Half-year results at June 30, 2021 : accelerating growth in Europe
Sound operational performance in the context of the
rapid ramp-up of major telecom and energy customers
contracts
- +20.9% growth in revenue
- 19.8% growth in EBITDA
- Cash net of debt: €44 million
Confirmation of long-term
outlook
- Excellent sales momentum: solid growth prospects based on
structurally buoyant market trends
- Continued transformation of the group
No misstatement on the review of the opening
balance-sheet
Solutions 30 SE today released its
consolidated results for the first six months of 2021. The
Solutions 30 Supervisory Board, at its meeting on September
28th, reviewed and approved the financial results for the first
half of 2021 presented by the Management Board. The statutory
auditor has reviewed the consolidated half-year financial
statements in accordance with professional standards
(ISRE 2410). The audit procedures are detailed at the end of
the press release,
Key figures
In millions of euros |
06/30/2021 |
06/30/2020 (1) |
Change |
Revenue |
441.3 |
365.1 |
+20.9% |
Adjusted EBITDA |
49.5 |
41.3 |
+19.8% |
As a %
of revenue |
11.2% |
11.3% |
|
Adjusted EBIT |
29.6 |
21.5 |
+37.5% |
As a %
of revenue |
6.7% |
5.9% |
|
Consolidated net income |
14.6 |
10.5 |
+39.5% |
As a %
of revenue |
3.3% |
2.9% |
|
Net income, group share |
14.1 |
10.4 |
+35.3% |
As a %
of revenue |
3.2% |
2.9% |
|
Free
cash flow |
0 |
78.6 |
|
Financial structure figures |
06/30/2021 |
12/31/2020 |
Change |
Equity |
184.7 |
170.0 |
+14.7 |
Net
debt |
42.9 |
28.9 |
+14.0 |
Net
bank debt |
-44.0 |
-59.2 |
+15.3 |
- Data for the first half of 2020 have been restated for
corrections made to the 2020 annual financial statements, to
include the company Worldlink as at 01/01/2020. In the first half
of 2020, Worldlink contributed €1.5 million to revenue and
-€0.2 million to adjusted EBITDA.
+20.9% growth in revenue in the
first half of 2021
Solutions 30’s consolidated revenue for the
first six months of 2021 amounted to €441.3 million, up +20.9%
(+17.5% organic growth) compared to the same period in 2020.
Maintenance activities, which are recurrent, represent 58% of
revenue. The group is accelerating its expansion outside of France,
illustrating the relevance of its strategy to duplicate its success
in France.
In France, over the first six
months of the year, revenue reached €270.3 million, a purely
organic increase of +20.5%. This growth has been bolstered by:
-
- A +22.3% increase in revenue from the telecom business, which
remains very dynamic. Momentum for the fiber business remains
strong with roll-outs in lower-density areas, increasing subscriber
connections, and maintenance— Solutions 30’s core business—
which accounts for 75% of its fiber business.
- An +18.1% increase in the energy business due to a favorable
base effect since smart meter installations were interrupted during
the first lockdown from March 17 to May 11, 2020. This activity
generates half of the revenue for the energy business, i.e. 10% of
revenue in France.
- The performance of the IT business, which is back on track for
growth over the six-month period, posting a +24.1% increase in
revenue.
In the Benelux, over the first
half of 2021, revenue was up +13.1% (+9.8% organic growth) to
€74.9 million. The roll-out of ultra high-speed networks is
beginning to take shape and is driving the group’s sales momentum,
while the start of the smart meter roll-out program in Flanders,
which has been contributing to the top line since March, has been
driving growth for the first six months of the year.
In other countries, the group
posted revenue of €96.1 million for the first half of 2021, up
+28.8% (+15.5% organic growth) compared to the first half of 2020.
In Italy, revenue was up +54% thanks to the rapid ramp-up of the
contract signed at the beginning of the year with TIM. In Spain,
revenue was up +44% thanks to the telecoms portfolio. Half-yearly
revenue was stable for Germany and Poland. In the United Kingdom,
where the group has been operating since the end of 2020, revenue
reached €7.4 million.
