Ratos AB: Continued strong earnings trend in the first quarter

Regulatory Information 2021-04-30

Performance Ratos Group

• Profit/loss for the period for the Ratos Group increased to SEK 1,733m (-113)
• Operating profit/loss from continuing operations for the Ratos Group amounted to SEK 154m (-14)
• Diluted earnings per share increased to SEK 5.27 (-0.38)
• Diluted earnings per share adjusted for capital gains amounted to SEK -0.04 (-0.38)
• Cash and cash equivalents in the parent company totalled SEK 2,285m (1,391)

Performance Ratos business group, adjusted for Ratos’s holdings

• Net sales decreased to SEK 4,666m (5,588), mainly due to the divestment of Bisnode
• EBITA increased to SEK 173m (108)
• Cash flow from operations amounted to SEK -524m (-107)
   

Significant events during and after the end of the period

• On 8 January, Ratos completed the sale of Bisnode, excluding Bisnode Belgium, the sale of which was completed on 31 March. The equity value for Ratos’s holding of 70% in both operations totalled SEK 3,879m, yielding a consolidated capital gain of SEK 1,773m in the first quarter.
• On 4 March, HL Display acquired the company Concept Group, thus strengthening its market-leading position in the UK.
• On 10 March, Ratos signed an agreement to acquire 63% of Vestia Construction Group, a complement to Ratos’s building construction company, HENT, both geographically and in terms of expertise.
• On 1 April, HL Display acquired CoolPresentation, thus strengthening its market position in the Netherlands.

“In the first quarter, which is seasonally small, the business group’s EBITA increased 61%. This was despite the fact that Bisnode, which represented 54% of earnings in the first quarter of 2020, was not included in the business group this quarter. At the same time, profitability improved. The pandemic impacted the quarter, resulting in reduced sales. Nonetheless, all companies except for Diab and HENT recorded improved or significantly improved earnings. Two company divestments and two company acquisitions were completed during the quarter. After the end of the period, an additional acquisition was completed.”

Jonas Wiström, President & CEO, Ratos

A telephone conference will be held today at 09.00 CEST to present the result. The presentation will be held in English and will also be available as an audiocast on Ratos website, www.ratos.com

Link to the audiocast: https://www.financialhearings.com/event/13557

Those who wish to participate in the conference call in connection with the presentation are welcome to call the number below. To make sure that the connection to the conference call works, call a few minutes before the conference starts to register.

Dial-in number:
UK +44 333 300 9265
SE: +46 8 505 583 59
US: +1 844 625 1570

Stockholm 30 April 2021
Jonas Wiström
President and CEO

For further information, please visit www.ratos.com or contact:
Johan Hähnel, Acting Communications and IR
+46 8 700 17 00

Jonas Ågrup, CFO
+46 8 700 17 00

Jonas Wiström, President and CEO
+46 8 700 17 00
 

This is information that Ratos AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 07:00 CEST on 30 April 2021.

About Ratos:
Ratos is a business group consisting of 12 companies divided into three business areas: Construction & Services, Consumer and Industry. In total 2020, the companies have approximately SEK 34 billion in sales. Our business concept is to develop companies headquartered in the Nordics that are or can become market leaders. We enable independent companies to excel by being part of something larger. People, leadership, culture and values are key focus areas for Ratos. Everything we do is based on Ratos’s core values: Simplicity, Speed in Execution and It’s All About People.