(Updated with details on margin, conference call, stock price)
PARIS, Feb 3 (Reuters) – Dassault Systèmes on Thursday warned of a decline in its operating margin in 2022 as it plans to raise the salaries of its employees due to a “war for talent”.
The software company specializing in 3D design expects a full-year operating margin of between 32.7% and 33.1%, after reaching 34.5% in 2021.
“There is a talent war, so we are going to have some inflation on wages, and we must continue to hire significantly in certain regions”, explained the director of operations Pascal Daloz during a conference call.
On the Paris Stock Exchange, Dassault Systèmes shares fell 2.69% to 41.86 euros in the morning.
In 2021, Dassault Systèmes benefited from strong commercial momentum which enabled it to record non-IFRS revenue up 11% at constant exchange rates, at 4.86 billion euros.
For 2022, non-IFRS revenue is expected to increase organically by 9% to 10% to reach between 5.3 billion and 5.35 billion euros.
The group is also aiming for a 3% to 6% increase in its non-IFRS EPS per share this year, between 0.98 euros and 1 euro, against 0.95 euros in 2021.
For the current first quarter, Dassault Systèmes expects organic growth of 9% to 11% of its turnover and an EPS of between 0.23 and 0.24 euro. (Blandine Hénault report, edited by Matthieu Protard and Sophie Louet)