RNS Number:0155O
Hyder Consulting PLC
28 July 2003


                HYDER CONSULTING PLC ("Hyder" or the "Company")



TRADING UPDATE


The Board of Hyder is pleased to report that trading in the first quarter was in
line with its expectations. Order intake, too, was in line with plan. Market
conditions in the five main regions in which the Company operates are unchanged
from the year-end. The market in Hong Kong remains challenging but the Company
is making progress with its turnaround programme there.


CASH PLACING


Hyder also announces that it has raised approximately #1.0 million (before
expenses) by way of a placing for cash of 1,151,000 new ordinary shares of 10p
each (the "Cash Placing Shares") with certain institutional and other investors
at 86p per share by Evolution Beeson Gregory Limited ("EVBG"). The proceeds will
be used to help fund the Company's strategy of making infill acquisitions. The
Company is currently in active discussions with several possible targets.


VENDOR PLACING


Hyder also announces that it has issued 284,927 new ordinary shares of 10p each
(the "Consideration Shares") to Gunter Nickel, the managing director of Acerplan
Planungsgesellschaft mbH ("Acerplan"), a subsidiary of the Company, as
consideration for his 9 per cent. minority shareholding in Acerplan. 148,945 of
the Consideration Shares have been placed with certain institutional and other
investors at 86p per share by EVBG and the balance of 135,982 are to be retained
by Mr Nickel.


HYDER OPTION SCHEME


Certain options under the Hyder Consulting Holdings Limited Executive Share
Option Scheme (the "Hyder Option Scheme") became exercisable immediately upon
completion of the acquisition (the "Acquisition") of Hyder Consulting Holdings
Limited by Firth Holdings plc (now renamed Hyder Consulting PLC). Under the
terms of the Hyder Option Scheme, the shares in Hyder Consulting Holdings
Limited resulting from any option exercise had to be sold to the Company for a
consideration equivalent to that received by the sellers under the terms of the
Acquisition. In addition, under the terms of the Acquisition, in the event of
any options lapsing, the consideration that would have been due to the option
holders on exercise would instead be due to the sellers and those option holders
who had exercised their options. As a result of such lapse of options, the
Company has issued 31,495 new ordinary shares of 10p each (the "Option Shares")
and #12,917 Guaranteed Loan Notes.


DIRECTOR SHAREHOLDINGS


Peter Morgan and Peter Higgins, directors of the Company, have participated as
investors in the Placing as follows:



Name                 Placing shares             Number of          Percentage of
                                          ordinary shares        enlarged issued
                                                after the        share capital
                                                Placing

Peter Morgan                15,000               57,499                   0.24
Peter Higgins               11,628               13,788                   0.06


Under the arrangements in relation to the Hyder Option Scheme described above,
Tim Wade and Simon Hamilton-Eddy, directors of the Company, have been issued
Option Shares as follows:

Name                     Option Shares            Number of        Percentage of
                                            ordinary shares      enlarged issued
                                            after the issue      share capital

Tim Wade                         9,033          4,199,546                17.17
Simon Hamilton-Eddy              6,022          2,799,698                11.45


In addition, Tim Wade and Simon Hamilton-Eddy have been issued, respectively,
#3,707 and #2,473 Guaranteed Loan Notes.


APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION


Application will be made for the Cash Placing Shares, the Consideration Shares
and the Option Shares to be admitted to the Official List and to trading on the
London Stock Exchange's market for listed securities. Admission is expected to
become effective on 1 August 2003.



28 July 2003






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