2016-02-03 11:03:51 CET

2016-02-03 11:03:51 CET


REGULATED INFORMATION

Finnish English
Metsäliitto Osuuskunta - Financial Statement Release

Metsä Group’s operating result for 2015 excluding non-recurring items was EUR 537 million


Metsä Group Financial Statements 1 January–31 December 2015, 3 February 2016 at
12.00 noon EET 

Result for 2015
• Sales were EUR 5,016 million (1–12/2014: EUR 4,970 million).
• Operating result excluding non-recurring items was EUR 537 million (418).
Operating result including non-recurring items was EUR 542 million (417). 
• Result before taxes excluding non-recurring items was EUR 466 million (339).
Result before taxes including non-recurring items was EUR 468 million (330). 
• Return on capital employed excluding non-recurring items was 13.6 per cent
(11.4). Return on capital employed excluding non-recurring items and excluding
assets under construction related to strategic investment projects was 14.3 per
cent (11.4). 
• Cash flow from operations was EUR 964 million (764).

Result for October–December 2015
• Sales were EUR 1,205 million (10–12/2014: EUR 1,248 million).
• Operating result excluding non-recurring items was EUR 123 million (117).
Operating result including non-recurring items was EUR 128 million (84). 
• Result before taxes excluding non-recurring items was EUR 108 million (101).
Result before taxes including non-recurring items was EUR 113 million (68). 
• Return on capital employed excluding non-recurring items was 12.3 per cent
(12.0). Return on capital employed excluding non-recurring items and excluding
assets under construction related to strategic investment projects was 13.2 per
cent (12.0). 
• Cash flow from operations was EUR 338 million (390).

Events during the fourth quarter of 2015
• Pulp delivery volumes were strong. The euro-denominated prices of softwood
pulp decreased slightly from the previous quarter. 
• Paperboard deliveries decreased slightly on a seasonal basis. Paperboard
price levels were stable. 
• Metsä Board began the installation of the new paperboard machine at the Husum
mill in Sweden. 
• The construction of Metsä Fibre's bioproduct mill in Äänekoski progressed
according to plan. 
• Metsä Board announced it would expand its range of paperboard for food
service packaging by investing EUR 38 million in extrusion coating at the Husum
mill in Sweden. 
• The sale of the share capital of Metsä Wood's French timber upgrading
company, Metsä Wood France SAS, to mutares AG was completed on 5 October 2015. 

Near-term outlook
Metsä Group’s operating result excluding non-recurring items is in the first
quarter of 2016 expected to be approximately on the same level as in the fourth
quarter of 2015. 


President & CEO Kari Jordan:
“Metsä Group’s business operations developed favourably in 2015. Our sales
grew, and operating result excluding non-recurring items was markedly better
than in 2014. Our cash flow was at a good level and balance sheet strenghtened.
Our profit-making ability showed an upward trend during the year, with the
exception of the impact of the investment and maintenance shutdowns in the last
quarter. We benefitted from exchange rate changes to some extent, but our
stronger performance was based above all on our long-term work to improve
efficiency and profitability. 

We started the construction of the next-generation bioproduct mill in Äänekoski
in the spring 2015. The mill will use 6.5 million cubic metres of wood annually
and it produces 1.3 million tonnes of pulp as well as other bioproducts. This
investment of EUR 1.2 billion is important for the Finnish national economy as
a whole, and it strengthens Metsä Group's long-term profitability and
competitiveness. The construction of the bioproduct mill has progressed well,
and we are determinedly proceeding towards the third quarter of 2017, when the
mill will start operations. 

Metsä Board's transformation from a paper company to a leading paperboard
company, launched in 2005, was completed. The Husum mill’s EUR 170 million
investment programme has been completed and the new folding boxboard production
line is in a start-up phase. The remaining printing paper production at Husum
and the entire Metsä Group came to an end almost in its entirety at the end of
2015.” 




METSÄ GROUP

Key figures



                                              2015      2014      2015      2014
Income statement, EUR million                 1–12      1–12     10–12     10–12
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Sales                                      5 016.0   4 970.3   1 205.4   1 247.5
Other operating income                        95.7     170.3      16.9      29.2
Operating expenses                        -4 311.4  -4 447.5  -1 033.8  -1 105.2
Depreciation and impairment losses          -258.2    -276.2     -60.3     -87.4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating result                             542.1     416.9     128.2      84.1
Share of results from associated              11.2      16.4       2.7       1.9
 companies and                                                                  
joint ventures                                                                  
Exchange gains and losses                     -1.2       2.7       2.6       3.9
Other net financial items                    -83.8    -106.1     -20.1     -22.4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Result before income tax                     468.4     329.9     113.4      67.6
Income tax                                  -112.6     -69.7     -21.2     -11.1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Result for the period                        355.7     260.3      92.2      56.5
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



