Year-end report 2009


Year-end report 2009

Fourth quarter of 2009 - Strong earnings and excellent cash flow

- Net sales rose to 703 MSEK (697)
- Operating profit increased 48 per cent to 80 MSEK (54)
- Profit after tax more than doubled to 68 MSEK (31)
- Earnings per share rose to 2.56 SEK (1.17)
- Operating cash flow was strong and totalled 143 MSEK (206)


Full-year 2009 - Favourable earnings thanks to forceful cost adjustments in a
turbulent market 

- Net sales totalled 2,608 MSEK (3,190), down 18 per cent
- Operating profit, excluding items affecting comparability, amounted to 261
MSEK (310). Including these items, profit amounted to 163 MSEK (310)
- Profit after tax, excluding items affecting comparability, amounted to 172
MSEK (183). Including these items, profit amounted to 102 MSEK (183)
- Earnings per share, excluding items affecting comparability, amounted to 6.48
SEK (6.89). Including these items, earnings per share amounted to 3.84 SEK
(6.89)
- Operating cash flow totalled 462 MSEK (411), excluding items affecting
comparability
- Restructuring costs, recognised during the first quarter, amounted to 98 MSEK
- The board of directors proposes a dividend of 1,00 SEK per share (0,00)


President's comments 

“Our fourth-quarter earnings were strong and a major improvement compared with
the corresponding quarter in 2008. We more than doubled our earnings per share
and our operating profit amounted to 80 MSEK (54), up 48 per cent. We had a
continuous improvement in sales, particularly to automotive customers, and yet
again we coped with this volume increase in a flexible manner. As a result of
continued efficiency in the handling of working capital, combined with our
healthy earnings, cash flow remained very strong.

2009 was a turbulent year marked by sharply deteriorating demand. We coped with
this situation favourably by taking rapid and forceful actions. We succeeded in
achieving earnings per share that were almost in line with the preceding year at
6.48 SEK (6.89) (adjusted for items affecting comparability). The strong
operating cash flow amounted to 462 MSEK and our net debt was reduced
significantly. HEXPOL is well equipped to face 2010. 

Georg Brunstam, President and CEO


For more information please contact:

Georg Brunstam		
President and CEO		
georg.brunstam@hexpol.com			
+46 (0)708-55 12 51		

Urban Ottosson
CFO/IR
urban.ottosson@hexpol.com
+46 (0)767-85 51 44

HEXPOL is a world-leading polymers group with strong global positions in
advanced rubber compounds (Compounding), gaskets for plate heat exchangers
(Gaskets) and wheels made of plastic and rubber materials for truck and castor
wheel applications (Wheels). Customers are primarily OEM manufacturers of plate
heat exchangers and trucks, as well as global systems suppliers to the
automotive industry. The Group is organized in two business areas, HEXPOL
Compounding and HEXPOL Engineered Products, and had about 1,800 employees in
nine countries at year-end. In 2009, HEXPOL had sales of about 2,600 MSEK. Read
more at www.hexpol.com.

Attachments

Pressrelease.pdf 02102458.pdf