disposed		(20,440)		481		(19,959)
Reclassification of currency translation effects on disposal		223		-		223
Total		(20,217)		481		(19,736)
Proceeds from disposals (net of disposal costs)		22,465		(334)		22,131
Gain on disposal of businesses and assets		2,248		147		2,395

 

 

Net cash inflow/(outflow) on disposal:		Businesses 2024 €'000		Assets 2024 €'000		Total 2024 €'000
Cash received		24,307		-		24,307
Less: Cash disposed		(846)		-		(846)
Less: Disposal related costs paid		(1,527)		(303)		(1,830)
Net cash inflow/(outflow) on disposal		21,934		(303)		21,631

 

Gain on disposal of businesses and assets:

The Group disposed of its investments in Inspired Insight, LLC and Duffy's Medical Hall Limited during the year which resulted in a profit on the disposal of businesses of €2,248,000. Furthermore, the Group disposed of a number of non-current assets that resulted in a gain on disposal of €147,000. These non-current assets included the disposal of a lease for a building which the Group purchased pursuant to a call option executed at initiation of the lease agreement. Property, Plant and Equipment assets with a net book value of €2,454,000 were disposed of for nil consideration in conjunction with the lease disposal. No consideration was received for exiting this lease resulting in a profit on disposal.

 

4. Finance cost and Finance income

	2024 €'000	2023 €'000
Finance cost
Interest on lease obligations (Note 13)	(5,323)	(4,884)
Interest payable on borrowings and invoice discounting facilities	(18,603)	(17,199)
Unwinding of discount applicable to deferred and deferred contingent consideration	(1,540)	(2,506)
Unwinding of discount applicable to long term incentive programme	(20)	(4)
Amortisation of refinancing transaction fees	(431)	(431)
Finance cost before exceptional credit	(25,917)	(25,024)
Decrease in fair value of deferred contingent consideration (Note 3)	17,625	9,624
Exceptional credit recognised in finance cost	17,625	9,624
Total Finance cost	(8,292)	(15,400)

 

Finance costs do not include capitalised borrowing costs of €2,697,000 (2023: €791,000) on qualifying assets (Notes 7 and 8). Interest is capitalised at the Group's weighted average interest rate for the period of 5.5% (2023: 5.3%).

 

	2024 €'000	2023 €'000
Finance income
Interest income	1,897	590
Total Finance income	1,897	590

 

5. Earnings per share

Basic and diluted earnings per share have been calculated by reference to the following:

	2024	2023
Profit for the financial year attributable to owners (€'000)	64,203	44,815
Weighted average number of shares ('000)	273,015	273,015
Earnings per ordinary share (in cent):
-     Basic	23.5	16.4
-     Diluted	23.5	16.4

Diluted earnings per share is calculated by adjusting the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding to assume conversion of all dilutive potential ordinary shares.

 

Adjusted earnings per share is an Alternative Performance Measure (APM) and is presented below. Adjusted earnings per share supports the understanding of performance by excluding the impact of exceptional items and non-cash items that may not correlate to the underlying performance of the business.

 

 

Adjusted earnings per share has been calculated by reference to the following:

	2024 €'000	2023 €'000
Profit for the financial year attributable to owners	64,203	44,815
Exceptional credit recognised in Income Statement (Note 3)	(14,345)	(661)
Share-based payments	2,944	2,824
Amortisation of acquisition related intangibles	3,428	3,341
Tax credit on acquisition related intangibles	(380)	(363)
Profit after tax excluding exceptional items	55,850	49,956
Weighted average number of shares in issue in the year (000's)	273,015	273,015
Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per ordinary share (in cent)	20.5	18.3

 

6. Dividends

The Directors have proposed a final dividend of €3.4m (€0.0125 per ordinary share), subject to approval at the AGM. This results in a total shareholders dividend of €5.2m (€0.0192 per ordinary share) in respect of the year ended 31 December 2024 as the Board declared and paid a 2024 interim dividend of €1.8m (€0.0067 per ordinary share). If approved, the proposed dividend will be paid on 16 May 2025 to ordinary shareholders on the Company's register on 25 April 2025. This dividend has not been provided for in the Balance Sheet at 31 December 2024, as there was no present obligation to pay the dividend at year end.

