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Zamano seeking acquisitions to cash in on mobile market

Published: 15:30 10 Mar 2016 GMT

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Dublin-based Zamano is benefiting from continued growth in smartphone-based mobile commerce

Mobile phone services supplier Zamano Plc (LON:ZMNO) reported higher annual profits and revenue and said it was still on the lookout for acquisitions.

Zamano said pre-tax profit in the year to December 31 rose 12.9% to €2.4mln on a 22.3% increase in revenue to €24.3mln.

The Dublin-based company said it was benefiting from continued growth in smartphone-based mobile commerce and mobile entertainment.

It looked at a number of opportunities to buy businesses during the year and said it was still trying to find acquisition or partnership opportunities in 2016.

Zamano received an initial approach about a possible offer for the company at €0.20 per Zamano ordinary share in August last year.

The group and its advisors talked to the potential bidder but the discussions ended in October.

Zamano said it was facing regulatory changes, particularly in its two main markets of the UK and Ireland, and was working with mobile operators and regulators to ensure it complied with the rules.

UK sales in 2015 at €20.5mln were 35.3% ahead of the 2015 outcome of €15.2mln.

Irish sales failed to match the stellar sales performance of the UK where revenue of €3.1mln in 2015 fell 14.2% on 2014. But the rate of sales decline in Ireland appeared to have stabilised, it said.

WHAT THE BOSS SAID

Chairman John Rockett on the 2015 performance:

"Zamano is pleased to report on what was a highly satisfactory outcome on a financial and operational level for the year ended 31 December 2015.

"The group maintained its upward progress in respect of revenue and profit during the year."

On the outlook:

"The challenge for the business in 2016 is to continue to maintain and develop its core activities, bring the output of some of its research and development activities to market and conclude business partnership agreements or acquisitions."

THE COMPANY

Zamano's main two markets are in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. It said the overall market for mobile products and services continues to grow.

Global smartphone sales were close to six billion units in 2015, a penetration level of more than 60%.

Worldwide revenue from mobile entertainment and information is forecast to reach US$13bn in 2017.

The number of global mobile payments users is understood to have topped the one billion mark in 2015, representing about US$1trln of mobile payments.

The continuing growth of mobile users and the increased penetration of smart-phones is the main driver of growth in mobile payments, commerce and entertainment.

Zamano's products target the broader mobile commerce and mobile entertainment markets, two of the fastest-growing mobile markets globally.

With the help of its mobile network operator and global aggregator partners, Zamano is pledging to continue to target mobile entertainment and payment opportunities in its key markets in 2016 and beyond.

It had cash net of loan balances outstanding at the end of 2015 of €6.3mln, an increase of €1.6mln over the previous year's figure of €4.6mln.

It said its cash balances "afford it a high degree of flexibility to fund its ongoing market development and acquisition initiatives."

SHARE PRICE

Zamano's shares fell 0.5p, or 4.5%, to 10.5p in afternoon trading in London.

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