Earnings Release • Apr 28, 2014
Earnings Release
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First quarter 2014 sales up 14% at constant scope and exchange rates
Paris La Défense, April 28, 2014: The Vicat group (NYSE Euronext Paris: FR0000031775 - VCT) has today reported sales for the three months ended March 31, 2014, which amounted to €536 million, an increase of 9.2% or 14.0% at constant scope and exchange rates.
| Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $(\epsilon$ million) | First quarter 2014 |
First quarter 2013 |
Reported | At constant scope and exchange rates |
|
| Cement | 275 | 256 | $+7.4%$ | $+15.2%$ | |
| Concrete & Aggregates |
194 | 175 | $+11.0%$ | $+13.3%$ | |
| Other Products & Services |
67 | 60 | $+11.4%$ | $+11.4%$ | |
| Total | 536 | 491 | $+9.2%$ | $+14.0%$ |
TOUR MANHATTAN 6 PLACE DE L'IRIS F-92095 PARIS - LA DEFENSE CEDEX TEL: +33 (0)1 58 86 86 86 FAX: +33 (0)1 58 86 87 88
A FRENCH REGISTERED COMPANY
WITH SHARE CAPITAL OF $6179.600.000$ EU VAT IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: FR
92 - 057 505 539 RCS NANTERRE
"Vicat achieved strong sales growth in the first quarter of 2014. Our businesses benefited from mild weather conditions in France and were able to capture positive momentum in the Swiss, US and Turkish construction sector. The return to growth in Egypt is a positive sign for our full-year performance, and we are continuing to rampup our business in India, although prices are likely to remain volatile.
The Group is still gradually reaping the benefits of its investments over the last few years, using its strong market positions to maximise cash flow and continue reducing debt."
STÉPHANE BISSEUIL TEL: +33 (0)1 58 86 86 13 [email protected]
FRANCOIS LESAGE TEL: +33 (0)1 58 86 86 26 francois.lesage@tbwa-—
≏rete.com
In this press release, and unless indicated otherwise, all changes are stated on a consolidated, vear-onyear basis (2014/2013), and at constant scope and exchange rates.
Consolidated sales in the first quarter of 2014 totalled $$36$ million, up 9.2% year-on-year. At constant scope and exchange rates, the increase was 14.0%.
Operational sales rose 13.9% (15.2% on a consolidated basis) in the Cement business and 12.2% (13.3% on a consolidated basis) in the Concrete & Aggregates business at constant scope and exchange rates. Sales in the Other Products & Services business were up 12.5% (11.4% on a consolidated basis).
The breakdown of first-quarter operational sales by business shows a slight decrease in the contribution of the Cement business to 52.9% of total operational sales, as opposed to 53.6% in the first quarter of 2013. The Concrete & Aggregates business accounted for 32.4% of the total, versus 32.0% in the year-earlier period. Other Products & Services accounted for a slightly larger share of operational sales, i.e. 14.7% as opposed to 14.4% in the first quarter of 2013.
Movements in the Group's sales in the first quarter of 2014 resulted mainly from:
These factors offset the decline in business levels in Kazakhstan, which suffered from weather conditions that were substantially worse than in 2013, and the ongoing decline in sales in Italy, where the economic and sector environment remains weak.
| First quarter (€ million) 2014 |
First quarter 2013 | Change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reported | At constant scope | |||
| Consolidated sales | 197 | 183 | $+7.6%$ | $+6.6%$ |
Consolidated sales in France rose by 6.6% at constant scope to €197 million in the first quarter of 2014. This solid growth was driven by firm growth in sales volumes, resulting from particularly mild weather conditions in early 2014.
By segment:
| First quarter $(\epsilon$ million) 2014 |
First quarter | Change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Reported | At constant scope and exchange rates |
||
| Consolidated sales | 89 | 73 | $+22.2%$ | $+21.4%$ |
In Switzerland, first-quarter sales were driven by further strong growth in the construction market, the start of new infrastructure projects and favourable weather conditions. They totalled €85 million, representing solid year-on-year growth.
In Italy, consolidated sales fell 17.6%, mainly due to a 19.2% fall in volumes, caused by ongoing tough conditions in the domestic market. Measures intended at stimulating the economy in general and the construction sector in particular have vet to have an impact. Against this background, and given the Group's selective commercial policy, selling prices rose slightly.
| First quarter $(\epsilon$ million) 2014 |
First quarter | Change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Reported | At constant scope and exchange rates |
||
| Consolidated sales | 51 | 46 | $+9.5%$ | $+12.8%$ |
Business levels in the United States continued to recover, and the macroeconomic situation remained positive. In addition, the residential construction sector is seeing firm growth, supported by the gradual reduction in household mortgage debt levels. The Group's sales US rose 12.8% relative to the first quarter of 2013.
| First quarter $(\epsilon$ million) 2014 |
First quarter | Change | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Reported | At constant scope and exchange rates |
|||
| Consolidated sales | 101 | 101 | $-0.9%$ | $+21.6%$ |
In Turkey, consolidated sales amounted to $644$ million, up 25.8% at constant scope and exchange rates. Strong Q1 performance was the result of weather conditions, which were equally mild as those seen in Q1 2013, and further growth in the construction sector.
