Investing.com -- Shares of Symrise AG (ETR:SY1G) (XETRA:SY1) edged down 0.7% today after the company reported mixed fourth-quarter results. The German flavor and fragrance manufacturer posted a slight increase in adjusted EBITDA, achieving €504 million.
However, organic growth in the fourth quarter was lower than expected, at 1%. Symrise's overall Q4 sales reached €1,175 million, compared to the consensus of €1,158 million.
The company's organic growth was 1%, or 5.9% excluding hyperinflation effects, driven primarily by a 6.5% increase in volumes. The company's portfolio effect detracted 0.9%, while currency effects contributed a positive 4.8%.
The company's Taste, Nutrition & Health division reported a 0.7% decline in organic sales for the fourth quarter, which was below both Jefferies' and consensus estimates. Despite this, the division's EBITDA increased to €339 million, surpassing the consensus of €326 million. EBITDA margins in this division improved by 220 basis points.
Symrise demonstrated financial strength with robust free cash flow (FCF) generation. The company's operating cash flow for the second half of the year was €607 million, an increase from €576 million in the same period the previous year.
Business free cash flow for the second half reached €454 million compared to €447 million in the prior year. Symrise has set a target for business FCF to reach approximately 14% of sales by the fiscal year 2025.
Net financial debt, including pensions and leases, stood at €2,343 million, equating to 2.3 times net debt to EBITDA ratio. Despite the mixed results, the company remains optimistic, providing guidance for organic sales growth between 5-7% and EBITDA margins around 21% by fiscal year 2025.
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