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Ekinops H1 2024 results: EBITDA margin of 14.3%

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PARIS, July 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — EKINOPS (Euronext Paris – FR0011466069 – EKI), a leading supplier of telecommunications solutions for telecom operators and enterprises, reports its H1 2024 financial statements (for the period ended 30 June 2024) as approved by the Board of Directors on 29 July 2024. The statutory auditors conducted an interim review of these half-year financial statements.

m€ – IFRS

H1 2023

(6 months)

H2 2023

(6 months)

H1 2024

(6 months)

2023

(12 months)

Revenue

71.0

58.1

57.5

129.1

Gross margin

37.7

29.6

32.2

67.3

As a %

53.1 %

50.9 %

56.1 %

52.1 %

Operating expenses

31.0

31.3

29.3

62.3

EBITDA1

14.3

4.3

8.2

18.6

As a %

20.2 %

7.4 %

14.3 %

14.4 %

Current operating income (EBIT)

6.7

-1.6

3.0

5.1

Operating income

6.6

-3.0

2.6

3.6

Consolidated net income

6.0

-2.4

1.5

3.6

As a %

8.4 %

n.a.

2.6 %

2.8 %

1 EBITDA (Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) corresponds to current operating income restated for (i) amortization, depreciation and provisions, and (ii) income and expenses relating to share-based payments.

H1 2024 revenue: 57.5m€
Ekinops recorded H1 2024 consolidated revenue of 57.5m€, down -19% from the same period last year (identical at constant exchange rates).

Propelled by the sales rebound in France (+16% in H1 2024), the Access business line grew +1% over the period, after a decline over 2023. The Group’s main operator-customers are gradually rebuilding their Access equipment inventory, without reaching normative levels.

Conversely, sales of Optical Transport solutions were down -41% in H1 2024, after an all-time high performance in 2023 (+41% in H1 2023 and +27% on a full-year basis). This business line was mainly impacted by (i) reluctance from operators with substantial inventory to initiate CAPEX (capital expenditure), (ii) slower growth for 2023 internet traffic in a context of overcapacity and (iii) a wait-and-see attitude triggered by the delayed launch of Ekinops’ new 800G optical solution.  

Software & Services accounted for 17% of Group revenue, with an increasing share of recurring revenue, particularly for the SD-WAN solution.

Geographically, H1 2024 revenue increased by +5% in France while international business declined by -31%. International sales for this first half came out to 56% (vs. 66% a year earlier), of which 22% in North America (down -31%), 32% in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa, down -32%) and 2% in Asia-Pacific (decline of -15%).

H1 2024 gross margin: 56.1% 
At mid-year, gross margin stood at 32.2m€, versus 37.7m€ Y-o-Y.

Gross margin thus reached a record level of 56.1% in H1 2024, vs. 53.1% a year earlier and 52.1% end-2023.

This record gross margin performance results from a favorable business mix (growth in the Access business line), a solid “selling price/manufacturing costs” ratio for Ekinops’ solutions, and the increasing share of Software & Services’ in Group’s revenue.

H1 2024 EBITDA margin[1]: 14.3%
At mid-year, EBITDA came to 8.2m€ vs. 14.3m€ Y-o-Y, with a -6% decline in operating expenses, driven by carefully managed costs (-11% in general costs, -6% in R&D costs and -3% in marketing and sales costs).

As such, H1 2024 EBITDA margin was 14.3%, compared to an exceptional 20.2% a year earlier and 14.4% in FY 2023.

After accounting for net depreciation, amortization and provisions (4.1m€, including 1.1m€
of amortization relating to post purchase price allocation technologies), declining due to the discontinued amortization of OneAccess technology, and non-cash expenses relating to share-based payments (0.6m€), current operating income came to 3.0m€ in H1 2024 vs. 6.7m€ a year earlier.

Current operating margin therefore stood at 5.1% of half-year revenue, vs. 9.4% the same period last year and 3.9% in FY 2023.

H1 2024 adjusted EBIT: 7.0%
Excluding amortization of intangible assets identified post purchase price allocation, adjusted current operating margin (adjusted EBIT[2]) came to 7.0%, vs. 14.0% a year earlier and 8.0% at end-2023.

Other operating expenses totaled 0.4m€, resulting in operating income of 2.6m€ for H1 2024 vs. 6.6m€ Y-o-Y and 3.6m€ for FY 2023.

