2024-05-15 08:00:00 CEST

2024-05-15 08:00:12 CEST


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Orthex Oyj - Interim report (Q1 and Q3)

Orthex Corporation: Interim Report January-March 2024


Orthex Corporation, Stock exchange release, 15 May 2024 at 9.00 a.m. EEST
Momentum builds: strong sales and improving profitability

This release is a summary of Orthex Corporation's Interim Report for the period
January-March 2024. The complete report is attached to this release as a pdf
-file. It is also available on Orthex's website at
https://investors.orthexgroup.com/.
January-March 2024

  · Invoiced sales amounted to EUR 22.9 million (21.2)
  · Net sales increased by 7.5% to EUR 22.0 million (20.5)
  · Adjusted EBITDA was EUR 3.8 million (3.4)
  · Adjusted EBITA was EUR 2.8 million (2.4), representing 12.6% of net sales
(11.7)
  · Operating profit was EUR 2.8 million (2.3)
  · Net cash flows from operating activities were EUR 4.1 million (2.5)
  · Net debt / Adjusted EBITDA was 1.3 (2.4)
  · Earnings per share, basic was EUR 0.09 (0.07)
  · The new SmartStore™ Collect Biowaste container was awarded with “Winner” at
the German Design Awards 2024 for excellent product design, in the category “Eco
Design”.
  · Orthex reached the highest Leadership level with the top score A- in Climate
Disclosure Project's (CDP) global climate reporting and ranked in 6th place
among the Nasdaq Helsinki small-cap companies in the Nordic Business Diversity
Index.
  · Orthex published its Annual and Sustainability Report 2023 and reported it
achieved or exceeded most of the sustainability targets set for the year 2023.

Long-term financial targets
As long-term financial targets the company has adopted to an average annual
organic Net sales growth to exceed 5 per cent at the Group level and to exceed
10 per cent outside the Nordics (growth in local currencies), adjusted EBITA
margin (adjusted for items affecting comparability) to exceed 18 per cent over
time and net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio to stay below 2.5x. Leverage may
temporarily exceed the target range (for example, in conjunction with
acquisitions).
The company aims to distribute a stable and over time increasing dividend with a
pay-out of at least 50 per cent of net profit, in total, on a biannual basis.
Orthex does not publish a short-term outlook.

Key figures

EUR million             1-3/2024  1-3/2023  Change  1-12/2023
Invoiced sales              22.9      21.2    8.1%       88.0
Net sales                   22.0      20.5    7.5%       85.9
Gross margin                 6.7       5.4   23.4%       24.3
Gross margin, %            30.4%     26.5%              28.3%
EBITDA                       3.8       3.4   14.1%       14.9
EBITDA margin, %           17.4%     16.4%              17.3%
Adjusted EBITDA              3.8       3.4   12.2%       14.9
Adjusted EBITDA            17.4%     16.6%              17.4%
margin, %
EBITA                        2.8       2.3   17.8%       10.9
EBITA margin, %            12.6%     11.5%              12.6%
Adjusted EBITA               2.8       2.4   15.1%       10.9
Adjusted EBITA margin,     12.6%     11.7%              12.7%
%
Operating profit             2.8       2.3   19.3%       10.8
Operating profit           12.5%     11.3%              12.5%
margin, %
Net cash flows from          4.1       2.5   62.3%       10.2
operating activities
Net debt / Adjusted         1.3x      2.4x               1.5x
EBITDA
Adjusted return on          8.2%      7.2%              31.8%
capital employed
(ROCE), %
Equity ratio, %            41.0%     37.6%              40.2%
Earnings per share,         0.09      0.07   18.5%       0.39
basic (EUR)
FTEs                         287       281    2.5%        281

Alexander Rosenlew, CEO:
“Orthex had a strong start to the year. In the first quarter, Orthex's net sales
increased by 7.5% to 22.0 million euros (20.5). Constant currency net sales
growth was 8.3% driven by campaigns, strong in-store activities, and normalising
demand in the Nordics.

Invoiced sales in the Nordics improved by 8.4% compared to a weak comparison
period and were 17.5 million euros (16.2). Rest of Europe saw solid invoiced
sales growth of 9.9% resulting in 5.3 million euros in sales (4.9). Invoiced
sales in the Rest of the world declined to 0.1 million euros (0.2).

