Nekkar ASA (NKR) Earnings Call Transcript & Summary

Good morning, everyone. I am Ole Falk Hansen, the CEO of Nekkar. Welcome to the presentation of our second quarter and half year results for 2026. Please note that a separate half year report has been published today. As a reminder, Nekkar is a long-term industrial company builder focused on ocean-based technology companies. The Nekkar Group consists of 5 operating companies. And from now on, we also own 100% of FiiZK, which I will come back to afterwards. The Nekkar operating companies are exposed to 4 main end markets with defense and maritime being the largest. The target market revenue mix is also fairly balanced across these 4 end markets, providing a good diversification. Let me take you through the highlights of our second quarter. In June, we exercised the FiiZK call option acquiring the remainder of the shares of the company. Total consideration was NOK 90 million and was settled in Nekkar shares from treasury. So no cash out of the company. We now control 100% of the shares and FiiZK is consolidated from the third quarter. After the quarter end, Globetech also completed its second add-on acquisition, taking 60% of the maritime communication and electronic supplier, Satco. Satco was founded in 2008 and is based in Sandnes and had revenues of NOK 45 million last year with solid profit margin, which will be a good complement to the Globetech business. On Syncrolift, we had 2 awards in the quarter. In May, we signed a EUR 8.5 million contract from South Red Sea Shipyard in Egypt. And in June, a USD 10.5 million modernization contract was signed with an undisclosed Navy customer in the Middle East. Together, they demonstrate different parts of the business, commercial newbuild and naval upgrade. For the financials, revenue came in at NOK 129 million against NOK 139 million in the same quarter last year. EBITDA was NOK 5 million, up from minus NOK 12 million a year ago, giving a margin of 3.6%. We saw strong positive cash development in the quarter with plus NOK 64 million in cash from business and an ending cash of NOK 167 million going out of the quarter. As mentioned, second quarter revenue was NOK 129 million, in line with first quarter and still reflects the low new build volume in Syncrolift. EBITDA of NOK 5 million gives a margin of 3.6%, which is down from 5.5% in the first quarter. Techano Oceanlift is now close to breakeven at the EBITDA level, which is a meaningful improvement and Globetech and Intellilift continues to contribute with solid margins. Order intake in the quarter was strong with NOK 294 million, which is a doubling from last year's second quarter. The order backlog is now at NOK 1.2 billion at the end of June. Our order intake improvement was largely driven by the two previously mentioned Syncrolift orders. Note that the order backlog now also include FiiZK from this quarter, while FiiZK orders are not reflected in the order intake. Now let's turn to Syncrolift. For markets and sales, we had two awards in the quarter. The EUR 8.5 million contract for South Red Sea Shipyard in Egypt, with the delivery schedule for the fourth quarter of 2027. This is a commercial yard handling a broad vessel mix. And in June, a USD 10.5 million modernization contract from an undisclosed Navy customer in the Middle East. The scope includes rectification of an existing articulated platform, control system upgrade and supporting equipment and the delivery is about 18 to 20 months. This is now our third rectification project. Modernization of existing facilities is becoming a more meaningful part of the business. Tendering activity remains high across both defense and commercial segments, and defense continued to make up a substantial share of the prospect pipeline. As we have said before, the exact timing of awards remain linked to factors outside Syncrolift controls. For the financials, second quarter revenue was NOK 57 million against NOK 72 million in the same quarter last year. The newly signed projects are only impacting revenue with a few million in this quarter. Service revenue continues to grow and last 12-month revenue is now at NOK 117 million with continued solid profitability. The EBITDA was close to NOK 3 million and a margin of 5%, which reflects the below-normal newbuild activity level. Execution on ongoing projects is solid and 2 new awards has already been kicked off. We continue to see a healthy outlook for Syncrolift activity levels. The Syncrolift order backlog stands at NOK 653 million at the end of June, up from NOK 483 million in the last quarter. Tendering activity in the new build and upgrade segment remains high. The total tender pipeline is somewhat increased to around NOK 8.7 billion with approximately NOK 5.7 billion expected to be awarded during 2026 and 2027. We have revised our 2026 tender pipeline to reflect some more uncertainty on timing of year-end versus start of next year. It's been a continuous challenge to estimate the award timing, and we have constantly updated as we see its progression. Intellilift is our software and automation provider with a key focus on offshore drilling. In April, Intellilift secured 2 further contracts. One Smart Connect award for a jackup rig in the Middle East, which is the first jackup deployment for the company. The other an automation contract for a floater in West Africa with a duration of around 18 months. This takes total awarded automation projects to 17 at quarter end, which you can see at the bottom right graph. One additional Smart Connect contract was signed in July after quarter end. Financially, second quarter revenue was NOK 17 million, up from NOK 15 million last year with an EBITDA of close to NOK 3 million against NOK 2 million last year, with a margin of 16%. The drilling project and the SaaS revenue came in as expected. However, cost on internal delivery projects to