Interim report January-September 2009

Full Quarter January-September year MSEK 3-09 2-09 3-08 2009 2008 2008 Net turnover 4 387 4 496 4 591 13 412 14 291 19 334 Operating profit* 442 372 64 1 229 767 1 051 Profit after tax 280 256 -24 781 371 642 Earnings per share, SEK 3.3 3.0 -0.3 9.3 4.4 7.6 Return on equity, % 7.0 6.6 -0.6 6.7 3.0 3.9 * The operating profit for full year 2008 includes items affecting comparability of cost SEK 361 million. - Profit after tax for January–September 2009 was SEK 781 million (January–September 2008: 371 million). - Earnings per share amounted to SEK 9.3 (4.4). The return on equity was 6.7 per cent (3.0). - Operating profit totalled SEK 1 229 million compared to SEK 1 128 million, excluding items affecting comparability, which in the preceding year amounted to cost SEK 361 million. Higher prices for newsprint and paperboard had a favourable effect on profit, whereas weak demand led to major production curtailments. In the third quarter, operating profit amounted to SEK 442 million, which was SEK 70 million higher than in the second quarter of 2009. Costs were seasonally lower. Profitability on sales outside Europe was adversely affected by a weaker US dollar. - Demand in the Group’s product sectors was weak during the year. In Europe, demand for newsprint and virgin fibre board was 13 and 12 per cent, respectively, lower during January–September 2009 than in the corresponding period in 2008.