Earnings Release • Feb 23, 2012
Earnings Release
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A strong and sustainable growth strategy
Sharp increase in 2011 financial results, in line with objectives:
1 Before non-recurring items.
2 Negative net debt.
3 Normalized organic growth target for the period 2010-2016. Normalized growth is the objective that the Group considers to be attainable in a context in which unemployment does not rise.
4 To be recommended at the Annual Shareholders Meeting on May 15, 2012.
5 Total dividend as a percentage of recurring profit after tax.
The consolidated financial statements6 for 2011 were approved by the Board of Directors on February 22, 2012.
| (in € millions) | 2010 | 2011 | % change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reported | Like-for-like7 | |||
| Issue volume | 13,875 | 15,188 | +9.5% | +9.7% |
| Operating revenue | 885 | 940 | +6.2% | +9.2% |
| Financial revenue | 80 | 92 | +14.7% | +15.2% |
| Total revenue | 965 | 1,032 | +6.9% | +9.7% |
| Operating EBIT | 248 | 263 | +6.4% | +9.9% |
| Financial EBIT | 80 | 92 | +14.7% | +15.2% |
| EBIT | 328 | 355 | +8.5% | +11.2% |
| Operating profit before tax and non-recurring items | 266 | 315 | +18.5% | |
| Net profit, Group share | 68 | 194 | +185.1% | |
| Recurring profit after tax | 165 | 203 | +23.1% | |
| Recurring earnings per share (in €) | 0.73 | 0.90 |
Last year's good results reflect the dynamic performance of the Group's teams and confirm the effectiveness of the Edenred business model. After setting up the conditions to be a standalone company, Edenred reinforced its foundations in 2011, in order to generate sustainable and strong organic growth. All employees are today committed to making Edenred the referent of customers (clients, affiliates, and beneficiaries). The Group intends to fulfil this ambition by building differentiated solutions and delivering a unique quality of service.
Issue volume totaled €15.2 billion in 2011, a like-for-like increase of 9.7%, in line with the Group's normalized8 annual growth target of 6% to 14%.
The increase reflected strong momentum in emerging markets. Issue volume in these markets rose 17.8% likefor-like in 2011, lifting their contribution to the Group total to 58%. The more moderate growth in developed markets (up 2.7% excluding non-recurring events9 ) represented a solid sales performance in a more challenging economic environment.
The year saw strong growth in Employee Benefits issue volume (representing 86% of the Group total), with increases of 9% for Meal & Food Benefits and 11% for Quality of Life Benefits. Growth in Expense Management solutions was a high 21%, while Incentive & Rewards issue volume was up 4%10 .
6 The consolidated financial statements have been audited and the statutory auditors will issue their report before the registration document is filed.
7 Based on a comparable scope of consolidation and at constant exchange rates. 8 Normalized growth is the objective that the Group considers to be attainable in a context in which unemployment does not rise.
| Employee Benefits |
Expense Management |
Incentiv e & Rewards |
Public Social Programs |
TOTAL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meal & Food | Quality of Life | |||||
| Issue volume (in € millions) |
11,858 | 1,236 | 1,318 | 628 | 148 | 15,188 |
| % of total issue volume |
78% | 8% | 9% | 4% | 1% | 100% |
| Like-for-like growth |
+9% | +11% | +21% | 11 +4% |
+1% | +9.7% |
The three drivers of the 9.7% organic growth in issue volume were:
| (in € millions) | % change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2011 | Reported | Like-for-like | ||
| Operating revenue | 885 | 940 | +6.2% | +9.2% | |
| Financial revenue | 80 | 92 | +14.7% | +15.2% | |
| Total revenue | 965 | 1,032 | +6.9% | +9.7% |
Total revenue for 2011 amounted to €1.0 billion, an increase of 6.9% as reported and 9.7% like-for-like, comprising:
11 Excluding the BtoC business in France.
12 Ratio of operating revenue (with issue volume) to issue volume.
13 The float corresponds to the business's negative working capital requirement.
Operating EBIT (which excludes financial revenue) rose by a strong 9.9% like-for-like in 2011 to €263 million. Underpinning this good performance, the operating flow-through ratio14 stripped out from the extra costs generated by the digital transition15 stood at 47%, in line with the Group's objective of 40% to 50%.
Financial EBIT (corresponding to financial revenue) was 15.2% higher like-for-like at €92 million.
After deducting net financial expense of €40 million, income tax expense16 of €101 million and minority interests of €11 million, recurring profit after tax came to €203 million, an increase of 23.1% from €165 million in 2010.
Net profit, Group share stood at €194 million for the year, compared with €68 million for 2010.
