2013-05-07 11:01:00 CEST

2013-05-07 11:01:09 CEST


REGULATED INFORMATION

Finnish English
Metsäliitto Osuuskunta - Interim report (Q1 and Q3)

Metsä Group’s operating result for January–March was EUR 89 million excluding non-recurring items


Metsä Group Interim Report 1-3/2013, Stock Exchange Release 7 May 2013 at noon
EET 


Result for the first quarter of 2013
- Sales amounted to EUR 1,261 million (1-3/2012: EUR 1,284 million).
- Operating result excluding non-recurring items was EUR 89 million (53).
Operating result including non-recurring items was EUR 94 million (45). 
- Result before taxes excluding non-recurring items was EUR 57 million (18).
Result before taxes including non-recurring items was EUR 62 million (10). 
- Return on capital employed excluding non-recurring items was 9.7 per cent
(5.7). 
- Due to increase in working capital, cash flow from operations amounted to EUR
-20 million (43). 


Events during the first quarter of 2013
- Pulp prices increased slightly during the period.
- Folding boxboard orders strengthened and delivery volumes increased from the
previous quarter. The demand for linerboard continued to be strong. 
- The bark gasification plant at Metsä Fibre's Joutseno mill was inaugurated.
- The Alizay mill site in France, including all equipment and buildings, was
sold to Conseil Général de l'Eure, representing the French government, for EUR
22 million. 
- An agreement was concluded on the divestment of the shares of Metsä Wood Merk
GmbH to the German group Ed. Züblin AG. The transaction was closed on 22 April
2013. 


Events after the period
- Katrinefors Kraftvärme AB, a joint venture in which Metsä Tissue has a 50 per
cent holding, announced that it will build a bioenergy plant in conjunction
with the Metsä Tissue mill in Mariestad, Sweden. The plant will be operational
by the end of 2014. The total investment will amount to EUR 30 million. 
- Metsä Wood announced that it will launch an efficiency programme. The reasons
for this are the weak development of productivity over the last few years and
declining sales in the main markets. The reduction of workforce is not expected
to exceed 255 employees, of which an estimated 95 will be in Finland. 
- Metsä Tissue signed a EUR 200 million syndicated loan agreement. The loan is
a five-year credit facility to refinance the current facility maturing in
September 2013. 
- Metsäliitto Cooperative acquired on 2 May 2013 from Varma Mutual Pension
Insurance Company all its holdings in Metsä Tissue Corporation, representing a
total of 8.38 per cent of Metsä Tissue's share capital. 


“All of our business areas improved their operating profit for the first
quarter compared to the previous year. The wood supply business has been
active, the profitability of tissue and cooking papers continued to develop
favourably and increased folding boxboard order inflow provides a good
foundation for the future development of our paperboard business. 

Metsä Group has been investing in increasing the production and utilisation of
bioenergy at its mills for years. Of the fuels used by the Group, 80 per cent
is wood-based, and therefore our fossil carbon dioxide emissions have decreased
by 27 per cent in 2009-2012. The Joutseno pulp mill is carbon dioxide-neutral
in normal operation due to the new bark gasification plant, and we are also
aiming for similar developments at our other pulp mills. The use of renewable
energy is also increasing in Sweden, with the bioenergy plant planned in
conjunction with the Mariestad tissue paper mill due for completion at the end
of next year. 

Uncertain market conditions continue to impair the accuracy of business
forecasts and the market development visibility beyond one quarter is poor.” 

Kari Jordan, President & CEO, Metsä Group



Metsä Group

Income statement, EUR million           2013      2012      2012
The figures for 2012 are restated        1-3       1-3      1-12
----------------------------------------------------------------
Sales                                1 261.1   1 283.9   5 001.0
Other operating income                  16.2      21.2      76.8
Operating expenses                  -1 113.8  -1 194.1  -4 587.2
Depreciation and impairment losses     -69.3     -65.9    -249.1
----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
Operating result                        94.2      45.1     241.5
Share of profit from associates          6.7      -1.0       4.8
Exchange gains and losses                0.2       1.3       2.4
Other net financial items              -38.8     -35.3    -115.5
----------------------------------------------------------------
Result before income tax                62.3      10.1     133.2
Income taxes                           -16.0      -8.5     -31.8
----------------------------------------------------------------
Result for the period                   46.3       1.6     101.4
----------------------------------------------------------------



Profitability                                 2013   2012    2012
The figures for 2012 are restated              1-3    1-3    1-12
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Operating result, EUR mill.                   94.2   45.1   241.5
- “ -, excluding non-recurring items          89.0   53.0   255.7
- “ - % of sales                               7.1    4.1     5.1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Return on capital employed, %                 10.2    4.8     6.7
- ” -, excluding non-recurring items           9.7    5.7     7.1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Return on equity, %                            9.9    0.4     6.1
- ” -, excluding non-recurring items           8.8    2.6     6.9
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Financial position                            2013   2012    2012
The figures for 2012 are restated            31.3.  31.3.  31.12.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Equity ratio, %                               35.1   28.3    34.8
Net gearing ratio, %                            89    133      86
Interest-bearing net liabilities, EUR mill.  1 676  1 993   1 590
-----------------------------------------------------------------



Segments

Sales and Operating   Wood Supply        Wood    Pulp  Paperboard     Tissue and
 result                     &    Products  Indust   and Paper        Cooking
January-March 2013         Forest    Industry      ry    Industry         Papers
(EUR mill.)              Services                                               
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sales                       422.8       215.5   323.1       535.0          250.1
Other operating               1.4         1.7     2.9        11.7            1.6
 income                                                                         
Operating expenses         -416.0      -205.3  -257.9      -485.2         -228.0
Depreciation &           -0.8        -7.6   -20.8       -26.7           -9.9
 impairment losses                                                              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating result              7.4         4.3    47.4        34.8           13.7
Non-recurring items             -           -       -        -4.6           -0.6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating result,             7.4         4.3    47.4        30.2           13.1
 excl. non-rec.                                                                 
 items         
- % of sales                  1.8         2.0    14.7         5.6            5.3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Comparative data

Metsä Group adopted the amended IAS 19 Employee Benefits standard retroactively
on 1 January 2013. Metsä Group's members' funds decreased by approximately EUR
29.9 million as a result of the amendment on 31 December 2012, the operating
profit for 2012 improved by EUR 4.0 million, and financial expenses increased
by EUR 5.2 million. The figures for 2012 have been restated to correspond with
the amendments made during the 2013 financial period. 


