Lenzing's results for 2015

Wednesday, 23 March 2016

Revenue rose by 6% to EUR 1.98 bn
EBITDA increase of 20.7% to EUR 290.1 mn
Dividend proposal: doubling to EUR 2.00 per share
Share of specialty fibers up to 40.5%
Further earnings improvement expected in 2016

Thanks to a strong operational performance, the Lenzing Group significantly improved just about all relevant economic and balance sheet indicators in the 2015 financial year compared to its business results in 2014.

Consolidated revenue climbed by 6.0% to EUR 1.98 bn. This increase is particularly due to higher fiber selling prices, the growing share of specialty fibers in its product mix and positive exchange rate effects. EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) improved by 20.7% to EUR 290.1 mn, up from the prior-year figure of EUR 240.3 mn. Lenzing’s performance in 2015 corresponded to an EBITDA margin of 14.7% (2014: 12.9%). EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) of the Lenzing Group increased to EUR 151.1 mn from EUR 21.9 mn, corresponding to an EBIT margin of 7.6% (2014: 1.2%). Earnings before tax (EBT) amounted to 149.1 mn, substantially higher than EUR 7.3 mn in 2014. The group net profit for the year totaled EUR 124 mn, compared to a loss of EUR 14.2 mn in the previous year. Earnings per share in the 2015 financial year rose to EUR 4.63, up from minus EUR 0.51 per share in 2014. On the basis of this good financial performance, the Management Board and Supervisory Board will propose that the upcoming Annual General Meeting approve the distribution of a dividend of EUR 2.00 per share for the 2015 financial year, double the dividend for 2014.

“We made substantial progress in 2015, and delivered the promised improvements to our business operations,” says Stefan Doboczky, Chief Executive Officer of Lenzing AG. “We strategically realigned the company, improved the earnings and cost structure and enhanced our financial strength. We also expect a considerable rise in earnings once again in 2016 provided that the underlying business framework does not significantly change.”

Solid balance sheet structure, clear improvement of ROCE to 8%

Lenzing boasts a solid balance sheet structure which was further optimized in the course of the 2015 financial year. Adjusted equity increased by 15% to EUR 1.23 bn (2014: EUR 1.07 bn). The adjusted equity ratio amounted to 50.6%, the highest level since the year 2006 (2014: 44.9%). Net financial debt was sharply reduced by 27.0% to EUR 327.9 mn (December 31, 2014: EUR 449.5 mn). Accordingly, the ratio of net financial debt to EBITDA declined from 1.9 at the end of 2014 to 1.1 at the end of 2015. The return on capital generated by the Lenzing Group improved thanks to the positive earnings development. As a result, the return on capital employed (ROCE) increased to 8.0%, compared to minus 0.1% in the previous year. At the same time, the return on equity (ROE) rose to 13.0% (2014: 0.7%).

Investments in intangible assets, property, plant and equipment (CAPEX) of the Lenzing Group totaled EUR 70.9 mn in the 2015 financial year, compared to the prior-year level of EUR 104.3 mn. Following completion of the TENCEL® fiber production plant at the Lenzing site in 2014, the focus of Lenzing’s capital expenditures in 2015 was on maintenance work as well as the implementation of quality and optimization measures. The excelLENZ cost optimization initiative was concluded in 2015. The new strategy sCore TEN was developed by the Lenzing team and is already in implementation.

Share of specialty fibers up to 40.5% of group revenue

Demand for high-quality Lenzing fibers was strong in 2015, encompassing all regions and product groups. For this reason, the pulp and fiber production capacities of the Lenzing Group were well utilized against the backdrop of high production output. In particular, sales of the specialty fiber TENCEL® increased significantly. The share of specialty fibers as a percentage of total group revenue was 40.5% in the 2015 financial year, compared to the 35.0% in the previous year. Expenditures for research and development were increased by 47% to EUR 29.8 mn, in line with the company’s strategy of focusing on the development, production and marketing of innovative specialty fibers.

Outlook for 2016

The volatile development prevailing on the global fiber market is expected to continue. High cotton inventories and low polyester selling prices intensify price competition on the market i.e. inter-fiber competition. However, the market segment of wood-based cellulose fibers, which is of relevance to Lenzing, is showing signs of developing more positively than the overall fiber market. Demand for cellulose fibers remains strong, and the ratio of supply to demand is favorable. Assuming unchanged conditions on the fiber market and currency exchange rates, Lenzing expects further improvements in earnings in the current 2016 financial year compared to 2015.

