Quarter   January-June Full year
SEKm 2-10 1-10 2-09 2010 2009 2009
Net turnover 4 227 4 400 4 496 8 628 9 025 18 071
Operating profit 268 320 372 588 787 1 620
Profit after tax 133 178 256 312 501 1 006
Earnings per share, SEK 1.6 2.1 3.0 3.7 6.0 12.0
Return on equity, % 3.2 4.3 6.6 3.8 6.5 6.4
  • Profit after tax for January-June 2010 was SEK 312 million (January-June 2009: SEK 501 million).
  • Earnings per share reached SEK 3.7 (6.0). Return on equity totalled 3.8 per cent (6.5).
  • Operating profit amounted to SEK 588 million (787). Holmen Paper's profit deteriorated considerably as a result of lower newsprint prices. Profitability in the Group's other business areas improved.
  • In the second quarter of 2010 operating profit amounted to SEK 268 million, which was SEK 52 million lower than during the first quarter. The decrease is due to seasonally lower results for Holmen Energi.
  • Demand for newsprint in Europe remained weak in the second quarter. The virgin fibre board market was robust and deliveries from European producers to Europe rose by 11 per cent during the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2009.

For further information please contact:

Magnus Hall, President and CEO, tel. +46 8 666 21 05

Anders Jernhall, CFO, tel. +46 8 666 21 22

Ingela Carlsson, Public Relations Director, tel. +46 70 212 97 12

In its capacity as issuer, Holmen AB is releasing the information in this Interim report for January-June 2010 in accordance with Chapter 17 of the Swedish Securities Market Act (2007:528). The information was distributed to the media for publication at 12.30 CET on Wednesday 11 August 2010.