 

A final dividend of €3.2m (€0.0119 per ordinary share) relating to 2023 was paid in May 2024.

 

7. Intangible assets

 

	Goodwill   €'000	Trademarks & licences €'000		Computer software €'000		Technology assets €'000		Brand names €'000		Customer relationships €'000		Total   €'000
Cost
At 1 January 2024	535,796	204		54,718		3,432		22,185		3,207		619,542
FX movement	8,224	(2)		82		153		-		186		8,643
Additions	-	-		21,070		-		-		-		21,070
Disposals/retirements	-	-		(2,405)		-		-		-		(2,405)
Divestment	(17,704)	-		-		-		-		-		(17,704)
At 31 December 2024	526,316	202		73,465		3,585		22,185		3,393		629,146
Accumulated amortisation
At 1 January 2024	18,709	164		30,676		1,844		4,466		2,031		57,890
FX movement	-	(2)		25		83		-		142		248
Amortisation	-	11		2,625		554		2,219		655		6,064
Disposals/retirements	-	-		(2,359)		-		-		-		(2,359)
At 31 December 2024	18,709	173		30,967		2,481		6,685		2,828		61,843
Net book amounts
At 31 December 2023	517,087	40		24,042		1,588		17,719		1,176		561,652
At 31 December 2024	507,607	29		42,498		1,104		15,500		565		567,303
Intangible assets	507,607	29		42,498		1,104		15,500		565		567,303
Right-of-use assets	-	-		-		-		-		-		-
At 31 December 2024	507,607	29		42,498		1,104		15,500		565		567,303

 

Included in computer software are assets under construction with a net book value of €34,338,000. Amortisation has not commenced on these assets. Included in the cost of additions are borrowing costs and payroll costs capitalised into computer software amounting to €989,000 (2023: €194,000) and €3,452,000 (2023: €2,245,000) respectively.

 

8.  Property, plant and equipment, and right-of-use assets

 

	Land and buildings	Leasehold improvements	Plant and equipment	Fixtures and fittings	Computer equipment	Motor vehicles	Instruments	Total
	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000
Cost
At 1 January 2024	182,562	26,538	54,447	15,337	8,389	8,238	7,731	303,242
Foreign exchange movement	819	191	285	148	29	74	-	1,546
Additions	78,736	8,353	36,280	1,846	2,142	2,248	2,425	132,030
Disposals/retirements	(35,087)	(2,065)	(2,999)	(1,407)	(2,169)	(2,874)	(801)	(47,402)
Divestments	(1,514)	(292)	-	(523)	(55)	-	-	(2,384)
At 31 December 2024	225,516	32,725	88,013	15,401	8,336	7,686	9,355	387,032
Accumulated depreciation
At 1 January 2024	48,358	7,782	20,121	6,924	4,990	3,464	4,903	96,542
Foreign exchange movement	311	37	103	113	(2)	31	-	593
Charge for the year	16,068	1,941	3,316	2,106	1,402	2,618	1,849	29,300
Disposals/retirements	(13,897)	(551)	(2,464)	(884)	(2,174)	(2,562)	(788)	(23,320)
Divestments	(97)	(256)	-	(482)	(44)	-	-	(879)
At 31 December 2024	50,743	8,953	21,076	7,777	4,172	3,551	5,964	102,236
Net book amounts
At 31 December 2023	134,204	18,756	34,326	8,413	3,399	4,774	2,828	206,700
At 31 December 2024	174,773	23,772	66,937	7,624	4,164	4,135	3,391	284,796
Property, plant & equipment	36,456	23,772	65,970	7,624	4,164	381	3,391	141,758
Right-of-use assets	138,317	-	967	-	-	3,754	-	143,038
Net book value at 31 December 2024	174,773	23,772	66,937	7,624	4,164	4,135	3,391	284,796

 

Included in property, plant and equipment are assets under construction with a net book value of €58,517,000 (2023: €23,703,000). Depreciation has not commenced on these assets.

Included in the cost of additions is borrowing costs and payroll costs capitalised into assets amounting to €1,708,000 (2023: €597,000) and €352,000 (2023: €73,000) respectively.

