PHTM.L Share News (PHTM)

LONDON (Dow Jones)--Photo booth operator Photo-Me International PLC (PHTM.LN) Wednesday outlined plans for a new "futuristic" photo booth, which it hopes will drive sales, as it swung to a full-year pretax profit. The firm will progressively introduce new, patented products including the new photo booth, which it said will add a new dimension to its product offering and contribute to its ability to further contain site commission payments. It swung to a pretax profit for the 2010 fiscal year, ended April 30, of GBP9.2 million from a GBP5 million pretax loss a year earlier. This was driven by a turnaround in the performance of its sales and servicing business, which is where it sells retail photographic equipment to third parties. Revenue in this division climbed 7.2%, helping lift overall revenue to GBP222.5 million from GBP210.5 million a year earlier. The firm said it plans to rapidly develop its business in China, where it has operated for three years. It currently has 230 stores in the region and said there is scope to "substantially" increase this. Photo-Me will pay a final dividend of 1 pence a share, having scrapped payments last year. -By Hannah Benjamin, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-20-7842-9298; hannah.benjamin@dowjones.com Order free Annual Report for Photo-Me International PLC Visit http://djnweurope.ar.wilink.com/?ticker=GB0008481250 or call +44 (0)208 391 6028 (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 07, 2010 03:55 ET (07:55 GMT)