Swedish Match: Full Year Report January - December 2018

STOCKHOLM, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

Q4: Strong sales and volumes for smokeless products

• In local currencies, sales increased by 7 percent for the fourth quarter and by 9 percent for the full year. Reported sales increased by 12 percent to 3,301 MSEK (2,951) for the fourth quarter and by 10 percent to 12,966 MSEK (11,751) for the full year.

• In local currencies, operating profit from product segments1) increased by 8 percent for the fourth quarter and by 12 percent for the full year. Reported operating profit from product segments increased by 14 percent to 1,246 MSEK (1,096) for the fourth quarter and by 14 percent to 4,936 MSEK (4,345) for the full year.

• Operating profit amounted to 1,196 MSEK (1,178) for the fourth quarter and to 4,812 MSEK (4,592) for the full year.2)

• Profit after tax amounted to 925 MSEK (904) for the fourth quarter and to 3,578 MSEK (3,400) for the full year.

• Earnings per share increased by 6 percent to 5.41 SEK (5.10) for the fourth quarter and by 9 percent to 20.63 SEK (18.88) for the full year. Adjusted earnings per share3) increased by 28 percent to 5.41 SEK (4.24) for the fourth quarter and by 26 percent to 20.63 SEK (16.40) for the full year.

• During 2018, Swedish Match distributed 5,423 MSEK to its shareholders in the form of an ordinary dividend, a special dividend and share repurchases.

• The Board proposes an increased dividend of 10.50 SEK per share.

• The outlook for 2019 can be found on page 12.

1) Operating profit for Swedish Match product segments, which excludes Other operations and larger one-time items.
2) The full year 2017 included larger one-time items of 373 MSEK relating to capital gains from the sale of Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) shares and from the sale of a parcel of land as well as an income from a defined benefit plan amendment. The fourth quarter of 2017 included larger one-time items of 135 MSEK relating to a capital gain from the sale of STG shares and an income from a defined benefit plan amendment.
3) Earnings per share adjusted to exclude income from STG and larger one time-items.

For the full report: www.swedishmatch.com/Investors/Financial-reports/Interim-reports/

Swedish Match telephone conference
A telephone conference will be held today, Wednesday, February 13 at 2:00 p.m. (CET), (1:00 p.m. UK time). At this time we will review and comment on the results. Participants will include Lars Dahlgren, Thomas Hayes, and Emmett Harrison.

Listen to the telephone conference: www.swedishmatch.com/Investors/Presentations/Webcasts-and-audiocasts/

Telephone conference presentation: www.swedishmatch.com/Investors/Presentations/

Contacts:

Lars Dahlgren, President and Chief Executive Officer
Office +46 8 658 0441

Thomas Hayes, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Office +46 8 658 0108

Emmett Harrison, Senior Vice President Investor Relations and Corporate Sustainability
Office +46 8 658 0173

Richard Flaherty, President US Division, US Investor Relations contact
Office +1 804 787 5130

This information is information that Swedish Match AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 08.15 a.m. CET on February 13, 2019.

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SOURCE Swedish Match