Financial Results

Historically high net profit

183.7

PLN million in 2018

Solid EBITDA

202.0

PLN million

Strong revenue

346.8

PLN million

Operating expenses up by

4.9%

to PLN 173.8 million in 2018

Cost/income ratio at

50.1%

in 2018

The GPW Group generated sales revenues of PLN 346.8 million and a historically high net profit of PLN 183.7 million in 2018. EBITDA was PLN 202.0 million. Operating expenses increased by 4.9% (PLN 8.0 million) year on year to PLN 173.8 million in 2018. The cost/income ratio (C/I) was 50.1%.

 - The GPW Group generated solid financial results in 2018. The net profit was historically high for the second consecutive year at PLN 183.7 million in 2018 and PLN 158.7 million in 2017. We have a strong foundation for further stable growth and development. We focus on diversification of revenues. Consequently, we will launch new business projects under the #GPW2022 strategy,” said Marek Dietl, President of the GPW Management Board.

The GPW Group’s directions of development are outlined in the growth strategy #GPW2022 updated last year. The key initiatives include Agricultural Market, Private Market, Securities Lending & Borrowing. GPW focuses on strengthening the business position of the GPW Group, diversifying the sources of revenue, creating shareholder value by developing existing businesses and expanding to new promising business areas.

GPW sold its interest in the associate Aquis Exchange Limited (20.31% of voting and economic rights) in 2018. The net proceeds from the sale of Aquis were PLN 57.5 million (net of transaction cost of PLN 2.7 million). The gains on the sale at PLN 45.4 million are presented as financial income in the statement of comprehensive income.

On 24 September 2018, the global rating agency FTSE Russell promoted Poland from Emerging Markets to Developed Markets. The promotion puts Poland among the world’s 25 developed economies. In addition, Stoxx, the Deutsche Boerse Group index operator, also promoted Poland to Developed Markets on the same date. Eight Polish WIG20 stocks were included in the Stoxx Europe 600 portfolio. The decisions of FTSE Russell and Stoxx represent a fundamental change in the perception of Poland by global investors. The promotion of Poland will attract new investors to Polish stocks and open opportunities for the entire capital market. On 21 September 2018, directly before the promotion of Poland, the value of trading in stocks on the electronic order book on the main market was historically high at more than PLN 5.4 billion (the previous daily record was PLN 3.35 billion on 12 May 2010). Poland is still rated as an Emerging Market by the world’s biggest index provider MSCI, which puts companies listed on GPW on the radar of investors active on Developed Markets (FTSE Russell, Stoxx) as well as investors focusing on Emerging Markets (MSCI).

In 2018, the GPW Management Board continued development initiatives to build liquidity, attract new issuers, investors and exchange members, further diversify the Group’s business and its engagement in international projects.

The value of trading in shares on the electronic order book on GPW dropped by 13.6% in 2018. Seven companies were newly listed on the Main Market (including two transfers from NewConnect) and 15 companies were newly listed on NewConnect. GPW promoted the exchange as a source of capital for companies. As new companies were listed, GPW continued to expand its offer of products for investors. Futures on stocks of LiveChat Software, Ten Square Games and Playway were introduced to trading in September. Three dividend indices were launched in December: WIG20dvp, mWIG40dvp and sWIG80dvp.

2018 was a record-breaking year as measured by volumes of trading in electricity and gas on TGE. It was the third consecutive record year on the gas market. The electricity market saw a reversal of the downtrend reported in 2016-2017. The total volume of trading in property rights in electricity was 59,302,830 MWh in 2018, an increase of 0.2% year on year.

GPW considers its presence on the capital market to be a part of a long-term development strategy based on creation of shareholder value through regular payment of dividends. The dividend paid in August 2018 was PLN 2.20 per share. The dividend yield was 5.8% at the dividend record date.

