Mission Marketing : /the missiontm reports 10% growth in first half of 2016 and boosts dividend

The Mission Marketing Group plc ('the mission', AIM: TMMG), the marketing communications and advertising group, has today announced its interim results for the first six months of 2016 ending 30 June, reporting double digit growth in both revenue and profit compared with the same period in 2015, and a 67% increase in the interim dividend.

Highlights include:

• Operating income ('revenue') up 10% to £32.4m (2015: £29.5m)
• Headline profit before tax up 10% to £2.6m (2015: £2.3m)
• Interim dividend payment increased by 67% to 0.5p (2015: 0.3p)
• Net bank debt reduced by £1.5m to £9.4m

The results come in the wake of several acquisitions made by the mission including Birmingham-based Agency, Chapter and healthcare business echogroup which joined existing Agency, Solaris. Additionally, the mission Agencies have seen significant new business wins and assignments, including Fuji Xerox, Golden Wonder, Greene King, Halfords, Mondelēz, O and Sky Betting & Gaming.

Chairman of the mission, David Morgan said: 'The first half of the year delivered the results we expected, despite the wider uncertainties that surrounded the UK market in the build up to Brexit.

'Across the Group, we have seen some big new Client wins with some household brands and our most recent acquisitions have fully repaid our confidence and bedded in extremely well.

'We're also seeing even greater collaboration between our Agencies than ever before which ensures that we continue to offer best in class teams from across our Agencies to support those Clients who need that breadth and depth of talent.

'Our profits continue to increase and debt continues to reduce. We believe that through new initiatives, very talented management teams that utilise original techniques and our entrepreneurial approach, we are in a very strong position to have an even better second half of 2016 that should see us deliver our full year growth targets.'