OREANDA-NEWS. Trinity Biotech plc (Nasdaq: TRIB), a leading developer and manufacturer of diagnostic products for the point-of-care and clinical laboratory markets, today announced results for the quarter ended September 30, 2015.                                                    

Total revenues for Q3, 2015 were $25.8m which compares to $27.2m in Q3, 2014, a decrease of 5.2%. However, when the impact of foreign exchange movements, due to the strength of the US dollar against a range of other currencies is removed, revenues on a like-for-like basis would have been $27.6m this quarter, thus representing an increase of almost 2% versus the equivalent quarter in 2014.

Point-of-Care revenues for Q3, 2015 increased slightly when compared to Q3, 2014.  This increase was attributable to increased rapid syphilis sales offset by slightly lower HIV revenues.

Clinical Laboratory revenues increased to $22.1m, which represents an increase of over 2% compared to Q3, 2014. This increase was primarily attributable to increased Premier reagent and Immco revenues partly offset by lower Premier instrument and Lyme revenues.

Revenues for Q3, 2015 were as follows:

 

2014

Quarter 3

2015

Quarter 3

2015

Quarter 3

FX adjusted*

Increase/

(decrease)

 

US$'000

US$'000

US$'000

%

Point-of-Care

5,463

5,418

5,472

0.2%

Clinical Laboratory

21,698

20,343

22,148

2.1%

Total

27,161

25,761

27,620

1.7%

Gross profit for Q3, 2015 amounted to $12.0m representing a gross margin of 46.5%, which is lower than the 47.9% achieved in Q3, 2014, though similar to that reported in Q2, 2014. This decrease is due to the impact of a lower level of higher margin Lyme revenues and the impact of foreign currency movements.

Research and Development expenses have increased to $1.3m from $1.1m when compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Meanwhile, Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) expenses have increased from $7.0m to $7.5m over the same period. This increase is attributable to higher sales and marketing costs, largely due to expenditure on Meritas.

Operating profit for the quarter has decreased from $4.6m to $3.0m, thus reflecting the lower gross margin and higher indirect costs incurred this quarter.

Financial income for the quarter was $0.2m, an increase of $0.2m versus Q3, 2014 due to the higher level of funds on deposit following the issuance of the 30 Year Exchangeable Loan Notes ("the Loan Notes") in Q2, 2015. Meanwhile, financial expenses increased to $1.1m mainly relating to the cash element of interest associated with these notes. The non-cash elements of the Loan Notes represented income of $10.5m which is attributable to revaluation gains on the derivatives embedded in the Loan Notes of $10.7m, partly offset by non-cash interest charges of $0.2m.     

The following table summarises the impact of the Exchangeable Loan Notes on the Income Statement for Q3, 2015.

Exchangeable Loan Notes - Income Statement impact

Q3 2015 US$'000

Cash element

 

Cash based interest charge*

(1,064)

   

Non-cash element

 

Non-cash interest charge

(208)

Revaluation gains on embedded derivatives

10,720

Total non-cash items

10,512

   

Net financing income relating to the Exchangeable Loan notes

9,448

* this is included in financial expenses in the Income Statement - the remaining element ($21,000) arises on items not related to the exchangeable note.

Profit before tax for the period was $12.6m though this was largely impacted by non-cash gains related to the Loan Notes.  Excluding the non-cash elements of the Loan Notes, the profit before tax for the quarter was $2.1m.

The tax charge for Q3, 2015 was $0.3m, largely in line with the equivalent quarter in 2014.

Profit after tax for the period was $12.3m. However, excluding the non-cash elements of the Loan Notes, this would have been $1.8m, which equates to an adjusted EPS of 7.5 cents. Diluted EPS for the quarter amounted to 9.7 cents.

Cash generated from operations during the quarter was $3.7m, though this was offset by capital expenditure of $4.3m and interest and tax payments of $0.1m, resulting in a net cash outflow for the quarter of $0.7m. In addition, the company made dividend payments amounting to $5.1m with the result that the cash balance at the end of the quarter was $104.3m.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation and share option expense for the quarter was $4.7m.