Interim report January-March 2010

Interim report January-March 2010

SEKm                        Quarter             Full year
                    1-10      4-09      1-09       2009
                                              
Net turnover      4 400     4 659     4 529      18 071
Operating profit    320       392       415       1 620
Profit after tax    178       225       245       1 006
Earnings per 
share, SEK          2.1       2.7       2.9        12.0
Return on       
equity, %           4.3       5.5       6.4        6.4
  
 
- Profit after tax for January—March 2010 was SEK 178 million (January—March
2009: SEK 245 million).

- Earnings per share were SEK 2.1 (2.9). Return on equity totalled 4.3 per cent
(6.4).

- Operating profit amounted to SEK 320 million (415). Holmen Paper's profit
deteriorated considerably as a result of lower newsprint prices. Profitability
in the Group's other business areas improved. Compared to the result for the
fourth quarter, profit was down by SEK 72 million.

- Demand for newsprint in Europe remained weak in the first quarter. The virgin
fibre board market improved and deliveries from European producers to Europe
rose by 7 per cent.




For further information please contact: 

Magnus Hall, President and CEO, tel. +46 8 666 21 05
Anders Jernhall, CFO, tel. +46 8 666 21 22
Ingela Carlsson, Public Relations Director, tel. +46 70 212 97 12

In its capacity as issuer, Holmen AB is releasing the information in this
Interim report for January-March 2010 in accordance with Chapter 17 of the
Swedish Securities Market Act (2007:528). The information was distributed to the
media for publication at 12.00 CET on Thursday 6 May 2010.