Interim / Quarterly Report • Aug 17, 2021
Interim / Quarterly Report
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LINK Mobility Group Holding ASA Interim financial report Second Quarter 2021
* Pro forma includes historical financials for acquired entities WebSMS, Tismi, MarketingPlatform, AMM and Message Broadcast for comparable data
LINK Mobility (LINK) reports revenue growth of 26% to NOK 1 055 million in the second quarter of 2021. Organic revenue growth in local currency was 23%, above the medium to long term growth target due to catch-up effects from reopening of societies. Adjusted EBITDA reported at NOK 119 million with a stable margin of 11%. LINK closed several acquisitions in the quarter, including Message Broadcast in the U.S., resulting in pro forma LTM Q2 21 revenue and adjusted EBITDA of NOK 4 362 million and NOK 622 million, respectively. LINK reiterates its forward-looking statement which targets NOK 10 billion in pro forma revenue by 2024 and increases the adjusted EBITDA margin range to 15-17% from 13-15%.
The acquisition of Soprano is progressing, and SPA is expected to be signed shortly. Including Soprano, pro forma LTM Q2 21 figures would be NOK 5 045 million and NOK 804 million for revenue and adjusted EBITDA, respectively.
LINK is experiencing accelerated demand for CPaaS solutions and saw its most successful quarter ever on OTT traffic. WhatsApp traffic increased around 5 times from end Q1 21, while RCS traffic more than doubled from March to June. Clients increasingly demand new use cases built around the richer feature set of OTT channels and RCS, on top of existing SMS traffic. LINK recently signed an additional significant WhatsApp agreement for customer service dialogue with Deutsche Post.
Organic revenue growth in local currency was 23% year over year, positively affected by the reopening of societies as enterprises are re-engaging activities towards end-users, leading to a catch-up effect from the softer volume development experienced both in Q1 21 and Q2 20. LINK's pro forma revenue for Q2 21 reported at NOK 1 130 million, with pro forma organic growth in local currency at 25%. The Enterprise segment generated 20% pro forma organic growth in local currency as all product categories, regions and customer segments exhibited strong growth momentum. Aggregator revenue contributed to 5 percentage points on total organic revenue growth.
Gross profit grew 22% to NOK 268 million compared to the same quarter last year. The gross profit margin declined slightly to 25% (26%), reflecting a higher portion of revenue from the low margin aggregator segment and customer mix effects. The lockdowns last year resulted in unusual volume variations favoring the higher margin public and logistics sectors in the more profitable Nordic region. Reported growth in adjusted EBITDA was 22% to NOK 119 million. The adjusted EBITDA margin was stable year over year at 11%. Cost reduction initiatives, implemented due to pandemic uncertainty last year, supported the Q2 20 adjusted EBITDA margin with approximately NOK 10 million.
Messaging volumes increased 37% in the second quarter to 3 337 million compared to the same quarter last year, of which 28% organically. Pro forma messages delivered increased by 30%.
Million messages / Price per message in NOK Pro forma Messaging volume in million
LINK acquired Message Broadcast in the US, MarketingPlatform in Denmark and AMM in Italy in Q2 21. The closing of these acquisitions, in addition to the closing of WebSMS in November 2020 and Tismi in March 2021, affects the pro forma financials of the group. The tables below show updated pro forma figures (full-year effect of closed acquisitions) for Q2 21 and LTM Q2 21 in reported currency. The financials are based on management estimates given the information available. Soprano figures are shown for completeness.
| NOK million | ||
|---|---|---|
| Q2 2021 LTM | LINK Proforma | Soprano | All entities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 4 3 6 2 | 683 | 5 0 4 5 |
| Gross Profit | 1 3 0 8 | 366 | 1674 |
| Adj EBITDA | 622 | 182 | 804 |
LINK benefits from strong market trends with accelerated demand for advanced CpaaS solutions and products. As LINK invests more in additional go-to-market (GTM) initiatives and launches new products in the current footprint, we expect demand for our products to grow even further. LINK is also executing on its M&A strategy with 5 acquisitions closed since the IPO in October last year. The continuation of underlying trends and progress on M&A enable LINK to reiterate its forward-looking revenue statement and to increase its forward-looking margin statement to reflect the acquisition of high margin Message Broadcast. Upon the closing of Soprano, the forward-looking adjusted EBITDA margin statement is expected to be raised further to 18-20% as previously indicated.
| Forward looking statement | |
|---|---|
| Amounts are in million NOK | 2024 |
| Pro forma revenue | 10.000 |
| Pro forma adjusted EBITDA* margin | 15% - 17% (prev: 13-15%) |
During Q2 21, LINK added an estimated annual revenue contribution of NOK 67 million from 420 signed direct customer contracts, 33 signed partner framework agreements and 145 new partner customers.
LINK sees great demand for multi-channel mobile communication and our enterprise grade CPaaS solutions. Companies increasingly demand new advanced use cases built around OTT's and RCS channels on top of existing SMS traffic. In Q2 21, LINK saw its most successful quarter ever on traffic outside SMS. WhatsApp traffic increased around 5 times from end Q1 21, while RCS traffic more than doubled from March to June.