 

9. Called up share capital

	2024
	€'000
Authorised:
453,205,300 (2023: 453,205,300) ordinary shares of 8c each	36,256
16,000,000 (2023: 16,000,000) "A" ordinary shares of 8c each	1,280
	37,536
Movement in the year in issued share capital presented as equity
Allotted, called up and fully paid ordinary shares
At 1 January - 273,015,254 ordinary shares of 8c each	21,841
At 31 December - 273,015,254 ordinary shares of 8c each	21,841
Total allotted share capital:
At 31 December - 273,015,254 (2023: 273,015,254) ordinary shares	21,841

 

There have been no changes to the authorised or issued share capital in either 2024 or 2023.

 

10.  Borrowings

 

Bank loans are repayable in the following periods after 31 December:

	2024 €'000	2023 €'000
Amounts falling due within one year	9,316	13,168
Amounts falling due between one and five years	241,646	222,604
	250,962	235,772

The Group's total bank loans at 31 December 2024 were €250,962,000 (2023: €235,772,000). Borrowing under invoice discounting (recourse) as at the balance sheet date was €9,316,000 (2023: €13,168,000).

 

The Group's bank debt facility comprises a revolving credit facility of up to €400m with an additional uncommitted accordion facility of €150m. This facility runs for five years to August 2027 with an option to extend by one year and a further option to extend by an additional year up to August 2029 with repayment of all loans due on termination of the facility.

 

At 31 December 2024, the Group's revolving credit facility loans in use were at an interest margin of +1.69% (2023: +1.90%) on inter-bank interest rates (EURIBOR, GBP SONIA and USD SOFR).

                       

Bank security

Bank overdrafts (including invoice discounting) and bank loans of €250,962,000 (2023: €235,772,000) are secured by cross guarantees and fixed and floating charges from the Company and certain subsidiary undertakings.

 

11. Deferred contingent consideration

	2024 €'000	2023 €'000
At 1 January	75,061	91,798
Unwinding of discount	1,540	2,506
Recognised during the year	21,622	-
Utilised during the year	(16,454)	(8,234)
Released during the year	(39,247)	(9,624)
Divestment	(4,446)	-
Foreign currency movement	1,106	(1,385)
At 31 December	39,182	75,061
Current	32,025	43,523
Non-current	7,157	31,538
Total deferred contingent consideration	39,182	75,061

 

Deferred contingent consideration

Deferred contingent consideration represents the present value of deferred contingent acquisition consideration which will become payable based on pre-defined performance thresholds being met. The deferred contingent consideration liability at 31 December 2024 was €39,182,000 (2023: €75,061,000). Significant estimation and judgement is exercised in determining the liability indicating that the final liability may be significantly different to the amount provided. In the event of the maximum earn-out being achieved, an additional provision of €6,435,000 (2023: €67,608,000) would be required at 31 December 2024. Equally, a significantly smaller liability than that estimated could arise.

 

During the year payments of €16,454,000 (2023: €8,234,000) were made in respect of prior year acquisitions. Deferred contingent consideration of €39,247,000 (2023: €9,624,000) in respect of prior year acquisitions was released and €21,622,000 (2023: €nil) was recognised in the year following a review of expected performance against earn-out targets. An amount of €4,446,000 was released in respect of Inspired Insight, LLC following its disposal by the Group. Further details on the measurement of deferred contingent consideration are provided in Note 16.

 

 12. Provisions

 

	Lease dilapidation   2024 €'000	Warranty provision   2024 €'000	Other     2024 €'000	Total     2024 €'000	Total     2023 €'000
At 1 January	776	164	812	1,752	2,262
Recognised during the year	100	-	-	100	28
Arising on acquisition	-	-	-	-	350
Utilised during the year	-	-	-	-	(789)
Released during the year	(61)	(19)	-	(80)	(62)
Foreign currency movement	-	8	47	55	(37)
At 31 December	815	153	859	1,827	1,752

 

Lease dilapidation

The lease dilapidation provision covers the cost of reinstating certain Group properties at the end of the lease term. This is based on the terms of the individual leases which set out the conditions relating to the return of property. The timing of the outflows will match the ending of the relevant leases with various dates up to 2049.

