ICA Gruppen interim report Q1 2020

Strong quarter affected by covid-19

• Consolidated net sales amounted to SEK 30,366 million (28,098), an increase of 8.1%
• Operating profit excluding items affecting comparability was SEK 1,310 million (1,125)
• Consolidated sales and operating profit were affected by the ongoing covid-19 pandemic. The effect on operating profit during the first quarter, which arose during March, is estimated to be in the range of SEK +50 million
• Profit for the period was SEK 976 million (813)
• Earnings per share were SEK 4.83 (4.02)

Events after the end of the quarter

• ICA Real Estate's acquisition of the logistics property in Västerås for net SEK 1 billion is concluded
• Anna Nyberg was named as new CEO of ICA Real Estate and takes up her position on 17 August
• ICA Gruppen's Annual General Meeting approved the Board's changed dividend proposal for payment of SEK 6 per share. The intention is to have an Extraordinary General Meeting decide on a second payment of SEK 6 per share in the autumn

From our sustainability report

Today we are presenting our new climate ambition, which will take over in 2021 when our current climate target expires. Our goal is to achieve at least zero net GHG emissions from own operations by 2030 and thereby continue to have an ambitious and responsible climate ambition that is based on leading climate research and the Paris Agreement. ICA has previously included suppliers in it sustainability work, and now this work will be intensified by also embracing the ambition to cut the climate impact of our customers' grocery purchases in half by 2030.

In other respects, many initiatives are being taken to deal with the ongoing crisis. These include, for example, simplifying grocery and pharmacy shopping through new home delivery and ordering services, and supporting local producers. Added to this are the many local initiatives being taken by ICA retailers. We can also mention our recently announced cooperation with the Swedish Red Cross for home deliveries of groceries and pharmacy products to people in at-risk categories.

Comment from CEO Per Strömberg:

“Today we are reporting on a quite unusual quarter, characterised by a pandemic with global impact that none of us have experienced before. For us this resulted in a sudden and dramatic surge in sales as a result of hoarding, which for a time created major challenges for the entire operation. Even though this highly intensive period is over, the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will likely affect society and our operations for a long time into the future.”

For more information
ICA Gruppen press service, telephone number: +46 (0)10 422 52 52

Frans Benson, Head of Investor Relations, telephone number: +46 (0)705 10 70 95

icagruppen.se

This is information that ICA Gruppen AB (publ.) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Swedish Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 07:00 CET on Wednesday 29 April, 2020.