LINK signed an additional significant WhatsApp agreement for customer service dialogue with Deutsche Post in the quarter. LINK is also rolling out WhatsApp globally through DHL's footprint as part of a cooperation with DHL's centralized Digital Assistant program.
5
Operating revenues amounted to NOK 1 055 million (NOK 841 million) or a reported growth of 26 percent versus same period last year including acquisitions. Message Broadcast will be consolidated into the Group profit and loss statement from July 1st.
Organic revenue growth in local currency was 23 percent, currency translation negatively affected reported organic revenue growth in NOK with 8 percentage points. Aggregator revenue experienced a step-up in the current quarter, contributing to 5 percentage points increase in organic revenue growth in local currency. The growth in revenue from the aggregator segment was mainly due to reopening of societies and ad hoc volume increase for certain destinations.
Reported Gross profit of NOK 268 million or a growth of 22 percent. Gross profit margin was 25.4% in the current quarter, a decline of 0,8 percentage points mainly due to;
Total operating expenses amounted to NOK 149 million (NOK 123 million) or a growth of 13 percent. In the second quarter of 2020, temporary cost savings initiatives were implemented as a response to the uncertainty of the initial lockdowns reducing operating expenses with NOK 10 million. All cost saving initiatives were stopped in the beginning of the third quarter
last year, and LINK continued investing in growth within the enterprise segment resulting in moderate expansion of operating expenses in following quarters.
Adjusted EBITDA, before non-recurring cost, was reported at NOK 119 million (NOK 98 million) or 11 percent of total revenues in line with same period last year. Year over year comparison was impacted by the increased profitability same period last year due to the temporary cost savings. Gross profit to adjusted EBITDA conversion was stable at 44%, comparisons with same quarter last year also impacted by the temporary cost savings.
EBITDA after non-recurring items was reported at NOK 38 million (NOK 87 million) after deduction of non-recurring cost of NOK 81 million (NOK 11 million) related to acquisitions, share option program and restructuring costs. The increase in non-recurring costs was related to management share-option program launched in October 2020 in connection with the IPO and increased costs related to higher M&A activity compared to same period last year.
Second quarter depreciation and amortization was NOK 69 million (56 million). The increase was attributable to depreciation of certain assets categories related to PPA for closed acquisitions and internal R&D.
In the second quarter, net financial expenses were NOK 22 million (net financial income NOK 57 million). Comparison to the prior year is skewed by the implementation of hedge accounting from the first quarter this year. Net interest expense was NOK 32 million less than the comparative period due to lower interest-bearing debt and refinanced debt facilities at improved terms. Please refer to note 2 for details regarding hedge accounting and note 5 for information regarding the Group's debt.
Non-current assets amounted to NOK 8 767 million (NOK 5 560 million). The increase was attributable to the acquisitions of WebSMS, Tismi B.V., MarketingPlatform Aps, AMM S.p.A and Message Broadcast LLC in the comparative period.
Trade and other receivables amounted to NOK 816 million (NOK 615 million). Part of the increase (NOK 126 million) was attributable to acquisitions; the remainder of the increase was attributable to timing of collections.
Cash and cash equivalents are NOK 808 million (NOK 578 million). The comparative increase represented proceeds from the IPO, the bond issue, cash in acquired entities and to a lesser extent, timing of collection of trade receivables.
Trade and other payables were slightly higher at NOK 905 million (NOK 817 million). The increase was largely attributable to timing of payments.
Total equity amounted to NOK 5 050 million (NOK 2 425 million) or 49 percent (36 percent) of balance sheet value. The increase was due to the initial public offering and the issuance of shares.
Long-term liabilities amounted to NOK 4 385 million (NOK 3 460 million). The increase was attributable to external debt and specifically, the bond tap issue of EUR 170 million in June 2021 (note 5).
In the second quarter, net cash from operating activities was NOK 87 million (NOK 120 million). The change was mainly driven by extraordinary cash collections during the early phase of the pandemic last year as well as substantial transaction costs related to acquisitions this quarter compared to none same quarter last year.
Net cash from investing activities was negative NOK 1 770 million (negative NOK 29 million); the change was driven by acquisitions done in the first half of 2021; there were none in the same period last year.
Net cash flow from financing activities was positive NOK 1 673 million (NOK 208 million). The change in proceeds from borrowings was related to the bond tap issue (as compared to the draw on the revolving facility in Q1 2020) and lower interest and loan payments this quarter compared to same period last year due to change in debt terms.