Presentation of the GPW Group’s financial results for Q4 2018 and 2018

Net profit
The net profit of the GPW Group was PLN 37.1 million in Q4 2018, a decrease of 5.5% year on year. The Group’s annual net profit was PLN 183.7 million in 2018, an increase of 15.7% year on year and the highest net profit of the Group in history. The year-on-year increase of the net profit was mainly driven by favourable conditions on the commodity market and by the sale of interest in Aquis Exchange. The quarter-on-quarter decrease of net profit in Q4 2018 was due to lower revenues from the financial market (-7.3%) and, to a lesser extent, lower revenues from the commodity market (-0.6%). The annual revenues from the financial market decreased by 8.1% year on year and revenues from the commodity market increased by 8.1% year on year in 2018.

Financial market

Revenue from the financial market
The sales revenue from the financial market was PLN 48.1 million in Q4 2018, representing a decrease of 7.3% year on year and an increase of 2.0% quarter on quarter. The revenue from the financial market contributed 54.4% of the total sales revenue of the GPW Group compared to 55.0% in Q3 2018 and 56.3% in Q4 2017. The annual sales revenue from the financial market was PLN 191.9 million in 2018, a decrease of 8.1% year on year. The sales revenue from the financial market contributed 55.3% of the total sales revenue of the GPW Group in 2018 compared to 59.3% in 2017. The revenue from the financial market includes trading revenue, listing revenue, and revenue from information services. The GPW Group’s revenue was PLN 346.8 million in 2018, a decrease of 4% year on year and an increase of 3.2% quarter on quarter.

  • Trading revenue on the financial market

The trading revenue on the financial market was PLN 30.6 million in Q4 2018 compared to PLN 34.6 million in Q4 2017 and down by 0.3% quarter on quarter. The annual trading revenue on the financial market was PLN 124.3 million in 2018, a decrease of 12.1% year on year. The decrease in the annual revenue on the financial market was mainly driven by the decrease of revenue from trade in shares (-14.1%). The decrease in the revenue from trade in equities and other equity-related instruments was mainly driven by a decrease in the value of trading on the electronic order book on the Main Market by 13.6% year on year. The revenue from trading in derivatives increased by 1.5% year on year in 2018.

  • Listing revenue

The GPW Group’s listing revenue on the financial market was PLN 5.7 million in Q4 2018 compared to PLN 5.4 million in Q3 2018 and PLN 6.3 million in Q4 2017. The annual listing revenue represented 6.6% of the GPW Group’s total revenue and stood at PLN 22.8 million in 2018 compared to PLN 25.0 million in 2017. The decrease in the listing revenue was mainly driven by a decrease in the value of shares introduced into trading in 2018 as well as a smaller number of listed companies. The total IPO value on both equity markets was PLN 0.345 billion in 2018 compared to PLN 7.7 billion in 2017. The value of SPOs was PLN 5.4 billion in 2018 compared to PLN 90.8 billion in 2017. The revenue from fees for introduction decreased to PLN 3.1 million in 2018 compared to PLN 5.0 million in 2017. The revenue from listing fees stood at PLN 19.7 million and was stable year on year (PLN 20.0 million in 2017).

  • Information services

The revenue from information services was record-high at PLN 11.8 million in Q4 2018, representing an increase of 7.7% year on year and an increase of 6.8% quarter on quarter. The annual revenue from information services was PLN 44.8 million in 2018, which represents an increase of 5.2% year on year and a share of 12.9% in the GPW Group’s total sales revenues. The number of data vendors increased sharply in 2018: 26 Polish and foreign companies (including delayed data vendors) were licensed as GPW Group data vendors. Through acquisition of clients for information service, GPW attracted 12 new clients for non-display data (used in algorithmic trading, risk management, portfolio valuation, systematic internalisers, and other non-display applications). The number of GPW Benchmark, TGE and Bondspot data subscribers continued to grow. Six new processed data clients were acquired from Poland and the USA. Licence agreements were signed with two companies which use GPW indices in financial instruments: AgioFunds TFI for the use of WIG20TR in Poland’s first ETF (Beta ETF WIG20TR), and Expat for the use of WIG20 in an ETF (Expat Poland WIG20 UCITS ETF). The product offer and the business model were modified in 2018 in view of the MiFID 2 requirements: GPW aligned its agreements and price lists with the new regulations and launched a new service, Key Information Document (KID), which gives investors easy access to the documentation of structured products, certificates and derivatives.

