UPDATE 3-Scandal-hit Steinhoff says will suffer more in 2019
* Steinhoff publishes delayed 2018 results
* Warns impact of scandal to continue in 2019
* Posts loss for period of 1.2 bln euro vs 4 bln loss in
2017
* 2019 H1 results to be released on July 12
(Recasts with outlook, adds shares)
By Nqobile Dludla
JOHANNESBURG, June 18 (Reuters) - Steinhoff International
warned of the lingering damage from a massive
accounting scandal after the South African retail group reported
a 1.2 billion euro ($1.3 billion) annual loss, sending its
volatile shares down 8 percent.
Steinhoff first flagged holes in its accounts in December
2017 -- the warning shot for an accounting fraud since put at
over $7 billion -- shocking investors that had backed its
transformation from a small South African outfit to discount
furniture retailer straddling four continents.
While it reduced losses by 70 percent compared to the 4
billion euro figure in 2017, Steinhoff warned that the
reputational damage it had suffered and advisor and professional
fees would weigh on its performance this year.
These would compound a number of other factors dragging on
net sales, including asset disposals, a weaker global economy
and increased competition, its CEO Louis du Preez said in
message from management in the 328-page 2018 annual report
posted on its website.
"The company and group continue to work hard to recover from
the consequences of the announcement of 5 December 2017," the
message added.
Shares in Steinhoff, which owns Mattress Firm in the U.S.,
Fantastic chains in Australia and Conforama in France, fell 8
percent in Johannesburg on Wednesday morning after the news, but
had recovered to 1.42 rand per share by 0920 - a 5.3% decline.
In Frankfurt, where it has a secondary listing ,
its shares fell more than 10 percent but have since regained
some ground.
DELAYED EARNINGS
Steinhoff, under new management and working to clean up its
balance sheet after the fraud, blamed one-off expenses including
professional fees of 117 million euros and impairments for its
2018 loss.
The consequences of the scandal had a "severely negative"
impact on its results, the annual report said.
The retailer had to repeatedly delay the release of its
results for 2017 and 2018 as it waited for the outcome of an
investigation by auditor PwC into the scandal and for audits
from external auditor Deloitte, which kept missing deadlines due
to the complexity of the fraud.
PwC's probe found eight people, including former Steinhoff
executives, were involved in a scheme where potential
intercompany transactions worth 6.5 billion euros were
fraudulently recorded as external income to prop up profits and
hide costs in money-losing subsidiaries. [nL8N21258L]
In the 2018 reporting period, Steinhoff said sales were
affected by asset disposals to shore up liquidity as well as
tough trading conditions, with revenue from continuing
operations up 3% to 12.8 billion euros.
Asset disposals include a majority stake in a South African
auto dealership unit, Conforama's 17% stake in online fashion
retailer Showroomprive.com, Steinhoff's 13.5% stake in
investment firm PSG Group , a 43% stake in KAP
Industrial as well as property in Austria.
Its 2019 half-year results are scheduled for release on July
12. Net finance costs are expected to be higher than in 2018 as
fees related to the probe and restructuring effort inflate
expenses for another year.
($1 = 0.8929 euros)
(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; Additional reporting by Emma
Rumney
Editing by Chris Reese, Grant McCool and Keith Weir)
((nqobile.dludla@thomsonreuters.com; +27-11-775-3126; Reuters
Messaging: nqobile.dludla.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
Rank : negative
uk.reuters.com/article/...fer-more-in-2019-idUKKCN1TJ2X7?il=0