DGAP-News

Publication of the Final Figures for the Fiscal Year 2016 - Seite 2

The EBIT came in at EUR 11.1 million (previous year: EUR 5.0 million), which is within the given guidance. This represents an increased EBIT-margin of 6.3 percent after 3.4 percent one year ago. EBIT 2016 contained special items of EUR - 3.1 million, which included provisions for a customer project, for the refocusing of the Japanese sales organization as well as for Management Board remuneration still to be paid (at that time) to Dr. Per-Ove Hansson, who stepped down as CEO in August 2016. The EBIT for the fiscal year 2015 does not include any material special items. Earnings after taxes (EAT) amounted to EUR 5.0 million, compared to EUR 0.2 million in the previous year. The basic earnings per share (EPS) totaled EUR 0.26 (previous year: EUR 0.01).


The Free Cash Flow for the fiscal year before security transactions was EUR -9.1 million, compared to EUR 1.3 million in the previous year. Net liquidity decreased from EUR 40.0 million to EUR 31.1 million on December 31, 2016.

Outlook

Order entry in the first quarter of 2017 is expected to exceed the previous guidance of EUR 25 million to EUR 35 million, given on February 10, 2017. At this point of time, the Company expects that order entry in the first quarter of 2017 will range between EUR 35 million and EUR 45 million. The reason for the increased expectations is a generally more lively order behavior of the customers than originally expected for the first quarter of 2017.

After a fourth quarter 2017 with a record sales level of EUR 69.5 million, the Company expects a noticeable decline in sales in the first quarter 2017. Sales in the first quarter 2017 with most likely be around EUR 20 million (previous year: EUR 27.6 million). The lower sales level in the first quarter 2017 will have a negative impact on EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) in the first quarter 2017. At this point of time, the Company expects an EBIT below the previous year's level.

For the current fiscal year, the Company so far guided sales to be in the range of EUR 160 million to EUR 170 million and an EBIT to be in the range of EUR 9 million to EUR 13 million. At this point of time, the Company expects the increased order entry in the first quarter 2017 to have a positive impact on sales and EBIT for the full fiscal year 2017.