Commodity market

Revenue from the commodity market

The sales revenue on the commodity market was PLN 40.0 million in Q4 2018, a decrease of 0.6% year on year and an increase of 4.9% quarter on quarter. It contributed 45.2% to the Group’s total revenues in Q4 2018. The annual revenue from the commodity market was PLN 153.6 million in 2018, representing an increase of 8.1% and a share of 44.3% of the Group’s total sales revenues. The revenue from the commodity market includes trading revenue, revenue from operation of the register of certificates of origin, and revenue from clearing.

  • Trading revenue on the commodity market

The trading revenue on the commodity market increased by 2.3% quarter on quarter to PLN 20.8 million in Q4 2018. The annual trading revenue on the commodity market was PLN 78.5 million in 2018, representing an increase of 12.1%. The revenue from trade in electricity was PLN 5.7 million in Q4 2018, an increase of 97.8% year on year and 7.1% quarter on quarter. The annual revenue from trade in electricity was PLN 18.4 million, an increase of 108.7% year on year. The revenue from trade in gas was PLN 10.8 million in 2018, down by 0.3% year on year. The revenue from trade in gas increased by 14.7% year on year and 10.9% quarter on quarter and stood at PLN 3.5 million in Q4 2018. The revenue from trade in property rights of certificates of origin decreased by 4.5% year on year to PLN 37.8 million in 2018. The revenue from trade in property rights of certificates of origin stood at PLN 8.7 million in Q4 2018, representing a decrease of 24.1% year on year and 3.7% quarter on quarter. The Group’s revenue from other fees paid by commodity market participants stood at PLN 11.5 million in 2018 compared to PLN 10.8 million in 2017, i.e., it increased by 6.6% year on year. The amount of other fees paid by commodity market participants depends largely on the activity of IRGiT Members, in particular the number of transactions.

  • Operation of the Register of Certificates of Origin

Te revenue from the operation of the Register of Certificates of Origin was PLN 6.1 million in Q4 2018, representing a decrease of 23.4% year on year. The annual revenue from the operation of the Register of Certificates of Origin was PLN 28.7 million in 2018, a decrease of 6.3% year on year. The decrease in the revenue from the operation of the Register of Certificates of Origin was driven mainly by a decrease in the volumes of RES instruments which have a large impact on the revenue of this business line: the volumes of cancelled RES property rights decreased by 24.9% year on year and the volumes of issued RES property rights decreased by 18.5% year on year in 2018.

  • Clearing

The revenue from clearing was PLN 12.9 million in Q4 2018, representing an increase of 8.0% year on year and 16.3% quarter on quarter. The Group’s annual revenue from clearing was PLN 45.9 million in 2018, an increase of 11.8% year on year. The year-on-year increase was driven by rising volumes of trade on all markets operated by TGE.

Operating expenses

Operating expenses were PLN 42.4 million in Q4 2018 compared to PLN 49.0 million in Q4 2017, representing a decrease of 13.4% year on year. The annual operating expenses were PLN 173.8 million in 2018 compared to PLN 165.8 million in 2017, an increase of 4.9% year on year. The C/I ratio was 50.1% in 2018 compared to 47.1% in 2017.

  • The increase of operating expenses was mainly driven by an increase of fees and charges (including the fee due to PFSA) by 104.9% or PLN 6.9 million year on year to PLN 13.4 million in 2018.
  • The Group’s salaries and other employee costs increased by 9.5% or PLN 6.0 million year on year to PLN 68.8 million; its depreciation and amortisation charges increased by 12.2% or PLN 3.4 million year on year to PLN 31.8 million.
  • External service charges decreased by 16.3% or PLN 8.7 million year on year and stood at PLN 44.5 million.

