Welcome to Nolato Q1 Report 2023. During the presentation, the participants will be in listen-only mode. During the questions and answer session, participants are able to ask questions by dialing star five on their telephone keypad. Now I will hand the conference over to the CEO, Christer Wahlquist. Please go ahead.
Good afternoon, and welcome to the presentation of Nolato's first quarter 2023. This is Christer Wahlquist speaking. I'm starting on page two in the presentation with a summary of first quarter of Nolato Group. During the quarter, our sales amounted to just shy of SEK 2.5 billion, which is a decrease of approximately 20% if we adjust for currency comparison to the first quarter 2022. Below, we saw this, a strong growth for our business area, Medical Solutions, but lower volumes within our Integrated Solutions business area. The operating profit, EBITDA, amounted to SEK 193 million in comparison to SEK 267 million in the previous quarter. The cash flow amounted to -SEK 46 million because of an increased working capital requirement, mainly within the Integrated Solutions business area.
We have sustained a strong financial position, enabling us to continue with acquisitions for building for the future. On the right part of the page, you will see a graph of our 20-year growth over from Nolato Group going in different phases. First, we were balancing the group and enabling us to have three equal size business area. The second step was balancing the business area Integrated Solutions, building up our EMC business within that. Over the last years, it's been growth across the different segments. Turning to page three, looking into the different three business areas we have. Medical Solutions amounted to SEK 1.3 billion, approximately, being grown steadily over the years. Within this business area, we work as a development and manufacturer of complex product systems for the medical device industry, pharma industry, and diagnostics.
Integrated Solutions business area, it's design, development, manufacturer of advanced devices for the consumer electronics as well as EMC and thermal. Industrial Solutions on the SEK 740 million, working as development manufacturer of product systems for automotive, hygiene, packaging, garden, forest, and different industrial segments. Turning to page four, Medical Solutions business area. On this slide, you will see a graph of the 20-year development of this business area. It's been a long, stable, continuous growth. Approximately half of that growth is organic, and approximately half is inorganic, but a good continuous growth for the business area, working with global expansions. If we turn to page five and look into the different product areas within Medical Solutions, we have In vitro diagnostics amounting to approximately 15% of the total business area.
That is diagnostics products for testing things. You take your blood sample, and then you test different things. Cardiology, approximately 8% of the business area sales. This is different things for pacemaker industry and different heart surgery and things like that. We have the Pharma Packaging, approximately 13% of the business area. This is a segment where we do liquid and solid packaging for drugs. This business area, or this segment is something that we entered into. We saw the development of drug delivery technology that was coming from both packaging side and the device side. We have the Continence care business, and that's a different kind of high volume products for taking care of continence, incontinence problems in the body. We have the endoscopy and general surgery at approximately 22% of the business area.
We have the drug delivery systems at approximately 14%. Those are then autoinjectors, injection system, and so on to get the drugs into your body. We turn to page six, looking into the first quarter for Medical Solutions, during the quarter, we saw a strong growth in most areas, giving us a total growth of 13% if we adjust for currency. We saw the IVD sector at a low unchanged level during the quarter. The margin ended up at 10.0% with the operating profit of SEK 132 million in the quarter. We turn to page seven, looking into the Integrated Solutions business area. In this business area, we are expanding ourselves into new market segments and been doing that for a period of time.
We have seen over the last years very strong growth for the VHP part of that business. We are in a different situation, enabling us to focus on growth on other areas. We turn to page eight, looking into the different parts of the Integrated Solutions. On the left-hand side of this picture, with the reds are the consumer electronic part of this business area. Here we are doing complex modules. We are doing different kind of speakers, and then we have the VHP area, the different kind of in over-ear phones, with wearables and handheld well-being devices, and then smart home and home security.
Up till the now, the VHP has been growing for a long period of time, creating a situation where we have focusing very much on maintaining that growth and the delivering to the customer. Now we are in a position where we can put more emphasis and grow in the other areas, creating a more stable business area long term. On the right-hand side of this picture, we see the EMC and thermal part of the business, where we are producing different kind of materials and solutions in order to shield electromagnetic influences and taking care of heat distribution from electronic components.
