18. Pensions and other employee obligations

       

       

      03/31/2023

       

      03/31/2024

       

       

       

       

       

      Provisions for severance payments

       

      469.9

       

      488.3

      Provisions for pensions

       

      329.6

       

      308.0

      Provisions for long-service bonuses

       

      139.4

       

      153.6

       

       

      938.9

       

      949.9

       

       

       

       

       

      In millions of euros

      Provisions for severance payments

       

       

      2022/23

       

      2023/24

       

       

       

       

       

      Present value of the defined benefit obligations (DBO) as of April 1

       

      522.2

       

      469.9

       

       

       

       

       

      Service costs for the period

       

      8.7

       

      6.9

      Past service costs

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

      Interest costs for the period

       

      9.6

       

      16.9

      Gains (–)/losses (+) on plan settlements

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

      Changes in the scope of consolidation

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

      Severance payments

       

      –32.1

       

      –41.8

      Actuarial gains (–)/losses (+) due to changes in financial assumptions

       

      –65.0

       

      8.0

      Actuarial gains (–)/losses (+) due to changes in demographic assumptions

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

      Actuarial gains (–)/losses (+) due to experience-based adjustments

       

      26.7

       

      29.7

      Plan settlements

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

      Other

       

      –0.2

       

      –1.3

      Present value of the defined benefit obligations (DBO) as of March 31

       

      469.9

       

      488.3

       

       

       

       

       

      In millions of euros

      EUR 18.7 million (2022/23: EUR 16.0 million) in expenses were recognized in the income statement for defined contribution severance payments to external employee pension funds.

      Provisions for pensions

       

       

      Present value
      of the DBO

       

      Plan assets

       

      Provisions for pensions

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Balance as of April 1, 2022

       

      709.4

       

      –299.5

       

      409.9

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Service costs for the period

       

      7.1

       

      0.0

       

      7.1

      Past service costs

       

      0.3

       

      0.0

       

      0.3

      Net interest for the period

       

      15.0

       

      –6.2

       

      8.8

      Income (-)/loss (+) on plan assets (excluding amounts included in net interest)

       

      0.0

       

      26.3

       

      26.3

      Gains (–)/losses (+) on plan settlements/curtailments

       

      0.1

       

      0.0

       

      0.1

      Changes in the scope of consolidation

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

      Pension payments

       

      –36.4

       

      20.2

       

      –16.2

      Net exchange differences

       

      –5.5

       

      1.9

       

      –3.6

      Employer contributions/repayments

       

      0.0

       

      –1.5

       

      –1.5

      Employee contributions

       

      0.0

       

      –1.0

       

      –1.0

      Actuarial gains (–)/losses (+) due to changes in financial assumptions

       

      –118.1

       

      0.0

       

      –118.1

      Actuarial gains (–)/losses (+) due to changes in demographic assumptions

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

      Actuarial gains (–)/losses (+) due to experience-based adjustments

       

      11.8

       

      0.0

       

      11.8

      Plan settlements

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

      Other

       

      0.3

       

      5.4

       

      5.7

      Balance as of March 31, 2023

       

      584.0

       

      –254.4

       

      329.6

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      In millions of euros

      Provisions for pensions

       

       

      Present value
      of the DBO

       

      Plan assets

       

      Provisions for pensions

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Balance as of April 1, 2023

       

      584.0

       

      –254.4

       

      329.6

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Service costs for the period

       

      5.7

       

      0.0

       

      5.7

      Past service costs

       

      –1.2

       

      0.0

       

      –1.2

      Net interest for the period

       

      23.0

       

      –9.7

       

      13.3

      Income (-)/loss (+) on plan assets (excluding amounts included in net interest)

       

      0.0

       

      –4.2

       

      –4.2

      Gains (–)/losses (+) on plan settlements/curtailments

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

      Changes in the scope of consolidation

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

      Pension payments

       

      –36.8

       

      20.8

       

      –16.0

      Net exchange differences

       

      0.8

       

