1 September 2016

Cpl Resources Plc

Results for the Full Year Ended 30 June 2016

Dublin, 1 September 2016: Cpl Resources Plc ('Cpl', the 'Group' or the 'Company'), Ireland's leading employment services group, today announced results for the year ended 30 June 2016.

 Full Year Highlights

·     Revenue increased by €39.7 million, to €433.4 million

·     Gross Profit increased by 19% to €70.1m

·     22% increase in adjusted Profit before tax to €17.4 million

·     Earnings per share of 43.9 cent  (2015: 40.2 cent)

·     Total dividend per share of 11.0 cent  (2015: 9.75 cent)

John Hennessy, Chairman commented:

"I am pleased to report that the 12 months ended 30 June 2016 has been a year of growth for Cpl, resulting in record revenues and net fee income.  These results have been achieved in a challenging and highly competitive environment and reflect the outstanding service delivered to our clients by all of our people.  Employment trends and economic indicators are broadly positive in our principal markets, and we expect to continue to grow profitably in the months ahead."

Anne Heraty CEO added:

"Cpl had a record year, with revenues and gross profits of €433.4m and €70.1m respectively. The investments we made over the past 18 months in people, in technology and in our talent innovation hub are paying off. We are committed to delivering outstanding service to our clients and candidates, supporting them to succeed in a changing environment. I am particularly pleased that we ended the year with in excess of 12,000 people working with or on behalf of Cpl, an increase of over 1,700 in the year." 

For Further Information:

Anne Heraty, CEO, Cpl Resources Plc: +353 1 614 6000

Mark Buckley, CFO, Cpl Resources Plc: +353 1 614 6000

Ivan Murphy/ Daragh O'Reilly, Davy Corporate Finance: +353 1 679 6363

Cpl Resources Plc

Chairman's statement

The financial year ended 30 June 2016 has been another year of growth for Cpl.   

Financial highlights of the Group's performance include:

·     Revenue increased by €39.7 million, to €433.4 million

·     Gross Profit increased by 19% to €70.1m

·     22% increase in adjusted Profit before tax to €17.4 million

·     Earnings per share of 43.9 cent  (2015: 40.2 cent)

·     Total dividend per share of 11.0 cent  (2015: 9.75 cent)

Full Year Highlights

* Adjusted operating profit and adjusted profit before tax exclude non-cash charges relating to the Group's Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP).

** As a % of gross profit.

The Group's results for the year ended 30 June 2016 reflect strong growth across our business sectors and markets, combined with the effect of the acquisition of Clinical Professionals in September 2015. This strong performance is a result of a clear focus by our team on continuing to grow our existing business, selectively expanding our product offering and the markets we serve, and concentrating on managing costs and improving margins.

During the year demand for people in both permanent and temporary roles grew across most sectors. Our fees from temporary and permanent placements grew by 18% and 21% respectively year on year.  In our temporary business the growth in revenues was supplemented by an improvement in our margins. Our 10% growth in operating profit has been achieved after deducting a non-cash charge of €2.0 million (€0.1 million in the prior year) in respect of our share based long-term incentive plan for employees.

We maintain a focus on the management of costs in our business, with an adjusted operating profit ratio of 25% in the financial year. The Group continues to have a strong balance sheet, with net assets in excess of €93 million at 30 June 2016, up from €81 million in the prior year.  We ended the year with net cash of more than €33 million, after funding the increase in working capital resulting from the strong growth in our temporary business and after paying €4.0 million in cash consideration in respect of the acquisition of Clinical Professionals.

People

Given the nature of our core business, our clients and candidates are entitled to expect excellent service delivered by people who are carefully selected, and who have the right skills and experience for the job.  We measure customer satisfaction directly and by tracking client retention patterns, and these metrics demonstrate a high level of satisfaction with our services across our customer base.

