REG-Persimmon Plc Half Yearly Report - Part 2
Released: 25/08/2009


  
Part 2 : For preceding part double-click [nRn1Y9310X]  
       setting out all items of income and expense relating to non     
       -owner changes in equity. There is a choice between presenting  
       comprehensive income in one statement or in two statements      
       comprising an income statement and a separate statement of      
       comprehensive income. The Group has elected to present          
       comprehensive income in one statement. In addition, IAS 1       
       (revised) requires the statement of changes in shareholders'    
       equity to be presented as a primary statement. The other        
       revisions to IAS 1 have not had a significant impact on the     
       presentation of the Group's financial information.              
        * Amendment to IFRS 2 (Share Based Payments) clarifies,        
       amongst other matters, the treatment of cancelled options. The  
       impact is insignificant.                                        
        * IFRS 8, 'Operating segments'. IFRS 8 replaces IAS 14,        
       'Segment reporting' and requires the disclosure of segment      
       information on the same basis as the management information     
       provided to the chief operating decision maker. The adoption of 
       this standard has not resulted in a change in the Group's       
       reportable segments. The Group has aggregated its geographic    
       operations into one reportable segment, which is housebuilding  
       in the United Kingdom.                                          
        * IAS 23 (amendment) effective from 1 January 2009. This       
       amendment requires an entity to capitalise borrowing costs      
       directly attributable to the acquisition, construction and      
       production of a qualifying asset, as part of the cost of that   
       asset. A qualifying asset is one that takes a substantial       
       period of time to get ready for use or sale. Inventories which  
       are produced in large quantities on a repetitive basis over a   
       short period of time are not qualifying assets. This amendment  
       is not expected to have any material impact on the Group's      
       financial statements as the activities performed by the Group   
       do not generally produce qualifying assets.                     
                                                                       
       The comparative figures for the financial year ended 31         
       December 2008 are not the company's statutory accounts for that 
       financial year. Those accounts have been reported on by the     
       company's auditors and delivered to the Registrar of Companies. 
       The report of the auditors was (i) unqualified, (ii) did not    
       include a reference to any matters to which the auditors drew   
       attention by way of emphasis without qualifying their report    
       and (iii) did not contain a statement under section 237(2) or   
       (3) of the Companies Act 1985.                                  
                                                                       
       After making due enquiries, the Directors have a reasonable     
       expectation that the Group has adequate resources to continue   
       in operational existence for the foreseeable future.            
       Accordingly, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in  
       preparing these condensed consolidated half year financial      
       statements.                                                     
                                                                       
       The half year financial statements are unaudited, but have been 
       reviewed by the auditors whose report is set out on page 14 and 
       were approved by the Board of Directors on 24 August 2009.      
  
  
 
  2.   Exceptional items  
  
  
 
                                            Six months to    Six months to    Year to        
                                            30 June          30 June          31 December    
                                            2009             2008             2008           
                                            £m               £m               £m             
  Cost of sales:                                                                             
  Net realisable value of inventories (i)   (27.9)           40.0             652.3          
  Asset impairment and write-offs (ii)      -                9.0              35.9           
  Operating expenses:                                                                        
  Restructuring costs (iii)                 -                15.0             21.9           
  Asset impairment (ii)                     -                -                201.0          
  Exceptional (income) / costs              (27.9)           64.0             911.1          
  Finance income:                                                                            
  Other interest receivable (iv)            -                -                (6.3)          
  Exceptional items before tax              (27.9)           64.0             904.8          
  
  
(i)  In light of the deterioration in the UK housing market, the Group conducted 
a review of the net realisable value of its inventory carrying values which 
resulted in a charge of £40.0m at 30 June 2008 and an additional net impairment 
of £612.3m at 31 December 2008. At 30 June 2009, the Group continued with this 
review process which resulted in a net exceptional credit to the Statement of 
Comprehensive Income of £27.9m. Further details are provided in note 6.  
  
