Metsä Board’s 4Q 2017 sales amounted to Euro 451.3 million, compared to Euro 478.6 million in 4Q 2016. Sales decreased due to the delivery volumes of paperboard and market pulp, which were lower than in the previous quarter, as the company said in the press release received by Lesprom Network.
The operating result was Euro 54.4 million, and the comparable operating result was Euro 54.4 million. There were no items affecting comparability during the review period. Items affecting comparability during the comparison period consisted of the recognition of translation differences accumulated by the subsidiaries dissolved in the United Kingdom.
Metsä Board’s FY 2017 sales amounted to Euro 1,848.6 million, compared to Euro 1,720.3 million in 2016. Sales increased due to the increased delivery volumes of paperboards and market pulp as well as higher pulp prices.
The operating result was Euro 207.1 million, and the comparable operating result was Euro 193.5 million.
Metsä Board’s CEO Mika Joukio said: “The average prices of our paperboards rose during the 4Q 2017. Due to the seasonal decline in December, the delivery volumes of paperboards remained at a lower level than in the previous quarter. We also continued measures to improve the geographical sales mix of folding boxboard. Due to the strong pulp market, we raised the previously announced result guidance for the 4Q.
Year 2017 was Metsä Board’s first full year as a pure-play paperboard company. It was also a year of strong growth – our paperboard deliveries grew by 15% from the previous year and amounted to approximately 1.8 million tonnes. Five of our eight production units set new annual production records.”
Metsä Board is a leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards including folding boxboards, food service boards and white kraftliners.
