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Financial Figures/Balance Sheet/6-month report
07.08.2013
- Market environment
- Ongoing satisfactory mail business in Austria,
positive revenue effects due to elections
- Robust growth in the Austrian parcel market
- Strong competition in the international parcel business
- Higher revenue
- Revenue growth of 1.5% (excl. Benelux)
- Slight growth in both the mail and parcel businesses
- Further earnings growth
- EBIT up 3.9% to EUR 98.4m
- Efficiency enhancement and improvement of the cost structure
- Outlook for 2013 confirmed
- Stable or slightly rising revenue development expected
- Goal of further earnings improvement
OVERVIEW OF AUSTRIAN POST
The first half of 2013 proceeded very satisfactorily for Austrian Post. In
particular, the mail segment developed gratifyingly during the reporting period.
Although the structural trend caused by declining letter mail volumes as a
consequence of electronic substitution is continuing, growth was achieved thanks
to positive revenue effects. The Austrian parcel market also showed growth
momentum in 2013, which was mainly driven by the ongoing trend towards online
shopping. A more differentiated picture emerges when considering the
international business of Austrian Post. In South East and Eastern Europe, the
company succeeded in generating revenue growth, whereas revenue decreased in
Germany due to the highly competitive market environment there. Here the
efficiency enhancement programme is being continued. The cost basis of the
subsidiary trans-o-flex is being improved by insourcing distribution services in
selected regions and by streamlining structures.
Group revenue, adjusted to take account of the Benelux subsidiaries disposed in
the middle of 2012, rose by 1.5% in the first half of 2013. The mail business
achieved a 1.8% revenue increase as a consequence of acquisitions and positive
revenue effects (elections and referendums), while parcel operations generated a
1.3% rise in revenue (excl. Benelux). Earnings also improved on this basis. EBIT
climbed by 3.9% to EUR 98.4m, and earnings per share were up by 4.5% to EUR
1.12.
An important milestone in the first half of 2013 was Austrian Post's entry into
the Turkish parcel market. In June, an agreement was reached with the owners of
the parcel services provider Aras Kargo to acquire a 25% stake in the company.
The closing of the transaction took place on July 30, 2013. "On the basis of
this acquisition we entered the promising future market of Turkey, whose parcel
business offers enormous growth potential. Aras Kargo, a leading logistics
provider, boasts an outstanding track record in the Turkish parcel market
combined with a high level of services", says Georg Pölzl, Chief Executive
Officer of Austrian Post.
In addition to this strategic expansion, Austrian Post's priorities remain the
ongoing increase in efficiency and flexibilisation of its cost structure. The
outlook for the 2013 financial year can be confirmed based on current market
developments. Revenue is expected to remain stable or increase slightly, and the
company is striving to further improve its EBIT.
REVENUE DEVELOPMENT IN DETAIL
In the first half of 2013, Austrian Post's reported revenue of EUR 1,173.1m was
at the same level as in the previous year. Adjusted to take account of the
revenue of EUR 17.3m generated by the disposed and deconsolidated subsidiaries
in the Benelux region in the first half of 2012, the revenue increase in the
first half-year of 2013 amounted to 1.5%.
REVENUE BY DIVISION*
Change
EUR m H1 2012 H1 2013 % EUR m Q2 2012 Q2 2013
Total revenue 1,173.1 1,173.1 0.0% 0.0 567.4 570.2
Revenue excl.
Benelux subsidiaries** 1,155.9 1,173.1 1.5% 17.3 560.9 570.2
Mail & Branch Network 741.6 754.6 1.8% 13.0 356.6 363.7
Parcel & Logistics 430.8 419.0 -2.8% -11.9 210.1 206.9
Parcel & Logistics
excl. Benelux** 413.6 419.0 1.3% 5.4 203.6 206.9
Corporate 5.4 3.7 -30.6% -1.6 4.1 0.3
Consolidation -4.7 -4.2 10.2% 0.5 -3.3 -0.6
Calendar working
days in Austria 124 123 - - 60 60
* External sales of the divisions
** The closing of the disposal of trans-o-flex Nederland B.V. took place as of
March 15, 2012, for trans-o-flex Belgium B.V.B.A as of May 31, 2012
Revenue of the Mail & Branch Network Division rose by 1.8%, or EUR 13.0m, to EUR
754.6m. On the one hand, this gratifying development can be attributed to the
consolidation of new subsidiaries in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria (plus EUR
12.5m). On the other hand, the revenue increase is also due to the positive
impetus provided by elections and referendums held in Austria during the first
half of 2013. In addition, services offered in the field of Mail Solutions
posted growth during the reporting period.