(ii) Additional impairment reviews of trade and other receivables, and goodwill, 
resulted in exceptional charges which are fully explained in the audited 
financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2008. No further exceptional 
impairments have occurred at 30 June 2009.  
  
(iii) At 30 June 2008, the Group had incurred expenses of £15.0m in relation to 
reorganising and restructuring the business. On further restructuring activity, 
total costs comprising staff redundancy, contract severance costs and costs 
related to office closures amounted to £21.9m. No such costs were incurred in 
the period to 30 June 2009.  
  
(iv) Interest receivable represents monies due following the receipt of tax 
repayments associated with the exceptional costs.  
  
 
  3.   Tax                                                       
                                                                 
       The effective corporation tax rate for the half year is   
       nil% (half year ended 30 June 2008: 28.5% and year ended  
       31 December 2008: (19.9%)). This is the estimated         
       effective tax rate for the year ending 31 December 2009,  
       based upon the current estimate of available loss relief. 
  
  
4.           Dividends 
  
  
 
                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                 
                                                            Six months to 30 June 2009     Six months to 30 June 2008                            
                                                            £m                             £m                             Year to                
                                                                                                                          31 December 2008       
                                                                                                                          £m                     
                                                                                                                                                 
  Dividends paid:                                                                                                                                
  Final dividend for the year ended 31 December 2008 of     -                              98.1                           98.1                   
  nil per share (2007: 32.7p)                                                                                                                    
  Interim dividend for the six months to 30 June 2008 of    -                              -                              15.0                   
  5.0p per share (2007: 18.5p)                                                                                                                   
  Total dividend                                            -                              98.1                           113.1                  
                                                                                                                                                 
  Dividends proposed:                                                                                                                            
  Interim dividend for the six months to 30 June 2009 of    -                              15.0                           -                      
  nil per share (2008: 5.0p)                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                 
  
  
 
  5.   Earnings per share                                            
                                                                     
       Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the        
       earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders by the         
       weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during    
       the period, excluding those held in the Employee Share        
       Ownership Trust, the Employee Benefit Trust and treasury      
       shares all of which are treated as cancelled.                 
                                                                     
       For diluted earnings per share, the weighted average number   
       of ordinary shares in issue is adjusted to assume conversion  
       of all potentially dilutive ordinary shares from the start of 
       the accounting period. The Company has only one category of   
       dilutive potential ordinary shares: those share options and   
       awards granted to directors and employees where the exercise  
       price is less than the average market price of the Company's  
       ordinary shares during the period. In accordance with IAS 33, 
       potential ordinary shares are only dilutive when their        
       conversion to ordinary shares would decrease earnings per     
       share or increase the loss per share from continuing          
       operations. Diluted earnings per share is calculated by       
       dividing earnings by the diluted weighted average number of   
       shares.                                                       
                                                                     
       Underlying earnings per share excludes exceptional items and  
       goodwill impairment.                                          
                                                                     
  
  
 The earnings per share from continuing operations were as follows:  
  
 
                                                                                                 
                                          Six months to     Six months to     Year to            
                                          30 June 2009      30 June 2008      31 December 2008   
                                                                                                 
  Basic earnings per share                3.3p              8.8p              (208.3p)           
  Underlying basic earnings per share     (3.8p)            24.1p             35.3p              
  Diluted earnings per share              3.3p              8.8p              (208.3p)           
  Underlying diluted earnings per share   (3.8p)            24.0p             35.2p              
  
  
a)   Earnings  
  
 
                                                         Six months to    Six months to    Year to             
                                                         30 June 2009     30 June 2008     31 December 2008    
                                                         £m               £m               £m                  
                                                                                                               
  Underlying earnings attributable to shareholders       (11.5)           72.2             105.9               
  Exceptional items net of related taxation (including                                                         
  exceptional intangible asset impairment)               22.7             (45.8)           (729.1)             
  Goodwill impairment - utilisation of strategic land                                                          
  holdings                                               (1.4)            -                (1.8)               
                                                                                                               
