Ad hoc announcements

Leclanché announces extension of the publication deadline for the 2023 annual report and releases its unaudited 2023 key figures

Tue Apr 30

Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

YVERDON-LES-BAINS, Switzerland, April 30, 2024 – In its decision of April 29, 2024, SIX Exchange Regulation AG approved an extension of the publication deadline of Leclanché’s (SIX: LECN) 2023 annual report until May 31, 2024.

The Company has requested an extension for submitting its 2023 annual report. This request comes as a result of significant internal optimisations carried out last year, which have greatly enhanced the Company’s value model and financial framework. The 2023 consolidated accounts now include three new entities, each with its own set of accounts, necessitating a more intricate consolidation process than in previous years.

These strategic enhancements include the transformation of Leclanché’s specialty business unit into a fully-owned subsidiary, Leclanché SBS SA, and the establishment of Leclanché Technologies SA. This new subsidiary consolidates all the Company’s intellectual property rights and patents, facilitating the revaluation of these assets within an IP box, effective from January 1, 2024.

Additionally, Leclanché has reorganised its involvement in a key solar and storage project in St. Kitts through Leclanché St Kitts Energy Holding Ltd. Following a pivotal agreement last year with Leclanché’s then-joint venture partner, Leclanché has now become the sole owner of this special purpose company.

Leclanché is releasing its unaudited key financial figures for the year 2023:

In 2023, the Company’s consolidated income reached CHF 18.7 million, with customer revenue achieving CHF 17.1 million, marking a notable increase from the CHF 7.8 million reported in the first half of the year. Despite a modest decline in revenue recognised under IFRS compared to 2022, it is important to highlight the CHF 2.8 million in net deferred revenues[1] on the Balance Sheet. This represents additional invoiced amounts to customers that are not yet recognised as revenue, underscoring Leclanché’s prudent financial management.

The Company recorded an unaudited net loss of CHF (67.5) million for the year, which is a substantial improvement from the CHF (85.6) million loss in 2022. This improvement was primarily due to reduced operating and financing costs.

The balance sheet remained stable as of December 31, 2023, with total assets increasing to CHF 108.5 million from CHF 90.8 million in 2022. This financial stability is a testament to the careful and strategic planning.

The Company’s ongoing commitment to growth and innovation continues to propel its success and lay the groundwork for future opportunities. The board remains optimistic about the Company’s ability to generate value for its shareholders and drive sustainable growth.

In its decision of April 29, 2023, SIX Exchange Regulation AG requested Leclanché to insert the below excerpt in this ad hoc announcement:

  1. The exemption request of Leclanché (Issuer) dated 26 April 2024 regarding an extension of the deadline to publish its 2023 annual report and to file such report with SIX Exchange Regulation AG until 31 May 2024 at the latest is granted with the following reservation (lit.

a) and under the following conditions (lit. b): SIX Exchange Regulation AG reserves the right to suspend trading of the registered shares of the Issuer in case its 2023 annual report is not published in accordance with the provisions on ad hoc publicity (Art. 53 of the Listing Rules [LR] in connection with the Directive on Ad hoc Publicity [DAH]) and not filed with SIX Exchange Regulation AG until Friday, 31 May 2024, 11.59 pm CET, at the latest.

b) Leclanché is required to publish a notice in accordance with the provisions on ad hoc publicity (Art. 53 LR in connection with the DAH) concerning this decision until Tuesday, 30 April 2024, 7.30 am CET, at the latest. The notice must contain:

  • the unaltered reproduction of the wording of para. I. of this decision, placed in a prominent position;
  • the reasons for the application of the Issuer requesting an extension of the deadline to publish its 2023 annual report and to file such report with SIX Exchange Regulation AG;
  • the unaudited key figures such as net revenues, EBITDA, EBIT, profit/loss, balance sheet total, equity etc. for the annual results 2023.

 

For more information, write to info@leclanche.com or visit www.leclanche.com.

 

[1] Net Deferred Revenues are defined as Contract Liabilities less Contract Assets.

 

 

About Leclanché

Leclanché is a world leading provider of low-carbon footprint energy storage solutions based on lithium-ion cell technology. Established in 1909 in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, Leclanché’s history and heritage is rooted in battery and energy storage innovation. The company’s Swiss culture for precision and quality, together with its production facilities in Germany, make Leclanché the partner of choice for companies seeking the very best in battery performance and who are pioneering positive changes in how energy is produced, distributed and consumed around the world. Leclanché is organised into three business units: energy storage solutions, e-Mobility solutions and specialty battery systems. The company currently employs over 350 people with representative offices in eight countries around the world. Leclanché is listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange (SIX: LECN). SIX Swiss Exchange : ticker symbol LECN | ISIN CH 011 030 311 9

 

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to Leclanché’s business, which can be identified by terminology such as “strategic”, “proposes”, “to introduce”, “will”, “planned”, “expected”, “commitment”, “expects”, “set”, “preparing”, “plans”, “estimates”, “aims”, “would”, “potential”, “awaiting”, “estimated”, “proposal”, or similar expressions, or by expressed or implied discussions regarding the ramp up of Leclanché’s production capacity, potential applications for existing products, or regarding potential future revenues from any such products, or potential future sales or earnings of Leclanché or any of its business units. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of Leclanché regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. There can be no guarantee that Leclanché’s products will achieve any particular revenue levels. Nor can there be any guarantee that Leclanché, or any of the business units, will achieve any particular financial results.

 

Contacts

 

Media contacts:

Switzerland / Europe: 

Thierry Meyer

T: +41 (0) 79 785 35 81

E-mail: tme@dynamicsgroup.ch

 

Germany:

Christoph Miller

T: +49 (0) 711 947 670

E-mail: leclanche@sympra.de

 

Investor contacts:

Pasquale Foglia / Pierre Blanc

T: +41 (0) 24 424 65 00

E-mail: invest.leclanche@leclanche.com