Lenzing: Profitable Growth Thanks to Eco-Friendly Specialty Fibers

• Share of revenue generated by specialty fibers targeted to rise to 50% by 2020.
• The nonwovens segment is expected to expand twice as fast as the textile market. 
• EBITDA growth of approx. 10% p.a. until 2020 
• Increase in ROCE to more than 10% by 2020 

The Lenzing Group is presenting its business strategy for the coming years entitled “sCore TEN”. Accordingly, Lenzing’s main priorities are strengthening the company’s core business, intensifying cooperation with customers along the value chain, increasing the share of specialty fibers to 50% of total revenue by 2020, expanding its quality and technological leadership for man-made cellulose fibers and opening up new attractive business areas.

“Our objective is to safeguard and expand Lenzing’s leadership role on the dynamic growth market for man-made cellulose fibers“, says Lenzing’s Chief Executive Officer Stefan Doboczky. “To achieve this, we will focus more intensively on the most attractive segments in the specialty fiber business. Lenzing will put value before volume in the future. We aim at achieving volume growth.”

Lenzing expects demand for man-made cellulose fibers to increase by 5 to 6% p.a. until 2020, which is nearly twice as fast as the global fiber market. The primary factors driving demand are the continuing growth of the world’s population and rising prosperity in the emerging markets. Forecasts call for a rise in per capita textile consumption in the emerging markets by all in all 50% in the period 2010 to 2020. In the industrialized countries the nonwovens industry, an important sales market for Lenzing, will profit from the increased demand for hygiene products. The nonwovens segment is expected to expand twice as fast as the textile market.

Tencel in Lenzing Annual Reports 2014

During the 2014 reporting year, Lenzing successfully initiated production at its first TENCEL® jumbo production facility featuring a nominal capacity of 67,000 tons. For the first time, such large fiber volumes can be produced on a single production line. Conventional TENCEL® production lines are only one-quarter as large on average. Thanks to the new design of the jumbo production line, investment costs could be maintained at a very competitive level of approximately EUR 150 mn (or about EUR 2,200 per ton of capacity). 

The latest generation of TENCEL® technology incorporates the experience gained from the three existing TENCEL® production plants of the Lenzing Group located in Austria, USA and Great Britain. With a construction time of 24 months, Lenzing completely adhered to both the budgeted investment costs as well as all timetables. The TENCEL® fiber production secures 140 jobs at the Lenzing site. 

The successful start of the jumbo fiber production line serves as the basis for the further competitive scaling of TENCEL® fibers as a universally deployable textile and nonwoven fiber. The new, broader product portfolio on the basis of the TENCEL® technology successfully complements Lenzing’s specialty strategy. Expansion of global market leadership for lyocell The annual nominal TENCEL® production capacity of the Lenzing Group will rise from 155,000 tons to about 220,000 tons thanks to the new plant. In this way, Lenzing will further expand upon its worldwide leadership for lyocell and offer its global customers new expansion opportunities in both the textile and nonwoven segments as well as new and innovative applications. 

Typical applications of the high-tech fiber TENCEL® include sportswear, soft

New CEO at Lenzing

Vienna, March 20, 2015 – The Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG appointed Stefan Doboczky as the new Chairman of the Management Board (CEO) of Lenzing AG. Mr. Doboczky will assume his new function on June 1st 2015. He takes over from Peter Untersperger, who will step down from his function as CEO per 31 May 2015 at his own request prematurely.

Mr. Doboczky, Austrian, brings to Lenzing a broad international management experience and extensive expertise in Asia. Since 1998 he has worked in various management positions for the Dutch Life Science & Material Science group Royal DSM in Europe and Asia. In his current role as Member of the Managing Board he has been responsible for the successful strategic repositioning of the global pharmaceutical businesses, for Corporate Operations & Responsible Care, as well as for the corporation’s growth agenda in the Asian markets. Mr. Doboczky holds a PhD in chemistry from the TU Wien and a MBA from Swiss Business School IMD .

Hanno Bästlein, Chairman of the Nomination Committee of the Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG, said about the appointment of the new CEO: “With his international industrial expertise, his close to ten years of management experience in Asia and his strong technical background, Stefan Doboczky will strengthen the Management Board team and is ideally suited to lead the Lenzing Group towards further growth.”

Source: Lenzing

The Top 10 Countries as Pageviews pass 81,000

In the last 2 months the Ukraine has been the number 1 user of this website. 

It moves up into No. 2 position ahead of the UK for all-time usage (see below)

Entry	Pageviews
United States	20011
Ukraine	12450
United Kingdom	11562
China	4878
Israel	3747
Russia	3013
Germany	2850
France	2118
Austria	1010
India	785