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VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG: VERBIO AG shows continued earnings growth in second quarter of 2016/2017 and raises forecast

DGAP-News: VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG / Key word(s): Half Year Results VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG: VERBIO AG shows continued earnings growth in second quarter of 2016/2017 and raises forecast 09.02.2017 / 08:00 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. VERBIO AG shows continued earnings growth in second quarter of 2016/2017 and raises forecast

- Best half-year results in the Company's history

- EBITDA increased by 25 percent to EUR 49.0 million compared to the same period in the previous year

- Production capacity utilisation at near full capacity by the end of the financial year

Leipzig, February 9, 2017 - VERBIO AG earnings growth continues in the first half of the financial year 2016/2017.

Group revenues increased by 2 percent to EUR 338.8 million compared to the same period in the previous year (1 HY 2015/2016: EUR 330.8 million). Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the first six months of the financial year 2016/2017 amounted to EUR 49.0 million, a 25 percent increase over the comparative period in the previous year (1 HY 2015/2016: EUR 39.1 million). Earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) amounted to EUR 38.3 million, 9.6 percent greater than the comparative period in the previous year (1 HY 2015/2016: EUR 28.7 million). The net result amounted to EUR 26.2 million (1 HY 2015/2016: EUR 21.6 million). Based on the result for the period, earnings per share (basic and diluted) were EUR 0.41 (1 HY 2015/2016: EUR 0.34).

VERBIO produced 360,142 tonnes of biodiesel and bioethanol in the first six months of the 2016/2017 financial year, compared to 346,007 tonnes in the comparative period in the previous year. This represents a continued capacity utilisation rate of almost 100 percent. In addition, 283,487 MWh of biomethane were produced in the first half-year of the financial year 2016/2017 (1 HY 2015/2016: 264,003 MWh).

Development of the Biodiesel, Bioethanol and Other segments

Revenues in the Biodiesel segment in the first half-year 2016/2017 amounted to EUR 236.3 million (1 HY 2015/2016: EUR 217.2 million). The biodiesel production volume increased again and was 4 percent higher at 236,430 tonnes (1 HY 2015/2016: 227,101 tonnes). This resulted in full utilisation of the increased production capacity (470,000 tonnes annually). The Biodiesel segment contributed to the Group's results with an EBITDA of EUR 27.8 million (1 HY 2015/2016: EUR 15.5 million) and an EBIT of EUR 25.4 million (1 HY 2015/2016: EUR 13.4 million).