Financial News

INTERIM RESULTS

15 NOVEMBER 2005

Burberry Group plc reports interim results for its first half to 30 September 2005.

Summary of Results⁽¹⁾

	Six months to September
	2005	2004	Change
	£m	£m	%
Turnover	354.9	347.5	2
Operating profit before Atlas costs⁽²⁾	78.8	77.6	2
Operating profit	75.8	77.6	(2)
Attributable profit	53.1	54.6	(3)
			.
Diluted EPS before Atlas costs	11.3p	10.8p	5
Diluted EPS	10.9p	10.8p	1
Diluted weighted average number of Ordinary Shares	488.8m	507.1m	(4)

Financial Highlights

Total revenues increased 3% on an underlying ⁽³⁾ basis to £355 million
- Retail revenues increased 9% underlying
- Wholesale revenues declined 1% underlying
- Licensing revenue increased 3% underlying
Operating profit before Atlas costs increased 2% to £79 million
Operating margin before Atlas costs of 22.2% vs 22.3% in prior period
Diluted EPS before Atlas costs increased 5% to 11.3p
Interim dividend increased 25% to 2.5p per Ordinary Share
As of 30 September 2005, an aggregate of £123 million shares repurchased

Strategic and Operating Highlights

Retail expansion on track with opening of four new and replacement stores and six concessions
- Completed key store renovations
Acquired Taiwan distributors
Concluded womenswear retail concession agreement with major customer in Spain
Continued to rebalance retail/wholesale channel mix in US market
Announced new eyewear licence
Project Atlas, major infrastructure redesign initiative underway

Rose Marie Bravo, Chief Executive, stated, “In the context of a period marked by strategic investment and transition, Burberry delivered a solid performance in the first half. With cold weather arriving and the holidays approaching, we enter our most important time of year with cautious optimism.”

Management will discuss these results during a presentation to analysts and institutions at 1:00pm today at Merrill Lynch Financial Centre, The Auditorium, 100 Newgate Street, London EC1A 1HQ (telephone +44 (0) 20 7968 0577). The presentation will also be broadcast live on the Internet at www.burberryplc.com and can be accessed by telephone at +44 (0) 20 7081 7194 (UK and international) and +1 866 432 7186 (US). Replay: +44 (0) 20 7081 9440, access number 299766.

Enquiries:

Burberry		020 7968 0577
Stacey Cartwright	CFO
Matt McEvoy	Strategy and IR
John Scaramuzza	Strategy and IR

Brunswick		020 7404 5959
Susan Gilchrist
Robert Gardener
Alex Tweed

⁽¹⁾ Financial results are reported under International Financial Reporting Standards. Prior year figures have been restated in line with these principles.
⁽²⁾ Atlas costs of £3.0 million (2004: nil) relate to the Group’s infrastructure redesign initiative announced in May 2005.
⁽³⁾ Underlying figures exclude the financial effect of Burberry’s Taiwan-related business in both reporting periods and are calculated at the same exchange rates used in the 2004/05 year’s reported results for the period. Burberry completed the acquisition of the operations and assets of its distributors in Taiwan in August 2005 (the “Taiwan Acquisition”).

The financial information contained in this announcement has not been audited.
Certain statements made in this announcement are forward looking statements. Such statements are based on current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any expected future results in forward looking statements.
This announcement does not constitute an invitation to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any Burberry Group plc shares. Past performance is not a guide to future performance and persons needing advice should consult an independent financial adviser.

View the full Interim Results Announcement in PDF format.

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