RALLYE S.A.: Annual results 2022

RALLYE

Annual results 2022

The Board of Directors of Rallye has acknowledged the results announced by Casino for the financial year ended 31 December 2022 as well as the sale by Casino of 18.8% of Assaí’s share capital for an amount of €723.2m, in order to accelerate its deleveraging. Rallye draws the attention of investors to the fact that the safeguard plans depend primarily on the ability of Casino to distribute sufficient dividends, the principle and amount of which will depend on Casino’s financial position, the implementation of its strategic plan and, in particular, its disposal plan. Rallye therefore considers that the risk factor related to the implementation of the safeguard plans has increased (cf. Universal registration document 2021 of the company, page 49, « Risks relating to the implementation of the safeguard plans »).

Rallye will liaise with its creditors in order to examine the possibilities and possible ways of adjusting its safeguard plan.

The consolidated and annual financial statements for 2022 were closed by the Board of Directors on
22 March 2023. They were established on a going concern basis[1] taking into account the forecasts made by Rallye for the next twelve months, which show a cash position (€19m at 31 December 2022) compatible with the operating costs of the structure and the future commitments taken within the safeguard plan[2].

The audit procedures have been performed by the statutory auditors and the certification reports are about to be issued.

Rallye’s consolidated net sales amounted to €33.6bn and trading profit was €1,107m as at 31 December 2022. The net underlying loss from continuing operations, Group share, amounted to - €220m as at 31 December 2022.

1. Holding perimeter [4]

Global tender offer launched by Rallye on its unsecured debt

On 9 May 2022, the Paris Commercial Court approved the amendment to Rallye safeguard plan allowing the effective completion of the global tender offer on its unsecured debt launched on 23 March 2022. Rallye acquired a total amount of unsecured debt of €242.3m for a total repurchase price of €36.6m reducing the amount of its debt by €234.9m (including accrued interest). The tender offer was settled on 16 May 2022.

Net financial debt of Rallye’s holding perimeter

The bridge between Rallye’s holding perimeter gross financial debt and net financial debt is detailed below: 

1. Of which €19m at Rallye company level at 31 December 2022, including the drawing in June 2022 of the €15m financing subscribed to Fimalac, vs. 16 M€ at 31 December 2021
2. As part of the safeguard procedure, the restatement of financial liabilities in accordance with IFRS 9 - Financial Instruments - amounted to €265m at 31 December 2022 versus €343m at 31 December 2021. The decrease observed over the year is mainly due to the second global tender offer carried out early 2022.

The accounting treatment comprising a reduction of the financial liability and as counterpart the future increase of the interest expenses is the translation of the IFRS 9 standard and does not amend the repayments undertakings or the financial liability to be reimbursed.

Rallye’s holding perimeter gross finacial debt stood at €3,100m as of 31 December 2022, down - €78m, mainly as a result of:

• Financial interests (excluding IFRS) of €134m over 2022, which will be repaid in accordance with the repayments undertakings approved by the Paris Commercial Court on 28 February 2020 and 26 October 2021 and its contractual documentation.
• Unsecured debt tendered for a total amount of €242.3m for a total repurchase price of €36.6m reducing the total amount of its debt by €234.9m (including accrued interest).

Rallye’s holding perimeter net financial debt, before IFRS restatements, amounted to €3,080m as of 31 December 2022, compared to €3,161m as of 31 December 2021.

The change in Rallye’s holding perimeter net financial debt over the year breaks down as follows:

1. Excluding IFRS restatements (i.e. the accelerated amortization of liabilities under the IFRS 9 standard for the acquired debt), the net impacts of the global tender offers carried out early 2021 and 2022 would amount to €156m and €235m respectively.

After taking into account the change in IFRS restatements (+€9m in 2022 and -€52m in 2021), Rallye’s holding perimeter net financial debt amounted to €2,815m as of 31 December 2022.

The execution of the safeguards plans of Rallye and its parent companies depends mainly on Casino’s distributive capacity as well as various refinancing options. The distributive capacity of Casino is framed by its financial documentation which authorises the distribution of dividends[5]  when the ratio of gross financial debt to EBITDA including leases (France Retail + E-commerce) is below 3.5x. As at 31 December 2022, the gross financial debt to EBITDA including leases ratio was 6.86x versus 6.47x at 31 December 2021 (see table in Appendices).

