Bauer doubles net profit in first nine months of 2007
Schrobenhausen (euro adhoc) -
. Profit after tax up 130 percent to over EUR 38 million . Total Group revenues up 22 percent to EUR 891 million . Full-year 2007 profit forecast reaffirmed
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Schrobenhausen, November 14, 2007 - Against a background of positive market conditions, BAUER Aktiengesellschaft substantially improved its year-on-year revenues, earnings and orders in hand in the first nine months of 2007. With after-tax profit for the period up 130 percent to EUR 38.9 million, Bauer more than doubled its previous year comparative figure of EUR 16.9 million.
Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) increased significantly, by more than 83 percent to EUR 78.1 million (previous year: EUR 42.5 million).
Thanks to further outstanding improvement in performance in the Equipment segment, total Group revenues of EUR 891.2 million were 22 percent up on the previous year's EUR 730.5 million. Strong demand for high-tech specialist foundation engineering equipment, as well as for newly developed products in the fields of well drilling, geothermal drilling and exploration drilling for mine operators, raised revenues in the Equipment segment by 32.3 percent to EUR 453.7 million (previous year: EUR 342.9 million).
With orders in hand up by nearly 20 percent and totalling EUR 506.6 million (previous year: EUR 422.7 million), the Group's capacities - particularly in the Equipment segment - are fully taken up well into next year. Consequently, the construction projects and capital investments required to expand the Group's manufacturing facilities in Germany and abroad are being driven forward as planned.
Segment trends
EBIT in the Equipment segment more than doubled to EUR 67.8 million compared with the previous year's EUR 31.7 million.
Revenues in the Construction segment increased slightly, by 4.2 percent to EUR 403.3 million (previous year: EUR 387.2 million), thanks to the mild weather at the start of the year and the gradual upturn now being seen in the German construction industry. Segment earnings increased by 21.2 percent to EUR 12.4 million (previous year: EUR 10.2 million).
The Resources segment, which has been reported as an independent segment since the end of the first half of 2007, bundles the Group's services in mining, geothermal energy and environmental technology, as well as in well drilling and well engineering. With revenues totalling EUR 87.4 million and a positive EBIT of EUR 1.3 million, the new segment enjoyed a successful start. The German Water and Energy (GWE) Group acquired in the second quarter of this year performed particularly well, contributing EUR 48.3 million to total revenues in the first nine months of the year.
Outlook
The BAUER Group sees good opportunities for further growth and rising profits in all three segments. "We are looking to deploy new machinery enabling us to drill down to depths of several thousand metres in future. In the Construction segment, a number of interesting international projects and the improved domestic climate are brightening our prospects, and the strategy for our new Resources segment is now firmly established, so we believe that it, too, will deliver sound progress on interesting markets," asserts Chairman of the Management Board Professor Thomas Bauer.
In the current 2007 financial year, the company expects to see total Group revenues increase by 20 percent to around EUR 1.2 billion (previous year: EUR 980 million) and profit after tax up 55 percent to at least EUR 55 million (previous year: EUR 35.2 million).
GROUP KEY FIGURES, January - September 2007 (IFRS)
| |09 / 2006 |09 / 2007 |Change | | |in EUR |in EUR million | | | |million | | | |Total Group revenues*, |730.5 |891.2 |+ 22.0 % | | of which | | | | |- Construction |387.2 |403.3 |+ 4.2 % | |- Equipment |342.9 |453.7 |+ 32.3 % | |- Resources | 40.7 | 87.4 |+ 114.9 % | |- Consolidation / Other |- 40.3 |- 53.2 | n/a | |Consolidated revenues |685.2 |843.5 |+ 23.1 % | |Orders in hand |422.7 |506.6 |+ 19.9 % | |EBITDA | 78.4 |115.7 |+ 47.6 % | |EBIT | 42.5 | 78.1 |+ 84.0 % | |of which | | | | |- Construction | 10.2 | 12.4 |+ 21.2 % | |- Equipment | 31.7 | 67.8 |+ 114.0 % | |- Resources | 1.9 | 1.3 |- 33.4 % | |- Consolidation / Other | - 1.3 | - 3.4 | n/a | |Profit** | 16.9 | 38.9 |+ 130.2 % | |Earnings per share in EUR***| 1.07 EUR | 2.21 EUR |+ 106.5 % | |Employees | 5,523 | 6,627 |+ 20.0 % |
* At variance with the consolidated revenues presented in the Group income statement, the total Group revenues presented here include portions of revenues from associated companies as well as revenues of non-consolidated subsidiaries and joint ventures.
** Before minority interests.
*** Diluted and basic, following share split.
About Bauer
Bauer is an international provider of services, equipment and ancillary products for soil and groundwater. The Group markets its products and services all over the world. That global spread allows it to remain largely unaffected by fluctuating business cycles.
The operations of the Group are divided into three divisions: Construction, Equipment and Resources. The Construction segment carries out specialist foundation engineering work all over the world, developing foundation and excavation projects as well as providing related construction services. In its Equipment segment, in which Bauer is the world market leader, the Group offers an extensive range of machinery, equipment and tools for specialist foundation engineering. The Resources segment encompasses the Group's operations in the exploitation of raw materials, environmental technology, geothermal drilling and well engineering materials (including pumps and drills, screens and casings).
Bauer benefits greatly from the collaboration and synergy between its three separate divisions, enabling the Group to position itself as an innovative, highly specialized provider of complete solutions and services for demanding projects on the specialist foundation engineering and related markets.
Founded in 1790, Bauer today generates over two thirds of its revenues outside of Germany. Employing over 5,500 people, the Group's total revenues in 2006 were EUR 980 million (previous year: EUR 824 million). BAUER Aktiengesellschaft has been listed in official trading (Prime Standard, ISIN DE0005168108) on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since July 4, 2006.
end of announcement euro adhoc 14.11.2007 08:00:00
Further inquiry note:
Bettina Mestenhauser
Head of Investor Relations
Telefon: +49(0)8252 97 1918
E-Mail: investor.relations@bauer.de
Branche: Construction & Property
ISIN: DE0005168108
WKN: 516810
Index: CDAX, Classic All Share, Prime All Share, SDAX
Börsen: Börse Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard
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