euro adhoc: BENE AG
Annual Reports
BENE closes the financial year 2006/07
with a significant improvement in sales and earnings.
Disclosure announcement transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer is responsible for the content of this announcement.
annual report
10.05.2007
The Group´s sales increased by 6.3 % to EUR 198.6 million EBIT rose by 15.9 % to EUR 13.1 million EBIT-margin improved to 6.6 % Dividend proposal: EUR 0.20 BENE share gained 19.1 % since the initial stock listing
Vienna/Waidhofen an der Ybbs, May 10, 2007. The BENE AG, internationally operating specialist for office and working environments, listed on the Vienna stock exchange (ISIN AT00000BENE6) looks back on a successful business year 2006/07:
Organic growth with important rises in quantities, both in Western and in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as acquisition related growth steps resulted in a sales increase of 6.3 % to EUR 198.6 million. In the Austria segment sales rose by 7.7 % to EUR 68.2 million and in Germany by 7.0 % to EUR 52.6 million. With a sales increase of 14.9 % to EUR 26.3 million, the BENE was particularly successful in the UK and in the "rest of the world" segment, which includes other office furniture markets in Western and Eastern Europe as well as in the Middle East. This segment achieved a growth in sales of 20.8 % to EUR 30.7 million. In the past business year, Russia contributed EUR 20.7 million to total sales. In Western Europe, BENE strengthened its activities in the Benelux countries and on the Iberian Peninsula and with the foundation of own branches in Ireland, in Bulgaria and in the Ukraine continued its expansion course.
The EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) improved even better than sales. It increase by + 15.9 % to EUR 13.1 million. In addition to the sales increase, an optimised product mix with a, compared to the previous year, higher proportion of products from own production, as well as the ongoing optimisation of costs, processes and quality are responsible for this positive development, which reflects in the EBIT margin that improved from 6.0 % to 6.6 %.
Acquisitions in the last business year as well as the capital increase in the context of the IPO resulted in an expansion of the balance sheet total by 33 % to EUR 140.2 million. On the balance sheet date January 31, 2007, the Group´s equity including minority interests amounted to EUR 63.9 million and thus covered assets by 235 %.
On the balance sheet date, the BENE Group employed 1.344 persons worldwide, which corresponds to a rise of 10.4 % compared to the previous year and which is resulting from the complete takeover of the TILL Group in Germany.
Since its initial listing at the Vienna stock exchange on November 3, 2006 until the end of the financial year 2006/07, the BENE share recorded a positive performance of 19.1 % and with EUR 6.55 reached its high on January 31, 2007. As of January 31, 2007, this resulted in a market capitalisation of EUR 159.5 million.
On the basis of the positive business performance and the existing growth prospects for the business year 2007/08, the Management Board will propose a dividend of EUR 0.20 per share to the shareholders´ meeting on June 6, 2007. This corresponds to a distribution of about EUR 4.9 million or a dividend payout ratio of 47.6 %.
In the course of its growth strategy, the BENE Group has optimised its interest portfolio in the UK and in Belgium by increasing its existing participations in the UK to 100 % within the next five years and by having taken over 100 percent of its longstanding Belgian partner "Office Technologies" as of April 6, 2007.
For the business year 2007/08, the Management of the BENE Group has again set ambitious targets and strives for a solid increase through organic growth and acquisitions. Thus, the sales force shall be strengthened, the proximity to customers shall be used best possible and own production activities shall be enlarged.
The annual report 2006/07 is available at http://bene.com.
end of announcement euro adhoc 10.05.2007 07:00:00
Further inquiry note:
Contacts
Investor Relations
Gerald Strohmaier, MBA
Head of Finance & Investor Relations
BENE AG
A-3340 Waidhofen/Ybbs
Schwarzwiesenstraße 3
Phone +43-7442-500-3372
Fax +43-7442-500-993372
http://bene.com
Branche: Furnishings & Furniture
ISIN: AT00000BENE6
WKN:
Index: ATX Prime
Börsen: Wiener Börse AG / official market