Combined Revenue of Sopra Steria for 2014: €3,370.2m

Regulatory News:

Sopra Steria (Paris:SOP), a European leader in digital transformation, achieved combined¹ revenue of €3,370.2 million in 2014. Growth at constant exchange rates and consolidation scopes for the twelve-month 2014 financial year was 4.7% for the Sopra scope and 6.0% for the Steria scope.

Sopra Steria 2014 consolidated² revenue, which includes revenue from the Steria scope between 1 August and 31 December 2014 of €798.3 million, was €2,280.3 million, as compared with €1,349.0 million reported by Sopra for the preceding financial year.

The following comments address both of the former Sopra and Steria scopes on an annual basis and for the 4th quarter of 2014.

_________________

¹ Combined 2014 revenue per Sopra accounting policies and after restatement of intra-group items: 12 months Sopra + 12 months Steria [Unaudited figures]
² 2014 consolidated revenue per Sopra accounting policies and after restatement of intra-group items: 12 months Sopra + 5 months Steria

Sopra scope – Comments on business activity

With revenue of €1,482.0 million for the financial year ended 31 December 2014, the Sopra scope posted total growth of 9.9%. Organic growth was healthy, at 4.7%, towards the top end of the initial annual guidance range (between +3.0% and +5.0%). In the 4th quarter, organic revenue growth was particularly strong at 8.8%.

In France, revenue totalled €786.6 million for the year, representing organic growth of 2.8%. The Sopra scope again outperformed a persistently tough market in this region, leveraging its strategic approach focused on Key Accounts. Business was particularly robust in the Financial Services vertical, which performed briskly over the financial year. In the 4th quarter, revenue totalled €210.7 million, making it the best quarter of the year in terms of organic growth (+4.3%).

In Europe, organic revenue growth was 4.1%, with revenue of €262.5 million. The situation was, however, mixed between the strong growth recorded by the Spanish, Swiss and Belgian subsidiaries and the challenges experienced in Germany and the United Kingdom. The 4th quarter remained in line with the preceding quarters with organic growth of 3.4%.

Sopra Banking Software achieved revenue of €258.2 million in 2014, representing organic growth of 7.6%. The 4th quarter was marked by the signing of a major industrial partnership with La Banque Postale, which selected the Sopra Banking Platform suite to rationalise and modernise its information system. The year also featured a steady flow of licence sales which enabled revenue growth of 31.7% in the final quarter of the year. This performance validates the investment strategy that has been implemented for several years with the aim of building innovative, comprehensive and integrated core banking solutions to support banks in their digital transformation.

Other Solutions, which combines the Sopra HR Software subsidiary and property management products, registered significant revenue growth in 2014, with organic growth of 10.9%. After a slowdown in the third quarter of 2014, organic growth bounced back up to 5.0% in the last quarter of the year.

Steria scope – Comments on business activity

For the Steria scope, 2014 revenue totalled €1,887.0 million, representing total growth of 7.5%. At constant exchange rates and scope, revenue growth was healthy, at 6.0%, at the low end of the initial annual guidance range (between +6.0% and +8.0%). For the 4th quarter, which featured a higher base of comparison, organic growth was 3.0%.

In the United Kingdom, growth was very significant in 2014, with revenue up 18.2% at constant exchange rates and scope. This trend, led by Business Process Services (+42.7% year-on-year), was robust in the Public Sector, where SSCL³ developed strongly and got a boost from the decisions of the UK Ministry of Justice and the Home Office to join the shared service platform. Momentum was also good in the Homeland Security, Energy and Transport verticals, while Telecommunications and Financial Services experienced negative growth. For the 4th quarter, which had a higher base of comparison due to the start of the SSCL contract in November 2013, organic growth was nonetheless robust at 10.2%.

In France, organic growth was negative at 3.1% year-on-year. The slight positive growth recorded in the Energy/Utilities and Banking verticals was not enough to offset the downward trends in Telecommunications, Transport, Insurance and the Public Sector. In the 4th quarter, a period in which this region enjoyed a more favourable base of comparison, the trend reversed and became slightly positive, with organic growth of 1.1%.

In Germany, the situation was challenging for the entire financial year, with negative annual revenue growth of 11.2%. As previously noted, this drop in revenue is attributable to the departure of consultants following the management reorganisation in 2013 and the change in the entity’s historical business model. Against this backdrop, 4th-quarter revenue growth was negative at -12.9%, after negative growth of -15.1% in the third quarter.

In Other Europe, organic revenue growth was 7.1%. The region saw steady growth in Scandinavia (+13.9% organically) while revenue in Belgium continued to be impacted by the contraction of the Schengen project.

___________________

³ SSCL: Shared Services Connected Limited, joint venture between Sopra Steria and the UK Cabinet Office

Outlook

No further comment on the activity or the results of Sopra Steria Group will be made before the publication of 19 March 2015.

Financial calendar

Thursday, 19 March 2015:

• Publication of annual results – Before market / www.soprasteria.com
• Meeting for presentation of annual results – 10:00 a.m. / Shangri-La Hotel, Paris.
• Simultaneous webcast presentation of annual results – 10:00 a.m. / www.soprasteria.com

Thursday, 11 June 2015:

• Annual General Meeting of Shareholders – 2:30 p.m. / Hôtel Le Meurice, Paris.

About Sopra Steria

Sopra Steria, a European leader in digital transformation, has one of the most extensive portfolios of offerings available on the market, spanning consulting, systems integration, sales of industry-specific solutions and business process services. It also provides end-to-end solutions to address the core business needs of large companies and organisations, helping them remain competitive and grow. Combining added value, innovative solutions and high-performance services, Sopra Steria excels in guiding its clients through their transformation projects, no matter how complex, and helping them make the most of digital technology. With approximately 35,000 employees in over 20 countries, in 2014 the Sopra Steria group had combined revenue of €3.4 billion.

Sopra Steria Group (SOP) is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris (Compartment A) – ISIN: FR0000050809.

For more information, visit us at www.soprasteria.com

Annexes