After taking into account financial expenses of 0.7m€, comprising a net interest expense and foreign exchange gains on currency hedging, and a tax expense of 0.4m€, H1 2024 net income stood at 1.5m€, vs. 6.0m€ a year earlier and 3.6m€ in FY 2023

H1 2024 operating cash flow: 5.1m€
Despite the economic challenges impacting its business, Ekinops showed once again resilience with an ability to generate cash through its operations.

At mid-year, operating cash flow totaled 5.1m€, up significantly compared with H1 2023 (+0.9m€). Change in working capital requirements was limited to €2.1m, down considerably from the previous year (13.1m€ in H1 2023, boosted by the sharp increase in accounts receivable). H1 2024 decrease in accounts receivable (-3.4m€) notably offset rising inventory (3.3m€) as a result of slower business activity.

Cash flow from investments (non-current assets and R&D) amounted to -5.7m€ (vs. -4.5m€ a year earlier), with 1.1m€ in equipment investments and 4.5m€ for capitalized R&D and the acquisition of the 5View software suite.

Cash flow from financing activities totaled -4.7m€, including -2.5m€ in repayments under bank loans. No new loans were taken out during the semester.

At the end of H1 2024, change in cash flow was -€5.4m.

Comfortable net cash[3] position of €22.3m as of June 30, 2024

ASSETS – €m
IFRS

12/31

2023

6/30

2024

LIABILITIES – €m
IFRS

12/31

2023

6/30

2024

Non-current assets

78.8

85.4

Shareholders’ equity

119.4

120.4

o/w goodwill

28.5

28.4

Financial borrowings

21.4

19.5

o/w intangible assets

17.1

18.5

o/w bank loans

18.3

16.7

o/w right-of-use assets

6.7

12.4

o/w factoring

2.8

2.5

Current assets

66.6

68.9

French research tax credit pre-financing

5.1

4.3

o/w inventories

25.9

29.2

Trade payables

18.2

17.1

o/w trade receivables

30.0

26.6

Lease liabilities

7.0

12.9

Cash

47.2

41.8

Other liabilities

21.5

21.8

TOTAL

192.6

196.0

TOTAL

192.6

196.0

During the first half of 2024, Ekinops signed the lease for its new headquarters in Lannion (Brittany) as well as renewing its Belgian subsidiary’s commercial lease. This increased the Group’s right-of-use assets to 12.4m€.

Cash and cash equivalents totaled 41.8m€ as of 30 June 2024, for financial borrowings[4] of 19.5m€.

As such, Ekinops benefited from a healthy financial position at the end of H1 2024, with net cash at 22.3m€ (vs. 20.3m€ a year earlier and 25.8m€ at end-2023) with shareholders’ equity of 120.4m€ (vs. 119.4m€ as of 31 December 2023).

Subsequent to the semester, Ekinops secured a 1.8m€ subsidy, granted by the French government and Bpifrance as part of the “ORANGE MECT PART” major project of common European interest (PIIEC) initiative. The latter was developed in collaboration with Orange and its partners, to provide innovative connectivity solutions for specific configurations or digital deserts, as an alternative to current transmission solutions.

Outlook
Against a sluggish economic backdrop, Ekinops proved resilient thanks to a strong gross margin, sound management of operating expenses and a further demonstrated ability to generate cash flow despite the slowdown in business.

In Access, the gradual normalization of operator inventories in France led Ekinops to report modest growth for this segment over the semester. Looking ahead to H2 2024, the Group aims to accelerate this trend, both in France and EMEA, conditional on a favorable economic recovery. In Optical Transport, the launch of the 800G solution with its innovative features and the cost-optimized 100G product should spark fresh momentum in this business line over the coming semesters.

In this context, Ekinops expects Q3 2024 revenue to follow the same trend as previous quarters, with a more marked improvement in business targeted for Q4 2024.

In terms of external growth, Ekinops still aims to carry out operations to consolidate the Group, strengthen its offering and expand its customer base, favoring a non-dilutive source of financing.

See 2024 financial calendar here.

All press releases are published after Euronext Paris market close.

EKINOPS Contact
Didier Brédy, Chairman and CEO
contact@ekinops.com

Investors
Mathieu Omnes, Investor relation
Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 92
momnes@actus.fr

Press
Amaury Dugast, Press relation
Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 74
adugast@actus.fr

[1] EBITDA (Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) corresponds to current operating income restated for (i) amortization, depreciation and provisions, and (ii) income and expenses relating to share-based payments.

