Corporate | 21 May 2014 10:43

INDUS starts 2014 with good quarterly result

INDUS Holding AG / Key word(s): Quarter Results

21.05.2014 / 10:43

INDUS starts 2014 with good quarterly result

– ROLKO is the company’s first acquisition in the healthcare sector
– Portfolio company IPETRONIK acquires SAVVY to strengthen its telematics activities

Bergisch Gladbach, 21 May 2014 – The INDUS Group had an extremely good start to the fiscal year 2014. Compared to the prior year period, sales revenues increased by 9% in the first quarter thanks to high capacity utilisation at many subsidiaries. The Group and its 41 investee companies generated total sales of EUR 287.2 million (Q1 previous year: EUR 262.5 million). EBIT came in at EUR 28.3 million in the first quarter (Q1 previous year: EUR 24.5 million), which represents an increase by approx. 16%. The Group’s average EBIT margin stands at 9.8% (previous year: 9.3%).

The first quarter of the INDUS Group tends to be one of the weaker periods due to seasonal factors. This was not the case this year, as the construction industry, in particular, benefited from the mild weather and the Medical Engineering segment reported a positive business trend. The strong increase in sales revenues is also attributable to the initial consolidation of the investments acquired in the course of 2013. INDUS does therefore not project catching-up effects for the second quarter. Earnings after taxes climbed to EUR 13.3 million (Q1 previous year: EUR 12.4 million). Operating cash flow improved from EUR -14.3 million in Q1 2013 to EUR -9.8 million in Q1 2014. As of 31 March 2014, INDUS had high liquidity of approx. EUR 110 million and again posted a high equity ratio of 43.3% (31 Dec. 2013: 43.6%).

Next steps in the implementation of COMPASS 2020
Under the “Compass 2020” strategy presented in 2012, INDUS intends to develop its portfolio also in the current fiscal year and expand it with the help of selective acquisitions. In April, INDUS took over the ROLKO Group to strengthen its Medical Engineering/Life Science segment, one of its defined target segments, as previously announced by the company. Another declared objective of the portfolio development is the strategic expansion of existing subsidiaries. In this context, IPETRONIK will strengthen its telematics solutions activities and today acquired 60% of SAVVY AG, Schaffhausen/Switzerland, a supplier of tracking systems for the logistics sector. Jürgen Abromeit, CEO of the INDUS Group, has announced further acquisitions for the rest of the year. In 2013, INDUS took over six companies in the logistics, energy and vehicle engineering sectors at a total investment cost of approx. EUR 50 million. In the context of the portfolio development, some companies in the Engineering and Metal Processing segments also stepped up their efforts to improve their earnings position.

As the sale of strip cleaning equipment for the steel industry has no future, these operations will be sold in the course of the year. In the past years, the NISTERHAMMER portfolio company generated revenues of between EUR 5 million and EUR 7 million p.a. from the sale of such equipment.

Guidance for 2014 confirmed
In spite of the exceedingly good start, the Board of Management maintains its revenue and earnings forecast for the Group and projects sales revenues clearly in excess of EUR 1.2 billion and an operating result of approx. EUR 118 million for the INDUS Group.

The full results of the first three months 2014 are now available at www.indus.de.


Contact:
Regina Wolter
Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Phone +49 2204 4000 70
E-Mail wolter@indus.de

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Language:	English
Company:	INDUS Holding AG
	Kölner Straße 32
	51429 Bergisch Gladbach
	Germany
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 Düsseldorf, Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin, Hamburg, München, Stuttgart

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