| NOK '000 | Note | Q2 2021* | Q2 2020* | YTD 2021 YTD 2020 | Year 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total operating revenues | 1 055 228 | 840 538 | 2 000 964 | 1 684 103 | 3 539 231 | |
| Direct cost of services rendered | $-787017$ | $-620$ 139 | -1 485 750 | $-1254785$ | $-2640012$ | |
| Gross profit | 268 211 | 220 398 | 515 215 | 429 318 | 899 220 | |
| Payroll and related expenses | $-94052$ | $-64603$ | $-183288$ | $-123781$ | $-346450$ | |
| Other operating expenses | $-55088$ | $-57908$ | -103 690 | $-122892$ | $-161928$ | |
| Adjusted EBITDA | 119 071 | 97 887 | 228 237 | 182 645 | 390 842 | |
| Restructuring cost | $-6109$ | $-9206$ | $-12697$ | $-19250$ | $-47400$ | |
| Share based compensation | 6 | $-40077$ | $-81391$ | $-34711$ | ||
| Expenses related to acquisitions | $-34857$ | $-1637$ | -43 033 | $-3348$ | $-15123$ | |
| EBITDA | 38 0 28 | 87 044 | 91 116 | 160 047 | 293 607 | |
| Depreciation and amortization | $\overline{7}$ | $-68713$ | $-55721$ | $-136215$ | $-107503$ | $-271389$ |
| Operating profit (loss) | $-30686$ | 31 323 | -45 099 | 52 545 | 22 218 | |
| Finance income and finance expenses | ||||||
| Net currency exchange gains (losses) | $-1108$ | 112 539 | $-31430$ | -183 785 | $-101218$ | |
| Net interest expense | $-21453$ | -53 630 | -42 583 | $-103882$ | -207 093 | |
| Net other financial expenses | 294 | $-2367$ | 60 | $-6879$ | $-118735$ | |
| Finance income (expense) | $-222267$ | 56 543 | $-73954$ | $-294547$ | -427 047 | |
| Profit (loss) before income tax | $-52953$ | 87 866 | $-119053$ | $-242002$ | $-404828$ | |
| Income tax | $-829$ | $-16318$ | 15714 | $-2696$ | 76 823 | |
| Profit (loss) for the period | $-53781$ | 71 548 | $-103339$ | $-244697$ | $-328005$ | |
| Minority Interest Income | $-208$ | $-208$ | ||||
| Owner's income | $-5390$ | 71 548 | $-103547$ | $-244697$ | $-328005$ | |
| Earnings per share (NOK/share): | ||||||
| (Loss) earnings per share (NOK/share): | $-0,18$ | 0,33 | $-0,35$ | $-1,14$ | $-1,21$ | |
| Diluted (loss) earnings per share | $-0,18$ | 0,33 | $-0,35$ | $-1,14$ | $-1,21$ |
*Unaudited
Copyright 2021 LINK Mobility. All rights reserved.
| NOK '000 | Q2 2021* | Q2 2020 YTD 2021 YTD 2020* | Year 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit (loss) for the period | $-53781$ | 71 548 | $-103339$ | $-244697$ | $-328005$ |
| Translation differences of foreign operations | 78 274 | 315 905 | $-69537$ | 327 015 | 134 373 |
| Gains and losses net investment hedge | $-16739$ | 28 367 | |||
| Tax on OCI that may be reclassified to P&L | $-9923$ | ||||
| OCI that may be reclassified to P&L | 61 535 | 315 905 | $-51094$ | 327 015 | 134 373 |
| Total Comprehensive Income | 7 7 5 4 | 387 453 | $-154432$ | 82 318 | $-193632$ |
| Attributable to: | |||||
| Minority interest | 166 | 166 | |||
| Owner's equity | 7588 | 387 453 | $-154598$ | 82 318 | $-193632$ |
| NOK in thousand | Note | Q2 2021* | Q2 2020* | Year 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assets | ||||
| Non-current assets | ||||
| Goodwill | 5 545 589 | 3 647 793 | 3 982 843 | |
| Other intangible assets | 3 008 898 | 1799 507 | 1823494 | |
| Right-of-use-assets | 25 937 | 22 015 | 26 513 | |
| Equipment and fixtures | 20 568 | 20 309 | 25 083 | |
| Deferred tax assets | 140 450 | 67 402 | 140 551 | |
| Other long term assets | 25 744 | 2 5 7 8 | 1 3 1 3 | |
| Non-current assets | 8767186 | 5 559 605 | 5999796 | |
| Current assets | ||||
| Trade and other receivables | 815 551 | 614 693 | 748 547 | |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 807 931 | 577 534 | 952 144 | |
| Current assets | 1 623 482 | 1 192 227 | 1700 691 | |
| Total assets | 10 390 668 | 6751832 | 7700487 | |
| Equity & Liabilities | ||||
| Equity | ||||
| Shareholders equity | 5 031 061 | 2 4 2 4 9 1 8 | 4 303 962 | |
| Minority interest | 18 696 | |||
| Total equity | 5 049 757 | 2 4 2 4 9 1 8 | 4 303 962 | |
| Long-term borrowings | 5 5 | 3768932 | 3 075 770 | 2 078 515 |
| IFRS 16 liability, non-current | 5 | 32 152 | 15 213 | 30 624 |
| Deferred tax liabilities | 549 077 | 322 782 | 313 090 | |
| Other long term liabilities | 5 | 34 794 | 45 791 | 2 3 9 8 |
| Total non-current liabilities | 4 384 956 | 3 459 556 | 2 4 2 4 6 2 8 |
| Borrowings, short term | 5 | 28 231 | 46 714 | 27 244 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFRS 16 liability, current | 5 | 10 610 | 7607 | 8619 |
| Trade and other payables | 904 519 | 817 213 | 927 106 | |
| Tax payable | 12 596 | $-4$ 177 | 8928 | |
| Total current liabilities | 955 955 | 867 358 | 971897 | |
| Total liabilities | 5 340 911 | 4 3 2 6 9 1 4 | 3 396 525 | |
| Total liabilities and equity | 10 390 668 | 6751832 | 7 700 487 |
Copyright 2021 LINK Mobility. All rights reserved.
