Corporate | 31 August 2007 14:01
INDUS Holding AG / Half Year Results
Release of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory
AG.
The issuer / publisher is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bergisch Gladbach, August 31, 2007 - INDUS Holding AG (ISIN DE0006200108)
further increased its sales in the 1st half of 2007 while also matching the
high level of operating earnings reported for the previous year. Helmut
Ruwisch, CEO of INDUS Holding AG, is satisfied with the company’s business
performance, adding that 'this is a thoroughly respectable set of results
in view of the rise in commodity prices, which led to increased costs of
materials in the first half of the year, as well as of wage and salary
increases, in some cases substantial, in individual sectors'.
The Group’s sales rose by 12.4 % from Euro 403.5 million to Euro 453.5
million in the first half of 2007. At 39.4 %, the international share of
sales was also 1.2 percentage points up on the previous year. As a result
of the further rise in commodity and energy prices, the material expense
ratio rose to 48.0 %. The rationalization measures implemented led the
personnel expenses ratio to decline by 0.5 percentage points to 26.0 %. At
Euro 49.6 million, operating earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT)
reached the high level seen in the first half of the previous year.
At Euro 34.2 million, the operating earnings reported by the holding
company (AG) also virtually reached the previous year’s level (previous
year: Euro 34.9 million). A reduction in net financial expenses led the net
income for the period to increase by 4.5 % from Euro 22.1 million to Euro
23.1 million.
Following a deliberately reserved acquisition policy in the past two years,
INDUS now stands to play an active role once again in a climate where the
financial scope of private equity companies is becoming more restrictive
and price levels are normalizing for company acquisitions.
'We have used the time to optimize processes at our shareholdings and to
press ahead with internal growth,' explained Ruwisch. 'Given the
comfortable equity ratio at the Group and the holding company, our
liquidity resources and the financing lines committed by banks, we are in a
position to invest in the expansion of our portfolio at any time.'
Based on a continuation of the favorable economic climate, the Management
Board expects sales to grow to more than Euro 900 million in the current
financial year. The Group’s operating earnings are also expected to develop
positively.
31.08.2007 Financial News transmitted by DGAP
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Language: English
Issuer: INDUS Holding AG
Kölner Straße 32
51429 Bergisch Gladbach
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)2204 40 00-0
Fax: +49 (0)2204 40 00-20
E-mail: indus@indus.de
Internet: www.indus.de
ISIN: DE0006200108
WKN: 620010
Indices:
Listed: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard), Düsseldorf;
Freiverkehr in Berlin, Hamburg, München, Stuttgart
End of News DGAP News-Service
---------------------------------------------------------------------------