Group business is divided into operating segments based on how the company’s highest decision makers, i.e. executive management and the Board of Directors, follow the business. Peab believes segment reporting best describes Peab’s business regarding internal steering and risk profile for both the business areas and the Group as a whole. The Group is reported in the four business areas Construction, Civil Engineering, Industry and Project Development. The business areas correspond to operating segments.

Peab consolidates according to IFRS projects with Swedish tenant-​owner associations until the time the final homebuyers take over their apartments. This means that projects are reported on the balance sheet as work-​in-progress in the asset item project and development property and as interest-​bearing liabilities (project financing). Revenue and costs for the projects are recognized as homebuyers take over their homes. As a result of the change Peab recognizes all own housing development projects in Sweden, Norway and Finland according to the completion method.

To create clarity and enable the market to follow Peab’s development regarding our own housing development projects, in segment reporting revenue and expenses are recognized over time as the projects are successively completed. This applies to the business area Project Development and the unit Housing Development and refers to Swedish tenant-​​owner associations and our own single homes, Norwegian condominiums and share housing as well as Finnish residential limited companies.

In segment reporting leasing fees for all business areas are recognized linearly over the leasing period for additional leasing contracts according to IFRS 16 (previously operational leasing contracts). IFRS 16, Leases is applied in the consolidated accounts according to IFRS only as a total for the Group.

Financial key ratios such as capital employed, balance sheet total, equity, equity/assets ratio, net debt, debt/equity ratio and cash flow before financing are reported in segment reporting taking into consideration the above prerequisites. Net debt according to segment reporting includes the unsold portion of housing projects in ongoing production. For more information regarding accounting principles and important estimates and assessments, see note 1 and note 2.

The Group’s internal reporting is constructed so that executive management follows every business area up to and including operating profit and operating margin. For business area Industry and Project Development executive management also follows the development of capital employed and return on capital employed. The capital employed in the business areas consists of the business area’s total assets reduced by deferred tax recoverables and internal receivables from the internal bank Peab Finans with deductions for non-​interest-bearing liabilities and deferred tax liabilities.

Internal pricing between Group segments is based on the “arm’s length principle”, in other words, by well informed parties who are independent of each other and have an interest in the realization of the transactions.

Segments’ operating profit includes directly attributable items and items that can be reasonably and reliably allocated to a segment. Non-​allocated items consist of financial income and expenses, and taxes.

Operating segments

The Group consists of the following operating segments:

Construction: Business area Construction comprises Group resources in construction related services. Construction works for both external and internal customers. Customers are in both the private and public sectors. Operations are run through twelve regions in Sweden, three in Norway and two in Finland. Specialized housing production units are located in Stockholm, Gothenburg and the Öresund region. Construction maintenance operations are run in a nationwide organization in Sweden focused on the big city regions. The other regions perform all kinds of construction projects within their geographic area.
Civil Engineering: Business area Civil Engineering works with the construction of large infrastructure and civil engineering projects, foundation works and smaller projects on the local market. Civil Engineering also operates and maintains roads and municipal facilities. The operations are run in geographical regions in Sweden and Norway. Customers are the Swedish Transport Administration, municipalities and local businesses.
Industry: Business area Industry offers everything from mineral aggregates, concrete, paving and temporary electricity to prefabricated concrete elements. Industry also assists with crane and machine rental, distribution of binder to the concrete industry, transportation as well as recycles production waste and excavation soil. The business is run in six product areas; Mineral aggregates, Paving, Concrete, Transportation and Machines, Rentals and Construction System. All of them operate on the Nordic construction and civil engineering markets. Customers are mainly Nordic construction and civil engineering companies.
Project Development: Business area Project Development comprises Peab’s development of housing as well as commercial property and public buildings in Sweden, Norway and Finland. The business is run in two units, Housing Development and Property Development. Housing Development develops all kinds of housing such as apartment buildings in tenancy ownership, ownership and rental form as well as single homes. Operations in Property Development revolve around the acquisition, development and divestiture of commercial properties. The business includes projects in wholly owned and partly owned companies. Included in partly owned companies are, among others, Peab’s holdings in Fastighets AB Centur, Tornet Bostadsproduktion AB, Fastighets AB ML4, Skiab Invest AB and Point Hyllie Holding AB. Projects in wholly owned subsidiaries consist of a large number of holdings that include everything from land for development where zoning is being worked out to completed projects ready for divestiture. Net sales and operating profit from operations are derived from running our wholly owned property, shares in the profit from partly owned companies as well as capital gains from the divestiture of completed property and participations in partly owned companies.

Other operations are reported under Group functions and consist of central companies and Group functions.

Comments on the tables

Group net sales according to segment reporting decreased by seven percent in 2023 and amounted to SEK 58,821 million (63,135). After adjustments for acquired and divested units and exchange rate effects net sales decreased by eight percent. Of the year’s net sales SEK 16,740 million (18,892) were attributable to sales and production outside Sweden. Operating profit for 2023 according to segment reporting amounted to SEK 1,853 million (2,741) and the operating margin was 3.2 percent (4.3). To counteract the diminished housing market operations in construction production, housing development, rental operations and central support functions are being streamlined. All in all provisions, write-​downs and restructuring costs amount to SEK 525 million. A decision in the case between Peab and Unibail Rodamco Westfield regarding the contract for Mall of Scandinavia in Solna was handed down in 2023. The judgement entailed a positive effect on operating profit of SEK 400 million.

Net sales in business area Construction amounted to SEK 27,780 million (28,999). Operating profit amounted to SEK 441 million (629) and the operating margin was 1.6 percent (2.2). To counteract the diminished housing market we are adjusting construction production and shifting to other kinds of projects, resulting in provisions and write-downs. All in all this has charged business area Construction by SEK -465 million, of which SEK -125 million was write-downs in goodwill in Norwegian operations. Net sales in business area Civil Engineering increased to SEK 15,164 million (14,965) and the operating margin was 3.3 percent (3.3). Net sales in business area Industry decreased by seven percent and amounted to SEK 19,962 million (21,433). Operating profit amounted to SEK 962 million (747) and the operating margin was 4.8 percent (3.5). In business area Project Development net sales decreased and amounted to SEK 5,722 million (8,661). Operating profit amounted to SEK 304 million (1,127) and the operating margin was 5.3 percent (13.0). Operating profit in business area Project Development was substantially lower due to the weak demand for housing.

Geographic areas

Income from external customers is related to the countries customers are located in. The information concerning intangible and tangible assets is divided into the countries the assets are located in. The table below shows the amounts allocated per geographic region according to IFRS.