euro adhoc: Sartorius AG
quarterly or semiannual financial statement
Order
intake rose 5.7%; currency-adjusted: +8.5%
Sales revenue at the level
of the strong year-earlier quarter (-0.8%); currency-adjusted: +1.6%
EBIT
margin: 8.7%
Full-year ta
Disclosure announcement transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer is responsible for the content of this announcement.
Preliminary Figures for the First Quarter of 2007
18.04.2007
In the first quarter of fiscal 2007, order intake for the Sartorius Group rose 5.7% (currency-adjusted: +8.5%) to EUR140.2 million (Q1 2006: EUR132.7 mn). This considerable increase in order intake can be especially attributed to double-digit growth in the filter business, which resulted in a 6.9% currency-adjusted gain in orders for the Biotechnology Division. For the Mechatronics Division, high growth in the industrial scale business generated a currency-adjusted plus of 10.3% in order intake.
At EUR127.6 mn, Group sales revenue was approximately at the level of the excellent year-earlier quarter (EUR128.6 mn). Currency-adjusted consolidated sales revenue grew 1.6%. Here, sales revenue for the Mechatronics Division rose 1.5% (currency-adjusted: +4.0%) to EUR61.3 mn (Q1 2006: EUR60.4 mn). With high growth rates in the filter business and an overall excellent order situation reported for the Biotechnology Division, its sales revenue dipped 2.8% (currency-adjusted: -0.5%) to EUR66.3 mn (Q1 2006: EUR68.2 mn) because of the lower project business with fermenters and bioreactors.
Earnings included expenses of approx. EUR0.5 mn for the carve-out of the Biotechnology Division entailed by the Stedim transaction. As a result, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) fell from EUR16.4 mn to EUR16.0 mn. Accordingly, at EUR11.0 mn, EBIT was also slightly below the previous years figure of EUR11.7 mn. With its EBIT margin remaining unchanged at 10.7%, the Biotechnology Division achieved an EBIT of EUR7.1 mn, which is approximately at the level of the year-earlier quarter (EUR7.3 mn). At the same time, due to the product mix, EBIT for the Mechatronics Division eased EUR0.4 mn to EUR4.0 mn; its EBIT margin fell from 7.3% to 6.5%. The consolidated EBIT margin was 8.7% (Q1 2006: 9.1%).
Considering the substantial rise in order intake and the further increase in order backlog, we expect significant gains in sales revenue and earnings during the further course of the year, and confirm our targets. Taking the projected Stedim transaction for fiscal 2007 into account, these targets forecast an increase in pro forma consolidated sales revenue to between EUR660 and EUR680 mn. Organic growth (without Stedim) is prognosticated to be at approx. 10%. The operating EBIT margin, excluding transaction and integration costs of about EUR5-10 mn, is anticipated to climb to approx. 12% (without Stedim, to around 11%). For the period up to 2011, we assume that the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) will be at 11%-12% (without Stedim, approx. 10%), with a simultaneous further increase in profitability.
Because the Biotechnology Division is being carved out, we will be publishing the complete quarterly report somewhat later than originally planned, tentatively on April 25, 2007.
end of announcement euro adhoc 18.04.2007 21:15:28
Further inquiry note:
Andreas Wiederhold
Treasury & Investor Relations
Telefon: +49 (0)551 308-1668
E-Mail: andreas.wiederhold@sartorius.com
Branche: Biotechnology
ISIN: DE0007165607
WKN: 716560
Index: CDAX, Prime All Share, Technologie All Share
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