Bombardier has seen a 57% rise in profits.
“Bombardier closed out the second full year of its five-year turnaround plan with very strong performance,” said Alain Bellemare, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier Inc. “Because of this solid performance, we begin 2018 with great momentum. Our operational transformation is in full motion; our growth programs - including the Global 7000 - are on track and we have a clear line of sight to our 2020 objectives.”
In 2017, Bombardier’s full-year EBIT before special items grew 57% year-over-year, from $427 million to $672 million, while EBITDA before special items(1) reached close to $1 billion. Full year EBIT margins exceeded guidance at Transportation, Business Aircraft and Aerostructures. Before special items, EBIT margins(1) were 8.4% at Transportation and Business Aircraft; and 10.0% at Aerostructures. Consolidated revenues for the year were $16.2 billion, in line with our guidance.
Free cash flow performance(2) for 2017 was better than guidance by more than $200 million, with a usage of $786 million. This over performance allowed Bombardier to end the year with a $3.1 billion cash balance and well positioned to achieve cash flow breakeven in 2018(3), a key objective of the Company’s turnaround plan.
“2018 will be a pivotal year for Bombardier,” Bellemare continued. “We are moving out of our investment cycle and into a strong growth cycle. Our focus is on flawless execution: bringing the Global 7000 into service; delivering on our major rail projects; and closing the Airbus partnership following regulatory approvals later this year.”
The company also announced that Transportation’s strong results in 2017 outpaced the performance targets underlying CDPQ’s investment in BT Holdco. Accordingly, for the 12-month period starting on February 12, 2018, Bombardier’s percentage of ownership on conversion of CDPQ’s shares will increase by 2.5%, up from 70% to 72.5%. Any dividends paid by BT Holdco to its shareholders during this period will be distributed on the basis of each shareholder’s percentage of ownership on conversion, being 72.5% for Bombardier and 27.5% for the CDPQ. These adjustments will become effective once the audited consolidated financial statements of BT Holdco are duly approved by its Board of Directors.