| NOK 000 - Jun 2021 YTD | Note | Share capital |
Share premi um |
Other equity |
Retaine d earnin ne |
Other reserv es |
Minority interest |
Total equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Opening Balance | 1 355 4 875 968 | 185 693 | $-840496$ | 81 442 | $\blacksquare$ | 4 303 962 | ||
| Changes in Net Income | $\blacksquare$ | $-103519$ | 180 | -103 339 | ||||
| Other Comprehensive income | $\blacksquare$ | $-7559$ | -43 | 57 069 | $-14$ | $-18578$ | ||
| Total Comprehensive Income | $\blacksquare$ | $\blacksquare$ | $-75589$ | $-103563$ | 57 069 | 166 -121 917 | ||
| Issue of ordinary shares | 107 | 771885 | $\blacksquare$ | 771992 | ||||
| Changes due to repayment of equity |
$\blacksquare$ | $\sim$ | ||||||
| Share based payment | $\blacksquare$ | 77 187 | $\blacksquare$ | 77 187 | ||||
| Non-controlling interest on acquisition of subsidiary |
$\overline{\phantom{a}}$ | 18 530 | 18 530 | |||||
| Closing Balance | 9 | 1 462 5 647 853 | 187 295 | $-944058$ | 138 511 | 18 696 5 049 757 |
| NOK 000 - Jun 2021 YTD | Note | Share capital |
Share premi um |
Other equity |
INGRAINE d earnin |
Other reserv es |
Minority interest |
Total equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Opening Balance | 1 081 2 725 406 | 109 459 | $-511713$ | 15 903 | $-2340137$ | |||
| Changes in Net Income | $\sim$ | $\sim$ 10 $\pm$ | $-244697$ | $-244697$ | ||||
| Other Comprehensive income | $\sim$ | 328 304 | $-0$ | $-1289$ | $\blacksquare$ | 327 015 | ||
| Total Comprehensive Income | $\blacksquare$ | $\mathbf{r}$ | 328 304 | $-244697$ | $-1289$ | $\blacksquare$ | 82 318 | |
| Issue of ordinary shares | $\mathbf 1$ | 2 4 6 2 | $\qquad \qquad \blacksquare$ | $\blacksquare$ | 2 4 6 3 | |||
| Closing Balance | 9 1 082 2 727 868 |
437 764 | $-756$ 410 | 14 615 | $-2424918$ |
| NOK '000 | Note | Q2 2021* | Q2 2020 YTD 2021* | YTD 2020 | Year 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash flows from operating activities | ||||||
| Profit before income tax | $-52953$ | 87 866 | $-119053$ | $-242002$ | $-404828$ | |
| Adjustments for: | ||||||
| Taxes paid | $-12740$ | $-10408$ | $-20996$ | $-19911$ | $-41431$ | |
| Finance income (expense) | 22 267 | $-56543$ | 73 956 | 294 547 | 427 047 | |
| Depreciation and amortization | 68 713 | 55 721 | 136 215 | 107 503 | 271 389 | |
| Non-cash employee benefit - share based payments | 38 807 | $\blacksquare$ | 77 187 | 34 711 | ||
| Change in other provisions | $-4702$ | $-2615$ | $-5118$ | $-18616$ | $-19185$ | |
| Change in trade and other receivables | $-55555$ | 108 166 | $-6$ 112 | 122 678 | $-8383$ | |
| Change in trade and other payables | 83 143 | $-61245$ | $-66936$ | $-66785$ | 104 513 | |
| Net cash flows from operating activities | 86 980 | 120 943 | 69 143 | 177 414 | 363 832 | |
| Net cash flows from investing activities | ||||||
| Payment for equipment and fixtures | 2 7 2 5 | 382 | 1410 | $-488$ | $-9255$ | |
| Payment for intangible assets | $-31403$ | $-26016$ | $-53444$ | $-45500$ | $-105817$ | |
| Payment for acquisition of subsidiary, net of cash acquired |
8 | $-1741165$ | ۰ | $-1804906$ | ||
| Disposal of subsidiary | ||||||
| Net cash flows from investing activities | -1 769 843 | $-29425$ | -1856939 | -49 779 | $-660209$ | |
| Net cash flows from financing activities | ||||||
| Proceeds on issue of shares | 61858 | 61858 | 2 4 6 3 | 2 373 513 | ||
| Proceeds from borrowings | $\overline{5}$ | 1670020 | 381 166 | 1 670 020 | 551 398 | 2 687 634 |
| Repayment of borrowings | $-21356$ | $-117693$ | $-21356$ | $-118687$ | -3 259 081 | |
| Interest paid | $-37$ 194 | $-52226$ | $-38517$ | $-99682$ | $-243386$ | |
| Principal elements of lease payments | $-228$ | $-2808$ | $-3269$ | $-6226$ | $-11615$ | |
| Net cash flows from financing activities | 1 673 100 | 208 440 | 1 668 736 | 329 266 | 1 135 309 | |
| Effect of foreign exchange rate changes | 10 4 78 | $-27137$ | $-25152$ | $-26564$ | $-33987$ | |
| Net change in cash and cash equivalents | 715 | 272 820 | $-144213$ | 430 336 | 804 946 | |
| Cash and equivalents at beginning of period | 807 216 | 304 714 | 952 144 | 147 198 | 147 198 | |
| Cash and equivalents at end of the period | 807931 | 577 534 | 807931 | 577 534 | 952 144 |
The Board of Directors approved the condensed interim financial statements for the six months ended 30 June 2021 for publication on 17 August 2021. These Group financial statements have not been subject to audit or review.