                                                                                                               
  Earnings attributable to shareholders                  9.8              26.4             (625.0)             
                                                                                                               
                                                                                                               
  
  
b)   Weighted average share capital  
  
 
                                                                                          
                                   Six months to     Six months to     Year to            
                                   30 June 2009      30 June 2008      31 December 2008   
                                                                                          
  For basic earnings per share     300,236,765       299,930,754       300,033,700        
  Options and awards               757,763           912,715           985,716            
                                                                                          
                                                                                          
  For diluted earnings per share   300,994,528       300,843,469       301,019,416        
                                                                                          
                                                                                          
  
  
 
  6.                            Inventories                                                                       
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                      
                                30 June 2009     30 June 2008     31 December 2008    
                                £m               £m               £m                  
                                                                                      
  Land                          1,677.9          2,453.2          1,779.5             
  Work in progress              553.1            867.3            634.0               
  Part exchange properties      11.4             120.0            54.5                
  Showhouses                    65.2             87.8             78.5                
  Total inventories             2,307.6          3,528.3          2,546.5             
                                                                                      
                 As set out in note 2, the Group conducted a further review of the net realisable value of its    
                 land and work in progress portfolio during the half year ended 30 June 2009. The impact of this  
                 review of our net realisable value provisions is an exceptional credit to the Statement of       
                 Comprehensive Income of £27.9m.The total impairment of land and work in progress recognised      
                 during the half year was £121.4m (June 2008: £40.0m; December 2008: £652.3m) and a reversal of   
                 £149.3m (June 2008: £nil; December 2008: £nil) on inventories that were written down in a        
                 previous accounting period. Our approach to our net realisable value review has been consistent  
                 with that conducted at 31 December 2008 which was fully disclosed in the financial statements    
                 for the year ended on that date.                                                                 
                                                                                                                  
                 The key judgements in estimating the future net present realisable value of a site was the       
                 estimation of likely sales prices, house types and costs to complete the developments. Sales     
                 prices and costs to complete were estimated on a site-by-site basis based upon existing market   
                 conditions. If the UK housing market were toimprove/deteriorate in the future then further       
                 adjustments to the carrying value of land and work in progress may be required.                  
                                                                                                                  
                 Following this review, £904.6m (June 2008: £306.3m; December 2008: £1,088.9m) of inventories are 
                 valued at fair value less costs to sell rather than at historical cost.                          
  
  
 
  7.   Reconciliation of net cash flow to net debt  
  
  
 
  Note                                                        Six months to    Six months to    Year to 31 December   
                                                              30 June          30 June          2008                  
                                                              2009             2008             £m                    
                                                              £m               £m                                     
                                                                                                                      
  Increasein net cash and cash equivalents                    2.0              18.0             25.9                  
  Decrease/(increase) in debt and finance lease obligations   105.7            (203.6)          98.6                  
  Financing expenses paid                                     21.3             -                -                     
                                                                                                                      
  Decrease /(increase) in net debt from cash flows            129.0            (185.6)          124.5                 
  New finance lease obligations                               -                (0.4)            (0.6)                 
  Non-cash adjustments                                        (2.7)            1.9              (0.8)                 
                                                                                                                      
  Decrease/(increase) in net debt                             126.3            (184.1)          123.1                 
  Net debt at beginning of period                             (601.2)          (724.3)          (724.3)               
                                                                                                                      
  Net debt at end of period8                                  (474.9)          (908.4)          (601.2)               
                                                                                                                      
  
  
8.            Analysis of net debt 
  
  
 
  Note                                                        30 June    30 June    31 December   
                                                              2009       2008       2008          
                                                              £m         £m         £m            
                                                                                                  
