Nexans information

Press release

Paris La Défense, June 18, 2018 - Considering the abrupt deterioration of the high voltage project activities forecast for the second half of 2018, the Group presently anticipates for the full year a stable level of sales and a consolidated EBITDA^[1] that could reach 350 million euros versus 411 million euros in 2017.

• For submarine high voltage, the Group is faced with the postponement of projects initially scheduled in 2018 of which some were already in Nexans' backlog. The current implementation of major projects underway is satisfactory and perspectives remain solid;
• For land high voltage, following 2017 strong performance fuelled by the successful execution of submarine connections, the weak sales backlog for the first half of 2018 suggests a lower than planned level of activity for the second half of the year;
• Additionally, the high voltage project activities recorded an exceptional cost of around ten million euros, principally due to an unfavourable court judgment ;
• In this context the forecast for full year 2018 as concerns Project activities is re-evaluated downwards taking into account an organic sales decrease of approximately 160 million euros and a decrease in EBITDA for this activity
  of 50 million euros compared to 2017.

       
The Group has already initiated corrective actions to mitigate the negative impact of this sales reduction.

In addition, the Group's EBITDA at June 30 is expected to mark a low point in view of the decline in the volume of activity in the high voltage projects area, the negative impact of the application of IFRS 15 norms for the project activities, as previously announced, and the negative impact of raw material inflation.

In this context, the Group anticipates a slight contraction of sales for the first half of 2018 and an EBITDA close to 150 million euros versus 211 million euros in the first half of 2017.

Nexans has decided to launch a share buyback program for a maximum number of 500,000 shares.

The objectives of this program are first to cancel up to a maximum of 400 000 shares in order to limit the dilutive effect of the capital increase underway for the 2018 International Employee Shareholding plan named Act 2018, and second to use in other share based employee plans for up to a maximum of 100,000 shares.

This program is made pursuant to the authorization granted by the 18th resolution of the General Shareholder's meeting held on May 17, 2018. Nexans will appoint an investment services provider for its implementation.

A Q&A session (in English) by conference call is scheduled today at 10.30 a.m. (Paris time).
To take part, please dial one of the following numbers and ask for "Nexans Conference Call":

• From France: +33 (0) 1 71 23 01 07
• From other European countries: +44 1296 480 180
• From the United States: +1 718 354 1176

Confirmation code: 882 513#

Financial calendar

July 26, 2018:             2018 First half results
November 8, 2018:    2018 Third-quarter financial information

As a global leader in advanced cabling and connectivity solutions, Nexans brings energy to life through an extensive range of best-in-class products and innovative services. For over 120 years, innovation has been the company's hallmark, enabling Nexans to drive a safer, smarter and more efficient future together with its customers. Today, the Nexans Group is committed to facilitating energy transition and supporting the exponential growth of data by empowering its customers in four main business areas: Building & Territories (including utilities, smart grids, e­mobility), High Voltage & Projects (covering offshore wind farms, submarine interconnections, land high voltage), Telecom & Data (covering data transmission, telecom networks, hyperscale data centers, LAN), and Industry & Solutions (including renewables, transportation, Oil & Gas, automation, and others).
Corporate Social Responsibility is a guiding principle of Nexans' business activities and internal practices. In 2013 Nexans became the first cable provider to create a Foundation supporting sustainable initiatives bringing access to energy to disadvantaged communities worldwide. The Group's commitment to developing ethical, sustainable and high-quality cables drives its active involvement within several leading industry associations, including Europacable, The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), International Cablemakers Federation (ICF) or CIGRE to mention a few.
Nexans employs nearly 26,000 people with industrial footprint in 34 countries and commercial activities worldwide. In 2017, the Group generated 6.4 billion euros in sales.
Nexans is listed on Euronext Paris, compartment A.

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