Earnings Release • Feb 24, 2021
Earnings Release
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Lyon, 24 February 2021 (after-market closure)
| CONSOLIDATED (unaudited) |
2020 | 2019 | Change at current scope & exch. rates |
Change like for like (lfl)** |
Q4 2020/ Q4 2019 (lfl) |
Q3 2020/ Q3 2019 (lfl) |
Q2 2020/ Q2 2019 (lfl) |
Q1 2020/ Q1 2019 (lfl) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of shipments | 251,561 | 273,875 | -8.1% | -12.1% | -3.5% | -9.2% | -26.4% | -9.7% |
| Sales (€m)* | 392.0 | 331.3 | +18.3% | +13.4% | +26.3% | +8.4% | +13.7% | +3.7% |
| Gross profit (€m) | 76.2 | 76.7 | -0.7% | -4.8% | -0.5% | -4.6% | -8.7% | -6.0% |
* Note: Sales is not a relevant indicator for assessing activity in our business, because it is greatly impacted by changing sea and air freight rates, fuel surcharges, exchange rates (especially versus the \$), etc.
Changes in number of shipments, volumes shipped and—in terms of the Group's finances—gross profit are relevant indicators.
** Constant consolidation scope: excluding Cargolution acquisition on 1 October 2019
The sea freight market improved in Q4 (up 3-5%) as rates rose sharply due to a deep imbalance between total disruption in services and strong recovery in demand.
The air freight market also improved (down 8-10% in Q4) after reaching a low point in Q2 (down 25-30%), without regaining pre-COVID levels. Freight rates remained high.
In 2020, international trade is expected to decline 9-10% in volume, with sea freight down 4-5% and air freight down 14%.
Against this backdrop, the Group's sea freight business saw a sharp upswing in Q4 (TEU up 22.4%; number of shipments up 12.7%) primarily due to the overall recovery in volumes on the Asia-Europe route. However, the strong increase in sea freight rates towards the end of the year (x3-x4) temporarily impacted unit margins (GP in Q4: up 2.6%).
The Group's air freight business continued an upward trend in Q4 (tonnage up 1.3%; number of shipments down 16.5% versus 24.8% in Q3 and -45.1% in Q2 (lfl) driven by the multi-clients charters organised by the Group to offset the decline in the standard airline offering. Gross profit rose 4.9% driven by robust unit margins.
The roll-on/roll-off business (RORO), which specialises in trade with North Africa and Turkey, continued to recover throughout Q4 (down 5.7% after Q3 down 17.2% and Q2 down 35.2%).

www.clasquin.com
Amid a heavy economic recession, the Group managed to ensure an equivalent full-year gross profit compared to 2019 through:
* lfl
The Group continues to work on development and acquisition projects.
| NUMBER OF SHIPMENTS current scope and exchange rates |
GROSS PROFIT (€m) current scope and exchange rates |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2019 | 2020/2019 | Q4 2020/ Q4 2019 |
2020 | 2019 | 2020/2019 | Q4 2020/ Q4 2019 |
|
| Sea freight | 119,392 | 115,858 | +3.1% | +12.7% | 34.7 | 33.5 | +3.5% | +2.6% |
| Air freight | 67,376 | 85,607 | -21.3% | -16.5% | 27.0 | 25.4 | +6.2% | +4.9% |
| RORO* | 38,483 | 46,374 | -17.0% | -5.7% | 6.9 | 8.5 | -19.4% | -13.2% |
| Other | 26,310 | 26,036 | +1.1% | -21.6% | 5.4 | 7.1 | -22.8% | -32.7% |
| TOTAL FORWARDING & LOGISTICS |
251,561 | 273,875 | -8.1% | -3.5% | 74.0 | 74.5 | -0.7% | -2.3% |
| LOG System | 2.9 | 3.2 | -10.1% | -20.7% | ||||
| Consolidation entries | -0.7 | -1.0 | N/A | N/A | ||||
| TOTAL CONSOLIDATED |
76.2 | 76.7 | -0.7% | -2.4% |
* Roll-on/roll-off
| VOLUMES | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2019 | 2020/2019 | Q4 2020/ Q4 2019 |
||
| Sea freight | 233,554 TEUs* | 217,530 TEUs* | +8.3% | +22.4% | |
| Air freight | 58,113 T** | 62,865 T** | -7.6% | +1.3% |
* Twenty-foot equivalent units
** Tons
International trade estimates (by volume): up 8%
Sea freight market estimates (by volume): up 5% Air freight market estimates (by volume): up 7%
Outperform market growth

www.clasquin.com
| UPCOMING EVENTS (publication after market closure) | CONTACTS CLASQUIN | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 24 March 2021: Thursday 29 April 2021: Wednesday 1 September 2021: Wednesday 22 September 2021: Thursday 28 October 2021: |
2020 annual results Q1 2021 business report Q2 2021 business report H1 2021 results Q3 2021 business report |
Philippe LONS – Deputy Managing Director/Group CFO Domitille CHATELAIN – Group Head of Communication & International Marketing Executive Groupe CLASQUIN – 235 cours Lafayette – 69006 Lyon Tél : 04 72 83 17 00 – Fax : 04 72 83 17 33 |
CLASQUIN is an air and sea freight forwarding and overseas logistics specialist. The Group designs and manages the entire overseas transport and logistics chain, organizing and coordinating the flow of client shipments between France and the rest of the world and, more specifically, to and from Asia-Pacific, North America, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
Its shares are listed on EURONEXT GROWTH, ISIN FR0004152882, Reuters ALCLA.PA, Bloomberg ALCLA FP. Read more at www.clasquin.com. CLASQUIN confirms its eligibility for the share savings plan for MSCs (medium-sized companies) in accordance with Article D221-113-5 of the French Monetary and Financial Code established by decree number 2014-283 of 4 March 2014 and with Article L221-32-2 of the French Monetary and Financial Code, which set the conditions for eligibility (less than 5,000 employees and annual sales of less than €1,500m or balance sheet total of less than €2,000m).

CLASQUIN is listed on the Enternext© PEA-PME 150 index.
LEI: 9695004FF6FA43KC4764
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