Key highlights Q4
Organic and currency neutral sales growth of 14%Adjusted EBITDA margin of 17% despite soaring cost inflation
*Solid operating cash flow and strong balance sheet
*Shift towards softer demand and declining sentiment
*The Board of Directors proposes an ordinary dividend of SEK 5.50 per share (4.30) and an extraordinary dividend of SEK 2.00 per share (–)
Quarterly data Q4
*Net sales increased by 79% to SEK 11,971 million (6,688), whereof Billerud North America accounted for SEK 4,004 million
*Adjusted EBITDA** increased to SEK 2,092 million (1,075), whereof Billerud North America accounted for SEK 1,123 million (–)
*The adjusted EBITDA margin was 17% (16%)
*Operating profit was SEK 1,353 million (418), including items impacting comparability of SEK -52 million (-177)
*Net profit was SEK 940 million (320)
*Earnings per share amounted to SEK 3.79 (1.55)
Comments by the CEO
Full-year performance 2022 has been excellent. Organic and currency neutral sales growth for the year was 16%. The EBITDA margin was 19% and earnings per share increased from SEK 7.2 to SEK 20.1. The Board of Directors proposes an approximately 75% increase of dividend to SEK 7.5 per share.
The fourth quarter result was supported by continued outstanding contribution from our newly acquired North American operations. For the Group, the organic and currency neutral sales growth ended at 14% with an EBITDA margin of 17%. However, the profitability level was affected by the soaring cost inflation for raw materials, in particular in Europe. Sales volumes in the quarter landed disappointingly low, mainly due to softer demand and inventory adjustments by some of our customers. In addition, we had several independent disruptions in our manufacturing which affected our operating rates in December.
Our North American operations continued to make a sizable profit and cash flow contribution in the fourth quarter. Earnings in North America were strengthened with input cost coming down and positive currency exchange effects. We maintained prices in Europe, but margins were diluted by the continued cost inflation.
After a period of strong market conditions with increasing prices and inventory-build at customers in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, our market conditions turned less favourable in the fourth quarter. The shift in market sentiment to slower demand was predominantly driven by customers’ temporary destocking and expectations of an economic slowdown.
Since the acquisition in the end of the first quarter, Verso Corporation has been successfully integrated. We have changed our company name to the internationally viable Billerud in all countries. We closed our cost and efficiency programme this year, with total structural savings of SEK 920 million since it was initiated in 2019.
We have a clear long-term growth agenda for cartonboard. We are making good progress on our plans to convert US manufacturing assets to board production. The pre-feasibility study will be completed in the first half of 2023, whereafter a potential investment decision can be taken. We are working with all stakeholders to ensure the success of our plans and are scaling up our board business in the USA with deliveries of our CrownBoard products from Sweden.
Our initiative that aims to start producing bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp (BCTMP) in Norway is also supporting these growth plans. Part of our partnership with Viken Skog will involve a long-term supply agreement that will ensure availability of cost-competitive pulp and pulpwood. A potential investment decision for this project is planned for the third quarter 2023.
For the first quarter of 2023, we expect more challenging market conditions with slower demand for graphic paper, sack and kraft paper and paperboard. Customers’ destocking and the future economic uncertainty are expected to have a temporary negative impact on sales volumes. Market conditions for liquid packaging board are expected to remain stable. We expect stable volumes in liquid packaging board with price increases taking effect early in first quarter.
details at: https://news.cision.com/billerud-ab/r/year-end-report-january-december-2022,c3704267