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SMA Solar Technology AG: Managing Board of SMA Solar Technology AG Decreases Forecast for Current Fiscal Year - Seite 2

is of great importance in view of the market for major solar projects and
the long-term service business."


The new earnings forecast takes into account one-off effects from the
consolidation of global production sites of a low double-digit million
amount. Some of these one-time items are already included in the earnings
for the third quarter. However, the positive impact on earnings from the
disposal of SMA Railway Technology GmbH is no longer considered in the
forecast. The Managing Board of SMA continues to anticipate the conclusion
of an agreement for the disposal of the SMA Railway Technology GmbH
subsidiary within the fourth quarter of 2016. Due to antitrust approval
requirements, the transaction is now expected to be completed in the first
quarter of 2017.


In the first nine months of 2016, SMA is expected to have generated sales
of more than EUR715 million (Q1-Q3 2015: EUR699.2 million). The Utility
business unit, which accounts for more than 40% of sales, was the main
sales driver here. International business accounted for around 90% of sales
in the first nine months of the fiscal year. The gross margin increased to
around 25% year-on-year (Q1-Q3 2015: 19.4%) and EBIT rose to approximately
EUR60 million (Q1-Q3 2015: EUR3.4 million). SMA generated high operating
cash flows and thus increased net cash to more than EUR350 million as of
September 30, 2015 (December 31, 2015: EUR285.6 million). As of September
30, 2016, the order backlog amounted to EUR588 million in total and was
thus slightly lower than the level of the previous year (September 30,
2015: EUR629 million). Around EUR170 million thereof was attributable to
the product business (September 30, 2015: EUR275 million). SMA will publish
the quarterly statement January to September 2016 on November 10, 2016.



About SMA
The SMA Group with sales of EUR1 billion in 2015 is the global market
leader for solar inverters, a key component of all PV plants, and offers
innovative key technologies for future power supply structures. It is
headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, and is represented in 20
countries. The Group employs more than 3,000 people worldwide. SMA has an
extensive range of products, which offers the right inverters for all
module types and plant sizes; for small residential systems as well as
large-scale plants, grid-connected photovoltaic systems as well as off-grid
and hybrid systems. Moreover, SMA offers system technology for various
battery technologies and system sizes and collaborates with renowned
battery manufacturers and companies from the automotive industry. The SMA