Another year of good results at the Stalexport Autostrady Capital Group

The year 2018 ended with an increase in both revenue from sales and net profit for the Stalexport Autostrady Capital Group. Major events of the last year included the payment of dividend to the shareholders of Stalexport Autostrady S.A., the repayment by Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska of concession payments to the National Road Fund, and the continuation of the programme consisting in the modernisation and development of the A4 Katowice-Kraków motorway infrastructure.

In 2018, revenue generated by the Stalexport Autostrady Capital Group reached the level of PLN 336.5 million and was approximately 9.5 percent higher than in 2017. Net profit grew by 17.4 percent and totalled PLN 186.4 million. EBIDTA of the Capital Group amounted to approx. PLN 270.9 million.

The main driver behind the growth of revenue was the growing traffic intensity on the A4 Katowice-Kraków motorway - in 2018, it grew by 5.2 percent, i.e. to the level of 45.3 thousand vehicles per day.

The better financial result of the Stalexport Autostrady Capital Group was also the result of lower cost of sales by PLN 18.3 million, which in turn was possible to achieve due to the release of the provision for surface replacement and lower PLN 10.5 million lower net financial costs due to lower level of total liabilities.

The dividend received by Stalexport Autostrady S.A. in 2017 and net profit achieved made it possible to pay a dividend to the shareholders of Stalexport Autostrady S.A. in May 2018, in the amount of PLN 0.29 per share. A total of PLN 71.7 million was allocated for this purpose from the Company’s profit for 2017.

In 2018, Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska, a company forming part of the Capital Group, repaid the concession payments to the National Road Fund, which constituted a refund of the loan taken out by the State Treasury with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for the renovation of the motorway, which was completed before the concession for the A4 Katowice-Kraków motorway was granted. This made it possible to pay an advance towards the dividend expected at the end of the financial year 2018, in the amount of PLN 10,908,000, to the sole shareholder of Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska, i.e. Stalexport Autoroute S.à r.l.

The concessionaire of the A4 Katowice-Kraków motorway continued the programme consisting in the modernisation and development of motorway infrastructure in 2018, including by investing in the A4Go electronic toll collection. Since this method of toll collection was launched until the end of 2018, approximately 30,000 on-board units have been issued.

A4Go users drive through toll plazas at a much faster rate than those using other payment methods, inter alia due to a dedicated gate.

Investment outlays of the Stalexport Autostrady S.A. Capital Group amounted to over
PLN 31 million in the previous year. Investments were implemented primarily in the area of environmental protection: additional acoustic screens were erected and the motorway drainage system was modernised. The replacement of motorway road surface was completed as part of maintenance work, the cost of which in 2018 amounted to over PLN 10.1 million. The renovation of one of the bridge structures in Małopolskie Voivodeship was also underway.

As regards the results achieved by Stalexport Autostrady S.A., which performs the supervisory function in the Capital Group, in 2018 its sales revenue generated primarily by office space rental services amounted to approximately PLN 3.7 million.

Net profit dropped from PLN 73.2 million in 2017 to PLN 4.4 million due to lower financial income of the Company, which in 2018 - due to the concession payment - did not receive a dividend from its subsidiary, Stalexport Autoroute S.à r.l., as it also did not receive a dividend from Stalexport Małopolska S.A.

Emil Wąsacz, CEO of the Management Board of Stalexport Autostrady S.A. Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A.:

In 2019, we will continue to develop motorway infrastructure on the section under the Group’s management. Our plans include launching the so-called videotolling, i.e. a service that allows to collect the toll from the customer’s bank card assigned to the vehicle’s licence plate, which is read by a camera on the motorway tollgate.

We will continue to renovate bridge structures and modernise motorway drainage. For this year, we also plan to replace IT system infrastructure equipment at toll plazas. The most important maintenance undertakings envisioned for the years 2019-2020 include the replacement of road surface on a 42.4 km section of the motorway.

As has become customary, we wish to emphasize our interest in the inclusion of the A4 motorway section under out management into the national toll collection system. Our position on this matter has not changed for many years. We want for Polish drivers to be able to use electronic toll collection on all toll road sections using a single on-board unit.

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Stalexport Autostrady S.A. plays a leading role in the Capital Group focusing its activity on modernising and expanding motorway infrastructure. The company, as the first one in the country, received a concession to implement a pioneer project consisting in the exploitation, modification and adaptation of the A4 Katowice-Kraków motorway to the requirements of a toll motorway. The pillars of the Group are: Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A., a concessionaire of the A4 motorway between Katowice and Kraków, and VIA4 S.A. - operator of the said section. The long-standing experience of Stalexport Autostrady S.A. and its strategic investor - Atlantia S.p.A. - allows the Company to offer the highest standard of services on the motorway market in Poland as well as in Central and Eastern Europe. Stalexport Autostrady S.A., as a co-owner of an office building in Katowice city centre and a company managing that property - Biuro Centrum Sp. z o.o., also conducts activity connected with the rental of office and parking spaces.

For additional information please contact:

 Marta Dobrzańska

Press Office of Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A.

e-mail:

Phone: +48 609 808 120