SCA Year-end Report 2002

Year-end report 1 January-31 December 2002 02:4 02:32 02:2 02:1 0212 2) 0112 Earnings per share, SEK¹ 6.33 6.27 6.05 5.89 24.54 24.05 Cash flow from current 9.19 11.74 9.36 6.83 37.12 48.38 operations per share, SEK¹ Net sales, SEK M 22,429 22,247 22,355 21,015 88,046 82,380 Earnings after financial 2,053 2,032 2,026 1,967 8,078 8,090 items, SEK M Net earnings, SEK M 1,468 1,456 1,404 1,365 5,693 5,587 Dividend per share, SEK 9.60 3) 8.75 1) Adjusted historically to reflect new issue of 1.8 million shares in 2001 for stock option program (see page 10). 2) Including the non-recurring effect of the sale of Zewathener, SEK 88 M. 3) Board proposal. Dividend *The Board proposes dividend of SEK 9.60 per share, an increase of 10%. Average dividend growth during the most recent five-year period, accordingly, amounts to 12% annually. 2002 compared with 2001 * Despite sharply weaker economic conditions in Europe and North America, earnings per share increased to SEK 24.54 (24.05). * Acquisitions and volume growth increased sales by 12%; the net effect was limited to 7% due to price and currency effects. * Operating profit for the Group's largest business area, Hygiene Products, improved by 23%. The operating margin rose to 12%. Compared with third quarter of 2002 * Earnings per share amounted to SEK 6.33 (6.27). * Consolidated operating profit, excluding capital gains, increased by 5%. A certain decline, 4%, in operating profit for Hygiene Products was offset by increases in Packaging and Forest Products. For further information, please contact: Jan Åström, President and CEO. Phone: +46 70 586 0701. Peter Nyquist, Senior Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations, Phone: +46 8 788 52 34 ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/01/30/20030130BIT00560/wkr0001.doc The full report http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/01/30/20030130BIT00560/wkr0002.pdf The full report