23.08.2017 – 07:13

Zur Rose AG

EQS-News: Half-Year Results 2017: Zur Rose Group continues on growth trajectory

EQS Group-News: Zur Rose Group AG / Key word(s): Half Year Results
Half-Year Results 2017: Zur Rose Group continues on growth trajectory

23.08.2017 / 07:00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Press release

Half-Year Results 2017

Zur Rose Group continues on growth trajectory

The Zur Rose Group can look back on a successful first six months of 2017, in
which it continued to accelerate sales growth. Following the successful IPO on 6
July 2017, Europe's largest mail-order pharmacy has the necessary funds to
continue on its expansion course and to exploit the growth opportunities in the
coming years.

Following the launch of its growth initiatives, the Zur Rose Group managed to
increase sales by 7.2 per cent to CHF 465.8 million (8.2 per cent in local
currency) in the first half of 2017, compared with the same period in the
previous year. Second-quarter growth further exceeded the increase in the first
quarter of 2017. With regard to its corporate strategy, the Group intends to
further cement its market leadership in Germany and to initiate expansion into
other European markets.

Continued growth in Germany - Thanks to intensified marketing efforts, the Zur
Rose Group continued to expand its market position in Germany in the first half
of 2017. Sales in the operating segment Germany increased by 12.9 per cent to
CHF 226.4 million (14.9 per cent to EUR 210.4 million in local currency). This
was mainly driven by DocMorris' mail-order business in non-prescription drugs
(OTC), exhibiting sales growth of 42.8 per cent in local currency. DocMorris'
mail-order business in prescription drugs (Rx) recorded sales growth of 7.2 per
cent in local currency, accelerating growth versus the first quarter of 2017 (up
6.1 per cent on the same period of last year). The number of active customers
both in OTC and Rx significantly picked up, year-on-year.

Steady sales performance in Switzerland - Thanks to positive new customer
acquisitions, sales in the doctors' segment (B2B) in Switzerland rose by 5.0 per
cent in the first half of 2017. Adjusted for the abandonment of insufficiently
profitable sales in the Specialty Care business during 2016, the retail business
(B2C) remained essentially stable. Overall sales in the operating segment
Switzerland rose by 2.0 per cent to CHF 238.3 million.

Results as planned - As expected, the results were affected by growth-related
marketing and personnel expenses amounting to around CHF 14 million; costs
incurred in the first six months of 2017 in connection with the successful IPO
amounted to CHF 5.3 million. Because of these extraordinary expenses, earnings
before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) amounted to minus
CHF 11.6 million (same period of the previous year: CHF 7.8 million); net
income/(loss) amounted to minus CHF 18.1 million (same period of the previous
year: CHF 0.2 million).

Cooperation with Medbase and Migros - In Switzerland, Zur Rose concluded a
cooperative venture with Medbase, Switzerland's largest service provider in
basic outpatient medical care. In the current year, all Medbase centres will
gradually switch to Zur Rose as exclusive supplier. This will enable Zur Rose to
further expand its already high market share in the doctors' segment. In July
2017, Zur Rose opened the first shop-in-shop pharmacy in the Migros branch at
Bern's Marktgasse. If the pilot phase proves successful, the partnership will be
expanded through further in-store pharmacies. As part of the omni-channel
strategy, the shop-in-shop concept is intended to promote the cross-channel
purchase of drugs and so to further strengthen the retail business.

Outlook - The growth in sales achieved in the first six months gives confidence
that this positive growth trend is to continue, particularly in Germany. Here,
the high brand awareness of DocMorris supports new customer acquisition. In
Switzerland, the close cooperation with Medbase and Migros will provide further
momentum in the second half of the year. The Group management expects organic
sales growth approaching 10 per cent for the full year 2017 and a negative
EBITDA as a result of extraordinary expenses in the context of the IPO and the
growth initiatives. A target for this year is signing of a contract for the
acquisition of the business operation of a German mail-order pharmacy, subject
to satisfactory due diligence and the fulfilment of certain other requirements.

