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Kesko will publish its Q1/2024 interim report on Thursday, 25 April 2024, at around 8.00 am Finnish time. An English audiocast/teleconference for investors and analysts will be held at 9.00 am Finnish time.

Below is a recap of key events and news for the quarter. 

NEWS, FINANCIALS AND SHARES

• Jorma Rauhala took over as Kesko’s new President and CEO on 1 February 2024.

• Sami Kiiski was appointed as the new President of Kesko’s building and technical trade division as of 1 April 2024. Kiiski is currently the President of Kesko’s car trade division – Johanna Ali will assume the role of acting President of that division on 1 April, also joining the Group Management Board. (release)

• Kesko’s CFO Jukka Erlund announced he would be leaving the company to join another employer. Erlund will exit the company by August at the latest. (release)

• Kesko’s Annual General Meeting was held on 26 March. The AGM resolved to distribute dividends of €1.02 per share for 2023, to be paid in four instalments, and elected grocery retailer Pauli Jaakola as a new member of the Board of Directors. The Annual General Meeting was in favour of all proposals submitted by the Shareholders’ Nomination Committee and the Board of Directors. (release) 

• Kesko’s 2023 Annual Report – comprising a strategy and business review section, a sustainability section, financial statements and Review by the Board of Directors, a Corporate Governance Statement and Remuneration Report, and a data balance sheet section, was published on 1 March. (report)

• Shares: Share-based commitment and incentive plans for Kesko’s management and key employees (new plan and realisation of old plans 30 Jan. and 8 Feb.), and changes in the holding of Kesko’s treasury shares (releases 15 March and 20 March).
  
  

SALES DEVELOPMENT

• Kesko's sales in January. (release)

• Kesko's sales in February. (release)

Sales figures for March will be released in mid-April.

DIGITALISATION AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

• Kesko’s Data Balance Sheet report for 2023 was published as part of Kesko’s Annual Report. The report details how Kesko utilises data and digitalisation to gain a competitive advantage, with focus on new digital services, infrastructure renewals, analytics and AI capabilities, and robotics. (report)

• Kesko’s K-Hyvinvointi service, which utilises the customer’s grocery purchase data and AI to offer suggestions on healthier choices, received the GrandOne award in the ’Best use of data’ category. (more on the service) 
  
  

SUSTAINABILITY

• Kesko was ranked the best company in its sector on the 2024 ‘Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World’ listing by Corporate Knights. Overall, Kesko ranked 29th on the list, making a significant leap upward. Kesko is the only company in the world to have made the list every year since its inception in 2005. (release)

• Kesko published an extensive Sustainability report as part of its 2023 Annual Report. Kesko is currently in the process of preparing for the shift in sustainability reporting brought on by the introduction of the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. Kesko will be reporting under the CSRD framework from 2024 onwards. (report)
  
  

GROCERY TRADE

• Kesko continues investments in its grocery store network by opening new K-Citymarket hypermarket stores in Kuopio and in Lempäälä near Tampere. (release)

• Kesko also acquired two store site properties where it has previously been the main tentant. (release)

• Kesko announced plans to withdraw from operating the Neste K service stations by the end of the year, as the role of grocery sales at the stations has diminished in recent years. The net sales for Kesko’s grocery trade division totalled €6,125 million in 2022, of which the 64 Neste K service stations accounted for €56 million. (release)
  
  

BUILDING AND TECHNICAL TRADE
 

• Kesko completed the acquisition of Davidsen Koncernen A/S, the third biggest operator in the Danish building materials market, at the end of January 2024. Davidsen’s figures will be consolidated into Kesko’s reporting as of 1 February 2024. (release)
  
  

CAR TRADE

• Used car sales growing, K-Auto to introduce many new all-electric models in 2024. Although the car trade market is expected to remain challenging in Finland in 2024, there are also positives for K-Auto. Used car sales continue to grow, and the service business is on a solid foundation. In the new car business, models coming out in Finland this year will include the all-electric Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer, Audi Q6 e-tron, CUPRA Tavascan and Porsche Macan, as well as an updated range of rechargeable hybrids. (release in Finnish)

All Kesko divisions generated good results in 2023. Our net sales for the year totalled €11,783.8 million, and our comparable operating profit €712.0 million. Our strong profitability shows that Kesko’s growth strategy and its successful execution in all three divisions have managed to yield results also in a more challenging operating environment. Our good ability to generate profits and our strong financial position enable investments in growth and also good dividend capacity. Kesko’s Board of Directors proposes to the Annual General Meeting that a dividend of €1.02 per share, in total nearly €406 million, be paid in four instalments.

