Fusion Corporate Partners

Pearson has announced preliminary results for the year ending 31 December 2012.

Full details of preliminary results

Financial highlights

• Sales up 5% at CER to £6.1bn (with digital and services businesses contributing 50% of sales)
• Adjusted operating profit 1% higher at £936m
• Adjusted EPS of 84.2p (86.5p in 2011)
• Operating cash flow of £788m (£983m in 2011)
• Return on invested capital of 9.1% (9.1% in 2011)
• Dividend raised 7% to 45.0p.

Market conditions and industry change

• Market conditions generally weak in developed world and for print publishing businesses; generally strong in emerging economies and for digital and services businesses.
• Continuing structural change in education funding, retail channels, consumer behaviour and content business models.
• Considerable growth opportunity in education driven by rapidly-growing global middle class, adoption of learning technologies, the connection between education and career prospects and increasing consumer spend, especially in emerging economies.

Strong competitive performance

• North American Education revenues up 2% in a year when US School and Higher Education publishing revenues declined by 10% for the industry as a whole.
• International Education revenues up 13% with emerging market revenues up 25%.
• FT Group revenues up 4% with the Financial Times’ total paid print and online circulation up to 602,000; digital subscriptions exceed print circulation for the first time.
• Penguin revenues up 1%, with strong publishing performance and eBooks now 17% of sales.

Accelerated shift to digital & services and to fast-growing economies

• Pearson announces gross restructuring costs of approximately £150m in 2013 (£100m net of cost savings achieved in the year), focused on:

1. significantly accelerating the shift of Pearson’s education businesses towards fast-growing economies and digital and services businesses;
2. separating Penguin activities from Pearson central services and operations in preparation for the merger of Penguin and Random House.

Restructuring expected to generate annual cost savings of approximately £100m in 2014.

• In 2014, £100m of cost savings to be reinvested in organic development of fast-growing education markets and categories and further restructuring, including the Penguin Random House integration.
• From 2015, restructuring programme expected to produce faster growth, improving margins and stronger cash generation.

Outlook

·      Pearson expects tough trading conditions and structural industry change to continue in 2013.

·      Excluding restructuring costs and including Penguin for the full year, Pearson expects to achieve 2013 operating profit and adjusted EPS broadly level with 2012.

John Fallon, chief executive, said: “Pearson has a sound, successful strategy: now we are significantly accelerating its implementation. Trading conditions are tough and structural changes mean many of our traditional publishing activities are under pressure. But the underlying demand for effective education remains immensely powerful and our developing world and digital services businesses have real scale and momentum. The restructuring of the company that we are announcing today is designed to strengthen dramatically Pearson’s position in digital education services and in our most important markets for the future – and to enable us to capture the once-in-a-generation opportunity that comes with being the world’s leading learning company.”

UK, London

Related links:

• Pearson trading update – continuing tough market conditions Posted on January 22, 2013
• Pearson announces Investment in Nook Media Posted on January 5, 2013
• Pearson announces Investment in Nook Media Posted on January 5, 2013
• Pearson and Bertelsmann agree Penguin and Random House merger Posted on October 29, 2012
• Bertelsmann and Pearson in talks about combining their publishing divisions posted on October 25, 2012
• Pearson acquires online learning business EmbanetCompass for $650M Posted on October 16, 2012
• Pearson – first 6 months results Posted on July 30, 2012
• Pearson to acquire Author Solutions for £116M Posted on July 19, 2012
• Pearson acquires GlobalEnglish for $90M Posted on May 25, 2012
• Pearson acquires Certiport for $140M posted on May 19, 2012
• Bertelsmann acquires digital media agency Smashing Ideas for Random House Posted on May 10, 2011
• 72% rise in profits at Pearson Posted on February 28, 2012
• Pearson to sell 50% stake in FTSE to the London Stock Exchange for £450 million Posted on December 15, 2011
• Skimlinks Raises $4.5 Million Series B Round Posted on November 11, 2011
• Pearson acquires Connections Education Posted on September 15, 2011
• Pearson to acquire Schoolnet for $230M Posted on April 29, 2011
• Pearson agrees to buy Education Development International Posted on March 8, 2011
• Pearson acquires TutorVista – Expands Pearson’s education business in India Posted on January 19, 2011
• Pearson to acquire SEB’s school learning systems business Posted on August 13, 201o
• Pearson to buy Melario for £99.3 million Posted on May 20, 2010