2014-02-14 09:00:00 CET

2014-02-14 09:00:02 CET


REGULATED INFORMATION

Finnish English
Itella Oyj - Annual Financial Report

ITELLA CORPORATION’S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS RELEASE, FEBRUARY 14, 2014 AT 10 A.M. (EET)


Itella Corporation's Financial Statements and Board of Directors' Report for
2013: 
Itella's result for 2013 weakened by declining volumes

Itella Corporation's Financial Statements Release, February 14, 2014 at 10 a.m.



October-December 2013

  -- Itella Group's net sales decreased by 2.5% to EUR 528.8 (542.6) million in
     the fourth quarter of 2013.
  -- Net sales increased by 1.2% in Itella Mail Communications, but decreased by
     5.9% in Itella Logistics and by 3.2% in OpusCapita.
  -- The Itella Group's operating result before non-recurring items was EUR 26.3
     (12.8) million, representing 5.0% (2.4%) of net sales. The operating result
     before non-recurring items improved to EUR 34.3 (25.5) million in Itella
     Mail Communications and to EUR 4.3 (4.0) million in OpusCapita, but
     decreased to EUR -7.2 (-5.6) million in Itella Logistics.
  -- The Itella Group's operating result for the fourth quarter was EUR 12.3
     (9.1) million, or 2.3% (1.7%) of net sales. Non-recurring items recognized
     during the period totaled EUR 14.1 (3.6) million.
  -- Itella Information changed its name to OpusCapita on November 1, 2013.



Year 2013

  -- The Itella Group's net sales grew by 1.5% to EUR 1,976.8 (1,946.7) million.
     In local currencies, the increase in net sales was 2.3%. International
     operations constituted 24% (27%) of net sales.
  -- Net sales decreased by 0.6% in Itella Mail Communications and by 2.5% in
     OpusCapita, but increased by 7.8% in Itella Logistics.
  -- The Itella Group's operating result before non-recurring items was EUR 50.5
     (53.2) million, or 2.6% (2.7%) of net sales.
  -- The operating result decreased to EUR 9.9 (39.0) million, or 0.5% (2.0%)
     percent of net sales. The operating result was affected by EUR 40.5 (14.2)
     million in non-recurring items, of which EUR 17.5 was related to personnel
     restructuring, with other non-recurring items totaling EUR 23.0 million.
  -- The operating result before taxes was EUR -2.4 (30.8) million.
  -- The Group's operating cash flow before investments decreased, amounting to
     EUR 81.3 (118.9) million before investments.
  -- Gearing was 21.1% (23.5%). Equity ratio stood at 47.5% (46.2%).
  -- In April, Itella launched a EUR 100 million performance improvement program
     for 2013-2014.
  -- Itella sold Itella Bank to the Savings Banks Group on April 18, 2013.
  -- In July, OpusCapita sold its printing services in Poland to PostNord.
  -- In September, Itella sold its subsidiary Logia Software to its management.
  -- The Board of Directors proposes that no dividend be distributed for 2013.



Key figures for the Itella Group                                         
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                                           10-12  10-12  1-12     1-12   
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                                            2013   2012     2013     2012
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Net sales, EUR million                     528.8  542.6  1,976.8  1,946.7
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Operating result (non-IFRS), EUR million*   26.3   12.8     50.5     53.2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating result (non-IFRS), %*              5.0    2.4      2.6      2.7
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating result (EBIT), EUR million        12.3    9.1      9.9     39.0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating result (EBIT), %                   2.3    1.7      0.5      2.0
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Result before taxes, EUR million             9.6    6.9     -2.4     30.8
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Result for the period, EUR million          17.6    5.0      7.7     14.1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Return on equity (12 months), %                              1.1      2.1
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Return on invested capital (12 months), %                    1.3      4.7
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Equity ratio, %                                             47.5     46.2
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Gearing, %                                                  21.1     23.5
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Gross capital expenditure, EUR million      19.8   69.9     61.1    134.7
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Average number of employees                               27,253   27,460
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Dividends, EUR million                         -      -        -      6.8
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* Non-IFRS = before non-recurring items



Heikki Malinen, President and CEO

“The year 2013 was very challenging for Itella. Itella's result decreased from
the previous year and showed a loss before taxes. The result was weakened by
the drastic transformation of the postal industry, which was reflected in the
strong decline in the delivery volumes of traditional letters, newspapers and
magazines in Itella Mail Communications. The volumes of Itella Logistics were
impacted by the economic recession and the tight competition in the transport
industry. The full-year operating result was affected by significant
non-recurring items. 

