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ACS Group increased its Net Profit by 24.4% in the first quarter of 2004

May 13, 2004·4 min read
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ACS Group obtained in the first quarter of 2004 a net profit of €87.8 million, 24.4% more than the pro-forma result for the first quarter one year earlier, setting EPS at €0.74. The consolidated turnover in the first three months of the year amounted to €2,506.4 million, which represents a 0.2% increase over the pro-forma sales in the same period one year back. Gross Operating Profit (GOP) between January and March totalled €206.1 million, representing a 13.9% increase over the comparable figure for the first three months of last year, confirming the company’s leading position as the Spanish Construction and Service company with the highest fund generating capacity. Net Operating Profit After Taxes (NOPAT) through March amounted to €144.3 million, 10.4% more than in the same period of 2003. This favourable operating profit and the improvement in financial expenditure, which dropped to 0.8% of sales compared to 1% in the first quarter of 2003, have led ACS Group’s ordinary profit in this period to rise by 17.6% over the pro-forma figure, totalling €126.2 million. Construction activity evolved satisfactorily, above the initial forecasts, making a higher contribution to the Group’s consolidated sales and net profit. Turnover amounted to €1,218 million, representing a decline by 6.8% in comparison to the pro-forma figure form one year back, and this is due to the reduction of construction abroad and the adaptation of production to customers’ budgetary programming. Net profit totalled €51.2 million, 15.3% more than the pro-forma figure for the year before, which allowed a substantial improvement in the net margin, from 3.4% to 4.2%. The works portfolio totals more than €8,200 million euros, 4.4% higher than at the end of 2003 and the equivalent of 18 months’ production capacity. The Industrial Services area increased its sales by 3.9% to €765 million, and the net operating profit rose by 11.4% to €51.5 million (percentage increases are compared to the pro-forma figures for the first half of 2003). The works portfolio at year-end totalled approximately €3,250 million, 6.5% higher than the joint figure for the two companies in March 2003. Service activity, included in the Services and Concessions area, had a turnover of €540 million and a net operating profit of €32.7 million, respectively representing rises by 9.7% and 13.0% over the pro-forma figures for the first quarter of 2003. The contribution to the Group profits from the holdings in Abertis and Inmobiliaria Urbis, both carried by the equity method, amounted to €9 million and €6.7 million respectively. Financial soundness Net borrowing, without considering project finance, totalled €1,215 million at the end of March, entailing a leverage of 61%. This is very similar to the pro-forma balance for twelve months earlier, after having invested nearly €200 million in the first quarter of the year and paying out an interim dividend in January 2004 totalling €42.7 million. Additionally, project finance amounted to 327 million, 7% more than the pro-forma figure for March 2003. These figures attest to ACS Group’s capacity to take advantage of investment opportunities, while at the same time keeping up an attractive shareholder remuneration policy. In fact, net investment in the first three months of the year amounted to €196.4 million, including €55 million invested in assets for environmental, harbour and logistical services, los €47 million invested in the acquisition of 1% of Abertis, and €33 million in transportation infrastructure concession projects. Evolution of the Merger In the first months of the new merged Group, there have been significant advances in generating synergies, such as the rationalisation of central structures, with a 37% decline in expenditure, and the continuation of sales activities in all the business areas, which have contributed to an increase of the portfolio by over 2% compared to March 2003. Additionally, the legal and organisational restructuring process continues to develop positively, particularly the plans for the legal, operational and financial integration of the Construction area, which will give rise to Spain’s top company by volume, portfolio and profitability, which shall have the company name Dragados S.A.

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