Techano were somewhat higher in the quarter, affecting the margin in this quarter. We see underlying profitability improvement year-on-year, supporting by growing share of high-margin SaaS revenue. The important dynamic is the recurring revenue build. Rigs are live software contracts went from 2 to 5 during the quarter, and the margin mix will improve as SaaS becomes a larger share of the total mix. Installation and commissioning of Deepwater Titan was completed during the quarter, and the automation software went live on 2 new rigs in the quarter. So let me spend some more time on the Intellilift products and offering. This slide illustrates the main features of 2 of Intellilift's main products, automation and Smart Connect. Today's rigs are equipped with existing hardware and OEM controls. Intellilift provides rig and OEM-agnostic software solutions to enhance efficiency through standardized performance. There are 2 main products. InteliAutomate and InteliTrak is the automation layer. It takes repetitive sequences on the drill floor and runs them automatically on top of whatever drilling package the rig already has. The services are delivered without major modifications to the rigs setup and equipment. The services are officially sold through our joint venture, InteliWell, but all services and deliveries are performed through a subcontract to Intellilift. Smart Connect is the open plug-in interface. It connects third-party apps and software to the rig controls through one open standardized interface, which is what enables downhole integration, remote operations and performance analytics on the rig. This enables integration of software from Schlumberger, Halliburton, Bakers and other, making Smart Connect a fantastic tool for collaboration. The business model for the mentioned products are always through an installation fee followed by a recurring SaaS for the installed product. The installation is one time revenue and is performed without taking the rig on downtime. We do this offshore normally between well programs. Margin is around 30%. For the SaaS, we are paid a fixed day rate per rig depending on rig type, which is billed around 330 days a year when the rig is on contract at a very high margin of 78% to 80%. That is good software economics. Today, we have 17 awarded automation systems, up from 5 at year-end 6 months ago. So the revenue base is contracted and visible, and it scales as installations complete and it's not depending on large new order intake. This is also why the margin mix improves over time, which is the dynamic we flagged a quarter ago. In Globetech, we continue to see commercial activity and growth in the contracted fleet. Market and sales and commercial activity remains good with a broad pipeline across both new and existing customers. The contracted fleet continued to grow through the quarter, reaching 224 vessels at quarter end. For the financials, second quarter revenue grew 18% year-on-year to NOK 30 million with an EBITDA margin of 27%. Globetech is continuously reporting growth with high margins coming from a meaningful proportion of recurring revenue. After the quarter, Globetech acquired 60% of Satco, a Sandnes-based supplier of maritime communication, navigation and CCTV systems. This is Globetech's second add-on acquisition, following FirstPoint in Poland last year. Let's take a closer look at Satco. As mentioned, Satco is a Norwegian supplier of maritime communication, connectivity and navigation systems. The company has a track record of delivering double-digit growth and high margins, reaching 26% EBIT last year. On the transaction itself, Globetech has now acquired 60% of the shares with the remaining 40% following in 2029 at the price based on realized earnings. The price is not disclosed, but the structure is highly accretive at low single-digit multiples and derisk through payment in two tranches and funded from Globetech's available cash. Satco is consolidated into Globetech and Nekkar accounts from the closing on 1st of August. So it contributes already from the third quarter. The strategic rationale is a one-stop delivery, one supplier for the onboard equipment, the connectivity that runs through it and the support that keeps it working. Satco satellite antennas bundle with Globetech's network management and also the managed IT services. For Globetech, this adds recurring revenue and a broad customer base and a stronger product offering. Moving to Techano Oceanlift, our offshore lifting and load handling provider. Tendering activity continues across offshore subsea and aquaculture. Commercial focus remains on repeat product deliveries where cost and execution risks are known. For the financials, this is the quarter where the improvement becomes visible. Second quarter revenue was NOK 28 million with an EBITDA close to breakeven against minus NOK 14 million in the same quarter last year. There were no new cost overruns in the quarter. That said, the position has not changed. Techano needs new orders to be secured to realize a positive EBITDA margin on a sustained basis. Two advanced offshore cranes are now delivered and one already in operations with good results and two advanced offshore cranes are currently in execution. And we continue to focus on cost control and follow-up across all project phases for the mentioned two remaining projects. Turning to FiiZK, the most important change this quarter is the ownership change, which I will get back to on the next slide. For market and sales, we continue to see strong market interest in closed containment solutions. The Miljøfleks framework remains a positive structural driver and the Slåtteneset delivery to Mowi last year, together with 4 units in production from Mowi as of now, has established a clear proof of concept and we have dialogue with several Norwegian and also international salmon farmers for these