Ratos AB: Strong cash flows and stable earnings trend in a weaker market

Regulatory Information 2024-10-22

Q3 2024

  • Adjusted EBITA amounted to SEK 469m (517)
  • Operating profit amounted to SEK 159m (481)
  • Profit for the period amounted to SEK -54m (287)
  • Adjusted diluted earnings per share amounted to SEK 0.40 (0.57)
  • Diluted earnings per share amounted to SEK -0.45 (0.57)
  • Cash flow from operating activities amounted to SEK 783m (862)

January-September 2024

  • Adjusted EBITA amounted to SEK 1,928m (1,918)
  • Operating profit amounted to SEK 1,558m (1,804)
  • Profit for the period amounted to SEK 806m (1,026)
  • Adjusted diluted earnings per share amounted to SEK 2.32 (2.28)
  • Diluted earnings per share amounted to SEK 1.47 (2.28)
  • Cash flow from operating activities amounted to SEK 2,042m (3,393)
  • Adjusted leverage excluding finance leases amounted to 1.2x (1.3x)
  • Leverage excluding finance leases was 0.7x (1.3x)

Significant events during and after the end of the quarter

  • On 22 August, Plantasjen filed for reconstruction for selected legal entities in Sweden, Norway and Finland. In September, Plantasjen’s Finnish operations were declared bankrupt. The reconstruction decision resulted in an impairment of goodwill of SEK 246m being carried out in the quarter.
  • The merger of the Ratos companies Knightec and Semcon commenced in the third quarter and is expected to be completed in early 2025. Following the merger, the new company will hold a leading position in the northern Europe within product development and digital services.
  • During the quarter, Expin Group’s operations were restructured to focus on the electrification of rail infrastructure.
  • On 1 October, HL Display acquired Kost Klip Manufacturing Ltd., a Canadian manufacturer of in-store communication and shelf management solutions for the retail industry.

“Overall, I am pleased with our performance in a busy third quarter. The Industry business area continued to deliver increased earnings, improved profitability and strong cash flows in a slightly weaker-than-expected market. We were particularly pleased with the impressive performance of our technology consultancy companies. Earnings in the Consumer business area also improved slightly in the quarter, while earnings in Construction & Services declined. The order intake increased, and the backlog of orders is now equivalent to nearly two years’ worth of sales for the business area.”
Jonas Wiström, President and CEO, Ratos

A presentation of the interim report will be held today at 09.00 a.m. CEST. The presentation will be held in English and will also be available as a webcast on Ratos website, www.ratos.com.

The presentation can be followed on Youtube via the following link;
https://youtube.com/live/2ZQv4BDWQb0?feature=share

Participants who wish to ask questions live are asked to pre-register, please send an e-mail to helena.jansson@ratos.com in advance for a personal invitation.

Representatives of the media are welcome to contact Josefine Uppling, Vice President Communication, for interview requests.

Stockholm 22 October 2024
Jonas Wiström
President and CEO