Good performance in Pulp, Energy and Label, savings programme proceeds in Paper

UPM-Kymmene Corporation            Interim Report        25 April 2013 9.35 EET

Q1/2013 compared with Q1/2012

• Earnings per share excluding special items were EUR 0.18 (0.22), and reported EUR 0.09 (0.23)
• Operating profit excluding special items was EUR 144 million, 5.8 % of sales (156 million, 6.0%)
• EBITDA was EUR 284 million, 11.5% of sales (357 million, 13.7% of sales)
• Good performance in Pulp, Energy, and Label
• Hard work in Paper continues, EUR 90 million savings programme proceeds as planned

1. Note: 2012 figures are restated per new and revised IFRS standards.
2. EBITDA is operating profit before depreciation, amortisation and impairment charges, excluding the change in value of biological assets, excluding the share of results of associated companies and joint ventures, and special items.

CEO Jussi Pesonen comments on the first quarter of 2013:

”The first quarter was well in line with our expectations: steady and positive in our growth businesses, hard work and continuing challenges in Paper. Our operating profit excluding special items, at EUR 144 million, materialised close to the comparison periods (156 million in Q1 2012, 146 million in Q4 2012). The operating cash flow was EUR 103 million, which was impacted by a seasonal increase in working capital.

The financial result was clearly underpinned by the continued good performance of Pulp, Energy, and Label. Our Pulp was back to normal performance and Energy hedging continued to be successful.

The performance of Plywood and Timber also improved thanks to improved cost efficiency and revised commercial strategies.

In Paper, however, the market developments were as challenging as we anticipated. The profitability of European paper business was negatively impacted by three factors: publication paper prices, adverse currency development and delivery volumes compared to the latter half of 2012.

Measures taken in 2012 resulted in EUR 30 million lower fixed costs in the first quarter of 2013 compared to last year.

The market realities are currently tough and these savings were not sufficient to offset the market impact in Paper. Therefore, we will go ahead with the restructuring and streamlining plans that we announced in January to achieve EUR 90 million annual fixed cost savings. We are permanently closing two magazine paper machines in April, one in Rauma, Finland, and one in Ettringen, Germany. The sale of the Docelles paper mill, the Pestovo sawmill and the Aigrefeuille further processing mill is also ongoing, as is the streamlining of our functions.

Economic pressure has led - and we believe will continue to lead - to structural changes that will be important for the whole industry,” said Pesonen.

Outlook for 2013 unchanged

Economic growth in Europe is expected to remain very low in the early part of 2013. This is having a negative impact on the European graphic paper markets in particular. The hydrological situation in the Nordic countries has normalised and the forward electricity prices for 2013 are on about the same level as the realised market prices in 2012. Growth market economies are expected to fare better, which is supportive for the global pulp and label materials markets as well as paper markets in Asia and wood products markets outside Europe.

In H1 2013, UPM’s performance will be underpinned by continued stable overall outlook for growth businesses such as Energy, Pulp and Label, as compared to H2 2012. However, slightly lower publication paper prices, adverse currency development and lower delivery volumes are having a clear negative impact on the European paper business profitability, as compared with H2 2012. UPM’s cost level is expected to be stable.

Conference call and press conference

UPM's President and CEO Jussi Pesonen will present the results in a conference call and a webcast for analysts and investors (in English) on 25 April 2013 at 13:15 EET.

Later in the afternoon, UPM's President and CEO Jussi Pesonen will present the results in a press conference (in Finnish) at the UPM Group Head Office in Helsinki (main entrance, Eteläesplanadi 2) on 25 April 2013 at 14:30 EET.

Conference call details:

The conference call can be participated in either by dialing a number in the list below or following the webcast online at www.upm.com or through http://qsb.webcast.fi/u/upm/upm_2013_0425_q1/

Only participants who wish to ask questions in the conference call need to dial in. All participants can view the webcast presentation online.

The presentation is available at www.upm.com for 12 months after the call.

We recommend that participants start dialing in 5-10 minutes prior to ensure a timely start of the conference.

Conference call title: UPM Interim Report January-March 2013
Conference ID: 931258

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It should be noted that certain statements herein, which are not historical facts, including, without limitation, those regarding expectations for market growth and developments; expectations for growth and profitability; and statements preceded by “believes”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “foresees”, or similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. Since these statements are based on current plans, estimates and projections, they involve risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to materially differ from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (1) operating factors such as continued success of manufacturing activities and the achievement of efficiencies therein including the availability and cost of production inputs, continued success of product development, acceptance of new products or services by the Group’s targeted customers, success of the existing and future collaboration arrangements, changes in business strategy or development plans or targets, changes in the degree of protection created by the Group’s patents and other intellectual property rights, the availability of capital on acceptable terms; (2) industry conditions, such as strength of product demand, intensity of competition, prevailing and future global market prices for the Group’s products and the pricing pressures thereto, financial condition of the customers and the competitors of the Group, the potential introduction of competing products and technologies by competitors; and (3) general economic conditions, such as rates of economic growth in the Group’s principal geographic markets or fluctuations in exchange and interest rates. For more detailed information about risk factors, see pages 74–75 of the company’s annual report 2012.

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UPM-Kymmene Corporation
Pirkko Harrela
Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications

UPM News Desk
Mon-Fri 9.00-16.00 EET
Phone: +358 40 5883284
E-mail: communications@upm.com

UPM leads the integration of bio and forest industries into a new, sustainable and innovation-driven future. Our products are made of renewable raw materials and are recyclable. UPM consists of three Business Groups: Energy and pulp, Paper, and Engineered materials. The Group employs around 22,000 people. We are present in 67 countries and have production units in 17 countries. UPM's annual sales exceed EUR 10 billion. UPM's shares are listed on the Helsinki stock exchange. UPM – The Biofore Company – www.upm.com