Cairn Homes Plc (CRN)
Cairn Homes Plc: Results for the Year Ended 31 December 2023
29-Feb-2024 / 07:00 GMT/BST
Results for the
Year Ended 31 December 2023
Established and
Scaled Platform With Significant Momentum
Dublin /
London, 29 February 2024:
Cairn Homes plc (“Cairn”, “the Company” or “the Group”)
(Euronext Dublin: C5H / LSE: CRN) today announces its preliminary results for the year
ended 31 December
2023.
Financial
Highlights
|
2023
|
2022
|
|
Change
|
€’m
|
|
Revenue
|
666.8
|
617.4
|
|
+8.0%
|
Gross margin
|
22.1%
|
21.7%
|
|
+40bps
|
Operating profit
|
113.4
|
103.0
|
|
+10.1%
|
Operating margin
|
17.0%
|
16.7%
|
|
+30bps
|
Basic earnings per share
(cent)
|
12.7c
|
11.5c
|
|
+1.2c
|
Dividend per share
(cent)[1]
|
6.3c
|
6.1c
|
|
+0.2c
|
Total equity
|
757.2
|
751.8
|
|
+€5.4m
|
ROE[2]
|
11.3%
|
10.8%
|
|
+50bps
|
Net debt
|
148.3
|
149.3
|
|
(€1.0m)
|
Sales
Highlights
|
As at 28
February 2024
|
As at 1 March
2023
|
|
Change
|
|
Closed and forward sale order
book (units)[3]
|
2,473
|
1,503
|
|
+65%
|
Closed and forward sale order
book (value)
|
€946m
|
€534m
|
|
+77%
|
Average selling price (excluding
VAT) (€'k)
|
€383k
|
€355k
|
|
+€28k
|
Key Financial
and Operational Highlights
-
Cairn had its strongest ever
financial and operational performance in 2023, delivering 1,741
sales completions (2022: 1,526) and generating revenues of €666.8
million (2022: €617.4 million).
-
Demand for Cairn new homes
remains exceptionally high as evidenced by our pipeline of closed
and forward sales as at 28 February 2024 of 2,473 new homes (€946
million), an increase of nearly 1,000 new homes (+€400 million) in
twelve months.
-
A record second half of the year
delivered 1,206 sales completions, total revenue of €447.3 million,
gross margin of 22.6% and operating cash flow[4]
of €194.8 million, underpinning
and driving the Company’s growth into 2024.
-
Construction work in progress
(“WIP”) investment of €439.9 million in 2023, illustrating our
ongoing investment in construction activities, with over 2,100 new
home commencements (a 21% increase from 2022), and active across 20
sites nationwide.
-
Progressed our first three
forward fund transactions[5] which will deliver nearly 1,300 much needed
Social & Affordable new homes. These transactions will enable
Cairn, as Ireland’s largest self-build apartment developer, to
further increase our delivery of apartments.
-
Commenced our first 598 unit
Passive House apartment scheme at Piper’s Square, Charlestown,
which aligns to both our decarbonisation targets and our strategy
of delivering the highest quality scaled apartment developments to
State supported counterparties.
-
Retained our A- Carbon Disclosure
Project (“CDP”) score and improved our rating across nearly all key
metrics, including scope 3 emissions and targets.
-
Announced as the title sponsor of
Ireland’s Community Games. Over 160,000 children participate
annually in these games which will be renamed as Cairn Community
Games.
-
Completed €52.4 million of our
€75 million share buyback programme and acquired 45.6 million
shares, as at 28 February 2024. The Board is also proposing a final
dividend of 3.2 cent, subject to shareholder approval at our AGM on
10 May 2024, for a total FY23 dividend of 6.3 cent per ordinary
share.
Macroeconomic
and Housing Backdrop
-
Ireland entered 2024 with one of
the strongest performing economies in the EU. Notwithstanding the
current interest rate environment, there is a supportive
macroeconomic backdrop with strong exchequer surpluses, falling
inflation, record and near full employment, strong consumer
spending and a growing population.
-
Housing For All continues to
target 300,000 new homes in Ireland by 2030, including 90,000
social and 54,000 affordable homes. This is supported by a general
budget surplus of €8.4 billion forecast in 2024, with cumulative
surpluses between 2023 – 2026 of over €46 billion forecast
(source: Budget
2024).
-
The Irish Government has
committed over €5 billion in funding for housing in 2024 - an
acknowledgement of housing as Ireland’s number one societal issue
and, more importantly, a commitment to an increasing role in
solving this crisis. Ambitious housing targets are underpinned by
impactful State supports for first time buyers in the private
market and State supported counterparties in the Social &
Affordable market.
-
There continues to be a
significant structural demand for new homes and despite the
delivery of 32,695 new home completions in 2023, the highest since
2008, the Housing Commission estimates that c.42,000 – 62,000 new
home completions are required per annum.
FY24 Outlook
and Guidance
Cairn has continued our strong
sales momentum with a closed and forward sales order book of 2,473
new homes with a net sales value of €946 million (as at 28 February
2024) illustrating the strong demand for our quality built and
energy efficient new homes. This supports our FY24 outlook with the
Company poised to deliver another year of exceptional growth in
volumes, revenue and profitability. The Company expects to continue
its strong medium and long-term cash generation and deliver our
target of a 15% ROE in FY24, demonstrating our commitment to
creating shareholder value and delivering strong
returns.
With this growing level of
confidence in our business, 2024 is expected to be another year of
continued momentum and significant growth. The Company is
positioned to grow our business by a further 30% in 2024 and from
this strong base today re-confirms our FY24 guidance as
follows:
-
c.2,200
units[6];
-
Operating profit of c.€145
million; and
-
ROE of 15%.
The Company remains committed to
distributing surplus cash to shareholders and our significant cash
generation in 2024 and beyond will continue to fund consistent
shareholder returns. The Company has returned over c.€315 million
to shareholders since 2019, (c.30% of market capitalisation as at
28 February 2024), through a combination of progressive ordinary
dividends and share buyback programmes. The remaining €22.6 million
in the FY23 share buyback programme is expected to complete in the
coming months, at which point the Company will issue a further
capital allocation update.
Commenting on the results,
Michael Stanley, CEO, said:
“Our sustained positive momentum
has carried through into 2024 and strong sales since the beginning
of the year has seen our closed and forward order book growing
further to 2,473 new homes. We continue to invest heavily in work
in progress as we ramp up delivery across our 20 active
construction sites. Cairn will deliver another year of strong
growth in volumes, revenue and profitability.”
“Construction of homes for first
time buyers is a core market for us, having delivered over 500 new
starter homes at average competitive market prices of just under
€400,000 last year.”
“We are also now a well-established delivery
partner for State-supported entities including the LDA, Approved
Housing Bodies and Local Authorities, who urgently require delivery
of new apartment developments situated close to multi-modal
transport hubs, for social and affordable rental homes.”
“The State currently owns less
than 10% of the 2.1 million residential homes in Ireland, a level
which materially lags many European peers where State ownership is
typically closer to 20%. Added to this, the private rental sector
is insignificant in scale and uninvestable at present. Unaddressed,
this material difference will result in other economies
out-competing Ireland, as they are much better positioned to offer
secure and affordable rental accommodation to their working
population. The success of State owned or funded affordable rental
supply solutions like Cost Rental (CREL) is now critical to
addressing Ireland’s housing crisis today and into the
future.”
For further information,
contact:
Cairn Homes
plc +353 1 696 4600
Michael Stanley, Chief Executive
Officer
Shane Doherty, Chief Financial
Officer
Stephen Kane, Director of
Corporate Finance & Investor Relations
Declan Murray, Head of Finance
& Treasury
Ailbhe Molloy, Investor Relations
Manager
Drury
Communications +353 1 260 5000
Billy Murphy
Claire Fox
Morwenna Rice
An analyst and investor call will
be hosted by Michael Stanley, CEO, and Shane Doherty, CFO, today 29
February 2024 at 8.30am (GMT). Please use the numbers below,
quoting the access code 579710:
Notes to
Editors
Cairn Homes plc (“Cairn”) is an
Irish homebuilder committed to building high-quality, competitively
priced, sustainable new homes and communities in great locations.
At Cairn, the homeowner is at the very centre of the design
process. We strive to provide unparalleled customer service
throughout each stage of the home-buying journey. A new Cairn home
is expertly designed, with a focus on creating shared spaces and
environments where communities thrive. Cairn owns a c. 16,300 unit
landbank across 35 residential development sites, over 90% of which
are located in the Greater Dublin Area (“GDA”) with excellent
public transport and infrastructure links.
Note Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements
Some statements in this
announcement are, or may be deemed to be forward-looking with
respect to the financial condition, results of operations,
business, viability and future performance of Cairn Homes plc and
certain plans and objectives of the Company. They represent our
expectations for our business and involve risks and uncertainties.
We have based these forward-looking statements on our current
expectations and projections about future events. We believe that
our expectations and assumptions with respect to these
forward-looking statements are reasonable. However, because they
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors,
which are in some cases beyond our control, and which include,
among other factors policy, brand, economic, financial,
development, compliance, people and climate risks, our actual
results or performance may differ materially from those expressed
or implied by such forward-looking statements. Past performance
cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance and should
not be taken as a representation that trends or activities
underlying past performance will continue in the future. These
forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this
document. Cairn Homes plc expressly disclaims any obligation or
undertaking to publicly update or revise these forward-looking
statements, other than as required by applicable law.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
STATEMENT
IMPLEMENTATION
OF STRATEGY
Cairn is a home and community
builder, leading the market in creating sustainable foundations
upon which Ireland can thrive. Cairn’s corporate objective is to
deliver sustainable new homes, including houses, duplexes and
apartments, to a broadening customer base. This is done at pace and
scale whilst building communities that serve our country’s present
and future needs. These new communities are delivered from a
scalable operating platform, through established supply chain
partnerships and on development sites across our historic low-cost
c.16,300 unit landbank. This, in our view, is the most immediate,
direct and delivery-focused way to make a real and meaningful
impact on the Irish housing market.
Cairn’s historic approach to
capital deployment, through a timely and well-executed land
acquisition strategy together with the successful scaling of our
business, has resulted in over 10,000 customers choosing a new
Cairn home to date. These new homes are delivered on our current 35
site landbank which comprises suburban and commuter belt
low-density housing sites (c.11,500 units at an average historic
site cost of c.€24,000 per unit) and city centre, suburban and
commuter belt high-density apartment sites (c.4,800 units at an
average historic site cost of c.€66,000 per unit).
The Company is focused on
sustainably building and investing in the capability and capacity
of the three key components of our operating model – our people,
our operating platform and our supply chain. This will enable us to
execute our strategic priorities in these critical areas as well as
supporting our ambitious growth strategy. It also sets us up for
scale and optimises our product delivery through a combination
of:
-
The Strength of
our Team: we continue to
invest in our people and extend our capacity and capability. Our
team continues to grow across all areas of our
business.
-
Better Ways to
Build: our continuous improvement programme which focuses on
digital construction, innovation, productivity and scaled
efficiencies to drive operational excellence and maintain our
competitive and market advantage.
