Investor Presentation • Aug 3, 2023
Investor Presentation
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Philippe Dartienne, CEO a.i. Koen Aelterman, CFO a.i.
August 4th, 2023
Interim financial report 2Q23
09.11.2023 (17:45 CET) Quarterly results 3Q23
This presentation is based on information published by bpost group in its Second Quarter 2023 Interim Financial Report, made available on August 3 rd , 2023 at 5.45pm CET on bpostgroup.com/investors. This information forms regulated information as defined in the Royal Decree of November 14th , 2007. The information in this document may include forwardlooking statements1 , which are based on current expectations and projections of management about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future whether or not outside the control of the Company. Such factors may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, no assurance is given that such forward-looking statements will prove to have been correct. They speak only as at the date of the Presentation and the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in factors affecting these statements. This material is not intended as and does not constitute an offer to sell any securities or a solicitation of any offer to purchase any securities.
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Performance again exceeding plan. Strong parcels volumes in Belgium and Cross-Border, along with resilient mail revenues, allow delivery of a solid quarter despite challenging market conditions and impacts of the compliance review.
| Group operating income |
Belgium | E-Logistics Eurasia | E-Logistics N. Am. | S&P reaffirms the long- & short-term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| € 1,027.6m -0.8% vs. 2Q22 |
€ 56.8m 10.2% EBIT margin • Total operating income at € 557.9m (+4.9%) o underlying mail volume decline of -8.3% offset by |
€ 8.9m 5.5% EBIT margin • Total operating income at € 163.3m (+15.3%) o continued expansion of Radial EU and Active Ants (+17.9%) |
€ 11.2m 3.4% EBIT margin • Total operating income at € 330.0m (-12.8% or -10.7% excl. FX), reflecting lower volumes at Radial and Landmark US |
credit rating at A/A-1, outlook stable |
| Group adjusted EBIT € 68.7m 6.7% EBIT margin -16.8% vs. 2Q22 |
positive price/mix impact o parcels volumes +7.8% and price/mix impact of +5.3% o € -6.25m revenue impact from preliminary findings of compliance review of services provided to the Belgian State1 • OPEX increase (+6.9%) driven by salary indexations and lower recoverable VAT |
o cross-border sales increase supported by recent customer wins in Asia and IMX integration • OPEX increase (+13.9%) from (i) higher transport costs in line with volume development and IMX integration and (ii) higher payroll costs |
(Amazon insourcing) • Lower OPEX (-12.9% or -10.6% excl. FX) from continued strong variable labor management and productivity gains EBIT margin dilution from ongoing pressure at Landmark |
1 similar to 1Q23 impact – see disclosure
1Unaudited figures
4
| € million | Reported | Adjusted1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2Q22 | 2Q23 | 2Q22 | 2Q23 | D % | |
| Total operating income | 1,035.5 | 1,027.6 | 1,035.5 | 1,027.6 | -0.8% |
| Operating expenses | 884.8 | 884.7 | 884.8 | 884.7 | 0.0% |
| EBITDA | 150.7 | 142.9 | 150.7 | 142.9 | -5.2% |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 71.2 | 77.3 1 |
68.1 | 74.2 1 |
8.8% |
| EBIT | 79.5 | 65.5 | 82.6 | 68.7 | -16.8% |
| Margin (%) | 7.7% | 6.4% | 8.0% | 6.7% | |
| Financial result | 14.2 | 2 -7.5 |
14.2 | 2 -7.5 |
- |
| Profit before tax | 92.6 | 58.0 | 96.8 | 61.2 | -36.9% |
| Income tax expense | 24.7 | 14.8 1 |
25.5 | 15.6 1 |
-38.8% |
| Net profit | 67.8 | 43.2 | 71.4 | 45.6 | -36.2% |
| FCF | -141.3 | -50.6 3 |
-137.9 | -50.4 3 |
-63.4% |
| Net Debt at June 30 | 572.8 | 420.8 | 572.8 | 420.8 | -26.5% |
| Capex | 39.5 | 23.8 | 39.5 | 23.8 | -39.6% |
| Average # FTEs and interims | 38,086 | 37,514 | 38,086 | 37,514 | -1.5% |
2Q23 – Belgium
3
3.1
Revenues up € +6.8m (+2.2%):
Parcels Belgium revenues up € +13.8m (+13.2%):
Revenues up € +3.1m (+4.6%) mainly from indexation of Mgt. Contract
Value added services
2 4
Higher revenues from fines solution
| Belgium | 2Q22 | 2Q23 | D % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transactional | 182.6 | 190.4 | 4.3% |
| Advertising | 47.4 | 44.4 | -6.4% |
| Press | 85.3 | 87.4 | 2.4% |
| Parcels Belgium | 105.1 | 118.9 | 13.2% |
