OMNIA HOLDINGS LIMITED - TRADING UPDATE AND CAUTIONARY ANNOUNCEMENT
Omnia Holdings Limited
(Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)
(Registration number 1967/003680/06)
JSE Share Code: OMN
ISIN: ZAE000005153
(`Omnia` or the `Group`)
TRADING UPDATE AND CAUTIONARY ANNOUNCEMENT
Omnia is a specialist chemical services company providing customised solutions
in the agricultural, mining and industrial markets.
As indicated in its year-end results published in June last year, the financial
year ended 31 March 2003 was an exceptional year for the Group. This was
primarily due to unusually high export volumes and margins driven by the weak
rand and the R27.4 million settlement of an outstanding loss of profits claim
for a compressor failure at the Group`s Sasolburg plant during 2000.
Earnings for the full year to 31 March 2004 were therefore not expected to match
those of the prior year, but to revert to the Group`s historic solid earnings
growth.
As a result, Omnia`s headline earnings per share for the year ended 31 March
2004 will be materially* lower than those of the comparative period. However,
they will be substantially* better than the year ended 31 March 2002, a more
appropriate comparative period. The second half of this year saw a big
improvement on the first half due to the summer rainfall materialising in the
second half and the inclusion of Prochem for a full half-year.
The Prochem acquisition has bedded down well and the Group is on track with the
exploitation of the inherent synergies and opportunities across all the
businesses. A solid platform for growth has been set with an appropriate balance
between Agriculture, Mining and Chemicals.
The results for the year ended 31 March 2004 will be published on 21 June 2004.
As the information contained herein has not been reviewed and/or reported on by
Omnia`s auditors, shareholders are advised to exercise caution when dealing in
Omnia`s securities on the JSE Securities Exchange SA (`JSE`) until the results
are published.
(*` Materially` is defined in the JSE Listings Requirements as a change between
10% and 30% when compared to the prior comparative period and `substantially`
is defined in the JSE Listings Requirements as a change equal to or greater than
30% when compared to the prior comparative period.)
Johannesburg
27 May 2003
Sponsor:
Barnard Jacobs Mellet Corporate Finance (Proprietary) Limited
Date: 27/05/2004 03:44:07 PM Produced by the JSE SENS Department
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