-
Apartment
Delivery Expertise: as
Ireland’s largest self-build apartment
developer[7], we will
continue to leverage the knowledge capture and experience from our
proven scaled delivery capability with over 4,500 apartments
delivered or under construction to date in areas of high
employment.
-
Regional
Expansion: extending our
development footprint beyond the Greater Dublin Area (“GDA”) with
initial new site commencements in Cork, Limerick and Kilkenny. This
will be followed by further potential expansion in other regional
locations.
Our ambitious growth strategy
allows us to respond to the continuing strong demand for new homes
across all tenures and multiple routes to market, including:
-
Business to
Customer: well-located,
energy efficient, A-rated starter homes on multimodal transport
links in areas of proven demand for our core first time buyer
(“FTB”) market and the higher price point trade-up/down
market;
-
Business to
Government: partnerships
with different State supported counterparties, including the Land
Development Agency (“LDA”), Approved Housing Bodies (“AHB”), and
Local Authorities in delivering Social & Affordable homes. With
Cairn’s scale, capability and low-cost landbank, we will continue
to explore opportunities where we can deliver high-quality new
homes at scale, pace and value for money for State housing
partners; and
-
Business to
Business: appropriately
designed multi-family apartments for domestic and international
institutional investors who are seeking a stable, long-term
exposure to the Irish residential sector.
Cairn’s strategic objectives and
scaling ambitions are fully aligned with the Government’s
supportive and fully funded Housing For All strategy with a target
of delivering 300,000 new homes in Ireland by 2030, including
90,000 social and 54,000 affordable homes. This plan recognises the
important role the private sector will play in the delivery of this
much-needed affordable ownership and rental housing for the 375,000
households in Ireland earning between €50,000 and €80,000 who
cannot access social housing and have limited access to mortgage
finance. Various State agencies have entered the market seeking in
particular to acquire scaled, high-density apartment developments
for the Social & Affordable rental market.
Cairn has delivered significant
operational scaling and financial growth, in particular since 2020
where a Covid disrupted year saw a fall to 743 sales completions,
and we will continue to grow our annual volumes, profitability and
return on equity (“ROE”) targeting our guided 15% in 2024. Our
differentiated strategy has delivered and with our strong forward
looking performance outlook, Cairn will continue to:
-
Deliver high-quality,
well-located houses, duplexes and apartments at pace, scale and
value for money;
-
Play a leading role at the
forefront of our industry in making a meaningful contribution to
Irish society; and
-
Generate significant free
cashflow, reward shareholders and reinvest in our longer-term,
sustainable growth.
SUSTAINABILITY
AGENDA
2023 was a year in which Cairn
sought to further embed our sustainability objectives into our ways
of working and use our leading position to demonstrate how the
construction industry can improve its processes to be more
sustainable. We have taken a significant step on our journey to
achieve our ambitious decarbonisation targets by launching our
first two Passive House apartment schemes, with over 1,200
apartments to be built to this standard, delivering the highest
levels of energy efficiency and lowered operational carbon usage.
These apartments will typically require half the heating energy of
other new NZEB (nearly zero energy building) homes, and will
deliver significant cost savings for our customers over the
long-term.
We also made significant progress
in reducing our direct impact on nature loss by targeting
Biodiversity Net Gain (“BNG”) across an increased number of our
developments. We have linked our BNG targets to our remuneration
framework, ensuring that biodiversity is at the centre of all our
corporate decisions and actions.
Other 2023 sustainability
highlights include:
-
Founding Partner of the Supply
Chain Sustainability School (“SCSS”) in Ireland in partnership with
our peers in the Irish Construction Industry. The SCSS is a free
online learning platform to support all members of the construction
industry supply chain to upskill, educate and work together to
deliver a sustainable built environment;
-
We committed to achieving Net
Zero by 2050 following the validation of our science-based
decarbonisation targets by SBTi across scope 1, 2 & 3
emissions. We will publish our Climate Transition Plan in 2024
which will detail how we intend to deliver these ambitions;
and
-
Retained our CDP A- rating,
increasing our scoring across nearly all measured metrics. This is
reflective of our focus on implementing best practice frameworks,
including the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures
(TCFD).
FINANCIAL
REVIEW
In 2023, the Group continued its
strong growth trajectory, achieving yet another record trading year
in delivering 1,741 sales completions, an increase from 1,526 sales
completions in 2022 and building upon the Group's results from the
previous year. Revenues amounted to €666.8 million, up from €617.4
million in 2022. Of this, €649.9 million came from residential
closed sales, compared to €610.8 million in 2022, while development
site and other sales contributed €16.9 million, up from €6.5
million in 2022.
Gross profit for the year
amounted to €147.6 million, up from €134.2 million in 2022,
resulting in a gross margin of 22.1%, compared to 21.7% in 2022.
The increase in gross margin was due to product mix, supply chain
and construction efficiencies and improved pricing. However, the
impact of build cost inflation partially offset these gains. The
Company is actively working to mitigate the effects of a sustained
period of build cost inflation through the implementation of supply
chain and procurement strategies and progressing both our digital
construction and innovation agendas.
Operating profit for the year was
€113.4 million, up from €103.0 million in 2022, resulting in an
operating margin of 17.0%, compared to 16.7% in 2022. Operating
expenses amounted to €34.2 million, up from €31.2 million in 2022,
reflecting the ongoing reinvestment in the business to support our
growth objectives and a €1.9 million charge relating to the new CEO
stretch long-term incentive plan (“LTIP”).
Finance costs for the year were
€14.1 million, up from €9.6 million in 2022. As the business
continues to grow and expand, there was an increase in working
capital investment throughout the year. This resulted in higher
average drawings with an increase in variable borrowing costs
during the year due to the higher interest rate environment,
compared to 2022.
Profit after tax was €85.4
million (2022: €81.0 million), equating to earnings per share of
12.7 cent (2022: 11.5 cent).
As at 31 December 2023, the
Company had inventories totalling €943.4 million, down from €967.3
million as at 31 December 2022. This included €609.2 million in
land held for development, down from €628.3 million as at 31
December 2022, and €334.3 million in construction work-in-progress
(“WIP”), down from €339.0 million as at 31 December 2022. The €4.7
million decrease in WIP was primarily due to the release of costs
associated with the sale of 1,741 closed sales, totalling €444.7
million, offset by an investment of €439.9 million in WIP during
the year. The decrease in land held for development was due to the
release of land from the 1,741 sales completions in 2023, totalling
€77.1 million, offset by strategic land acquisitions during the
year, totalling €57.9 million.
Operating cash flow for the year
was €164.9 million, which includes €107.0 million in net cash from
operating activities and €57.9 million invested in strategic land
acquisitions. In 2022, operating cash flow was €125.9 million,
which included €93.9 million in net cash from operating activities
and €32.1 million invested in accretive strategic land
acquisitions. Operating cash flow for the second half of 2023 was
€194.8 million, compared to €129.6 million in H2 2022. The Group
has a total debt facility of €350.0 million, of which €277.5
million is a syndicated facility with a Sustainability Linked term
loan and revolving credit facility with Allied Irish Banks plc,
Bank of Ireland, and Barclays Bank Ireland plc, maturing in June
2027. These green facilities are underpinned by four sustainability
performance targets linked directly to key elements of the Group's
sustainability strategy, including decarbonization, biodiversity,
and people. The balance of €72.5 million in our total debt facility
of €350.0 million relates to a private placement of loan notes with
Pricoa Private Capital, maturing in July 2024 (€15.0 million), July
2025 (€15.0 million) and July 2026 (balance of €42.5
million).
As at 31 December 2023, the
Company had available liquidity, including cash and undrawn
facilities, of €200.6 million, compared to €199.2 million as at 31
December 2022. Net debt of €148.3 million was similar to the net
debt of €149.3 million as at 31 December 2022.
The Board has recommended a final
dividend of 3.2 cent per ordinary share, which, combined with the
interim dividend of 3.1 cent per ordinary share, results in a total
dividend of 6.3 cent per ordinary share for the year (2022: 6.1
cent per share). The proposed final dividend of 3.2 cent per
ordinary share will be paid on 17 May 2024 to ordinary shareholders
on the Company's register at 5:00 p.m. on 26 April 2024, subject to
shareholder approval at the Company's Annual General Meeting on 10
May 2024. Additionally, during 2023, the Company completed €42.7
million of our €75.0 million share buyback programme and acquired
38.7 million shares. All repurchased shares have been cancelled and
the remaining share buyback is expected to be completed subject to
market conditions.
DELIVERING
HOMES TO OUR NEW CUSTOMERS
The Company delivered 1,741 sales
completions in 2023 across 20 residential developments (2022: 1,526
closed sales across 17 residential developments).
Cairn has a proven track record
in the Irish new homes market in delivering award-winning schemes
to our broadening customer base. This diverse buyer pool is fully
aligned to the national locations and breadth of our product
offering across our c.16,300 unit landbank. New home commencements
continue to focus on our core starter homes market and scaled
apartment developments. Over 80% of Cairn’s starter homes are
available to our customers at prices which are below State support
pricing caps. This allows more of our prospective customers to
qualify for the State’s impactful initiatives including Help to Buy
(income tax rebate of the lower of €30,000 or 10% of the purchase
price of a new home) and the First Home shared equity scheme
(funding for up to 30% of a new home purchase price). Our mature
business platform and low land cost allow the delivery of
competitively priced homes for First Time Buyers (“FTBs”) in
locations of proven demand, in developments such as Seven Mills
(Clonburris, Dublin 22) and Sorrell Wood (Blessington, Co.
Wicklow).
We are an established delivery
partner for various State supported entities, including the LDA,
AHBs and Local Authorities from whom the demand for new apartment
developments on multimodal transport links and in areas of high
employment remains exceptionally strong for the Social &
Affordable rental market. With our proven operating platform,
established subcontractor base, supply chain and pipeline of active
and future development apartment sites, we will continue to deliver
apartments to these State supported counterparties at pace, scale
and value for money. In 2023, the Company was approved for our
first forward fund transactions with a number of State supported
counterparties. Construction is underway on three separate
developments at Seven Mills (Clonburris – 318 new homes), Parkside
(Dublin 13 – 368 new homes) and Piper’s Square, Charlestown (Dublin
11 – 598 new homes). This new funding mechanism on transactions
which were historically concluded on a forward sale basis, will
enable us to materially increase our delivery of Social &
Affordable apartments in a capital efficient manner in the coming
years. We completed the third and final phase of our Citywest
apartment development in November 2023, delivering 369 apartments
in under two years to the LDA, evidencing our market leading pace
and delivery output.
The demand for new homes in
Ireland remains exceptionally strong across all tenures and product
types. Cairn had our strongest period to date for sales agreed in
2023, with 2,800 units agreed for sale. Demand for our product has
continued in the early months of 2024 with successful private
launches across starter homes in developments such as Sorrell Wood,
continuing the sales momentum from H2 2023 into the 2024 spring
selling season. As at 28 February 2024, we had 2,473 units in our
closed and forward sales pipeline with a net sales value of €946
million.
INCREASED
INVESTMENT IN DELIVERING MORE HIGH QUALITY NEW HOMES
The Company’s sustainable and
growing profitability is supporting significant investment in our
construction activities. Our WIP spend of €439.9 million in 2023
drove activity across 20 sites nationwide and underpins our growth
into 2024.
