SAFRAN announces 2007 results
SAFRAN | Jocelyne TERRIEN | Tel: +33 (0)1 40 60 80 28 | Fax: +33 (0)1 40 60 80 26 | Email: jocelyne.terrien@safran.fr
Paris, February 14, 2008
SAFRAN, the international high-technology group with leadership positions in its core businesses of aerospace propulsion, aircraft equipment, defense & security and communications, today announced its results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007. The SAFRAN Group’s results were approved by the SAFRAN Executive Board on February 11, 2008, and submitted to the Supervisory Board on February 13, 2008.
The Group’s operating income jumped over 50% to €706 million, and net income more than doubled, despite an unfavorable U.S. dollar exchange rate.
2007 key figures
2007 sales €12,003 million:
- 5.9% increase over 2006
- 7% increase to €10.8 billion, excluding the broadband business
2007 operating income €706 million:
- 51.8% increase over 2006
- 5.9% operating margin, exceeding original forecasts
The Group share of net income is €406 million, versus €177 million in 2006:
- Net income for 2007 is more than twice that for 2006
At December 31, 2007, net debt stood at €169 million, versus €419 million a year earlier.
A dividend of 0.40 euro per share will be proposed at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.
Chief Executive Officer Jean-Paul Herteman said:
“I am delighted to announce that our Group surpassed its financial objectives for 2007. In addition to a 5.9% increase in sales, already announced, we have posted an operating margin of €706 million, equal to 5.9% of sales, outpacing our initial objective of 5%. This figure also represented an increase of nearly 52% over the previous year. The Group’s share of net income stood at €406 million. These results once again demonstrate SAFRAN’s ability to resist the impact of fluctuations in the U.S. dollar. We were able to offset this impact through a two-pronged approach, by improving our productivity and through a structural increase in the sale of spare parts, which generate high margins. This performance is also reflected in significant cash generation, resulting in free cash flow of €428 million for 2007. We will propose to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders a dividend of 0.40 euro per share, in line with our results, our outlook and our policy of a 40% payout.”
SAFRAN consolidated results
All figures in this press release are expressed as adjusted data. To reflect the SAFRAN Group’s actual financial performance, SAFRAN draws up, alongside the reported consolidated financial accounts, adjusted financial data, for several reasons:
- To offset in the results the effects of the revaluation of intangible assets occurring due to the Sagem-Snecma merger, and their amortization booked under reported accounts.
- And to integrate in operating results the unwinding of hedges for the period.
Furthermore, in application of IFRS5, the Communications branch’s broadband business is classified under divested activities because of its sale planned for early 2008. To enable a comparison of the 2006 and 2007 fiscal years, a column for 2007 was created including Sagem’s broadband communications business.
An appendix includes a table comparing the reported accounts and the adjusted data.
| Millions of euros | 2006* | 2007* | Change | 2007** |
| Sales | 11,329 | 12,003 | + 5.9% | 10,830 |
| Operating income % of sales |
465 4.1% |
706 5.9% |
+ 51.8% |
663 6.1% |
| Net income from divested operations | 30 | |||
| Net income – Group share | 177 | 406 | x 2.3 | 406 |
| Net income per share (€) | 0.43 | 0.99 | 0.99 | |
| Net financial debt | 419 | 169 |
* includes Sagem communications broadband business
** without Sagem communications broadband business
A solid and geographically diversified backlog of orders
With 5,636 CFM56 engines and 1,944 helicopter engines on order and an increasing share of fleets fitted with SAFRAN landing gear, brakes and nacelles, the Group has consolidated its outlook for the coming years, and increased its share of aviation markets. In addition, the geographical diversity of the order book gives SAFRAN a very robust business foundation.
Operating income (EBIT)
SAFRAN posted operating income for 2007 of €706 million, compared with €465 million in 2006, an increase of 52%.
This jump in earnings is due to two main factors. First the profitability of our aviation businesses, where a continued improvement in productivity and sales of spare parts more than offset the impact of the weak U.S. dollar, and secondly the return to profit of our Defense Security business and a decrease in losses by our Communications business.
Deliveries of original equipment engines for commercial airplanes and helicopters increased by more than 20% over 2006.
Sales of spare parts posted record growth for the year. The service business now accounts for 44% of Aerospace Propulsion branch sales, and 26% of Aircraft Equipment branch sales.