LINK Mobility Group Holding ASA (LINK) is a public limited company registered in Norway. The Company is one of Europe's leading CPaaS providers within mobile communication, specializing in messaging and digital services. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, the Group has 651 employees and operates in 19 countries.
The consolidated condensed interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), IAS 34 "Interim Financial Reporting." The condensed interim financial statements do not include all information and disclosures required in the annual financial statement and should be read in accordance with the Group's annual report for 2020, which has been prepared according to IFRS as adopted by the EU.
The preparation of interim financial statements requires the Group to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the application of accounting policies and reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income, and expenses. Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated by the Group based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are deemed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates. The most significant judgements used in preparing these interim financial statements and the key areas of estimation uncertainty are the same as those applied in the consolidated annual report for 2020.
Goodwill and other Intangible assets with an indefinite useful economic life are not amortized but are tested annually for impairment. The company performs an impairment test for goodwill on an annual basis or when there are circumstances which
would indicate that the carrying value of goodwill may be impaired. When assessing impairment, assets are grouped into cash generating units (CGU's).
The presentation currency of the consolidated financial statement is Norwegian kroner (NOK), which is also the functional currency of the parent company. Unless otherwise stated, amounts presented are in thousands of NOK
The accounting policies applied in the preparation of the consolidated interim financial statements are consistent with those applied in the preparation of the annual IFRS financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020, except for the adoption of new and amended standards as set out below.
The Group applies hedge accounting for hedges that meet the criteria for hedge accounting. The Group has a hedge of net investments in foreign operations.
At the inception of each hedge relationship, the Group designates and documents the hedge accounting relationship, risk management objective, and strategy for undertaking the hedge. The documentation includes identification of the hedging instrument, the hedged item or transaction, the nature of the risk being hedged, and how the entity will assess the hedging instrument's effectiveness in offsetting the exposure to change in the hedged item's fair value of cash flows attributable to the hedged risk. Such hedges are expected to be highly effective in achieving offsetting changes in fair value or cash flows and are assessed on an ongoing basis to determine that they have been highly effective throughout the financial reporting periods for which they were designated.
Hedge relationships that meet the requirements for hedge accounting are accounted for in the Group's consolidated financial statements as follows:
A hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation is accounted for in a similar way to a cash flow hedge. Foreign exchange gains or losses on the hedging instrument relating to the effective portion of the hedge are recognized directly in comprehensive income while any foreign exchange gains or losses relating to the ineffective portion are recognized in the income statement. On disposal of the foreign entity, the cumulative foreign exchange gains or losses recognized in other comprehensive income is reclassified to the income statement.
Net investment hedge accounting is applied when possible.
For information related to amendments to standards, new standards, and interpretations effective from 01 January 2021, please refer to the Group Annual Report for 2020. None of the amendments, standards, or interpretations effective from 01 January 2021 have had a significant impact on the Group's consolidated interim financial information.
The Group reports revenue, gross margin (revenue less direct costs) and adjusted EBITDA in functional operating segments to the Board of Directors (the Group's chief operating decision makers). While LINK uses all four measures to analyze performance, the Group's strategy of profitable growth means that adjusted EBITDA is the prevailing measure of performance (refer to alternate performance measures).
An examination of operating units based on market maturity and product development as well as geography identifies four natural reporting segments. These are Northern Europe, Western Europe, Central Europe, and Global Messaging; these represent market clusters. Generally, regions are segregated into similar geographic locations as these follow similar market trends. Global Messaging includes all regions with aggregator traffic; the other three have enterprise traffic.
The regions are:
The Nordics is composed of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Baltics.
Central Europe is composed of Bulgaria, Romania, North Macedonia, Poland, Hungary, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands.
Western Europe is composed of Spain, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy.
Global messaging is comprised of non-enterprise traffic and is representative of either stand-alone business or as a component of revenues in countries included above. If a business is comprised of both enterprise and wholesale/aggregator transactions, the latter is segregated here. The Swiss operation Horisen Messaging is included here.
