Caverion Corporation’s Interim Report for January 1 – September 30, 2017

Caverion Corporation’s Interim Report for January 1 – September 30, 2017 

First signs of improved performance

July 1 – September 30, 2017 

• Order backlog: EUR 1,460.4 (1,450.9) million
• Revenue: EUR 545.1 (582.0) million
• EBITDA excluding restructuring costs: EUR 13.8 (19.5) million, or 2.5 (3.3) percent of revenue
• EBITDA: EUR 8.7 (13.8) million, or 1.6 (2.4) percent of revenue
• Working capital: EUR 75.7 (56.1) million
• Free cash flow: EUR -43.8 (-38.8) million
• Earnings per share, undiluted: EUR -0.01 (0.02) per share

January 1 – September 30, 2017 

• Revenue: EUR 1,692.5 (1,758.1) million
• EBITDA excluding restructuring costs: EUR 14.6 (26.1) million, or 0.9 (1.5) percent of revenue
• EBITDA: EUR 2.5 (10.9) million, or 0.1 (0.6) percent of revenue
• Free cash flow: EUR -90.5 (-100.1) million

Unless otherwise noted, the figures in brackets refer to the corresponding period in the previous year.

KEY FIGURES

Word from the President and CEO Ari Lehtoranta

“We started to see the first signs of improved performance related to our turnaround programme in the third quarter. While we are still getting negative impact from older poor-performing projects, our ongoing new business in Projects and particularly Services is showing improving results. Our EBITDA excluding restructuring costs improved clearly from the first half of the year. In the third quarter, EBITDA excluding restructuring costs was EUR 13.8 (19.5) million. The result was still burdened by project write-downs of EUR 7.1 (4.1) million, trade receivable write-downs of EUR 0.9 million and restructuring costs of EUR 5.2 (5.7) million. Our risk project challenges also impacted negatively on our working capital and cash flow. Overall, we continued implementing our corrective actions to improve particularly our project business performance. Looking forward into the fourth quarter, I expect improved cash flow and our risk for write-downs is lower than last year.

Caverion’s revenue for the third quarter of 2017 was EUR 545.1 (582.0) million. There was a negative impact for the period especially from our more selective project business tendering. In accordance with our target, the Services business grew by 4.7 percent in the third quarter. The revenue of the total Projects business decreased by 15.7 percent, while the revenue of Large Projects by as much as 23.2 percent. Our focus in Services boosted up Services order backlog by 5.5 percent from the previous year, while in Projects the order backlog declined by 2.7 percent. Besides selectivity in tendering, we have closed down several poor-performing project units. This is part of our strategic transformation.

Our market environment remains favourable. Divisions Finland and Austria improved their solid performance in the third quarter. Division Denmark-Norway delivered a good result. In Sweden our quarterly results were burdened by further restructuring costs of EUR 4.9 million affecting about 190 employees and productivity challenges. We started a rigorous performance management programme in Sweden during the period, the target of which is to materially improve our long-term performance. The result in Industrial Solutions and Germany remained negative due to write-downs in previously identified risk projects. By business unit, the Services business unit continued to improve its performance. Performance in the Projects business unit was still poor, burdened by write-downs.

We continued to realise savings from the completed restructuring actions and discretionary fixed cost savings. Our personnel expenses decreased by about 3.9 percent and our other operating expenses by about 5.5 percent from the previous year in January-September. This is satisfying, while taking into account that we have also had turnaround related one-off costs at the same time, for example, our external legal costs relating to project business amounted to EUR 2.2 million in division Industrial Solutions. In January–September, the total performance and utilisation actions amounted to restructuring costs of approximately EUR 12.1 million. Their estimated total savings impact is approximately EUR 2.8 million in 2017 and EUR 8.6 million in 2018.

We have made write-downs totalling EUR 25.4 (19.1) million related to our risk projects in divisions Industrial Solutions and Germany in January–September. Following our latest assessment in October, the remaining project performance risks of our risk list are estimated to be about EUR 18 million. It is possible that the settlement of certain technically completed projects in 2017 may move into 2018.

With respect to old overdue trade receivables, the estimated full-year write-down risk in 2017 is below the earlier anticipated maximum level of EUR 10 million. After the completed restructurings, the impacts of the utilisation risk estimated earlier (up to EUR 10 million) have by and large already materialised in our results.

Caverion’s financial performance in 2017 is negatively impacted mainly by our project business performance. At the same time we have started to build a new stronger Caverion for the future. We will tell more about our new strategy at our Capital Markets Day in Helsinki on November 7, 2017.”

OUTLOOK FOR 2017

Market outlook for Caverion’s services and solutions

The megatrends in the industry, such as the increase of technology in buildings, energy efficiency requirements, increasing digitalisation and automation as well as urbanisation continue to promote demand for Caverion’s services and solutions over the coming years.

Services

The underlying demand for Technical Maintenance and Managed Services is expected to remain strong. As technology in buildings increases, the need for new services and the demand for Life Cycle Solutions are expected to increase. Clients’ tendency towards focusing on their core operations continues to open opportunities for Caverion in terms of outsourced operations and maintenance especially for public authorities, industries and utilities.

Projects

The Technical Installation and Large Projects markets are expected to remain on a good level. Good demand is expected to continue from both the private and public sectors. However, price competition is expected to remain tight. Low interest rates and availability of financing are expected to support investments. The demand for Design & Build of Total Technical Solutions is expected to develop favourably in large and technically demanding projects. Requirements for increased energy efficiency, better indoor conditions and tightening environmental legislation will be significant factors supporting the positive market development.

Turnaround programme ‒ Items affecting EBITDA and operating profit*

* The effect of the risk from overdue trade receivables and the utilisation risk excluded for 2017. 

** Including cost estimate adjustments, cost overruns and provision increases from the risk project list for 2017.

Guidance for 2017 

Caverion’s guidance for 2017 is unchanged. Caverion’s guidance for 2017 is: “Caverion estimates that the Group’s revenue will remain at the previous year's level in 2017 (2016: EUR 2,364 million). Caverion estimates that the Group’s EBITDA excluding restructuring costs will more than double in 2017 (2016: EUR 15.6 million).”

In its guidance Caverion applies the following guidance terminology, with a +/- 2pp (percentage point) threshold to the said limits.

INFORMATION SESSION, WEBCAST AND CONFERENCE CALL

Caverion will hold a news conference and webcast on the Interim Report on Friday, October 27, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. (Finnish Time, EEST) at the Glo Hotel Kluuvi (Videowall meeting room), Kluuvikatu 4, 2nd floor, Helsinki, Finland. The news conference can also be viewed live on Caverion’s website at www.caverion.com/investors. It is also possible to participate in the event through a conference call by calling the assigned number +44 (0)330 336 9411 at 10:55 a.m. (Finnish time, EEST) at the latest. Participant code for the conference call is “7876164/ Caverion”. More practical information on the news conference can be found on Caverion's website, www.caverion.com/investors.

Financial information and IR events

Caverion will arrange a Capital Markets Day in Helsinki, Finland on November 7, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. (EET). Further information on the programme is available on Caverion's website, www.caverion.com/investors.

Financial Statements Bulletin for January - December 2017 will be published on February 7, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. (Finnish Time, EET). Financial reports and other investor information are available on Caverion's website, www.caverion.com/investors, and IR App. The materials may also be ordered by sending an e-mail to IR@caverion.com.

CAVERION CORPORATION
  

Distribution: Nasdaq Helsinki, principal media, www.caverion.com

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