Key financial metrics,in CHF 1,000
1.1.-30.6.2017 1.1.-30.6.2016 Change

Net revenue
465,763        434,310        7.2%

Revenue in local currency
                              8.2%

Earnings before depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) adjusted for
extraordinary costs -6,264         7,809          n.m.

in % of revenue
-1.3%          1.8%            

EBITDA
-11,551        7,809          n.m.

Earnings (EBIT) adjusted for extraordinary costs
-11,670        3,266          n.m.

in % of revenue
-2.5%          0.8%            

EBIT
-16,957        3,266          n.m.

Net income / (loss) adjusted for extraordinary costs
-12,805        154            n.m.

in % of revenue
-2.7%          0.0%            

Net income / (loss)
-18,092        154            n.m.
 
                                           30.6.2017 31.12.2016 Change

Equity                                     88,482    103,806    -14.8%

in % of the balance sheet total            34.1%     39.7%       

Personnel numbers in full-time equivalents 864       752        14.9%
 
The half-year report for 2017 and the presentation relating to the half-year
results are available to download atwww.zurrosegroup.com| Investors & Media |
Publications.

At 2 p.m. today there will be a telephone conference in English for analysts and
the media.
Dial-in numbers: CH: +41225805970 | DE: +4969222229043 | UK: +442030092452 |
USA: +18554027766
Conference ID: 63253964#
The associated presentation (without audio) is available
at:www.audio-webcast.com| password: zurrose0817
Direct link:http://www.audio-webcast.com/cgi-bin/login.ssp?fn=verify_user&curPas
sword=zurrose0817

Alternatively, the presentation can be followed via live audio webcast using the
following link:
http://www.audio-webcast.com/cgi-bin/visitors.ssp?fn=visitor&id=4909

Investor and analyst contact
Marcel Ziwica, Chief Financial Officer
e-mail:  marcel.ziwica@zurrose.com, telephone: +41 52 724 00 64

Media contact
Lisa Lüthi, Head of Corporate Communications
e-mail:  lisa.luethi@zurrose.com, telephone: +41 52 724 08 14

Agenda
20 September 2017 Investora Zürich; www.investora.ch
24 January 2018 Media release on revenue in 2017
24 May 2018 Annual General Meeting

Zur Rose Group

Operating under the "Zur Rose" and "DocMorris" brands, the Swiss-based Zur Rose
Group is Europe's largest online pharmacy and one of Switzerland's leading
wholesale suppliers to medical doctors. Through its business model, it helps to
ensure safe, reliable and high-quality pharmaceutical care, while also excelling
in developing innovative medicines management services to increase the
effectiveness of the medication process. This creation of added value, the
strong focus on patients and the commitment to supply medication at low cost for
the benefit of payors and patients make the Group an important strategic partner
for all healthcare stakeholders.

Zur Rose Group is headquartered in Frauenfeld, from where it also serves the
Swiss market. In Germany and Austria, the Group operates through subsidiaries in
Heerlen (Netherlands) and Halle an der Saale (Germany). Furthermore, it holds a
majority interest in BlueCare in Winterthur, the leading provider of networking
systems in the Swiss healthcare market. Employing more than 800 people at its
various locations, Zur Rose Group generated revenue of CHF 880 million in 2016.

Zur Rose Group AG's shares (ticker symbol ROSE, Swiss security no. 4261528, ISIN
CH0042615283) are traded on SIX Swiss Exchange in accordance with the
International Reporting Standard of SIX Swiss Exchange. The corporate bond
issued in November 2012 for the purpose of financing the DocMorris acquisition
is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (Swiss security no. 19972936, ISIN
CH0199729366, ticker symbol ZRO12). zurrosegroup.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Corporate News
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Language: English

Company:  Zur Rose Group AG

          Walzmühlestrasse 60

          8500 Frauenfeld

          Switzerland

Phone:    +41 52 724 08 14

Internet: www.zurrosegroup.com

ISIN:     CH0199729366, CH0042615283

Listed:   SIX Swiss Exchange



 

End of News EQS Group News Service

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

603307  23.08.2017