- Total operating performance (€39.6 billion) and revenue (€30.7 billion) above previous year
- Profit before tax at level of previous year
- Net debt further reduced
Mannheim, 24 May 2022 – The PHOENIX group has confirmed its position as a leading healthcare provider in Europe with a solid annual result. With a total operating performance of €39.6 billion in fiscal year 2021/22 (31 January 2022), the company achieved an increase of 10.3 per cent compared with the previous year. Total operating performance, which comprises revenue and handling for service charge, is the key figure relevant to pharmaceutical wholesale. At €30.7 billion, revenue was also above the comparison period with an increase of 8.9 per cent as well as above the level of the European pharmaceutical markets. With €298.0 million (previous year: €298.7 million) profit before tax was on the level seen in 2020/21. Adjusted for significant one-off effects, profit before tax increased from €287.8 million to €334.7 million compared with the previous year.
Robust performance from the PHOENIX group
“The PHOENIX group has presented resilient key financial figures for 2021/22. We have grown organically in all regions across Europe,” stated Sven Seidel, Chief Executive Officer of PHOENIX Pharma SE. “In challenging times of a global pandemic, we have proven our effectiveness as a systemically important company. With remarkable commitment, our 40,000 employees have demonstrated why PHOENIX is the backbone of European healthcare,” Seidel added.
Market leadership in Germany confirmed
In Germany, the leading pharmaceutical wholesaler recorded a revenue increase of 9.9 per cent or €966.0 million compared with the previous year to €10.7 billion. With a 34.7 per cent share of revenue (previous year: 34.4 per cent) Germany is the largest market in the group.
Advances in digitalisation
In Germany and other European healthcare markets, one focus area was the ongoing development of omnichannel services, the smart combination of offline and online solutions. In Germany, for example, “gesund.de” connects end customers with local healthcare service providers. In the United Kingdom, “Hey Pharmacist” functions as a health portal that patients can use to submit repeat prescriptions online for collection in a pharmacy. In the area of e-commerce, PHOENIX has expanded its activities to 16 countries and achieved double-digit growth rates on average.
Plans to expand European business
In July 2021, the PHOENIX group announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire parts of McKesson’s European business activities. The companies’ agreement includes McKesson Europe’s operations in Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Slovenia as well as the European headquarters in Stuttgart, German company recucare GmbH, and the minority stake in the Brocacef Groep joint venture in the Netherlands. The transaction is subject to antitrust approval and other customary closing conditions.
Additional challenges foreseeable – with optimism into the 2022/23 fiscal year
Commenting on the 2022/23 fiscal year, which has now begun, CEO Seidel said: “For this and the coming year, we see additional challenges ahead due to rising costs and upcoming investments in digitalisation. We nevertheless remain optimistic about the company’s performance and want to expand our position as a leading healthcare provider.” For 2022/23, the PHOENIX group anticipates an increase in revenue slightly above the level of growth of the European pharmaceutical markets. Revenue growth is expected in nearly all markets in which the company is present. Profit before tax is forecast to be at the level of the previous year. A slight increase is expected in the equity ratio.
Key figures of PHOENIX Pharma SE compared with the same period of the previous year
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Total operating performance1 | 35,902.0 | 39,612.8 |
Revenue | 28,209.1 | 30,723.4 |
EBITDA (before significant one-off effects) | 642.5 | 705.7 |
EBITDA | 653.4 | 669.0 |
EBIT | 354.2 | 356.3 |
Profit before tax (before significant one-off effects) | 287.8 | 334.7 |
Profit before tax | 298.7 | 298.0 |
Profit after tax | 226.7 | 211.6 |
Equity2 | 2,959.7 | 3,168.2 |
Equity ratio (in %)2 | 28.6 | 29.5 |
Net debt2 | 2,006.9 | 1,829.8 |
Employees | 39,532 | 39,773 |
(Balance sheet date 31/01/2022)
1 Total operating performance = revenue + handled volume (handling for service charge).
2 As at reporting dates 31/01/2021 and 31/01/2022.