In the Parcel & Logistics Division, revenue adjusted to take account of the
disposed subsidiaries in the Benelux region, rose by 1.3% to EUR 419.0m. From a
regional perspective, the Austrian parcel market generated the strongest growth,
whereas revenue declined in Germany.
INCOME STATEMENT
Against the backdrop of a stable revenue development of the Group, revenue
declined in the German parcel and logistics business, which is characterised by
a high share of external transport services. This is the underlying reason for
the decrease in operating expenses for raw materials, consumables and services
used, which fell by 1.9% to EUR 372.4m.
Staff costs increased slightly year-on-year by 0.6% to EUR 550.6m. This figure
encompasses all operational staff costs as well as non-operational staff costs
in the Group, which are primarily designed to enable a sustainable improvement
in the cost structure. Operational staff costs at EUR 519.3m remained at a
stable level compared to the previous year. Non-operational staff costs, which
include severance payments, restructuring measures and provisions, amounted to
EUR 31.2m in the first half of 2013 compared to the prior-year level of EUR
27.7m. In addition to the usual severance payments, a total of EUR 17.7m was
allocated to the provisions for employee under-utilisation and various
restructuring measures.
In the first half of 2013, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and
amortisation (EBITDA) of Austrian Post Group improved by 3.3% to EUR 139.9m.
Accordingly, the EBITDA margin was 11.9%. Earnings before interest and tax
(EBIT) rose by 3.9% to EUR 98.4m, corresponding to an EBIT margin of 8.4%.
EBIT BY DIVISION
Change
EUR m H1 2012* H1 2013 % EUR m Q2 2012* Q2 2013
Total EBIT 94.7 98.4 3.9% 3.7 36.4 38.6
Mail & Branch Network 137.0 141.9 3.6% 4.9 60.6 62.9
Parcel & Logistics 11.6 12.4 6.6% 0.8 3.8 5.0
Corporate -53.9 -56.0 -3.9% -2.1 -28.0 -29.3
* Apply of the revised standard IAS 19 ahead of schedule: adjustment for staff
costs, results of investments consolidated at equity, income tax and the
respective earnings items
The company also shows a stable development from a divisional perspective. The
Mail & Branch Network Division generated an EBIT of EUR 141.9m, a rise of 3.6%.
This increase is related to positive revenue effects as well as the ongoing
efficiency improvements in the entire mail logistics operations. EBIT of the
Parcel & Logistics Division in the first half of 2013 amounted to EUR 12.4m,
slightly above the level achieved in the prior-year period. This positive
earnings development is mainly attributable to the good performance in Austria.
Overall, the division's EBIT margin was 2.9%.
After deducting income taxes totalling EUR 20.0m, the Group net profit (profit
after tax) in the first half of 2013 amounted to EUR 76.5m, a rise of 5.2% from
the results of the prior-year period. After deducting the profit for the period
attributable to non-controlling interests, this corresponds to earnings of EUR
1.12 per share, an increase of 4.5%. Q2 2013 earnings per share totalled EUR
0.44 compared to EUR 0.43 in the second quarter of the previous year.
CASH FLOW
In the first six months of 2013, operating cash flow before changes in working
capital totalled EUR 154.5m, slightly above the prior-year level. On balance,
the changes in net working capital totalled minus EUR 47.2m during the period
under review, of which minus EUR 34.6m can be attributed to the reduction in
current provisions and the related payments of obligations from previous
periods.
The cash flow from investing activities of minus EUR 84.4m includes cash
outflows for the purchase of property, plant and equipment (CAPEX) totalling EUR
49.9m, including investments of EUR 10.8m relating to the new logistics centre
in Allhaming, Upper Austria, which is expected to be completed and put into
operation by September 2014. In addition, cash outflows of EUR 17.2m were for
acquisitions, mainly for the acquisition of the Romanian company PostMaster
s.r.l. as well as the increased stake in M&BM Express OOD, Bulgaria. The free
cash flow before acquisitions and securities totalled EUR 58.8m in the first
half of 2013.
EMPLOYEES
The average number of full-time employees at the Austrian Post Group totalled
23,906 people in the first half of 2013. This comprises an increase of 925
employees from the prior-year period, about 1,600 of whom can be attributed to
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