Be the first! Get the latest news and updates
Suggestions
Third quarter 20241
Eindhoven, the Netherlands – Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, today announced the company’s third quarter 2024 results.
Eric Rondolat, CEO of Signify, comments:
"As anticipated, our comparable sales growth continues to improve sequentially. Our teams are effectively managing the accelerated decline of our Conventional business and continued slowness in the Chinese market, without which the decline would be limited to -1.3% for the third quarter.
In the Professional business, we saw a recovery in agricultural lighting and continued growth for connected, while our European distribution channel remained weak, particularly in Eastern and Southern Europe. Our Consumer business delivered comparable sales growth of 2.6% excluding China, reflecting the recovery of our business across all other regions. Our OEM business demonstrated two consecutive quarters of growth, driven by a stabilization of inventory levels at our customers.
Despite the shrinking contribution of the Conventional business to EBITA, we have maintained a resilient bottom-line as our cost reduction program delivers the expected benefits. Additionally, we delivered strong free cash flow for the quarter, resulting from our ongoing focus on cash conversion.
We are now very focused on our performance for the fourth quarter and confirm our guidance for an adjusted EBITA margin at the lower end of the 10.0-10.5% range and free cash flow generation of 6-7% of sales for 2024.
As we manage down our Conventional business, we are continuing to invest in connected and specialty lighting. These represent approximately 30% of our business and provide an attractive growth opportunities for our Professional, Consumer and OEM Businesses.
The progress we have driven in the past years uniquely positions us to continue to lead our industry as it enters each new phase of innovation. More than ever, the complementary drivers of innovation and sustainability sit at the heart of everything we do, driving growth opportunities that create long-term value for all our stakeholders.”
Brighter Lives, Better World 2025
In the third quarter of the year, Signify continued to progress on its Brighter Lives, Better World 2025 sustainability program commitments that contribute to doubling its positive impact on environment and society.
Signify is ahead of track to reduce emissions across the entire value chain by 40% against the 2019 baseline - double the pace required by the Paris Agreement. This is driven by Signify’s leadership in energy efficient and connected LED lighting solutions, which significantly reduce emissions during the use phase.
Circular revenues increased to 36.7%, up 1.7% over last quarter and surpassing the 2025 target of 32%. The main contribution was from Professional serviceable luminaires in the Americas.
Brighter lives revenues at 31.1%, on track to reach the 2025 target of 32%. This includes a strong contribution from consumer products, mainly EyeComfort that support health and well-being.
The percentage of women in leadership positions remained at 29.3%, behind the 2025 target of 34%. Signify continues its efforts to increase overall representation through focused hiring practices for diversity across all levels. Focus remains on building strong succession pipelines, and engagement actions to reduce attrition.
Outlook
Signify continues to expect an Adjusted EBITA margin at the lower end of the 10.0-10.5% range and free cash flow generation of 6-7% of sales.
Conference call and audio webcast
Eric Rondolat (CEO) and Željko Kosanović (CFO) will host a conference call for analysts and institutional investors at 9:00 a.m. CET to discuss the third quarter 2024 results. A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available via the Investor Relations website.
Financial calendar
January 24, 2025: Fourth quarter and full-year results 2024
February 25, 2025: Annual Report 2024
Forward-Looking Statements and Risks & Uncertainties
This document and the related oral presentation contain, and responses to questions following the presentation may contain, forward-looking statements that reflect the intentions, beliefs or current expectations and projections of Signify N.V. (the “Company”, and together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”), including statements regarding strategy, estimates of sales growth and future operational results.
By their nature, these statements involve risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its Group companies, and a number of important factors could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement as a result of risks and uncertainties. Such risks, uncertainties and other important factors include but are not limited to: adverse economic and political developments, in particular the impacts of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the conflict in the Middle East, the recovery trajectory of the Chinese economy, cost inflation, rapid technological change, competition in the general lighting market, development of lighting systems and services, successful implementation of business transformation programs, impact of acquisitions and other transactions, reputational and adverse effects on business due to activities in Environment, Health & Safety, compliance risks, ability to attract and retain talented personnel, adverse currency effects, pension liabilities, and exposure to international tax laws.
Additional risks currently not known to the Group or that the Group has not considered material as of the date of this document could also prove to be important and may have a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects of the Group or could cause the forward-looking events discussed in this document not to occur. The Group undertakes no duty to and will not necessarily update any of the forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events, except to the extent required by applicable law.
Market and Industry Information
All references to market share, market data, industry statistics and industry forecasts in this document consist of estimates compiled by industry professionals, competitors, organizations or analysts, of publicly available information or of the Group’s own assessment of its sales and markets. Rankings are based on sales unless otherwise stated.
Non-IFRS Financial Measures
Certain parts of this document contain non-IFRS financial measures and ratios, such as comparable sales growth, adjusted gross margin, EBITA, adjusted EBITA, free cash flow, and other related ratios, which are not recognized measures of financial performance or liquidity under IFRS. The non-IFRS financial measures presented are measures used by management to monitor the underlying performance of the Group’s business and operations and, accordingly, they have not been audited nor reviewed. Not all companies calculate non-IFRS financial measures in the same manner or on a consistent basis and these measures and ratios may not be comparable to measures used by other companies under the same or similar names. A reconciliation of these non-IFRS financial measures to the most directly comparable IFRS financial measures is contained in this document. For further information on non-IFRS financial measures, see “Chapter 19 Reconciliation of non-IFRS measures” in the Annual Report 2023.
Presentation
All amounts are in millions of euros unless otherwise stated. Due to rounding, amounts may not add up to totals provided. All reported data are unaudited. Unless otherwise indicated, financial information has been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies as stated in the Annual Report 2023 and the Semi-Annual Report 2024.
Change in reportable segments
Effective Q1 2024, Signify reports against four businesses with vertically integrated P&Ls, adapted from the previous three divisions as follows:
Market Abuse Regulation
This press release contains information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.
Signify Investor Relations
Thelke Gerdes
Tel: +31 6 1801 7131
E-mail: thelke.gerdes@signify.com
Signify Corporate Communications
Tom Lodge
Tel: +31 6 5252 5416
E-mail: tom.lodge@signify.com
Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals, consumers and the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. In 2023, we had sales of EUR 6.7 billion, approximately 32,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for seven consecutive years and have achieved the EcoVadis Platinum rating for four consecutive years, placing Signify in the top one percent of companies assessed. News from Signify can be found in the Newsroom, on X, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors is located on the Investor Relations page.
