Norske Skog Q2/11 earnings preview: expect sequentially improved numbers
Reiterate “Sell” on 5Y CDS at 1358 bps; Switch from the 7% NSINO 06/17 EUR notes into the new 11.75% 06/16 notes. “Sell” protection on 3Y CDS at 1302 bps
Tomorrow, Norske Skog will release Q2 results, which we expect to be significantly better, both sequentially and y-o-y. Pricing and volumes in newsprint have been good as per data released by Stora Enso. As Norske is the market leader we expect it to benefit from these trends significantly. We are looking for revenues of NOK 4.8 to 5 bn and EBITDA of NOK 400-420 mn. We anticipate that higher raw material pressure will offset part of the volume and pricing gains. In terms of cashflows, we expect working capital releases and proceeds from divestments to support earnings. The strong NOK is expected to impact results. We calculate a net leverage including the recent disposals and bond issue at sub 5.5x. We maintain a “High Risk” assessment on the LARA scale.