In India, consolidated sales totalled $\epsilon$ 47 million in the first quarter of 2014, up 27.2% at constant scope and exchange rates. Volumes rose 33.5% to almost 1.1m tonnes. Selling prices remained highly volatile because of current competitive and sector conditions, and fell by almost 6% in Q1 2014.
In Kazakhstan, consolidated sales fell 14.0% to $\bigoplus$ million. This decline was mainly caused by the high base for comparison arising from particularly mild weather conditions in the first quarter of 2013. Volumes fell almost 14% in Q1 2014, while prices were essentially stable.
| First quarter $(\epsilon$ million) 2014 |
Change First quarter |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Reported | At constant scope and exchange rates |
||
| Consolidated sales | 98 | 87 | $+12.9%$ | $+15.6%$ |
In Egypt, consolidated sales amounted to €27 million, up +26.7% at constant scope and exchange rates. This growth resulted from a near-12% increase in volumes, driven mainly by an improved security situation in the North Sinai region. In addition, demand for cement was firm but supply was limited by the difficult conditions experienced by all operators in terms of access to energy and security. As a result, prices increased significantly in the first quarter of 2014.
In West Africa, revenue rose 11.6% due to solid volume growth (14%), with a good performance in the domestic Senegalese market and even stronger growth in export markets. This growth was supported by the initiation and continuation of maior construction projects and demand for social housing, particularly in Senegal. However, prices fell relative to the first quarter of 2013.
| First quarter | First quarter 2013 |
Change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $(\epsilon$ million) 2014 |
Reported | At constant scope and exchange rates |
||
| Volume (thousands of tonnes) |
4,598 | 4,099 | $+12.2%$ | |
| Operational sales | 325 | 304 | $+6.8%$ | $+13.9%$ |
| Eliminations | (50) | (48) | ||
| Consolidated sales |
275 | 256 | $+7.4%$ | $+15.2%$ |
| $(\epsilon$ million) | First quarter | First quarter 2013 |
Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Reported | At constant scope and exchange rates |
||
| Concrete volumes (thousands of $m^3$ ) |
1,888 | 1,798 | $+5.0%$ | |
| volumes Aggregates (thousands of tonnes) |
5,154 | 4,728 | $+9.0\%$ | |
| Operational sales | 199 | 181 | $+9.8%$ | $+12.2%$ |
| Eliminations | (5) | (6) | ||
| Consolidated sales | 194 | 175 | $+11.0%$ | $+13.3%$ |
| $(\epsilon$ million) | First quarter | First quarter | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2013 | Reported | At constant scope and exchange rates |
|
| Operational sales | 90 | 82 | $+10.1%$ | $+12.5%$ |
| Eliminations | (23) | (22) | ||
| Consolidated sales | 67 | 60 | $+11.4%$ | $+11.4%$ |
Historically, the first quarter has not been representative of the Group's full-year financial performance.
Net debt equalled 54% of consolidated shareholders' equity at March 31, 2014 as opposed to 52% at March 31, 2013, confirming the strength of Vicat's balance sheet.
Given the level of the Group's net debt, bank covenants do not pose a threat either to the Group's financial position or to its balance sheet liquidity. At March 31, 2014, Vicat complied with all financial ratios required by covenants in financing agreements.
For 2014, the Group wishes to make the following comments concerning its various markets:
To accompany the publication of its sales for the first half of 2014, the Vicat group is organising a conference call that will be held in English on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 at 3pm Paris time (2pm London time and 9am New York time).
To take part in the conference call live, dial one of the following numbers: France: +33 (0) 1 76 77 22 21 United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 3427 1907 United States: +1 718 354 1157
To listen to a playback of the conference call, which will be available until 7pm on March 18, 2014, dial one of the following numbers:
| France: | +33 (0) 174 20 28 00 |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom: | +44 (0) 20 3427 0598 |
| United States: | +1 347 366 9565 |
Access code: 6386597#
Next date for shareholders: May 6, 2014 (10am): Annual General Meeting of Shareholders
Next publication: August 4, 2014 (after the market closes) first-half 2014 sales and earnings
Stéphane Bisseuil Tel: +33 (0)1 58 86 86 13 [email protected]
François Lesage Tel: +33 (0)1 58 86 86 26 [email protected]
The Vicat Group has almost 7,700 employees working in three core divisions, Cement, Concrete & Aggregates and Other Products & Services, which generated consolidated sales of €2,286 million in 2013.
The Group operates in 11 countries: France, Switzerland, Italy, the United States, Turkey, Egypt, Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, Kazakhstan and India, Around 62% of its sales come from outside France. The Vicat group is the heir to an industrial tradition dating back to 1817, when Louis Vicat invented artificial cement. Founded in 1853, the Vicat Group now operates three core lines of business: Cement, Ready-Mixed Concrete and Aggregates, as well as related activities.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements do not constitute forecasts regarding results or any other performance indicator, but rather trends or targets. These statements are by their nature subject to risks and uncertainties as described in the Company's annual report available on its website (www.vicat.fr). These statements do not reflect the future performance of the Company, which may differ significantly. The Company does not undertake to provide updates of these statements.
Further information about Vicat is available from its website (www.vicat.fr).
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