TIDM61QS
RNS Number : 6223A
Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson
23 January 2024
Ericsson reports fourth quarter and full-year results 2023
Fourth quarter highlights - Solid EBITA and cash flow in a
challenged market
-- Sales declined organically[1] by -17% YoY, driven by a -23%
decline in Networks. Reported sales were down by -16% to SEK 71.9
b.
-- Gross income excluding restructuring charges decreased to SEK
29.6 (35.7) b. Gross margin excluding restructuring charges was
41.1% (41.5%). Adjusted for the retroactive element in IPR revenues
in Q4 2022 the gross margin increased YoY.
-- Reported gross income was SEK 28.6 (35.6) b. with a gross margin of 39.8% (41.4%).
-- EBITA excluding restructuring charges amounted to SEK 8.2
(9.3) b. with an EBITA margin of 11.4% (10.8%).
-- EBIT excluding restructuring charges amounted to SEK 7.4
(8.1) b. with an EBIT margin of 10.3% (9.4%).
-- Free cash flow before M&A was SEK 12.5 (16.9) b. Q4 2022
was positively impacted by retroactive IPR payments.
Full-year highlights
-- Sales declined organically[1] by -10%, impacted by a -15%
decrease in Networks, partly offset by an 11% growth in Enterprise.
Reported sales were SEK 263.4 (271.5) b.
-- Gross income excluding restructuring charges was SEK 104.4
(113.5) b., mainly related to Networks. Gross margin excluding
restructuring charges was 39.6% (41.8%). Reported gross income was
SEK 101.6 (113.3) b. with a gross margin of 38.6% (41.7%).
-- EBITA excluding restructuring charges was SEK 21.4 (29.5) b.
with a margin of 8.1% (10.9%). EBITA was SEK 14.9 (29.1) b. with a
margin of 5.7% (10.7%).
-- Reported EBIT was SEK -20.3 (27.0) b. impacted by SEK -31.9
b. of goodwill impairment recorded in Q3 related to Vonage.
-- Net income (loss) was SEK -26.1 (19.1) b. EPS diluted was SEK
-7.94 (5.62). Net income (loss) was impacted by SEK -31.9 b. of
goodwill impairment and SEK -6.5 (-0.4) b. of restructuring
charges.
-- Free cash flow before M&A amounted to SEK -1.1 (22.2) b.
Net cash was SEK 7.8 (23.3) b. at year-end 2023.
-- A dividend for 2023 of SEK 2.70 (2.70) per share will be
proposed to the AGM by the Board of Directors.
[ 1 ] Sales adjusted for comparable units and currency
[ 2 ] Non-IFRS financial measures are reconciled at the end of
this report to the most directly reconcilable line items in the
financial statements
Comments from Börje Ekholm, President and CEO of Ericsson
(NASDAQ:ERIC)
In 2023, we continued to execute on our strategy to strengthen
our leadership in mobile networks, grow our enterprise business and
drive cultural transformation. We concluded 2023 with a Q4 EBITA
margin [ 2 ] of 11.4% and a historic 5-year USD 14 b. contract.
Despite headwinds and a very weak mobile networks market, we were
able to generate a full-year EBITA[2] of SEK 21.4 b. While the
actions we have taken to improve performance are paying off, we are
not satisfied with our profitability and there is more work to do.
As we look to 2024, we expect the market outside China to further
decline, with similar uncertainties as experienced in 2023. In this
environment, we remain laser focused on managing elements within
our control, including operational efficiency and tight cost
management. We are confident in our strategy and are committed to
driving long-term value for our shareholders.
Q4 - solid results in challenging environment
As a result of focused execution and increased resiliency, we
were able to adapt in a challenging environment and delivered solid
Q4 results. While Group sales[1] declined organically by -17% YoY,
EBITA[2] reached SEK 8.2 b. with an EBITA margin[2] of 11.4%. With
strong focus on profitability, we were able to deliver a 41.1%
gross margin[2], a YoY increase when adjusting for the retroactive
element of IPR revenues in Q4 2022. Our investments in geopolitical
resiliency continued at a high level.
Networks sales[1] decreased organically by -23% YoY as customers
continued to focus on cash flow. Sales in India declined QoQ as the
market started its transition to normalized investment levels
following an unprecedented roll-out pace. Q4 gross margin[2] grew
QoQ to 43.2%.
In Cloud Software and Services, we delivered on our EBITA[2]
target to reach at least breakeven in 2023 with an EBITA[2] of SEK
2.0 b. in Q4 and SEK 1.7 b. for the full year. We continue to
increase commercial discipline, automation and delivery efficiency,
focusing on long-term profitability.
