DGAP-News

AURELIUS publishes provisional figures for 2016 - Seite 3

Solid financial resources also permit considerable expansion of the share buyback program

At year-end 2016, AURELIUS Equity Opportunities had cash and cash equivalents in the amount of EUR 416.4 million (December 31, 2015: EUR 550.2 million) at its disposal. The consolidated equity ratio was 27 percent as of the reporting date December 31, 2016 (December 31, 2015: 33%).

"Owing to our solid financial resources, we are very well-equipped for additional transactions in the current fiscal year. We once again expect at least six company acquisitions in 2017", says Dr. Dirk Markus. "We also set up two share buyback programs in the past year and at the beginning of 2017 with which we will repurchase AURELIUS shares worth up to EUR 52 million. A large portion of our profits will thereby remain in the Company and dividends will be distributed to fewer shares."

With the acquisition of the European business of Office Depot as of January 1, 2017, the first acquisition in fiscal year 2017 and at the same time the largest takeover in the Company's history has already been completed. The annualized revenues of the AURELIUS Group therefore rose to a new magnitude and increased to around 4.5 billion euros. Office Depot Europe operates in 14 European countries with its three main activities and brands "Viking", Contract, and Retail.

In March 2017 AURELIUS acquired Wex Photographic, a leading photographic retailer in the UK. Servicing half a million customers across the UK, Wex is the country's largest online specialist photographic retailer, with an annual turnover of EUR 84 million. Following the deal, Wex will be merged with Calumet Photographic, a multi-channel photographic retailer acquired by AURELIUS in June 2016, to create a leading omni-channel offering servicing the enthusiast and professional photographer market across the UK and Europe.

Key figures 1

(in EUR millions)	1/1-12/31/2016	1/1-12/31/2015
Total consolidated revenues	2,892.3	2,013.3
Consolidated revenues, annualized	3,066.3	2,960.4
EBITDA, Group total	148.4	266.1
- of which bargain purchase	69.7	176.8
- of which restructuring and non-recurring expenses	79.2	63.3
- of which sale of subsidiaries in excess of their carrying amount	43.9	29.4
Operating EBITDA of the combined group	114.0	123.1
	12/31/2016	12/31/20152
Cash and cash equivalents	416.4	550.2
Equity ratio	27%	33%