2016-08-10 08:00:01 CEST

2016-08-10 08:00:01 CEST


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Efore - Half Year financial report

Efore Plc’s half year financial report January 1 – June 30, 2016


Espoo, Finland, 2016-08-10 08:00 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EFORE PLC      Half
year financial report     August 10, 2016     at 9.00  a.m. 


This release is a summary of Efore's Half year financial report January – June
2016. The full report is a PDF file attachment to this stock exchange release
and is available on the company's website at the address www.efore.com. 

January – June 2016 in brief:
- Net sales totalled EUR 39.5 million (EUR 47.2 million), down -16.4 % compared
with the corresponding period last year 
- Adjusted operating result was EUR -2.6 million (EUR 0.7 million)
- Operating result was EUR -3.0 million (EUR 0.7 million)
- Earnings per share were EUR -0.06 (EUR -0.01)
- The outsourcing negotiations of China plant have progressed well


                                    1-6/16  1-6/15  Change  1-12/15
Key indicators, EUR million         6 mo    6 mo    %       12 mo  
-------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                   
Net Sales                             39,5    47,2   -16,4     89,9
Telecommunication sector              18,0    25,2   -28,6     44,8
Industrial sector                     21,5    22,0    -2,3     45,1
Adjusted operating result  */**       -2,6     0,7             -1,6
Operating result **                   -3,0     0,7             -2,0
Result before taxes                   -3,1    -0,2             -3,3
Net result                            -3,3    -0,4             -3,4
                                                                   
Earnings per share, EUR              -0,06   -0,01            -0,07
Solvency ratio, %                     28,3    37,2   -23,9     34,2
Gearing, %                            32,1    -0,4             24,5
Cash flow from business operations     1,2     4,2              1,8


* Adjustments include items such as costs due to changes in organizational
structure, impairment charges and impact from the sale of businesses 
** Starting from H1/ 2016 the term “Operating result” is used instead of
“Results from operating activities” 


Key indicators Half year, EUR million  H1/2016  H2/2015  H1/2015
----------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                
Net Sales                                 39,5     42,6     47,2
Telecommunication sector                  18,0     19,6     25,2
Industrial sector                         21,5     23,1     22,0
Adjusted operating result                 -2,6     -2,3      0,7
Operating result                          -3,0     -2,7      0,7



Financial estimate for 2016

Efore Plc downgraded its financial estimate for 2016 on August 4, 2016.

New financial estimate is:

The Company estimates its net sales of financial year 2016 to be lower than in
the previous year (2015: EUR 89.9 million) and adjusted operating result to be
lower than last year (2015: EUR -1.6 million)due to the new forecasts which
indicate lower sales than earlier estimated. H2/2016 adjusted operating result
will not be as low as in the corresponding period of last year (H2/2015: EUR
-2.3 million). 

Previous financial estimate was:

The Company estimates its net sales of financial year 2016 to be lower than in
the previous year (2015: EUR 89.9 million), and adjusted operating result (old
term results from operating activities without one-time items) to be negative,
but better than in the previous year (2015: EUR -1.6 million). 

Jorma Wiitakorpi, Efore’s President and CEO:

The first half of the year was especially characterized by a weaker than
forecasted demand and an unfavorable product mix in the telecommunication
sector. Certain telecom projects were delayed and due to this a portion of the
net sales is postponed to the latter part of the year. Furthermore, a two-year
long project delivery to one remarkable telecom customer was completed in 2015.
Despite our efforts we have not been able to generate additional revenue to
replace the deficit arising from this project.  These all had a negative effect
on net sales and profitability during the H1/2016. Thus H1/2016 net sales were
lower than in the corresponding period of last year. 

The industrial sector sales were almost on the same level as in the
corresponding period of last year. The profitability of the industrial sector
was at a satisfactory level. 

The implementation of the renewed strategy and necessary efficiency programs
have not progressed as planned. Furthermore, there have been changes in
business environment which require adjustments to the strategy. Corrective
actions were started early in the summer. The target is to reduce fixed costs
significantly. 

The outsourcing negotiations of manufacturing as well as manufacturing support
functions at Suzhou plan in China have progressed well.  The target remains to
finalize the negotiations in time for the new partner to produce Efore’s first
products during H2/2016. 

The before mentioned actions will improve significantly the company’s
profitability. 

The most important action of Efore now is to successfully execute the
outsourcing of manufacturing in Suzhou and cost savings. These concrete
measures are taken to create conditions for positive operating result in 2017.
New long-term targets will be published in Autumn. 

Net sales development

January – June net sales totalled EUR 39.5 million (EUR 47.2 million).

The first half year 2016 net sales of telecommunication sector totalled EUR
18.0 million (EUR 25.2 million), with a year-on-year decrease of 28,6 %. 

The first half of the year was especially characterized by a weaker than
forecasted demand and an unfavorable product mix in the telecommunication
sector. Certain telecom projects were delayed and a portion of the net sales
was postponed to the latter part of the year. Furthermore, a two-year long
project delivery to one remarkable telecom customer was completed in 2015.
Despite our efforts we have not been able to generate additional revenue to
replace the deficit.  These all had a negative effect on net sales and
profitability during the H1/2016. Thus H1/2016 net sales were lower than in the
corresponding period of last year. 

The industrial sector sales were almost on the same level as in the
corresponding period of last year and totalled EUR 21.5 million (EUR 22.0
million). The profitability of the industrial sector was at a satisfactory
level. 

Result development

The operating result decreased clearly compared with the last year resulting
EUR -3.0 million (EUR 0.7 million) and adjusted operating result was EUR -2.6
million (EUR 0.7 million). 

Main reasons for the weak result development were lower than forecasted demand
of telecom sector and an unfavorable telecom product mix. The low utilization
of production capacity weakened the operating result. 

Business development

Sales of the telecommunication sector are expected not to grow this year. At
the end of the reporting period Efore has won some projects improving sales in
2017 and onwards. 

The net sales of the industrial sector went down slightly but the new customer
acquisition of the sector has progressed well. New business has been acquired
in Broad-Band Networking Application, Diagnostic Medical and Stage Lighting
Mobile Heads. 

Market outlook

During the last years the group has reached in to new markets enabling better
opportunities for growth. The products based on the LTE (4G) technology are in
a key role in network expansions. There is a trend towards smaller base
stations where Efore also focuses product development investments. 

Power supplies for LED lighting, instrumentation, medical equipment and
infrastructure offer several growth areas for Efore in the industrial sector.
Efore focuses on expanding its product selection and increasing its customer
base especially in the segments where high reliability is required, where
market fluctuations are lower and product life-cycles are longer. 

Factors of uncertainty have been presented in the section “Short-term risks and
factors of uncertainty”. 

EFORE PLC
Board of Directors




For further information please contact  Mr. Jorma Wiitakorpi, President and
CEO, on August 10, 2016 at 9 -10  a.m., tel. +358 40 175 8510 

DISTRIBUTION

Nasdaq Helsinki Oy
Principal media

Efore Group

Efore Group is an international company which develops and produces demanding
power products. Efore's head office is based in Finland and its production
units are located in China and Tunisia. Sales and marketing operations are
located in Europe, United States and China. In the fiscal year ending in
December 2015, consolidated net sales totaled EUR 89.9 million and the Group's
personnel averaged 887. The company's share is quoted on the Nasdaq Helsinki
Ltd. www.efore.com 


ENCL: Half year financial report H1/2016 incl. tables