If we turn to page nine, focusing on the first quarter for Integrated Solutions, during this quarter, we saw a decrease of 66% adjusted for currency in the sales numbers, we saw the consumer electronics volumes on a level that was previously announced. The fact of the decrease is, of course, the change in sourcing strategy from a significant customer, but also lower total volumes for that customer due to the situation in Ukraine and Russia. On the other hand, EMCs continue to perform well, with sales increasing to SEK 171 million in comparison to SEK 153 million. The margin ended up at 5.3%, it was, of course, the margin was affected by the lower volumes.
The first quarter ended up with the sales of SEK 414 million and an operating profit of SEK 22 million. If we turn to page 10, focusing on Industrial Solutions, in this business area, we are in, on the technology and geographical expansion journey. If we look on page 11, we see some of the different product areas. These are domestic appliances, hygiene product, furnitures, different automotive things, and garden forest equipment, and of course, packaging and other industrial segments. If we turn to page 12, focusing on the first quarter for Industrial Solutions, in this quarter, we saw a 7% increase if we adjust for currency, and we saw that the automotive volumes increased, and we saw that the supply chain disruptions have less an impact than we previously seen.
We saw also demand for products in Consumer Discretionary sector slightly lower due to weaker economy. The first quarter ended up at SEK 740 million in sales, an operating profit of SEK 46 million, creating an EBITA margin of 6.2%.
Good afternoon. Per-Ola Holmström presenting group financial highlights on page 13. Net sales ended up at almost SEK 2.5 billion, which was a 20% decrease adjusted for currency compared to last year. Operating profit went down from SEK 267 million to SEK 193 million, giving an EBITA margin of 7.8% compared to 9.3% last year. The cash flow after investments was -SEK 46 million compared to -SEK 41 million. We had a situation during this quarter where we built up additional accounts receivables because of leaving the supplier finance solution with one of our main customers. That is the reason for that. Other areas in the cash flow were more similar to last year.
Earnings per share ended up at SEK 0.5 compared to SEK 0.75 last year.
Then we turn to page 14 and look into the current situation per business area, starting with the Medical Solutions. We have a maintained growth strategy, lot of focus and emphasis on innovation based on strong customer relationships. Integrated Solutions side, we have established position in new product areas. We have a base in a flexible production structure, we see progress in the automotive area that is very positive for the EMC. Overall, we see some geopolitical concerns affecting Integrated Solutions. Industrial Solutions side, we have advanced our market positions, lot of emphasis on sustainable solutions, we see weaker economic conditions. We will now open up for questions.
If you wish to ask a question, please dial star five on your telephone keypad to enter the queue. If you wish to withdraw your question, please dial star five again on your telephone keypad. The next question comes from Carl Ragnerstam from Nordea. Please go ahead.
Hi, it's Carl here from Nordea. A few questions. Firstly, you often provide guidance for Integrated Solutions the coming quarter. Is it any specific reason why you don't do this this time? Should we therefore expect quite flat the sequential volumes from Q2 onwards?
We have normally commented when we have seen larger sequential deviations up and down, and this business area has been a more volatile business area. Right now, we think it's a more stable situation, and sequentially compared to Q4 last year, the difference is minor, and hence, we don't give any more or further guidance to the next quarter.
Okay, very clear. On Medical, you said that IVD was unchanged in the quarter. Would you say that the inventory levels are normalized now and also should we expect IVD to turn into a positive territory here in the coming few quarters or maybe more stable here at flattish levels?
Yes. I would say that there are still larger than normal stocks in the total market chain within IVD. It will not be on normal levels. Long term, IVD is growing, but due to the pandemic and the situation afterwards, there has been a large buildup that are now sort of gradually moving down, but it's still on a higher level than normal.
Should we expect it going back to negative growth territory again to normalize inventory levels, meaning that the neutral level in Q1 is a bit of a one-off ? Is it more flattish from here as well or?
No, I would say we don't expect it to decrease from this level. This level is as a total volume in the world, is less than the consumption. The stocks are sort of decreased during the first quarter.
Okay. Very clear. I mean, looking at Industrial Solutions here with a 7% organic growth, more stable automotive production, less or maybe no raw material headwinds. I'm a bit curious to know more what's holding back margins here. I mean, is it the mix effect with the consumer segment being more profitable than automotive, or how should we look at it?
I would say the margin, the positive sequential margin effect come from mainly a more effective production set up during this quarter. That is mainly within automotive, where we have seen disruptions is of based on shortages for components. That is the main reason. We still have some positive effects coming from further price increases in this quarter as well. These two have mainly had the positive effects.