Rallye company level annual result

Rallye’s net loss for 2022 was - €1,696m (vs. – €334m in 2021). In particular, it incorporates a non-recurring financial product of €235m linked to the second buyback of unsecured debt and an impairment on Casino shares of an amount of – €1,768m in order to reduce their net book value to the value in use calculated at 31 December 2022, representing a value in use per share of €43.31 (vs. €74.49 as at 31 December 2021). As at 31 December 2022, Rallye’s shareholders equity was thus negative -€601m[6] (vs. €1,095m as at 31 December 2021).

2. Casino’s activity [7]

Casino Group’s consolidated net sales amounted to €33.6bn in 2022, up +5.2 % on same-store basis4, up +3.8 % on an organic basis[8] and up +10.0 % as reported after taking into account the effects of exchange rates (+6.4%), fuel (+0.3%), calendar effect (-0.2%) and changes in scope (-0.3%).

• In the France Retail scope, net sales rose +1.5% on a same-store basis, driven by a dynamic performance in buoyant formats. Including Cdiscount, same-store growth in France came to a negative 2.6%.
• E-commerce (Cdiscount) gross merchandise volume (GMV) was €3.5bn[9], with an increase in the marketplace contribution to 52% (+6 pts vs. 2021)5.
• Sales in Latin America were up by +12.3% on a same-store basis4, mainly driven by the very good performance in the Cash & Carry segment (Assaí) and Grupo Éxito.

Casino Group’s consolidated trading profit came to €1,117m, a change of -5.9% including currency effects (-3.6% excluding tax credits) and of -12.1% at constant exchange rates (-5.2% excluding tax credits).

• In France (including Cdiscount), trading profit stood at €440m, including €482m on the France Retail scope and -€42m for Cdiscount. Trading profit for the retail banners (France Retail excluding GreenYellow and property development) was €421m (vs. €479m in 2021), with a trading margin of 3.0%. Trading profit came to €30m for property development and to €31m for GreenYellow.
• E-commerce reported a -€42m trading loss (vs. €18m trading profit in 2021), impacted in particular by the increase in depreciation and amortisation linked to investments made over the last few years to expand Octopia’s operations.
• In Latin America, trading profit excluding tax credits was up +10.9% year on year, driven by Assaí (+44% excluding tax credits), in line with business growth. Including tax credits[10] (€28m in 2021 and €0m in 2022), trading profit was up +6.1% to €677m.

Consolidated net debt was €6.4bn (vs. €5.9bn at end-2021), including €4.5bn in France[11] (€4.9bn at end-2021) and €1.9bn in Latin America (€979m at end-2021). In France, the reduction in debt was notably due to bond redemptions and to the Segisor repayment (€150m). The increase in debt in Latin America is the result of higher debt at Assaí owing to its investment plan.

At 31 December 2022, the Casino Group’s liquidity in France (including Cdiscount) was €2.4bn, with €434m in cash and cash equivalents and €2.0bn in confirmed undrawn lines of credit available at any time[12]. The balance of the unsecured segregated account was €36m at 31 December 2022, enabling the Casino Group to meet its January 2023 debt servicing obligations.

At 31 December 2022, the Group complied with the covenants contained in the revolving credit facility. The ratio of secured gross debt to EBITDA (after lease payments)[13] was 3.1x[14], within the 3.5x limit, representing debt headroom of €270m and EBITDA headroom of €77m. The ratio of EBITDA (after lease payments) to net finance costs stood at 3.0x (above the required 2.5x), representing EBITDA headroom of €115m.

3. 2023 Casino’s priorities in France

Operational efficiency and development

• Inventory reduction plan: -€190m in the first half of the year, offsetting end-2022 excess inventory
• New cost reduction plan: -€250m in the retail banners
• Acceleration of the expansion strategy in convenience formats: +1,000 stores representing more than €500m in full-year gross sales under banner

Deleveraging

• Completion of the disposal plan in France: €400m by the end of 2023
• Continued monetisation of assets in Latin America
• Debt decrease

Press contact:

PLEAD

Étienne Dubanchet +33 6 62 70 09 43 etienne.dubanchet@plead.fr

Disclaimer

This press release was prepared solely for information purposes and should not be construed as a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell securities or related financial instruments. Similarly, it does not give and should not be treated as giving investment advice. It has no connection with the investment objectives, financial situation or specific needs of any recipient. No representation or warranty, either express or implicit, is provided in relation to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of the information contained herein. It should not be regarded by recipients as a substitute for exercise of their own judgement. All opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice.

      Appendices

Annual results 2022 

(consolidated data)