The biggest category Storage performed well and grew by 10.0% compared to
January-March last year. The Kitchen category is strong in the Nordic countries
and the normalising Nordic demand is visible in the sales growth of 7.9%. The
newly implemented SmartStore rebranding of food storage products shows positive
effects in the form of increasing customer interest.

In reporting, Orthex has combined the categories Home & Yard and Plant care from
1 of January 2024 to a new category called Home & Garden. The new Home & Garden
reporting category includes all the same items as the previous two, now combined
categories in reporting. The Home & Garden category sales declined slightly by
2.1% compared to the same period last year. The slight decline is due to careful
pre-orders for the season.

Orthex's profitability improved compared to the same period in the previous
year, with adjusted EBITA margin at 12.6% (11.7) and the adjusted EBITA at 2.8
million euros (2.4). A more stable raw material price level had a positive
effect on EBITA. Cost increases are coming from strengthening the commercial
organisation for future growth and from demand activation such as instore
marketing, sales campaigns and trade fairs. Cash flows in the quarter were
strong at 4.1 million euros (2.5) partly affected by timing the completion of
the investments made in 2023 to the start of the year. The net debt to adjusted
EBITDA ratio (leverage) was down to 1.3 (2.4) at the end of the period.

Orthex's sales and marketing teams presented Orthex in a formidable manner at
the Ambiente fair in Frankfurt in January. Orthex has also invested in novelties
and launched some important new products such as the SmartStore bedroller and
the SmartStore Collect Biowaste container. New customer acquisition keeps
progressing well in Europe with opportunities to test the sell-out of our
products in the stores of some major retail chains not previously selling
SmartStore products.

Changes in operational management were implemented towards increasing company
-wide responsibilities. Our ambition to be the leading storage category brand in
Europe and the best partner for our customers requires that our operations are
structured for growth and for efficient reactions to changing conditions.

Sustainability is a core element in implementing Orthex's growth strategy. As
recognitions for our efforts, Orthex was ranked in 6th place among the Nasdaq
Helsinki small-cap companies in the Nordic Business Diversity Index and reached
the highest Leadership level with the top score A- in Climate Disclosure
Project's (CDP) global climate reporting for the first time.

Our strategy is working well, we adapt to changes systematically, and our
results are improving. Our employees' dedication and stakeholder support are
crucial, and we keep building the positive momentum to achieve our goals.
Together we will ensure strong foundations for continued growth and increasing
profitability.”
Press conference on financial results:
Orthex's CEO Alexander Rosenlew, CFO Saara Mäkelä and CMSO Hanna Kukkonen will
present the report today in a webcast starting at 11.00 a.m. EEST. The webcast
can be joined through this link (https://orthex.videosync.fi/q1-2024). The
webcast presentation will be held in English.
Q&A:
Questions to the management can be sent through the meeting chat.
Presentation material:
The presentation material will be shared in the online meeting, and it can be
downloaded in the same day on Orthex's website at Reports & presentations -
Orthex Group (https://investors.orthexgroup.com/reports-and-presentations/).
Recording of the event:
After the event, a recording will be available on the company's website at
Reports & presentations - Orthex
Group (https://investors.orthexgroup.com/reports-and-presentations/).
Further enquiries:
Alexander Rosenlew, CEO, Orthex Corporation
Tel. +358 (0)40 500 3826
alexander.rosenlew@orthexgroup.com
Saara Mäkelä, CFO, Orthex Corporation
Tel. +358 (0)40 083 8782
saara.makela@orthexgroup.com
Distribution:
Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd
Main media
https:/investors.orthexgroup.com/
Orthex in brief
Orthex (ORTHEX, Nasdaq Helsinki, Finland) is a leading Nordic houseware company.
Orthex offers a broad assortment of practical and durable household products
with a mission to make consumers' everyday life easier. Orthex main consumer
brands are SmartStore™ in storage products, GastroMax™ in kitchenware and
Orthex™ in home and plant care categories. Orthex aims to be the industry
forerunner in sustainability and to become carbon neutral in its production by
2030. Read more www.orthexgroup.com.

Orthex's net sales in 2023 was 85.9 million euros. The company has customers in
more than 40 countries and local sales offices in the Nordics, Germany, France,
the UK, and the Benelux.

Follow Orthex on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/orthexgroup) |
X (https://twitter.com/OrthexGroup) | Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Orthex
-Group-933475916759915/?fref=ts)|
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/orthexgroup/)