Highlights:
·
Q4 revenues of NOK 628m (+15%)
·
Q4 diluted EPS of NOK 0.21 (+17%)
·
FY revenues of NOK 1,933m (+13%)
·
FY diluted EPS of NOK 0.56 (+27%)
·
Proposed dividend of NOK 0.50 per share
CEO comment: A strong quarter reflecting the overall performance of the year
The final quarter of 2024 reflected the full year's performance, with revenues
up 15% y-o-y and annual revenues up 13% compared to 2023.
While most of our operations made steady contributions, the debt capital markets
segment was the primary driver of this improvement. Sentiment for high-yield
bond issuance reached an all-time high, fueled by strong investor appetite and
capital inflows into credit funds. The dynamics of the Nordic bond market are
unique globally, attracting a range of local and international issuers to raise
debt capital in the Nordics. ABGSC's broad access to investors has enabled us to
capture a fair share of this market, helping to raise the equivalent of more
than NOK 55bn for our clients during the year.
Apart from a few relatively large transactions, the Nordic market for raising
equity remained modest in 2024. Although a few companies listed their shares on
the Nordic exchanges, the number of IPOs and the amount of money raised remained
at historically low levels. During Q4, we began to see signs of improvement,
advising on 2 out of 2 main market IPOs completed in the Nordics. Especially in
Sweden, we have recently seen a growing pipeline from new companies looking to
go public, and we are hopeful for a gradual return to more normal activity
levels in this important segment for ABGSC.
M&A activity was decent during the quarter and throughout the year. In this
regard, I would like to highlight ABGSC's strong position in public-toprivate
transactions, where we secured the #1 ranking in both deal count and total
transaction value. In addition, our brokerage and research businesses continued
to contribute consistently throughout the year, providing an anchor of stability
to the business.
While there are some cyclical elements to our industry, as well as notable
fluctuations at the product and client sector level, our broad sector coverage
and balanced full-service approach contribute to lower revenue and earnings
volatility. Our ability to provide best-in-class advice and execution across all
major product groups always makes us a relevant partner for our clients.
As we look ahead to 2025, we will be looking to further improve our market
share, and we are excited about broadening our service offering through the
upcoming launch of our Private Banking operation. We have great ambitions in
this area and look forward to welcoming our first clients to explore the
potential of this new offering.
For further information:
Jonas Ström, CEO +46 8 566 294 68
Geir B. Olsen, CFO +47 22 01 60 35
Please find attached the Q4 Interim Report. A presentation will be held as a
webcast at 09:00 CEST and can be accessed through a weblink or call-in details
presented on our corporate website www.abgsc.com (https://mcas
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20892&McasCSRF=00e560623e3071a27033cb0901fa89d431641e57791d14ad1edde8d566d5014d)
.
This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU
Market Abuse Regulation article 7 and is subject to the disclosure requirements
pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This stock
exchange announcement was submitted for publication, through the agency of the
contact persons set out above, at 08:00 CEST on 13 February 2025.