2015-08-13 07:45:00 CEST

2015-08-13 07:45:03 CEST


REGULATED INFORMATION

Finnish English
Dovre Group Oyj - Interim report (Q1 and Q3)

DOVRE GROUP INTERIM REPORT JANUARY 1 – JUNE 30, 2015


Espoo, Finland, 2015-08-13 07:45 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 
Dovre Group Plc                Interim report                          August
13, 2015 at 8.45 a.m. 

DOVRE GROUP INTERIM REPORT JANUARY 1 - JUNE 30, 2015

Q2: Dovre Group's position strengthened by NPC merger in a challenging market

The merger between Dovre Group and Norwegian Petroleum Consulting Group AS
(NPC) was completed on May 28, 2015. NPC's financials are reported as part of
Dovre Group's Project Personnel business area as of May 28, 2015. 

The interim report is unaudited. In parentheses last year's corresponding
period excluding NPC. 

April - June 2015

  -- Net sales EUR 28.7 (24.1) million - growth 19%
  -- Net sales excluding NPC's share decreased by 1% - in constant currencies
     -6%
  -- Project Personnel: net sales EUR 26.9 (22.2) million - growth 21%
  -- Consulting: net sales EUR 1.9 (1.9) million - change -2%
  -- EBITDA excluding non-recurring items EUR 0.5 (0.2) million, which is 1.6
     (1.1) % of net sales
  -- Non-recurring items EUR -0.8 (-0.1) million in total, EUR -0.2 million of
     which due to external advisory services and EUR -0.6 million due to
     restructuring costs
  -- Result for the period EUR -0.8 (-0.3) million
  -- Earnings per share EUR -0.01 (0.00)
  -- Net cash flow from operating activities EUR -3.1 (0.1) million


January - June 2015

  -- Net sales EUR 54.9 (48.8) million - growth 13%
  -- Net sales excluding NPC's share increased by 2% - in constant currencies
     -2%
  -- Project Personnel: net sales EUR 51.0 (45.2) million - growth 13%
  -- Consulting: net sales EUR 3.9 (3.7) million - growth 8%
  -- EBITDA excluding non-recurring items EUR 0.8 (0.7) million, which is 1.4
     (1.5) % of net sales
  -- Non-recurring items EUR -1.1 (-0.2) million in total, EUR -0.5 million of
     which due to external advisory services and EUR -0.6 million due to
     restructuring costs
  -- Result for the period EUR -0.7 (-0.2) million
  -- Earnings per share EUR -0.01 (0.00)
  -- Net cash flow from operating activities EUR -3.0 (-1.2) million


Guidance for 2015 (unchanged): Net sales are expected to be EUR 120-130 million
and the EBITDA excluding non-recurring items EUR 1.5-2.5 million. 


PATRICK VON ESSEN, CEO:

“The market situation remains challenging. Our clients in the oil and gas
industry have been cutting investments, costs and the number of service
providers. The demand of these clients has clearly reduced. However, we have
managed to increase our market share thanks to strong focus on sales. As a
result of the merger with NPC, we have achieved market leadership in Norway and
gained a significant presence in Asia. Our clients have welcomed the merger
news. The merger with NPC has improved our competitiveness in the global
market. 

Our comparable net sales in Q2 were down from the previous year. The decline
was mainly caused by the market situation in Norway. Our comparable
profitability improved in both business areas compared to Q2/2014. The Group's
operating result was negative due to non-recurring costs related to the merger. 

Almost all non-recurring costs related to the NPC merger have been booked in Q1
and Q2. In H2 there will be non-recurring costs of approx. EUR 0.1 million
mainly due to the prospectus needed for listing the new shares issued to NPC's
sellers. 

In a challenging market environment, we continue adapting by cutting costs. In
April, we announced measures that will lead to annual cost savings of approx.
EUR 0.3 million in Finland starting latest from the beginning of next year. In
addition, the integration with NPC will result in annual cost savings of
approx. EUR 1.0 million. The savings consist mainly of personnel costs and
office rent costs in Norway. These cost savings will take full effect latest
from the beginning of 2016. 