Share of profit of associates
The GPW Group’s share of profit of associates was PLN 1.9 million in Q4 2018 and remained stable year on year. The GPW Group’s annual share of profit of associates was PLN 10.6 million in 2018 compared to PLN 10.1 million in 2017, up by 4.9% year on year. The share of profit of associates was mainly driven by the earnings of KDPW and the end of negative contributions due to the sale of Aquis Exchange. KDPW’s profit attributable to GPW was PLN 11.2 million in 2018 compared to PLN 12.6 million in 2017. The loss of Aquis Exchange attributable to the GPW Group was PLN 0.9 million in 2018 compared to a loss of PLN 3.2 million in 2017. Following a change of shareholders, Polish Rating Agency (formerly IAiR) is an associate as of Q4 2018 (previously a subsidiary). The share of loss of PAR was PLN 0.2 million in 2018.

Consolidated profit and loss account of GPW Group
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
in PLN thousand, under IFRS
2018 2017 2018 2017
4Q 3Q 2Q 1Q 4Q 3Q 2Q 1Q
Revenue 88,455 85,743 86,647 85,936 92,169 81,119 87,635 91,034 346,781 351,956
Financial market 48,083 47,134 47,063 49,572 51,875 48,851 52,500 55,623 191,852 208,849
Trading 30,601 30,679 30,103 32,897 34,621 31,903 35,966 38,846 124,280 141,336

Shares and other equity instruments

22,510 23,772 22,910 24,890 27,188 24,391 27,791 30,194 94,082 109,564

Derivative instruments

3,215 2,626 2,996 3,231 2,672 2,627 3,168 3,421 12,068 11,888

Other fees paid by market participants

1,947 1,805 1,730 1,914 1,849 1,814 1,914 1,921 7,396 7,498

Fixed-income instruments

2,819 2,395 2,390 2,750 2,801 2,965 2,994 3,198 10,354 11,958

Other cash instruments

110 81 77 112 111 106 99 112 380 428

Listing

5,661 5,385 5,835 5,924 6,278 6,278 6,065 6,347 22,805 24,968

Annual listing fees

4,825 4,796 5,020 5,091 4,982 4,929 4,913 5,188 19,732 20,013

 Introduction and admission fees, other fees

836 589 815 833 1,296 1,348 1,152 1,159 3,073 4,955

Information services

11,821 11,070 11,126 10,750 10,976 10,670 10,469 10,430 44,767 42,545
Commodity market 39,983 38,126 39,233 36,213 40,215 31,989 34,770 35,115 153,555 142,088

Trading

20,819 20,344 19,646 17,738 20,170 16,699 17,643 15,580 78,547 70,092

Trading in electricity

5,664 5,289 4,321 3,121 2,864 2,125 2,001 1,825 18,395 8,815

Cash market

904 711 664 744 718 583 625 754 3,023 2,680

Forward market

4,760 4,578 3,657 2,377 2,146 1,542 1,376 1,071 15,372 6,135
  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Trading in gas

3,470 3,130 1,951 2,258 3,024 3,431 1,870 2,521 10,809 10,846

Cash market

711 240 401 1,159 620 325 556 940 2,511 2,441

Forward market

2,759 2,890 1,550 1,099 2,404 3,106 1,314 1,581 8,298 8,405
  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Trading in property rights in certificates of origin

8,671 9,001 10,618 9,527 11,430 8,386 11,126 8,672 37,817 39,614

Other fees paid by market participants

3,014 2,924 2,756 2,832 2,852 2,757 2,646 2,562 11,526 10,817

Operating a register of certificates of origin

6,098 6,549 8,923 7,126 7,963 5,768 7,783 9,114 28,696 30,628

Clearing

12,949 11,130 10,532 11,251 11,990 9,435 9,258 10,336 45,862 41,019

Information services

117 103 132 98 92 87 86 85 450 349
Other revenues 389 483 351 151 79 279 365 296 1,374 1,019
Operating expenses 42,431 43,028 39,993 48,360 48,978 32,505 37,765 46,515 173,812 165,763
Depreciation and amortization 7,907 7,948 8,093 7,825 7,566 7,342 7,024 6,393 31,772 28,325
Salaries 14,987 13,230 13,218 13,630 14,122 12,239 11,897 12,506 55,065 50,764
Other employee costs 3,316 3,254 3,415 3,780 3,070 2,867 3,002 3,142 13,765 12,081
Rent and other rent related fees 2,372 2,299 1,945 2,506 2,098 2,187 2,613 2,607 9,122 9,505
Fees and charges 126 3,790 244 9,268 233 -5,524 229 11,615 13,428 6,553

including: fees paid to KNF

4 3,506 5 9,023 3 -5,781 0 11,357 12,538 5,579
External services 11,941 11,149 11,507 9,923 20,347 12,183 11,650 9,014 44,520 53,194
Other operating expenses 1,782 1,357 1,571 1,430 1,544 1,209 1,350 1,238 6,140 5,341
Other income 1,282 284 293 844 1,767 1,731 31 330 2,703 3,859
Gains on reversal of impairment losses on receivables / (Impairment losses) on receivables -1,686 384 -375 -1,476 0 0 0 0 -3,153 -607
Other expenses 830 330 373 781 647 395 954 1,507 2,314 2,896
Operating profit 44,790 43,053 46,199 36,163 44,310 49,950 48,947 43,342 170,205 186,549
Financial income 2,592 1,789 48,191 1,867 1,284 1,334 1,538 1,394 54,439 5,550
Financial costs 2,662 2,168 2,124 2,208 2,438 -1,339 2,497 7,551 9,162 11,147
Net financial income -70 -379 46,067 -341 -1,154 2,673 -959 -6,157 45,277 -5,597
Share of profit of entities measured by equity method 1,923 3,412 4,472 746 1,910 3,609 3,045 1,495 10,553 10,059
Profit before income tax 46,643 46,086 96,738 36,568 45,066 56,233 51,032 38,680 226,035 191,011
Income tax 9,506 8,466 17,705 6,657 5,754 9,320 9,173 8 027 42,334 32,274
Net profit for the period 37,137 37,620 79,033 29,911 39,312 46,913 41,859 30 653 183,701 158,737