  Cash and cash equivalents                                   0.3        14.0       0.8           
  Bank overdrafts                                             (21.2)     (44.8)     (23.7)        
  Net cash and cash equivalents                               (20.9)     (30.8)     (22.9)        
  Bank loans                                                  (35.0)     (280.0)    (63.1)        
  US and UK senior loan notes due within one year             (69.3)     (141.0)    (119.4)       
  US, UK & EU senior loan notes due after more than one year  (369.9)    (385.6)    (507.0)       
  Other loan notes due within one year                        (2.8)      (4.6)      (3.2)         
  Forward currency swaps                                      3.7        (63.5)     116.8         
  Finance lease obligations                                   (1.8)      (2.9)      (2.4)         
  Financing expenses                                          21.1       -          -             
                                                                                                  
  Net debt at end of period7                                  (474.9)    (908.4)    (601.2)       
                                                                                                  
  
  
 
     On 27 February 2009 the Group reached agreement with its       
     syndicate of banks providing the current revolving facility on 
     amendments to the amount, terms and conditions of its existing 
     credit facilities and also reached agreement with its private  
     placement investors on amendments to the terms and conditions  
     of its existing credit facilities. The Group also entered into 
     a new revolving credit facility. This Forward Start Facility   
     of £322m will become available for drawing on 24 November 2010 
     on the maturity of the existing facility and matures on 31     
     March 2012. Full documentation was finalised and signed on 13  
     March 2009. This refinancing has been accounted for as a       
     modification.                                                  
  
  
 
  9.   Defined benefit pension schemes                    
                                                          
       The amounts recognised in income are as follows:   
                                                          
  
  
 
                                                               Six months to 30 June    Six months to 30 June    Year to        
                                                               2009                     2008                     31 December    
                                                               £m                       £m                       2008           
                                                                                                                 £m             
                                                                                                                                
  Current service cost                                         1.7                      2.7                      4.8            
  Curtailment credit                                           -                        -                        (2.1)          
  Interest cost                                                9.7                      9.6                      19.4           
  Expected return on schemes' assets                           (7.0)                    (9.7)                    (19.6)         
  Total recognised in profit after tax                         4.4                      2.6                      2.5            
                                                                                                                                
  Net actuarial loss                                           26.1                     4.3                      43.8           
  Total recognised in other comprehensive (income) / expense   26.1                     4.3                      43.8           
                                                                                                                                
  Total defined benefit schemes loss recognised in the period  30.5                     6.9                      46.3           
  
  
The amount included in the balance sheet arising from the Group's obligation in 
respect of its defined benefit schemes is as follows:  
  
 
                                                            30 June    30 June    31 December   
                                                            2009       2008       2008          
                                                            £m         £m         £m            
                                                                                                
  Present value of funded obligations                       (347.8)    (308.5)    (324.0)       
  Fair value of schemes' assets                             231.5      247.1      228.7         
  Deficit in the schemes and net liability in the balance   (116.3)    (61.4)     (95.3)        
  sheet                                                                                         
  
  
An update on the 31 December 2008 IAS 19 valuation, adjusted for current market 
conditions has been obtained from the schemes' actuary as at 30 June 2009, which 
has been used as the basis for these figures.  
  
 
  10.   Related parties                                         
                                                                
        Transactions between the Company and its subsidiaries,  
        which are related parties, have been eliminated on      
        consolidation and are not disclosed in this note.       
  
  
  Principal risks and uncertainties  
  
The principal risks and uncertainties which could impact the Group for the 
remainder of the current financial year are those detailed on page 7 of the 
Group's Annual Report and Accounts 2008 and have not changed. These include: 
poor economic conditions, disruption in the capital markets and restrictions on 
mortgage availability. Further details regarding assessment of the risks and 
current market conditions are included within the Chairman's Statement in this 
Half Year Report. A copy of the Group's Annual Report and Accounts 2008 is 
available on the Group's website at  www.corporate.persimmonhomes.com.  
  