| Proximity and convenience retail network | 68.8 | 72.0 | 4.6% |
| Value added services | 30.0 | 33.6 | 11.8% |
| Intersegment and other | 12.5 | 11.2 | -10.0% |
| Total operating income | 531.8 | 557.9 | 4.9% |
| Operating expenses | 448.9 | 479.9 | 6.9% |
| EBITDA | 82.9 | 78.0 | -5.9% |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 20.2 | 21.3 | 5.1% |
| Reported EBIT | 62.6 | 56.7 | -9.5% |
| Margin (%) | 11.8% | 10.2% | |
| Adjusted EBIT | 62.8 | 56.8 | -9.5% |
| Margin (%) | 11.8% | 10.2% | |
| Additional KPIs | |||
| Underlying Mail volume trend | -7.5% | -8.3% | |
| Transactional | -8.2% | -8.5% | |
| Advertising | -2.4% | -14.8% | |
| Press - excl. Aldipress | -10.8% | -3.7% | |
| Parcels volume trend | -12.9% | +7.8% |
Revenues up € +5.4m (+8.2%):
Revenues up € +14.7m (+20.7%) mainly from:
• 2Q20: COVID spike (rail solution as an alternative to air freight)
2
• July '21: new VAT regulation
| E-Logistics Eurasia | 2Q22 | 2Q23 | D % |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce logistics | 65.3 | 70.7 | 8.2% |
| Cross-border | 70.8 | 85.5 | 20.7% |
| Intersegment and other | 5.5 | 7.1 | 29.5% |
| Total operating income | 141.7 | 163.3 | 15.3% |
| Operating expenses | 128.8 | 146.7 | 13.9% |
| EBITDA | 12.8 | 16.6 | 29.6% |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 6.4 | 8.5 | 33.7% |
| Reported EBIT | 6.4 | 8.1 | 25.5% |
| Margin (%) | 4.5% | 4.9% | |
| Adjusted EBIT | 7.1 | 8.9 | 24.9% |
| Margin (%) | 5.0% | 5.5% |
Revenues down € -49.3m (-13.1% or -10.9% at constant exchange rate)
Lower revenues at Radial (-9.9% excl. FX) resulting from:
Lower revenues at Landmark US reflecting Amazon's insourcing and general competitive pressure
2Q23 – E-Log. N. Am.
| € million | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| E-Logistics North America | 2Q22 | 2Q23 | D % |
| E-commerce logistics | 377.3 | 328.1 | -13.1% |
| Intersegment and other | 1.2 | 2.0 | 59.0% |
| Total operating income | 378.6 | 330.0 | -12.8% |
| Operating expenses | 336.3 | 293.0 | -12.9% |
| EBITDA | 42.2 | 37.0 | -12.4% |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 26.3 | 27.9 | 6.2% |
| Reported EBIT | 15.9 | 9.0 | -43.2% |
| Margin (%) | 4.2% | 2.7% | |
| Adjusted EBIT | 18.1 | 11.2 | -38.2% |
| Margin (%) | 4.8% | 3.4% | |
| Additional KPIs, adjusted | |||
| Radial North America revenue, \$m | 321.2 | 289.4 | -9.9% |
| Radial North America EBITDA, \$m | 28.5 | 29.4 | 3.1% |
| Radial North America EBIT, \$m | 6.9 | 6.2 | -10.0% |
| Corporate | 2Q22 | 2Q23 | D % |
|---|---|---|---|
| External operating income | 2.7 | 1.6 | -41.7% |
| Intersegment and other | 96.4 | 110.3 | 14.4% |
| Total operating income | 99.1 | 111.9 | 12.8% |
| Operating expenses | 86.3 | 100.5 | 16.4% |
| EBITDA | 12.8 | 11.4 | -11.2% |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 18.3 | 19.6 | 7.1% |
| Reported EBIT | -5.5 | -8.2 | |
| Margin (%) | -5.5% | -7.3% | |
| Adjusted EBIT | -5.5 | -8.2 | |
| Margin (%) | -5.5% | -7.3% |
4
| 2Q22 | 2Q23 | D | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash flow from operating activities before Δ in WC and provisions | 106.1 | 121.5 | 15.4 |
| Change in working capital and provisions | -201.9 | -148.8 | 53.0 |
| Cash flow from operating activities | -95.7 | -27.3 | 68.4 |
| Cash flow from investing activities | -42.2 | -23.1 | 19.1 |
| Free cash flow | -137.9 | -50.4 | 87.5 |
| Cash flow from financing activities | -132.6 | -121.7 | 10.9 |
| Net cash movement | -270.5 | -172.1 | 98.4 |
| Capex | 39.5 | 23.8 | -15.6 |
Adjusted vs. Reported Cash Flow Statement in appendix
Lower EBITDA compensated by lower prepayment of corporate income taxes (€ +22.4m)
€ +53.0m variation in working capital evolution and provisions mainly driven by higher supplier balances
Change in working capital in 2Q23 in line with normal seasonality of social liabilities and SGEI payment schedule
Lower M&A activities (€ +5.9m y/y mainly reflecting IMX acquisition last year)
CAPEX of € 23.8m in 2Q23 (€ -15.6m y/y) mainly spent on e-commerce logistics expansion (NL/US) and on domestic fleet and parcels capacity
Lower cash outflow from financing activities mainly from lower dividend payment (€ -18m y/y) Lease liabilities and interests on borrowings (€ -7.1m)
1
Summarized version –full detail in Contingent Liability disclosure in press release