We actively seek new market segments outside the oil and gas industry, with
large projects in energy, mining and industry as our target segments. This
change will not take place quickly, but we have already achieved significant
orders in hydropower and mining projects. In the longer term, we also seek
growth through new M&A opportunities 

In accordance with our focused growth strategy, released in October 2014, our
target is to have net sales of EUR 200 million and an operating result
exceeding EUR 10 million in 2019. Merger with NPC takes us significantly closer
to our strategic net sales target. We will improve our profitability by strong
sales activities, cutting back on less profitable clients, utilizing economies
of scale, and improving the efficiency of our operations.” 


FUTURE OUTLOOK AND GUIDANCE 2015

The market is still affected by several uncertainties, including general
economic trends, oil price, and political instabilities. Our main markets are,
however, in politically and economically stable countries. 

Our clients in the Project Personnel business area are still cautious about
investments and we do not expect demand to pick up in 2015. Market situation in
Norway remains challenging. A major ongoing project in Canada looks to be
completed considerably earlier than anticipated, thus potentially affecting our
net sales in the second half of the year. In Asia, strong focus on sales brings
growth. All in all, market outlook for the second half of 2015 has weakened
since the beginning of the year. 

In the Consulting business area, we have a strong order stock, which includes
clients from both the public and the private sectors. 

Markets are consolidating and we expect this trend to continue.We expect our
relative fixed costs to decrease each year going forward. 

Guidance for 2015 (unchanged): Net sales are expected to be EUR 120-130 million
and the EBITDA excluding non-recurring items EUR 1.5-2.5 million. 


KEY FIGURES

EUR million            4-6      4-6  Change %      1-6      1-6  Change     1-12
                      2015     2014               2015     2014       %     2014
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net sales             28.7     24.1      19.1     54.9     48.8    12.5     98.9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EBITDA excl.           0.5      0.2      89.2      0.8      0.7     5.5      2.1
 non-recurring                                                                  
 items                                                                          
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
% of net sales       1.6 %    1.1 %              1.4 %    1.5 %            2.1 %
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-recurring         -0.8     -0.1    -505.2     -1.1     -0.2  -525.0     -0.5
 items *)                                                                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating result      -0.5      0.0  -4 506.8     -0.5      0.3  -262.5      1.2
 (EBIT)                                                                         
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
% of net sales      -1.6 %    0.0 %             -1.0 %    0.7 %            1.2 %
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Result                -0.8     -0.3    -187.8     -0.7     -0.2  -307.2      0.3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
% of net sales      -2.6 %   -1.1 %             -1.3 %   -0.3 %            0.3 %
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net cash flow         -3.1      0.1  -5 725.5     -3.0     -1.2  -145.2      1.9
 from operations                                                                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cash and cash          8.7      7.6      14.2      8.7      7.6    14.2     10.3
 equivalents                                                                    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Debt-equity ratio  -17.3 %  -31.4 %     -44.9  -17.3 %  -31.4 %   -44.9  -42.2 %
 (Gearing), %                                                                   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Earnings per                                                                    
 share, EUR:                                                                    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Undiluted            -0.01     0.00    -139.9    -0.01     0.00  -269.2     0.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diluted              -0.01     0.00    -140.4    -0.01     0.00  -270.4     0.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*) In 2015, non-recurring items in Q2 and the period under review consist of
external advisory services and restructuring related to the merger with NPC. In
2014, non-recurring items in Q2 and the period under review consisted of costs
related to the Group's withdrawal from biorenewables consulting and changes in
personnel. 


BRIEFING FOR PRESS AND FINANCIAL ANALYSTS

Dovre Group holds a briefing on the Q2/2015 interim report on Thursday, August
13, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at Event Arena Bank, Unioninkatu 20, Helsinki. 

The CEO's presentation is available on the company's website www.dovregroup.com
after the briefing. 



This is a summary of Dovre Group Plc's interim report Jan. 1 - June 30, 2015.
The report is attached to this bulletin and is also available online at
www.dovregroup.com -> Investors. 


For additional information, please contact:

Dovre Group Plc

Patrick von Essen, CEO
(patrick.essen@dovregroup.com)

Heidi Karlsson, CFO
(heidi.karlsson@dovregroup.com)

tel. +358-20-436 2000
www.dovregroup.com



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