      –1.0

       

      –0.2

      Employer contributions/repayments

       

      0.0

       

      –28.4

       

      –28.4

      Employee contributions

       

      0.0

       

      –1.6

       

      –1.6

      Actuarial gains (–)/losses (+) due to changes in financial assumptions

       

      11.5

       

      0.0

       

      11.5

      Actuarial gains (–)/losses (+) due to changes in demographic assumptions

       

      –0.1

       

      0.0

       

      –0.1

      Actuarial gains (–)/losses (+) due to experience-based adjustments

       

      22.8

       

      0.0

       

      22.8

      Plan settlements

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

      Other

       

      –0.9

       

      –0.8

       

      –1.7

      Reclassification of liabilities held for sale

       

      –21.5

       

      0.0

       

      –21.5

      Balance as of March 31, 2024

       

      587.3

       

      –279.3

       

      308.0

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      In millions of euros

      The major plan asset categories for the periods presented in the Consolidated Financial Statements as of March 31, 2024, are as follows:

      2022/23

      Category

       

      Assets with a quoted market price in an active market

       

      Assets without a quoted market price in an active market

       

      Total assets

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Debt instruments

       

      38.4%

       

      0.0%

       

      38.4%

      Equity instruments

       

      30.6%

       

      0.0%

       

      30.6%

      Property

       

      0.0%

       

      4.5%

       

      4.5%

      Cash and cash equivalents

       

      4.2%

       

      0.0%

       

      4.2%

      Insurance contracts

       

      0.0%

       

      8.8%

       

      8.8%

      Other assets

       

      13.4%

       

      0.1%

       

      13.5%

      Total

       

      86.6%

       

      13.4%

       

      100.0%

      2023/24

      Category

       

      Assets with a quoted market price in an active market

       

      Assets without a quoted market price in an active market

       

      Total assets

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Debt instruments

       

      39.3%

       

      0.0%

       

      39.3%

      Equity instruments

       

      30.3%

       

      0.0%

       

      30.3%

      Property

       

      0.0%

       

      5.4%

       

      5.4%

      Cash and cash equivalents

       

      4.6%

       

      0.0%

       

      4.6%

      Insurance contracts

       

      0.0%

       

      8.8%

       

      8.8%

      Other assets

       

      11.6%

       

      0.0%

       

      11.6%

      Total

       

      85.8%

       

      14.2%

       

      100.0%

      The plan assets include treasury shares with a fair value of EUR 0.6 million (March 31, 2023: EUR 0.8 million).

      The average expected return is determined by the portfolio structure of the plan assets, empirical data, and estimates of future returns. The calculation of the provisions for pensions was based on an expected (average) interest rate of 3.8% on plan assets. The actual interest rate was 5.5% (2022/23: –6.7%).

      Pension obligations arising from the Group’s Austrian companies are transferred to APK-Pensionskasse Aktiengesellschaft.

      The investment policies aim to ensure that the plan assets have the best possible structure and that existing entitlements are always covered.

      Investment of the plan assets in Austria is governed by Section 25 Austrian Pension Fund Act (Pensionskassengesetz – PKG) and the Austrian Investment Fund Act (Investmentfondsgesetz – InvFG). Beyond these statutory requirements, the investment guidelines of APK-Pensionskasse Aktiengesellschaft regulate issues such as the range of asset allocation, the use of umbrella funds, and the selection of fund managers. New investment instruments or the use of a broader range of funds require the approval of APK-Pensionskasse Aktiengesellschaft´s management board. Both equity and debt securities are diversified globally, but most of the debt securities are denominated or hedged in euros.

      The assets of the Austrian Investment and Risk Association (Veranlagungs- und Risikogemeinschaft – VRG 15) are invested in international equity and bond funds, alternative investment strategies (e.g., properties and private equity) as well as money market funds. The Association´s long-term investment goal is to outperform the benchmark—30% global equities, 10% private equity, 40% global bonds, 5% cash, 5% alternatives, and 10% properties—and to cover its current and future payment obligations. In accordance with Section 25 PKG, the assets of VRG 15 are invested in ways that guarantee the security, quality, liquidity, and profitability of the assets allocated to the Association on the whole.