Wholesale/aggregator business is defined as an operating unit within LINK's industry, and that use LINK connections in markets where they do not have such connections themselves. This business can generally be referred to, at least partly, as a direct competitor that use LINK connections. Smaller local aggregators cannot be expected to be covered efficiently by Global Messaging and as such they are still subject to local handling (not a focus area though because they are generally low margin and switch easily).
| Revenues by segment | Q2 2021* | Q2 2020* | YTD 2021* | YTD 2020* | Year 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Europe | 311,630 | 276,517 | 605,565 | 545,235 | 169,382 |
| Central Europe | 271,563 | 178,744 | 512,734 | 340,693 | 765,980 |
| Western Europe | 298,681 | 261,848 | 574,759 | 534,147 | 1 125,316 |
| Global Messaging | 173,354 | 123,428 | 307,907 | 264,028 | 478,553 |
| Total revenues | 1 055,228 | 840,538 | 2 000,964 | 1 684,103 | 3 539,231 |
| Gross profit by segment | Q2 2021* | Q2 2020* | YTD 2021* | YTD 2020* | Year 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Europe | 91,708 | 89,303 | 180,058 | 173,010 | 350,957 |
| Central Europe | 92,663 | 50,724 | 172,332 | 94,269 | 218,603 |
| Western Europe | 67,861 | 67,807 | 130,870 | 136,997 | 276,462 |
| Global Messaging | 15,979 | 12,565 | 31,955 | 25,042 | 53,198 |
| Total gross profit | 268,211 | 220,398 | 515,215 | 429,318 | 899,220 |
| Adj. EBITDA by segment | Q2 2021* | Q2 2020* | YTD 2021* | YTD 2020* | Year 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Europe | 58,114 | 62,987 | 115,731 | 118,942 | 240,485 |
| Central Europe | 62,918 | 32,605 | 116,001 | 57,945 | 129,283 |
| Western Europe | 30,670 | 24,525 | 55,981 | 55,118 | 127,826 |
| Global Messaging | 8,311 | 5.241 | 17.464 | 12,442 | 27,150 |
| Group Costs | $-40,941$ | $-27,471$ | $-76.940$ | $-61,802$ | $-133,902$ |
| Total adjusted EBITDA | 119,071 | 97,887 | 228,237 | 182,645 | 390,842 |
| Reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to Group profit (loss) before income tax |
Q2 2021* | Q2 2020* | YTD 2021* | YTD 2020* | Year 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusted EBITDA | 119,071 | 97,887 | 228,237 | 182,645 | 390,842 |
| Non-recurring items | $-81,043$ | $-10,843$ | $-137,121$ | $-22,597$ | $-97,235$ |
| Depreciation and amortization | $-68,713$ | $-55,721$ | $-136,215$ | $-107,503$ | $-271,389$ |
| Operating profit | $-30,686$ | 31,323 | $-45,099$ | 52,545 | 22,218 |
| Finance income (expense) | $-22,267$ | 56,543 | $-73,954$ | $-294,547$ | $-427,047$ |
| Profit (loss) before income tax | $-52,953$ | 87,866 | $-119,053$ | $-242,002$ | $-404,828$ |
** Non-recurring items is comprised of amounts that relate entirely to the company. Costs related to mergers and acquisitions, personnel cost deemed to be non-recurring, restructuring expenses, advisors, licenses, and sales and marketing are included in this reconciliation line item (this list is not exhaustive).
Balances and transactions between LINK Mobility Group Holding ASA and its subsidiaries, which are related parties of LINK Mobility Pecunia AS, have been eliminated on consolidation and are not disclosed in this note.
As of 30 June 2021, the Group has not entered into any transactions with related parties.
On 23rd June 2021 LINK issued EUR 170 million new bonds in LINK's outstanding 5-year senior unsecured 3.375% fixed rate bond issue, raising the total outstanding amount to EUR 370 million. The bonds were issued at par.
| Non-current financial liabilities | YTD 2021* | YTD 2020* | Year 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt to financial institutions | 3 047 370 | 5 2 3 5 | |
| Bond loan | 3 689 487 | 2 073 280 | |
| Lease liability | 32 152 | 15 213 | 30 624 |
| Hold-back | 98 969 | 22 930 | |
| Other long-term liabilities | 3436 | 45 791 | 2 3 9 8 |
| Total | 3 820 609 | 3 131 304 | 2 109 140 |
| Current liabilities | YTD 2021* | YTD 2020* | Year 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hold-back | 24 340 | $\sim$ | 24 340 |
| Lease liability | 10 610 | 7 607 | 8619 |
| Debt to financial institutions/bond loan* | - 42 | 46 714 | 2 9 0 4 |
| Total | 34 907 | 54 321 | 35 863 |
In Q2 2021, a total expense of NOK 40 million was recognized in relation to the RSU and LTI program. Please refer to the annual report for 2020 regarding details for the respective option programs.
Depreciation and amortization are comprised of the following amounts:
| Depriciation and amortization | Q2 2021 | Q2 2020 | YTD 2021 | YTD 2020 | Year 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment and fixtures | 1739 | 1807 | 3 3 5 9 | 3597 | 7975 |
| Right-of-use-assets | 3 2 6 2 | 2410 | 7722 | 5 3 8 0 | 24 348 |
| Intangible assets acquisitions* | 45 392 | 41 528 | 88 361 | 81 737 | 164 494 |
| Intangible assets - subsidiaries** | 18 3 20 | 9975 | 36 774 | 16 788 | 74 572 |
LINK agreed an exclusive term sheet to acquire Soprano Design, a global CPaaS provider headquartered in Sydney, Australia. The acquisition will give LINK a truly global footprint in high growth markets with low penetration rates like Asia-Pacific, the U.S. and Latin America. Signing of an SPA is expected imminently.
