Printer Friendly
The Free Library
14,507,702 articles and books
Member login
User name  
Password 
 
Join us Forgot password?

Strong Growth and Higher Outlook For ARCADIS.


Margin target adjusted to 10%

* Net income from operations 63% higher in the third quarter

* Gross revenue growth 32%, strong organic growth at 12%

* Strong results across the board, both geographically and per service area

* Expected growth in net income from operations for full year 2006 raised to : 40 to 45%

* Margin target increased to 10% (was 8%)

ARNHEM, Netherlands -- ARCADIS (NASDAQ NASDAQ
 in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations

U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on
:ARCAF, EURONEXT: ARCAD), the international consultancy and engineering firm, today reported strong results for the third quarter of 2006. Gross revenues increased 32% to [euro] 311 million, while net income from operations was 63% higher at [euro] 12.3 million. The currency effect was slightly negative. Organic growth was at a high level at 12%. The margin (recurring re·cur  
intr.v. re·curred, re·cur·ring, re·curs
1. To happen, come up, or show up again or repeatedly.

2. To return to one's attention or memory.

3. To return in thought or discourse.
 Ebita as a percentage of net revenue) improved to 9.6% compared to 8.0% in the same quarter last year.

In the first nine months of 2006 gross revenues increased 29% to [euro] 892 million. Net income from operations rose 61% to [euro] 33.5 million. The margin came out to 8.9%, a considerable improvement over the 7.4% in the same period in 2005. The Company's strong results are the outcome of solid activity growth, a continued focus on margin improvement and good contributions from recently acquired companies.

At the end of July, the project management activities of AYH AYH
abbr.
American Youth Hostels

AYH n abbr (= American Youth Hostels) → Jugendherbergsverband, DJHV m 
 in the U.K. were expanded through the acquisition of Berkeley Consulting (gross revenue [euro] 10 million, 100 employees). After the third quarter, two acquisitions were completed in Belgium: Ecolas in the environmental market and BCT BCT Brigade Combat Team
BCT Basic Combat Training
BCT Best Conventional Pollutant Control Technology (EPA)
BCT Business Cards Tomorrow
BCT Banque Centrale de Tunisie (Central Bank of Tunisia) 
 in the Walloon region
This article is about the Belgian federed region. For other uses, see Wallonia (disambiguation).


The Walloon Region, commonly called Wallonia, is one of the three Regions of Belgium.
 (both with gross revenue of [euro] 6 million, 60-65 employees). In early November, the Company acquired PinnacleOne in the U.S. (gross revenue $ 35 million, 230 employees), strengthening its position in project management, and fitting well into its Worldwide Project Consulting initiative.

CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board.  Harrie L.J. Noy about the results: "The most pleasing metric is our strong organic growth. Thanks to good internal cooperation aimed at creating synergies and a strong focus by employees on client interests, we are benefiting from the favorable fa·vor·a·ble  
adj.
1. Advantageous; helpful: favorable winds.

2. Encouraging; propitious: a favorable diagnosis.

3.
 market conditions. Performance is good across the board, both geographically and in each of our three service areas. What stands out is the strong growth in the Netherlands, where recovery of the market has been faster and stronger than expected. The integration process with Blasland, Bouck & Lee is going well. As a result of portfolio changes the margin is structurally higher. Cost savings and increased productivity have also contributed to this improvement. The new margin target of 10% is a clear sign that we are operating higher in the value chain with activities with more added value Added value in financial analysis of shares is to be distinguished from value added. Used as a measure of shareholder value, calculated using the formula:

Added Value = Sales - Purchases - Labour Costs - Capital Costs
."
[TABLE OMITTED]


Analysis

Third quarter

Of the gross revenue growth of 32%, 21% came from acquisitions, primarily BBL "Be back later." See digispeak.

(chat) BBL - (I will) be back later.
 in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . Currency effects caused a 1% decline. The high organic growth of 12% mainly came from the Netherlands, the Netherlands, The
 officially Kingdom of The Netherlands byname Holland

Country, northwestern Europe. Area: 16,034 sq mi (41,528 sq km). Population (2005 est.): 16,300,000. Capital: Amsterdam. Seat of government: The Hague. Most of the people are Dutch.
 U.K., Brazil and the United States. Several large infrastructure projects started in Poland after a period of delays, also contributing to growth.

Ebita rose 50% to [euro] 19.6 million, of which acquisitions contributed 37% and currency effects contributed negative 1%. Organically, Ebita was 14% higher, a result of activity growth and margin improvement.

