DGAP-News

Wacker Neuson SE: Strong start to the year for the Wacker Neuson Group - Seite 2

increase revenue from machines for the agricultural industry by 15 percent
in Q1 despite the weak situation in the agricultural machinery sector
clearly confirms the effectiveness of our strategy," explains Peksaglam.
Revenue from light equipment rose 6 percent and was thus below Group
expectations. The late start to the construction season in the northern
hemisphere was one of the factors that affected performance here. The Group
generates a major part of its light equipment revenue outside of the
eurozone. Currency fluctuations therefore had a stronger impact in this
segment. When adjusted to discount currency effects, revenue was 5 percent
below the previous year's figure. Revenue from the services segment, which
includes the repairs and spare parts business, was 5 percent higher than
the prior-year quarter. When adjusted to discount currency effects, this
figure remained at the same level as the previous year.

The Wacker Neuson Group is committed to strengthening its position as an
innovation leader and its products regularly receive awards from
independent third parties. "In April, we presented many of our new products
and innovations to customers and business partners at Intermat in Paris,
this year's largest construction industry trade show. We unveiled our new
EW65 mobile excavator and the ET90 track excavator for the first time
together with the new zero-emissions DT10e electric track dumper," adds
Peksaglam.

Clear rise in profit
At EUR 31.7 million, profit before interest and tax (EBIT) for the first
quarter of 2015 was 43 percent higher than the previous year. This is a
record high for first-quarter profit for the Group. The EBIT margin
increased to 9.8 percent (Q1 2014: EUR 22.1 million; 7.6 percent). Profit
for the period amounted to EUR 21.3 million (Q1 2014: EUR 14.3 million).
This pushed up earnings per share by 49 percent to EUR 0.30 (Q1 2014: EUR
0.20). This tangible improvement in profit was fueled in no small part by
the Group's ongoing commitment to implementing efficiency-boosting measures
and leveraging synergies across the entire Group.

Increase in inventories for the start of the construction season
In contrast to the prior-year period, cash flow from operating activities
in the first quarter was negative at EUR -20.6 million (Q1 2014: EUR 18.7
million). This decrease stems, among other things, from the Group's
targeted efforts to increase inventories for the start of the 2015
construction season in its core markets. Before investments in working