Cairn commenced construction on
four new sites in 2023 including the first phase of 569 new homes
at our landmark mixed-tenure Seven Mills development at Clonburris
(Dublin 22), in addition to new developments at Sorrell Wood
(Blessington), Piper’s Square (Charlestown) and Bayly (Douglas,
Cork). We also commenced new phases of housing and scaled apartment
developments at six of our existing developments including Parkside
(Balgriffin), Nyne Park (Kilkenny), Castletroy (Limerick), Mercer
Vale (Cherrywood), Swanbrook (Navan) and Citywest (Dublin
24).
Having delivered 1,741 closed
sales in 2023, we will continue to leverage our mature platform and
established supply chain partnerships to grow our output to c.2,200
units in 2024, an expected 26% increase in delivery. We have
consistently increased our new home delivery at a faster pace than
the wider industry, growing by 14% in 2023 against an overall
industry increase of 10%. Our expected 26% growth in delivery in
2024, compares to a Housing For All target growth of
15%[8]. Notwithstanding
the delivery of 32,695 new home completions in 2023, the highest
since 2008, the Housing Commission estimates that c.42,000 – 62,000
new home completions per annum will be required in the long-term to
address the historical undersupply in the Irish housing market. As
one of Ireland’s largest housebuilders, we will continue to play a
leading role in driving new home supply.
Our dedicated pre-construction
design and development teams continue to progress design team
appointments, construction programme planning, phasing plans and
procurement across our future sites. Our construction teams have
already commenced enabling works across a number of scheduled 2024
site commencements, with up to nine new sites and new phases across
five of our existing large-scale, multi-year, developments
planned.
PRODUCTIVITY,
EFFICIENCES AND INNOVATION IN OUR DELIVERY PLATFORM
Cairn is at the forefront of our
industry in sustainable innovation, leading through continuous
improvement by focusing on standardisation, productivity and scaled
efficiencies. Key areas of progress in 2023 included:
-
Developed a detailed quality
framework with integrated live Power Business Intelligence (“BI”)
Dashboards - this real time reporting facilitates detailed
benchmarking and scoring across all Cairn developments;
-
Refined category
plans for key categories of spend analysis, project mapping
resource and capacity analysis enhancing our already established
category management system;
-
Appointed a new Head of
Procurement and established a central procurement team with deep
business and industry knowledge. Framework agreements across key
product categories and group tendering are now an integral part of
how Cairn operates, with well-defined processes and procedures
being used on all new projects;
-
Greater use of fully sustainable
construction materials. In partnership with one of our timber frame
partners, we developed a muti unit timber frame structure, and
delivered the first duplex units in Ireland with this
system;
-
Established a dedicated
Innovation Team, which project manages our Strategic Innovation
Evaluation Framework; and
-
Developed our ways of working to
support our sustainability agenda including founding and operating
Ireland’s Supply Chain Sustainability School, introduced a supplier
code of conduct (which all of our subcontractors must sign before
working on any Cairn developments) and increased our focus on
responsible sourcing.
SUPPLY CHAIN
STRATEGY
Our supply chain strategy
continues to focus on leveraging our scaled platform as one of our
industry’s largest procurers of labour and materials, achieved by
securing, supplementing and where necessary, substituting across
our supply chain. We continue to expand and develop our supply
chain management and relationships in addition to our materials
category management and subcontractor tiering. Cairn established a
group procurement team during 2023, focused on centralising our
procurement activity to realise greater supply chain planning
across our portfolio. Cairn has a current procurement order book of
c.€600 million on active sites (orders placed and prices fixed on
labour and materials). Our top 20 subcontractors account for 59% of
all procurement since 2015 (an average in excess of €50 million
each), working across an average of 20 developments each,
illustrating the strength and depth of our supply chain
relationships.
Build cost inflation (“BCI”)
continued to moderate throughout the second half of 2023, in line
with our expectations, to less than €10,000 per new home built or
c.4% of hard build costs (2022: €20,000 and 8%). Materials
including concrete (5% government concrete levy introduced in
September 2023) and masonry (concrete levy equates to c.3.5% on
masonry bricks) increased in cost throughout 2023, with pressure on
labour rates and other materials moderating throughout the year.
With twelve new site commencements since the start of 2022 and over
4,000 people (including direct employees, subcontractors and other
sector professionals) working across our active sites on a daily
basis, we continue to leverage our scaled platform and deep supply
chain to manage the ongoing inflationary environment.
PLANNING
We successfully applied for nine
new grants of planning permission during 2023, obtaining
permissions for over 2,350 new homes. All of our forecasted 2,200
units in 2024 have full planning permission. Cairn currently has
planning applications across all planning systems including the
single-step Strategic Housing Development (“SHD”), the fast-track
Strategic Development Zone (“SDZ”) and the Large Scale Residential
Development (“LRD”).
HEALTH AND
SAFETY
Our number one priority at Cairn
has always been operating and maintaining safe environments for our
employees, subcontractors, suppliers, customers and the communities
in which we live and work. The Company continued to invest heavily
in health and safety during 2023 and retained our externally
accredited Grade A Safe-T rating. In the context of a year where
hours worked increased by 15% and Cairn commenced four new sites
and six new phases on existing multi-phase developments, our
Accident Frequency Rate decreased by 16% and our Lost Time Incident
Rate reduced by 19%. This is testament to the significant resources
and importance which we place on promoting, progressing and
enhancing our health and safety agenda.
The Company continually promotes
the importance of a safe working environment with each active site
having a dedicated health and safety officer, ensuring that our
health and safety policies are both understood and implemented. As
a scaled homebuilder with ambitious growth targets, increased
construction activity levels increase the risk of accidents on
active sites. Health & Safety is a standing agenda item at all
Board and Audit & Risk Committee meetings. Specific and
measurable KPIs are presented ensuring the regular review,
oversight and assessment of health and safety practices. Regular
internal audits of health and safety practices are supplemented by
targeted external audits, with all relevant recommendations adopted
across all sites. We successfully passed all four external health
and safety audits during 2023.
In 2023, we continued to operate
our Health & Safety Initiative Awards, which aim to recognise
and reward our subcontractors for excellence in health and safety
and environmental practices. Weekly and monthly winners are chosen
across all of our active sites, ensuring that health and safety
remains at the forefront of everyone’s work.
INVESTING IN
OUR TEAM
The Company’s direct headcount as
at 31 December 2023 was 351 (31 December 2022: 347). Cairn is
committed to continuing to invest in our employee value proposition
– to connect, develop and inspire our workforce. Our reward and
benefits portfolio remains a key strength in attracting and
retaining employees, with continued benchmarking against industry
standard ensuring we provide the best reward and support to our
employees, particularly evident throughout the recent cost of
living crisis. In addition to a one-off payment of €3,500 to all
employees below senior management level in 2023, we are introducing
inflationary linked 5% pay rises for all staff in 2024, critical to
supporting an engaged and productive workforce.
We invested heavily in supporting
growth and building talent from within through development
programs, functional support and employee training throughout the
year. We expanded the scope of our top talent development to
include senior managers, in addition to our mentorship cohort. Our
employee and engagement scores improved again during the year. In
addition to being recognised as a Top 20 Large Best Workplace for
the first time, we were delighted to retain our Great Place to Work
award in 2023 and were new recipients of the Irish Centre for
Diversity Silver award. These accreditations validate the
initiatives and work which the Company is implementing around our
culture, employee offering and benefits.
With a workforce of over 4,000
people on Cairn projects we recognise the importance of mental
health and our responsibility in providing innovative and diverse
methods of support. We continue to partner with the Lighthouse Club
(a construction industry mental health charity) and have increased
the number of Mental Health First Aiders across our active sites to
38.
We also announced the
establishment of the Cairn Apprenticeship Scheme in November 2023
which will see us contribute €10 million over the coming years. The
Apprenticeship Scheme will help to enhance the long-term health and
viability of the construction sector in Ireland, by ensuring future
pipelines of staff and addressing the significant skill shortage in
the industry. In addition to financial and educational supports,
Cairn will also provide employment to many participants of the
scheme, supporting our goal of trebling our graduate intake in
2024.
ENGAGING WITH
OUR INVESTORS
Cairn recognises the importance
of regular communication and interaction with shareholders,
potential investors and the international financial and investment
community. Executive Directors and the Investor Relations team
proactively engage with investors throughout the year through
financial results, presentations, meetings, roadshows, conferences,
site visits, telephone and conference calls. We also engage via our
regulatory reporting through our annual report, sustainability
report, full year results, half year results, trading updates and
our Annual General Meeting. We conducted a comprehensive programme
of investor engagement throughout 2023, with over 160 investor
meetings and site visits attended by Executive Management and the
Investor Relations team.
BOARD AND
COMMITTEE CHANGES
In October 2023, Shane Doherty
informed the Board of his intention to step down from his role as
Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) of Cairn.
Shane will leave Cairn in the second half of 2024, after serving
more than four years in his role. Following an extensive search
process, the Board appointed Richard Ball as CFO. Richard will join
the Company as CFO on 10 April 2024 and will seek election to the
Board as an Executive Director at the Annual General Meeting
(“AGM”) on 10 May 2024.
In January 2024, Alan McIntosh
stepped down from his role as Non-Executive Director. Alan and
Michael Stanley co-founded the business in 2014, listing in 2015,
with Alan playing a pivotal role in creating and supporting the
development of our business. The Board expresses their gratitude to
Alan for his significant contribution to the Company and wish him
the very best for the future.
In addition, Gary Britton
informed the Board of his intention to step down at the end of
2024, having served as a Non-Executive Director since our initial
public offering. Orla O’Gorman will succeed Gary as Audit &
Risk Committee Chair upon his departure. The following Committee
changes also took place with effect from 25 January
2024:
-
Giles Davies assumed the role of
Non-Executive Director with responsibility for Sustainability and
Environmental Impact;
-
Linda Hickey was appointed as the
Senior Independent Director (succeeding Giles Davies);
and
-
Julie Sinnamon replaced Giles
Davies as Chair of the Nomination Committee.
ECONOMY
Ireland’s domestic economy
remains in a strong position entering 2024, with record employment,
strong consumer spending growth and healthy public finances,
despite the recent impacts of inflation and rising interest rates.
The most recent available forecasts for 2023 expect Modified
Domestic Demand (“MDD”) growth of 0.6% in the year, with strong
expansion expected in consumer spending (+3.2%) and recorded in
employment (+3.4%) (source: ESRI,
CSO).
With a record 2.71 million people
working (+3.4% or +89,600 annually) in Q4 2023 and an unemployment
rate of 4.2%, Ireland was at close to full employment in
2023 (source:
CSO). Growing employment
and incomes helped drive total tax revenue to €88 billion, 6% ahead
of 2022 levels (source: Department of
Finance). The Government
is forecasting a general budget surplus of €8.4 billion in 2024,
with cumulative surpluses between 2023 – 2026 of over €46 billion
forecast, and has published legislation to establish a long-term
savings fund to manage these budget surpluses (source: Budget
2024). As well as
establishing this fund, an additional €2.25 billion has been
allocated to support critical infrastructure projects between 2024
and 2026.