The contribution from associated companies associated company associate nPartnerfirma f

associated company nsocietà collegata 
 declined as a result of delays in the start-up of energy projects in Brazil. Net income rose 70%; net income from operations (excluding amortization and the effects of derivatives derivatives

In finance, contracts whose value is derived from another asset, which can include stocks, bonds, currencies, interest rates, commodities, and related indexes. Purchasers of derivatives are essentially wagering on the future performance of that asset.
) increased by 63%.

Nine months

Gross revenue grew 29% of which 18% as a result of acquisitions and divestments, 2% through currency effects and 9% through organic growth. Especially the Netherlands, United States and Brazil, and to a lesser extent France, the U.K. and Chile contributed to organic growth. In the Netherlands, gross revenue growth exceeded 10%, with the Company clearly benefiting from the market recovery.

Ebita increased to [euro] 54.9 million. Excluding a book gain of last year valued at [euro] 2.1 million, Ebita on a recurring basis rose 51%, of which 35% was through acquisitions and divestments and 2% was through currency effects. The organic increase of 14% was mostly the result of a solid performance in the United States and Brazil and profit improvement in the Netherlands.

Financing charges were lower as a result of the effects of the use of derivatives and a non-recurring interest gain of [euro] 0.5 million in the second quarter. Net income from operations (excluding amortization, a book gain in 2005 and the effects from derivatives) rose by 61%. The difference with the increase in Ebita results among other things from a lower tax rate.

Developments per service area

The figures stated below relate to gross revenue developments and, unless otherwise noted, discuss the comparison between the first nine months of 2006 and the same period last year.

* Infrastructure

Gross revenue increased 5%. Acquisitions and divestments caused a 5% decline. The currency effect was 2%. At 8%, organic growth was strong. In the third quarter, growth in the Netherlands and the United States accelerated, while Brazil remained at a high level. In the Netherlands, improvement of rail infrastructure and the government policy to leave more work to the private sector is generating a lot of work. The slow down of the housing market in the U.S. led to a decline in land development, which is more than compensated for by growth in the transportation and water markets.

* Environment

The gross revenue increase of 77% mainly resulted from acquisitions. The currency effect was 1%. The main contribution to the organic growth of 8% came from the United States, where growth was primarily driven by GRiP[R] projects. Synergy The enhanced result of two or more people, groups or organizations working together. In other words, one and one equals three! It comes from the Greek "synergia," which means joint work and cooperative action.  with BBL and Greystone is also leading to more activities both inside and outside the United States. In the third quarter, growth slowed somewhat as a result of the completion of a number of large projects in Poland and less third party work in the United States. In Europe growth mostly came from the Netherlands and England.

* Facilities

Of the 29% gross revenue increase, 12% came from acquisitions and divestments. The organic growth of 17% was strongly influenced by the facility management contract with DSM 1. DSM - Data Structure Manager.

An object-oriented language by J.E. Rumbaugh and M.E. Loomis of GE, similar to C++. It is used in implementation of CAD/CAE software. DSM is written in DSM and C and produces C as output.
 and Sabic, which includes a significant amount of third party work. At 8% the organic growth of net revenue was also at a good level. Growing investment in real estate is pushing demand for project management services in the Netherlands, England and Germany, while activities also increased in Belgium and France.

New margin targets

In 2005 ARCADIS has reached the 8% margin target it introduced in 2000. In the 2000-2005 time frame the margin has been improved by almost 40%: from 6.0% in 1999 to 8.2% in 2005. As a result of portfolio changes and a focus on activities with higher added value, the margin is now structurally higher. This was reason to evaluate the margin target. To do this, an internal and external benchmarking was performed. Also, the margin calculation for the service areas has been improved by a more consistent allocation The apportionment or designation of an item for a specific purpose or to a particular place.

In the law of trusts, the allocation of cash dividends earned by a stock that makes up the principal of a trust for a beneficiary usually means that the dividends will be treated as
 of overhead costs overhead costs

see fixed costs.
. This led to an adjustment in the margins per service area without affecting the overall margin. The definition is unchanged: recurring Ebita as a percentage of net revenue.

The new margin target for ARCADIS is 10%. For the service areas the following margin targets have been set. As a reference, the adjusted 2005 margins have been listed.
                Adjusted margin 2005  Margin target  >






Infrastructure                  7.1%        8% - 9%  >






Environment                    11.0%      12% - 13%  >






Facilities                      7.0%      10% - 11%  >






Total                           8.2%            10%  >


The Company will reevaluate its margin targets when structural changes take place in the portfolio, e.g. as a result of the addition of newly acquired companies. To meet the targets, the policy remains aimed on productivity improvements and activities with higher added value. Reaching these targets also depends on market conditions.

