Boskalis Sees Profit Fall, Fleet Cuts on Weak Oil Industry
By Toby Sterling
AMSTERDAM, March 9 (Reuters) – Marine building firm Boskalis expects a drop in internet revenue this 12 months as depressed commodity costs hit demand for oil-related infrastructure, it stated on Wednesday.
Its shares fell 10 % to 32.42 euros in early buying and selling.
“Volumes and prices are under pressure, which is also translating into our order book,” Chief Executive Peter Berdowski stated in a press release. “We are tightening up the fleet and the organization, and are alert to respond to the opportunities the market continues to present.”
Boskalis’s order ebook fell to 2.49 billion euros ($2.7 billion) on the finish of 2015 from 3.29 billion in December 2014.
The firm stated it could reply by taking gear out of service in its dredging and offshore power divisions “with the associated implications for staffing levels.”
“In addition, we are taking a critical look at reducing the cost of the global office network,” it stated.
Berdowski instructed reporters jobs misplaced can be within the “dozens, not hundreds.”
He stated tasks resembling decommissioning ageing platforms and constructing infrastructure for offshore windmills continued to be vibrant spots for Boskalis, which he described as a “survivor” of the present downturn, given its low debt and profitability.
“We will see opportunities along the way, when companies are distressed, to profit from that,” he stated.
Also on Wednesday, Boskalis revealed it had raised its stake in marine surveying agency Fugro, constructed regularly over two years, to twenty-eight.6 % from 25.1 %. That’s near the 30 % threshold that may drive it to launch a takeover bid for all shares.
Fugro has repeatedly spurned any strategic cooperation with Boskalis: it says its prospects demand clear separation between Fugro’s surveying work and corporations resembling Boskalis that may probably bid on ensuing building tasks.
Berdowski stated Boskalis “thinks Fugro is a very interesting company with activities that complement our portfolio brilliantly, and we will continue to seek a further and better cooperation.”
Boskalis posted 2015 earnings earlier than curiosity, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of 885 million euros, forward of expectations of 844 million amongst analysts polled for Reuters.
The outperformance was primarily pushed by excessive utilisation charges at its dredging and salvage companies.
($1 = 0.9113 euros) (Editing by Anand Basu and Mark Potter)
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