Corporate | 19 May 2015 07:06

United Internet gets off to successful start in 2015

United Internet AG / Key word(s): Quarter Results

2015-05-19 / 07:06

– Sales up 27.5% to EUR 905.1 million
– EBITDA grows 54.8% to EUR 173.5 million, EBIT up 32.8% to EUR 119.1 million
– EPS improves 25.8% to EUR 0.39, EPS without PPA up 34.4% to EUR 0.43
– Full-year guidance confirmed

Montabaur, May 19, 2015. United Internet AG continued its growth trajectory in the first quarter of 2015. The company once again posted strong improvements in sales, customer contract figures and key earnings ratios.

Development of the Group
United Internet invested heavily again in new customer relationships in the first quarter of 2015. As a result, the number of fee-based customer contracts was raised by 230,000 in the reporting period – and thus by a much greater number than in the first quarter of 2014 (190,000) – to 15.01 million customer contracts. This growth was driven in particular by the Access segment, which gained 180,000 Mobile Internet contracts and 40,000 DSL contracts in the first three months. In the Applications segment, 170,000 ad-financed accounts and 10,000 fee-based contracts were added.

Thanks to the further strong year-on-year increase in customer figures – as well as the consolidation of Versatel GmbH, acquired on October 1, 2014 – consolidated sales set a new record figure of EUR 905.1 million in the first quarter of 2015, corresponding to growth of 27.5% over the first quarter of 2014.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose by 54.8% to EUR 173.5 million, while earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) increased by 32.8% to EUR 119.1 million. Earnings per share (EPS) improved by 25.8% to EUR 0.39. Before amortization of purchase price allocations (PPA), which mainly relate to the Versatel acquisition, EPS rose by 34.4% to EUR 0.43.

Group development (in EUR million)	Q1 2014	Q1 2015	Change
Sales	709.9	905.1	+ 27.5%
EBITDA	112.1	173.5	+ 54.8%
EBIT	89.7	119.1	+ 32.8%
EPS (in EUR)	0.31	0.39	+ 25.8%
EPS before PPA amortization (in EUR)	0.32	0.43	+ 34.4%

“With the figures we achieved for customer contracts, sales, and earnings, we are well on course to meet our targets,” says Ralph Dommermuth, CEO of United Internet, commenting on the figures for the first quarter of 2015. “Against this backdrop, we can confirm our forecasts for the year as a whole. Specifically, we expect an increase in fee-based customer contracts of around 800,000 in 2015. Sales are likely to rise by approx. 20% and EBITDA by approx. 40% (adjusted prior-year figure without one-off income: EUR 551.5 million).”

Key figures and the 3-Month Report 2015 are available at www.united-internet.de in the section Investor Relations / Publications.

About United Internet
With 15.01 million fee-based customer contracts and 32.29 million ad-financed free accounts, United Internet AG is Europe’s leading internet specialist. At the heart of United Internet is a high-performance “Internet Factory” with over 7,900 employees, of which around 2,500 are engaged in product management, development and data centers. In addition to the high sales strength of its established brands (1&1, GMX, WEB.DE, united-domains, Fasthosts, Arsys, InterNetX, Sedo, affilinet and Versatel), United Internet stands for outstanding operational excellence with over 47 million customer accounts worldwide.


Contact
Maika-Alexander Stangenberg
Head of Corporate Communications & Public Affairs
United Internet AG
Elgendorfer Straße 57
56410 Montabaur
Germany
Tel: 02602/96-1616
Fax: 02602/96-1013
E-mail: presse@united-internet.de
Internet: www.united-internet.de

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Language:	English
Company:	United Internet AG
	Elgendorfer Straße 57
	56410 Montabaur
	Germany
Phone:	+49 (0)2602 / 96 – 1100
Fax:	+49 (0)2602 / 96 – 1013
E-mail:	info@united-internet.de
Internet:	www.united-internet.de
ISIN:	DE0005089031
WKN:	508903
Indices:	TecDAX
Listed:	Regulated Market in Berlin, Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart

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358867  2015-05-19