(BFM Bourse) – In the first half of the year, the business transformation consulting group through data had to multiply initiatives to attract and retain new talent. And pressures on human resources have had an impact on the accounts of Micropolemarked by a deterioration in profitability.
The consulting group in business transformation through data ends this week in bad shape. Micropole accuses one of the strongest declines of the day on the Paris Stock Exchange in the wake of half-year accounts marked by a deterioration in its profitability.
The market reaction was immediate, Micropole loose over 15.5% to 0.98 euro, around 10:30 a.m. Compared to equity of 50 million euros, the file now valued on the stock market only 31 million euros, thus showing a discount of 40%…
In the first half, the group saw its current operating income fall to 2.7 million euros once morest 3 million euros the previous year. The level of current operating income shows a margin of 4% from an already known turnover of 65.8 million euros, up 8.9% compared to last year. At constant scope and exchange rates, business grew by 7.4%.
A tough race for talent
Micropole attributes this decline in current operating profit to “contrasting developments in several elements” including a sharp increase in leave and sickness rates over the half-year (balance of previous leave and Covid effect) including the impact on operating profit being of the order of 0.3 million euros. The disappointing performance of activities in Switzerland and pressure on human resources also weighed on this indicator.
Like other companies operating in the sector, Micropole is facing recruitment difficulties resulting from strong tension in the consulting and digital activities market. The race to retain and recruit talent has a cost. “A reinforcement of the recruitment teams has taken place and many loyalty actions have been carried out (renovation or new premises, relaunch of team animation actions, salary increases, etc.”)” explains the company. In the first six months of the year, Micropole thus increased the average salary by 4.4% compared to the first half of 2021.
For its part, operating income reached 0.9 million euros compared to 2.6 million euros in the first half of 2021, while net income from continuing operations was down sharply at 0.9 million euros, compared to 2 .2 million for the previous first half.
A climate of uncertainty
The international geopolitical context and market tensions (inflation, energy and commodity prices, exchange rates) create Micropole a general climate of uncertainty. The group continues to benefit from very sustained demand. The main difficulty for Micropole remains, to date, to find the human resources to respond to customer requests.
Despite these uncertainties, Micropole maintains its medium-term ambitions, in particular profitability, but does not give any quantified objectives. The company adds that it remains confident regarding the future development of the markets in which it is positioned.
Sabrina Sadgui – ©2022 BFM Bourse
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