Viking Line's half year financial report for the period January - June 2018

Viking Line Abp          HALF YEAR FINANCIAL REPORT            16.8.2018, 9.00 A.M.

VIKING LINE’S HALF YEAR FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY - JUNE 2018

Consolidated sales of the Viking Line Group for the period January 1 – June 30, 2018 were 225.7 million euros (EUR 235.5 M for the period January 1 – June 30, 2017). Other operating revenue amounted to EUR 0.2 M (0.1). Operating income totalled EUR -13.5 M (-15.0). Net financial items totalled EUR -1.7 M (-0.6). Consolidated income before taxes amounted to EUR -15.2 M (-15.6). Income after taxes totalled EUR -11.8 M (-12.3).

Competition in Viking Line’s service area remains tough and implies continued pressure on prices and volumes. Volume and price developments during the remainder of the financial year will be crucial to the Group’s earnings. The organizational change implemented during the spring 2018 is expected to have a positive effect on the Group’s results. The Board of Directors believes that, overall, operating income for 2018 will be better or on a par with operating income for 2017. The Board's previous assessment was that operating income for 2018 would inprove compared to operating income for 2017.

SALES AND EARNINGS

Consolidated sales of the Viking Line Group for the period January 1 – June 30, 2018 were 225.7 million euros (EUR 235.5 M for the period January 1 – June 30, 2017). Other operating revenue amounted to EUR 0.2 M (0.1). Operating income totalled EUR -13.5 M (-15.0). Net financial items totalled EUR -1.7 M (-0.6). Consolidated income before taxes amounted to EUR -15.2 M (-15.6). Income after taxes totalled EUR -11.8 M (-12.3).

Passenger-related revenue was EUR 201.7 M (211.5), while cargo revenue amounted to EUR 22.9 M (22.8). Net sales revenue was EUR 163.3 M (169.3).

Due to lower operating expenses compared to the previous year, consolidated income for the first six months of 2018 improved despite lower sales. Consolidated operating expenses decreased by 3.9 per cent to EUR 164.7 M (171.3). Bunker (vessel fuel) expenses increased by 3.6 per cent to EUR 24.1 M (23.2). The weak Swedish krona had a negative impact on consolidated income.

During the second quarter, April 1 – June 30, 2018, consolidated sales totalled EUR 125.5 M (EUR 134.4 M for the period April 1 – June 30, 2017). Second quarter operating income amounted to EUR 0.0 M (2.7). In April 2018, capacity was reduced due to a longer dry-docking for Gabriella, which had a negative impact on quarterly income. The placing in service of the vessel Viking FSTR, which operated on the Helsinki–Tallinn route starting on April 10, 2017, increased consolidated sales and capacity but did not contribute to income during the second quarter of 2017.

SERVICES AND MARKET TRENDS

The Viking Line Group provides passenger and cargo carrier services using seven vessels on the northern Baltic Sea. The Group’s vessels served the same routes as in 2017. During the period April 10 – October 16, 2017, capacity on the Helsinki–Tallinn route increased with the leased vessel Viking FSTR.

The number of passengers on Viking Line’s vessels during the report period amounted to 2,844,433 (3,078,899). The Group had a total market share in its service area of 31.6 per cent (33.8).

Viking Line’s cargo volume was 64,544 cargo units (64,912). Viking Line achieved a cargo market share of 17.9 per cent (19.3). The number of cars transported was 295,246 units (314,409).

INVESTMENTS AND FINANCING

The Group’s investments amounted to EUR 9.5 M (8.9), of which EUR 1.7 M was related to capitalized costs for vessels under construction. The Group’s total investments represent 4.2 per cent of sales (3.8).

On June 30, 2018, the Group’s non-current interest-bearing liabilities totalled EUR 115.3 M (138.8). The equity/assets ratio was 43.8 per cent, compared to 41.4 per cent a year earlier.

