In the first half of the business year 2023/24, depreciation totaling EUR 383.5 million was less than actual investments of EUR 484.3 million. This effect mainly increased non-current assets from EUR 7,814.8 million to EUR 7,883.6 million. Due to a decrease in inventories arising from prices (see the consolidated statement of cash flows), compared with March 31, 2023, the carrying amount of the inventories as of the reporting date fell by EUR 106.5 million.
As of September 30, 2023, voestalpine AG’s share capital is EUR 324,391,840.99 (March 31, 2023: EUR 324,391,840.99) and is divided into 178,549,163 shares (March 31, 2023: 178,549,163). The company held 7,098,547 of its treasury shares as of the reporting date.
As described in the Consolidated Financial Statements 2022/23 on page 173, the Management Board has made use of a share buyback program of up to 10,000,000 ordinary shares (= about 5.6% of the share capital). In the period from November 10, 2022 to the end of the share buyback program on July 10, 2023, a total of 7,070,000 ordinary shares were repurchased.
On April 28, 2023, voestalpine AG issued senior unsecured convertible bonds in the amount of EUR 250 million with a term of five years in order to further optimize its financing structure. The convertible bonds, denominated in EUR 100,000 and with a maturity of five years, were issued at 100% of their nominal value and could initially be converted into approximately 6.1 million new and/or existing no-par bearer shares of voestalpine AG. The offering is being made by way of an accelerated bookbuilding process and is exclusively targeted at institutional investors in defined countries. The equity component of the convertible bond amounts to EUR 18.8 million.
Due primarily to changes in the actuarial result (positive), the currency translations (negative), and the cash flow hedges (positive), the profit after tax of EUR 332.5 million rose to total comprehensive income of EUR 365.4 million. The Annual General Meeting on July 5, 2023, resolved a dividend per share of EUR 1.50 for the business year 2022/23. Therefore, voestalpine AG has distributed dividends of EUR –257.2 million to its shareholders in the current business year. Equity increased to EUR 7,824.6 million, mainly as a result of the positive total comprehensive income.
In the current business year, particularly the adjustment of the discount rate from 3.8% as of March 31, 2023, to 4.2% as of September 30, 2023, results in a decrease in the provisions for pension and severance obligations and consequently in an actuarial gain of EUR 26.0 million (after deferred taxes) that is recognized in other comprehensive income. The adjustment in the discount rate leads to a decrease (recognized in income) of EUR 5.6 million (or EUR 4.3 million after deferred taxes) in the provisions for long-service bonuses.