deliveries. Second quarter revenue was NOK 68 million, up from NOK 41 million in the same quarter last year. Nekkar share of FiiZK results for the quarter was minus NOK 0.8 million. And it's accounted for as an equity method in line with previous quarters, which will now change from the coming quarter. The 4 units order to Mowi on the Protectus is progressing well. A yard inspection during the quarter was finalized with positive feedback on procedures and progress. So let's spend some time on the FiiZK acquisition. In June, we executed the call option to acquiring BEWI or BEVEST's stake in FiiZK. This is the option we secured back in 2023 when we entered the holding in FiiZK and we have now chosen to exercise it. Total consideration is NOK 90 million to take a full control of FiiZK by acquiring shares from Bevest and also other minority shareholders, including the takeover of a shareholder loan. Settlement is mainly Nekkar shares from treasury, so no cash out of the company. And this implies a FiiZK cost price for Nekkar of around NOK 130 million, which is now recorded in our books. In accounting terms, FiiZK was an associated company on the equity method until the end of second quarter. The balance sheet is now fully consolidated from that date, and the P&L will be included from the third quarter onwards. We believe the time for increasing our investment in FiiZK is very valid. Firstly, the technology is proven and commercial. 24 systems are delivered and more than 100 million post-smolt produced in them. Secondly, FiiZK is the clear market leader for closed containment solutions. And thirdly, we believe the market will see fundamental growth going forward, both from pure commercial reasons and supported by governmental incentives. On ownership going forward, FiiZK will be developed as an operating company under our buy-to-own model. And we intend to keep investing in technology companies serving aquaculture. The profile we look for is technology suppliers with commercial traction with revenues from roughly NOK 50 million to NOK 100 million and also solid underlying operations. Let's take a closer look at some of the key financial details. Revenue for the quarter came in at NOK 120 million, down 7% year-on-year. On profitability, the EBITDA ended at NOK 5 million, a margin of 3.6% against minus NOK 12 million in the second quarter last year. As mentioned, the drivers are Globetech and Intellilift contributing solid margins. Techano Oceanlift moving from minus NOK 14 million to roughly breakeven. And group margin still remains below historical levels, and the main reason is still a low newbuild volume in Syncrolift. EBIT came in at NOK 2 million, up from minus NOK 16 million a year ago, and the net financial items were positive at NOK 6 million, mainly foreign exchange gains and interest income. And this also includes Nekkar share of FiiZK results in the quarter. This slide shows the key financial metrics for the operating companies. A more detailed segment breakdown is available in the quarterly Excel appendix published on our website. For the balance sheet, the material change this quarter is the FiiZK consolidation, which is consolidated from the end of the quarter. The equity accounted investment of NOK 52 million in previous quarters reported on the financial assets is now replaced by a consolidated assets and liabilities. The consolidation adds NOK 289 million to the asset side, of which NOK 216 million is intangible assets. On the liability side, the long-term provision relates to the estimated 2028 cash payment for the remaining 33% Globetech share. The FiiZK consolidation also bring long-term interest-bearing debt of NOK 17 million to the balance sheet. The equity ratio is solid at 47% going out of the quarter. Working capital stands at minus NOK 87 million, where minus NOK 94 million comes from the FiiZK consolidation, which has solid customer prepayment. Cash at the quarter end was NOK 167 million, and we have an undrawn credit facility of NOK 200 million, too, providing good flexibility. Turning to cash flow. We started the quarter with NOK 95 million in cash, and cash from business was strong with NOK 64 million in the quarter, driven by working capital reductions. Furthermore, we spent NOK 11 million on the share buyback during the program. One point worth mentioning, the FiiZK acquisition was settled entirely in Nekkar shares, so there are no cash considerations. On the contrary, consolidating FiiZK brought NOK 80 million of bank deposits onto our balance sheet and we ended with NOK 167 million going out of the quarter in cash. Nekkar retains a strong financial foundation. Gross cash was, as mentioned, NOK 167 million against interest-bearing debt of NOK 17 million coming from the FiiZK consolidation. The treasury holding reduced during the quarter as 4.5 million shares were used as consideration for the FiiZK acquisition. Using our own shares to consolidate the company we know well is an efficient use of our balance sheet. At the quarter end, we held 5.5 million treasury shares at an average purchase price of NOK 11.71, and a book value of NOK 65 million. Together, this gives a toolbox for growth, solid financial capacity and disciplined capital allocation enables us to invest in long-term value creation. We expect continued solid operational cash flow going forward. So let me summarize. Our portfolio is broadening with FiiZK being consolidated and a second Globetech add-on completed. Both were funded from the balance sheet without taking on debt and the FiiZK transaction was settled entirely in our own treasury shares. With current backlog, we see a positive outlook for 4 out of 5 of our operating companies to grow both revenues and profits in the coming quarter. For Techano Oceanlift, new orders are needed to secure positive EBITDA margins. Thank you for listening, and let's round off with some Q&A.