KEY FIGURES 2012, restated              1-12  10-12    7-9    4-6    1-3
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
EBITDA                                 486.6  129.4  121.4  126.0  109.7
IAS 19 restatement                       4.0    0.2    1.3    1.3    1.3
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
EBITDA                                 490.6  129.6  122.6  127.3  111.0
EBITDA excl. non-rec. items            513.9  134.2  132.2  127.6  119.8
IAS 19 restatement                       4.0    0.2    1.3    1.3    1.3
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
EBITDA excl. non.-rec. items           517.9  134.4  133.5  128.9  121.1
Operating result                       237.5   77.0   55.7   61.0   43.8
IAS 19 restatement                       4.0    0.2    1.3    1.3    1.3
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating result                       241.5   77.2   57.0   62.2   45.1
Operating result excl. non-rec. items  251.7   70.8   66.6   62.6   51.7
IAS 19 restatement                       4.0    0.2    1.3    1.3    1.3
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating result excl. non-rec. items  255.7   71.0   67.8   63.9   53.0
Result before income tax               134.5   48.9   24.6   50.9   10.1
IAS 19 restatement                      -1.2   -1.2    0.0    0.0    0.0
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Result before income tax               133.2   47.7   24.6   50.9   10.1
Equity ratio, %                         35.4   35.4   34.4   33.8   28.5
IAS 19 restatement                      -0.6   -0.6   -0.2   -0.2   -0.2
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Equity ratio, %                         34.8   34.8   34.2   33.6   28.3
Net gearing ratio, %                      84     84     89     94    132
IAS 19 restatement                         2      2      1      2      1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net gearing ratio, %                      86     86     90     94    133
ROCE excl. non-rec. items, %             7.0    7.3    7.0    7.3    5.5
IAS 19 restatement                       0.1    0.1    0.1    0.1    0.1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROCE excl. non-rec. items, %             7.1    7.3    7.1    7.4    5.7
ROE excl. non-rec. items, %              6.9    9.6    5.9    8.6    2.5
IAS 19 restatement                       0.0   -0.2    0.0    0.1    0.0
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROE excl. non-rec. items, %              6.9    9.4    5.9    8.6    2.6
------------------------------------------------------------------------

EBITDA = Operating result before depreciation and impairment losses
ROCE = Return on capital employed
ROE = Return on equity

The new and amended standards adopted at the beginning of 2013 and their impact
on the balance sheet and statement of comprehensive income are described in
more detail in the notes to this interim report. 


Near-term outlook

In Finland, demand for logging sites harvested in the summer continues to be
good with respect to all timber types. There is also demand for wood harvested
by the forest owner himself. 

Due to seasonal and economic circumstances, the market situation of building
and industrial customers utilising wood solutions is expected to pick up during
the second quarter. The spring season will also accelerate garden and yard
furnishing. 

The utilisation rates of pulp mills are expected to remain good in the second
quarter as well. The uncertain development of the European economy and the
development of the euro against the US dollar in particular make it more
difficult to predict profitability. 

Volumes of folding boxboard are estimated to improve slightly in the second
quarter. Demand for linerboard is expected to continue to be strong and
delivery volumes to remain at the level of the previous quarter. The delivery
volumes of Metsä Board's papers are expected to decrease slightly in the second
quarter for seasonal reasons. Metsä Board has announced new increased prices
for both white-top kraftliner and uncoated fine paper. 

The steady growth in the demand for tissue and cooking papers is expected to
continue. The completed development programme and organisational reform will
further strengthen Metsä Tissue's competitiveness in the tightening market. 

Metsä Group's operating result excluding non-recurring items in the second
quarter of 2013 is expected to be at approximately the same level as in the
first quarter. 


Disclosure procedure
Metsä Group follows the disclosure procedure enabled by Standard 5.2b published
by the Finnish Financial Supervision Authority and hereby publishes its Interim
Report for January-March 2013 enclosed to this stock exchange release. Metsä
Group's complete Interim Report is attached to this release in pdf-format and
is also available on the company's web site at www.metsagroup.com. 


METSÄ GROUP
Group Communications

For further information, please contact:
Vesa-Pekka Takala, CFO, Metsä Group, tel. +358 (0)10 465 4260
Reeta Kaukiainen, SVP, Communications, Metsä Group, tel. +358 (0)10 465 4541,
+358 (0)50 522 0924 


www.metsagroup.com

Metsä Group is a responsible forest industry group whose products' main raw
material is renewable and sustainably grown Nordic wood. Metsä Group focuses on
tissue and cooking papers, consumer packaging paperboards, pulp, wood products,
and wood supply and forest services. Its high-quality products combine
renewable raw materials, customer-orientation, sustainable development and
innovation. Metsä Group's sales totalled EUR 5.0 billion in 2012, and it
employs approximately 11,500 people. The Group operates in some 30 countries.
Metsäliitto Cooperative is the parent company of Metsä Group and is owned by
approximately 125,000 Finnish forest owners.