32,695 new homes were delivered
in 2023, up 10% year-on-year and the highest level since
2008 (source:
CSO). Similarly, there
were 32,801 new homes commenced in 2023, up 22% year-on-year
(source:
Department of Housing).
The significant momentum in these two indicators of supply reflect
homebuilders responding to meet strong pent-up demand. However,
both completions and commencements remain significantly below
long-term structural demand levels, with the Housing Commission
suggesting that c.42,000 – 62,000 new homes will be required every
year until at least 2030.
The mortgage market in Ireland
continues to support First Time Buyers (“FTBs”) in realising their
housing needs, with 8,606 FTB mortgage drawdowns for new homes in
2023, valued at €2.7 billion, up 4% in volume and 12.8% in value
year-on-year (2022: 8,263, €2.4 billion). FTB mortgage approvals
also showed a strong pipeline of demand with 30,454 FTB mortgages
valued at €8.8 billion approved in 2023, up 9% in volume and 16% in
value year-on-year (2022: 27,953, €7.6 billion). This strong
mortgage demand comes despite the recent rise in interest rates,
reflecting the Government’s impactful Help to Buy and First Home
shared equity scheme initiatives for FTBs and the change in the
Central Bank of Ireland’s mortgage rules since January 2023. This
change allows FTBs to borrow 4 times their single or combined
annual income (up from 3.5 times). Green mortgage offerings by
domestic banks for energy efficient homes (building energy ratings
below B3) now offer discounts of over 100bps on equivalent standard
fixed rate mortgages (source:
BPFI).
Inflation has continued to ease
in recent months with the consumer price index standing at 4.1% to
January 2024, down from 7.8% in January 2023 (source:
CSO). Despite rising
prices, household deposits remain at record levels having grown by
€42 billion between the end of 2019 and 2023 to €153 billion, €4.1
billion of which was added since 2023. Strong household balance
sheets helped to support annual real consumer spending growth of
3.6% in the first three quarters of 2023 (source: CBI,
CSO).
Ireland’s population was
estimated at 5.28 million people in April 2023, growing by nearly
100,000 (+1.9%) annually. This increase was driven by near-record
net inwards migration of 78,000 people, the highest level since
2008. This continued population growth underscores the importance
of growing Ireland’s housing stock to meet strong structural demand
for new homes.
GOVERNMENT
INITIATIVES
As the number one political and
societal priority for the Government, Ireland’s shortage of housing
for its growing population is now identified as a key macroeconomic
risk. In 2023, the Government announced a number of new supply and
demand side initiatives to support the delivery of new homes under
Housing for All, adding €1 billion in capital funding to the €4
billion annually that already been committed:
-
Cost Rental Equity Loan (“CREL”): State funding has increased
from 45% up to 55% of the capital cost of new cost rental homes
acquired by AHBs, with a new State equity investment element of up
to 20% and “Accelerated CREL” pre-completion drawdowns extended to
support AHBs in forward-funding acquisitions.
-
Development Levy Waiver Scheme: waives levies paid to Local
Authorities (average c. €10,000 per new home) and connection fees
paid to water utility provider, Uisce Éireann (c. €5,000), for new
homes commenced from 24 April 2023 and completed before
2026.
-
Secure Tenancy Affordable Rental Incentive (“STAR”): a €750
million scheme that aims to deliver over 4,000 cost-rental units in
high-demand urban areas. Developers together with AHBs can apply
under this scheme to provide cost rental homes, with the State
making an equity investment of up to €200,000 per new home, which
retain a cost rental designation for 50 years.
2023 was also a year of
significant increases in the take-up of the Government’s impactful
supports for FTBs to purchase new homes:
-
Help to Buy (“HTB”): A record 28,000 HTB applications were
submitted by FTBs in the 11 months to November 2023, up 19% on the
same period in year-on-year (2022: 23,636). This scheme offers FTBs
tax relief of up to €30,000 towards a deposit to purchase a new
home up to a value of €500,000.
-
First Home Shared Equity Scheme: Over 3,600 buyers have
applied to purchase a new home under this scheme since it launched
in July 2022, with over 1,300 of those applications taking place in
the second half of 2023 alone. This scheme sees the State take an
equity stake of up to 20% plus an additional 10% HTB rebate is
available to eligible purchasers, who require a 70% loan to value
mortgage.
CAIRN
HOMES
PLC
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE
INCOME
For the year
ended 31 December 2023
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023
Unaudited
|
|
2022
Audited
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
|
|
Continuing
operations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue
|
|
|
|
|
2
|
666,807
|
|
617,357
|
|
|
Cost of sales
|
|
|
|
|
|
(519,189)
|
|
(483,149)
|
|
|
Gross
profit
|
|
|
|
|
|
147,618
|
|
134,208
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Administrative
expenses
|
|
|
|
|
4
|
(34,229)
|
|
(31,176)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
profit
|
|
|
|
|
|
113,389
|
|
103,032
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Finance costs
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
(14,118)
|
|
(9,645)
|
|
|
Share of profit of
equity-accounted investee, net of tax
|
|
|
|
|
|
152
|
|
85
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Profit before
taxation
|
|
|
|
|
|
99,423
|
|
93,472
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tax charge
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
(13,991)
|
|
(12,442)
|
|
|
Profit for the
year attributable to owners of the Company
|
|
|
|
85,432
|
|
81,030
|
|
|
|
Other
comprehensive(loss)/ income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fair value movement on cashflow
hedges
|
|
|
|
|
|
(331)
|
|
777
|
|
|
Cashflow hedges reclassified to
profit and loss
|
|
|
|
|
15
|
(80)
|
|
70
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(411)
|
|
847
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
comprehensive income for the year attributable to owners of the
Company
|
|
|
|
|
85,021
|
|
81,877
|
|
|
Basic earnings
per share
|
|
|
|
17
|
12.7
cent
|
|
11.5 cent
|
|
|
Diluted
earnings per share
|
|
|
|
17
|
12.6
cent
|
|
11.4 cent
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
As at 31
December 2023
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unaudited
|
|
Audited
|
|
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
Note
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
|
Non-current
assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Property, plant and
equipment
|
|
|
12
|
6,120
|
|
5,789
|
|
Right of use assets
|
|
|
13
|
5,557
|
|
6,003
|
|
Intangible assets
|
|
|
14
|
4,211
|
|
3,043
|
|
Derivatives
|
|
|
15
|
436
|
|
847
|
|
Equity-accounted
investee
|
|
|
|
237
|
|
85
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16,561
|
|
15,767
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inventories
|
|
7
|
943,417
|
|
967,342
|
|
Trade and other
receivables
|
|
|
8
|
54,057
|
|
20,447
|
|
Current taxation
|
|
|
|
312
|
|
-
|
|
Cash and cash
equivalents
|
|
|
9
|
25,553
|
|
21,711
|
|
|
|
|
1,023,339
|
|
1,009,500
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,039,900
|
|
1,025,267
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share capital
|
|
|
|
|
10
|
655
|
|
725
|
|
Share premium
|
|
|
|
10
|
201,100
|
|
199,616
|
|
Other undenominated
capital
|
|
|
|
183
|
|
105
|
|
Treasury shares
|
|
|
10
|
(3,196)
|
|
-
|
|
Share-based payment
reserve
|
|
|
|
13,588
|
|
11,809
|
|
Cashflow hedge reserve
|
|
|
15
|
436
|
|
847
|
|
Retained earnings
|
|
|
|
544,396
|
|
538,720
|
|
Total
equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
757,162
|
|
751,822
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-current
liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loans and borrowings
|
|
|
11
|
158,836
|
|
170,991
|
|
Lease liabilities
|
|
|
|
13
|
5,490
|
|
6,036
|
|
Deferred taxation
|
|
|
|
6
|
3,139
|
|
3,139
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
167,465
|
|
180,166
|
|
Current
liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loans and borrowings
|
|
|
11
|
14,992
|
|
-
|
|
Lease liabilities
|
|
|
13
|
937
|
|
761
|
|
Trade and other
payables
|
|
|
16
|
99,344
|
|
92,425
|
|
Current taxation
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
93
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
115,273
|
|
93,279
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
282,738
|
|
273,445
|
|
Total equity
and liabilities
|
|
|
1,039,900
|
|
1,025,267
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
For the year
ended 31 December 2023
|
|
|
|
Unaudited
|
|
|
|
|
Attributable to
owners of the Company
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share
Capital
|
Share
Premium
|
Other
Undenomin-ated Capital
|
Treasury
Shares
|
Share-Based
Payment
Reserve
|
Cashflow Hedge
Reserve
|
Retained
Earnings
|
Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
€'000
|
€'000
|
€’000
|
€’000
|
€'000
|
€'000
|
€'000
|
€'000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As at 1 January
2023
|
|
|
|
725
|
199,616
|
105
|
-
|
11,809
|
847
|
538,720
|
751,822
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
comprehensive income for the year
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Profit for the year
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
85,432
|
85,432
|
|
Fair value movement on cashflow
hedges
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(331)
|
-
|
(331)
|
|
Cashflow hedges reclassified to
profit and loss (note 15)
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(80)
|
-
|
(80)
|
|
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(411)
|
85,432
|
85,021
|
|
Transactions
with owners of the Company
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Purchase of own shares – share
buybacks (note 10)
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(42,697)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(42,697)
|
|
Cancellation of repurchased
shares
|
|
|
|
(39)
|
-
|
39
|
42,697
|
-
|
-
|
(42,697)
|
-
|
|
Cancellation of founder and
deferred shares
|
|
|
|
(39)
|
-
|
39
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Purchase of own shares – held in
trust (note 10)
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(3,196)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(3,196)
|
|
Equity-settled share-based
payments (note 10)
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
7,075
|
-
|
-
|
7,075
|
|
Settlement of dividend
equivalents (note 10)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(459)
|
-
|
-
|
(459)
|
|
Shares issued on vesting of share
awards and options (note 10)
|
|
|
|
8
|
1,484
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1,492
|
|
Transfer from share-based payment
reserve to retained earnings re vesting or lapsing of share awards
and options (note 10)
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(4,837)
|
-
|
4,837
|
-
|
|
Dividends paid to shareholders
(note 18)
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(41,896)
|
(41,896)
|
|
|
|
|
|
(70)
|
1,484
|
78
|
(3,196)
|
1,779
|
-
|
(79,756)
|
(79,681)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As at 31
December 2023
|
|
|
|
655
|
201,100
|
183
|
(3,196)
|
13,588
|
436
|
544,396
|
757,162
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
For the year
ended 31 December 2022
|
|
|
|
Unaudited
|
|
|
|
|
Attributable to
owners of the Company
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share
Capital
|
Share
Premium
|
Other
Undenomin-ated Capital
|
Treasury
Shares
|
Share-Based
Payment
Reserve
|
Cashflow Hedge
Reserve
|
Retained
Earnings
|
Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
€'000
|
€'000
|
€’000
|
€’000
|
€'000
|
€'000
|
€'000
|
€'000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As at 1 January
2022
|
|
|
|
789
|
199,616
|
40
|
-
|
11,795
|
-
|
566,537
|
778,777
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
comprehensive income for the year
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Profit for the year
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
81,030
|
81,030
|
|
Fair value movement on cashflow
hedges
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
777
|
-
|
777
|
|
Cashflow hedges reclassified to
profit and loss
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
70
|
-
|
70
|
|
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
847
|
81,030
|
81,877
|
|
Transactions
with owners of the Company
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Purchase of own shares – share
buybacks (note 10)
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(75,143)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(75,143)
|
|
Cancellation of repurchased
shares
|
|
|
|
(65)
|
-
|
65
|
75,143
|
-
|
-
|
(75,143)
|
-
|
|
Equity-settled share-based
payments (note 10)
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
7,004
|
-
|
-
|
7,004
|
|
Shares issued on vesting of share
awards
