F.M. BIRCH LIMITED

• ◆

  1 PSC ceased in last 24 months

  Significant control changed hands — see the Ownership section.

Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers

Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.

Accounting basis

FRS 102

Reporting scope

Standalone (parent only)

Auditor

J S Bethell & Co

Audit opinion

Unqualified (clean)

Going concern

Affirmed

“In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.”

Significant events

• “Recession in late 2023 gave way to a modest economic recovery but consumer confidence remained very low against a backdrop of a continuing cost of living crisis, high inflation and relatively high interest rates.”
• “The change of government in July, resulted in stalled public spending in advance of the elections and for some months afterwards in some key areas of infrastructure investment which, in turn, impacted our sector.”
• “Tax changes announced in the new government's Autumn statement, as well as repeated announcements suggesting that economic conditions were going to get worse before they got better had a negative impact on both consumer and business confidence adversely impacting both spending and investment.”
• “A volatile global geo-political situation, and a change of government in the USA where the threatened and realised imposition of trade tariffs has fractured long standing trade relationships, as well as unresolved conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East suggest that ongoing uncertainty could affect oil prices, financial markets and shipping costs.”

Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers

Filings

7

last 12 months

Capital events

2

last 24 months

Officers appointed

0

last 12 months

Officers resigned

1

last 12 months

Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.

• Turnover

  -3.5%

  £14,039,766 → £13,552,664

• Cash

  +3%

  £1,372,821 → £1,414,664

  highest in 10 filed years

• Net assets

  +1.6%

  £6,496,959 → £6,603,478

  highest in 6 filed years

• Employees

  +2.7%

  37 → 38

• Operating profit

  -63.4%

  £859,120 → £314,215

  lowest in 5 filed years

• Profit before tax

  -64.2%

  £859,418 → £307,807

  lowest in 5 filed years

• Wages

  +5.5%

  £1,347,766 → £1,422,091

  highest in 5 filed years

Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. Periods don't have to be exactly 12 months apart — a long or short period (typical around incorporation or year-end changes) will distort the comparison. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers