Letter to Our Shareholders April 2004
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Lettre-avril-2004-GB.qxd 27/05/04 17:47 Page 1 Letter to our Shareholders April 2004 SUMMARY ● Highlights 2003 Annual Results (p.2) ● Hachette Filipacchi Médias A Royal Audience; The Analyst’s Couch…; Elle à Table (p.3) ● Hachette Livre The Annual Book Fair; Bleue Series Celebrates 10 Years of Publishing; Launches (p.4) ● Hachette Distribution Services Launch of Virgin L’hebdo; 33rd Virgin Megastore (p.5) ● Lagardere Active MCM to the Third Power; An Audience for Mezzo; In Brief (p.5) ● Group Going for Gold; the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation (p.6) ● EADS 2003 Annual Results; Earth and Sky (p.7) ● Shareholder’s Notebook (p.8) “Where there's a will, we pave the way” EDITORIAL Continued refocusing in the field of the media Since the beginning of 2004, business has been rather and improvements in the profitability of Lagardère Media uneventful, with the exception of significant growth in advertising revenue from radio and theme channels. As promised, we are taking the opportunity of this new Letter Generally speaking, visibility remains mediocre, preventing to provide you with an update on the progress of the Editis the anticipation of different trends over the coming months, (formerly Vivendi Universal Publishing) acquisition. due to the prevailing uncertainties about when and how an economic recovery will take place. An important milestone was passed in January when the For this reason, the forecast growth in operating profits for European Commission gave Lagardère the authorization to Lagardère Media in 2004, excluding the effect of the assets retain some of Editis’ prize assets, in terms of both retained from Editis, are based on two different scenarios: profitability and development potential: Larousse, Dalloz, Dunod and Armand Colin in France, and Anaya in Spain. These > +2% to +6% if the economic environment remains stable, acquisitions have enabled Lagardère to become the leading with a euro/dollar parity of approximately 1.20; publisher in both of these countries. > should a return to growth in the business be confirmed in The process of disposing of the remainder of Editis’ assets the second half of 2004, the growth rate could exceed 6%. commences in spring 2004, and should be completed by the end of the year. Lagardère’s main criterion will obviously be To make sure these objectives are met, the cost cutting plan the interests of its shareholders. will be continued. In the medium term, objectives have been fixed in terms of Lagardère Group has published its results for 2003. Once operating margins for each of the media businesses: again, the objectives set a year previously have been surpassed: Lagardere Media’s operating income increased by > Press 12% (compared to 9.7% in 2003) 11%. Even better, the cash flows generated by operations in > Book 12% (compared to 11.1% in 2003) the media business increased by almost 43%. Net income > Lagardere Active 10% (compared to 4.7% in 2003) amounted to €333.9 million, and the ratio of debt to equity > Distribution & Services 3% (compared to 2.1% in 2003) was reduced to 21.3%, compared to 45.3% at June 30, 2003. Throughout the duration of the term of office of the In conclusion, the Group is now in possession of managing partners (6 years), which comes to an end in May, growth potential that it is more determined than ever to turn Lagardère Media’s profitability (operating income) showed an to profit. annual rate of improvement of over 11%. P 01 Lettre-avril-2004-GB.qxd 27/05/04 17:47 Page 2 HIGHLIGHTS 2003 Annual Results Sales by business segment Operating income by business segment Lagardère Media‘s Operating Income up 11% to € 427 M Consolidated Net Income € 334 M STABLE CONSOLIDATED REVENUES AT € 12,454 M ● Consolidated operating income totaled € 671 M, up from (1) ● Lagardère Media’s revenues grew 2.1% on a like-for-like € 433 M in 2002. basis at € 7,944 M, buoyed by each of the businesses, especially the «Book division». INTEREST INCOME AND NON-OPERATING INCOME ● EADS’s net revenues up 3.9% to € 4,510 M. ● Interest income reached € 42 M (up from an interest expense of € 368 M on the 2002 pro forma). Excluding the EADS STRONG GROWTH OF 11% IN LAGARDERE MEDIAS’ OPERATING contribution and other non recurring items, net interest INCOME expense improved slightly (€ 59 M versus € 61 M in 2002). ● Lagardère Media division posted operating income of ● The group recorded a non-operating loss of € 79 M, € 427 M, up 11% over 2002, representing an operating principally due to the restructuring of EADS’s “Space” business margin of 5.4%, up from 4.8%. and to a depreciation of intangible assets related to Virgin. The “Book” division again turned in an excellent performance in virtually all publishing segments with an operating margin NET INCOME of 11.1% compared with 9.6% in 2002. Group Net Income increased sharply to € 334 M(2), compared “Lagardere Active” division continued to improve due to the to a loss of € 291 M in 2002. good performance of the “Television” businesses, particularly TV production, and a firm “Radio” advertising market during DEBT UNDER CONTROL the second half of 2003. Based on € 4,136 M of shareholders’ equity as of December 31, “Distribution Services” division grew its operating income 4.2% 2003, and net debt at € 882 M, the Group’s gearing decreased despite a difficult economic environment in terms of air traffic to a rate of 21.3% from 45.3% as of June 30, 2003. and tourism, and in spite of the development cost of the «Virgin Megastore» network in France. DIVIDEND “Press” division improved its operating income and again its The Company’s managing partners decided to propose at the margin (9.7% versus 9.1% in 2002). General Shareholders Meeting a net dividend of 0.90 € per ● EADS’ contribution to LAGARDERE’s consolidated operating share (plus a tax credit of 0.45 €), i.e. a 10% increase income increased sharply to € 232 M, due to the improvement compared to prior year. This resolution proposal reflects the in its profitability and to the appreciation in the average dollar strong balance sheet and the confidence in the future of hedge rate. LAGARDERE Group. (1) Pro forma operating income excluding the Automotive division, which was deconsolidated effective January 1, 2003. (2) Excluding EADS, net income for LAGARDERE in 2003 was € 263 M, up from a loss of € 262 M for the previous fiscal year. On a like-for-like basis, i.e. after neutralizing the non-recurring impacts of Matra Automobile and T-Online (depreciation and capital gains tax accrual adjustments), as well as intangible asset depreciations, adjusted net income amounted to € 215 M vs. € 188 M in 2002. P 02 Lettre-avril-2004-GB.qxd 27/05/04 17:47 Page 3 HACHETTE FILIPACCHI MEDIAS A Royal Audience © Hachette Filipacchi © Hachette Hachette Filipacchi Espagne has Celebrated its 20th Birthday King Juan Carlos I hosted Hachette Filipacchi’s executive production, management and publishing, in conjunction with committee in the Zarzuela Palace on March 4, to celebrate the the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca. Hachette Filipacchi 20th anniversary of Hachette Filipacchi Espagne (HFE). The is now the top publisher of magazines in Spain, with 23 titles. delegation, led by Gérald de Roquemaurel, HFM’s Chairman One third of all magazine readers in Spain read a Hachette and CEO, and Juan Caño, Hachette Filipacchi SA’s editorial Filipacchi title. Vice-President, told the King about plans for several initiatives HFE plans to add two new magazines to its stable in the next to highlight the anniversary. One of the biggest is the creation few months. of the first university master’s program in magazine IN BRIEF Best Magazine Covers The Analyst’s Couch… Several HFM titles took prizes at the 8th annual Best Magazine Cover Awards, HFM and Psychologies magazine Reach sponsored by France Rail an Agreement Publicité. Out of a field of more than 400 nominees, Elle (05/05/2003) won second Gérald de Roquemaurel and Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber, prize for Best Cover of 2003 director of Psychologies magazine, signed a framework for its issue featuring agreement in late 2003 to collaborate on the development of Emmanuelle Béart; TV Hebdo, a second-time winner, took foreign editions of the publication. the Best Cover of 2003 in the Psychologies magazine is quite a success story: in five years, The agreement gives HFM’s TV-Radio category; and Elle à the magazine’s paid circulation total jumped from 75,000 to international subsidiaries preference in Table (April 2003) took first 285,000 copies – the fastest rate of circulation growth in any launching titles inspired by Psy- place in the Cooking and Wine category. segment of the French press! According to AEPM, an chologies magazine in countries where independent press circulation/distribution auditing company, HFM has a publishing subsidiary. HFM HFM the magazine’s 22% increase in readers in one year is the will be responsible for publishing and relaunches Ohla! strongest of any such publication, while its advertising managing new titles, while Psy- Since last January, as part of a revenues soared 42% in 2002. The success of Psychologies chologies magazine will train editorial joint-venture set up for the purpose, HFM and Spanish magazine in France suggests that its formula could also be a staff, oversee the quality of content, publisher HOLA SA have been winner in many other countries where HFM has a solid and provide access to its databank of working together to enhance foothold. articles and subjects. the editorial contents of the magazine Hola! The editorial focus has been geared more towards investigative documentary, by developing Appetizing principally the Celebrity, Cultural and Women’s th aspects.