euro adhoc: Basler Vision Technologies AG
Quarterly or Semiannual
Financial Statements
Basler steady on successful growth path (E)
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Basler steady on successful growth path
2nd quarter 2004 turnover up by 66% on previous year quarter to Euro 14.1 mill.
Pre-tax earnings in 2nd quarter 2004 Euro 1.7 mill. compared to Euro 0.1 mill. in Q2/2003
Forecast for financial year 2004 raised to Euro 50 mill. turnover and approx. Euro 5 mill. pre-tax earnings
Ahrensburg, 12 August 2004 - Basler AG, a leading company in Vision Technology, the technology of artificial vision, has forged ahead with its profitable growth strategy in the second quarter of 2004. Turnover, earnings and incoming orders are all on the up.
Second quarter turnover rose to an all-time high at Euro 14.1 mill., equivalent to a 66% increase in turnover over the same quarter in 2003 (Euro 8,5 mill.). With this record result, first half-year turnover for 2004 rose to a total of Euro 26.1 mill. or 76% more than for the first half-year in 2003 (Euro 14.8 mill.).
Incoming orders in the second quarter continued to rise, recording a 15% increase against the same period in 2003 and giving a company-wide total of Euro 10.7 mill. (Q2/2003: Euro 9.3 mill.). Total incoming orders for the first half-year period stand at Euro 24.1 mill., equivalent to a 37% rise against the first half-year for 2003 (Euro 17.5 mill.).
This positive trend in turnover and incoming orders is driven by continuing high demand on our target markets. In addition, Baslers high level of innovation in all divisions means that it has been able to gain new market segments, in particular with regard to high-performance digital cameras (Vision Components) and inspection systems for the flat display industry with its Vision Systems division.
The conjunction of rising turnover with under-proportional operating costs (Q2/2004: Euro 5.7 mill. vis-à-vis Euro 4.7 mill for Q2/2003, +22%) has generated a further rise in second quarter earnings capacity as against the same period in 2003. Pre-tax earnings for the second quarter were Euro 1.7 mill. whilst for the previous year an even result was achieved with Euro 82,000. The pre-tax earnings margin increased to 12% (Q2/2003: 1%). The first half-year in 2004 recorded pre-tax earnings of Euro 3.6 mill. (compared to Euro -0.8 mill. for the 2003 first half-year). The pre-tax margin was at 14% (first half-year 2003: -5%).
In the second half-year period Basler will contain to sustain this growth rate on the same level. Even if the demand for investment goods in the optical media industry is expected to slacken temporarily in comparison to previous quarters, this effect will be more than compensated by growth in operations with flat display inspection systems and vision components.
In the second half-year period for 2004 incoming orders will once again overtop those of the first half-year. This growth curve will be mainly driven by increasing demand for high-speed digital cameras and orders from the flat display industry.
Against the background of a successful first half-year for 2004, and considering the current state of business development, we are raising our previous forecast for the 2004 financial year. We now expect Basler to achieve a turnover of Euro 50 mill. (+40% compared to 2003; previous forecast: Euro 45 mill.), together with pre-tax earnings of approx. Euro 5 mill., giving a pre-tax margin of 10% (pre-tax earnings for 2003: Euro 0.7 mill.; previous forecast: Euro 2.5-3 mill. and 6-7% pre-tax margin).
The full Quarterly Report may be accessed on www.baslerweb.com and downloaded as a PDF file.
end of announcement euro adhoc 12.08.2004
Further inquiry note:
Christian Höck
Tel.: +49 (0)4102 463 175
E-Mail: christian.hoeck@baslerweb.com
Branche: Semiconductors & active components
ISIN: DE0005102008
WKN: 510200
Index: CDAX, Prime All Share, Prime Standard, Technologie All Share
Börsen: Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse / regulated dealing
Berliner Wertpapierbörse / free trade
Bayerische Börse / free trade
Hamburger Wertpapierbörse / free trade
Bremer Wertpapierbörse (BWB) / free trade
Börse Düsseldorf / free trade
Baden-Württembergische Wertpapierbörse / free trade