      Asset allocation or regional allocation that deviates from the benchmark allocation are permitted if APK-Pensionskasse Aktiengesellschaft believes that current asset prices and/or future expected returns warrant such an approach. Active asset management strategies may be utilized for all asset classes if market characteristics and/or cost/benefit considerations justify doing so.

      Most of VRG 15’s assets are invested in liquid markets where prices are regularly quoted. Assets for which no active market price is quoted (e.g., certain property assets and private equity strategies) may be subject to conservative approaches as long as the risk/return profile of such assets is deemed advantageous.

      Risk is managed actively, and it is generally expected that volatility and especially drawdown risks will be lower than the benchmark risk.

      EUR 57.3 million (2022/23: EUR 52.8 million) in expenses were recognized in the income statement for defined contribution plans.

      The sensitivity analysis of the key actuarial assumptions used to determine defined benefit obligations affects the DBO as follows:

      Sensitivities

       

       

      Interest rate

       

      Salary/wage increases

       

      Pension increases

       

       

      +1.0%

       

      –1.0%

       

      +0.5%

       

      –0.5%

       

      +0.25%

       

      –0.25%

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Pensions

       

      –10.2%

       

      +12.5%

       

      +0.3%

       

      –0.3%

       

      +2.3%

       

      –2.2%

      Severance payments

       

      –8.2%

       

      +9.5%

       

      +4.5%

       

      –4.2%

       

      0.0%

       

      0.0%

      Group-wide figures were determined for the effects associated with the interest rate, wage and salary increases, and pension increases. The sensitivities are not determined by way of estimates or approximations but instead by way of comprehensive analyses subject to variation of the parameters.

      For the business year 2024/25, the expected contributions to the defined benefit plans are EUR 1.8 million.

      The average interest-weighted term of pension plans is 11.5 years, and 9.1 years for severance payments.

      Provisions for long-service bonuses

       

       

      2022/23

       

      2023/24

       

       

       

       

       

      Present value of the long-service bonus obligations (DBO) as of April 1

       

      150.3

       

      139.4

       

       

       

       

       

      Service costs for the period

       

      9.2

       

      8.2

      Interest costs for the period

       

      2.8

       

      5.1

      Changes in the scope of consolidation

       

      0.0

       

      0.0

      Long-service bonus payments

       

      –8.0

       

      –10.1

      Actuarial gains (–)/losses (+) due to changes in assumptions

       

      –22.1

       

      3.2

      Actuarial gains (–)/losses (+) due to experience-based adjustments

       

      7.2

       

      8.4

      Other

       

      0.0

       

      0.1

      Reclassification of liabilities held for sale

       

      0.0

       

      –0.7

      Present value of the long-service bonus obligations (DBO) as of March 31

       

      139.4

       

      153.6

       

       

       

       

       

      In millions of euros

      Expenses/revenue associated with provisions for severance payments, pensions, and long-service bonuses recognized in the income statement are categorized as follows:

       

       

      2022/23

       

      2023/24

       

       

       

       

       

      Service costs for the period and past service costs

       

      25.3

       

      19.6

      Net interest for the period

       

      21.2

       

      35.2

      Gains (–)/losses (+) on plan settlements/curtailments

       

      0.1

       

      0.0

      Actuarial gains (–)/losses (+) from long-service bonus obligations

       

      –14.9

       

      11.6

      Expenses/revenue recognized in the income statement

       

      31.7

       

      66.4

       

       

       

       

       

      In millions of euros

      Net interest for the period is recognized in finance costs.

      Equity
      Assets made available to a corporation by the owners through deposits and/or contributions or from retained profits.
      Volatility
      The degree of fluctuation in stock prices and currency exchange rates or in prices of consumer goods in comparison to the market.