Press Release

com:20080516:RnsP5966U
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RNS Number : 5966U  
  
Computacenter PLC  
  
16 May 2008  
  
Interim Management Statement  
  
16 May 2008  
  
Computacenter plc the independent IT services provider today publishes its first 
Interim Management Statement in advance of its Annual General Meeting to be held 
at 11:00 today.  
  
Financial Performance  
  
During the first quarter of 2008 we experienced difficult trading in our UK and 
French subsidiaries when compared to the same period last year.  However, the UK 
performance improved materially towards the latter part of the period. In 
Germany, trading was ahead of the same period last year. UK sales in the 
quarter, including acquisitions, were up 1.1% to £346.6M and on a like for like 
basis were down 1.5%. Non UK sales in local currency were down 7.1% to E332.8M 
due mainly to lower sales in France. However, Group sales were up 1.8% to 
£598.4M helped by the strength of the Euro against Sterling.  
  
Sales in all geographies were undoubtedly affected compared to last year by the 
Easter holiday occurring in the period rather than in the second quarter. Group 
Sales in the second quarter have started encouragingly and are ahead of last 
year, partly due to the reversing effect of the Easter holidays.  
  
Financial Position  
  
Computacenter has used its share buy back programme from time to time acquiring 
5.3M shares since the year end to date at a cost of £9.5M, which will increase 
interest charges by £0.5M for a full year, but is EPS accretive. At the end of 
the quarter we had net borrowings of £17.2M (£16.2M at 31 December 2007) before 
customer specific financing.  
  
Group Outlook  
  
Despite economic uncertainties and a poor start to the year in the UK and France 
in the first quarter, we are encouraged by trading in recent weeks and our 
expectations remain unchanged for the year as a whole, assuming no material 
deterioration in market conditions. However, it is likely that the pre tax 
profit will be more skewed towards the second half which may result in the first 
half being slightly below the first half of last year. This is due to not 
achieving our revenue growth objectives to date, despite increased investments, 
and the increased proportion of Group profits generated in Germany, which have 
always been biased towards the second half of the year.  
  
Enquiries:  
  
Computacenter plc  
  
Mike Norris, Chief Executive       01707 631601  
  
Tony Conophy, Finance Director   01707 631515  
  
Tessa Freeman, PR Manager       01707 631514  
  
Tulchan Communications       020 7353 4200  
  
Andrew Grant  
  
Stephen Malthouse  
  
This information is provided by RNS  
  
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange  
  
END  
  
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