Outlook

Market conditions are favorable. Economic growth is providing governments and companies with room for investments in infrastructure and facilities. In many countries, the number of PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) The most popular method for transporting IP packets over a serial link between the user and the ISP. Developed in 1994 by the IETF and superseding the SLIP protocol, PPP establishes the session between the user's computer and the ISP using  initiatives is growing, driving private investment in public infrastructure and amenities. Demand for flood protection measures is growing rapidly, in part due to the attention for climate change. Because of its extensive water management experience, ARCADIS is well positioned in this market. The Company's market leadership position in environment provides opportunities for expansion and diversification Diversification

A risk management technique that mixes a wide variety of investments within a portfolio. It is designed to minimize the impact of any one security on overall portfolio performance.

Notes:
Diversification is possibly the greatest way to reduce the risk.
 of its services to industry. The Company's recently introduced Worldwide Project Consulting initiative aims to serve international real estate investors A real estate investor is someone who actively or passively invests in real estate. An active investor may buy a property, make repairs and/or improvements to the property, and sell it later for a profit.  around the globe.

As reported earlier, ARCADIS will take additional charges in 2006 related to SOX (1) (Schema for Object-oriented XML) An XML schema developed by Veo Systems and Muzino Communications, which was submitted to the W3C. SOX is based on DTD, but adds data typing and reuse mechanisms.  404 compliance (Sarbanes-Oxley Act See SOX. ) and the integration of BBL. The estimate for the external costs related to these two items for the whole of 2006 has been adjusted to [euro] 5 million. Of this amount, [euro] 3.5 million has been included in the result over the first nine months.

CEO Noy concludes: "ARCADIS is well on track. The integration with BBL will be brought to conclusion in the coming period. The client focused organization that is the basis for the integration will strengthen our position in the United States, and will contribute to international growth as well. Given the Company's excellent performance in the first three quarters, we are increasing our profit outlook for the full year 2006. We now expect an increase of net income from operations of 40 to 45%, barring unforeseen circumstances CIRCUMSTANCES, evidence. The particulars which accompany a fact.
     2. The facts proved are either possible or impossible, ordinary and probable, or extraordinary and improbable, recent or ancient; they may have happened near us, or afar off; they are public or
."
[TABLE OMITTED]
[TABLE OMITTED]
[TABLE OMITTED]


ARCADIS is an international company providing consultancy, engineering and management services in infrastructure, environment and facilities, to enhance mobility, sustainability and quality of life. ARCADIS develops, designs, implements, maintains and operates projects for companies and governments. With more than 10,000 employees and over [euro] 1 billion in gross revenue, the company has an extensive international network that is supported by strong local market positions.

Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in this release are forward-looking statements forward-looking statement

A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections.
 that are made pursuant to the safe harbor Safe Harbor

1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated.

2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive.
 provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and  of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the company's actual results in future periods to differ materially from forecasted results. Those risks include, among others, risks associated with possible changes in environmental legislation and risks with regard to the Company's ability to acquire and execute projects. These and other risks are described in ARCADIS' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission over the last 12 months, copies of which will be available from the SEC or may be obtained upon request from the Company.
COPYRIGHT 2006 Business Wire
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2006, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

 Reader Opinion

Title:

Comment:



 

Article Details
Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback
Publication:Business Wire
Date:Nov 15, 2006
Words:1753
Previous Article:Celestica Joins Freescale and Wavesat to Offer Production-Ready WiMAX Reference Design.
Next Article:Volvo: EUR 200 M Expected in Annual Synergy Gains Through Cooperation with Nissan Diesel.
Topics:



Related Articles
Arcadis to Acquire U.S. Infrastructure Company.
ARCADIS to Acquire U.S. Infrastructure Company.
ARCADIS On Track With New Strategy; Net Income Up by 18%; Outlook 2001 Positive.
ARCADIS NV Announces Second Quarter and First Half 2001 Results.
ARCADIS NV Announces Results for Third Quarter and First Nine Months of 2001.
ARCADIS NV Announces First Quarter 2002 Results.
ARCADIS Increases Profit Outlook for 2005.(Company Profile)
ARCADIS Selected as an ESRI Business Partner of the Year.
Aldrianto Priadjati, Dipterocarpaceae: Forest Fires and Forest Recovery.(Book review)
ARCADIS Expands Operations, Opens Office in Anchorage, Alaska.

Terms of use | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc. | Feedback | For webmasters | Submit articles