UBISOFT® REPORTS FIRST-HALF 2012-13 SALES AND EARNINGS FIGURES
- First-half sales outstrip targets, coming in at €279 million § Current operating loss1: €58 million
- Net loss excluding non-recurring items1: €38 million
§ Revision of targets for full-year 2012-13
Paris, November 6, 2012 – Today, Ubisoft released its sales and earnings figures for the six months ended September 30, 2012.
Key financial data
| In € millions | H1 2012-13 | % | H1 2011-12 | % |
| Sales | 279.2 | 100% | 248.5 | 100% |
| Gross profit | 192.7 | 69.0% | 158.4 | 63.7% |
| R&D expenses | (96.8) | -34.7% | (86.7) | -34.9% |
| Selling expenses | (116.8) | -41.8% | (87.7) | -35.3% |
| General and administrative expenses | (37.2) | -13.3% | (33.2) | -13.4% |
| Total SG&A expenses | (154.0) | -55.2% | (121.0) | -48.7% |
| Current operating income/(loss)1 | (58.1) | -20.8% | (49.3) | -19.9% |
| Operating income/(loss) | (60.2) | -21.6% | (54.8) | -22.1% |
| Profit/(loss) for the period | (32.3) | -11.6% | (37.1) | -14.9% |
| Diluted earnings/(loss) per share (in €) | (0.34) | (0.39) | ||
| Diluted earnings/(loss) per share before non-recurring items1 (in €) | (0.40) | (0.33) | ||
| Cash flows from operating activities | (244.9) | (178.1) | ||
| R & D investment expenditure* | 218.5 | 205.0 | ||
| Net cash/(debt) | (152.5) | (101.4) | ||
| * Including royalties but excluding future commitments. |
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Yves Guillemot, Chief Executive Officer, stated “First-half sales were buoyed by the performance of Ghost Recon Future Soldier and the digital segment, as well as by the initial sell-in of Just Dance 4. This fed a strong increase in gross profit, which was up for the third year in a row. As expected, our marketing spends on major titles scheduled for release in the third fiscal quarter significantly pushed up selling expenses and led to a higher current operating loss. However, those large-scale marketing campaigns for Assassin’s Creed 3 and Far Cry 3 should pave the way for an exceptional year-end, with a significant increase in both sales and profitability.”
Sales
Sales for the first half of 2012-13 came to €279 million, up 12.1% (4.4% at constant exchange rates) compared with the €249 million recorded for the first half of 2011-12.
Second-quarter sales totaled €148 million versus €146 million in the same period of 2011-12, representing an increase of 1.4% (or a 4.8% decrease at constant exchange rates).
Sales in the second quarter of 2012-13 were higher than the guidance of around €110 million issued when Ubisoft released its sales figures for the first quarter of the fiscal year. Of this increase:
- Around half was attributable to the performance of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier™ and back-catalog sales as well as our online revenues, with the online segment reporting a 59% jump to €28 million.
- Around half derived from the initial sell-in of Just Dance® 4.
Back-catalog sales contracted 9% to €97.5 million for the first half of 2012-13 overall, representing a marked improvement on the 41% decline experienced in the first quarter.
Main income statement items
Gross profit totaled €192.7 million (representing 69.0% of sales), up significantly on the €158.4 million gross profit figure (63.7% of sales) recorded for the first half of 2011-12. This increase – which gave a further boost to the steady rise in gross profit reported since fiscal 2010-11 – was fueled by the high average selling price for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier™, as well as the sharp rise in online sales, which have very high margins, and the growth of initial sell-in of Just Dance® 4.
Ubisoft ended the first half of 2012-13 with a €58.1 million current operating loss before stock-based compensation, versus a €49.3 million loss in first-half 2011-12.
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The first-half 2012-13 current operating loss1 figure reflects the following combined factors:
- A €34.3 million increase in gross profit.
- A €10.1 million increase in R&D expenses to €96.8 million from €86.7 million in firsthalf 2011-12, although these remained stable as a percentage of sales (34.7% compared with 34.9%).
- A €33.0 million increase in total SG&A expenses to €154.0 million (55.2% of sales), from €121.0 million (48.7% of sales) in first-half 2011-12. Selling expenses reached €116.8 million (41.8% of sales) compared with €87.7 million (35.3%) in first-half 2011-12. General and administrative expenses reached €37.2 million (13.3%) compared with €33.2 million (13.4% of sales).
− Variable marketing expenses represented 29.8% of sales (€83.2 million) compared with 24.9% (€61.8 million) in the first six months of 2011-12, an increase that was mainly attributable to the marketing spend in Q2 for games scheduled for release in the third quarter and, to a lesser extent, for online titles.
− Structure costs corresponded to 25.3% of sales (€70.8 million) versus 23.8% (€59.1 million) in first-half 2011-12. This year-on-year increase was primarily due to (i) the development of our online and IT activities, and (ii) changes in exchange rates.
Ubisoft recorded an operating loss of €60.2 million in the first six months of 2012-13 – including €2.1 million in stock-based compensation – compared with a €54.8 million operating loss in the same period of 2011-12, which included €5.5 million in stock-based compensation.
Net financial income came to €5.1 million (versus net financial expense of €1.7 million in first-half 2011-12) and primarily breaks down as follows:
- €2.1 million in financial charges against €1.1 million in first-half 2011-12.