Stability of the EBITDA margin,
considering the rapid ramp-up of new contracts
During the first half of 2021, the priority was
to invest in recruiting and training teams to take on the
significant increase in workload from contracts the group signed
and to support the roll-out of new technologies in several European
countries. The group is preparing to accelerate its growth in
several countries, given the sales momentum and new contracts
signed since the end of 2020.
Adjusted EBITDA was €49.5 million at the
end of June 2021, up +19.8% compared to the first half of 2020. The
operating margin was 11.2% of revenue, virtually unchanged compared
to the first half of 2020 (11.3%). Because of the workload ramp-up,
operating costs increased by +1.7 points compared with the
first half of 2020 and represented 79.9% of revenue, while the
burden of structural costs fell to 8.8% of revenue compared with
10.4% in the first half of 2020.
In France, adjusted EBITDA
amounted to €41.9 million, representing a margin of 15.5%, up
+1.1 points compared to the first half of 2020. The sheer volume of
the fiber business is driving margins, while the energy business is
preparing to wind down smart electricity meter roll-outs, which
will be offset by the need to install charging stations and
activities related to the energy transition and renewable
energies.
In the Benelux, adjusted EBITDA
was €10.4 million, resulting in a margin of 13.8% compared to
14.1% a year earlier due to ramp-ups in the energy and telecom
businesses.
In other countries, adjusted
EBITDA was €1.7 million, representing 1.8% of revenue,
compared with 3.4% a year earlier. In Italy and Spain, the ramp-up
of major contracts signed in the telecoms sector has had a
temporary impact on profitability. In Germany, restructuring the
organization to prepare for future growth is weighing on
profitability.
After accounting for €7.7 million in impairments
and operational provisions, and after amortizing the usage rights
for leased assets (IFRS 16), worth €12.3 million, adjusted
EBIT stood at €29.6 million, i.e. 6.7% of revenue compared with
5.9% for the first half of 2020.
The first half of the year includes
€4.8 million of other current operating expenses, which mainly
consist of exceptional expenses incurred by the group to put an end
to the violent smear campaign against it.
Customer relationship amortization amounted to
€7.3 million in 2021, compared to €5.6 million a year
earlier.
After taking into account a tax expense of
€3.6 million, compared to €3.7 million a year earlier,
and financial income of €0.7 million, compared to
(€2.0) million at June 30, 2020, the group’s share of net
income reached €14.1 million, compared to €10.4 million
in the first half of 2020.
A continued solid financial structure, a
foundation for sustainable growth
As of June 30, 2021, the group’s
equity amounted to €184.7 million, compared with
€170.0 million as at December 31, 2020. The group’s
gross cash position reached €130.8 million, compared to
€159.3 million at the end of December 2020. Gross bank debt
was €86.8 million compared with €100.0 million six months
earlier, due to scheduled debt repayments. The group posted a net
cash position of €44.0 million at the end of June 2021,
compared to a net cash position of €59.2 million at the end of
December 2020.
After taking into account €64.4 million in
leasing debt (IFRS 16) and €22.5 million in potential
financial debt related to earnouts and future call options, total
net debt amounts to €42.9 million.
Operating cash flow amounted to
€37.9 million for the first half of 2021, compared to
€34.6 million for the first half of 2020. The ramp-up of
contracts and the return to more normal payment terms than in 20201
resulted in a €30.7 million increase in working capital
requirements, which amount to -€9 million. In the first half
of 2020, WCR was down €50 million and negative at
€42.9 million. Cash flow from operations in the first
half of 2021 was €7.2 million, compared with
€84.6 million a year earlier, and net investments amounted to
€7.2 million.
This results in an overall balanced free cash
flow, compared to cash generation of €78.4 million in the
first half of 2020.
Outstanding receivables transferred under the
group’s non-recourse factoring program amounted to
€73.2 million at the end of June 2021, compared to
€93.5 million at December 31, 2020. This program finances
working capital requirements from recurring activities that are
fully developed. The use of factoring frees up the cash generated
by these receivables to finance the group’s growth strategy,
specifically the ramp-up of new contracts, at a cost of less than
1% of the amount of assigned receivables. This program, combined
with a solid financial structure, provides Solutions 30 with
the resources it needs to finance its ambitious growth
strategy.
Continued transformation of the
Group
Solutions 30 is committed to an improvement
plan aimed at accelerating its transformation and strengthening its
governance, shareholder structure, risk management processes, and
compliance. This plan will reinforce the group so it can pursue a
strategy of sustained and sustainable growth and continue to
capture growth opportunities in booming European markets.
