Adjusted EBITDAC Margin Expansion
Group adjusted EBITDAC margin expanded to 27% in Q4 (up from 25% a year ago) despite an organic revenue decline, reflecting cost savings and disciplined UA deployment.
Strong Gross Margin and DTC Mix
Group gross margin rose to 83% (up 3 percentage points YoY) and direct-to-consumer (DTC) bookings increased to 45% of total bookings (from 34% last year), supporting higher margin revenue.
Robust Free Cash Flow and Deleveraging
LTM free cash flow reached SEK 922 million; quarterly free cash flow SEK 290 million; total net debt reduced to SEK 5.0 billion (down SEK 1.1 billion YoY) and leverage improved to 2.02x EBITDAC (from 2.1x).
North America Profitability Turnaround
North America delivered an adjusted EBITDAC of SEK 23 million (up from SEK 6 million a year ago) and margin expanded to 12% from 1%, driven by sharp UA reductions (SEK 88m vs SEK 258m) and DTC rollout (24% of bookings vs 7% prior).
MENA & APAC Strong Growth and High Margins
MENA & APAC net revenue SEK 537 million with organic growth of 6.6%; adjusted EBITDAC grew to SEK 288 million delivering a 54% margin (up from 51% year-on-year).
Product and Portfolio Actions
Divestment of non-core narrative portfolio completed for USD 4 million (4x EBITDAC multiple) and management introduced a new franchise-focused reporting structure to prioritize >SEK200m annual revenue key franchises.
New Game Launch with Early Positive Signs
Big Farm Homestead launched in December with encouraging early metrics (no material revenue in quarter yet), indicating potential future growth opportunities in Europe.
Operational Cost Discipline Delivered Savings
Group UA spend declined to SEK 356 million from SEK 504 million YoY (UA as % of revenue down to 26% from 30%), and targeted cost programs reduced personnel and other operating costs in key areas.