Interim report January-March 2018

First quarter 2018 – Increased sales and higher result

  • Sales increased 5 per cent to 3,309 MSEK (3,138).
  • Operating profit increased to 540 MSEK (532).
  • Operating margin amounted to 16.3 per cent (17.0).
  • Profit after tax increased 8 per cent to 411 MSEK (379).
  • Earnings per share increased 8 per cent to 1.19 SEK (1.10).
  • Operating cash flow amounted to 302 MSEK (435).

President’s comments

“The first quarter of 2018 was another strong quarter – our best quarter to date for both sales and operating profit. The sales increased 5 per cent to 3,309 MSEK and the volume development was positive with higher volumes in Europe and Asia and stable volumes in NAFTA. The sales have been affected positively by the fact that the sales prices have been higher, since the prices on our main raw materials have increased. The sales to automotive related customers were still good and improved to customers within engineering and general industry and the construction industry. Currency effects had a negative impact on both sales and operating profit. Operating profit increased to 540 MSEK and compared with the last three quarters in 2017 the operating margin increased from 16.0 to 16.3 per cent. Earnings per share increased 8 per cent to 1.19 SEK (1.10). Our financial position remains strong and with a net cash of 267 MSEK we are well equipped for further expansion.”

Mikael Fryklund, President and CEO

Interim report January-March 2018

HEXPOL is a world-leading polymers group with strong global positions in advanced polymer compounds (Compounding), gaskets for plate heat exchangers (Gaskets), and plastic and rubber materials for truck and castor wheel applications (Wheels). Customers are primarily systems suppliers to the global automotive and engineering industry, construction industry, the energy, oil and gas sector, medical equipment manufacturers and OEM manufacturers of plate heat exchangers and forklifts. The Group is organised in two business areas, HEXPOL Compounding and HEXPOL Engineered Products. The HEXPOL Group’s sales in 2017 amounted to 12,230 MSEK. The HEXPOL Group has approximately 4,400 employees in eleven countries. Further information is available at www.hexpol.com.

This press release consists of such information that HEXPOL AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 12:00 p.m. CET on April 24, 2018. This report has been prepared both in Swedish and English. In case of any divergence in the content of the two versions, the Swedish version shall have precedence.

For more information, please contact:

Mikael Fryklund, President and CEO
Tel: +46 (0)40 25 46 61

Karin Gunnarsson, Chief Financial Officer/ Investor Relations Manager
Tel: +46 (0)705 55 47 32