ATTICA HOLDINGS S.A.
FULL YEAR 2008 RESULTS
ATTICA GROUP - EBITDA AT 47.7MLN
AND GROUP NET PROFIT AFTER TAX AT EURO 22.3MLN
PROPOSED DIVIDEND: EURO 0.07 PER SHARE
23 March 2009
The Board of Directors of Attica Holdings S.A. (Attica
Group) wish to announce the Group’s annual results for
the financial year 2008 which show consolidated
Revenue of Euro 325.91mln (Euro 316.31mln in 2007),
increased by 3.03%, and Earnings before taxes,
investing and financial results, depreciation and
amortisation (EBITDA) of Euro 47.67mln (Euro
69.58mln). Attica’s consolidated results, which include
extraordinary Profits of Euro 9.65mln from the sale of
four RoRo vessels (RoRos Marin, Challenge, Shield
and Nordia), show after tax Profit of Euro 22.26mln.
against Consolidated Profits after Tax and Minority
Interests of Euro 50.72 in 2007 which include
extraordinary profit of Euro 40.2mln from the sale of
Superfast X and Attica’s participation in the share
capital of Minoan Lines S.A. It should be noted that
following the completion of the merger by absorption of
Blue Star Maritime S.A. by Attica Group, no minority
interests exist in Attica’s 2008 results.
Attica’s annual results are heavily affected by the sharp
rise of the price of fuel which led to a Euro 30.6mln
increase in the fuel costs of the Group’s vessels in the
past year.
The Group’s revenues in the period were generated by
52% from the Greece-Italy ferry routes, by 42% from
the domestic trade and by 6% by the Scotland-Belgium
which operated until mid-September 2008.
The annual results of years 2008 and 2007 are
reported under International Financial Reporting
Standards (IFRS) and as at 31st December, 2008,
show Total Net Equity at Euro 502.83mln (Euro
389.12mln as at 31st December, 2007), Cash and Cash
Equivalents at Euro 119.12mln (Euro 171.87mln as at
31st December, 2007) and Fixed Assets at Euro
744.72mln (Euro 690.46mln as at 31st December,
2007). As of the beginning of October, Superfast I
acquired for Euro 80mln, was added to the Group’s
assets. The sale of the four RoRo ships added Euro
24.48mln to the Group’s Cash balances in the course
of the first half of 2008.
Earnings per Share for the year 2008 stand at Euro
0.18 compared to Euro 0.49 in 2007.
Last year’s results include depreciation charges of Euro
26.32mln (Euro 27.15mln in 2007) and debit interest
and related expenses of Euro 20.69mln (versus Euro
24.35mln in 2007). Credit interest amounts to Euro
6.25mln (Euro 6.11) and foreign exchange gains of
Euro 2.2mln.
Attica Group’s Management will propose to the Annual
General Shareholders’ Meeting the distribution of a
total dividend of Euro 9.91mln which corresponds to
Euro 0.07 per share (Euro 0.08 in 2007).
TRAFFIC VOLUMES – MARKET SHARES
In the Greece-Italy routes, Attica’s vessels Superfast V,
Superfast VI, Superfast XI, Superfast XII, the Blue
Horizon and since the 13th October, Superfast I carried
717,093 passengers (1.5% decrease), 148,930 freight
units (0.4% increase) and 137,310 private vehicles
(3.8% decrease) maintaining the leading position in the
transportation of passengers and freight units with
market shares of 33.2% in passengers, 30.2% in freight
units and 27.2% in private vehicles on the total
passenger, freight unit and private vehicle traffic in the
Greece-Italy routes in the Adriatic Sea in 2008. The
market shares are derived from statistical data of the
Greek Port Authorities.
In the domestic ferry routes to the islands, the Group’s
vessels, Blue Star 2, Blue Star Paros, Blue Star Naxos,
Blue Star Ithaki, Superferry II, Diagoras and since
December Blue Star 1, carried 3,291,317 passengers,
(3.8% increase), 112,476 freight units (3.0% increase)
and 420.885 private vehicles (4.3% increase) in 4%
less sailings compared to 2007.
In the Rosyth-Zeebrugge service in the North Sea, Blue
Star 1 carried 75,463 passengers, 24,973 private
vehicles and 14,007 freight units. The service was
discontinued in mid-September 2008 and Blue Star 1
operated initially in the Greece-Italy routes and
thereafter is employed in the Piraeus to Rhodes
connection.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
On 2nd December, 2008, the Extraordinary General
Shareholders Meetings of Attica Holdings S.A., Blue
Star Maritime S.A. and Superfast Ferries Maritime S.A.
approved the merger by absorption of Blue Star
Maritime S.A. and Superfast Ferries Maritime S.A. by
Attica Holdings S.A.
As a result of the merger, a total of 37,440,220 new
shares of Attica Holdings S.A. were exchanged for the
minorities of Blue Star Maritime S.A. and began trading
on the Athens Exchange as of 2nd January, 2009.
Following the merger, Attica’s share capital is Euro
117,539,371 comprising of 141,613,700 common
shares, with a par value Euro 0.83.
On 5th June 2008, the Board of Attica announced the
agreement to acquire from Grimaldi Holding S.p.A, of
Genoa, Italy two Ro-Pax vessels built at Nuovi Cantieri
Apuania, Italy. The first newbuilding (Superfast I) was
delivered on 6th October, 2008, and trades in the
Patras-Igoumenitsa-Bari route since 13th October,
2008. The second vessel will be delivered in the
summer/autumn 2009. These vessels have a speed of
24 knots and the capacity to carry 950 passengers, 170
freight units and 100 private vehicles.
As of 12th March, 2009, Superfast XII, which is rerouted
from the Greece-Italy routes, commenced trading
between Piraeus and Herakleion, Crete. The vessel
departs daily from Piraeus at 15.30 and from
Herakleion at 23.45. The journey time is 6.30 hours.
Attica Group’s accounts will be published in the Greek Press
and will appear in the Athens Exchange and the Company
websites (www.attica-group.com) on Tuesday 24th March,
2009.
Attica Group press release
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