· Sustained positive progress for the group in the fourth quarter and all-time high full-year profits.
· Net turnover grew by 20 per cent to SEK 735.0 m (615.3).
· Operating profit increased by 28 per cent to SEK 77.2 m (60.1), equivalent to a margin of 10.5 per cent (9.8).
· Profit after tax grew to SEK 91.0 m (41.2), including capital gains of SEK 37.4 m (0.0).
· Earnings per share after tax increased to SEK 14.51 (6.62); excluding the capital gains, earnings per share were SEK 8.49 (6.62).
· The Board of Directors is proposing an ordinary dividend of SEK 3.75 (3.25) per share. The Board is also proposing an extraordinary dividend of SEK 2.00 (0.00) per share.
· Take-over of Mitsubishi Electric's agencies, and start-up in Denmark on 1 January 2007.
Comments from Göran Sigfridsson, our CEO
"Beijer Electronics maintained positive progress in the fourth quarter, despite its profit growth rate being lower due to some non-recurring expenses and negative currency effects. Overall, 2006 was the group's best year yet. I'm very impressed by the efforts of our committed professionals, which after all, is what creates our successes. The tempo in the year was brisk, with events including the Mitsubishi Electric deal, which gives us promising growth opportunities.
The Automation business area enjoyed robust performance in the fourth quarter - its sales were at an all-time high. With the Mitsubishi Electric deal, the acquisition of UTU Powel's operations in Finland and the Baltic states, and our start-up in Denmark, Automation has paved the way for healthy growth in 2007 and 2008.
The performance of the HMI Products business area was convincing in 2006, with sales growing by over 30 per cent and profit by 55 per cent. We continued to win shares on the global market through the year. Our successes are explained by the acquisition of Hitech Electronics in 2005 and our new product range, simultaneous with sales of the previous product generation remaining stable."