euro adhoc: HTI - High Tech Industries AG
Financial Figures/Balance Sheet /
HTI AG: First Business Year Following Strategic Restructuring - SIGNIFICANT RISE
IN EARNINGS CONFIRMS SUCCESS OF THE NEW BUSINESS MODEL
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Company Information
28.03.2008
HTI AG: First Business Year Following Strategic Restructuring SIGNIFICANT RISE IN EARNINGS CONFIRMS SUCCESS OF THE NEW BUSINESS MODEL
Sales close to double 2006 level: +92.6% to TEUR 151,645* - EBIT rises almost four-hold fast: +279.0% to TEUR 8,031 - Nine-fold EBT increase: +822.3% to TEUR 2,804 - 2008: persistent continuation of acquisition strategy in the three industrial segments - 2008 sales target: approx. EUR 200 million
St. Marien/Vienna, Austria, March 31, 2008. The first year following the strategic reorientation of the HTI Group resulted in a significant improvement in profitability, as expected. The new structure not only encompasses the original core business of "Plastics Processing" but created two new industrial segments, "Metal Processing" and "Mechanical Engineering", as well as the "Other Interests" segment. HTI High Tech Industries AG, listed on the Prime Market of the Vienna Stock Exchange, came close to doubling total sales to TEUR 151,645 and achieving a disproportionately high increase in earnings, although the two new industrial segments have only been consolidated since February 1, 2007, for 11 months of the 2007 business year. The comparison with 2006 confirms the effectiveness of the new business model.
Earnings before non-recurring items, interest, tax, depreciation and amortization doubled to TEUR 17,736, an increase of 101.7% compared to the previous year´s level of TEUR 8,794, whereas the EBITDA margin rose to 11.7%. The company succeeded in achieving close to a four-fold improvement in the earnings before interest and tax, which climbed 279.0%, to TEUR 8,031. Accordingly, with an EBIT margin of 5.3% HTI AG significantly surpassed the company´s management target of 4.5% - 4.7% for 2007. The higher profitability of HTI AG is impressively demonstrated by the company´s earnings before tax (EBT), which rose nine-fold (+822.3%) to TEUR 2,804, up from TEUR 304 in 2006. The EBT margin also developed positively, improving from 0.4% in 2006 to 1.8% during the period under review. The consolidated profit for the period amounted to TEUR 2,802, compared to TEUR 111 in the preceding year.
Gross cash flow in 2007 increased by 64.1% to TEUR 11,653 during the reporting period, up from TEUR 7,102. Cash flow from operating activities improved considerably, rising to TEUR 4,630, up from TEUR -88 in 2006. The net cash flow from investing activities almost tripled, from TEUR -12,355 to TEUR -35,069, as a consequence of the acquisitions and investments carried out during the 2007 business year. The cash flow from financing activities, which climbed to TEUR 41,767 in 2007 compared to the level of TEUR 12,959 in the preceding year, includes the corporate bond issued in June 2007, at a nominal value of TEUR 20,000.
Segment reporting
In the Metal Processing segment, the targeted goals for 2007 were achieved. Based on total sales of TEUR 60,532, the segment achieved an EBITDA of TEUR 6,187, EBIT of TEUR 4,345 and EBT of TEUR 2,889. These figures correspond to an EBITDA margin of 10.2%, an EBIT margin of 7.2% and an EBT margin of 4.8%. Despite the ongoing challenging business environment, the Management Board expects to achieve considerably higher margins in the future due to the consolidation of manufacturing operations at the St. Marien site and the resulting improvement in production efficiency and organizational processes.
Business development in the Plastics Processing segment (comprising the operating units of HTG AG before its reorganization into HTI AG) was below expectations. Increasing raw material prices and cost pressure on the part of customers, as well as the postponement of significant sales revenues in the aircraft business area to the 2008 business year, had a negative impact on earnings. Moreover, HTI cancelled a large contract with a negative contribution margin won by HTP´s German subsidiary. As a consequence, the segment´s EBITDA fell 12.0% during the period under review, to TEUR 7,735, whereas EBIT also decreased from TEUR 2,119 in 2006 to TEUR 835. Although the financial result improved slightly year-on-year to TEUR -1,489 (2006: TEUR -1,815), segment EBT was no longer positive, declining from TEUR 304 in 2006 to TEUR -654. On balance, total sales of the Plastic Processing segment amounted to TEUR 71,137, down from 78,725 in the preceding year. However, the new Vráble production facility, located in the Slovakian automobile cluster, received contract orders surpassing initial expectations. Accordingly, HTI anticipates significant sales and earnings growth in 2008.
The Mechanical Engineering segment is the most profitable in the HTI Group. Although this segment accounts for only TEUR 21,424 or 14% of total Group sales, it contributed 38% of the Group´s EBIT. Its positioning as a highly specialized niche provider featuring a product portfolio which is not easily substitutable served as the basis for generating above-average earnings margins. The Mechanical Engineering segment´s EBITDA of TEUR 3,934 corresponds to an EBITDA margin of 18.4%. Segment EBIT amounted to TEUR 3,150, or an EBIT margin of 14.7%, whereas EBT of TEUR 2,926 represents an EBT margin of 13.7%. HTI expects a continuation of the positive earnings development in this segment.
The Other Interests segment encompasses the business activities of HTI Holding as well as ProRegio Mittelstandsfinanzierungs AG, which was initially consolidated as at July 1, 2007. ProRegio primarily owns minority stakes in various companies. For this reason, its consolidation mainly impacted HTI´s financial result. After taking account of other expenses, the segment´s earnings before tax of TEUR -2,178 represents the segment´s financial result totaling TEUR -2,059, chiefly consisting of the holding´s financing activities, and other expenses.
Outlook for 2008: Continuation of acquisition strategy focusing on three industrial segments, and consistent growth in earnings HTI High Tech Industries AG announced further acquisitions in December, 2007. ProRegio acquired a 10% stake in Carbo Tech Composites GmbH, an innovative manufacturer of carbon fiber composites. The closing of the agreement to acquire HAT Skinline GmbH, a Carinthia-based specialist for the development and processing of plastics components, took place at the end of January 2008. On March 20, 2008, HTI legally acquired a 100% shareholding in the Theysohn Group, a leading producer of extrusion equipment to manufacture plastic profiles.
In the 2008 business year, HTI is confronted with challenging conditions on international markets (i.e. rising raw material prices, economic slowdown, ongoing cost pressure on the part of customers). Nevertheless, the Management Board once again sees excellent opportunities to continue its profitable growth path, featuring an improvement in both sales and earnings. The cornerstones of the positive outlook are the modernized production plant in Vráble, Slovakia, the recently established operating unit for form molding in Brasov, Romania, the expansion of this company to encompass plastic injection molding, and the completion of the consolidation process bundling HTI´s Metal Processing manufacturing operations in St. Marien, scheduled for the middle of 2008. Total Group sales are expected to reach about EUR 200 million in 2008, accompanied by a gratifying EBIT margin. This will be based on organic growth as well as further acquisitions, several of which are currently being evaluated by the Management Board.
Key figures of the HTI Group (IFRS) 2007 2006 Change in %
Total sales TEUR 151,645 78,725 92.63%
Plastics Processing TEUR 71,137 78,725 -9.64%
Metal Processing TEUR 60,532 0
Mechanical Engineering TEUR 21,424 0
EBITDA TEUR 17,736 8,794 101.68%
EBIT TEUR 8,031 2,119 279.00%
EBT TEUR 2,804 304 822.37%
Consolidated profit for the period
TEUR 2,802 111 2,424.32%
EBITDA margin % 11.7% 11.2% 4.46%
EBIT margin % 5.3% 2.7% 96.30%
EBT margin % 1.8% 0.4% 350.00%
Consolidated earnings margin
% 1.8% 0.1% 1,700.00%
Earnings per share EUR 0.22 0.01 2,100.00%Total assets TEUR 194,773 101,821 91.29%
Equity TEUR 46,243 31,177 48.32%
Equity ratio % 23.7% 30.6% -22.55%
Gearing % 140.0% 75.0% 86.66%
Capital expenditures TEUR 22,163 8,059 175.01%
Depreciation and amortization
TEUR 9,705 6,675 45.39%
Gross cash flow TEUR 11,653 7,102 64.08%Cash flow from operating activities TEUR 4,630 -88 5361.36%
Average annual number of employees
Total 1,111 669 66.07% Sales/employee TEUR 136 118 15.99%
* All the figures presented in this ad-hoc press information for the 2007 business year represent the final Group results, with the proviso that the consolidated financial statements and annual financial statements must be granted formal approval by the Supervisory Board of HTI High Tech Industries AG, as stipulated by stock corporation law, with approval scheduled to be granted on April 8, 2008.
Information on HTI is also available on the Website at: www.hti-ag.at.
end of announcement euro adhoc
Further inquiry note:
HTI High Tech Industries AG, Peter Glatzmeier, Chairman of the Management Board,
Tel: +43 (0) 3862 304 - 8590, Fax: +43 (0) 3862 304 - 7598,
p.glatzmeier@hti-ag.at
HTI High Tech Industries AG, Nadja Goyer, Investor Relations, Tel: +43 (0)
3862 304 - 8562, Fax: + 43 (0) 3862 304 - 7598, n.goyer@hti-ag.at
Hochegger Financial Relations GmbH, Dieter Riedlinger, Senior Consultant, Tel:
+43 1 504 69 87, Fax: +43 1 504 69 87 60, d.riedlinger@hochegger.com
Branche: Holding companies
ISIN: AT0000764626
WKN: A0DQ9W
Index: WBI
Börsen: Wiener Börse AG / official market