The final one, from my side is maybe looking at Integrated margins. It's continuing to slide sequentially here as well as year-over-year. Are you implementing any measures to start restoring it? I mean, I guess you might have quite massive overcapacity in heated tobacco currently. What is sort of the plan? Are you planning to take on more similar volumes to bring up capacity, or is it to keep the current capacity and rather try to cross-sell into other, similar, segments but in maybe not in heated tobacco?
Yes. I think the answer to that is a combination. We feel that we have a very good skill set within our Integrated Solutions business area, and we see that there are good opportunities within the other areas that we have identified and that we are working on. Of course, we are taking down cost. We would like to maintain our cutting-edge technology to make sure that we can build a situation where we have more customers and more diversified type of products in the production. That takes time, and as we explained during the strong growth of the VHP, it took all our energy in order to maintain that growth.
We saw and knew that there will be a situation where the customer will have parallel sources, and that day has come, and it's an opportunity for us to sort of balance the business area.
For you to take on or win new projects within, I guess, the consumer-related area in a period of a weakening consumer, maybe globally, is it a lot of projects out there, or is it a bit of a struggle compared when you chose to take on heated tobacco is that I guess it was a better situation to sort of win the project?
Yes, I would rather explain it like the VHP was an extraordinary situation with this new market and very strong growth. We don't expect that to happen as we explained when it happened. We rather build with normal growing customers step-by-step.
Okay, very clear. Thank you.
Thank you.
The next question comes from Carl Norlén from SEB. Please go ahead.
Yes, hello. A couple of questions here. We can start with working capital. I'm just wondering if the current levels are sort of the new normal, or is it more to come in terms of net working capital increases going forward, or have we seen all of this in the quarter?
I would say that, the more, the larger changes we have seen lately, that has been, so to say. During this quarter, we have built the accounts receivables, natural to that situation. It should be on a more stable level. Of course, if and when we grow, that will drive some additional working capital in money, so to say, that is, of course, natural.
Okay, great. A question on pricing. You state now that pricing is a lower contributor to the sales growth in both medical and industrial. It would be helpful if you could give any sort of split on how much price is in both medical and industrial or some sort of guidance there would be helpful.
Price is the smaller part of the growth in both areas. It's the growth is coming from very much real growth, so to say.
Yeah.
... in both areas.
And a follow-up on medical then. It looks if diagnostics were flattish, I guess the elective side is performing really well, as we've seen in many other med tech companies. Is that correct? Or do you see increasing volumes there?
On the surgical side, we see growth, but we see growth across most areas except the IVD.
Okay, that's great. Just a question on industrial demand there. We are back to organic growth again after declining in Q4. Would you say that the decline in Q4 was mainly due to the or it sounds like was it only that there were supply chain disturbances among the automotive customers and that was now, so to say, stabilized a bit? Is this a level to expect here going forward in the industrial side, do you think, if we assume that there are no additional supply chain services, so to say?
I think you could say it like, we had a positive effect in this quarter when that happened, so to say. We had a troublesome period in the beginning of last year. From that, it was driving the growth in this quarter. Going forward, the world is, of course, a bit uncertain in all areas, and it's hard to say where that is turning going forward with the industrial volumes.
Okay, that's great. Thank you.
The next question comes from Johan Skoglund from DNB Markets. Please go ahead.
Hello. Interesting to see continued growth in EMC Thermal. It's now a sizable part of Integrated Solutions. Out of the growth we saw year-over-year, are you able to quantify how much is demand, price, or volume?
It's very much, volumes. As we said, it's very much coming from, the automotive part of EMC.
Okay, thank you. On a similar subject, your acquisition of P&P Technology here in Q2, are you able to provide some more color on the strategic rationale? It's quite small. Is this more of a technology acquisition? Can you say anything about the company's profitability?
Yes. The rationale behind that is twofold. It's technologies, some added technology to our portfolio, but it's also relationship with interesting customers. Profitability-wise, the company has a good profitability, not really the level we have, but that has not been the main driver for this acquisition, as Christer mentioned. It's a good profitability.
Okay, very good. No more questions from me. Thank you.
Thank you.
As a reminder, if you wish to ask a question, please dial star five on your telephone keypad. There are no more questions at this time. I hand the conference back to the speakers for any closing comments.
I would just like to thank you for your interest in Nolato and the presentation of our first quarter, I wish you a great rest of your day. Thank you.