Valmet's Half Year Financial Review January 1 - June 30, 2022: Orders received increased to EUR 1.3 billion and Comparable EBITA to EUR 122 million in the second quarter

ESPOO, Finland, July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Valmet Oyj's stock exchange release on June 27, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. EEST 

Figures in brackets, unless otherwise stated, refer to the comparison period, i.e., the same period of the previous year.

Starting from January 1, 2022, Valmet has a new financial reporting structure consisting of three reportable segments (segments): Services, Automation and Process Technologies. Services segment includes the Services business line. Automation segment includes the Automation Systems business line (previously called Automation), and as of April 1, 2022, also the Flow Control business line. Process Technologies segment includes the Pulp and Energy, and Paper business lines.

Adjusted earnings per share (Adjusted EPS) is a new alternative performance measure that excludes the impact of fair value adjustments arising from business combinations, net of tax. Adjusted EPS enables users of the financial information to prepare more meaningful analysis on Valmet's performance and is presented with comparatives from Q2/2022 onwards.

April–June 2022: Comparable EBITA increased but the Comparable EBITA margin decreased

•  Orders received increased 6 percent to EUR 1,306 million (EUR 1,228 million).

–  Orders received increased in the Automation and Services segments and decreased in the Process Technologies segment.

–  Orders received increased in North America, Asia-Pacific and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), and decreased in South America and China.

•  Net sales increased 36 percent to EUR 1,286 million (EUR 943 million).

–  Net sales increased in the Automation, Services and Process Technologies segments.

•  Comparable earnings before interest, taxes and amortization (Comparable EBITA) increased 29 percent to EUR 122 million (EUR 95 million).

–  Comparable EBITA increased in the Automation and Services segments and decreased in the Process Technologies segment.

•  Comparable EBITA margin was 9.5 percent (10.1%).

•  Earnings per share were EUR 0.55 (EUR 0.43). Adjusted earnings per share were EUR 0.68 (EUR 0.45).

•  Items affecting comparability amounted to EUR 32 million (EUR 2 million).

•  Cash flow provided by operating activities was EUR -85 million (EUR 180 million).

•  April–June was the first quarter with Flow Control as part of Valmet.

January–June 2022: Orders received remained at the previous year's level and Comparable EBITA increased

•  Orders received remained at the previous year's level and amounted to EUR 2,631 million (EUR 2,540 million).

–  Orders received increased in the Automation and Services segments and decreased in the Process Technologies segment.

–  Orders received increased in North America, Asia-Pacific and EMEA and decreased in South America and China.

•  Net sales increased 25 percent to EUR 2,246 million (EUR 1,801 million).

–  Net sales increased in the Automation, Services and Process Technologies segments.

•  Comparable earnings before interest, taxes and amortization (Comparable EBITA) increased 15 percent to EUR 202 million (EUR 175 million).

–  Comparable EBITA increased in the Automation and Services segments and decreased in the Process Technologies segment.

•  Comparable EBITA margin was 9.0 percent (9.7%).

•  Earnings per share were EUR 0.87 (EUR 0.81). Adjusted earnings per share were EUR 1.05 (EUR 0.86).

•  Items affecting comparability amounted to EUR 27 million (EUR 11 million).

•  Cash flow provided by operating activities was EUR -65 million (EUR 328 million).

Guidance for 2022

Valmet reiterates its guidance issued on April 1, 2022, in which Valmet estimates that, including the merger with Neles, net sales in 2022 will increase in comparison with 2021 (EUR 3,935 million) and Comparable EBITA in 2022 will increase in comparison with 2021 (EUR 429 million).

Short-term market outlook

Valmet estimates that the short-term market outlook for pulp has decreased to good/satisfactory (previously good) and that the short-term market outlook for energy has improved to good (previously satisfactory). Valmet reiterates the good short-term market outlook for services, flow control, automation systems, and board and paper, and the satisfactory short-term market outlook for tissue.

The short-term market outlook is given for the next six months from the end of the reported period. It is based on customer activity (50%) and Valmet's capacity utilization (50%), and the scale is 'weak–satisfactory–good'.

President and CEO Pasi Laine: Strong start for Flow Control as part of Valmet

"Valmet's orders received increased to EUR 1,306 million in the second quarter of 2022. Orders received increased in Automation and Services segments, and decreased in the Process Technologies segment. Our order backlog increased to EUR 4,784 million, which is EUR 688 million higher than at the end of 2021.

Net sales increased in all business lines. This is a good achievement, as lockdowns in China, the war in Ukraine and a fire at one of our sites in Finland impacted the operations during the quarter. Comparable EBITA increased, but Comparable EBITA margin decreased. Comparable EBITA increased in Automation and Services, and decreased in Process Technologies. Cost inflation impacted Valmet's margins during the quarter. Valmet's goal is to offset the cost inflation at least partly through increased productivity, procurement savings and price increases.

The merger of Neles into Valmet was completed on April 1, 2022, and Neles became Valmet's fifth business line called Flow Control. Flow Control is part of Valmet's Automation segment. The integration of Flow Control into Valmet is proceeding according to the plan. Active sales and marketing of Valmet's whole offering and implementation of several cost synergy actions were started during the quarter. Our customers appreciate Valmet's unique offering, which combines process technologies, automation and services."

