LONDON (Alliance News) - The Mission Marketing Group PLC Thursday expressed confidence in meeting expectations for 2015 and increased its interim dividend, as it reported a fall in pretax profit for its first half.
The communications and advertising company proposed an interim dividend of 0.3 pence, up from 0.25 pence a year before.
For the half year to end-June the company reported a pretax profit of GBP1.7 million, down from GBP2.2 million a year before, as a rise in turnover to GBP66.6 million from GBP62.8 million was partly offset by a step up in operating expenses, and exceptional costs of GBP634,000 related to restructuring and the loss of an office.
The company views operating income, which excludes third party costs, as a more meaningful measure of the activity levels of its Agencies. Operating income rose to GBP29.5 million from GBP26.3 million, bolstered by acquisitions it made in the second half of 2014.
During the period Mission Marketing won new business with clients including restaurant chain Ask, BMW AG, Diageo PLC, The Sage Group PLC, Siemens AG and others.
The company expects a weighting towards its second half as a result of its clients spending cycles.
Shares in Mission Marketing were down 1.1% at 44.00 pence Thursday morning.
By Hana Stewart-Smith; hanassmith@alliancenews.com; @HanaSSAllNews
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