The Group had net cash17 of €74 million at December 31, 2011 as opposed to net debt of €25 million at end-2010. The ratio of adjusted funds from operations to adjusted net debt stood at 93%, corresponding to a strong investment grade rating18 .
The float (created by a structurally negative working capital requirement) amounted to €2,343 million at December 31, 2011, an increase of €94 million from the year-earlier figure on a reported basis. The mediumterm goal is to improve the average rate of interest earned on the float, while holding firm to the prudent investment guidelines issued by the Group in terms of counterparties and instruments. To help meet this goal, investment periods were extended in 2011, particularly in Brazil. At the year-end, 30% of the float at Group level was invested at maturities of more than one year, compared with 13% at end-2010. The average rate of interest earned by the Group was 4.3% in 2011.
The Edenred business model, which generates large amounts of cash, helped to lift funds from operations before non-recurring items (FFO) to €257 million and free cash flow to €306 million in 2011. The 20.8% like-forlike growth in FFO was considerably higher than the Group's normalized target of over 10% a year.
14 Operating flow-through ratio: ratio between the like-for-like change in operating EBIT and the like-for-like change in operating revenue.
15 Representing €13 million.
16 Adjusted to exclude tax on non-recurring income and expenses.
17 Negative net debt.
18 The ratio of adjusted funds from operations to adjusted net debt, determined by the Standard & Poor's method, must be above 30% to maintain a strong investment grade rating.
The Group's policy consists of allocating free cash flow on a balanced basis to the payment of dividends, the repayment of gross debt and the financing of targeted acquisitions, while ensuring a solid financial situation with a strong investment grade rating. Based on this policy, the Group is aiming to increase the amount of the dividend on a recurring basis in the coming years.
In light of the 23.1% growth in 2011 recurring profit after tax and the proposed increase in the payout ratio close to 80% from 68% in 2010, the recommended dividend19 for 2011 will amount to €0.70 per share, up 40% on 2010. The dividend will be paid on May 31, 2012.
Since July 2010, the management team has involved Edenred's 6,000 employees in a three-steps strategic process: by setting up the conditions to be a standalone company (―Win 2010‖), strengthening the Group's foundations to drive future growth (―Conquer 2012‖) and opening new growth territories (―Invent 2016‖).
The reinforcement of the Group's foundations to support strong and sustainable growth will be achieved by:
19 Dividend to be recommended by the Board of Directors at the Annual Shareholders Meeting of May 15, 2012.
The Group confirms its target of 50% digital issue volume by end-2012 (versus 41% at end-2011) and over 70% by 2016.
During the acceleration phase (in 2012), the target operating flow-through ratio of 40% to 50% will be affected by the extra costs generated by the transition process, estimated at around €10-15 million. Starting in 2013, the digital transition will have a positive effect on margins, with the target operating flow-through ratio rising to over 50%.
The shift to digital will enable the Group to expand its client offers and propose new value-added services to affiliated merchants and beneficiaries.
The Group reaffirms its growth objectives20 of 6% to 14% for issue volume and over 10% for funds from operations.
April 18, 2012: first-quarter revenue
May 15, 2012: Annual Shareholders Meeting
July 18, 2012: second-quarter revenue
August 30, 2012: first-half results
Edenred, which invented the Ticket Restaurant® meal voucher and is the world leader in prepaid corporate services, designs and delivers solutions that make employees' lives easier and improve the efficiency of organizations.
—
Incentive and rewards programs (Ticket Compliments, Ticket Kadéos, etc.).
The Group also supports public institutions in managing their social programs.
Listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris stock exchange, Edenred operates in 38 countries, with some 6,000 employees, nearly 580,000 companies and public sector clients, 1.3 million affiliated merchants and 36.2 million beneficiaries. In 2011, total issue volume amounted to €15.2 billion, of which 58% was generated in emerging markets.
Ticket Restaurant® and all other tradenames of Edenred products and services are registered trademarks of Edenred SA.
Eliane Rouyer-Chevalier, Executive Vice President Communications – Phone.: +33 (0)1 74 31 86 26 – [email protected]
Media relations
Anne-Sophie Sibout, Media Relations Director - Phone: +33 (0)1 74 31 86 11 - [email protected]
Anaïs Lannes, Media Relations Officer - Phone: +33 (0)1 74 31 86 27 – [email protected]
Inv estor relations
Solène Zammito, Financial Communications Director – Phone: + 33 (0)1 74 31 86 18 - [email protected]
Virginie Monier, Investor Relations – Phone: + 33 (0)1 74 31 86 16 - [email protected]
20 Medium-term objective of normalized organic growth, which is the objective that the Group considers to be attainable in a context in which unemployment does not rise.
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