Growth forecast confirmed
For the current year as a whole, the group
expects profitable double-digit growth, although the basis for
comparison will be higher from the second half of 2020 due to the
catch-up effect at the end of the first lockdown. The ramp-ups will
continue thanks to the excellent sales momentum in the second and
third quarters of 2021, during which the group signed more than
€500 million in new contracts, particularly in the telecoms
sector in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
However, if sourcing some materials remains difficult, this could
slow down some roll-outs.
Solutions 30 is tapping into excellent
market momentum, thanks to solid structural and economic drivers:
the acceleration of the digital transformation and the energy
transition as well as recovery plans of an unprecedented scale
throughout Europe. In addition, the group is returning to a more
normative situation that should allow it to restart its targeted
acquisition policy and strengthen its role as a market leader.
Solutions 30 can resume its proven strategy
of balancing organic growth and acquisitions, capitalizing on its
drivers in the telecoms business to reach a critical size
everywhere it operates, then diversify into new activities, such as
electric mobility and the energy transition.
Audit procedures for the first half of 2021: no
misstatement identified during the review of the opening
balance-sheet
Since the previous statutory auditor issued a
disclaimer of opinion report on Solutions 30’s consolidated
financial statements as at 12/31/2020, the group’s new auditor, PKF
Audit & Conseil, carried out extensive procedures on the
opening balance sheet as at January 1, 2021 in accordance with
professional standards.
This work included:
- A detailed review and analysis of the findings of independent
investigations conducted by Deloitte and Didier Kling Expertises
& Conseil in the first half of 2021
- A review of the various items in the opening balance sheet and
the performance of additional procedures if deemed necessary
- A review of the working papers of the previous auditor
- A review of the measures taken by Solutions 30 in
2021
The review of the opening balance sheet
did not reveal any misstatement.However, as the previous
statutory auditor issued a disclaimer of opinion report on the
group’s annual consolidated financial statements as at 12/31/2020,
in accordance with the requirements of IAS 710, PKF Audit
& Conseil issued a qualified opinion related to the
comparability of the income statement for the first half of
2020.
Following the review of the accounts for the first half of 2021,
PKF Audit & Conseil did not identify any other items
that suggest that the accounts have not been prepared in accordance
with IAS 34 on interim financial reporting.
Upcoming event
2021 Q3 Earnings
Report
November 3, 2021
About Solutions 30
SE
The Solutions 30 group is the European
leader in solutions for new technologies. Its mission is to make
the technological developments that are transforming our daily
lives accessible to everyone, individuals and businesses alike.
Yesterday, it was computers and the Internet. Today, it’s digital
technology. Tomorrow, it will be technologies that make the world
even more interconnected in real time. With more than
30 million call-outs carried out since it was founded and a
network of more than 15,700 local technicians, Solutions 30
currently covers all of France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands,
Belgium, Luxembourg, the Iberian Peninsula, the United Kingdom, and
Poland. The share capital of Solutions 30 SE consists of
107,127,984 shares, equal to the number of theoretical votes
that can be exercised.Solutions 30 SE is listed on the
Euronext Paris exchange (ISIN FR0013379484- code S30). Indexes:
MSCI Europe Small Cap | Tech40 | CAC PME | SBF 120 | CAC Mid
60. Visit our website for more information: www.solutions30.com
Contact
Individual Shareholders:Investor Relations -
Tel: +33 1 86 86 00 63 - shareholders@solutions30.com
Analysts/Investors:Nathalie Boumendil - Tel: +33
6 85 82 41 95 - nathalie.boumendil@solutions30.com
Press - Image 7:Leslie Jung - Tel: +44 7818
641803 - ljung@image7.frFlore Larger - Tel: +33 6 33 13 41 50
- flarger@image7.frCharlotte Le Barbier - Tel: +33 6 78 37 27
60 - clebarbier@image7.fr
Glossary
Organic
growth
Organic growth includes the organic growth of acquired companies
after they are acquired, which Solutions 30 assumes they would
not have experienced had they remained independent.
