The Softcat Board is pleased to declare an interim dividend of 6.4p per share (2020: 5.4p), amounting in total to £12.7m. The interim dividend will be payable on 14 May 2021 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 1 April 2021. Shares in the Company will be quoted ex-dividend on 31 March 2021. The dividend reinvestment plan ("DRIP") election date is 23 April 2021.
Other financial highlights include:
Strong double-digit income growth:
o Gross profit, our key measure of income, grew 20%
o Gross invoiced income (GII) also up 20%
o Revenue up 10%
Operating profit increased by 41% reflecting the strong top line performance combined with Covid-related operating cost savings.
Continued investment in our people and technical proposition throughout the pandemic has driven double-digit growth in average gross profit per customer from both new and existing customers.
The customer base rose 1.5% to 9,600 despite the ongoing challenges of remote working.
Headcount increased to 1,658 at the end of the period; a rise of 177 (12%) over the past 12 months.
Cash conversion and debt collection remain strong.