|
|
|
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
|
Transfer from share-based payment
reserve to retained earnings re vesting or lapsing of share
awards
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(1,408)
|
-
|
1,408
|
-
|
|
Transfer from share-based payment
reserve
to retained earnings in relation
to founder
shares
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(5,582)
|
-
|
5,582
|
-
|
|
Dividends paid to shareholders
(note 18)
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(40,694)
|
(40,694)
|
|
|
|
|
|
(64)
|
-
|
65
|
-
|
14
|
-
|
(108,847)
|
(108,832)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As at 31
December 2022
|
|
|
|
725
|
199,616
|
105
|
-
|
11,809
|
847
|
538,720
|
751,822
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
For the year
ended 31 December 2023
|
|
2023
Unaudited
|
|
2022
Audited
|
|
|
€'000
|
|
€'000
|
Cash flows from
operating activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Profit for the
year
|
|
85,432
|
|
81,030
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjustments
for:
|
|
|
|
|
Share-based payments
expense
|
|
5,752
|
|
5,034
|
Finance costs
|
|
14,118
|
|
9,645
|
Depreciation and
amortisation
|
|
2,169
|
|
1,766
|
Taxation
|
|
13,991
|
|
12,442
|
|
|
121,462
|
|
109,917
|
|
|
|
|
|
Decrease/(increase) in
inventories
|
|
26,456
|
|
(24,626)
|
(Increase)/decrease in trade and
other receivables
|
|
(33,610)
|
|
8,035
|
Increase in trade and other
payables
|
|
7,099
|
|
12,205
|
Tax paid
|
|
(14,386)
|
|
(11,639)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash from
operating activities
|
|
107,021
|
|
93,892
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from
investing activities
|
|
|
|
|
Purchases of property, plant and
equipment
|
|
(1,689)
|
|
(5,603)
|
Purchases of intangible
assets
|
|
(2,401)
|
|
(2,083)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash used
in investing activities
|
|
(4,090)
|
|
(7,686)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from
financing activities
|
|
|
|
|
Purchase of own shares – share
buybacks
|
|
(42,697)
|
|
(75,143)
|
Proceeds from issue of share
capital
|
|
1,492
|
|
-
|
Settlement of dividend
equivalents
|
|
(459)
|
|
-
|
Purchase of own shares – held in
trust
|
|
(3,196)
|
|
-
|
Dividends paid
|
|
(41,896)
|
|
(40,694)
|
Proceeds from loans and
borrowings, net of debt issue costs
|
|
317,500
|
|
354,811
|
Repayment of loans and
borrowings
|
|
(315,000)
|
|
(333,988)
|
Repayment of lease
liabilities
|
|
(761)
|
|
(410)
|
Interest and other finance costs
paid
|
|
(14,072)
|
|
(9,099)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash used
in financing activities
|
|
(99,089)
|
|
(104,523)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents in the
year
|
|
3,842
|
|
(18,317)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents at
beginning of year
|
|
21,711
|
|
40,028
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash
equivalents at end of year
|
|
25,553
|
|
21,711
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
NOTES TO THE
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
-
Basis of preparation
Cairn Homes plc (“the Group”) is
a company domiciled in Ireland. The Company’s registered office is
45 Mespil Road, Dublin 4. The Company and its subsidiaries
(together referred to as “the Group”) are predominantly involved in
the development of residential property for sale.
The unaudited consolidated
financial information covers the year ended 31 December
2023.
The Group’s
unaudited consolidated financial information does not include all
the information required for a complete set of financial statements
prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting
Standards (“IFRS”) as adopted by the European Union. However,
selected explanatory notes are included to explain events and
transactions that are material to an understanding of the changes
in the Group’s financial position and performance since 31 December
2022. They should be read in conjunction with the statutory
consolidated financial statements of the Group, which were prepared
in accordance with IFRS (“EU IFRS”) as adopted by the European
Union, as at and for the year ended 31 December 2022, and the
interim results for the six-month period ended 30 June 2023, issued
on 07 September 2023. The statutory financial statements for the
year ended 31 December 2022 have been filed with the Companies
Registration Office and are available at
www.cairnhomes.com. The audit opinion on those
statutory financial statements was unqualified and did not contain
any matters to which attention was drawn by way of
emphasis. The statutory consolidated
financial statements of the Group for the year ended 31 December
2023 will be published in April 2024 and will be available
on www.cairnhomes.com.
The new IFRS standards,
amendments to standards or interpretations that are effective for
the first time in the financial year ending 31 December 2023 have
not had a material impact on the Group’s reported profit or net
assets in this consolidated financial information.
The Group’s other accounting
policies, presentation and method of computations adopted in the
preparation of this consolidated financial information are
consistent with those followed in the preparation of the Group’s
financial statements for the year ended 31 December
2022.
The preparation of consolidated
financial information requires management to make judgements,
estimates and assumptions that affect the application of policies
and reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses.
Actual results could differ materially from these estimates.
Estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing
basis. Revisions to estimates are recognised
prospectively.
The material accounting judgement
impacting this consolidated financial information is:
• scale and mix of each development and the
achievement of associated planning permissions.
This may involve assumptions on
new or amended planning permission applications. This judgement
then feeds into the process of forecasting expected profitability
by development which is used to determine the profit that the Group
is able to recognise on its developments in each reporting period
and the net realisable value of inventories.
The key sources of estimation
uncertainty impacting this consolidated financial information
are:
• forecast selling prices;
• build cost inflation; and
• carrying value of inventories and allocations
from inventories to cost of sales (note 7).
Due to the nature of the Group’s
activities and, in particular the scale of its development costs
and the length of the development cycle, the Group has to allocate
site-wide development costs between units completed in the current
year and those in future years. It also has to forecast the costs
to complete on such developments and make estimates relating to
future sales prices. Forecast selling prices and build cost
inflation are inherently uncertain due to changes in market
conditions. These estimates impact management’s assessment of the
net realisable value of the Group’s inventories and also determine
the extent of profit or loss that should be recognised in respect
of each development in each reporting period. Note 7 includes
disclosures on judgements and estimates in relation to profit
margins and carrying values of inventories. In making such
assessments and allocations, there is a degree of inherent
estimation uncertainty.
The Group has developed internal
controls designed to effectively assess and review carrying values
and profit recognition and the appropriateness of estimates made.
The Group recognises its gross profit on each sale, based on the
particular unit sold and the total cost attaching to that unit. As
the build cost on a site can take place over a number of reporting
periods
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
NOTES TO THE
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION (continued)
1. Accounting Policies
(continued)
Basis of
preparation (continued)
the determination of the cost of
sale to release on each individual unit sale is dependent on
up-to-date cost forecasting and expected profit margins across the
scheme.
In preparing the financial
statements, the Directors have considered the impact of climate
change. There has been no material impact identified on the
financial reporting judgements and estimates as a result of climate
change. In particular, the Directors considered the impact of
climate change in respect of the following
areas:
going concern and viability of
the Group over the next three years; cash flow forecasts used in
the impairment assessments of inventories; and carrying value and
useful economic lives of property, plant and equipment. Whilst there is currently no
medium-term impact expected from climate change, the Directors are
aware of the ever-changing risks attached to climate change and
will regularly assess these risks against judgements and estimates
made in preparation of the Group’s financial statements.
The consolidated financial
information is presented in Euro, which is the functional currency
of the Company and presentation currency of the Group, rounded to
the nearest thousand.
Going concern
The Group entered the year in a
very strong position having delivered its best ever financial and
operational performance in 2023. Following 1,741 sales completions
in 2023, the Group started 2024 with a multi-year forward sales
pipeline of 2,350 new homes with a net sales value of over €900
million, of which 1,600 new homes are expected to close in 2024
(both turnkey and equivalent units). The Group has a long-term and
sustainable growth strategy that focuses on minimising financial
risk and maintaining financial flexibility. The business has strong
liquidity, a significant investment in construction
work-in-progress underpinned by a significant forward order book, a
robust balance sheet and committed, lowly leveraged debt
facilities.
In order to mitigate against any
liquidity risk, the Group applies a prudent cash management policy
ensuring its production activities in the near and medium-term are
focused towards forward sold inventories, including scaled
apartment developments with multi-year delivery timelines, and
inventories which will continue to be attractive to its broad buyer
pool. New home commencements continued to focus on our core starter
homes market at lower average selling prices and large apartment
developments for State-supported counterparties during 2023,
including forward fund transactions which are expected to be
significantly beneficial from a liquidity perspective from 2024
onwards.
The Group has a total committed
debt facility of €350 million, of which €277.5 million is a
syndicate facility comprising a Sustainability Linked term loan and
revolving credit facility with Allied Irish Banks plc, Bank of
Ireland plc and Barclays Bank Ireland plc, maturing in June 2027.
Four sustainability performance targets underpin these green
facilities which are linked directly to key elements of our
sustainability strategy including decarbonisation, biodiversity and
people.
Net debt was €148.3 million as at
31 December 2023 (31 December 2022: €149.3 million). The Company
had available liquidity (cash and undrawn facilities) at 31
December 2023 of €200.6 million (31 December 2022: €199.2 million),
including €25.6 million of cash (31 December 2022: €21.7 million).
The Group had forecast year-end net debt to be broadly in line with
net debt as at 31 December 2022.
The Group invested €439.9 million
in its construction activities during 2023, including commencing
construction on four new sites and new phases across six of its
existing large-scale, multi-year, developments. Both gross and operating margins strengthened
in 2023, resulting in an increase in underlying profitability when
compared to the prior year. The Group is also encouraged by the
level of underlying demand for new homes in the market as evidenced
by the size of its forward sales pipeline, with strong demand
continuing into the early months of 2024. Enquiry lists across all
of our active selling sites remain high with particularly strong
interest in our starter home developments.
The Directors have carried out a
robust assessment of the principal risks facing the Group and have
considered the impact of these risks on the going concern of the
business. In making this assessment, consideration has been given
to the uncertainty inherent in financial forecasting including
future market conditions for construction costs and sales
prices.
CAIRN HOMES PLC
NOTES TO THE
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION (continued)
1. Accounting Policies
(continued)
Going
concern (continued)
Where appropriate, severe but
plausible downside-sensitivities have been applied to the key
factors affecting the future financial performance of the
Group.
Having considered the Group’s
forecasts and outlook including the strength of its forward order
book, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Group
has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the
foreseeable future. Accordingly, they are satisfied that it is
appropriate to continue to adopt the going concern basis in
preparing this consolidated financial information.
