Metsä Group’s operating result excluding non-recurring items in January–June was EUR 183 million
Metsä Group Interim Report 1–6/2013, Stock Exchange Release 1 August 2013 at noon EET
Result in the first half of 2013
– Sales amounted to EUR 2,502 million (1–6/2012: EUR 2,531 million).
– Operating result excluding non-recurring items was EUR 183 million (117). Operating result including non-recurring items was EUR 183 million (107).
– Result before taxes excluding non-recurring items was EUR 130 million (71). Result before taxes including non-recurring items was EUR 131 million (61).
– Return on capital employed excluding non-recurring items was 9.8 per cent (6.6).
– Cash flow from operations amounted to EUR 124 million (127).
Result in the second quarter of 2013
– Sales amounted to EUR 1,241 million (4–6/2012: EUR 1,247 million).
– Operating result excluding non-recurring items was EUR 94 million (64). Operating result including non-recurring items was EUR 89 million (62).
– Result before taxes excluding non-recurring items was EUR 73 million (53). Result before taxes including non-recurring items was EUR 69 million (51).
– Return on capital employed excluding non-recurring items was 9.8 per cent (7.4).
Events in the second quarter of 2013
– The price of pulp increased somewhat but sales volumes decreased slightly from the previous quarter.
– Delivery volumes of folding boxboard continued to increase slightly and market prices were stable.
– Demand for coated white-top kraftliner continued to be very strong. The production of light fully-bleached kraftliners began at Husum.
– Delivery volumes of Metsä Board's papers declined from the previous quarter and prices remained at a low level.
– Katrinefors Kraftvärme AB, a joint venture in which Metsä Tissue has a 50 per cent holding, announced that it will build a bioenergy plant in conjunction with the Metsä Tissue mill in Mariestad, Sweden.
– Metsä Wood launched an efficiency programme in order to improve its competitiveness.
– Metsäliitto Cooperative acquired the shares of Metsä Tissue Corporation owned by Varma Mutual Employment Pension Company, a total of 8.38 per cent of the company's share capital.
“The second quarter of the year met our expectations. Due to determined execution of our selected strategy, long-term development and streamlining measures, the Group's operating result excluding non-recurring items has improved steadily from one quarter to another since the end of 2011.
The development of the Group's result in the second quarter was particularly supported by the seasonally strong quarter in the Wood Products Industry, but in the third quarter, seasonal fluctuations typically have an opposite impact. The situation is stable in terms of demand for pulp, paperboard and tissue papers. The market situation for papers continues to be difficult.
The chronic uncertainty in the market environment makes the operations of export companies more difficult and has a negative impact on the demand for products and services. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that no additional burdens are placed on the industry and that burdens already decided on are cancelled.”
Kari Jordan, President & CEO, Metsä Group
Metsä Group
| Income statement, EUR million The figures for 2012 are restated | 2013 1–6 | 2012 1–6 | 2013 4–6 | 2012 4–6 | 2012 1–12 |
| Sales | 2 501.7 | 2 530.8 | 1 240.5 | 1 246.9 | 5 001.0 |
| Other operating income | 39.5 | 37.4 | 23.3 | 16.3 | 76.8 |
| Operating expenses | -2 230.9 | -2 330.0 | -1 117.1 | -1 135.8 | -4 587.2 |
| Depreciation and impairment losses | -126.9 | -131.0 | -57.5 | -65.1 | -249.1 |
| Operating result | 183.5 | 107.3 | 89.3 | 62.2 | 241.5 |
| Share of profit from associates | 9.5 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 4.9 | 4.8 |
| Exchange gains and losses | 0.0 | -0.3 | -0.2 | -1.7 | 2.4 |
| Other net financial items | -61.8 | -49.9 | -23.0 | -14.6 | -115.5 |
| Result before income tax | 131.2 | 61.0 | 69.0 | 50.9 | 133.2 |
| Income taxes | -34.7 | -25.3 | -18.8 | -16.8 | -31.8 |
| Result for the period | 96.5 | 35.7 | 50.2 | 34.1 | 101.4 |
| Profitability The figures for 2012 are restated | 2013 1–6 | 2012 1–6 | 2013 4–6 | 2012 4–6 | 2012 1–12 |
| Operating result, EUR mill. | 183.5 | 107.3 | 89.3 | 62.2 | 241.5 |
| - “ -, excluding non-recurring items | 182.7 | 116.9 | 93.7 | 63.9 | 255.7 |
| - “ - % of sales | 7.3 | 4.6 | 7.6 | 5.1 | 5.1 |
| Return on capital employed, % | 9.8 | 6.1 | 9.3 | 7.3 | 6.7 |