| Press tender | The Belgian Government launched earlier this year a new tender for 2024-2028, with a reduced budget of € c.125m and adapted specifications • Bids application closed on 8 June, 2023 • bpost submitted a bid for the two lots (Newspapers and Periodicals) • At least two other participants: Belgian distributor PPP (Newspapers only) and French distributor Proximy (Newspapers and Periodicals) • Award decision timing unclear |
|---|---|
| Compliance | • Internal compliance review is closed |
| review - Press |
• The progress made on the ongoing investigation of the BCA did not change bpost's assessment of the risk of a fine, which is currently assessed as possible but not probable |
| • Internal compliance reviews, which are being finalized, reaffirmed preliminary findings and need for an in-depth economic assessment of the |
|
| remuneration paid by the Belgian State. This assessment is ongoing, with the assistance of independent firm of economists and other state aid experts |
|
| Compliance reviews - Services to the State (679, ELP, Fines) |
• Whilst the analysis and initial conclusions diverge per service, bpost deems it at this time probable that the preliminary results will be confirmed upon completion of the economic assessment and will probably result in a material adverse effect on the company's financial results or financial position: |
| • regarding the performance of the services in 2023: current findings from the assessment do not allow at this time to further narrow the € 25-50m range. The 1H23 results include the lower end of this range (i.e. an aggregate of € -12.5m revenues at Belgium level). |
|
| • regarding the period before 2023: if and to which extent there was any overcompensation varies per service and depends on many factors, e.g. the applicable legal and regulatory frameworks for each contract over the various periods, the absence of the pre-determined margins acceptable under applicable laws, the relevant methodologies, the revenues and the duration of the relevant services, as well as relevant lookback period. This assessment may result in different outcomes and can vary by year. |
|
| • Due to this large number of factors impacting the outcome of the analysis, the approach applied to arrive at a preliminary estimate for 2023 cannot be applied to determine the historic impact as it does not result in any meaningful range of outcomes. |
In line with group ambition to be a global e-commerce & logistics service provider, with a sustained Belgian anchor, and recognized as a reference in sustainability
Strong financial results despite ongoing turmoil
Group: provide clarity on impacts from compliance reviews
Group EBIT guidance pending ongoing analysis of financial impacts of compliance review
Impacts of the compliance reviews, including the negative EBIT impact of € 25-50m (see 1Q23 Financial report), are excluded from this parameters update
excl. impacts of compliance review
4-6% growth1 in total operating income, notably driven by
Higher payroll costs from full-year impact of salary indexations of 2022-232 , higher energy costs, partly mitigated by efficiency gains in operations and continued cost reduction initiatives
2 next +2% salary indexation is expected to occur in January '24, adding to the ones of February, April, June, September, December '22 and January '23. Monthly forecast of the Federal Planning Bureau is available here
Ants
E-Logistics Eurasia
operating income driven by
and Active Ants
decline in Postal
3-5% adjusted EBIT margin
Low double digit % growth in total
• Continued growth of Radial Europe
• Growing Commercial Cross-Border activities incl. development of new lanes, more than offsetting structural
Reflecting negative mix effect at Cross-Border and including scale-up of sales organization and start-up costs of new customers at Radial Europe and Active
4-6% adjusted EBIT margin
Tighter labor costs & management and costs measures offsetting price pressures and higher opex and incremental D&A from new sites
3 assuming EUR/USD at 1.08 on average for FY23
| € million | Reported | Adjusted | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2Q22 | 2Q23 | D | 2Q22 | 2Q23 | D | |
| Cash flow from operating activities before Δ in WC and provisions | 106.1 | 121.5 | 15.4 | 106.1 | 121.5 | 15.4 |
| Change in working capital and provisions | -205.3 | -149.0 | 56.2 | -201.9 | -148.8 | 1 53.0 |
| Cash flow from operating activities | -99.1 | -27.6 | 71.6 | -95.7 | -27.3 | 68.4 |
| Cash flow from investing activities | -42.2 | -23.1 | 19.1 | -42.2 | -23.1 | 19.1 |
