3U HOLDING AG

3U HOLDING AG continues its profitable growth course in the first half of the year

Business news for the stock market

Marburg (pta002/15.08.2018/07:40) - * Sales up 7 % to EUR 22.8 million and EBITDA increases by 60 % to EUR 4.4 million
* Cloud-Computing subsidiary weclapp with dynamic growth and Q2 earnings positively influenced by sale of properties
* Annual targets for 2018 firmly in sight: Sales should rise to EUR 46-50 million and EBITDA to EUR 8.0-9.5 million

After six months of fiscal year 2018, 3U HOLDING AG (ISIN DE0005167902) is on track for profitable growth. Due to sales increases in the segments ITC (Information and Telecommunications Technology) and SHAC (Sanitary, Heating and Air Conditioning), Group sales in the first half of the year increased by 7% to EUR 22.8 million (H1-2017: EUR 21.4 Million). Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the segment ITC has achieved growth in cloud-based solutions as well as solid contributions to sales and earnings from the traditional telephony business. For the former, the subsidiary weclapp can report substantial increases in customer acquisition. It increasingly succeeds in attracting larger companies with three or even four-digit employee numbers as customers, which is of fundamental importance for a scalable business model such as that of weclapp and promises sustained profitable growth for the future.

Despite the increase in sales, the segment SHAC remained below our expectations. However, measures have already been taken to reach the self-defined medium to long-term goals in the next 2-4 years.

As expected, sales in the segment Renewable Energies did not quite reach the level of the first half of 2017 due to the sale of a wind farm in the prior-year period and the resulting lower feed-in tariffs from power generation.

The Group's EBITDA improved significantly by 60% from EUR 2.77 to EUR 4.42 million. Group earnings climbed from EUR 0.23 million to EUR 2.16 million. This development was largely influenced by the sale of the properties in Hanover. Without these earnings, Group earnings would have been slightly above the previous year's level. Although personnel costs rose in view of the strong growth in the workforce at weclapp, the company made a significant contribution to EBITDA with EUR 0.43 million in the period under review (H1-2017: EUR 0.09 million).