PostNL and Pension Fund PostNL agree on determination and conditions of final payment for transitional plans
FY 2020 outlook for free cash flow improves by €100 million
PostNL and Pension Fund PostNL have signed an agreement to determine details and conditions of the final payment for transitional plans. This results in a significant improvement in PostNL’s FY 2020 outlook for free cash flow. Employees’ soft pension entitlements remain unchanged.
Based on the financing agreement with the Pension Fund, the final payment for transitional plans at year-end 2020 was determined on parameters as in Q3 2019, when interest rates were very low. Taking into account the interests of all stakeholders, PostNL initiated discussions with the Pension Fund on options for a solution to smooth the impact of low interest rates in determining the final payment. It has now been agreed that the maximum final payment will be €290 million. This is €10 million below the initially determined amount. Should interest rates develop favourably, the final payment could be lower.
PostNL will pay the Pension Fund around €205 million at year-end 2020. The remaining (at most) €85 million will be deferred and paid in five annual instalments between 2021 and 2025. The funding costs of soft pensions during 2020 will be reduced by around €5 million. Thus, the total reduction in the cash contribution for transitional plans amounts to at least €15 million.
Based on this agreement, PostNL now expects free cash flow for 2020 to come in at between €(215) million and €(185) million (previously anticipated at between €(315) million and €(285) million). The reduction in cash contribution of at least €15 million will also have a positive impact on PostNL’s net debt position.
This press release contains inside information within the meaning of article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.
Caution on forward-looking statements
Some statements in this press release are ’forward-looking statements‘. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may occur in the future. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are outside of our control and impossible to predict, and that may cause actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, analyses and projections about the industries in which we operate and management's beliefs and assumptions about possible future events. You are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which only apply as of the date of this press release and are neither predictions nor guarantees of possible future events or circumstances. We do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities law.
Use of non-GAAP information
In presenting and discussing the PostNL Group operating results, management uses certain non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be viewed in isolation as alternatives to the equivalent IFRS measures and should be used in conjunction with the most directly comparable IFRS measures. Non-GAAP financial measures do not have a standardised meaning under IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. The main non-GAAP key financial performance indicator is normalised EBIT. Normalised EBIT is derived from the IFRS-based performance measure operating income adjusted for the impact of project costs and incidentals.
About PostNL
We are PostNL, here for everyone, bringing it all together for 225 years. With an extensive network of nearly 5,800 PostNL points, 11,000 letterboxes, and over 900 automated, also open to various carriers, along with millions of users of the PostNL app, we're always close by. We aim to be everyone's favourite deliverer by making it as easy as possible to send and receive parcels and mail. With nearly 34,000 colleagues working with us, we are part of society. We offer a range of services, including mail and parcel delivery, logistic e-commerce solutions, and cross-border solutions. On an average weekday in the Benelux, we deliver 1.1 million parcels and 6.9 million letters. We are commitment to customer satisfaction, providing opportunities for our employees, and generating value for our stakeholders through growth, digitalisation, and sustainability.
We optimise and support our physical networks through the use of smart digital solutions and introduce new propositions that add value for our customers. And aim for sustainable employment relationships by being a good employer to all people working with and for us. We focus on sustainability, making many journeys on foot and by bicycle, increasingly using cleaner fuels and electric vehicles, and offering innovative city logistics. PostNL N.V. is a publicly traded company with a turnover of €3.2 billion in 2023, 62% of which e-commerce related.