Corporate | 30 November 2007 14:00
INDUS Holding AG / Quarter 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.
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- Sales growth of 11.2 % to Euro 684.8 million in first nine months
- Group EBIT ahead of previous year
Bergisch Gladbach, 30. November 2007 - INDUS Holding AG (DE0006200108) can
look back on a pleasing business performance in the first nine months of
2007. 'We remain on a clear growth course', commented Helmut Ruwisch, CEO
of INDUS Holding AG, with regard to the positive development in sales and
earnings in the course of the year to date. 'On an operating level, we have
even slightly exceeded the strong performance reported in the previous
year, and that in spite of significant negative factors, such as rising
commodities prices, the appreciation of the Euro and the high level of
collectively agreed pay increases.'
For the Group as a whole, INDUS posted substantial sales growth of 11.2 %
to Euro 684.8 million (previous year: Euro 615.6 million). The
international share of sales amounted to 39.2% and was thus higher than in
the previous year. Thanks to the various rationalization measures, the
material expense ratio could be maintained at a constant level of 47.5 % in
spite of the increase in commodity and energy prices. The personnel
expenses ratio showed a marginally positive development, declining by 0.2
percentage points to 26.1 %. At Euro 75.6 million, earnings before interest
and taxes (EBIT) were 1.6 % up on the strong figure of Euro 74.4 million
reported in the previous year. Net income after minority interests, which
also benefited from the positive impact of the German corporate tax reform,
showed significant growth of 26.5 % to reach Euro 37.2 million (previous
year: Euro 29.4 million).
At the holding company (AG), income from shareholdings rose slightly by 3.0
% to Euro 59.1 million (previous year: Euro 57.4 million). Net income for
the period grew by 3.1% to Euro 36.6 million (previous year: Euro 35.5
million).
With liquid funds of more than Euro 80 million and an equity capital of
50.4 % at the holding company (AG), INDUS is well-armed for further
acquisitions. 'We deliberately opted for a reserved acquisitions strategy
in the past two years because we were not prepared to accept overly
inflated valuation criteria', underlined Ruwisch. The current crisis in the
financial sector had triggered a normalization in prices for company
acquisitions. However, this process still had some way to go. 'We will only
be active again in the market once prices have reached more attractive
levels', added Ruwisch. For the 2007 financial year as a whole, the
Management Board expects sales to show substantial growth to more than Euro
900 million. Positive developments are also expected in the Group’s
earnings figures.
30.11.2007 Financial News transmitted by DGAP
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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
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard), Düsseldorf;
Freiverkehr in Berlin, Hamburg, München, Stuttgart
End of News DGAP News-Service
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