Source: GPW

Consolidated statement of financial position of GPW Group
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION 2018 2017
4Q 3Q 2Q 1Q 4Q 3Q 2Q 1Q
Non-current assets 580,375 575,125 578,568 580,697 596,354 594,774 597,220 597,334
Tangible fixed assets 108,158 106,156 108,245 108,691 110,784 112,036 113,777 116,716
Right-to-use assets                
Intangible fixed assets * 254,564 254,491 258,320 260,918 263,769 264,694 267,158 268,268
Investment in entities measured by equity method 207,267 203,273 199,929 195,986 207,389 205,221 201,590 198,577
Subleasing receivables                
Deferred tax assets 540 863 0 4,472 3,803 1,796 3,349 3,261
Available for sale financial assets 0 0 1,800   271 280 278 278
Financial assets held to maturity 0 0 0   0 0 0 0
Financial assets measured at fair value through other comprehensive income 101 200 204 197        
Prepayments 5,523 5,920 5,848 6,211 6,116 6,525 6,846 6,012
Other long-term financial assets * 4,222 4,222 4,222 4,222 4,222 4,222 4,222 4,222
Current assets 636,942 618,283 693,410 612,539 550,699 513,493 615,476 592,548
Inventories 64 64 60 54 56 54 53 60
Corporate income tax receivable 0 71 71 71 71 95 71 559
Trade and other receivables 69,437 78,747 68,509 87,399 64,096 63,768 89,069 165,243
Subleasing receivables                
Contract assets 1,215 2,122 1,946          
Available-for-sale financial assets 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Assets held for sale 0 0 0 12,151 0 0 0 0
Financial assets measured at amortised cost 377,502 364,221 380,982 201,402        
Financial assets held to maturity 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other short-term financial assets 0 0 0 0 250,590 162,646 70,470 153,546
Cash and cash equivalents 188,724 173,058 241,842 311,462 235,886 286,930 455,813 273,140
Total assets 1,217,317 1,193,408 1,271,978 1,193,236 1,147,053 1,108,267 1,212,696 1,189,882
Equity 890,538 853,355 815,827 829,346 799,467 759,686 712,752 761,096
Share capital 63,865 63,865 63,865 63,865 63,865 63,865 63,865 63,865
Other reserves 1,267 1,126 1,194 1,349 1,347 1,128 1 ,06 1,035
Retained earnings 824,816 787,776 750,185 763,551 733,682 694,132 647,246 695,646
Non-controlling interest 590 588 583 581 573 561 535 550
Non-current liabilities 269,333 268,290 265,955 264,884 270,781 271,200 269,452 269,111
Debt securities 243,961 243,864 243,767 243,670 243,573 243,475 243,378 243,281
Employee benefits payable 1,147 1,130 1,239 1,454 1,454 1,468 1,838 2,274
Finance lease liabilities 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17
Lease liabilities                
Loans and borrowings 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Prepayments 5,033 5,173 5,313 5,452 5,592 5,996 6,064 6,132
Deferred tax liability 7,357 6,358 3,941 2,682 7,108 7,286 5,276 4,588
Provisions for other liabilities and charges 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other non-current liabilities 11,835 11,765 11,695 11,626 13,054 12,975 12,896 12,819
Current liabilities 57,446 71,763 190,196 99,006 76,805 77,381 230,492 159,675
Debt securities 1,938 2,099 1,899 2,070 1,938 2,100 1,896 2,069
Trade payables 8,575 7,905 18,775 23,849 21,303 6,169 3,496 6,199
Employee benefits payable 14,278 11,684 10,525 8,141 12,958 10,515 8,060 5,812
Finance lease liabilities 0 0 0 15 31 48 64 62
Lease liabilities                
Corporate income tax payable 3,158 1,066 8,688 1,636 6,012 4,587 7,597 13,188
Loans and borrowings 0 0 0 0 0 20,021 59,958 59,798
Performance obligations 3,581 12,533 22,375 33,037        
Prepayments 559 559 563 559 7,386 15,641 37,194 41,722
Provisions for other liabilities and charges 68 68 68 67 210 191 318 317
Dividends and other liabilities 25,289 35,849 127,303 29,632 26,967 18,109 111,909 30,508
Liabilities directly related to assets held for sale 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total equity and liabilities 1,217,317 1,193,408 1,271,978 1,193,236 1,147,053 1,108,267 1,212,696 1,189,882

Source: GPW

Consolidated Cash Flow on GPW Group
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOW
in PLN thousand, under IFRS
2018 2017
Cash flows from operating activities 136,482 159,264
Cash flows from investing activities -84,170 -186,629
Cash flows from financing activities -99,669 -99,784
Net increase/ (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents -47,357 -127,022

Effect of movements in changes rates on cash held

195 241
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period 235,886 362,667
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period 188,724 235,886

Source:GPW

Key financial indicators of GPW Group
BASIC FINANCIAL RATIOS 2018 2017
Operating profit 170,205 186,549
EBITDA* 201,977 214,874
EBITDA margin** 58,2% 61.1%
Operating profit margin*** 49.1% 53.0%
Return on equity (ROE)**** 21.7% 20.7%

* EBITDA = Operating profit + D&A
** EBITDA margin means EBITDA divided by revenue
*** Operating profit margin means operating profit divided by revenue
**** ROE means profit for the last 12 months divided by the average equity for the last 12 months

For more information please visit GPW website and find Consolidated annual report of GPW Group for 2018.