Enterprise sales[1] grew by 7% organically YoY mainly driven by
Enterprise Wireless Solutions. EBITA[2] (loss) was stable YoY,
negatively impacted by an inventory write-off in Enterprise
Wireless Solutions.
Strong cash collection and released working capital from
conclusion of large roll-out projects allowed a healthy free cash
flow before M&A of SEK 12.5 b. in Q4. We aim to return to our
long-term target of free cash flow before M&A of 9-12% of net
sales as soon as possible.
We delivered on the SEK 12 b. gross cost run-rate savings, half
of which positively impacted the P&L in 2023, with the
remainder to impact in 2024. Considering the market outlook, we
will continue our strong focus on cost discipline.
Driving execution of our strategy
Our first strategic pillar is to further enhance our leadership
in mobile networks. Technology leadership is core to our strategy,
enabling customers to build high-performance, programmable and open
networks to deliver superior customer experience, maximize return
on investment (ROI) and accelerate business innovation. With our
leading technology, customers can reduce their total cost of
ownership, reduce non-strategic spend and instead redirect a larger
portion of capex to revenue-generating network infrastructure,
enabling an accelerated network modernization - as proven by our
record win in Q4.
With our second strategic pillar, expansion into Enterprise, we
aim at creating new monetization opportunities for our customers.
Many operators fight to earn a healthy ROI with current
monetization models. By offering network APIs to developers and
enterprises, we enable new revenue streams for operators, and new
applications that leverage network capabilities. We see good
traction with frontrunner customers who share our excitement. In
addition, offerings in Enterprise Wireless Solutions expand the
market for high-performance mobile technology into enterprise.
2023 has been a year in which we have continued to build and
transform our culture focusing on strong decision making and risk
management, effective oversight and accountability. Ethical
standards shall stand in the center of everything we do and become
our competitive strength.
Looking ahead
The mobile network industry remains challenging. We expect the
current market uncertainties to prevail into 2024 with a further
decline of the RAN market outside China as our customers remain
cautious and the investment pace is normalizing in India. The new
US contract will start to ramp up in the second half of 2024.
Underlying demand from growing data traffic and 5G only being in
the early stages of build-out will require additional network
investments. In our view, the current investment levels are
unsustainably low for many operators. We are therefore confident
that a market recovery should materialize. However, the timing of
market recovery is ultimately in the hands of our customers. It is
critical for us to lead in technology while focusing on operational
efficiency, to ensure we are well positioned when the market
recovers. Our strong IPR portfolio with over 60,000 patents gives
us great opportunities to grow our licensing revenue, with a
continued emphasis on ensuring that the full value is recognized in
all contracts.
Our goal is to make Ericsson a more profitable company based on
a leading position in mobile infrastructure and a high-growth
Enterprise platform business.
I would like to thank all my colleagues for their dedication to
execute on our strategy. Together with our customers, we are well
positioned to shape the future industry.
Börje Ekholm
President and CEO
[1] Sales adjusted for comparable units and currency
[2] Excluding restructuring charges
You can find the complete report with tables at
http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/6223A_1-2024-1-23.pdf
or on www.ericsson.com/investors
Video webcast for analysts, investors and journalists
President and CEO Börje Ekholm and CFO Carl Mellander will
comment on the report and take questions at a video webcast at 9:00
AM CET (8:00 AM GMT London, 3:00 AM EST New York).
Join the webcast or please go to www.ericsson.com/investors
To ask a question: Access dial-in information here
The webcast will be available on-demand after the event and can
be viewed at www.ericsson.com/investors .
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Contact person
Peter Nyquist, Head of Investor Relations
Phone: +46 705 75 29 06
E-mail: peter.nyquist@ericsson.com
Additional contacts
Stella Medlicott, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Corporate
Relations
Phone: +46 730 95 65 39
E-mail: media.relations@ericsson.com
Investors
Lena Häggblom, Director, Investor Relations
Phone: +46 72 593 27 78
E-mail: lena.haggblom@ericsson.com
Alan Ganson, Director, Investor Relations
Phone: +46 70 267 27 30
E-mail: alan.ganson@ericsson.com
Media
Ralf Bagner, Head of Media Relations
Phone: +46 76 128 47 89
E-mail: ralf.bagner@ericsson.com
Media relations
Phone: +46 10 719 69 92
E-mail: media.relations@ericsson.com
This is information that Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson 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 07:00 CET on January 23,
2024.
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END
ACSKZGZMLFLGDZG
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January 23, 2024 06:30 ET (11:30 GMT)
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