 

Warranty provision

The warranty provision relates to a product warranty provided to customers on certain medical devices. The estimated cost of the warranty is provided for upon recognition of the sale of the product. The costs are estimated based on actual historical experience of expenses incurred and on estimated future expenses related to current sales and are updated periodically. Actual warranty costs are charged against the warranty provision.

 

Other

Other provisions relate to a management retention bonus payable in relation to the acquisition of RRD International, LLC in 2020.

 

13. Leases

(i) Amounts recognised in the Balance Sheet

 

As at 31 December, the Balance Sheet shows the following amounts relating to leases:

 

	2024	2023
	€'000	€'000
Right-of-use assets:
Buildings	138,317	126,899
Plant and equipment	967	139
Motor vehicles	3,754	4,280
Net book value of right-of-use assets	143,038	131,318
Lease liabilities:
Current	22,580	20,134
Non-current	132,612	126,083
Total lease liabilities	155,192	146,217

 

Right-of-use assets are included in the line 'Property, plant and equipment, and right-of-use assets' on the Balance Sheet, and are presented in Note 8.

 

Additions to the right-of-use assets during the year ended 31 December 2024 were €52,300,000 (2023: €16,498,000).

 

Disposals to the right-of-use assets during the year ended 31 December 2024 were €21,480,000 (2023: €1,034,000). The principal disposal related to the purchase of a building in Dublin, Ireland that was formerly leased by the Group.

 

Expenses of €270,000 (2023: €170,000) relating to short-term leases, leases of low-value assets and variable lease payments were recognised in the Consolidated Income Statement.

 

Lease liabilities are presented separately on the face of the Balance Sheet.

 

(ii) Amounts recognised in the Income Statement:

 

The Income Statement shows the following amounts relating to leases:

	2024	2023
	€'000	€'000
Depreciation/amortisation charge on right-of-use assets:
Buildings	15,462	14,893
Plant and equipment	235	191
Motor vehicles	2,472	2,452
Right-of-use assets depreciation charge	18,169	17,536
Computer software	-	189
Right-of-use assets amortisation charge	-	189
Interest expense on lease liabilities:
Interest expense on lease liabilities (Note 4)	5,323	4,884
Total interest expense in respect of lease liabilities	5,323	4,884

 

(iii) Amounts recognised in the Cash Flow Statement

 

The Cash Flow Statement shows the following amounts relating to leases:

	2024	2023
	€'000	€'000
Interest on lease obligations	7,235	4,884
Principal repayments	18,335	16,604
Total cash outflow in respect of leases	25,570	21,488

 

14.  Analysis of net debt

	2024	2023
	€'000	€'000
Cash and cash equivalents	102,992	85,652
Restricted cash	294	173
Total cash	103,286	85,825
Bank loans repayable within one year	(9,316)	(13,168)
Bank loans payable after one year	(241,646)	(222,604)
Bank loans	(250,962)	(235,772)
Net bank debt	(147,676)	(149,947)
Lease obligations	(155,192)	(146,217)
Net debt	(302,868)	(296,164)

 

15. Reconciliation of operating profit to cash flow from operating activities

	2024	2023
	€'000	€'000
Operating profit before operating exceptional items	85,150	77,755
Cash related exceptional items	(9,006)	(17,784)
	76,144	59,971
Add back non-cash and/or non-operating expenses:
Depreciation	29,300	29,202
Amortisation	6,064	6,204
Changes in working capital:
Increase in inventory	(17,159)	(16,868)
Increase in receivables	(18,378)	(67,073)
Increase in payables	84,423	67,717
Other:
Share-based payment expense	2,944	2,824
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(522)	172
Cash inflow from operating activities	162,816	82,149

 

16. Financial instruments

Financial instruments by category

The accounting policies for financial instruments have been applied to the line items below:

 

	Financial assets at FVOCI*	Financial assets at amortised cost	Total	Fair value
	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000
Financial assets
31 December 2024:
Investments in equity instruments	25	-	25	25
Trade and other receivables **	-	232,574	232,574	232,588
Cash and cash equivalents	-	102,992	102,992	102,992
Restricted cash	-	294	294	294
	25	335,860	335,885	335,899

*   Fair value through other comprehensive income.