- A €7.2 million positive impact from the sale of 2.2 million Gameloft shares. At September 30, 2012, 1.0 million Gameloft shares were still on the balance sheet.
Ubisoft ended the first six months of 2012-13 with a €32.3 million net loss, representing a diluted loss per share of €0.34, versus a net loss of €37.1 million and a diluted loss per share of €0.39 in the first half of 2011-12.
Excluding non-recurring items and before stock-based compensation, the net loss would have amounted to €38.1 million, representing a diluted loss per share of €0.40, versus a net loss of €31.5 million and a diluted loss per share of €0.33 for the first six months of 2011-12.
Main cash flow statement and balance sheet items (unaudited)
Cash flows from operating activities came to a negative €244.9 million compared with a negative €178.1 million in first-half 2011-12. This reflects a negative €146.4 million in cash flow from operations (versus a negative €142.7 million in the same period of 2011-12) and a €98.4 million increase in working capital requirement (against a €35.4 million increase in first-half 2011-12).
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At September 30, 2012 Ubisoft had net debt of €152.5 million, compared with net debt of €101.4 million one year earlier. The swing from a net cash position of €84.6 million on March 31, 2012 was primarily attributable to:
- The above-mentioned €244.9 million net cash outflow from operating activities.
- €10.9 million in purchases of tangible and intangible assets.
- €10.7 million from sales of Gameloft shares.
- A €7.5 million positive currency effect.
Outlook
Full-year 2012-13
Yves Guillemot stated, “Following on from the steady advances we have made over the last 24 months, the Company expects to achieve a record second-half performance. First-week sell-through sales for Assassin’s Creed 3 are estimated at over 3.5 million units, representing a year-on-year increase of more than 100%, Just Dance 4 is performing in line with our expectations and Far Cry 3 has achieved among the best playtest scores in Ubisoft’s history, confirming the game’s outstanding quality. With flagship titles such as ZombiU and Rayman Legends, Ubisoft is also well-positioned to reap the benefits of what is expected to be a very strong launch for WiiU. Lastly, our positive momentum looks set to be further buoyed by the trends in the online and digital segments. In view of all these factors, we are revising upwards our full-year sales target as well as the higher end of our guidance range for current operating income.”
“From a longer-term perspective, WiiU’s progression and the arrival of the next generation of consoles, combined with the strong momentum in the Free-to-Play model for PC, mobile and tablet games, will enable us to capitalize on the investments we have made in recent years. These developments will cement Ubisoft’s positioning as a creator of successful brands with growing expertise in new online models and services.”
The Company is revising upwards its full-year 2012-13 target for sales, which are now expected to come in at between €1,200 million and €1,260 million, compared with the previously announced target of between €1,160 million and €1,200 million. It is also raising the higher end of its guidance range for current operating income1, which is now expected to amount to between €70 million and €100 million, versus the previous range of between €70 million and €90 million.
Sales for the third quarter of 2012-13
The third quarter will see the following releases:
- Assassin’s Creed® III for Xbox 360®, PLAYSTATION® 3, Wii U™ and PC,
- Just Dance® 4 for Wii™, Wii U™, Xbox 360® and PLAYSTATION® 3,
- Far Cry® 3 for Xbox 360®, PLAYSTATION® 3 and PC,
- 7 titles for the launch of the Wii U™
- 7 online and digital titles
Ubisoft expects third-quarter 2012-13 sales to amount to between €740 million and €800 million, up by 13% to 23% on the third quarter of 2011-12.
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Significant events
Market share: In the first nine months of calendar 2012, Ubisoft was the number 4 independent publisher in the United States with 6.4% market share (compared with number 4 and 6.5% one year earlier) and was number 3 in Europe with 6.9% market share (unchanged from one year earlier).
Ubisoft and New Regency partner on Assassin’s Creed movie: Ubisoft Motion Pictures, the film, and television division of Ubisoft, will develop the Assassin’s Creed movie in close collaboration with New Regency. Ubisoft will maintain control of key elements of the movie’s creative direction in order to ensure that Assassin’s Creed will be a high-quality movie that respects the lore and fans of the video game franchise. The partnership with New Regency follows an agreement signed with the famous actor Michael Fassbender to work on the movie.
Uplay PC launch: In August, Ubisoft launched Uplay PC, an application that serves as a digital distribution platform and central point for PC gamers to connect to Uplay’s community and consumer-centric services. Uplay, Ubisoft’s online services, and distribution platform, now has more than 37 million members.
Contact
Investor relations
Jean-Benoît Roquette
Head of Investor Relations
+ 33 1 48 18 52 39
Jean-benoit.roquette@ubisoft.com
Disclaimer
This statement may contain estimated financial data, information on future projects and transactions, and future business results/performance. Such forward-looking data are provided for estimation purposes only. They are subject to market risks and uncertainties and may vary significantly compared with the actual results that will be published. The estimated financial data have been presented to the Board of Directors and have not been audited by the Statutory Auditors. (Additional information is specified in the most recent Ubisoft Registration Document filed on July 02, 2012 with the French Financial Markets Authority (l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers)).
About Ubisoft:
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 26 countries and has sales in more than 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. For the 2011-12 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,061 million. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com.
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