ABS Full Year Results Update
and Recent Developments
Turnaround Underway
following Solid Performance under New Ownership
ABS Group reports for the
twelve months ended 30 September 2023
Operating Highlights
- Successful first year of
operations under new ownership
- Brand refresh to “Agility
Beyond Space” to better reflect corporate values
and vision
- Chief Commercial Officer
hired and new global accounts and government
sales established
- Major new contract wins
with Axess, IABG, Saudi Net Link and Sonema
- Increasing revenues from
other satellite operators as they reach end of
life on own fleets
- In discussions to unlock
value in spectrum holdings
- Chief Executive Officer
leaving for personal reasons
Financial Highlights
- Stable revenues of $68.9
million in the year
- Adjusted EBITDA[2]
of $39.1 million at 57% margin
- Strong free cashflow[3]
of $19.0m
- Net debt of $26.1m,
following $15.0m debt paydown since August 2022
- Amongst industry leading
net debt leverage of 0.7x at 30 Sept 2023
- Shareholder dividends of
$26.7m paid and declared
Parm Sandhu, Chairman, said
“We have had a good start to our turnaround in
this first year under new ownership.
Our management team have
improved our commercialisation by re-organising our
sales function and through technical initiatives
aimed at increasing our available capacity. With the
creation of a global accounts group our business is
positioning to benefit from an increasingly complex
geo-political landscape and an anticipated shortfall
in replacement GEO capacity. Our brand has been
refreshed to Agility Beyond Space to emphasise our
responsiveness to our global customers’ needs with a
comprehensive service offering across space and
ground segments in a rapidly evolving market for
satellite services.
ABS holds an impressive
portfolio of spectrum rights covering EMEA and APAC,
and our team are in active partner discussions to
unlock the hidden value in our holdings, including
75⁰East and 116.1⁰East, both of which offer valuable
military Ka-band spectrum. Notably, we retained our
priority rights at 116.1⁰East, where ABS-7 was
previously operational, by bringing into use our
filings during the period.
We have a strong balance sheet,
which allows us to invest for growth, and are
delighted to be able to return excess capital to our
stakeholders. In total, across debt paydown and
dividends we will shortly have returned $41.7million
since August 2022.
While we are sorry that Amit
Somani, our CEO, will be leaving with immediate
effect, we respect his decision to step down for
personal reasons. The Board shall commence a search
for a new CEO immediately. In the meantime, the
management team will report to me, except for
technology and regulatory which will report into my
board colleague Anders Johnson, who is better
qualified than I in these areas. Anders and I will
work closely together to ensure as smooth a
transition as possible.”
Summary Statement of
Comprehensive Income (US$m)
|
Year Ended 30 September
|
|
2023
|
2022
|
Revenue
|
68.9
|
69.1
|
Cost of Goods and
Services
|
(31.4)
|
(31.5)
|
Administrative Expenses
|
(18.1)
|
(26.8)
|
Add back: Depreciation
& Amortisation
|
18.4
|
18.9
|
Other Items &
Adjustments
|
1.3
|
9.2
|
Adjusted EBITDA
|
39.1
|
38.9
|
Summary Statement of
Financial Position (US$m)
|
As at 30 September
|
|
2023
|
2022
|
|
|
|
Property, Plant &
Equipment
|
245.5
|
201.5
|
Other Non-Current
Assets
|
11.1
|
12.9
|
Total Non-Current
Assets:
|
256.6
|
214.4
|
|
|
|
Non-Cash Current Assets
|
16.5
|
15.3
|
Cash and Cash
Equivalents
|
17.0
|
26.2
|
Total Current Assets
|
33.5
|
41.4
|
Less: Current
Liabilities[4]
|
(22.9)
|
(25.1)
|
Net Current Assets
|
10.6
|
16.3
|
|
|
|
Long Term Loans
|
(43.1)
|
(50.1)
|
Other Non-Current
Liabilities
|
(56.3)
|
(66.8)
|
Net Assets
|
167.8
|
113.8
|
Summary Statement of Cash
Flows (US$m)
|
Year Ended 30 September
|
|
2023
|
2022
|
Net Cash Generated from
Operating Activities
|
19.5
|
17.9
|
Net Cash Used in
Investing Activities
|
(0.5)
|
(0.7)
|
Repayment of Loans
|
(7.5)
|
(7.5)
|
Dividends Paid
|
(16.7)
|
-
|
Other Financing Cash
Flows
|
(3.9)
|
(2.6)
|
Net (Decrease) /
Increase in Cash & Cash Equivalents
|
(9.1)
|
7.1
|
Cash and Cash
Equivalents at beginning of the year
|
26.2
|
18.9
|
Effect of Foreign
Exchange Rate Changes
|
(0.1)
|
0.2
|
Cash and Cash
Equivalents at end of the year
|
17.0
|
26.2
|
|