Statement of Directors' Responsibilities  
  
We confirm that to the best of our knowledge:  
  
 
 * the condensed set of financial statements has been prepared in accordance 
with IAS 34 Interim Financial Reporting as adopted by the EU  
 * the Half YearReport includes a fair review of the information required by:  
 * (a) DTR 4.2.7R of the Disclosure and Transparency Rules, being an indication 
of important events that have occurred during the first six months of the 
financial year and their impact on the condensed set of financial statements; 
and a description of the principal risks and uncertainties for the remaining six 
months of the year; and   
  
 
 * (b) DTR 4.2.8R of the Disclosure and Transparency Rules, being related party 
transactions that have taken place in the first six months of the current 
financial year and that have materially affected the financial position or 
performance of the entity during that period; and any changes in the related 
party transactions described in the last annual report that could do so.   
  
The Directors of Persimmon Plc are:  
  
 
  John White               Group Chairman                  
  Mike Farley              Group Chief Executive           
  Mike Killoran            Group Finance Director          
  Jeff Fairburn            North Division Chief Executive  
  Hamish Leslie Melville   Non-Executive Director          
  David Thompson           Senior Independent Director     
  Neil Davidson            Non-Executive Director          
  Nicholas Wrigley         Non-Executive Director          
  Richard Pennycook        Non-Executive Director          
  
  
By order of the Board  
  
Mike Farley                        Mike Killoran  
  
Group Chief Executive      Group Finance Director  
  
24 August 2009  
  
The Group's annual financial reports, half yearly reports and interim management 
statements are available from the Group's website at 
www.corporate.persimmonhomes.com.  
  
  Independent Review Report to Persimmon Plc  
  
Introduction  
  
We have been engaged by the company to review the condensed set of financial 
statements in the half-yearly financial report for the six months ended 30 June 
2009 which comprises the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive 
Income, Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet, Condensed Statement of Changes in 
Shareholders' Equity, Condensed Consolidated Cash Flow Statement and the related 
explanatory notes. We have read the other information contained in the 
half-yearly financial report and considered whether it contains any apparent 
misstatements or material inconsistencies with the information in the condensed 
set of financial statements.  
  
This report is made solely to the company in accordance with the terms of our 
engagement to assist the company in meeting the requirements of the Disclosure 
and Transparency Rules ("the DTR") of the UK's Financial Services Authority 
("the UK FSA"). Our review has been undertaken so that we might state to the 
company those matters we are required to state to it in this report and for no 
other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or 
assume responsibility to anyone other than the company for our review work, for 
this report, or for the conclusions we have reached.  
  
Directors' responsibilities  
  
The half-yearly financial report is the responsibility of, and has been approved 
by, the directors. The directors are responsible for preparing the half-yearly 
financial report in accordance with the DTR of the UK FSA.   
  
As disclosed in note 1, annual financial statements of the group are prepared in 
accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU. The condensed set of financial 
statements included in this half-yearly financial report has been prepared in 
accordance with IAS 34 Interim Financial Reporting as adopted by the EU.  
  
Our responsibility  
  
Our responsibility is to express to the company a conclusion on the condensed 
set of financial statements in the half-yearly financial report based on our 
review.  
  
Scope of review  
  
We conducted our review in accordance with International Standard on Review 
Engagements (UK and Ireland) 2410 Review of Interim Financial Information 
Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity issued by the Auditing 
Practices Board for use in the UK.  A review of interim financial information 
consists of making enquiries, primarily of persons responsible for financial and 
accounting matters, and applying analytical and other review procedures. A 
review is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with 
International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland) and consequently does not 
enable us to obtain assurance that we would become aware of all significant 
matters that might be identified in an audit. Accordingly, we do not express an 
audit opinion.  
  
Conclusion  
  
Based on our review, nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe 
that the condensed set of financial statements in the half-yearly financial 
report for the six months ended 30 June 2009 is not prepared, in all material 
respects, in accordance with IAS 34 as adopted by the EU and the DTR of the UK 
FSA.  
  
David Morritt  
  
For and on behalf of KPMG Audit Plc  
  
Chartered Accountants  
  
Leeds  
  
24 August 2009  
  
 
This information is provided by RNS  
  
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange  
  
  END  
  
IR USABRKURWUAR  
  

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