The Bilia Q1 report for 2025. For the first part of the conference call, the participants will be in listen-only mode. During the questions-and-answers session, participants are able to ask questions by dialing #5 on their telephone keypad. Now I will hand the conference over to IR, Carl Fredrik Ewetz. Please go ahead.
Thank you for the introduction, and welcome to Bilia's first quarter result presentation with CEO Per Avander, CFO Kristina Franzén, and I, Carl Fredrik Ewetz. We also have our Deputy CEO, Stefan Nordström, with us today. We're happy to present another solid result and a strong cash flow in the quarter. The agenda, you recognize, Per will start to go through the current situation in the car industry, followed by Q1 numbers, and Kristina will go through the financial situation, and I will conclude with an outlook. Let's start, and I'll leave the word to Per Avander.
Thank you, Carl Fredrik. Next slide, yes. There is good demand in the service business in Norway and Western Europe with good booking times. In Sweden, we have seen a little bit weaker demand, especially in body and paint shops. Now we are in the middle of the important tire season, and we have much better booking times. The fleet business still has a stable demand for new cars in Sweden, with a market share around 60%. Many brands started at the end of last year, strong campaigns, big discounts, and attractive private leasing offers. In quarter one, the demand and the order intake from private consumers has been much better. In Norway, we see and feel signs of a better business climate. The consumer index, you can say the households' confidence, is on a better level, but in April, in April, it drops again.
The demand for new cars is growing, good booking times in workshops, and our brands have more, for the moment, strong campaigns in the Norwegian market. The demand for used cars is on a good level in Sweden and Norway, and we see stable prices for all cars except fully electrical vehicles. In the same time, we see lower prices of fully electrical used cars, and it takes longer times to sell them. The stock of used cars is on a good level in all our countries. There has been lots of discussion of different business models. Four or five years ago, it was really popular to test subscription, car sharing, agency model. One example is Lynk & Co. They only sold the cars through a subscription model. Now they are going over to a traditional wholesale model.
We have now an agreement for the Lynk & Co in five of our locations and start to sell them in quarter two. Still, we see agency models from some manufacturers, but the feeling is more that we are going back to what we had in the past. Some manufacturers are hesitating and pushing the introduction of the agency model into the future. Next slide, please. Net turnover increased organically by 1%, explained by higher deliveries of new used cars and growth in the service business. We report a result of SEK 344 million with a margin of 3.5%. We had better earnings in the service business with a higher margin. We had lower profitability for new cars, especially in Sweden and Norway. Next, please. On this waterfall chart, you can see the different business areas.
All the earnings improvement is coming from the service business and less result both new and used cars. Next slide. On this slide, you can see the quarter one profitability from 2019 to 2025 in each country. In the middle, we have Norway, and there you can see some improvements. On the right-hand side, you can see Western Europe delivering at a really strong level. Sweden delivered lower earnings due to the car business. Next, please. We are moving over to the important service business. As I mentioned, there is still stable demand in the service business in all countries except body and paint shops in Sweden. We have an organic growth for the group of 5% in the quarter and Norway as much as 16%. We report a profitability of SEK 310 million. It is 81% of the group earnings.
We improved the margin from 11.9% last year to 12.2% this year. As you can see on the right-hand side, it is SEK 29 million better than last year. There are several reasons why we report a higher result. One is good booking times, especially in Norway and Western Europe. Another, much better efficiency and solid improvements in the Norwegian workshops. This higher result comes despite one working day less in Sweden and Western Europe for the quarter. Next, please. Deliveries of new and used cars adjusted for acquired operations were 2% higher for new cars and 8% higher for used cars compared to quarter one last year. For the car business, we reported a result of SEK 57 million compared to SEK 76 million last year. The profitability for new cars in Sweden and Norway were on a low and negative level.
The main explanation for that is lower gross profit margin and less bonus from the different manufacturers. For used cars, we report a profitability of SEK 55 million compared to SEK 69 million last year. In a historical perspective, it's a good level. As I mentioned in the beginning, the stock of used cars is on a good level in all our countries. We started in the beginning of this year some campaigns, so we have reused the stock of used cars in the quarter, especially in Sweden and Norway. In historical perspective, we are now in the strong period for used cars. Our customers are more active and often change used cars in the spring. The order intake of new cars adjusted for acquired and divested operations were 31% higher compared to last year. As I mentioned, we have seen a little bit better activities in all our countries.
We have in the quarter increased the backlog of new cars with 3,000 units since the end of quarter four. Now we have a more normalized level with a little bit over 14,000 new cars, and it's the same level as quarter one last year. Go over to Kristina.
