Year-end report 2014
Strong sales trend, investments for continued growth
Fourth quarter of 2014 in summary
• Consolidated net sales amounted to SEK 23,180 million (21,820) in the fourth quarter, an increase of 6.2%. In local currency, net sales increased by 5.6% compared with the same period in 2013.
• Operating profit excluding non-recurring items amounted to SEK 1,081 million (1,058), an increase of 2.2% compared with the previous year.
• Operating profit amounted to SEK 1,065 million (753).
• Profit from continuing operations amounted to SEK 807 million (645).
• Earnings per share, continuing operations, SEK 3.73 (3.06).
• Cash flow from continuing operations amounted to SEK 1,676 million (2,011)
• ICA Norway was sold in October for SEK 2.8 billion on a debt-free basis. The divestment is subject to approval from the Norwegian Competition Authority.
• Apotek Hjärtat was acquired in November for SEK 5.7 billion on a debt-free basis.
• The Board of Directors proposes a dividend of SEK 9.50 (8) per ordinary share.
After the end of the quarter
• The Swedish Competition Authority approved ICA Gruppen’s acquisition of Apotek Hjärtat. The acquisition could therefore be completed on 15 January 2015. Apotek Hjärtat is consolidated in ICA Gruppen from that date.
• ICA Bank received permission to conduct insurance business from the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority on 15 January.
Comment from the CEO of ICA Gruppen, Per Strömberg:
“We can now look back on yet another eventful year, in which we achieved much of what we had planned – the divestment of ICA Norway, the acquisition of Apotek Hjärtat and, not least, in which the operations in our various segments have developed at a good pace and delivered good results.”
Press and analyst meeting
ICA Gruppen will arrange a press and analyst meeting on Wednesday 11 Februari 2015 at 10:00 CET at Tändstickspalatset, Västra Trädgårdsgatan 15, Stockholm. CEO Per Strömberg and CFO Sven Lindskog will present the Year-end report.
The press and analyst meeting will be available as a live webcast and can be viewed at http://www.icagruppen.se/en/investors. To attended the meeting by telephone,
dial +44 203 1940 550
For further information please contact:
Frans Benson VP Investor Relations:
+46 8 561 50 020
Report dates 2015
6 May 2015 Interim report January – March 2015
19 August 2015 Interim report January – June 2015
11 November 2015 Interim report January – September 2015
10 February 2016 Interim report January–December 2015
For more information
ICA Gruppen press service, Telephone number: +46 10 422 52 52
ICA Gruppen discloses the information provided herein pursuant to the Securities Market Act and/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication at 07:00 CET on Wednesday, February 11, 2015.
ICA Gruppen AB (publ) is a leading retail company with a focus on food and health. The Group includes ICA Sweden and Rimi Baltic which mainly conduct grocery retail, ICA Real Estate which owns and manages properties, ICA Bank which offers financial services and, since January 2015, Apotek Hjärtat which conducts pharmacy operations. The Group also includes ICA Norway which is being divested, the wholly owned portfolio company inkClub and the partly owned portfolio companies Cervera and Hemtex. For more information see icagruppen.se
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