January - December
\n- Sales increased 16% to SEK 1,741.5 (1,504.1) m
\n- Operating profit amounted to SEK 103.6 (-64.3) m; operating margin was 5.9% (-4.3%)
\n- Profit after tax was SEK 68.6 (-55.7) m or SEK 7.13 (-5.78) per share
\n- Cash flow was SEK 24.8 (-9.7) m
\n- NOTE begins initiative on Norwegian market
\n- Board of Directors proposes dividend of SEK 2.25 (0.50) per share<\/p>\n
Fourth quarter
\n- Sales increased 14% to SEK 488.5 (428.2) m
\n- Operating profit rose 44% to SEK 33.8 (23.4) m
\n- Operating margins amounted to 6.9% (5.5%)
\n- Cash flow was SEK 41.4 (23.5) m
\n- Decision on new premises for NOTE Norrtelje
\n- Decision on new financial objectives<\/p>\n
New financial objectives
\n- Growth objective: NOTE will increase market shares, mainly through organic growth.
\n- Profitability objective: NOTE will grow profitably. NOTE's profitability objective over a business cycle is expressed as return on equity after tax of over 25%.
\n- Capital structure objective: The equity ratio will be in the 25-35% interval.
\n- Dividend objective: Dividends will be adapted to the average profit level over a business cycle, and for the long term, be 30-50% of profit after tax. Dividends will also be an option for modifying NOTE's capital structure.<\/p>\n
NOTE's Year-end report for January-December 2006 is now both available in PDF format at NOTE's website, www.note.se, and attached to this message.<\/p>\n
The Interim Report for January-March 2007 will be published on 25 April 2007.<\/p>\n
For further information, please contact:
\nHenrik Nygren, CFO, phone, +46 8 568 990 03, +46 709-77 06 86
\nAnnelie Wirdefeldt, Director of IR\/IS, phone, +46 8 568 990 01, +46 76-815 99 99<\/p>\n