In the grocery trade division, sales grew in both the grocery store business and the foodservice business. The good performance was based on our strong position in all areas of Finnish food trade. Kespro’s performance in 2023 was particularly strong. Improved purchasing power and slowing inflation have begun to have a positive impact on the market. Demand for premium products recovered in the second year-half. Campaigns and other marketing efforts strengthened our customer flows and sales. Tight price competition continued in Finnish grocery trade. Net sales for the division totalled € 6,351.6 million, up by 3.7%, and the comparable operating profit amounted to €444.8 million.

In the building and technical trade division, profitability remained good even though it declined year-on-year as construction activity and cycle weakened. Construction activity declined in all our operating countries due to inflation and rising interest rates. In the longer term, however, the outlook for building and technical trade is positive. Urbanisation, repair and infrastructure investment debt, infrastructure projects and the green transition sustain construction across cycles. We continued the determined execution of our growth strategy also in 2023, for example, by acquiring Elektroskandia in Norway and agreeing to acquire Davidsen, one of Denmark’s leading building and home improvement operators, thus expanding our operations to Denmark. The division’s net sales totalled €4,193.2 million, down by 8.7%, and its comparable operating profit amounted to €212.5 million.

In the car trade division, new car sales and the transformation of our operations have led to markedly improved profitability. Sales grew in all car trade business areas. New car deliveries grew clearly on the comparison period, and sales of used cars and services also increased markedly. Kesko’s car trade division today is a leading operator in the electrification of transport in Finland. The division’s net sales totalled €1,262.3 million, up by 13.9% in comparable terms, while the comparable operating profit totalled €82.6 million.

Kesko today is an efficient, profitable trading sector operator. Our good success acts as strong proof of the effectiveness of our strategy, which yields results also in a changing operating environment. Throughout the history of Kesko and K Group, our strength has been our ability to quickly adapt to our surroundings as necessary. A key objective for a listed company is to generate value for its shareholders. Over the past ten years,  shareholder return – including the dividend suggested to be paid for 2023 – is approximately €8.3 billion. At the same time, we have paid total performance bonuses of some €308 million to our personnel.

I have had the privilege of leading Kesko for over nine years. My successor Jorma Rauhala will be heading a strong and modern international trading sector company that is set to continue to grow profitably also in years and decades to come. Kesko’s success has been built together. As I retire, I want to express my gratitude to all our customers, shareholders, the people of K Group, and our partners for their trust and collaboration over these past nine years.

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE IN BRIEF - Q4: 

• Group net sales in October-December totalled €2,902.0 million (€2,983.4 million); reported net sales were down by 2.7%, or by 3.7% in comparable terms

• Comparable operating profit totalled €170.5 million (€192.6 million)

• Operating profit totalled €159.8 million (€191.2 million)

• Cash flow from operating activities totalled €342.4 million (€263.0 million)

• Comparable earnings per share €0.31 (€0.36); reported earnings per share €0.28 (€0.36

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE IN BRIEF - FULL-YEAR  2023: 

• Group net sales in January-December totalled €11,783.8 million (€11,809.0 million); reported net sales were flat year-on-year, while in comparable terms net sales decreased by 0.8%

• Comparable operating profit totalled €712.0 million (€815.1 million)

• Operating profit totalled €695.4 million (€816.5 million)

• Cash flow from operating activities totalled €1,049.5 million (€915.2 million)

• Comparable earnings per share €1.28 (€1.54); reported earnings per share €1.25 (€1.53
  
  

See Kesko's 2023 financial statements release materials