2.
Revenue
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
|
|
|
|
Residential property
sales
|
649,879
|
|
610,813
|
Residential site and other
sales
|
16,902
|
|
6,407
|
Revenue from contracts with
customers
|
666,781
|
|
617,220
|
|
|
|
|
Income from property
rental
|
26
|
|
137
|
|
666,807
|
|
617,357
|
Residential
property sales
|
|
|
|
Houses and duplexes
|
382,903
|
|
342,299
|
Apartments
|
266,976
|
|
268,514
|
|
649,879
|
|
610,813
|
3.
Finance costs
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
Interest expense on financial
liabilities measured at amortised cost
|
13,331
|
|
8,600
|
Cashflow hedges– reclassified
from other comprehensive income
|
(80)
|
|
70
|
Other finance costs
|
661
|
|
782
|
Interest on lease liabilities
(note 13)
|
206
|
|
193
|
|
14,118
|
|
9,645
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest expense includes
interest and amortised arrangement fees and issue costs on the
drawn term loans, revolving credit facility and loan notes. Other
finance costs include commitment fees on the undrawn element of the
revolving credit facility during the year.
4.
Administrative
expenses
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
Employee benefits expense (note
5)
|
22,518
|
|
19,785
|
Other expenses
|
11,711
|
|
11,391
|
|
34,229
|
|
31,176
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
NOTES TO THE
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION (continued)
5.
Employee benefits
expense
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
Wages and salaries
|
36,634
|
|
31,506
|
Social welfare costs
|
4,049
|
|
3,539
|
Pension costs – defined
contribution schemes
|
1,350
|
|
1,065
|
Share-based payments
charge
|
7,075
|
|
7,004
|
|
49,108
|
|
43,114
|
Amounts capitalised into
inventories
|
(25,987)
|
|
(23,070)
|
Amounts capitalised into
intangibles
|
(603)
|
|
(259)
|
Employee
benefits expense
|
22,518
|
|
19,785
|
6.
Taxation
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
Current tax charge for the
year
|
13,991
|
|
13,111
|
Deferred tax credit for the
year
|
-
|
|
(669)
|
Total tax
charge
|
13,991
|
|
12,442
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Profit before
tax
|
99,423
|
|
93,472
|
Tax charge at standard Irish
income tax rate of 12.5%
|
12,428
|
|
11,684
|
|
|
|
|
Effects of:
|
|
|
|
Expenses not deductible for tax
purposes
|
1,523
|
|
735
|
Adjustment in respect of prior
year
|
40
|
|
23
|
Total tax charge
|
13,991
|
|
12,442
|
|
|
|
|
Deferred tax
liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
Opening balance
|
3,139
|
|
3,808
|
Credited to profit or
loss
|
-
|
|
(669)
|
Closing
balance
|
3,139
|
|
3,139
|
7.
Inventories
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
|
|
|
|
Land held for
development
|
609,160
|
|
628,326
|
Construction work in
progress
|
334,257
|
|
339,016
|
|
943,417
|
|
967,342
|
Land held for development
includes strategic land acquisitions during the year ended 31
December 2023 of €57.9 million (2022: €32.1 million).
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
NOTES TO THE
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION (continued)
7.
Inventories
(continued)
The Directors consider that all
inventories are essentially current in nature although the Group’s
normal operational cycle is such that a considerable proportion of
inventories will not be realised within 12 months. It is not
possible to determine with accuracy when specific inventories will
be realised as this will be subject to a number of factors such as
consumer demand and the timing of planning permissions.
The cost of inventories includes
direct labour costs and other direct wages and salaries as well as
the cost of land, raw materials, and other direct costs. During the
year ended 31 December 2023 no direct wages and salaries for
employees in construction related roles were estimated to be
non-productive and therefore all such costs were included in the
cost of inventories. During the prior year ended 31 December 2022,
€0.1 million of direct wages and salaries for employees in
construction related roles were estimated to be non-productive and
such costs were included in administrative expenses; all other
direct wages and salaries for employees in construction related
roles were included in the cost of inventories.
As the build costs on each
development can take place over a number of reporting periods the
determination of the cost of sales to release on each sale is
dependent on up to date cost forecasting and expected profit
margins across the various developments. The Directors review
forecasting and profit margins on a regular basis and have
incorporated any additional costs as a result of inflation. The
Directors have also considered the impact of climate change in
relation to costs and expected profit margins. There has been no
material impact identified on the financial reporting judgements
and estimates as a result of climate change. Nearer-term costs are
largely fixed as they are in most cases fully procured, and others
are
variable and particular focus has
been given to these items to ensure they are accurately reflected
in forecasts and profit margins. There is a risk that one or all of
the assumptions may require revision as more information becomes
available, with a resulting impact on the carrying value of
inventories or the amount of profit recognised. The risk is managed
through ongoing development profitability reforecasting with any
necessary adjustments being accounted for in the relevant reporting
period.
All active developments on which
construction has commenced are profitable and due to the
forecasting process by which cost of sales is determined as
referred to above, the Directors therefore concluded that the net
realisable value of active developments was greater than their
carrying amount at 31 December 2023 and hence those sites were not
impaired.
All developments on which
construction has not yet commenced were also assessed for
impairment at 31 December 2023. This assessment was based on the
current development plan for the development, reflecting the number
and mix of units expected to be built. For each of these
developments, the forecast revenue based on current market prices
was greater than the sum of the site cost and the estimated
construction costs. The Directors therefore concluded that the net
realisable value of sites on which construction has not yet
commenced was greater than their carrying amount at 31 December
2023 and hence those developments were not impaired.
There were no reasonably
foreseeable changes in assumptions that would have resulted in an
impairment of inventories at 31 December 2023. As a result of the
detailed reviews undertaken the Directors are satisfied with the
carrying values of inventories (development land and work in
progress), which are stated at the lower of cost and net realisable
value, and with the methodology for the release of costs on the
sale of inventories.
The total amount charged to cost
of sales from inventories during the year was €514.8 million (2022:
€479.6 million).
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
NOTES TO THE
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION (continued)
8.
Trade and other
receivables
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
|
|
|
|
Trade receivables
|
32,706
|
|
3,517
|
Prepayments
|
1,152
|
|
1,015
|
Construction bonds
|
16,533
|
|
14,654
|
Other receivables
|
3,666
|
|
1,261
|
|
54,057
|
|
20,447
|
Trade receivables relate to
remaining amounts due in relation to residential property sales to
institutional investors and Approved Housing Bodies. Included
within trade receivables is a balance of €22.1 million which
relates to funds due from an Approved Housing Body.
The Directors consider that all
construction bonds are current assets as they will be realised in
the Group’s normal operating cycle, which is such that a proportion
of construction bonds will not be recovered within 12 months. It is
estimated that €9.3 million (2022: €9.6 million) of the
construction bond balance at 31 December 2023 will be recovered
after more than 12 months from that date. The carrying value of all
trade and other receivables is approximate to their fair
value.
9. Cash and cash
equivalents
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
Current
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash
equivalents
|
25,553
|
|
21,711
|
|
|
|
|
Cash deposits are made for
varying short-term periods depending on the immediate cash
requirements of the Group. All deposits can be withdrawn without
any changes in value and accordingly the fair value of current cash
and cash equivalents is identical to the carrying value.
10.
Share capital and
share-based payments
|
|
2023
|
|
|
2022
|
|
Number
|
€’000
|
|
Number
|
€’000
|
Authorised
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ordinary shares of €0.001
each
|
1,000,000,000
|
1,000
|
|
1,000,000,000
|
1,000
|
Founder shares of €0.001
each
|
100,000,000
|
100
|
|
100,000,000
|
100
|
Deferred shares of €0.001
each
|
120,000,000
|
120
|
|
120,000,000
|
120
|
A Ordinary shares of €1.00
each
|
20,000
|
20
|
|
20,000
|
20
|
Total
authorised share capital
|
|
1,240
|
|
|
1,240
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
NOTES TO THE
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION (continued)
10.
Share capital and
share-based payments (continued)
|
|
Share
Capital
|
Share
Premium
|
Total
|
As at 31
December 2023
|
Number
|
€’000
|
€’000
|
€’000
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issued and
fully paid
|
|
|
|
|
Ordinary shares of €0.001
each
|
654,888,041
|
655
|
201,100
|
201,755
|
Founder shares of €0.001
each
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Deferred shares of €0.001
each
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
655
|
201,100
|
201,755
|
During the year ended 31 December
2023, the founder and deferred shares were cancelled. There was no
consideration received in respect of the cancellation of the
shares.
|
|
Share
Capital
|
Share
Premium
|
Total
|
As at 31
December 2022
|
Number
|
€’000
|
€’000
|
€’000
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issued and
fully paid
|
|
|
|
|
Ordinary shares of €0.001
each
|
685,777,452
|
686
|
199,597
|
200,283
|
Founder shares of €0.001
each
|
19,182,149
|
19
|
19
|
38
|
Deferred shares of €0.001
each
|
19,980,000
|
20
|
-
|
20
|
|
|
725
|
199,616
|
200,341
|
Share buyback
programme
On 3 March 2023 the Company
commenced a €40 million share buyback programme, and on 6 September
2023 the Company increased the size of the share buyback programme
by a further €35 million, for a total of €75 million. As at 31
December 2023 the total cost of shares repurchased under this
buyback programme was €42.7 million which was recorded directly in
equity in retained earnings. The remaining €32.3 million in the €75
million share buyback programme is expected to be completed during
2024 subject to market conditions. In accordance with the share
buyback programme, all repurchased shares are subsequently
cancelled. 38,739,281 repurchased shares were cancelled in the year
ended 31 December 2023.
In the prior year, the Company
completed a €75 million share buyback programme which completed on
24 October 2022. The total cost of the shares repurchased under the
share buyback programme was €75.1 million, which was recorded
directly in equity in retained earnings. In accordance with the
share buyback programme, all repurchased shares are subsequently
cancelled. 65,330,038 repurchased shares were cancelled in the year
ended 31 December 2022.
Share
issues
On 6 April 2023, 5,331,233
ordinary shares at a nominal value of €0.001 in relation to the
vesting of the 2020 LTIP were issued. In the prior year, the
Company issued 1,175,267 ordinary shares at a nominal value of
€0.001 per share in respect of the vesting of awards under the 2020
restricted share unit plan.
During the year ended 31 December
2023, the Company issued 2,518,637 ordinary shares at a nominal
value of €0.001 in relation to the vesting of the 2020 save as you
earn (“SAYE”) option scheme, and €0.726 million was transferred
from the share-based payments reserve to retained earnings relating
to the 2020 vesting.
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
NOTES TO THE
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION (continued)
10.
Share capital and
share-based payments (continued)
Long term
incentive plan (“LTIP”)
The Group operates an equity
settled LTIP, which was approved at the May 2017 Annual General
Meeting, under which conditional awards of 15,775,886 shares made
to employees remain outstanding as at 31 December 2023 (2022:
15,776,346). The shares will vest on satisfaction of service and
performance conditions attaching to the LTIP over a three-year
period.