| - ” -, excluding non-recurring items | 9.8 | 6.6 | 9.8 | 7.4 | 7.1 |
| Return on equity, % | 10.4 | 4.3 | 10.7 | 8.2 | 6.1 |
| - ” -, excluding non-recurring items | 10.3 | 5.5 | 11.7 | 8.6 | 6.9 |
| Financial position The figures for 2012 are restated | 2013 30.6. | 2012 30.6. | 2013 31.3. | 2012 31.3 | 2012 31.12. |
| Equity ratio, % | 35.0 | 33.6 | 35.1 | 28.3 | 34.8 |
| Net gearing ratio, % | 89 | 94 | 89 | 133 | 86 |
| Interest-bearing net liabilities, EUR mill. | 1 649 | 1 705 | 1 676 | 1 993 | 1 590 |
Segments
| Sales and Operating result January–June 2013 (EUR mill.) | Wood Supply & Forest Services | Wood Products Industry | Pulp Industry | Paperboard and Paper Industry | Tissue and Cooking Papers |
| Sales | 815.1 | 475.7 | 632.4 | 1 037.8 | 493.8 |
| Other operating income | 3.0 | 4.8 | 8.0 | 26.5 | 3.8 |
| Operating expenses | -801.4 | -456.5 | -513.0 | -950.2 | -449.9 |
| Depreciation & impairment losses | -1.5 | -15.2 | -32.6 | -50.4 | -20.1 |
| Operating result | 15.2 | 8.8 | 94.8 | 63.7 | 27.6 |
| Non-recurring items | - | 7.3 | - | -7.5 | -0.6 |
| Operating result, excl. non-rec. items | 15.2 | 16.1 | 94.8 | 56.2 | 27.0 |
| - % of sales | 1.9 | 3.4 | 15.0 | 5.4 | 5.5 |
Near-term outlook
In Finland, demand for logging sites harvestable in the summer continues to be good in all timber types. There is also demand for wood from delivery contracts.
Sales in the wood products industry are expected to shrink in the third quarter due to seasonal fluctuations in demand and the summer production downtime. Sales of processed sawn goods are also expected to be lower than in the corresponding period last year due to the difficult market situation.
Utilisation rates at Metsä Fibre’s pulp mills are expected to remain good in the third quarter. Demand and supply are in balance, and average pulp prices are expected to be at the same level as during the second quarter.
Delivery volumes of folding boxboard are estimated to be approximately at the second quarter level in the third quarter. It is believed that demand for white-top kraftliner will continue to be very strong and delivery volumes are expected to increase slightly. The average price is estimated to be approximately at the previous quarter level.
The market situation of papers continues to be difficult. Delivery volumes of uncoated fine paper and coated paper are expected to be approximately at the previous quarter level in the third quarter. No significant price changes are in sight.
In the third quarter, extensive maintenance shutdowns in accordance with the annual plan will be carried out at the Husum and Kemi integrated mills. Mainly due to these shutdowns, Paperboard and Paper’s third quarter operating result excluding non-recurring items is expected to be weaker than in the second quarter of 2013.
In the tissue paper market, demand is expected to continue to be steady in all market areas, and particularly to grow in Russia.
Metsä Group’s operating result excluding non-recurring items in the third quarter of 2013 is expected to be weaker than in the second quarter of the year due to seasonal variation, especially in Wood Products Industry, and to the general economic situation.
Disclosure procedure
Metsä Group follows the disclosure procedure enabled by Standard 5.2b published by the Finnish Financial Supervision Authority and hereby publishes its Interim Report for January–June 2013 enclosed to this stock exchange release. Metsä Group’s complete Interim Report is attached to this release in pdf-format and is also available on the company's web site at www.metsagroup.com.
METSÄ GROUP
Group Communications
For further information, please contact:
Vesa-Pekka Takala, CFO, Metsä Group, tel. +358 (0)10 465 4260
Reeta Kaukiainen, SVP, Communications, Metsä Group, tel. +358 (0)10 465 4541, +358 (0)50 522 0924
www.metsagroup.com
Metsä Group is a responsible forest industry group whose products’ main raw material is renewable and sustainably grown Nordic wood. Metsä Group focuses on tissue and cooking papers, consumer packaging paperboards, pulp, wood products, and wood supply and forest services. Its high-quality products combine renewable raw materials, customer-orientation, sustainable development and innovation. Metsä Group’s sales totalled EUR 5.0 billion in 2012, and it employs approximately 11,500 people. The Group operates in some 30 countries. Metsäliitto Cooperative is the parent company of Metsä Group and is owned by approximately 125,000 Finnish forest owners.