2018 ANNUAL RESULTS: TARGETS EXCEEDED
RECORD ORGANIC GROWTH IN REVENUE AND OPERATING INCOME (EBIT) CONTINUED GROWTH IN 2019
|
In millions of euros |
31 December 2017 restated4 |
31 December 2018 |
Gross change |
Organic change |
FX change |
Change at constant FX1 |
|
Revenue |
15,783 |
17,331 |
+9.8% |
+3.6% |
-2.0% |
+11.9% |
|
EBITDA |
2,578 |
2,768 |
+7.4% |
+3.4% |
-2.0% |
+7.9%5 |
|
EBITDA / Revenue |
16.3% |
16.0% |
||||
|
EBIT |
1,212 |
1,335 |
+10.2% |
+7.5% |
-2.9% |
+11.5%5 |
|
EBIT / Revenue |
7.7% |
7.7% |
||||
|
Net income – |
295 |
335 |
+13.4% |
|
||
|
FCF |
1,004 |
1,023 |
+1.9% |
|||
|
Net debt |
8,470 |
8,954 |
+5.7% |
|||
|
Net debt / EBITDA |
3.3x |
3.2x |
-0.1x |
|||
 |
1 At constant exchange rates, and before the impact of both the change in US tax law on regulated water activities and the depreciation charge associated with the purchase price allocation of GE Water
2 Assuming water volumes sold remain in line with historical trends, volumes of waste treated rise by 1.5% in Europe and raw materials prices are stable relative to 31 December 2018
3 Excluding impact of application of IFRS 16 accounting standard
4 For comparability purposes, the 2017 figures mentioned in this press release and which serve as a basis to calculate annual changes are restated following application of the IFRS 15 and IFRS 9 accounting standard as of 1 January 2018 and following GE Water purchase price allocation
5 Before the depreciation charge associated with the purchase price allocation of GE Water -€6m on EBITDA and -€41m on EBIT
Meeting on 26 February 2019, the Board of Directors approved SUEZ's 2018 financial statements, which will be submitted for the approval of the Annual General Meeting on 14 May 2019. The consolidated financial statements have been audited and certified by the statutory auditors.
Commenting on these results, CEO Jean-Louis Chaussade, said:
“The Group had a strong year in 2018, exceeding the revenue, EBIT and free cash flow targets set at the beginning of the year. All divisions contributed to this excellent growth trend, with WTS and International performing particularly well. The first year of WTS’s integration was altogether promising for the future and strengthens our belief that this strategic operation was the right choice for the Group. SUEZ’s profitability also improved in 2018, despite headwinds from the sharp drop in the price of certain recycled raw materials and the rise in oil prices. The commercial results reported by each division demonstrate our ability to maintain profitable growth momentum for the Group.”
 |
§ REVENUE
In 2018, Group revenue was €17,331m, up €1,548m versus 2017.
§ OPERATING PERFORMANCE
EBIT reached €1,335m at 31 December 2018, up +10.2% compared with 2017.
§ NET INCOME GROUP SHARE
Net income Group share ended at €335m in 2018, up 13.4%.
§ FREE CASH FLOW AND BALANCE SHEET
Free cash flow was €1,023m, up 1.9% mainly due to the sharp improvement in operating cash flow to
€2,277m, up 12.1% from 2017.
Net debt was €8,954m at 31 December 2018, for a net debt/EBITDA ratio of 3.2x, down 0.1x relative to December 2017 and in line with the Group’s expectations.
§ DIVIDEND
As a result of these performances and its confidence in the future, SUEZ will propose a 2018 dividend of
€0.65 per share at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on 14 May 2019.
SUEZ
With 90,000 people on the five continents, SUEZ is a world leader in smart and sustainable resource management. We provide water and waste management solutions that enable cities and industries optimize their resource management and strengthen their environmental and economic performances, in line with regulatory standards. To meet increasing demands to overcome resource quality and scarcity challenges, SUEZ is fully engaged in the resource revolution. With the full potential of digital technologies and innovative solutions, the Group recovers 17 million tons of waste a year, produces 3.9 million tons of secondary raw materials and 7 TWh of local renewable energy. It also secures water resources, delivering wastewater treatment services to 58 million people and reusing 882 million m3 of wastewater. SUEZ generated total revenues of 17.3 billion euros in 2018.
SUEZ in Asia
SUEZ has been present for over 60 years in South East Asia and 40 years in Greater China in water and waste management. With over 9,000 employees and over 70 water and waste projects with local partners, SUEZ is helping authorities and industries develop innovative solutions to address climate change and sustainable resource management. The Group built over 440 water and wastewater treatment plants in Asia, supplying drinking water to 20 million people. It operates China’s first PPP water contract in Macau and Mainland China’s first water concession in Chongqing. It is also the leader of waste management in Hong Kong and delivers its expertise in the management of environmental services to 13 industrial parks in Mainland China.
