Euler Hermes issued its first 2015 quarterly research into non-payment trends among Italian businesses

• After three years of recession, Italy may see a light at the end of the tunnel: higher GDP (+0.3%) in 2015 and in 2016 (+0.8%)
• Trading trends continued to worsen through 2014, despite some favorable signs. Both the frequency and severity of non-payments reversed their trend vs 2013, by -30% and -8% respectively. However, average non-payment amounts stood 63% above 2007 pre-crisis levels.
• Commodities and the paper segment recorded the most payment defaults; performance improved for food and pharmaceuticals for the second consecutive year
• Exporters could benefit from quantitative easing (QE), cheaper euro.

MILAN,  25-2-2015 — /EuropaWire/ — Euler Hermes, the worldwide leader in credit insurance, issued its first 2015 edition of the Non-Payments Report, a quarterly research into non-payment trends among Italian businesses. Detailed analysis of individual Italian regions, including in-depth research by trade sector, is drawn from daily monitoring of payments across the company’s proprietary database of approx. 450,000 businesses.

“The continued economic slowdown, flat consumption, the credit crunch and contracting investments remain the main contributors to the weakening of Italian businesses in 2014,” said Ludovic Subran, Euler Hermes chief economist. “The decreasing non-payment trend should be seen as a clear indicator of the slowdown impacting the entire national economy, and not as improved trade exchanges among Italian businesses.”

In 2014, non-payment between Italian businesses decreased in frequency (-30%) and severity (- 8%) compared to 2013. In transactions between Italian and foreign businesses, non-payment frequency decreased by 16%, while severity remained almost unchanged (+1%). However, 2014 data confirms that average outstanding amounts were still above 2007 pre-crisis levels: 63% domestically and 57% in export markets.

BUSINESS NON-PAYMENTS PER SECTOR

Very positive signs were registered in the agri-food and chemical/pharmaceutical sectors: an encouraging double-digit decrease in non-payments was recorded for the second consecutive year. The textile sector improved remarkably, especially compared to 2007 pre-crisis levels, after the latest economic cycle pushed marginal and small-sized businesses out of the market. Machinery and steel-making are on the rebound due to reorganization and restructuring efforts made by more companies from these sectors than others in the past two years.

“Our 2014 research confirms that the non-payment trend of the past two years continues, especially in the domestic market,” said Massimo Reale, director of Information & Grading at Euler Hermes Italia. “On one hand, Italian businesses proved able to manage liquidity, allocating funds to short-term operational management. On the other hand, however, following the economic crisis they concentrated on a smaller number of business partners, thus increasing non-payment severity even for well-established trade relationships.”

2015 OUTLOOK 

2015 should mark the end of Italy’s three-year recession. GDP should timidly return to positive growth (+0.3%) on the back of growing domestic consumption and the driving force of exports (+2.6%) that is supported by an army of approx. 214,000 exporters. In 2015 more than €10 billion of additional exports will involve mainly traditional partners like France and Germany as a quantitative easing (QE) benefit, as well as the U.S. and Switzerland, where euro depreciation will create additional advantages for export-oriented businesses. Chemistry, food, machinery and textiles will record the highest growth abroad. Continuing Russian sanctions will play a major role, but Italian companies have already begun seeking other export markets for the “made-in-Italy” brand, such as Poland and Romania. Business and consumer confidence index is expected to rise, supporting consumption growth. Investments will remain weak, but financial leverage will be under less pressure from the second half of 2015.

“In 2015, Italy should record a slight improvement of Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) to around 111 days, and in non-payments and insolvencies (-2%). The risk of foreign partners’ insolvency should also improve – the only exceptions being the Czech Republic and Russian and the emerging Brazil and China markets,” concluded Subran.

2014 NON-PAYMENT TRENDS FOR ITALIAN COMPANIES 

2014 NON-PAYMENT TRENDS FOR ITALIAN COMPANIES – REGIONS

Euler Hermes is the global leader in trade credit insurance and a recognized specialist in the areas of bonding, guarantees and collections. With more than 100 years of experience, the company offers business-to-business (B2B) clients financial services to support cash and trade receivables management. Its proprietary intelligence network tracks and analyzes daily changes in corporate solvency among small, medium and multinational companies active in markets representing 92% of global GDP. Headquartered in Paris, the company is present in over 50 countries with 6,000+ employees. Euler Hermes is a subsidiary of Allianz, listed on Euronext Paris (ELE.PA) and rated AA- by Standard & Poor’s and Dagong Europe. The company posted a consolidated turnover of €2.5 billion in 2014 and insured global business transactions for €860 billion in exposure at the end of 2014. Further information: www.eulerhermes.com, LinkedIn or Twitter @eulerhermes.

Euler Hermes Italia is the Italian leader in credit insurance. A member of the Euler Hermes group, it contributes to the business development of its insured, by protecting their customer portfolio. With 400 collaborators in central and local offices, it covers the whole Italian territory with 27 managing agencies. Euler Hermes Italia insures more than 4500 enterprises of any size and importance.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: The statements contained herein may include statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. In addition to statements which are forward-looking by reason of context, the words “may”, “will”, “should”, “expects”, “plans”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “estimates”, “predicts”, “potential”, or “continue” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Actual results, performance or events may differ materially from those in such statements due to, without limitation, (i) general economic conditions, including in particular economic conditions in the Euler Hermes Group’s core business and core markets, (ii) performance of financial markets, including emerging markets, and including market volatility, liquidity and credit events (iii) the frequency and severity of insured loss events, including from natural catastrophes and including the development of loss expenses, (iv) persistency levels, (v) the extent of credit defaults, (vi) interest rate levels, (vii) currency exchange rates including the Euro/U.S. Dollar exchange rate, (viii) changing levels of competition, (ix) changes in laws and regulations, including monetary convergence and the European Monetary Union, (x) changes in the policies of central banks and/or foreign governments, (xi) the impact of acquisitions, including related integration issues, (xii) reorganization measures, and (xiii) general competitive factors, in each case on a local, regional, national and/or global basis. Many of these factors may be more likely to occur, or more pronounced, as a result of terrorist activities and their consequences. The company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.
Contacts:

Euler Hermes Group Media Relations
Remi Calvet– +33(0)1 84 11 61 41
remi.calvet@eulerhermes.com

Euler Hermes MMEA
Head of Communications
Guglielmo Santella – +39 335 84 96 775
guglielmo.santella@eulerhermes.com