Our growth and success are testament to the outstanding talent, expertise and commitment of our people and their dedication to delivering excellence. On behalf of the Board, I would like to acknowledge the contribution of all of our staff and management to the success of the Group, and to thank them for using their skills so effectively and for working so hard for the benefit of Cpl. I also wish to thank our clients and candidates for their support and their loyalty to our business.

Board Changes

During the year ended 30 June 2016, Garret Roche resigned from the Board of Cpl Resources plc.  As an executive director since our flotation, Garret made a huge contribution to the very substantial growth and success of the Group in that time.  He continues to play a very important leadership role in our business.  On behalf of the Board I would like to thank Garret for the positive energy, business insight and dedication that he brought to the Board during his term of office.

Mark Buckley joined the Board during the year. Mark has been the Group's Chief Financial Officer since July 2013 and he has contributed strongly to the Group's success since his appointment, both in the financial area and more generally as a member of Cpl's senior management team.  I welcome Mark to the Board and look forward to continuing to work with him.

Earnings per Share, Dividend & Dividend Policy

Cpl has delivered earnings per share in the twelve months to 30 June 2016 of 43.9 cent. In deciding how to use our free cash flow, the Board continues to prioritise the maintenance of a strong balance sheet, so that we can take advantage of opportunities to invest in further growth, both within the existing business and through acquisition.  The Group also has a progressive dividend policy, which reflects underlying earnings growth and our continued financial strength.

The Board is recommending a final dividend of 5.75 cent per share. This will bring the total dividend for the year to 11.0 cent per share. The dividend, if approved by the shareholders, will be payable on 7 November 2016 to shareholders on the Company's register at the close of business on the record date of 14 October 2016.

Outlook

Economic indicators, including employment trends, are currently broadly positive in our principal markets.  Our industry remains highly competitive, and our continued growth is sensitive to events affecting the wider European and global economies.  The "Brexit" referendum result continues to give rise to uncertainty in our main markets, particularly in the U.K., and to a lesser extent in Ireland.  We remain of the view that "Brexit" will present both challenges and opportunities for our business, and we continue to monitor developments closely.

Current indicators suggest that modest economic growth will continue in our principal markets.  Accordingly, we expect to deliver further profitable growth in our business during the financial year to 30 June 2017.

John Hennessy

Chairman                                                                                                         

1 September, 2016

Cpl Resources Plc

Chief Executive's review

Cpl is delighted to report another strong performance for the Group in the year to 30 June 2016. Our focus on exceptional client service and innovative talent solutions has enabled us to deliver revenue and adjusted operating profit growth of 10% and 23% respectively. While the marketplace has improved our business still has the fundamental job of finding the best people and talent for our clients wherever they reside. We now operate from 10 countries and 37 offices around the globe with plans to build our footprint and presence further.

Labour markets continued to improve across Europe during the year and of particular interest to Cpl was the strength of both the Irish and UK employment market. The Irish and UK unemployment rate stood at 7.8% and 4.9% respectively at end of June 2016.  The Irish employment growth rate in 2015 was 2.9% well above the Euro area average of 0.9% and it was the 4^th highest in the EU. While employment has not yet returned to peak pre-recession levels, over 1.98 million people were employed in Q4 2015 and forecasts suggest that employment will be back to prerecession levels by 2018 with all jobs previously lost being replaced. However we have yet to see the impact of "Brexit" on these forecasts.

Companies around the world are being affected by globalisation, by technology disruption and by access to qualified skilled talent. According to the PWC's Annual Global CEO Survey, 72% of CEOs are concerned about the availability of key skills, with 48% planning to increase headcount in the coming year. In this environment skilled talent is at a premium. We believe demand for skilled technical and professional talent will continue to grow, and that we are well positioned to take advantage of this increased demand.

We are excited by the opportunity in our Pharma and Life Sciences divisions. The acquisition of Clinical Professionals in September 2015 has extended our reach and complements the services we offer to our clients. I am pleased to report that the business is progressing to expectations and has had some strong client wins in the year.  We have invested further in our sourcing capabilities realising that our clients are now interested in the best talent from around the globe and we look at this as a key strength of the Group.