The Defense Security branch logged dynamic growth in sales, spanning avionics, inertial navigation units, cards and payment terminals.
The communications branch, which experienced another drop in volumes, launched an initiative during the year to recenter its activities.
Earnings by branch
| Millions of euros | 2006 | 2007 | Change |
| Aerospace Propulsion % of sales |
561 11.1% |
636 10.7% |
+13% |
| Aircraft Equipment % of sales |
197 7.5% |
112 4.1% |
-43% |
| Defense Security % of sales |
(101) -7.0% |
72 4.7% |
ns |
| Communications | |||
| Mobile phones % of sales |
(181) -18.9% |
(121) -18.5% |
+33% |
| Broadband % of sales |
5 0.4% |
43 3.7% |
x 8 |
Aerospace Propulsion
For the Aerospace Propulsion branch, the year was characterized by two major factors: strong growth in sales of spare parts, which offer a high margin, and productivity and efficiency improvements at all branch companies that outpaced initial forecasts. Together, these two factors more than offset the impact of a dollar hedging rate that was less favorable (from a rate of €1 = $1.11 to $1.21). The branch’s operating income increased more than 13% (or over 60% with a constant dollar).
Aircraft Equipment
During 2007, the Aircraft Equipment branch prepared for the ramp-up of production for several major new aircraft, in particular the nacelles for the A380 super-jumbo jet. Investments in development and production engineering to support sustained production in the coming years weigh temporarily against the branch’s operating income.
Defense Security
The Defense Security branch has swung back to profit, of €72 million, after posting a loss of €101 million in 2006. This result is largely due to the deployment of effective initiatives to improve organization and profitability.
These actions had a positive impact on the avionics business in particular. In the security sector, the card business returned to break-even, and the electronic payment business showed strong growth in sales and financial indicators.
Communications branch
The mobile phone business posted a loss of €121 million in 2007 versus €181 million in 2006. Sales volumes dropped during the year, but 2007 also saw the first positive results of strategic recentering initiatives now under way.
The Broadband business recorded operating income for 2007 of €43 million. This business has been sold to an investment fund, The Gores Group, for €383 million.
Net income
SAFRAN posted consolidated net income of €406 million in 2007, compared with €177 million in 2006.
Financial position
Net debt at year-end stood at €169 million, marking a further decrease over net debt at the end of 2006 (€419 million). The Group confirmed its robust financial position.
Dividend
A dividend of 0.40 euro per share will be proposed to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. This represents a payout of 40%, a level that SAFRAN plans to maintain in the future.
Objectives for 2008
The Group’s aerospace, defense and security businesses will continue their growth. Actions to bolster efficiency and productivity will be continued and accelerated, in particular on the international stage. A solution will be provided for the mobile phone business, along the lines of the solution applied to the broadband business. Furthermore, the overall 2008 forecasts in dollars are hedged at a rate of €1 less than or equal to $1.46
Under these conditions, the objectives for 2008 are as follows:
- Sales of approximately 11 billion euros, representing growth of 10% at constant size and exchange rates.
- Operating income of approximately €700 million, based on continued improvements in productivity and increases in spare parts sales.
In general, SAFRAN plans to further develop the very strong synergies between its aerospace, defense and security businesses, and seize all growth opportunities in these sectors.
* Does not include the share of Ingénico earnings, which will be recorded via the equity method in 2008, but does include the estimated capital gain of €100 million from the transfer to Ingénico. Note that in 2007 the business transferred to Ingénico contributed €29 million in operating income.
***
Appendix
Comparison of reported consolidated accounts and adjusted data
(1) Revaluation of sales in currencies less purchases (by currency) at the hedged rate, by restatement of changes in the value of hedges allocated to flows during the period.
(2) Changes in the value of hedges concerning flows for future periods (€295 million excluding taxes), deferred in shareholders’ equity and canceling the recovery of unrealized gains at closure of hedging accounts (€117 million excluding taxes), included in consolidated shareholders’ equity.
(3) Cancellation of intangible assets amortization/depreciation due to the revaluation of aircraft programs based on the application of the standard IFRS 3 as of April 1, 2005.
Only the reported consolidated accounts are audited by the Group’s independent auditors, and the adjusted financial data is subject to checks during the reading of all information provided in the reference document for 2007.


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