**  Excluding prepayments and accrued income.

 

	Financial liabilities at FVTPL***	Financial liabilities at amortised cost	Total	Fair value
	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000
Financial liabilities
31 December 2024:
Borrowings	-	250,962	250,962	250,962
Trade and other payables ****	-	550,524	550,524	550,524
Deferred contingent consideration	39,182	-	39,182	39,182
Lease liabilities	-	155,192	155,192	155,192
	39,182	956,678	995,860	995,860

***  Fair value through profit and loss.

**** Excluding non-financial liabilities.

 

Measurement of fair values

In the preparation of the financial statements, the Group finance department, which reports directly to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), reviews and determines the major methods and assumptions used in estimating the fair values of the financial assets and liabilities which are set out below:

 

Investments in equity instruments

Investments in equity instruments are measured at fair value through other comprehensive income (FVOCI).

 

Trade and other receivables/trade and other payables

For receivables and payables with a remaining life of less than 12 months or demand balances, the carrying value less impairment provision where appropriate, is deemed to reflect fair value.

 

Cash and cash equivalents, including short-term bank deposits

For short-term bank deposits and cash and cash equivalents, all of which have a maturity of less than three months, the carrying amount is deemed to reflect fair value.

 

Interest-bearing loans and borrowings

For floating rate interest-bearing loans and borrowings with a contractual repricing date of less than 6 months, the nominal amount is deemed to reflect fair value. For loans with repricing dates of greater than 6 months, the fair value is calculated based on the present value of the expected future principal and interest cash flows discounted at appropriate market interest rates (level 2) effective at the Balance Sheet date and adjusted for movements in credit spreads.

 

Deferred acquisition consideration

Discounted cash flow method was used to capture the present value of the expected future economic benefits that will flow out of the Group arising from the deferred acquisition consideration.

 

Deferred contingent consideration

The fair value of the deferred contingent consideration is calculated by discounting the expected future payment to the present value. The expected future payment represents the deferred contingent consideration which would become payable based on pre-defined performance thresholds being met and is calculated based on management's best estimates of the expected future cash outflows using current budget forecasts. The provision for deferred contingent consideration is principally in respect of acquisitions completed from 2018 to 2022.

 

The significant unobservable inputs are:

·      Expected future profit forecasts which have not been disclosed due to their commercial sensitivities; and

·      Risk adjusted discount rate of between 2.5% and 4.0% (2023: between 2.5% and 4.0%)

For the fair value of deferred contingent consideration, a 1% increase in the risk adjusted discount rate at 31 December 2024, holding the other inputs constant would reduce the fair value of the deferred contingent consideration by €0.3m. A 1% decrease in the risk adjusted discount rate would result in an increase of €0.3m in the fair value of the deferred contingent consideration.

 

Fair value hierarchy

The following table sets out the fair value hierarchy for financial instruments which are measured at fair value.

 

	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Total
	€'000	€'000	€'000	€'000
Recurring fair value measurements
At 31 December 2024
Investments in equity instruments	-	-	25	25
Deferred contingent consideration	-	-	(39,182)	(39,182)
	-	-	(39,157)	(39,157)

There were no transfers between the fair value levels for recurring fair value measurements during the year. The Group's policy is to recognise transfers into and transfers out of fair value hierarchy levels as at the end of the reporting period.

 

Level 1: The fair value of financial instruments traded in active markets is based on quoted market prices at the end of the reporting period. The quoted market price used for financial assets held by the Group is the current bid price. These instruments are included in level 1.

 

Level 2: The fair value of financial instruments that are not traded in an active market is determined using valuation techniques which maximise the use of observable market data and rely as little as possible on entity-specific estimates. If all significant inputs required to fair value an instrument are observable, the instrument is included in level 2.

 

Level 3: If one or more of the significant inputs is not based on observable market data, the instrument is included in level 3.

