The group had suffered a net loss of 204 million euros last year due in particular to the stoppage of construction sites during the first restrictions linked to the health crisis. In a statement released Thursday, the manufacturer confirms its objectives for 2021, despite "a context still uncertain".
"In 2021, the turnover and the results of the group should be much higher than those of 2020, without however reaching those of 2019" assured Thursday the financial director of the group, Pascal Grangé, during a conference call, anticipating a way out of the crisis next year.
"In 2022, the group's current operating income should return to a level equivalent to or slightly higher than that of 2019" he added. In the first quarter, the group, whose activities range from construction sites to telecoms, saw its turnover increase by 7%, to 7,742 billion euros, driven by "solid commercial activity" and growth "in all businesses ".
In the first quarter, order intake for the "Construction" activity jumped in France (+ 35% to 1,142 billion euros), compared to the first quarter of 2020 marked by the implementation of the first containment, but fell internationally (-12%).
At the end of March, the order book increased slightly over one year by 2% at constant exchange rates and scope, to 33,4 billion euros, despite a slight decline in France (-2%).
Future media giant
Its subsidiary TF1 posted growth of 3% over one year, with sales of 510 million euros in the first quarter.
Bouygues announced Monday that it intended to spend 641 million euros to seal a merger between its subsidiary TF1 and its historic competitor M6, and to form a French media giant against the digital platforms of GAFA.
This operation could lead to annual synergies of "250 million to 300 million euros at the end of the first three years of the transaction", but remains subject to analysis by the Autorité de la concurrence des marchés, says Bouygues in his press release.
According to Mr. Roussat, in France "the digital advertising market", achieved "two-thirds by Google and Facebook", is now "twice as large as the TV advertising market".
The two American behemoths "capture 90% of the growth of this market" he added to defend his merger project, which presents a risk of monopoly on audiovisual advertising in the country.
Objectives confirmed for Bouygues Telecom
In the telephony market, the Bouygues Telecom subsidiary has improved its annual profitability target, the group said Thursday.
The operator saw its turnover jump 17% in the first quarter, to 1,7 billion euros, and intends to increase its EBITDA (gross operating surplus), after rent, by 7% this year.
Profitability remains affected by the pandemic, which limits travel and therefore income from roaming (to the tune of 20 million euros).
Finally, Alstom's contribution to the group's net profit amounts to 121 million euros, against 35 million last year, the group said on Thursday.
This increase is mainly due to the sale in March of shares in the railway manufacturer held by Bouygues, which now only owns 3,12% of Alstom's capital.