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Notes to the accounts

7 Discontinued operations

On 5 May 2007, the Company sold its Aerospace operations to General Electric Company. The Aerospace operations sold comprised the Aerospace business segment as reported in previous annual reports and accounts plus the microwave company previously reported in Specialty – Other. The revenue and profit before taxation of the microwave company were £32.2m (2006: £42.9m) and £7.6m (2006: £10.2m), respectively. As the Aerospace operations represented a separate business segment, the disposal group has been treated as a discontinued operation in this annual report and accounts. The post-tax result of the Aerospace operations has been disclosed as a discontinued operation in the consolidated income statement. In the cash-flow statement, the operating cash-flows of the Aerospace Group have been aggregated with those of the continuing operations, but are shown separately in the note below.

Profit on disposal of operation

 

 

£m

Total consideration

 

2,585.4

Foreign exchange recycled to the income statement on disposal

 

(48.4)

Provisions and disposal costs

 

(76.0)

Pension curtailment gains

 

63.3

Provision for settlement loss

 

(24.3)

 

 

2,500.0

Net assets disposed

 

(1,030.4)

Pre-tax profit on disposal

 

1,469.6

 

 

 

 

 

£m

Cash received from disposal of Aerospace operations

 

2,585.4

Disposal costs

 

(31.9)

Cash and cash equivalents of subsidiaries disposed

 

(62.5)

Borrowings of subsidiaries disposed

 

4.0

Net cash inflow on disposal

 

2,495.0

 

Assets and liabilities of discontinued operations at the date of disposal

 

 

 

£m

Assets

 

 

 

Intangible assets

 

 

553.0

Property, plant and equipment

 

 

256.1

Retirement benefit assets

 

 

6.8

Inventories

 

 

297.0

Trade and other receivables

 

 

1,357.1

Inter-company receivables

 

 

1,024.5

Cash and cash equivalents

 

 

62.5

Financial derivatives

 

 

12.1

Total assets

 

 

3,569.1

Liabilities

 

 

 

Financial liabilities

 

 

 

– borrowings

 

 

(4.0)

– financial derivatives

 

 

(2.5)

Provisions for liabilities and charges

 

 

(20.6)

Retirement benefit obligations

 

 

(0.5)

Deferred tax liabilities

 

 

(17.4)

Trade and other payables

 

 

(2,493.7)

Total liabilities

 

 

(2,538.7)

Net assets

 

 

1,030.4

 

Financial information for the Aerospace operations after Group eliminations is presented below.

Results from discontinued operations

 

Period ended
31 July 2007
£m

Period ended
5 August 2006
£m

Revenue

955.6

1,342.6

Cost of sales

(667.9)

(946.0)

Gross profit

287.7

396.6

Sales and distribution costs

(29.9)

(37.8)

Administrative expenses

(116.6)

(188.7)

Loss on disposal of business

 

(1.7)

Operating profit

141.2

168.4

Interest payable

(1.2)

(1.1)

Other financing gains

0.7

 

Other finance income – retirement benefits

3.1

2.4

Profit before taxation

143.8

169.7

Taxation relating to performance of discontinued operations (note 6)

(36.9)

(42.8)

Profit on disposal

1,469.6

 

Attributable tax charge (note 6)

(51.3)

 

Profit for the period

1,525.2

126.9

 

 

 

Earnings per share from discontinued operations – pence

 

 

Basic

277.8p

22.5p

Diluted

273.9p

22.5p

 

The profit before taxation for the period ended 31 July 2007 represents the results of the operations for the period to the date of disposal.

Analysis by geographical location

The Group's revenue from discontinued operations by destination is shown below:

 

Period ended
31 July 2007
£m

Period ended
5 August 2006
£m

Revenue

 

 

United Kingdom

125.7

186.3

North America

688.6

963.0

Europe

95.0

112.5

Other overseas

46.3

80.8

 

955.6

1,342.6

 

The Group operating profit from discontinued operations was after charging:

 

Period ended
31 July 2007
£m

Period ended
5 August 2006
£m

Cost of inventories recognised as an expense

594.6

778.7

Employee costs (note 11)

342.5

467.3

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

8.4

31.2

Amortisation of intangible assets

3.8

19.4

Impairment losses recognised in the period on receivables

0.1

0.3

Research and development costs

29.4

53.4

Operating leases

 

 

– land and buildings

4.1

7.5

– other

1.0

1.4

Fair value movements on derivatives

 

 

– embedded

(0.1)

3.5

– held for trading

0.7

(0.1)

 

Cash-flows from discontinued operations

 

 

Period ended
31 July 2007
£m

Period ended
5 August 2006
£m

Profit before taxation (including profit on disposal of Aerospace operations)

 

1,613.4

169.7

Net interest payable

 

1.2

1.1

Financing (gains)/losses

 

 

 

– charged to financing

 

(0.7)

 

Other finance income – retirement benefits

 

(3.1)

(2.4)

Profit on disposal of discontinued operation

 

(1,469.6)

 

 

 

141.2

168.4

Amortisation of intangible assets

 

3.8

19.4

Profit on disposal of property, plant and equipment

 

0.2

 

Profit on disposal of business

 

 

1.7

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

 

8.4

31.2

Share-based payment expense

 

3.5

5.3

Retirement benefits

 

(22.6)

1.6

Increase in inventories

 

(51.0)

(31.6)

(Increase)/decrease in trade and other receivables

 

(17.3)

16.5

(Decrease)/increase in trade and other payables

 

(16.4)

60.5

(Decrease)/increase in provisions

 

(1.1)

0.5

Cash generated from operations

 

48.7

273.5

Interest

 

(1.2)

(1.1)

Tax paid

 

(6.9)

(22.3)

Net cash inflow from operating activities

 

40.6

250.1

 

 

 

Period ended
31 July 2007
£m

Period ended
5 August 2006
£m

Operating activities

 

40.6

250.1

Investing activities

 

2,373.1

(148.1)

Financing activities

 

14.2

3.0

 

 

2,427.9

105.0

 


Smiths Group divisions:
Smiths Detection, Smiths Medical, Smiths Specialty Engineering

 

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Registered office 765 Finchley Road, London NW11 8DS
Incorporated in England No. 137013
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