LINK acquired Message Broadcast, a leading provider of mission critical customer engagement solutions, headquartered in Newport Beach, California. The acquisition will advance LINK's position in the U.S. and significantly contribute to the organic growth and profitability of the group.
* Acquisitions: depreciation of allocated surplus values from purchase price allocations on acquisitions (Group level)
** Subsidiaries: depreciation of amounts booked in subsidiary balances. Includes book values from acquisitions
Copyright 2021 LINK Mobility. All rights reserved.
LINK finalized the acquisition of AMM S.p.A, a mobile communications company in Italy. LINK exercised its squeeze-out right pursuant to Italian rules in respect of the remaining ordinary shares in AMM not held by LINK at the closing of the Mandatory Offer. AMM was delisted from trading on AIM Italia as of 27 July 2021.
LINK acquired MarketingPlatform Aps, a developer of an omnichannel marketing platform with an integrated customer data platform (CDP), based in Vejen, Denmark. The acquisition will expand LINK's offering within the multi-channel marketing campaign management, a strong email and mobile interface, and customer data management.
| INUN UUU | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | AMM S.p.A. | MarketingPlatform | Message Broadcast |
| Cash paid | 155 172 | 32 276 | 1 597 794 |
| Ordinary shares issued | 75 309 | 567 644 | |
| Earn-out (estimated) | - | 30 071 | |
| Total consideration | 155 172 | 137 655 | 2 165 438 |
| Fair value of assets identified | AMM S.p.A. | MarketingPlatform | Message Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer relationships | 44 788 | 806 339 | |
| Trademark | 7418 | ||
| Technology | 16 008 | 166 622 | 130 923 |
| Deferred tax asset | 1 248 | ||
| Equipment and fixtures | 120 | ||
| Other non-current assets | 9 2 4 9 | 182 | |
| Trade and other receivables | 40 520 | 1 5 9 4 | 29 27 2 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 39 666 | $-7807$ | 12 2 9 3 |
| Long-term borrowings* | - 11 956 | $-16137$ | |
| Deferred tax liability | $-16383$ | $-29540$ | - 196 825 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $-2485$ | ||
| Trade and other payables | $-36277$ | $-6617$ | $-9338$ |
| Income tax payable | $-993$ | ||
| Net identifiable assets acquired | 90 923 | 108 115 | 772 846 |
| Add: Goodwill | 64 249 | 29 540 | 1 392 592 |
| Net assets acquired | 155 172 | 137 655 | 2 165 438 |
The Group's earnings per share is calculated as below:
| NOK '000 | Q2 2021* | $Q22020*$ | YTD 2021* | YTD 2020* | Year 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net (loss) income | -53 990 | 71 548 | $-103547$ | -244 697 | -328 006 |
| Non-controlling interests | 166 | $\sim$ | 166 | $\sim$ | |
| Owners of LINK Mobility Group Holding ASA | -53 824 | 71 548 | -103 381 | -244 697 | -328 006 |
| Weighted average number of ordinary shares (basic) |
Q2 2021* | Q2 2020* | YTD 2021* | YTD 2020* | Year 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issued ordinary shares at 01 January | 270 911 | 213 656 | 270 911 | 213 656 | 213 656 |
| Effect of shares issued (07 January 2020) | 219 | 219 | 219 | ||
| Effect of shares issued (07 January 2020) | 213 875 | 213 875 | 213 875 | ||
| Share split (15 September 2020) | 324 | ||||
| Effect of shares issued (15 September 2020) | 53 200 | ||||
| Effect of shares issued (05 October 2020) | 3512 | ||||
| Effect of shares issued (16 November 2020) | |||||
| Effect of shares issued (11 March 2021) | 1 2 2 7 | ||||
| Effect of shares issued (31 May 2021) | 1688 | 1688 | |||
| Effect of shares issued (07 June 2021) | 1723 | 1723 | |||
| Effect of shares issued (24 June 2021) | 16 755 | 16 755 | |||
| Weighted average number of ordinary shares Basic (loss) earnings per share (NOK) |
291 077 (0, 18) |
213 875 0,33 |
292 304 (0, 35) |
213 875 (1, 14) |
270 911 (1,21) |
| Weighted average number of ordinary shares (diluted) |
Q2 2021* | Q2 2020* | YTD 2021* | YTD 2020* | Year 2020 |
| Weighted average number of ordinary shares (basic) | 291 077 | 213 875 | 292 304 | 213 875 | 270 911 |
| Effect of share options on issue Weighted average number of ordinary shares (diluted) |
291 077 | 213 875 | 292 304 | 213 875 | 270 911 |
| Diluted (loss) earnings per share (NOK) | (0, 18) | 0,33 | (0, 35) | (1, 14) | (1,21) |
| Number of outstanding ordinary shares per 01.01 | 270 911 | 213 656 | 270 911 | 213 656 | 213 656 |
| Number of outstanding ordinary shares per period end |
291 077 | 213 875 | 292 304 | 213 875 | 270 911 |
There are no preference shares at the end of FY2020.