[2] Adjusted EBIT corresponds to current operating income adjusted for amortization of intangible assets identified after allocation of goodwill, Technologies developed and Customer relations.

[3] Net cash = cash and cash equivalents – borrowings (excluding bank debt relating to French research tax credit (CIR) pre-financing and IFRS 16 lease liabilities)

[4] excluding bank debt relating to French research tax credit (CIR) pre-financing and IFRS 16 lease liabilities

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SOURCE Ekinops

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In Turfan, Xinjiang, China’s first commercially operated microgrid has generated nearly 100 million kWh of electricity

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TURFAN, China, Nov. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On November 13, the Turfan New Energy City Microgrid Demonstration Project, China’s first commercially operated microgrid demonstration project, generated nearly 100 million kWh of electricity, equivalent to saving 29,000 tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 77,600 tons.

A microgrid refers to a small-scale power generation and distribution system organized by distributed power sources, power loads, distribution facilities, monitoring and protection devices, etc., which can realize flexible control and autonomous management. Since the end of 2013, the project had been the largest and most comprehensive solar energy utilization and building integration project in China up to that time, with 8.7 MW of photovoltaic power installed on the roofs of 223 residential buildings, generating an annual power capacity of about 10 million kWh.

To promote the physical operation of the project, the State Grid Turfan Power Supply Company invested more than 2 million yuan to cooperate in the construction of microgrid infrastructure, fully supporting the online operation of surplus new energy power generation, promoting the comprehensive utilization of renewable resources in urban buildings, and helping Turfan build a high-quality development demonstration area and a green and low-carbon pilot area.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/in-turfan-xinjiang-chinas-first-commercially-operated-microgrid-has-generated-nearly-100-million-kwh-of-electricity-302306810.html

SOURCE State Grid Turfan Power Supply Company

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Innovations in Guiyang: Adhering to New Industrialization and Promoting High-End, Intelligent and Green Manufacturing

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GUIYANG, China, Nov. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A report by Huanqiu.com

The wave of new industrialization in Guiyang is driving the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry in ways like never before. Guiyang is always strategically oriented toward “industrial structure optimization with a focus on industries”, and has made all efforts to develop “four major industrial bases”, highlighting its industrial economy as the “primary driving force” behind development. Especially relying on its policy edge in renewable energy, Guiyang has rapidly emerged as a national new-energy power battery and materials research, development and production center, injecting strong momentum into the city’s economy.

In October 2023, the CATL (Guizhou) New Energy Power and Energy Storage Battery Production Base, located in Gui’an New Area, Guizhou Province, was put into production. The first phase of the base boasts cutting-edge design standards, characterized by “lighthouse + zero carbon factory”. The high-standard facility employs advanced, high-speed, highly automated, and flexible production lines. It is designed to have an annual production capacity of 30 GWh. After the base achieves the designed production capacity, its annual output value is expected to reach 15 billion yuan. According to statistics, the base realized an industrial output value of 618 million yuan in the first half of 2024, and the year’s industrial output value is expected at about 2 billion yuan.

The Chery (Guizhou) industrial base has also yielded unusually brilliant results in the field of new energy vehicles (NEVs), where Chery Automobile’s self-developed “CHEVOO” new-generation light truck KL71 project is undergoing four-pillar car road tests. The advanced pressing, welding, painting and assembly lines, as well as the R&D lab and the all-electric truck production line, together constitute this “digital intelligent” NEV factory. Moreover, the Chery (Guizhou) industrial base has built, extended and strengthened its vehicle manufacturing industry chain so as to master key parts supply chains and reduce development costs.

The Gui’an FinDreams battery project, as an important move of BYD in Guiyang, is also showing its strength in power batteries for NEVs. FinDreams Battery Co., Ltd. at Longshan Industrial Park in Gui’an New Area has four automatic production lines that are operating at high speeds in the workshop, which produce “blade batteries” which are well-known both in and out of the industry. According to reports, 300 battery packs and 40,000 cells can be produced per day.

Guiyang’s “four bases” – a new energy vehicles and battery materials production base, a resource deep-processing base, a computing power assurance base, and an industrial backup base, contribute greatly to the development of NEV and battery materials industry, electronic information manufacturing industry, and advanced equipment manufacturing industry, etc. Data show that in the first three quarters, the added value of Guiyang’s industrial enterprises above designated size grew by 11%, and the contribution of industrial economy to economic growth reached 39.4%.

