LYON, France & MIDDLETON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Esker, a global cloud platform and leader in AI-driven process automation solutions for Finance, Procurement and Customer Service functions, today announced that during its annual meeting held on June 19, 2024, at the company headquarters, Esker CEO Jean-Michel Bérard presented the company’s performance for FY 2023, which saw record sales momentum.
Esker’s sales growth was solid at 12%, while operating income represented 10% of sales. Despite a difficult economic climate, Esker succeeded in maintaining strong organic sales growth, accelerating its sales performance and preserving talent, while maintaining a fundamentally profitable and cash-generative structure.
In 2023, Esker demonstrated strong resilience and sustained growth despite a tense macroeconomic and geopolitical context. Sales rose by 12% (14% at constant exchange rates) to €178.6 million.
New contracts signed increased by 23% with a noticeable acceleration towards the end of the year, particularly in Europe and the United States. However, operating profitability (10% of sales) was down by 3.5 points compared with 2022, due to higher sales costs and expense inflation. Esker therefore adjusted its recruitment strategy to improve margins in 2024.
A dividend of €0.65 per share
Confident in its strategy and market positioning, Esker is distributing a dividend of €0.65 per share to shareholders, down 15% from the previous year. This distribution is in line with the company’s usual policy of paying out 26% of the year’s net income.
The coupon detachment date has been set at June 24, 2024, with a record date of June 25, 2024, and payment will take place on June 26, 2024. In accordance with the company’s bylaws, shareholders who have held their shares in registered or administered registered form for at least two years will receive a loyalty bonus of 10% (i.e., a bonus dividend of €0.71 per share).
Supervisory Board welcomes a new member
Shareholders approved the appointment of Ameeta Soni to the Esker Supervisory Board. This appointment reaffirms Esker’s commitment to promoting sustainable development, gender diversity and good governance practices. As Esker continues to innovate and expand its global reach, Ameeta Soni’s leadership will contribute to the company’s overall growth.
About Esker
Esker is a global cloud platform built to unlock strategic value for Finance, Procurement and Customer service professionals, and strengthen collaboration between companies by automating the cash conversion cycle. Esker’s solutions incorporate AI technologies to drive increased productivity, enhanced visibility, reduced fraud risk, and improved collaboration with customers, suppliers and employees. Founded in 1985, Esker operates in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific with global headquarters in Lyon, France, and U.S. headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information on Esker and its solutions, visit www.esker.com. Follow Esker on LinkedIn and join the conversation on the Esker blog at esker.com/blog.
