Eltel Group - Interim report January–September 2015


January - September 2015

  · Net sales EUR 857.6 million (889.8), down 3.6%*, organic net sales increased
3.1%*
  · Operative EBITA** EUR 41.7 million (43.6) or 4.9% of net sales (4.9)
  · Non-recurring items EUR -1.7 million (-15.9), mainly IPO-related
  · EBITA EUR 40.0 million (27.6) or 4.7% of net sales (3.1)
  · Net financial expenses decreased to EUR 12.2 million (14.8)
  · Net result EUR 25.9 million (2.4)
  · Earnings per share EUR 0.42 (-0.05)
  · Operative cash flow** EUR -44.6 million (42.0), strongly impacted by IPO
-related cash payments in the first quarter

July - September 2015

Net sales EUR 310.8 million (330.9), down 6.1%*, organic net sales decreased
4.8%*

  · Operative EBITA** EUR 22.5 million (25.7) or 7.2% of net sales (7.8)
  · Non-recurring items EUR 0.9 million (-16.0)
  · EBITA EUR 23.3 million (9.7) or 7.5% of net sales (2.9)
  · Net financial expenses decreased to EUR 2.6 million (5.7)
  · Net result EUR 25.2 million (0.9)
  · Earnings per share EUR 0.39 (-0.02)
  · Operative cash flow** EUR -7.4 million (19.4) impacted by seasonal working
capital increase and acquisitions

Unless otherwise stated, figures in brackets refer to the same period in the
previous year
* Organic net sales excludes Norwegian communication business and Sønnico and
Edi.Son acquisitions in 2015. For net sales comparability, see table on page 3
and Communication segment on page 5.
** see definitions on pages 11, 13 and 16

Comments by the CEO

Continued favourable market activity – good profitability but lower project
volumes

In the third quarter, the market developed in line with earlier quarters in
2015. We continued to see high activity and demand from customers in all
segments – Power, Communication and Transport & Security. We are satisfied with
the development of Eltel’s profitability in the third quarter, particularly with
the margins in the Transport& Security and the Communication segments and
especially when taking into account the settlement in an African project in the
Power segment that last year affected EBITA positively with approximately EUR 6
million.

Volumes in project-related business were slightly lower in the quarter, compared
with the year-earlier period. This is partly due to more intense competition in
some of our businesses and our decision not to compromise on profitability. Our
project order backlog is strong and will over time support the reaching of our
mid- to long-term financial targets.

Eltel works tirelessly to achieve continuous improvements and to further develop
the Eltel Way. Currently, the focus is on the health and safety area. This is a
tremendously important area for an Infranet company such as Eltel.

We continuously identify and evaluate a broad range of acquisition alternatives
in the market. During this year we have executed a few important acquisitions.
In the third quarter, we announced the strategically important buyout of Eltel
Sønnico in Norway. This merger within our Communication segment is progressing
according to plan and will further increase our efficiency moving forward.
However, in the short term, there will be a slight margin dilution compared with
the earlier ownership structure.

After the close of the third quarter, we also announced a minor acquisition in
the Transport & Security business segment. Vete Signaltjenester AS is a small
Norwegian company specialised in railway signalling systems. This is the type of
acquisition that enables us to grow more organically, by gaining new contracts
in this attractive area in the future.

The overall picture for the Infranet market going forward remains attractive. In
the Power segment, transmission system operators in Sweden and Norway have
announced a doubling of their grid investments over the next ten-year period.
Similar indications apply for the German market and for several countries in
Africa. Furthermore, there are plans to invest significantly in power
distribution, especially in cabling projects and electrical meter installations.
In the Communication segment, demand for fibre deployment has developed
positively in several markets and for our Transport & Security business segment,
healthy tender activity continue in the rail sector and in the area of security
and aviation.

–Axel Hjärne, President and CEO

For further information:
Ingela Ulfves
VP – IR and Communications
Tel: +358 40 311 3009, ingela.ulfves@eltelnetworks.com

Hannu Tynkkynen
SVP – Group Communications
Tel: +358 40 311 4503, hannu.tynkkynen@eltelnetworks.com

About Eltel
Eltel is a leading European provider of technical services for critical
infrastructure networks – Infranets – in the segments of Power, Communication
and Transport & Security, with operations throughout the Nordic and Baltic
regions, Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom and Africa. Eltel provides a broad
and integrated range of services, spanning from maintenance and upgrade services
to project deliveries. Eltel has a diverse contract portfolio and a loyal and
growing customer base of large network owners. The current number of employees
is approximately 9 300. In 2014 Eltel’s net sales amounted to EUR 1 242 million.
Since February 2015, Eltel AB is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

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