At the end of June 2018, the Group’s cash and cash equivalents amounted to EUR 56.7 M (80.0). Unutilized credit lines in the Group totalled EUR 15.1 M on June 30, 2018 (EUR 0.1 M). Net cash flow from operating activities amounted to EUR 9.7 M (8.0). Net cash flow from investing activities was EUR -7.1 M (-6.8) and net cash flow from financing activities amounted to EUR -13.9 M (-16.1).

FINANCIAL REPORTING AND CHANGES IN ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES

This Half-year Financial Report was prepared in compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) and was drawn up as a summary of the financial statements for the period in compliance with IAS 34.

IFRS 9, “Financial instruments”, is applied beginning with the financial year 2018, from which time the Group’s financial instruments have been classified in accordance with the new standard. Items that were previously recognized as investments available for sale are now classified as financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income. The change has no effect on the Group’s comparable figures; only the terminology has changed.

IFRS 15, “Revenue from contracts with customers”, is applied beginning with the financial year 2018. The standard is applied retroactively for each previous reporting period. For the financial year 2018, some of the Group’s sales and purchases of external services will be recognized on a net basis. Previously, these purchases were recognized under goods and services. Comparable figures for 2017 have been adjusted for these items. This entails a reduction in consolidated sales and in goods and services of EUR 3.6 M for the first six month of the financial year 2017 and EUR 9.2 M for the full financial year. The adjustment has no effect on consolidated income or equity.

The internal reporting of the vessels’ direct revenue and expenses has changed, and segment reporting has been adjusted accordingly. Comparable figures for 2017 have been adjusted in line with these changes. The vessels continue to meet all aggregation criteria. The changes in question thus do not give rise to any changes in the operating segments themselves.

Deferred taxes are calculated for temporary differences between carrying amount and tax base according to the tax rates that were established before the balance sheet date. When estimating deferred taxes on June 30, 2018, the 2021 tax rate of 20.6 per cent has been used in the Group’s Swedish subsidiaries since the temporary differences are not expected to be reversed for taxation before the new tax rate goes into effect.

This Half-year Financial Report is otherwise prepared in accordance with the same accounting principles, estimates and judgements as in the latest annual financial statements. The Half-year Financial Report is unaudited.

When rounding off items to the nearest EUR 1,000,000, rounding-off differences of EUR+/- 0.1 M may occur.

ORGANIZATION AND PERSONNEL

The average number of Group employees was 2,603 (2,688), of whom 1,951 (2,004) worked for the parent company. Land-based personnel totalled 630 (644) and shipboard personnel totalled 1,973 (2,044).

In addition to the Group’s own employees, Viking XPRS was staffed by an average of 238 (243) people employed by a staffing company.

RISK FACTORS

Since the Year-end Report was published, no changes have occurred that affect the Group’s short-term assessment of the risks in its business operations.

Special risks in the immediate future are primarily related to bunker (vessel fuel) prices. Fluctuations in bunker prices have a direct impact on the Group’s earnings. In order to partly offset the risk of higher bunker prices, the Group has entered into fixed-price agreements related to a portion of its bunker consumption during 2018.

The Swedish krona has been much weaker in 2018, which has a negative impact on the Group's results. The exchange rate trend thus constitutes a significant risk factor during the year.

OUTLOOK FOR THE FULL FINANCIAL YEAR 2018

Competition in Viking Line’s service area remains tough and implies continued pressure on prices and volumes. Volume and price developments during the remainder of the financial year will be crucial to the Group’s earnings. The organizational change implemented during the spring 2018 is expected to have a positive effect on the Group’s results. The Board of Directors believes that, overall, operating income for 2018 will be better or on a par with operating income for 2017. The Board's previous assessment was that operating income for 2018 would inprove compared to operating income for 2017.

The Business Review for January – September 2018 will be published on November 15, 2018.

Mariehamn, Åland, August 15, 2018

VIKING LINE ABP
The Board of Directors

Jan Hanses
President and CEO