The group’s growth is detailed in the table
below:
|
H1 2020 |
|
H1 2021 |
|
|
Total |
|
Organic growth of existing subsidiaries |
Organic growth from acquired companies |
Acquisitions |
Total |
|
|
|
Value |
% |
Value |
% |
Value |
% |
Value |
Change |
Total |
365.1 |
|
62.7 |
17.2% |
1.4 |
0.4% |
12.1 |
3.3% |
441.3 |
20.9% |
From France |
224.3 |
|
45.9 |
20.5% |
0 |
0% |
0 |
0% |
270.3 |
20.5% |
From Benelux |
66.2 |
|
5.8 |
878% |
0.8 |
1.1% |
2.2 |
3.3% |
74.9 |
13.1% |
From
other countries |
74.6 |
|
10.9 |
14.6% |
0.7 |
0.9% |
9.9 |
13.3% |
96.1 |
28.8% |
These figures have been rounded and their sum may not perfectly
match the totals given.
EBITDA
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, as
well as non-recurring income and expenses. It corresponds to the
“operating margin” in the consolidated statement of comprehensive
income.
In
thousands of euros |
06/30/2021 |
06/30/2020 |
Operating income |
17,532 |
|
16,193 |
|
Depreciation of IFRS 16 rights of
use |
12,268 |
|
11,195 |
|
Increases in operational
provisions |
7,658 |
|
8,628 |
|
Customer relationship amortization |
7,276 |
|
5,602 |
|
Other non-current operating income |
— |
|
(270) |
|
Other non-current operating
expenses |
4,789 |
|
— |
|
Adjusted EBITDA |
49,525 |
|
41,348 |
|
As a % of revenue |
11.2 |
% |
11.3 |
% |
Adjusted
EBIT
Operating income before amortization of intangible assets,
including customer relationships, and non-recurring income and
expenses.
In
thousands of euros |
06/30/2021 |
06/30/2020 |
Operating income |
17,532 |
|
16,193 |
|
Customer relationship amortization |
7,276 |
|
5,602 |
|
Other non-current operating income |
— |
|
(270) |
|
Other non-current operating
expenses |
4,789 |
|
— |
|
Adjusted EBIT |
29,598 |
|
21,525 |
|
As a % of revenue |
6.8 |
% |
6.0 |
% |
Non-recurring
transactions
Income and expenses that are infrequent, unusual, and significant
in amount are considered non-recurring transactions.
Customer
relationships
Intangible assets related to the fair value measurement of acquired
companies at the time of consolidation. The amortization period of
3 to 15 years is the estimated time for the consumption
of the majority of economic benefits flowing to the company.
Net
debt
Net debt includes loans from credit institutions, bank overdrafts,
lease liabilities, and future liabilities from earnouts and put
options, less cash and cash equivalents.
In
thousands of euros |
06/30/2021 |
12/31/2020 |
Bank debt |
86,842 |
100,045 |
Lease liabilities |
64,370 |
63,548 |
Future liabilities from earnouts and
put options |
22,535 |
24,618 |
Cash and cash equivalents |
-130,807 |
-159,279 |
Net debt |
42,940 |
28,933 |
Net bank
debt
Net bank debt includes loans from credit institutions and bank
overdrafts, less cash and cash equivalents. This represents net
debt excluding the impact of IFRS 16. Net bank debt is used as
a reference in calculating the covenants included in the group’s
debt contracts.
In
thousands of euros |
06/30/2021 |
12/31/2020 |
Loans from credit institutions,
long-term |
62,204 |
71,977 |
Loans from credit institutions,
short-term and lines of credit |
24,638 |
28,068 |
Cash and cash equivalents |
(130,807) |
(159,279) |
Net bank debt |
(43,964) |
(59,234) |
Free cash
flow
Free cash flow corresponds to the net cash flow from operating
activities minus the acquisitions of intangible assets and
property, plant and equipment net of disposals.
In
thousands of euros |
06/30/2021 |
06/30/2020 |
Net cash flow from operating
activities |
7,169 |
84,638 |
Acquisition of non-current assets |
-7,957 |
-12,321 |
Acquisition of Elmo assets |
— |
5,238 |
Disposal of non-current assets after
tax |
763 |
1,020 |
Free cash flow |
(25) |
78,576 |
1 In 2020, several of the group’s customers accelerated their
invoice settlement times to help their partners cope with the
health crisis.
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