 

Fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs (level 3)

The following table presents the changes in level 3 items for the year ended 31 December 2024:

 

		Shares in unlisted companies	Deferred  contingent consideration	Total
		€'000	€'000	€'000
At 1 January 2024		25	(75,061)	(75,036)
Utilised during the year		-	16,454	16,454
Unwinding of discount*		-	(1,540)	(1,540)
Released during the year *		-	39,247	39,247
Recognised during the year*		-	(21,622)	(21,622)
Divestment		-	4,446	4,446
Foreign currency movement		-	(1,106)	(1,106)
At 31 December 2024		25	(39,182)	(39,157)

* These amounts have been credited/(charged) to the Income Statement in finance (income)/costs.

 

Deferred contingent consideration is provided based on management's assessment of the fair value of the liability taking into account the expected profitability of the acquisition. The maximum amount of additional deferred contingent consideration not provided for in the financial statements is €6,435,000 (2023: €67,608,000) assuming the acquisitions satisfy all performance conditions as set out in their acquisition.

 

Financial risk management

The Group's operations expose it to various financial risks. The Group has a risk management framework in place which seeks to limit the impact of these risks on the financial performance of the Group and it is the Group's policy to manage these risks in a non-speculative manner.

 

The Group has exposure to the following risks from its use of financial instruments: credit risk, liquidity risk, currency risk, interest risk and price risk. These consolidated financial statements do not include all financial risk management information and disclosures required in the annual financial statements; they should be read in conjunction with the Group's Annual Report.

 

Under the terms of the invoice discounting non-recourse agreement, the Group has transferred substantially all credit risk and control of certain trade receivables. The balance of the facility as at 31 December 2024 is €111,765,000 (2023: €111,765,000). The Group has recognised an asset within trade and other receivables of €16,765,000 (2023: €16,765,000), being the fair value of the amount receivable from the financial institutions, representing 15% of the trade receivables transferred to the financial institutions in accordance with the terms of the receivables purchase arrangement. The total interest expense associated with this receivables purchase agreement during the year ended 31 December 2024 was €5,156,000 (2023: €4,765,000).

 

17. Business Combinations

2023 Acquisitions

The initial assessment of the fair values of the major classes of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in respect of the acquisitions which were completed in 2023 were performed on a provisional basis (with the exception of McCauley Pharmacy Group which was finalised in 2023). The fair values attributable to the assets and liabilities of these acquisitions have now been finalised. There were no fair value adjustments made to the comparative figures during the subsequent reporting window within the measurement period imposed by IFRS 3.

 

18. Post balance sheet events

The Board has approved to commence, but not yet contracted, the launch of a share buyback programme subject to market conditions.

 

There were no other material events subsequent to 31 December 2024 that would require adjustment to or disclosure in this report.

 

19. Approval by the Board of Directors

The preliminary results announcement was approved by the Board of Directors on 24 February 2025.

 

Additional Information

ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURES

The Group reports certain financial measurements that are not required under IFRS. These key alternative performance measures (APMs) represent additional measures in assessing performance and for reporting both internally, and to shareholders and other external users. The Group believes that the presentation of these APMs provides useful supplemental information which, when viewed in conjunction with IFRS financial information, provides stakeholders with a more meaningful understanding of the underlying financial and operating performance of the Group and its divisions. These measurements are also used internally to evaluate the historical and planned future performance of the Group's operations.

 

None of these APMs should be considered as an alternative to financial measurements derived in accordance with IFRS. The APMs can have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for an analysis of results as reported under IFRS.

 

During 2024, the Group amended the definition of the Free cash flow conversion to include the principal and interest payments on leases as a deduction to EBTIDA. This change enhances the understanding and comparability of the financial statements.

 

The principal APMs used by the Group, together with reconciliations where the APMs are not readily identifiable from the financial statements, are as follows:

 