                                       2015   2014   2015   2014
Profitability                          1–12   1–12  10–12  10–12
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----------------------------------------------------------------
Operating result, EUR million         542.1  416.9  128.2   84.1
- ” -, excluding non-recurring items  537.4  418.1  122.7  117.3
- ” -, % of sales                      10.7    8.4   10.2    9.4
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Return on capital employed, %          13.7   11.1   12.9    8.7
- ” -, excluding non-recurring items   13.6   11.4   12.3   12.0
----------------------------------------------------------------
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Return on equity, %                    15.9   13.0   15.5   11.1
- ” -, excluding non-recurring items   15.8   13.4   14.6   17.6
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                                                 2015    2014   2015   2014
Financial position                             31.12.  31.12.  30.9.  30.9.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Equity ratio, %                                  43.2    37.9   42.7   38.5
Net gearing ratio, %                               25      46     29     62
Interest-bearing net liabilities, EUR million     610     938    682  1 258
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SEGMENTS

Sales and           Wood Supply          Wood   Pulp     Paperboard   Tissue and
 Operating result    and Forest      Products  Indust      Industry      Cooking
1–12/2015, EUR         Services      Industry    ry                       Papers
 million                                                                        
Sales                   1 518.1         852.2       1       2 007.5      1 015.8
                                                444.6                           
Other operating             7.4           8.4    15.9          47.7          4.8
 income                                                                         
Operating              -1 493,1        -820.3      -1      -1 752.8       -938.5
 expenses                                       060.2                           
Depreciation and           -3.5         -30.4   -63.1        -103.5        -40.5
 impairment                                                                     
losses                                                                          
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating result           29.0          10.0   337.2         199.0         41.6
Non-recurring                 -          21.4       -         -19.2         13.5
 items                                                                          
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating result           29.0          31.4   337.2         179.9         55.1
excluding                                                                       
 non-recurring                                                                  
 items                                                                          
- " -, % of sales           1.9           3.7    23.3           9.0          5.4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Near-term outlook
Wood demand will focus on felling sites to be harvested when the ground is
unfrozen and, in terms of energy wood, on crown wood. The sales of forest
management services are expected to grow. 

Metsä Wood’s sales are expected to be on a similar level as previous year’s
first quarter. In the first quarter, the sawn timber market balance is expected
to improve for spruce sawn timber. For pine sawn timber, oversupply is expected
to continue due to weak demand in the EMEA sales region. Shutdowns are possible
in birch plywood production, depending on the market situation. Demand for
other wood products is expected to continue stable. 

The global economic uncertainty and changes in the currency market will impact
Metsä Fibre's operating environment. Nevertheless, global demand for pulp has
remained stable, and there are no signs of material changes in the market
situation. 

Metsä Board's paperboard deliveries are in January–March expected to grow from
the last quarter of 2015. The new paperboard production line at Husum, still in
the start-up phase, will have the effect of decreasing the average price of
folding boxboard. The company estimates that the required quality targets will
be reached by the third quarter of 2016 according to the original plan. 

In the tissue and cooking paper markets, demand is expected to continue stable
in all market areas. Demand for tissue paper will increase in eastern Central
Europe, in particular, and demand for cooking papers will grow in Asia. 

Metsä Group’s operating result excluding non-recurring items is in the first
quarter of 2016 expected to be approximately on the same level as in the fourth
quarter of 2015. 

Disclosure procedure
Metsä Group follows the disclosure procedure enabled by the Financial
Supervisory Authority’s Standard 5.2b. This release is a summary of Metsä
Group's Financial Statements Bulletin for 2015. The complete Financial
Statements Bulletin is attached to this Stock Exchange Release in pdf format
and is available on the Group’s website at www.metsagroup.com. 



METSÄ GROUP


For further information, please contact:
Vesa-Pekka Takala, CFO, Metsä Group, tel. +358 (0)10 465 4260
Juha Laine, SVP, Communications, Metsä Group, tel. +358 (0)10 465 4541





Metsä Group will publish its financial reports in 2016 as follows:
3 May 2016: Interim report for January–March 2016
4 August 2016: Interim report for January–June 2016
2 November 2016: Interim report for January–September 2016



www.metsagroup.com
Metsä Group is a responsible forest industry group whose products’ main raw
material is renewable wood from sustainably managed northern forests. Metsä
Group is a forerunner in the bioeconomy. We focus on tissue and cooking papers,
fresh forest fibre paper-boards, pulp, wood products, and wood supply and
forest services. Our high-quality products combine renewable raw materials,
customer-orientation, sustainable development and innovation. Metsä Group’s
sales totalled EUR 5 billion in 2015, and the company employs approximately
9,600 people. The Group operates in some 30 countries. Metsäliitto Cooperative
is the parent company of Metsä Group and is owned by approximately 116,000
Finnish forest owners.