| Free cash flow | -141.3 | -50.6 | 90.7 | -137.9 | -50.4 | 87.5 |
| Cash flow from financing activities | -132.6 | -121.7 | 10.9 | -132.6 | -121.7 | 10.9 |
| Net cash movement | -273.9 | -172.3 | 101.6 | -270.5 | -172.1 | 98.4 |
| Capex | 39.5 | 23.8 | -15.6 | 39.5 | 23.8 | -15.6 |
Cash outflow related to collected proceeds due to Radial's clients was € 3.2m lower (€ 3.4m outflow in 2Q22 against outflow of € 0.2m in 2Q23)
| € million | € million | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assets | Dec 31, 2022 | Jun 30, 2023 | Equity and Liabilities | Dec 31, 2022 | Jun 30, 2023 |
| Property, Plant and Equipment | 1,398.9 | 1,391.2 | Total equity | 1,065.4 | 1,062.1 |
| Intangible assets | 855.8 | 827.0 | Interest-bearing loans & borrowings | 1,488.2 | 1,473.5 |
| Investments in associates and joint ventures | 0.1 | 0.1 | Employee benefits | 244.2 | 247.1 |
| Other assets | 52.7 | 25.8 | Trade & other payables | 1,520.3 | 1,317.3 |
| Trade & other receivables | 974.3 | 809.9 | Provisions | 26.7 | 25.0 |
| Inventories | 24.5 | 23.7 | Derivative instruments | -0.3 | 0.1 |
| Derivative instruments | 0.0 | 0.0 | Other liabilities | 13.9 | 6.1 |
| Cash & cash equivalents | 1,051.0 | 1,052.9 | Liabilites held for sale | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Assets held for sale | 1.0 | 0.6 | |||
| Total Assets | 4,358.3 | 4,131.2 | Total Equity and Liabilities | 4,358.3 | 4,131.2 |
Property, plant and equipment slightly decreased as the depreciation and the decrease in the right-of-use assets and leases outpaced the capital expenditure.
Intangible assets decreased driven by the evolution of the exchange rate (mainly impacting the goodwill in USD) and the depreciation, partially offset by the capital expenditure.
Trade and other receivables decreased driven by the settlement of the press concessions for 2022 and the peak sales of year-end 2022.
Equity slightly decreased mainly explained by the exchange differences on translation of foreign operations and the payment of the dividend, partially offset by the realized profit.
Cash & cash eq. remained stable. Interests-bearing loans and borrowings slightly decreased due to lower lease liabilities and positive FX impact on USD debt.
The decrease of Trade & other payables was mainly due to the decrease of social and trade payables, partially offset by the advance payment received for the SGEI compensation and the press concessions. The decrease of the trade payables was mainly a phasing element given the peak season at year-end, whereas the decrease of the social payables was mainly due to the unwinding of the deferred payment of withholding taxes on payroll, a measure granted by the Belgian government in the context of the energy crisis in the fourth quarter of 2022 and the payment of the FY22 social accruals in 1H23.
| € million | ||
|---|---|---|
| Available Liquidity | Dec 31, 2022 | Jun 30, 2023 |
| Ca sh & c a sh eq u iv a l en ts |
1,051.0 | 1,052.9 |
| Cash in network | 143.9 | 147.5 |
| Transit accounts | 65.8 | 42.6 |
| Cash payment transactions under execution | -24.0 | -14.4 |
| Bank current accounts | 680.6 | 521.4 |
| Short-term deposits | 184.7 | 355.7 |
| U n d ra w n rev o l v in g c red it f a c il ities |
375.0 | 375.0 |
| Syndicated facility - 10/2024 | 300.0 | 300.0 |
| Bilateral facility - 06/2025 | 75.0 | 75.0 |
| Total Available Liquidity | 1,426.0 | 1,427.9 |
| € million | ||
|---|---|---|
| External Funding | Dec 31, 2022 | Jun 30, 2023 |
| L o n g -term |
650.0 | 650.0 |
| Long-term bond1 (1.25% - 07/2026) |
650.0 | 650.0 |
| Sh o rt-term |
173.4 | 170.3 |
| Bank loans - Term Loan (\$ 185m) - 12/2023 | 173.4 | 170.3 |
| Total External Funding | 823.4 | 820.3 |
Total available liquidity on June 30, 2023 consisted out of € 1,053m cash & cash equivalents of which € 877m is readily available on bank current accounts and as short-term deposits.
In addition, bpost group has 2 undrawn revolving credit facilities for a total amount of € 375m.
Out of € 820.3m external funding on balance sheet, € 170.3m (\$ 185m) needs to be repaid within twelve months
2Q23
1 € 650m long-term bond with a carrying amount of € 646.5m, the difference being the re-offer price and issuance fees.
Email: [email protected] Direct: +32 (0) 2 276 29 85 Mobile: +32 (0) 471 81 24 77 Address: bpostgroup, Boulevard Anspach 1, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
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