Holmen: Interim report January-March 2012

Regulatory News:

Holmen AB (STO:HOLMA)(STO:HOLMB)

	Â		Â	Quarter	Â		Â	Full year
SEKm		1-12		4-11		1-11		2011
Net turnover		4 778		4 630		4 721		18 656
EBITDA		789		729		864		3 240
Operating profit*		560		410		558		1 980
Profit after tax*		389		291		370		1 307
Earnings per share, SEK*		4.6		3.5		4.4		15.6
Return on equity, % *		7.9		6.8		8.8		7.8

*Excluding revaluation of forest in Q4 2011: + SEK 3 593 million before tax (SEK 2 648 million after tax).

• Profit after tax for January–March 2012 was SEK 389 million (January–March 2011: SEK 370 million).
• Earnings per share reached SEK 4.6 (4.4). Return on equity totalled 7.9 per cent (8.8).
• Operating profit reached SEK 560 million (558). Earnings from forest and energy increased while the lower outcome from currency hedges had a negative impact on printing paper and paperboard. Compared with the fourth quarter, operating profit increased by SEK 150 million following improvements in all business areas.
• Demand for paperboard in Europe improved in the first quarter but remained weak for printing paper and sawn timber.

In its capacity as issuer, Holmen AB is releasing the information in this interim report for January-March 2012 in accordance with Chapter 17 of the Swedish Securities Market Act (2007:528). The information was distributed to the media for publication at 13.20 CET on Tuesday May 8 2012.

This is a translation of the Swedish year-end report of Holmen Aktiebolag (publ.). In the event of inconsistency between the English and the Swedish versions, the Swedish version shall prevail.

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Contacts:

Magnus Hall, President and CEO,
tel. [phone]
or
Anders Jernhall, CFO,
tel. [phone]
or
Ingela Carlsson, Public Relations Director,
tel. [phone]