Half-Year Report January - June 2009

Half-Year Report January - June 2009

Second quarter of 2009 - Favourable earnings and margins with low volumes in a
continued weak market

- Net sales declined by 28 percent to  607 MSEK (846)
- Operating profit amounted to 54 MSEK (88)
- Profit after tax amounted to 32 MSEK (54)
- Earnings per share amounted to 1.20 SEK (2.04)
- Operating cash flow was strong and totalled 174 MSEK (46)



First half of 2009 - Lower volumes and major cost adjustments in a weak market

- Net sales declined by 26 percent to 1,254 MSEK (1,698)
- Operating profit, excluding items affecting comparability, amounted to 100
MSEK (171). Including these items, profit amounted to till 2 MSEK (171) 
- Result after tax amounted to a loss of 23 MSEK (profit: 104)
- Earnings per share, excluding items affecting comparability, amounted to 2.18
SEK (3.92). Including these items, earnings per share amounted to a loss of 0.87
SEK (profit: 3.92)
- Operating cash flow totalled 207 MSEK (137) excluding items affecting
comparability
- Restructuring costs amounted to 98 MSEK, recognized in the first quarter 

 

President's comments

“As expected, the second quarter was also very challenging, with continued weak
demand. We continued to respond quickly and forcefully in adapting our costs to
the new market situation with significantly lower volumes. Although sales
declined by 28 percent, operating profit nonetheless developed positively and
amounted to 54 MSEK with an operating margin of 8.9 percent. In addition,
operating cash flow was strong and totalled 174 MSEK.
Overall, the first half of the year showed sharply reduced demand. Sales
declined by 26 percent and operating profit amounted to 100 MSEK with an
operating margin of 8.0 percent (excluding items affecting comparability). The
restructuring project, which primarily comprises closure of our compounding
plant in Canada, is proceeding favourably. At the same time, we are working
actively to improve our market positions under very uncertain market
conditions.”	
	Georg Brunstam, President and CEO




For further information please contact;

Georg Brunstam
President and CEO
+46(0)708-55 12 51

Urban Ottosson
CFO and Investor Relations
+46(0)767-85 51 44


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Presentation of the report will take place via telephone conference at 13:00 on
23 July 2009. 

Please call +46(0)8-231 091 and enter meeting code 917 840.

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HEXPOL is a world-leading polymers group with strong global positions in
advanced rubber compounds (Compounding), gaskets for plate heat exchangers
(Gaskets) and wheels made of plastic and rubber materials for truck and castor
wheel applications (Wheels). Customers are primarily OEM manufacturers of plate
heat exchangers and trucks, as well as global systems suppliers to the
automotive industry. The Group is organized in two business areas, HEXPOL
Compounding and HEXPOL Engineered Products, and has about 1,700 employees in
nine countries. In 2008, HEXPOL had sales of about 3,200 MSEK. Read more at
www.hexpol.com.