South African global pulp and paper producer Sappi on Monday reported headline earnings per share of 26 United States cents for the quarter ended September 30, from 18 cents in the June quarter.
This brought headline earnings per share for the year ended September 30 to 45 US cents, compared with 69 cents for the year to the end of September 2003. The company declared a dividend of 30 US cents per share for the year.
Sales for the September quarter rose to $1,235-billion from $1,188-billion, while operating profit rose to $72-million from $60-million.
Sales for the full year amounted to $4,728-billion from $4,299-billion, with operating profit at $188-million from $272-million a year earlier.
Sappi said that it had seen a further improvement in the market for coated paper across all its regions during the quarter. Demand for coated fine paper grew strongly, with apparent consumption up 12% in North America and 8% in Europe, compared with the same quarter last year.
Prices for coated paper started to improve in North America. In Europe, prices remained stable ahead of the increase announced for implementation at the end of the quarter.
Pulp prices softened during the quarter and the average hardwood pulp price was below the previous quarter but still well up on a year earlier. The average NBSK benchmark price was similar to the prior quarter.
A number of other factors had a notable impact on Sappi’s performance in the quarter. The continued strength of the rand relative to the dollar, up 16% compared with the equivalent quarter last year, further squeezed the margins of its South African businesses, it said.
The North American mills faced continued high wood costs, and all regions faced higher energy costs and higher costs of other raw materials related to changes in the price of oil.
The gain at the operating income level from the fair value adjustment on plantations, net after fellings, was $12-million for the quarter, down from $33-million in the June 2004 quarter.
Finance costs for the quarter were $5-million higher than a year ago, largely because of slightly higher interest paid and a foreign-exchange gain last year, which was not repeated in the quarter.
Taxation in the quarter included credits of $13-million related to the conclusion of the Austrian tax audit and the reversal of certain other tax provisions previously raised. The effective rate was also reduced by the geographic split of profits and losses.
Cash generated by operations strengthened to $157-million for the quarter, 5,4% higher than a year earlier. Cash generated by operations for the full year fell from $644-million last year to $601-million.
Working capital decreased by $79-million in the quarter, mainly because of increased payables and lower inventories partly offset by higher receivables.
Capital expenditure was $110-million for the quarter, and for the full year was $334-million. Capital expenditure to depreciation for the year was 82%, which was in line with the target.
Net debt decreased by $65-million in the quarter to $1,584-million. The increase of net debt for the full year of $93-million is almost entirely due to currency translation, Sappi said. — I-Net Bridge