Copyright 2021 LINK Mobility. All rights reserved.
We confirm that the financial statements for the first half of 2021, to the best of our knowledge, have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), give a true and fair view of the company's consolidated assets, liabilities, financial position and results of operations, and that the first half-year report of 2021 includes a fair review of the development, results and position of the company, together with a description of the most central risks and uncertainty factors facing the company.
Oslo, 16 August 2021 The Board of LINK Mobility Group Holding ASA
Jens Rugseth Robert Joseph Nicewicz Jr Charles Joseph Brucato
III
Chairman of the Board Board Member Board Member
Ralph Paul Choufani Katherine Ji-Young Woo Grethe Helene Viksaas Board Member Board Member Board Member
Sara Katarina Murby Forste
Board Member
The financial information in this report is prepared under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), as adopted by the EU. To enhance the understanding of LINK's performance, the Group presents several alternative performance measures ("APM's"). An APM is defined by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) guidelines as a financial measure of historical or future financial performance, financial position, or cash flows, other than a financial measure defined or specified in the applicable financial reporting framework (IFRS).
Below, LINK presents certain APMs, including gross margin, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted EBITDA margin. APMs such as EBITDA are commonly reported by companies in the markets in which LINK competes and are widely used by investors when comparing performance on a consistent basis without regard to factors such as depreciation and amortization, which can vary significantly, depending upon accounting methods (particularly when acquisitions have occurred) or based on non-operating factors.
LINK uses the following APMs:
Gross Profit means revenues less direct costs of services rendered.
Gross margin means gross profit as a percentage of total operating revenues.
Adjusted EBITDA means EBITDA adjusted by expenses related to significant onetime, non-recurring events such as acquisitions and restructuring activities, legal advisors, and share-based compensation. LINK has presented adjusted EBITDA in the consolidated statement of profit and loss because management believes the measure provides useful information regarding operating performance.
Adjusted EBITDA margin is presented as adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of total operating revenues in the respective periods.
EBITDA means earnings before interest, taxes, amortization, depreciation, and impairments. LINK has presented EBITDA in the consolidated statement of profit and loss because management believes that the measure provides useful information regarding the Group's ability to service debt and to fund capital expenditures and provides a helpful measure for comparing its operating performance with that of other companies.
See below for a reconciliation of EBITDA to Adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted EBITDA margin.
| NOK '000 | Q2 2021 | Q2 2020* | YTD 2021* | YTD 2020* | Year 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating profit (loss, ("EBIT") | $-30686$ | 31 323 | -45 099 | 52 545 | 22 218 |
| Depreciation and amortization | 68 713 | 55 7 21 | 136 215 | 107 503 | 271 389 |
| EBITDA | 38 0 28 | 87 044 | 91 116 | 160 047 | 293 607 |
| Add: Restructuring cost | 6 109 | 9 2 0 6 | 12 697 | 19 250 | 47 400 |
| Add: Share based compensation | 40 077 | 81 391 | 34 711 | ||
| Add: Expenses related to acquisitions | 34 857 | 1637 | 43 033 | 3 3 4 8 | 15 123 |
| Adjusted EBITDA | 119 071 | 97 887 | 228 237 | 182 645 | 390 842 |
| Operating revenues | 1 055 228 | 840 538 | 2 000 964 | 1684 103 | 3 539 231 |
| Adjusted EBITDA | 119 071 | 97887 | 228 237 | 182 645 | 390 842 |
| Adjusted EBITDA margin | 11,3% | 11,6 % | 11,4% | 10,8 % | 11,0% |
The Group monitors Net debt according to Bond loan terms which includes interestbearing debt and debt like arrangements. Net debt is derived from the balance sheet and consists of both current and non-current liabilities such as bond loan, other debt from financial institutions and current and non-current lease liabilities less cash and cash equivalents. Sellers credits, holdback and earn-outs are excluded as they are not interest-bearing.
LINK measures leverage ratio as Net debt/Last Twelve Months Adjusted EBITDA. The measure provides useful information about the financial position. Due to the significant M&A activity LINK use Last Twelve Months Proforma Adjusted EBITDA to calculate net debt to present a comparable measure over time.
Below is a reconciliation of Net debt and Net debt/Adjusted EBITDA ratio*:
| NOK '000 | Q2 2021 | Year 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Bond loan | 3 689 487 | 2 073 280 |
| Other long term | 10 547 | 5 2 3 5 |
| IFRS 16 liabilities | 42 762 | 39 244 |
| Less cash | $-807931$ | $-952$ 144 |
| Net debt | 2934865 | 1 165 615 |
| LTM adjusted EBITDA (proforma) | 622 333 | 435 169 |
| Net debt/LTM adjusted EBITDA | 4,7 | 2,7 |
* The leverage definition of the legacy SFA agreement is not directly comparable with the Bond loan terms and is hence omitted for the historical periods
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