The year at a glance


2015 in figures

  • Net sales rose 11% to SEK 115,316m (104,054).
  • Organic sales growth, which excludes exchange rate effects, acquisitions and divestments, was 5%.
  • Operating profit, excluding items affecting comparability, rose 10% to SEK 13,014m (11,849).
  • The operating margin, excluding items affecting comparability, was 11.3% (11.4%, 11.1% excluding gains on forest swaps).
  • Profit before tax, excluding items affecting comparability, rose 11% to SEK 12,059m (10,888).
  • Earnings per share amounted to SEK 9.97 (9.40).
  • The return on capital employed, excluding items affecting comparability, was 12.0% (11.2%).
  • The return on equity, excluding items affecting comparability, was 11.6% (11.9%).
  • Cash flow from current operations amounted to SEK 9,890m (8,149).
  • The Board of Directors proposes an increase in the dividend by 9.5% to SEK 5.75 (5.25) per share.

Key events in 2015

  • To further intensify the focus on the Group’s two main operations, SCA decided to initiate a dividing of the Group into two divisions: a Hygiene division and a Forest Products division.
  • Decision to further enhance the hygiene organization. This change took effect on January 1, 2016.
  • Decision to invest in a new production facility in Brazil for the manufacture of incontinence products.
  • Decision to invest in increased capacity for pulp production at the Östrand pulp mill in Sweden.
  • SCA qualified for inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index, and was named industry leader in the Household Products sector.
  • Decision to make a public bid on Wausau Paper Corp., one of the largest AfH tissue companies in the North American market. The transaction was completed on January 21, 2016.
  • Decision to divest the business in Southeast Asia, Taiwan and South Korea for integration with Vinda. SCA is the majority shareholder in Vinda, one of China’s largest hygiene companies.
  • As part of the cost-savings program related to the acquisition of Georgia-Pacific’s European tissue operations, a tissue production plant in France was closed.
  • Decision to close down a newsprint machine at the Ortviken paper mill in Sweden.

Group

Key ratios

 

2015

 

2014

 

SEK

 

EUR 2)

 

SEK

 

EUR 2)

1)

Excluding items affecting comparability.

2)

See footnote 1) in tables Consolidated income statement and Consolidated balance sheet for exchange rates.

3)

Proposed dividend.

4)

Includes the sale of securities, SEK 970m.

Net sales, SEKm/EURm

115,316

 

12,334

 

104,054

 

11,449

Operating profit, SEKm/EURm

10,947 4)

 

1,171

 

10,449

 

1,150

Operating profit, SEKm/EURm 1)

13,014

 

1,392

 

11,849

 

1,304

Operating margin, %

9

 

 

 

10

 

 

Operating margin, % 1)

11

 

 

 

11

 

 

Profit before tax, SEKm/EURm

9,992

 

1,069

 

9,488

 

1,044

Profit before tax, SEKm/EURm 1)

12,059

 

1,290

 

10,888

 

1,198

Profit for the year, SEKm/EURm

7,452

 

797

 

7,068

 

778

Profit for the year, SEKm/EURm 1)

8,753

 

936

 

8,244

 

907

Earnings per share, SEK

9.97

 

 

 

9.40

 

 

Earnings per share, SEK 1)

11.82

 

 

 

11.07

 

 

Cash flow from current operations per share, SEK

14.08

 

 

 

11.60

 

 

Equity per share, SEK

107.35

 

 

 

103

 

 

Dividend, SEK

5.75 3)

 

 

 

5.25

 

 

Strategic capital expenditures, including acquisitions, SEKm/EURm

–3,218

 

–344

 

–2,324

 

–256

Divestments, SEKm/EURm

329

 

35

 

206

 

23

Equity, SEKm/EURm

75,691

 

8,290

 

72,872

 

7,643

Return on capital employed, %

10

 

 

 

10

 

 

Return on capital employed, % 1)

12

 

 

 

11

 

 

Return on equity, %

10

 

 

 

10

 

 

Return on equity, % 1)

12

 

 

 

12

 

 

Debt/equity ratio

0.39

 

 

 

0.49

 

 

Debt/equity ratio, excluding pension liabilities

0.36

 

 

 

0.42

 

 

Average number of employees

44,051

 

 

 

44,247

 

 

Number of employees at Dec. 31

44,000

 

 

 

43,772

 

 

Cash flow from current operations

Cash flow from current operations (bar chart)Cash flow from current operations (bar chart)

2012 and 2013 restated in accordance with IFRS 10 and 11.

Net sales and operating margin

Net sales and operating margin (bar chart)Net sales and operating margin (bar chart)

Excluding items affecting comparability.
2012 and 2013 restated in accordance with IFRS 10 and 11.

+10%

increase in operating profit in 2015, excluding items affecting comparability, compared with the preceding year.

Group’s largest markets

Group’s largest markets (bar chart)Group’s largest markets (bar chart)

Profit before tax and dividend per share

Profit before tax and dividend per share (bar chart)Profit before tax and dividend per share (bar chart)

Profit excluding items affecting comparability.
2012 and 2013 restated in accordance with IFRS 10 and 11.

SCA’s sales by region

SCA’s sales by region (pie chart)SCA’s sales by region (pie chart)

Net sales (share of Group)

Net sales (share of Group) (pie chart)Net sales (share of Group) (pie chart)

Operating profit (share of Group)

Operating profit (share of Group) (pie chart)Operating profit (share of Group) (pie chart)

Excluding items affecting comparability.