Claesson & Anderzén AB has published its annual report for 2019. The annual report can be downloaded from the website: www.claessonanderzen.com.

Rental income amounted to SEK 626 M (587) during 2019 and the operating surplus of the property management amounted to SEK 392 M (360). The Group’s total management volume increased during the year and the increase was mainly concentrated to the Stockholm region. The occupancy rate at the end of the year was 94 % (93).

Only one property sale was completed in 2019, the sale of a commercial property in Jönköping. Profit from property sales amounted to SEK 283 M (265). The department of construction has had an increased focus on construction projects intended for own management. The result from external projects in 2019 amounted to SEK 13 M (50).

The agricultural operations’ earnings in 2019 amounted to SEK 1 M (115). The decline in earnings is due to negative weather conditions and a great strengthening of the Ukrainian currency during the later part of the year. Weather conditions, mainly in the form of unfavorable rainfall, has had a negative impact on growth and the volume produced has thus decreased. The sale of grain is mainly priced in USD and the stronger domestic currency has meant that the revenue in local currency, which is mostly realized at the end of the year, has decreased as a result of the domestic currency appreciation.

The Group’s net financial income improved significantly in 2019 compared with the previous year. Net financial items in 2019 amounted to SEK -58 M (-308). Net financial items include the Group’s holdings in Catella AB (publ), which is reported as an associated company. At the end of 2019, the Group’s average loan interest rate was 2.30 % (2.75).

Consolidated profit after tax in 2019 amounted to SEK 359 M (263). The equity/assets ratio, not taking into account market values, was 41 % (42) at the end of 2019. The total value of the Group’s property portfolio is assessed at the closing rate, based on external valuations amounting to SEK 12.9 billion (11.6, not external valuation). Adjusted equity/assets ratio is thus 61 % (66).

The Group is well prepared for the future with strong cash flows, a low loan-to-value ratio and a well-differentiated project portfolio.

Catella AB (publ) communicated via a press release on October 2, 2019 that, through its associated company Nordic Seeding GmbH, the Company has signed an agreement with the German property developer CG Gruppe AG to divest the Grand Central property development project in Düsseldorf, Germany. The transaction has a total positive effect on the profit after tax of approximately SEK 170 M, which is expected to be reported during the first quarter of 2020. The transaction was previously communicated to be reported during the fourth quarter of 2019. The transaction and value for Catella are unchanged compared to previous communications.
The reason for the shift in the accounting period is that the shares in the project were not transferred to the buyer as of December last 2019, which means, in accordance with IFRS, that the transaction cannot be reported during the fourth quarter 2019.

For more information, please contact:
Knut Pedersen
CEO and President
+46 8 463 33 10
knut.pedersen@catella.se
Niklas Bommelin
Investor Relations
+46 76 891 12 40
niklas.bommelin@catella.se

About Catella: Catella is a leading specialist in property investments and fund management, with operations in 15 countries. The group has assets under management of approximately SEK 180 billion. Catella is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm in the Mid Cap segment. Read more online at catella.com.

Catella AB’s (publ) Chief Financial Officer (CFO) has announced that he resigns from his employment. He will continue in his current role during the notice period of six months to ensure an orderly transition until a new CFO takes office.
Marcus Holmstrand has been CFO of Catella since September 2015 and previously worked as Group Business Controller since 2011.
“During his time at Catella, Marcus Holmstrand has been very important to the company’s strong development. Marcus has contributed as CFO but has also taken on a broader responsibility in his role as a member of Group Management. After eight years at Catella, I understand that Marcus wants to look for new challenges outside of the company. I want to thank him for this time and wish him all the best with future challenges,” says CEO Knut Pedersen.
Three weeks ago, it was announced that CEO Knut Pedersen will leave Catella in conjunction with the Annual General Meeting in May 2020.
“Catella is now facing two important recruits where one, to the role of new CEO, has already begun and where we will immediately begin the recruitment of new CFO. My ambition is for the transition to take place as smoothly as possible, which we can ensure by the fact that both the current CEO and CFO continue to work well into 2020. I would like to thank both Marcus and Knut for their many important contributions to Catella’s development. Now we have the opportunity to recruit a new strong team that can continue the Catella growth journey.” says Catella’s Chairman Johan Claesson.

For more information, please contact:
Johan Claesson
Chairman of the Board
+46 70 547 16 36

Knut Pedersen                            Jonas Burvall
President and CEO                    Head of Group Communications
+46 8 463 33 10                        +46 766 27 97 55
knut.pedersen@catella.se        jonas.burvall@catella.se

This is information that Catella AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 13.00 p.m. CET on December 17, 2019.
Catella is a leading specialist in property investments and fund management, with operations in 15 countries. The group has assets under management of approximately SEK 185 billion. Catella is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm in the Mid Cap segment. Read more online at catella.com.

As part of the company’s development Grain Alliance will increase it’s grain storage facilities and upgrade agricultural machinery fleet. Less energy consuming technology for machinery and biomass residuals fired heat generators for the grain dryers will help to continue environment friendly sustainable development of Grain Alliance.

“We are proud, that our aim to decrease greenhouse gases into the atmosphere while increasing productivity of own production got support from EBRD and Taiwan CDF. This 7 yrs loan also shows the appreciation of us being long-term investor with sustainable focus into Ukrainian agriculture” – said Johan Damne, the chairman of the board of Grain Alliance AB

”This investment will allow us to produce and dry more grains with smaller footprint. Additional storage and new dryers with heat generators will allow us to dry additional 170 thsd tones of grains during the season. We can see that the investment will bring benefits to our regional clusters as well as to local communities.” – added Evgeniy Radovenyuk, CEO of Grain Alliance AB.

Arise AB (publ) (”Arise”) has today entered into an agreement with funds managed by Foresight Group LLP (”Foresight”), a UK based leading independent infrastructure and private equity investment manager, for the sale of the 231 MW wind farm Skaftåsen (the ”Project”). Closing of the transaction will occur today.