• Apotek Hjärtat – strong earnings improvement and higher market share
• Rimi Baltic – significantly stronger earnings and higher market share
• ICA Sweden – stable quarter, higher online costs
• ICA Bank – acquisition of Forex's customer portfolios completed
• Group earnings and margin on same level as previous year
• Covid-19 effects approximately SEK +30 million net (-60)
Second quarter 2021
• Consolidated net sales increased by 1.5% to SEK 32,401 million (31,924)
• Operating profit excluding items affecting comparability increased to SEK 1,446 million (1,452)
• Consolidated sales and operating profit were affected by the continuing Covid-19 pandemic. The estimated, overall effect on consolidated operating profit for the first quarter is SEK +30 million (-60)
• Profit for the period was SEK 1 139 million (976). This includes the net result of divestments and impairment losses, totaling SEK 20 million (3)
• Earnings per share were SEK 5.64 (4.83)
• Cash flow from operating activities, excluding ICA Bank, was SEK 3,181 million (2,911)
Events after the end of the quarter
No significant events have taken place after the end of the quarter
Comment from CEO Per Strömberg
“We had a good performance during the second quarter, where the strongly improved earnings for Apotek Hjärtat and Rimi Baltic are especially gratifying. Moreover, we took markets shares in both segments. ICA Sweden also performed well given challenging comparison figures. In addition, during the quarter ICA Bank completed its acquisition of customer portfolios from Forex, which creates new growth opportunities for the bank.”
“Fossil-free transports are a key factor for achieving our climate targets. Goods transports account for nearly 50% of our total remaining carbon emissions, and successfully reducing these emissions is crucial for achievement of our overall climate targets. Important steps in this area in 2021 include, for example, ICA Sweden's investments in biogas and deployment of our first fully electric truck, which will take place shortly as part of our collaboration with Volvo Trucks in the area of climate-friendly transports.”
Conference call for the media and financial market
ICA Gruppen will hold a webcast conference call at 10.00 CET on Wednesday August 18, during which CEO Per Strömberg and CFO Sven Lindskog will present the interim report. The conference call will be conducted in English and can be followed here. To participate, call tel. +46(8)505 583 54 or +44 333 300 9032
For more information
ICA Gruppen press service
Telephone number: +46 (0)10 422 52 52
icagruppen.se
Frans Benson, Head of Investor Relations
Telephone number: +46 (0)705 10 70 95
This is information that ICA Gruppen AB (publ.) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Swedish Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 07:00 CET on Wednesday August 18, 2021.