Wärtsilä's half year financial report January – June 2018

• Order intake increased 14% to €1553 million (1363).
• Net sales decreased 3% to €1246 million (1290).
• Book-to-bill 1.25 (1.06).
• Comparable operating result stable at €123 million (122), which represents 9.8% of net sales (9.5).
• Earnings per share increased to €0.13 (0.12).
• Cash flow from operating activities increased to €41 million (2).

Highlights of the review period January – June 2018

• Order intake increased 10% to €3060 million (2,776).
• Net sales stable at €2312 million (2,295).
• Book-to-bill 1.32 (1.21).
• Comparable operating result increased to €211 million (204), which represents 9.1% of net sales (8.9).
• Earnings per share increased to €0.22 (0.21).
• Cash flow from operating activities decreased to €-1 million (3).
• Order book at the end of the period increased 16% to €5904 million (5089).

Wärtsilä’s prospects for 2018

The demand for Wärtsilä’s services and solutions in 2018 is expected to improve somewhat from the previous year. Demand by business area is anticipated to be as follows:

• Good in Services, although there are concerns related to fuel price development and escalating trade tensions.
• Good in Energy Solutions. The global shift towards renewable energy sources and increasing electricity demand in the emerging markets are supporting the need for distributed and flexible power capacity, including gas-fired generation, energy storage, and smart integration technology.
• Good in Marine Solutions (raised from solid), supported by an extensive product mix and a broad market exposure.

Wärtsilä’s current order book for 2018 deliveries is €2336 million (2,087), which mainly comprises equipment deliveries. Services’ business is largely transactional, with only around 30% of annual net sales coming from the order book.

Jaakko Eskola, President and CEO:
“The positive momentum in ordering activity continued in the second quarter of 2018. Although vessel contracting activity has been somewhat slower than anticipated, our extensive portfolio of solutions and a favourable contracting mix resulted in the Marine Solutions’ order intake developing well. I am pleased to note the increased demand for exhaust gas cleaning solutions in both the newbuild and retrofit markets ahead of the global sulphur regulations, which enter into force in 2020. In the Services business, we have also seen continued interest in service agreements, the agreement to optimise the maintenance of all Wärtsilä thrusters installed within the Transocean fleet being a highlight of the quarter. Market trends remain favourable in the Energy Solutions business, and our project pipeline provides confidence for improved activity in the second half.

Net sales in the second quarter were affected by the timing of power plant deliveries and by customers continuing to limit spending to essential repairs and maintenance, while the operating profit was in line with last year. Looking ahead, we expect deliveries to be concentrated to the latter part of the year. A pick up in transactional service activity and the resulting effect on the group sales mix will be central to the development of our profitability in the second half. The impact of increased geopolitical uncertainty on customer decision-making remains a concern.

Maximising renewable generation is essential in ensuring a sustainable and profitable future for the energy industry. In this context, Wärtsilä has launched a new vision for the energy market. Our ambition is to lead the industry’s transformation towards a future that utilises 100% renewable energy, with flexible capacity as the enabler. Coupled with our Smart Marine vision, this reinforces our commitment to developing sustainable societies with smart technology.”

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/19072018/wrtsils-half-year-financial-report-january-june-2018/