We have quite a few questions this morning. So let's start with Syncrolift. Could you provide more color on the expected timing and delivery schedule for the $10.5 million Syncrolift modernization contract with the undisclosed Middle East Navy customer awarded in June? Or is the uncertainty in the region affecting the timing?

Yes. So this contract was signed in June and already has kicked off and gained progress. And there is 18 to 20 months delivery time. And the order was signed way after the Middle East crisis appeared. So we expect the project now to continue within this time frame of 18 to 20 months delivery.

Moving on, still on Syncrolift. Can you elaborate on the recent organizational strengthening at Syncrolift specifically the appointment of a new CFO and the additional hires in aftermarket sales? How do these new additions support the company's focus on service revenue growth and overall operational execution going forward?

I think it's a continuous strengthening and evolution of Syncrolift as a strong platform company within Nekkar. And the changes and the hires are partly due to people going on retention and strengthening the organization. So we believe hiring now a full-fledged CFO and also strengthening aftermarket will be a good complement to realize the targets for Syncrolift going forward.

Great. Then on the Syncrolift ASMAR option. Is the exercise of that option being delayed by civil works at the yard? And do you have a time line for when ASMAR is expected to confirm and whether that is still within 2026 or likely to slip?

Yes. So the ASMAR option, as we have been concrete on that project, I can comment on that specifically. There has been a redesign of the layout of the yard due to the total CapEx consideration for the civil works part of it. So that's now being redesigned and retrofitted into a new solution, whereby the Syncrolift delivery remains as in the option. With this redesign, and also part of the tender pipeline movement, as you saw on the slide, we have moved this project into 2027.

The graph on Page 9 states that Syncrolift lost one newbuild project in 2026. Can you give any comment to the project type in nature, value or any other?

Yes, that's a U.S. project which was lost to Pearlson in the quarter, and that's the one in there. The tender value I'm uncertain about or the contract value but that's the one listed. And also we have included the one award to South Red Sea on our side, while the upgrade to the Navy customer is not counted as we count newbuild projects.

Final Syncrolift question. There have been recent reports about two ship lift projects in Argentina: the reactivation of the existing Syncrolift at the Comodoro Rivadavia shipyard and the construction of a new Syncrolift type system at Pareto [indiscernible]. Can you confirm whether Syncrolift has any involvement past or present in either of these projects?

I think I will not go into specific project details on these matters.