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Corporate news transmitted by euro adhoc with the aim of a Europe-wide
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Company Information
Vienna - The publicly listed European-based technology group for construction
services STRABAG SE today announced its first figures for the 2020 financial
year and issued an outlook for 2021. "We see the developments of the past year
as a confirmation of our strategy. Diversification and regionality have helped
us balance out the very different effects of the coronavirus crisis in our core
markets. Meanwhile, the high order backlog allows for a positive outlook for the
remainder of 2021, though it is important to keep an eye on individual market
areas and in particular on the developments at the communal level," sums up
Thomas Birtel, CEO of STRABAG SE.
Output volume
The STRABAG SE Group recorded a slightly smaller decline in output overall in
the 2020 financial year than had been forecast. At EUR 15.4 billion, the output
volume was 7 % below the level from 2019. A negative effect was exerted by the
following, previously reported factors: the loss of a German key account in
Property & Facility Services resulting from an expired contract in mid-2019, the
performance and completion of tunnelling projects in Chile, and of course the
temporary suspension of construction activity due to the coronavirus crisis in
Austria. Other important core markets, such as Poland and the Czech Republic,
were able to record an increase in output volume due to uninterrupted
construction site operations.
Order backlog
The order backlog as at 31 December 2020 grew to EUR 18.4 billion (+5 %) despite
the crisis. While declines were registered in Austria, Poland and Hungary,
strong growth was recorded in Germany, especially in transportation
infrastructures. In September, for example, the PPP contract for the A49
motorway project started. The Smíchov City urban development project in Prague
contributed to an increase in the order backlog in the Czech Republic. In
Slovakia, meanwhile, the group landed a EUR 323 million railway construction
project. Major international projects, including flood control dams in Oman,
also added to the order volume.
Employees
The average number of employees fell in line with the reduced output volume,
decreasing by 3 % to 74,340. Stronger declines were seen in the labour-intensive
markets of the Middle East and Americas, which were also heavily impacted by the
Covid-19 crisis, while mixed trends were observed in the other countries.
Outlook 2021
STRABAG SE expects to achieve an output volume slightly above the previous
year's level in the 2021 financial year. This forecast is supported by the high
order backlog. In all three segments, North + West, South + East and
International + Special Divisions, no significant changes to the high output
level are expected from today's perspective.
On the earnings side, STRABAG SE expects to significantly exceed the previous
target of an operating EBIT margin of at least 3.5 % in the 2020 financial year,
as positive effects have outweighed Covid-related impacts. The situation should
return to normal in 2021 with an EBIT margin of below 4.0 %. Given this
development, the medium-term target of 4.0 % starting from 2022 seems
attainable. Net investments (cash flow from investing activities) are unlikely
to exceed EUR 450 million in 2021.
The planning for 2021 is based, among other things, on the expectation that the
earnings contributions from the traditionally strong specialty business fields
of Real Estate Development and Property & Facility Services will weaken
somewhat, but that at the same time further progress can be made in project risk
management in all of our core markets.
Additional figures and details about the 2020 financial year will be available
from 7:30 a.m. (CEST) on 30 April 2021 at www.strabag.com.
Further inquiry note:
STRABAG SE
Marianne Jakl
Interim Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Tel. +43 1 22422-1174
marianne.jakl@strabag.com
end of announcement euro adhoc
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Attachments with Announcement:
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http://resources.euroadhoc.com/documents/2246/5/10661668/1/STRABAG_SE_MMB-Zahlen_2020_Februar21_e.pdf
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 10, 2021 01:30 ET (06:30 GMT)