	Definition	Why we measure it
EBITDA         &       Adjusted EBITDA	Earnings before exceptional items, net finance expense, income tax expense, depreciation, intangible assets amortisation and share-based payment expense.         Earnings before exceptional items, net finance expense, income tax expense, depreciation, intangible assets amortisation and share-based payment expense, adjusted for the impact of IFRS 16 and the pro-forma EBITDA of acquisitions.	EBITDA provides management with an assessment of the underlying trading performance of the Group and excludes transactions that are not reflective of the ongoing operations of the business, allowing comparison of the trading performance of the business across periods and/or with other businesses.   Adjusted EBITDA is used for leverage calculations.
Net bank debt	Net bank debt represents the net total of current and non-current borrowings, cash and cash equivalents, and restricted cash as presented in the Group Balance Sheet.	Net bank debt is used by management as an input into the Group's current leverage calculation which management will consider when evaluating investment opportunities, potential acquisitions, and internal resource allocation.
Net debt	Net debt represents the total of net bank debt, plus current and non-current lease obligations as presented in the Group Balance Sheet.	Net debt is used by management as it gives a complete picture of the Group's debt including the impact of lease liabilities recognised under IFRS 16.
Leverage	Net bank debt divided by adjusted EBITDA for the period.	Leverage is used by management to evaluate the Group's ability to cover its debts. This allows management to assess the ability of the Company to use debt as a mechanism to facilitate growth.
Adjusted Operating Profit	This comprises operating profit as reported in the Group Income Statement before amortisation of acquired intangible assets and exceptional items (if any).	Adjusted operating profit is used to assess the underlying operating performance excluding the impact of non-operational items. This is a key measure used by management to evaluate the businesses' operating performance.
Adjusted earnings per share           &       Like-for-Like adjusted earnings per share	This comprises profit for the financial period attributable to owners of the parent as reported in the Group Income Statement before exceptional items (if any), amortisation of acquisition related intangibles (and related tax thereon) and share-based payment expense, divided by the weighted average number of shares in issue in the period.       Like-for-like adjusted earnings per share is calculated for both the current and prior period by dividing the profit of the relevant period attributable to owners of the parent as reported in the Group Income Statement before exceptional items (if any), amortisation of acquisition related intangibles and share-based payment expense, by the weighted average number of shares in issue in the current period.	Adjusted EPS is used to assess the after-tax underlying performance of the business in combination with the impact of capital structure actions on the share base. This is a key measure used by management to evaluate the businesses operating performance, generate future operating plans, and make strategic decisions.         Like-for-like adjusted EPS is used to assess the after-tax underlying performance of the business assuming a constant share base.
Free cash flow conversion	Free cash flow conversion is calculated as EBITDA, less investment in working capital, less maintenance capital expenditure, less principal and interest payments on leases, and foreign currency translation adjustments, divided by EBITDA.	Free cash flow represents the funds generated from the Group's ongoing operations. These funds are available for reinvestment, and for future acquisitions as part of the Group's growth strategy. A high level of free cash flow conversion is key to maintaining a strong, liquid balance sheet.
Return on capital employed (ROCE)	ROCE is calculated as the 12 months rolling operating profit before the impact of exceptional costs and amortisation of acquisition related intangibles, expressed as a percentage of the adjusted average capital employed for the same period. The average capital employed is adjusted to ensure the capital employed of acquisitions and divestments completed during the period is appropriately time apportioned.	This measure allows management to monitor business performance, review potential investment opportunities and the allocation of internal resources.

 

EBITDA

		2024 €'000	2023 €'000
Operating profit	Income Statement	81,989	67,708
Exceptional charge recognised in operating profit	Note 3	3,161	10,047
Amortisation	Note 7	6,064	6,204
Depreciation	Note 8	29,300	29,202
Share-based payment expense		2,944	2,824
EBITDA		123,458	115,985

 

Adjust for the impact of IFRS 16		(22,977)	(21,666)
Pro-forma EBITDA of acquisitions		-	543
Adjusted EBITDA		100,481	94,862

 

Net bank debt

		2024 €'000	2023 €'000
Cash and cash equivalents	Balance Sheet	102,992	85,652
Restricted cash	Balance Sheet	294	173
Bank loans repayable within one year	Balance Sheet	(9,316)	(13,168)
Bank loans payable after one year	Balance Sheet	(241,646)	(222,604)
Net bank debt		(147,676)	(149,947)

 

Net debt

		2024 €'000	2023 €'000
Net bank debt	Alternative Performance Measures	(147,676)	(149,947)
Current lease obligations	Balance Sheet	(22,580)	(20,134)
Non-current lease obligations	Balance Sheet	(132,612)	(126,083)
Net debt		(302,868)	(296,164)