Merger with Neles

On July 2, 2021, Valmet announced that the Boards of Directors of Valmet Oyj and Neles Corporation had signed a combination agreement and a merger plan to combine the two companies through a merger. Both companies held an Extraordinary General Meeting on September 22, 2021, and both EGMs approved the merger. Valmet and Neles had received all competition approvals for the merger of Neles into Valmet on March 21, 2022.  Valmet's Annual General Meeting on March 22, 2022, resolved to pay a dividend of EUR 1.20 per share and the Neles Annual General Meeting on March 22, 2022, resolved to pay a dividend of EUR 0.266 per share in accordance with the combination agreement. In addition, Neles' Board of Directors decided on March 22, 2022, on an extra distribution of funds in total of EUR 2.00 per share in accordance with the combination agreement. The dividends and Neles' extra distribution of funds of EUR 2.00 per share were executed on March 31, 2022. The merger of Valmet and Neles was registered with the Finnish Trade Register on April 1, 2022.

On July 2, 2021, Valmet entered into EUR 350 million term loan facilities agreement with Danske Bank A/S and Nordea Bank Abp. The syndication of the term loan facilities was closed on October 20, 2021. The loan was used for refinancing existing indebtedness of Valmet and Neles in connection with the merger. EUR 215 million (originally 301 million) bridge facility agreement originally entered into by Neles was transferred to Valmet in connection with the completion of the merger. The bridge loan facility was used for financing of the extra distribution to shareholders of Neles.

On March 22, 2022, the Boards of Directors of Valmet and Neles approved a loan agreement between the companies concerning the part of the extra distribution of funds of EUR 2.00 per share payable to Valmet. According to the loan agreement, the part of the extra distribution payable to Valmet as a shareholder of Neles was not paid in cash to Valmet in connection with payment of the extra distribution to other shareholders of Neles, but the amount payable to Valmet was recorded as debt owed by Neles to Valmet.

Valmet and Neles were separate listed companies prior to the merger. On April 1, 2022, Valmet announced that the statutory merger of Neles Corporation into Valmet had been registered and the combination of Valmet's and Neles' business operations had been completed. Neles is consolidated into Valmet as of April 1, 2022, and forms Valmet's fifth business line called Flow Control. After the merger, Valmet's business lines are Services, Flow Control, Automation Systems, Paper, and Pulp and Energy. Automation Systems business line was previously called Automation.

The final Shareholders' Meeting of Neles was held June 22, 2022, in Vantaa. The Shareholders' Meeting adopted the final accounts of Neles in accordance with Chapter 16, Section 17 of the Finnish Companies Act, consisting of the financial statements and annual report for the financial period January 1, 2022 – March 31, 2022. The Shareholders' Meeting also resolved on discharging the members of the Board of Directors and the President and CEO of Neles from liability.

Update on the integration of Flow Control into Valmet

The integration of Flow Control (former Neles) into Valmet is proceeding according to the plan.  Active sales and marketing of Valmet's whole offering was commenced, and implementation of several cost synergy actions regarding function costs, common locations and supply chain was started during Q2. Valmet expects to generate annual run rate synergies of approximately EUR 25 million, of which approximately 60 percent are expected to be achieved by the end of 2023 and approximately 90 percent by the end of 2024. 

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and sanctions on Russia

Due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Valmet reviewed key contractual obligations, project schedules, and identified risks for projects that are delivered to Russia. Based on the review, Valmet identified projects that it estimates no longer to meet the criteria of a customer contract for revenue recognition purposes, and consequently made a reversal of approximately EUR 80 million to its order backlog as at June 30, 2022.

On June 3, 2022, Valmet announced that it has initiated employee reductions, which will result in a 50 percent reduction in the number of employees in Russia in the first implementation phase. Consequently, Valmet recorded an expense of approximately EUR 20 million in January-June for estimated restructuring costs, asset impairments and other exceptional items triggered by Valmet's decision to withdraw from Russia. These costs have been reported in cost of sales, in selling, general and administrative expenses and in other operating expenses, and have been reported as items affecting comparability. Therefore they do not impact Comparable EBITA. At the end of June 2022, Valmet had a total of approximately 80 employees in Russia, working primarily in sales, engineering, maintenance and financial administration. Valmet does not have production in Russia. Approximately 2 percent of Valmet's total net sales came from its Russian operations in 2021.

Valmet will withdraw from Russia completely and will continue to implement the withdrawal in stages as the review of implementation options is fully completed. Valmet complies with all sanctions and export regulations impacting business with Russia and Belarus and monitors the development actively.

Key figures¹

¹  The calculation of key figures is presented on page 59.

²  At end of period.

Segment key figures

News conference and webcast for analysts, investors and media

Valmet will arrange a news conference in English as a live webcast at https://valmet.videosync.fi/2022-q2 on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. Finnish time (EEST). President and CEO Pasi Laine will be presenting the results. 

Recording of the webcast will be available shortly after the event at the same address.

It is possible to take part in the news conference through a conference call. Conference call participants are requested to dial in at least five minutes prior to the start of the conference at

Finland +358 981710310
United Kingdom +44 3333000804
France +33 170750711
Germany +49 6913803430
Norway +47 23500243
Sweden +46 856642651
United States +1 6319131422

The participants will be asked to provide the conference PIN: 12303278#

All questions should be presented in English.

The event can also be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/valmetir.

Further information, please contact:

Pekka Rouhiainen, Director, Investor Relations, Valmet, tel. +358 10 672 0020

VALMET

Katri Hokkanen

Interim CFO

Pekka Rouhiainen

Director, Investor Relations

DISTRIBUTION:

Nasdaq Helsinki

Major media

www.valmet.com

Valmet is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. With our automation systems and flow control solutions we serve an even wider base of process industries.

We aim to become the global champion in serving our customers. Our 17,000 professionals work close to our customers and are committed to improving our customers' performance – every day.

The company has over 220 years of industrial history and a strong track record in continuous improvement and renewal. In 2022, a major milestone was achieved when the flow control company Neles was merged into Valmet. The combined company net sales in 2021 was approximately EUR 4.5 billion based on the respective company figures.

Valmet's shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki and the head office is in Espoo, Finland.    

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