During the year ended 31 December
2023 the Company issued 5,331,233 of ordinary shares at par in
relation to the vesting of the 2020 LTIP. €4.111 million was
transferred from the share-based payments reserve to retained
earnings in relation to the 2020 vesting.
The 2021, 2022 and 2023 LTIP
awards are subject to both financial and non-financial metrics. 80%
of the 2021 and 60% of the 2022 and 2023 awards will vest subject
to the achievement of cumulative EPS targets over the three year
performance period from 2021 to 2023, 2022 to 2024 and 2023 to 2025
respectively. 20% of the 2021 award will vest subject to the
achievement of stakeholder metrics which includes customer
satisfaction performance with a health and safety underpin. 20% of
the 2022 and 2023 awards will vest subject to the achievement of an
ROE target and 20% subject to the achievement of a biodiversity
target.
Awards to Executive Directors and
senior management are also subject to an additional two-year
holding period after vesting. The Group recognised a charge related
to the LTIP during the year ended 31 December 2023 of €4.390
million (2022: €5.175 million) of which €3.332 million (2022:
€3.798 million) was charged to administrative expenses in profit or
loss and a charge of €1.058 million (2022: €1.377 million) was
included in construction work in progress within inventories.
Conditional awards of 6,187,597 shares were made to employees under
the LTIP in the year ended 31 December 2023.
Dividend
equivalents
The Group operates a dividend
equivalent scheme linked to its equity settled LTIP. Under this
scheme employees are entitled to shares or cash (the choice of
settlement is as determined by the Group) to the value of dividends
declared over the LTIP’s vesting period based on the number of
shares that vest. During the period ended 31 December 2023 the
Group settled dividend equivalents in cash of €0.459 million and
this amount was deducted from the share-based payment
reserve.
The Group recognised a charge
related to dividend equivalents during the year ended 31 December
2023 of €0.669 million (2022: €0.905 million) of which €0.473
million (2022: €0.640 million) was charged to administrative
expenses in profit or loss and a charge of €0.196 million (2022:
€0.265 million) was included in construction work in progress
within inventories.
Stretch CEO
LTIP
On 31 August 2023 shareholders
approved the adoption and implementation of an additional LTIP to
deliver certain bespoke awards of shares to the Company’s CEO, Mr.
Michael Stanley (the “Stretch CEO LTIP”). The award is structured
in two tranches, with an equal number of ordinary shares in the
capital of the Company granted to the CEO in each of 2023 and 2024.
The 2023 Award will be subject to a three-year performance period
(2023-2025) and the 2024 Award will be subject to a four-year
performance period (2023-2026), both from the baseline year of 2022
and subject to the achievement of certain performance conditions
linked to profit after tax and ROE weighted 75% and 25%
respectively. The 2023 award was granted in 2023, at a value of
€3.5 million, with the number of conditional share awards
determined by the closing share price on the evening preceding the
grant date. The number of conditional share awards to be granted
under the 2024 award will be identical to the first award. The 2023
grant took place on 8 September 2023 with a grant price of €1.108
per share equating to 3,158,845 ordinary shares.
Due to the nature of the awards
and given that the performance period for the 2023 and 2024 awards
commenced on 1 January 2023, the Group recognised a charge in
profit or loss related to the Stretch CEO LTIP of €1.899 million
(2022: €nil) during the year ended 31 December 2023.
The Group purchased 2,409,797
shares, for the purpose of the stretch CEO LTIP, at a total cost of
€3.196 million during the year ended 31 December 2023 which was
recorded directly in equity in treasury shares. An additional
749,048 shares were purchased by 9 January 2024 at a cost of €1.0
million (note 21). A trust structure has been set up with
Computershare Trustees (Jersey) Limited to hold these shares until
any future vesting arises.
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
NOTES TO THE
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION (continued)
10.
Share capital and
share-based payments (continued)
Save as you
earn scheme
The Group operates a Revenue
approved savings related share option scheme (“Save as you earn
scheme”), which was approved at the May 2019 Annual General
Meeting, under which the Group recognised a charge during the year
ended 31 December 2023 of €0.117 million (2022: €0.276 million) of
which €0.048 million (2022: €0.101 million) was charged to profit
or loss and €0.069 million (2022: €0.175 million) was included in
construction work in progress within inventories. During the year
ended 31 December 2023, the Company issued 2,518,637 ordinary
shares at a nominal value of €0.001 in relation to the vesting of
the 2020 option scheme, this resulted in €1.484 million being
included in share premium. €0.726 million was transferred from the
share-based payments reserve to retained earnings relating to the
2020 vesting.
Restricted
share unit plan
The Group operated a restricted
share unit plan, which was approved at the Annual General Meeting
on 20 May 2020, under which no remaining conditional awards of
shares made to employees remain outstanding as at 31 December 2023
(2022: nil). The Group did not recognise a charge relating to these
restricted share units during the year ended 31 December 2023 as
the restricted share unit plan is no longer in place (31 December
2022: of €0.648 million, of which €0.495 million was charged to
profit or loss and €0.153 million was included within construction
work in progress within inventories).
Other share
options
500,000 ordinary share options
were issued in the year ended 31 December 2015, to a Director at
that time, of which none have been exercised as at 31 December
2023. 200,000 of these share options were exercised in January 2024
(note 21). 250,000 of these options vested during 2018 and the
remaining 250,000 vested during 2019. The exercise price of each
ordinary share option is €1.00. At grant date, the fair value of
the options that vested during 2018 was calculated at €0.219 per
share while the fair value of options that vested during 2019 was
calculated at €0.220 per share. The related charge to profit or
loss during the year ended 31 December 2023 was €nil (2022:
€nil).
11.
Loans and
borrowings
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
Non-current
liabilities
Bank and other
loans
|
|
|
|
Repayable as follows:
|
|
|
|
Between one and two
years
|
14,992
|
|
14,992
|
Between two and five
years
|
143,844
|
|
155,999
|
Greater than five
years
|
-
|
|
-
|
Total
non-current liabilities
|
158,836
|
|
170,991
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
liabilities
|
|
|
|
Repayable within one
year
|
14,992
|
|
-
|
Total current
liabilities
|
14,992
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Total
borrowings
|
173,828
|
|
170,991
|
|
|
|
|
As at 31 December 2023, the Group
has a €277.5 million syndicate facility comprising a Sustainability
Linked term loan (€77.5 million) and revolving credit facility
(€200.0 million,) with Allied Irish Banks plc, Bank of Ireland plc
and Barclays Bank Ireland plc, repayable on 30 June 2027. The €77.5
million term loan was fully drawn at 31 December 2023 and 31
December 2022. The drawn revolving credit facility at 31 December
2023 was €25.0 million (2022: €22.5 million).
Additionally, the Group has €72.5
million of loan notes with Pricoa Capital Group, repayable on 31
July 2024 (€15.0 million), 31 July 2025 (€15.0 million) and 31 July
2026 (€42.5 million).
All debt facilities are secured
by a debenture incorporating fixed and floating charges and
assignments over all the assets of the Group. The carrying value of
inventories as at 31 December 2023 pledged as security is €943.4
million (€967.3 million as at 31 December 2022).
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
NOTES TO THE
UNAUDITED CONDENSED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)
11.
Loans and borrowings
(continued)
The amount presented in the
financial statements is net of related unamortised arrangement fees
and transaction costs of €1.2 million (2022: €1.5
million).
Reconciliation
of movement of loans and borrowings to cash flows during the period
ended 31 December 2023
|
Term
Loan
|
Revolving
credit facility
|
Loan
notes
|
Total
|
|
€’000
|
€’000
|
€’000
|
€’000
|
At 1 January
|
76,019
|
22,500
|
72,472
|
170,991
|
Proceeds from borrowings in the
year
|
-
|
317,500
|
-
|
317,500
|
Repayment of loans in the
year
|
-
|
(315,000)
|
-
|
(315,000)
|
Amortisation of borrowing
costs
|
329
|
-
|
8
|
337
|
At end of year
|
76,348
|
25,000
|
72,480
|
173,828
|
12.
Property, plant and
equipment
|
Leasehold
Improvements
€’000
|
Motor
Vehicles
€’000
|
Computers,
Plant & Equipment
€’000
|
2023
Total
€’000
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost
|
|
|
|
|
At 1 January
|
2,860
|
77
|
6,792
|
9,729
|
Additions in the year
|
45
|
-
|
1,644
|
1,689
|
Disposal
|
-
|
(18)
|
-
|
(18)
|
At end of year
|
2,905
|
59
|
8,436
|
11,400
|
Accumulated
depreciation
|
|
|
|
|
At 1 January
|
(567)
|
(68)
|
(3,305)
|
(3,940)
|
Depreciation for the
year
|
(261)
|
(8)
|
(1,089)
|
(1,358)
|
Disposal
|
-
|
18
|
-
|
18
|
At end of year
|
(828)
|
(58)
|
(4,394)
|
(5,280)
|
Net book
value
|
|
|
|
|
At end of year
|
2,077
|
1
|
4,042
|
6,120
|
|
|
|
|
|
The main additions during the
period related to equipment purchases for construction sites and
equipment.
|
Leasehold
Improvements
€’000
|
Motor
Vehicles
€’000
|
Plant,
Computers & Equipment
€’000
|
2022
Total
€’000
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost
|
|
|
|
|
At 1 January
|
483
|
77
|
3,566
|
4,126
|
Additions in the year
|
2,377
|
-
|
3,226
|
5,603
|
At end of year
|
2,860
|
77
|
6,792
|
9,729
|
Accumulated
depreciation
|
|
|
|
|
At 1 January
|
(394)
|
(49)
|
(2,518)
|
(2,961)
|
Depreciation for the
year
|
(173)
|
(19)
|
(787)
|
(979)
|
At end of year
|
(567)
|
(68)
|
(3,305)
|
(3,940)
|
Net book
value
|
|
|
|
|
At end of year
|
2,293
|
9
|
3,487
|
5,789
|
|
|
|
|
|
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
NOTES TO THE
UNAUDITED CONDENSED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)
13.
Leases
The Group leases its central
support office property and certain motor vehicles. The office
lease formed the majority of the right of use assets and lease
liabilities balance as at 31 December 2023 and 31 December 2022.
The discount rate attributed to the office lease is 2.6%. Disposals
in the year ended 31 December 2023 relate to the previous central
support office lease.
The additions during the year
ended 31 December 2023 relate to vehicle leases and have various
commencement dates throughout the year. The average discount rate
associated with these leases is 6.21% which reflects Group’s
incremental borrowing rate at the date of commencement.