Thank you, Per. Some words about our financial position. During the quarter, we had continued to have a high focus on cash flow, and we generated an operating cash flow of around SEK 450 million, which is equal to some SEK 1.6 billion on a 12-month rolling basis, which means that we are basically in line with last year's generated cash flow. Per just mentioned that we, as of December 2024, consider the inventory of used cars to be on a high level. During the first quarter, we have decreased our inventory of used cars, and we do now consider the inventory to be on good levels in all our countries, so that we are very pleased with. During this quarter, we have also made the fourth and final payment of last year's dividend of SEK 6.60 per share.
That means that we have made a payment of SEK 1.65 per share or some SEK 150 million. We have also acquired a new BMW operation in Varberg in Sweden for a payment of some SEK 60 million. Our net debt, excluding IFRS 16 debts, is at the end of the quarter amounting to just below SEK 2.8 billion, which was some SEK 120 million below our net debt as per December 2024. Our ratio of net debt in relation to EBITDA, excluding IFRS 16, was 1.4x , which is unchanged compared to December 2024, and therefore we are also in line with our financial targets to have a ratio below 2.0x . During this quarter, we did issue a new bond amounting to SEK 800 million with a maturity term of five years.
This bond was raised to refinance our bond loan of SEK 500 million, which is maturing in October this year. We will also use it for general corporate purposes, which include day-to-day business, but also acquisition and investments for continued growth for the future. After the new bond issue, we did utilize some SEK 860 million of our total credit facilities with the banks, amounting to SEK 2.3 billion. Finally, this afternoon, we will arrange our annual general meeting, and one of the agenda points for that meeting is to decide about the proposed dividend for 2024, amounting to SEK 5.60 per share to be paid in four installments. I think that was some words about our financial position, and with that, I will leave the word to you, Carl Fredrik.
Thank you very much, and let's look into the outlook for the next quarter. The internal work to improve profitability and efficiency in our operations is very much ongoing. This means extra effort making sure newly acquired businesses as well as existing businesses perform according to Bilia standards. Furthermore, capital allocation, balanced, and sufficient inventory levels are high priority across our organization. Looking at the service business, the recurring and improved result in our service business, we think, proves resilience in this business. We see demand continue in the coming quarter across our business. In Q1, like Per said, the business represented 81% of our operating profits. As I said earlier, our primary focus is to work with efficiency and profitability, and above all, in our service operation, where we see most opportunities for continued improvements.
Used cars, like Per said earlier, the demand in the quarter for used cars was divided. Stable demand for hybrid and traditional cars, but lower demand for electrical cars except Norway, of course. We see that continuing Q2, but do expect more campaigns to increase demand for electrical cars. The activity level in our used car business, we think, will remain on good level. Our inventory is now back to satisfactory levels, and we always work to strengthen our offering within used cars, and we'll continue to do so also in the coming quarter. It is difficult to assess the impact of demand for new cars in the coming quarters, given the uncertain environment. Having said that, we are experiencing an improved order intake for new cars. We see campaigns continue during 2025, which we think will support private consumption. This is in combination with a rather big pent-up demand.
We see order intake from fleet customers continue at a stable level, so no trend shift here, like Per said earlier. Maybe most important, we believe that our customers will continue to service and repair their cars in the coming quarter. Per touched upon the models. We see an increased interest in adapting and developing the traditional wholesale model again across our brands. The dealer and aftermarket network has yet again proven to be a competitive advantage for most car manufacturers. Across our 177 facilities, we will continue to work hard to make sure our customers are treated well and are happy. We believe over time, this will create higher value for our shareholders. This finalizes our first quarter presentation, and we can now open up for questions, please.
To ask a question, please dial pound key five on your telephone keypad to enter the queue. If you wish to withdraw your question, please dial pound key six on your telephone keypad. The next question comes from Andreas Lundberg from SEB. Please go ahead.
Good morning, everyone. Thanks for taking my questions. If I start with the new car operation, you talked about these orders in the first quarter. Have you been able to deliver on that already, or is that in the backlog? The first question.
We increased the backlog, as you can see. We haven't yet delivered the cars. We will deliver them now in quarter two.
Okay. Given the uncertainty you talk about and the world turmoil out there, can you perhaps share some light on consumer behavior in March, April? Thank you.
Yeah. You talk order intake or you're talking about that?
Yes.
Customer behavior, yeah. Still stable demand from the fleet business. A little bit lower in April for private consumers, we can see. There is not yet a problem for us. If you look into April this year and April last year, we are not finished yet with April, but I think we will sell a little bit more new cars in April this year compared with last year. We are humble about what will happen in the future in May and June, and nobody can say what will happen in the car industry in the future.
Thank you. Could you also talk about, you mentioned the profitability with new cars. I think you said lower gross margin. Can you share more light on the drivers for the new car profitability?
Yeah, it's a little bit different for our countries. Some manufacturers, they go for lower margin from the beginning and more bonus. It's one explanation why we have lower gross margin for new cars and drop a little bit in the new car sales.