Among Itella's businesses, Itella Logistics showed a more substantial loss than
in the previous year. This was a disappointment. On the other hand, Itella
Logistics' Russian operations recorded a satisfactory result, and we are
expecting the Logistics business group to improve its result markedly in 2014. 

The excellent performance of OpusCapita, formerly Itella Information, was one
of the most positive developments of 2013. The business group was renamed at
the beginning of November. OpusCapita improved its operating result
significantly in 2013. The full-year result of Itella Mail Communications
decreased, but the business group recorded a strong result in the fourth
quarter, driven by seasonal sales. 

In April, we announced a new performance improvement program for 2013-2014 to
ensure our competitiveness and profitability. The program aims at EUR 100
million in cost savings, and we are already halfway there.  The program brings
savings through restructuring and enhancing the efficiency of operations and
processes, eliminating unprofitable operations, making savings in sourcing and
improving productivity. 

At the end of October, we announced our new vision and strategy for the
company. We worked on this new vision throughout the year. Our operations will
be more customer-focused than ever before. We want to be the first choice for
postal, logistics and e-commerce services and ensure that trade and everyday
life run smoothly. 

We have revised our strategy and vision in response to global changes in the
postal industry, communications and trade. These developments are strongly
affecting Finland, among many other countries, as the rapid and extensive
increase in electronic communications is substantially decreasing the volume of
letter, newspaper and magazine deliveries. The situation is particularly
challenging in early-morning newspaper deliveries, where a significant increase
in unit costs creates profitability pressures for Itella and publishers. For
this reason, Itella is willing to establish companies specializing in
early-morning deliveries in cooperation with publishers. Itella could hold a
majority or minority interest in such a regional company. 

Our primary goal for the coming years is to ensure a sustainable foundation for
profitable operations in order to develop high-quality postal services, secure
funding for our universal service obligation and make sufficient investments in
growth areas. Instead of expansion, we are investing in and focusing on our
core businesses. 

We are seeking growth and profitability in the Russian market as well as
e-commerce, which is increasing strongly. In the future, Russia will be our
main market, alongside Finland. Our Russian strategy also benefits Finnish
export companies, as the expanding logistics network enables increased exports. 

People's mobility and use of time are changing, and feedback indicates that our
customers value flexibility and a diverse range of services. We want to be even
closer to our customers. We increased the number of postal service points by
more than 200 in 2013, with the total standing at 1,310 at the end of the year.
The goal is to increase the number of service points to 1,700 by 2020. 

We had to make some difficult decisions in 2013. The year was particularly
challenging for our personnel. As a result of cooperation negotiations, our
personnel numbers decreased by a total of 637 person-years in 2013. In January
2014, we started cooperation negotiations at Itella Posti that may lead to a
reduction of 1,200 jobs in basic delivery. We will be able to implement part of
the reduction through voluntary arrangements and attrition.” 



APPENDICES
Itella's Financial Statements Review and the Board of Directors' Report
Corporate Governance Statement 2013


MORE INFORMATION
Heikki Malinen, President and CEO, and Sari Helander, CFO
Tel. +358 20 452 3366 (MediaDesk)


DISTRIBUTION
NASDAQ OMX Helsinki
Key media
www.itella.com/financials



FINANCIAL CALENDAR IN 2014
Interim Report Q1/2013, April 30
Interim Report Q2/2013, July 18
Interim Report Q3/2013, November 3


IMAGES AND LOGOS
www.itella.com/media



Itella is your first choice for postal, logistics and e-commerce services. We
manage the flow of commerce and everyday life in 11 countries. Our net sales in
2013 amounted to EUR 1,977 million. We employ approximately 26,000
professionals. We deliver corporate services under the Itella brand, while the
Posti brand is used for services targeted at consumers in Finland. 

ww.itella.com