EXEL INDUSTRIES 466 0 Kommentare 2017-2018 first-half results : first-half results less positive than last year's - Seite 3

While the outlook in the Sugar Beet Harvesters activity still remains promising this year, the full-year divisional performance is unlikely to match that of 2016-2017 which was an exceptional year.
In the Garden Spraying and Watering segment, the season got off to a late start. New products launched in 2017 continue to drive growth.

In the Industrial Spraying division, sales of standard equipment and spare parts are increasing in all regions, with the exception of the USA where a sales and marketing action plan has been implemented.
In Agricultural Spraying, we expect lower sales than 2016-2017. This activity has barely stabilized in France: sales are recovering in large-scale crops but are down in the vineyard segment. In the USA, the action plan launched a few months ago should enable recovery in the second half.
In France, we are participating alongside Axema in the National Federation of Agricultural Operators' Unions (FNSEA) "solution contract" initiative designed to reduce the use of phytopharmaceutical products. This contract notably includes rejuvenating aging fleets of sprayers, which have an average age of 13 and half years, with more recent models that integrate modern technologies enabling application gains in the range of 50%.

The delay seen in the first half means that our full-year revenue is likely to be lower than in 2016-2017. Nevertheless, actions undertaken to improve our gross margins coupled with our efforts to bring fixed costs under control should enable us to maintain profitability levels and pay down debt."

· Upcoming events

- July 19, 2018 after market closing: Third quarter 2017-2018 sales;
- October 25, 2018 after market closing: Fourth quarter 2017-2018 sales;
- December 18, 2018, before market opening: 2017-2018 full-year results.

*EXEL Industries*	2009/2010	2010/2011	2011/2012	2012/2013	2013/2014	2014/2015	2015/2016 (13 months)	2016/2017
*Revenue in millions of euros*	384.4	430.1	525.3	740.2	775.4	725.2	819.3	874.2