I think, Andreas, I mean, it was when it comes to the used car, we had a little bit lower gross margin. When it comes to the new car, it's very much about the lower turnover.
Yeah, but what we can see, it's a little bit different. If you look at the profitability for Western Europe, it's really strong still, but lower in turnover.
If you take the Swedish market, Andreas, Stefan here, you can say the change in new cars is lower deliveries. That is the majority of the change for the Swedish market. It's fewer deliveries of new cars. It's more like that. If you talk about the used car, then it's a margin thing, a little bit lower margin in the used car business. I think that is the reason. Okay. In Sweden, it's more like a fixed cost effect from lower deliveries.
Yeah.
If that's how it should be.
Yeah.
Got you.
We can see a change.
Finally, before I.
We can see a change from our manufacturers because they are under pressure. They try to change the margin from the beginning to more bonus in the system.
You receive less bonuses. Did I understand you correctly? Because of lower deliveries or?
Yeah, due to lower deliveries, then it's less bonus when you have lower deliveries. I think the change Per is talking about is over time. It's nothing quarter to quarter. It's more like they want to change into more bonus, a little bit less margin, but that is a journey over time. It's nothing now I can say. I would say, if you take the big drop we see in Sweden, then it's fewer deliveries. Manufacturers try, when they launch a new fully electrical vehicle, often they give us a lower margin for them. As Stefan said, it's over time. We can see a change if you go back to two or three years ago.
Lastly, now you're prioritizing efficiency gains. You mentioned that several times within the service. How is the M&A market look like at the moment?
I think.
Potentially, what are you looking for?
Yeah, Andreas, thanks, Carl Fredrik here. I think the M&A market is still quite active. It's an ongoing consolidation with focus towards the bigger players. I'm pretty sure it will continue to do so. As always, we are prudent. We are cautious, but we, of course, look at what comes through.
Okay. That's fine for now. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Andreas.
The next question comes from Mats Liss from Kepler Cheuvreux. Please go ahead.
Yeah. Hi. Thank you. Coming back to the car sales business there in Sweden, I mean, earnings are quite limited there in this first quarter, and I guess you have the improved order intake to deliver in this going forward. Have you sort of planned any efficiency measures to adjust capacity there too for, or is it, more volumes to fill out the capacity going forward?
We took off a lot of salesmen when we dropped in the sales for new cars if you go back one and two years ago. We had tried to hire people again, salesmen again in quarter four and quarter one, but now we are more a little bit in the wait-and-see mood and see what happens in the future. We do not think we will close down a lot of showrooms in Sweden. Still, we use every showroom we have.
Good. In Western Europe, you perform well. I guess you have integrated the Luxembourg business there. Is this a trend, or is it some one-offs included also? Do you say something about that?
It has been a really strong market for us. BMW, they are number one in market share in Belgium and often top three in Luxembourg. We have really strong brands with BMW and Mini in Belgium and Luxembourg. We feel and see it is a good market still there. We sell a lot of expensive cars in Luxembourg, BMW. We improved the service business, the workshop, if you see. We had a profitability of SEK 22 million in the quarter now and compared to last year, SEK 21 million. If you go back and see what we had in the past, now we have a quieter company and they have a minus result. We improve the existing business, what we have in Belgium and Luxembourg.
Great. Thank you. Good progress there in the service business and in Norway, especially. Do you expect to see some sort of Easter impact there? I mean, it's the Easter change quarter year over year, or is it, as always, a pretty good quarter to be expected here in the second quarter, I mean, ahead of the driving season and so on?
Yeah. It's tough with the Easter in Norway, as you know. Last year, you had more of it in March, and now we have it in April. We can see the growth in the business quarter over quarter. Last year, we have a lot of improvements because we have sort of a centralized business excellence team help the different workshop managers. We have a program ongoing now. We see improvement from quarter to quarter in the Norwegian market.
Good. Finally, I mean, you mentioned the acquisition there of the BMW dealer in the first quarter here. Is it still sort of a focus on integrating the existing acquisitions you have made in recent years, or do you see opportunities now coming up given the somewhat soft car sales, car markets?
Yeah. There is a lot, what Carl Fredrik mentioned, a lot of companies for sale. We are a little bit careful for the moment now. We have made a lot of acquisition, and we have started some new business areas, rim repair and, yes, dismantling business. We are quite new in the business there. We can improve what we have more to find a lot of acquisition for the moment. Maybe it can happen in the future. Very much focus on making the ones we've acquired better. That's what we talk about, internal efficiency, etc., etc.
Okay. Great. Thank you.
Thank you.
If you wish to ask a question, please dial pound key five on your telephone keypad. No more questions at this time. I hand the conference back to the speakers for any closing comments.
All right. Thank you for that. Thank you for listening. Please come back to us when you have further questions. I wish you a good day.
Thank you very much.
Thank you. Bye.
Bye.