 

Leverage

		2024 €'000	2023 €'000
Net bank debt	Alternative Performance Measures	(147,676)	(149,947)
Adjusted EBITDA	Alternative Performance Measures	100,481	94,862
Leverage (times)		1.47	1.58

 

Adjusted operating profit

		2024		2023
		€'000		€'000
Operating profit	Income Statement	81,989		67,708
Amortisation of acquisition related intangibles		3,428		3,341
Exceptional charge recognised in operating profit	Note 3	3,161		10,047
Adjusted operating profit		88,578		81,096

 

Adjusted earnings per share

	2024 €'000	2023 €'000
Adjusted earnings per share has been calculated by reference to the following:
Profit for the financial year attributable to owners	64,203	44,815
Exceptional credit recognised in Income Statement (Note 3)	(14,345)	(661)
Amortisation of acquisition related intangibles	3,428	3,341
Tax credit on acquisition related intangibles	(380)	(363)
Share-based payments expense	2,944	2,824
Profit after tax excluding exceptional items	55,850	49,956
Weighted average number of shares in issue in the year (000's)	273,015	273,015
Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per ordinary share (in cent)	20.5	18.3
Like-for-like weighted average number of shares (000's)	273,015	273,015
Like-for-like adjusted earnings per ordinary share (in cent)	20.5	18.3

 

Free cash flow conversion

		2024 €'000	2023 €'000
EBITDA	Alternative Performance Measures	123,458	115,985
Increase in inventory	Note 15	(17,159)	(16,868)
Increase in receivables	Note 15	(18,378)	(67,073)
Increase in payables	Note 15	84,423	67,717
Foreign currency translation adjustments	Note 15	(522)	172
Payments to acquire property, plant and equipment - Maintenance	Cash Flow Statement	(10,911)	(7,192)
Payments to acquire intangible assets - Maintenance	Cash Flow Statement	(6,172)	(3,771)
Payments on leases - principal and interest		(25,570)	(21,488)
Free cash flow		129,169	67,482
Adjustment for settlement of acquired financial liabilities*		1,120	2,068
		130,289	69,550
EBITDA		123,458	115,985
Free cash flow conversion		105.5%	60.0%

*The adjustment to free cash flow ensures that payments made after an acquisition to settle loans with former shareholders of acquired companies, or other similar financial liabilities, are excluded from the movement in payables in the free cash flow conversion calculation.

 

Return on capital employed

	2024 €'000	2023 €'000	2022 €'000
Rolling 12 months operating profit	81,989	67,708	53,155
Adjustment for exceptional costs	3,161	10,047	16,415
Amortisation of acquisition related intangibles	3,428	3,341	2,708
Adjusted 12 months rolling operating profit	88,578	81,096	72,278
Total equity	401,881	333,620	289,783
Net bank debt	147,676	149,947	91,217
Deferred contingent consideration (Note 11)	39,182	75,061	91,798
Deferred consideration payable	-	100	523
Total capital employed	588,739	558,728	473,321
Average capital employed	573,734	516,025
Adjustment for acquisitions and divestments (Note A / B below)	10,883	18,556
Adjusted average capital employed	584,617	534,581
Return on capital employed	15.2%	15.2%

 

Note A: Adjustment for divestments (2024)	Capital employed €'000	Completion Date	Adjustment   €'000
Inspired Insight, LLC	21,834	December 2024	10,917
Duffy's Medical Hall Limited	100	March 2024	(34)
Adjustment for divestments during 2024			10,883

 

Note B: Adjustment for acquisitions (2023)	Capital employed €'000	Completion Date	Adjustment   €'000
McCauley Pharmacy Group	49,407	February 2023	20,586
Other acquisitions completed during 2023	6,564	Various	(2,030)
Adjustment for acquisitions during 2023			18,556

 

The adjustment ensures that the capital employed of acquisitions and divestments completed during the period are appropriately time apportioned to align with the corresponding periods for adjusted operating profit. These adjustments include cash consideration, deferred and deferred contingent consideration, debt acquired/disposed, cash acquired/disposed, and any cash impact of shareholder loans or other similar financial liabilities repaid post-acquisition.