Right of use assets
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
Cost
|
|
|
|
At 1 January
|
8,190
|
|
1,615
|
Additions in the year
|
391
|
|
6,575
|
Disposals in the year
|
(1,442)
|
|
-
|
At end of year
|
7,139
|
|
8,190
|
Accumulated
depreciation
|
|
|
|
At 1 January
|
(2,187)
|
|
(1,125)
|
Disposal
|
1,442
|
|
-
|
Depreciation in the
year
|
(837)
|
|
(1,062)
|
At end of year
|
(1,582)
|
|
(2,187)
|
Net book
value
|
|
|
|
At end of year
|
5,557
|
|
6,003
|
Lease
liabilities
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
Current
liabilities
|
|
|
|
Lease
liabilities
|
|
|
|
Repayable within one
year
|
937
|
|
761
|
|
|
|
|
Non - current
liabilities
|
|
|
|
Lease
liabilities
|
|
|
|
Repayable as follows:
|
|
|
|
Between one and two
years
|
927
|
|
806
|
Between two and five
years
|
2,244
|
|
2,194
|
Greater than five
years
|
2,319
|
|
3,036
|
|
|
|
|
|
5,490
|
|
6,036
|
Total lease
liabilities
|
6,427
|
|
6,797
|
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
NOTES TO THE
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION (continued)
13.
Leases (continued)
The
movements in total lease liabilities were as follows:
At 1 January
|
6,797
|
|
632
|
Additions in the year
|
391
|
|
6,575
|
Interest on lease liabilities
(note 3)
|
206
|
|
193
|
Lease payments
|
(967)
|
|
(603)
|
At end of year
|
6,427
|
|
6,797
|
Contractual cash flows
The
remaining undiscounted contractual cashflows for leases at 31
December 2023 were as follows:
As at 31
December 2023
|
Total
€’000
|
6 months or
less
€’000
|
6-12 months
€000
|
1-2
years
€’000
|
2-5
years
€’000
|
5
years+
€’000
|
Lease liabilities
|
(7,170)
|
(564)
|
(558)
|
(1,077)
|
(2,543)
|
(2,428)
|
As at 31
December 2022
|
Total
€’000
|
6 months or
less
€’000
|
6-12 months
€000
|
1-2
years
€’000
|
2-5
years
€’000
|
5
years+
€’000
|
Lease liabilities
|
(7,689)
|
(437)
|
(505)
|
(971)
|
(2,540)
|
(3,236)
|
14.
Intangible
assets
Software
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
Cost
|
|
|
|
At 1 January
|
4,282
|
|
2,199
|
Additions in the year
|
2,401
|
|
2,083
|
Disposals
|
(53)
|
|
-
|
At end of year
|
6,630
|
|
4,282
|
Accumulated
depreciation
|
|
|
|
At 1 January
|
(1,239)
|
|
(765)
|
Depreciation for the
year
|
(1,180)
|
|
(474)
|
At end of year
|
(2,419)
|
|
(1,239)
|
Net book
value
|
|
|
|
At end of year
|
4,211
|
|
3,043
|
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
NOTES TO THE
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION (continued)
15.
Derivatives and
hedging reserve
Non
– current
investments
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
Derivative
financial instruments
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
Interest rate swaps – cash flow
hedges
|
436
|
|
847
|
Derivative
financial instruments
The Group has an interest rate
swap (“swap”) in respect of €18.75 million of its €77.5 million
syndicate term loan. The interest rate swap has a fixed interest
rate of 1.346% and variable interest rate of three-month Euribor.
The fair value of the swap as at 31 December 2023 was €436,000
(2022: €847,000). Changes in the fair value of derivative hedging
instruments designated as cash flow hedges are recognised in the
cashflow hedge reserve to the extent that the hedge is effective.
Any gain or loss relating to the ineffective portion is recognised
in profit or loss in the period incurred. The hedge was fully
effective for the year ended 31 December 2023 and the year ended 31
December 2022. Amounts accounted for in the cash flow hedging
reserve in respect of the swap during the current year and prior
year have been set out in the Consolidated Statement of Changes in
Equity on page 13.
The full fair value of a hedging
derivative is classified as a non-current asset or liability when
the remaining maturity of the hedged item is more than 12 months;
it is classified as a current asset or liability when the remaining
maturity of the hedged item is less than 12 months.
Cashflow hedge
reserve
The hedging reserve comprises the
effective portion of the cumulative net change in the fair value of
hedging instruments used in cash flow hedges pending subsequent
recognition in profit or loss or directly included in the initial
cost or other carrying amount of a non–financial asset or
non–financial liability.
16.
Trade and other
payables
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
€’000
|
|
€’000
|
|
|
|
|
Trade payables
|
22,053
|
|
17,956
|
Deferred consideration
|
11,810
|
|
10,000
|
Accruals
|
35,425
|
|
43,321
|
VAT liability
|
27,977
|
|
19,721
|
Other creditors
|
2,079
|
|
1,427
|
|
99,344
|
|
92,425
|
Deferred consideration relates to
amounts payable in relation to land purchased. Other creditors
represent amounts due for payroll taxes and relevant contracts
tax.
The carrying value of all trade
and other payables is approximate to their fair value.
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
NOTES TO THE
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION (continued)
17.
Earnings per
share
The basic earnings per share for
the year ended 31 December 2023 is based on the profit attributable
to ordinary shareholders of €85.4 million and the weighted average
number of ordinary shares outstanding for the period.
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
|
|
|
Profit attributable to owners of
the Company (€’000)
|
85,432
|
|
81,030
|
Numerator for
basic and diluted earnings per share
|
85,432
|
|
81,030
|
Weighted average number of
ordinary shares for period (basic)
|
673,796,613
|
|
703,045,720
|
Dilutive effect of restricted
share unit awards and options
|
41,284
|
|
31,835
|
Dilutive effect of LTIP
awards
|
4,738,040
|
|
7,306,541
|
Denominator for
diluted earnings per share
|
678,575,937
|
|
710,384,096
|
Earnings per
share
|
|
|
|
|
12.7
cent
|
|
11.5 cent
|
|
12.6
cent
|
|
11.4 cent
|
|
|
|
|
18.
Dividends
Dividends of €41.9 million were
paid by the Company during the year (2022: €40.7 million). A
dividend of 3.1 cent per ordinary share, totalling €21.2 million,
was paid on 16 May 2023 and a dividend of 3.1 cent per ordinary
share, totalling €20.7 million, was paid on 6 October
2023.
19.
Related party
transactions
There were no related party
transactions during the year ended 31 December 2023 other than
directors’ remuneration. There were no related party transactions
during the year ended 31 December 2022 other than directors’
remuneration and the subscription for 8,057 shares in the joint
venture undertaking, Clonburris Infrastructure Limited, for a
nominal value of €81.
20. Commitments and contingent
liabilities
Pursuant to the provisions of
Section 357, Companies Act 2014, the Company has guaranteed the
liabilities and commitments of its subsidiary undertakings
for their financial years ending 31 December 2023 and as a result
such subsidiary undertakings have been exempted from the filing
provisions of Companies Act 2014.
As at 31 December 2023 Cairn
Homes Properties Limited had committed to sell 2,350 new homes for
c. €900 million (ex.
VAT).
At 31 December 2023, the Group
had a contingent liability in respect of construction bonds in the
amount of €4.6 million (2022: €4.2 million). The Group is not aware
of any other commitments or contingent liabilities that should be
disclosed.
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
NOTES TO THE
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION (continued)
21. Events after the year
end
From 1 January 2024 to 28
February 2024 the Group has repurchased an additional 6.8 million
shares under the share buyback programme (note 10) at a cost of
€9.8 million. In accordance with the share buyback programme, all
repurchased shares are subsequently cancelled.
From 1 January 2024 to 9 January
2024, an additional 749,048 shares were purchased at a cost of €1.0
million in relation to the Stretch CEO LTIP (note 10).
In January 2024, a former
Director exercised 200,000 share options, at an option price of €1
per share (note 10).
On 28 February 2024, the Company
proposed a final 2023 dividend of 3.2 cent per ordinary share
subject to shareholder approval at the 2024 AGM to be held on 10
May 2024. Based on the ordinary shares in issue at 28 February, the
amount of dividend proposed is €20.7 million.
The proposed final dividend of
3.2 cent per ordinary share will be paid on 17 May 2024 to ordinary
shareholders on the Company’s register on 26 April 2024.
CAIRN HOMES
PLC
COMPANY
INFORMATION
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Directors
|
Solicitors
|
|
|
|
|
|
John Reynolds (Non-Executive
Chairman)
|
A&L Goodbody
|
|
|
|
|
|
Michael Stanley (Chief Executive
Officer)
|
IFSC
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shane Doherty (Chief Financial
Officer)
|
25-28 North Wall Quay
|
|
|
|
|
|
Julie Sinnamon
(Non-Executive)
|
Dublin 1
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gary Britton
(Non-Executive)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Giles Davies
(Non-Executive)
|
Eversheds-Sutherland
|
|
|
|
|
|
Linda Hickey
(Non-Executive)
|
One Earlsfort Centre
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alan McIntosh (Non-Executive,
resigned 25 January 2024)
|
Earlsfort Terrace
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orla O’Gorman
(Non-Executive)
|
Dublin 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Secretary and
Registered Office
|
Pinsent Masons LLP
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tara Grimley
|
30 Crown Place
|
|
|
|
|
|
45 Mespil Road
|
Earl Street
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dublin 4
|
London EC2A 4ES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Registrars
|
Beauchamps
|
|
|
|
|
|
Computershare Investor Services
(Ireland) Limited
|
Riverside Two
|
|
|
|
|
|
3100 Lake Drive
|
Sir John Rogerson’s
Quay
|
|
|
|
|
|
Citywest Business
Campus
|
Dublin 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dublin 24
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dillon Eustace
|
|
|
|
|
|
Auditors
|
33 Sir John Rogerson's
Quay
|
|
|
|
|
|
KPMG
|
Grand Canal Dock
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chartered Accountants
|
Dublin 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 Stokes Place
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
St. Stephen’s Green
|
Principal
Bankers/Lenders
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dublin 2
|
Allied Irish Banks plc
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 Molesworth St
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dublin 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
Website
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
www.cairnhomes.com
|
Bank Of Ireland plc
Baggot Plaza
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
27-33 Upper Baggot
St
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dublin 4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Barclays Bank Ireland
plc
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One Molesworth Street
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dublin 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pricoa Private Capital
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8th Floor
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One London Bridge
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
London SE1 9BG
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[1] FY23
6.3 cent dividend represents 3.1 cent interim dividend per ordinary
share paid in October 2023 and 3.2 cent proposed final dividend per
ordinary share. FY22 dividend of 6.1 cent represents 3.0 cent
interim dividend per ordinary share paid in October 2022 and 3.1
cent final dividend per ordinary share paid in May 2023.
[2] Defined as Profit after
Tax divided by Total Equity at Year
End.
[3] Represents the combined total
of new home sales closings year-to-date and forward sales agreed as
at the relevant date by number of units, total value (ex. VAT) and
average selling price (ex. VAT).
[4] Defined
as operating cash flow before strategic land
acquisitions.
[5] Forward
fund transactions involve Cairn delivering new homes under a
contractual relationship where the land is sold up-front and the
cost of delivering the new homes is paid on a phased
basis.
[6]
This comprises
both closed sales units and equivalent units. Equivalent units
relate to forward fund transactions and are calculated on a
percentage completion basis based on the contracted value of work
completed divided by total estimated cost.
[7]
Per Building
Control Management System (“BCMS”) commencement notices
[8]
2023 new home
completion target of 29,000 to 2024 new home completion target of
33,450
Dissemination of a Regulatory Announcement, transmitted by EQS
Group.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this
announcement.
|