Saving money is a universal desire, if the relentless rise of MoneySupermarket.com (MONY) is any indication. An average of 23.6m people a month - a 5 per cent rise over last year - logged on to the price-comparison titan's websites in 2015, driving adjusted operating profits up 15 per cent to £100m.
Sales climbed 14 per cent at the flagship MoneySuperMarket.com website. That reflected robust growth in money and home services as households snapped up deals on current accounts and utilities. The weak spot was the key insurance segment: a tough comparative period and fierce competition in motor and home insurance meant sales rose just 2 per cent there.
MoneySavingExpert.com, acquired in 2012, posted strong growth as exclusive tariffs prompted consumers to switch their credit card and energy suppliers. It also benefited from the Cheap Energy Club, which alerts members when potential savings pass a certain threshold. However, the group lost steam in the first two months of 2016: turnover rose 12 per cent, but insurance revenues slid 4 per cent and travel growth slowed.
Broker Investec is reviewing its forecasts; it previously expected adjusted pre-tax profits of £105m, giving EPS of 14.9p in 2016, rising to £113m and 15.9p, respectively, in the following year.
| MONEYSUPERMARKET.COM (MONY) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD PRICE: | 346p | MARKET VALUE: | £1.9bn | |
| TOUCH: | 345.7-346.1p | 12-MONTH HIGH: | 382p | LOW: 239p |
| DIVIDEND YIELD: | 2.6% | PE RATIO: | 30 | |
| NET ASSET VALUE: | 30p* | NET CASH: | £16.7m | |
| Year to 31 Dec | Turnover (£m) | Pre-tax profit (£m) | Earnings per share (p) | Dividend per share (p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 181 | 24.3 | 3.3 | 4.53 |
| 2012 | 205 | 31.5 | 4.8 | 5.74 |
| 2013 | 226 | 43.1 | 6.4 | 7.28 |
| 2014 | 248 | 66.0 | 9.7 | 8.00 |
| 2015 | 282 | 79.8 | 11.6 | 9.15 |
| % change | +14 | +21 | +20 | +14 |
Ex-div: 31 Mar Payment: 6 May *Includes intangible assets of £164m, or 30p a share | ||||