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Premialab appointed by Lombard Odier Investment Managers to scale Quantitative Investment Strategies

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Premialab’s technology chosen to enhance QIS scaling, operational efficiency, and risk management.

PARIS, Nov. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Lombard Odier Investment Managers (LOIM), the institutional asset management business of the Lombard Odier Group, has integrated Premialab‘s industry-leading technology to support the management of their soon-to-be-launched DOM Global Macro strategy. This partnership underscores LOIM’s commitment to onboard innovative strategies in an evolving market landscape.

“Our decision to partner with Premialab is driven by their comprehensive risk management and regulatory compliance expertise,” said Didier Anthamatten, Portfolio Manager at LOIM. “With a strong track record in alternative investments, LOIM remains focused on delivering innovative investment solutions and high-quality returns for our clients. Premialab’s advanced data capabilities are essential in helping us maintain our rigorous standards and provide robust, risk-adjusted performance. Additionally, their platform perfectly matches the DOM Global Macro strategy’s needs, enhancing our risk monitoring capabilities and streamlining portfolio management.”

The DOM Global Macro strategy expects to leverage Premialab’s unique dataset. The full lookthrough across all DOM’s proprietary systematic strategies allows granular risk decomposition and scenario-based analysis at the entire portfolio level. This should help monitoring exposures’ attractiveness, from both time-series and cross-sectional perspectives, and optimizing asset allocation.

Neil Richards, Head of EMEA Business Development at Premialab, said the collaboration with LOIM is a significant addition to Premialab’s growing business in Switzerland and within the wider European markets.

“Institutions such as LOIM, which oversees a substantial portfolio across various asset classes, need continuous monitoring and adjustment to keep their investments on track,” he explained. “Premialab provides the tools for benchmarking and stress testing their systematic investments, ensuring that LOIM’s mandates are effectively managed in terms of cost, risk, and value.”

Premialab CEO Adrien Géliot highlighted that the QIS sector is experiencing rapid growth, driven by institutional investors seeking liquid, transparent, and cost-efficient investment strategies. “Premialab sits at the centre of the QIS landscape, uniquely positioned to aggregate and make sense of the vast and growing universe of data,” he stated. “We are thrilled to be partnering with LOIM to deliver our unique data and risk monitoring capabilities to one of the top global investment firms.”

Premialab’s multi-asset, multi-region platform handles 10 million data points daily. It analyzes over 5,000 investible systematic strategies, with client assets under management totalling approximately USD $20 trillion. Combining the Premialab platform with Premialab Pure Factors®, it provides comprehensive cross-asset quantitative strategy selection and thorough due diligence on strategies available worldwide. Additionally, the platform enhances risk management and reporting capabilities, including expedited and detailed regulatory reporting.

With its unique combination of systematic strategies and discretionary trading, the DOM Global Macro strategy clearly benefits from Premialab’s state-of-the art data analysis capabilities and computational efficiency. The Portfolio and Risk Managers can thus use a shared dataset for risk analysis and performance decomposition, enhancing the portfolio’s robustness and operational efficiency.

About Premialab
Premialab is the leading independent platform that collaborates with leading investment banks and institutional investors globally, providing data, analytics, and risk solutions for systematic, factor, and multi-asset strategies. With offices in London, Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Dubai and Sydney, the company has forged strong partnerships with the top 18 investment banks, asset managers, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and insurance companies globally.

About Lombard Odier Investment Managers (LOIM)
Lombard Odier Investment Managers (LOIM) is the institutional asset management business of the Lombard Odier Group, wholly owned and funded by its partners since its establishment in 1796.

We provide a range of investment solutions to a diverse group of long-term oriented clients. Our heritage, and our combination of the best of conservatism and innovation, keeps us well positioned to create lasting value for our clients. Our investment capabilities span fixed income, convertible bonds, equities, multi-asset, and alternatives. Sustainability is central to our investment philosophy; we believe it is the founding principle of long-term economic and investment outcomes and will drive returns over the long term.

With over 200 investment professionals, we are a global business with a network of 13 offices across Europe, Asia and North America and have assets under management of CHF 64 billion (as at 31 September 2024).

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