Free cash flow this year – if calculated as Operating cash flow - investments - lease liability repayments – has indeed been only 0.9 M€. However, that is clearly more than the -1.2 M€ of the corresponding periods in 2023 / 2024.
4Q2023 was 2.3 M€, and 4Q2024 was as much as 4.7 M€.
I interpreted that some cash flow pumping has been practiced during 2025, so I would be surprised if a setback like last year’s occurred. This is because quite many companies perform their pumping at the end of the year, perhaps Eezy also did it earlier.
On the other hand, “one-offs” have already accumulated this year to the extent of 2024, it remains to be seen whether operating cash flow needs to be burdened with them in 4Q2025… Well, perhaps, let’s see, the decline in turnover has continued and the first quarter is the year’s low point.
My own interpretation, as can be inferred from the interview, is that the covenants are tightening more than the situation is improving. Probably in the 1Q2025 covenant negotiations, the focus has been more on 2025 covenants than 2026, as well as the perception that the business environment would improve in 2H2025 or similar. This has been hoped for and expected for the entire national economy for a long time… EDIT: an addition to that, both Saksi and Westermark mention that historically, the staffing industry was among the first to rise when an upturn begins.
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