Financial Highlights

FY16 has been another record year for the Group, with double digit percentage increase across revenue, net fee income and adjusted profit before tax lines.

The Group increased its revenue by 10% to €433.4 million in the year to 30 June 2016 (2015: €393.6 million). Gross profit increased by 19% to €70.1 million (2015: €58.7 million). The Group's gross margin was 16.2% (2015: 14.9%). Adjusted Profit before tax was €17.4 million (2015: €14.2 million) and our earnings per share was 43.9 cent (2015: 40.2 cent).

Our operating expenses were €54.7 million and in correlation with our increase in gross profit, reflecting the fact that the majority of our cost base is staff related costs. I am delighted to report our conversion of gross profit to adjusted operating profit increased to 25% in the current year.

Our balance sheet remains strong with net assets of €93.7 million (2015: €82.0 million). Goodwill and intangible assets increased by €4.8 million to €17.5 million, reflecting the acquisition of Clinical Professionals Limited in September 2015. Our customer base is broadly diversified across industry sector. Trade and other receivables stood at €90.3 million, up from €82.3 million at 30 June 2015. Notwithstanding these investments in the acquisition and working capital, our net cash balance at 30 June 2016 was €33.1 million.

The interim dividend paid was 5.25 cent per share. The Board is recommending a final dividend of 5.75 cent per share for the year to 30 June 2016, resulting in a total dividend per share for the year of 11.0 cent, a 13% increase from the prior year.

As mentioned above, our gross margin increased to 16.2%. We generated an increase in our temporary business margin, reversing the trend we have experienced in recent years. Permanent fees increased by 21.3% to €29.1 million and accounts for 41.5% of total gross profit.

Operations

Cpl's capability spans the entire employment lifecycle and includes permanent, temporary and contract recruitment, workforce management, training, outsourcing and outplacement. We have a diverse range of clients from market leading multinationals to small and medium enterprises.

Cpl is a recognised leader in permanent and temporary recruitment, our business is based on matching the capabilities of our candidates to our clients in a rapidly changing marketplace. We operate through distinct specialist brands in a wide range of sectors including technology, finance and legal, healthcare, pharmaceutical, life science, sales, engineering, HR, light industrial and office administration. Our healthcare brands for example have been in operation for over 20 years and are all highly recognisable brands capable of attracting talent from around the globe.

Our managed services and outsourcing business assumes accountability for selected business process on behalf of clients. Cpl brings value to our clients by creating measurable improvements and cost savings in areas that are viewed as non-core to our clients. Our main service offerings are: Contact Centre Outsourcing, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) and HR Consulting Services (which includes outplacement).

Permanent

With the ongoing "war for talent", skills shortages continue to emerge across a number of professional occupations particularly ICT, engineering, science and health. Our strength is in sourcing people with skills that are hard to find for our clients and as a result, our permanent placement business had a successful year with strong performance from a number of divisions, including our acquisition of Clinical Professionals in September 2015. Permanent fee revenue increased by 21.3 % to €29.1 million (2015: €24.0 million).

Cpl's healthcare divisions had a particularly strong year. Healthcare recruitment is undergoing a lot of change particularly in the UK driven mainly by immigration controls and concerns about "Brexit". Given our track record and database of hard to find specialist nurses and allied health professionals, we are well positioned to support our clients through this change.

Temporary

Our temporary and contracting business provides clients with qualified skilled people on short and long terms assignments. Demand for temporary and contract staff remained strong during the year and we grew net fee income by 18% to €41.0 million (2015: €34.7 million), a combination of organic growth and acquisition. We were able to build on the improvement in temporary and contract staffing margins that we experienced last year. Margin in year to 30 June 2016 was 10.1% (2015:  9.4%).

We finished the year with 11,367 temporary staff and contractors working on behalf of Cpl on client projects.  Our clients recognise the advantage that temporary and contract staffing can bring. It adds a variable cost component to a company's other-wise fixed labour costs. At the same time many of our candidates are also seeking more flexibility. Highly skilled professionals particularly in ICT and engineering are choosing to work on a project basis. We are seeing growth in these areas.

Driven by this increasing demand from our clients and candidates for greater flexibility, temporary and contract staffing represents an area of significant growth opportunity.

People

Despite all the talk about how many jobs may not exist or be replaced by machines in the future, it is still humans that are the biggest determinant of success and never more so than in a professional services environment. Attracting and retaining the best talent in the industry is key to delivering the operational excellence that delivers real value to our clients. I would like to thank our talented and dedicated employees for their commitment to delivering for our candidates and clients. I am delighted to welcome those people who joined Cpl during the year. I also want to thank our loyal customers for their partnership and support during the year.

Strategy

Our strategy to develop a balanced business mix and therefore avoid overdependence on any one service, sector, or geography remains unchanged. We focus mainly on organic expansion, while using selective acquisitions to build platforms in new sectors or markets with good long term potential. Clinical Professionals is a good example of an ideal fit with our overall strategy for growth and diversification. It builds on our capability to deliver to clients in the Pharma and Life Sciences sector both on a local and international platform.

We will continue to maintain a balanced earnings stream. We operate through specialist brands in several business sectors. We are not overly dependent on any one sector. Our net fee income in the year to 30 June 2016 was 58.5% from temporary recruitment and 41.5% from permanent recruitment.

We are ambitious to grow our business and service offering in our current geographies and sectors, and explore new geographic locations for our services with existing and new clients in the forthcoming periods.

Acquisition and Growth

Notwithstanding the organic growth we are experiencing in our existing business, as a Group we continue to look for ways to maximise shareholder return. In September 2015 we acquired a majority stake in Clinical Professionals Limited. We have now integrated this business into the Group and it is performing well. Clinical Professionals complements our existing scientific business and allows us to offer clients a broader geographic service offering.  

In the Autumn of 2015, Deena Energy Services opened a small Dubai subsidiary. This business continues to grow from an organic start up in January 2015. During the year we invested in new offices in Belfast and Reading, increasing capacity in both locations. In May 2016 we opened an office in Gdansk, bringing the number of Cpl offices in Poland to five.

In June 2016 we secured an Arbietnehmeruberlassungsgetz (AUG licence), permitting us to enter the labour leasing market in Germany. We plan to open our first German office, in Munich, in the coming months.

Ardlinn, our new executive search brand, was launched in July 2016 to enable us to recruit talent at the highest level for our clients. Ardlinn will use its international expertise and connections to provide Irish based companies with the top level C-suite talent they need, due to Ireland's continued status as a global leader in attracting high-value foreign direct investment (FDI) employment.

During the last year we have invested in developing our sales culture and have added further talent to the team. This is showing results through the winning of new clients and the retention of existing clients. New client wins cover both private and public sector organisations and provide a good opportunity for future growth.

Outlook

We expect the year to 30 June 2017 to be another year of steady growth, improved profitability and solid cash flows. Our key focus is on supporting clients in sectors and occupations where there are increasing skill shortages. This places higher value on our services and should help to improve our margins. However, we also need to be mindful of business risks such as those arising from "Brexit". How "Brexit" will affect our performance this year is hard to determine at this early stage.

Economic forecasts indicate growth rates of circa 4% in Ireland and continued growth in employment which is positive for Cpl. We have a robust business model, an excellent brand and customer base and a track record of delivering for our clients. Our success is driven through our people and we have a strong management team which we have added to in the past twelve months. Our priorities through 2017 will be to maintain and grow our net fee income while strategically growing and investing domestically and internationally. Should conditions change, we are prepared, we have flexibility in our cost base and we can moderate our growth plans.

Anne Heraty

Chief Executive Officer

1^st September, 2016

Cpl Resources Plc

Group Statement of Comprehensive Income

for the year ended 30 June 2016