D+S europe AG: Trend-setting growth measures taken
Hamburg (euro adhoc) -
EBIT expected to rise by 75% to over EUR 33 million in 2007
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finances
- Turnover by quarterly comparison up by 20.8% to EUR 43.5 million - EBITDA increase of 27.4% to EUR 7.9 million - EBIT adjusted by acquisition costs up by 22.2% to EUR 5.5 million - 376 new employees - new location with 500 jobs on Rügen - Leap in turnover and earnings by Heycom consolidation as of mid-2007
HAMBURG. May 15, 2007. D+S europe AG (ISIN: DE0005336804), leading solutions provider for comprehensive customer management, continued its growth trend in the first quarter of 2007. Thus turnover increased by 20.8% from EUR 36.0 million to EUR 43.5 million. These figures show the mere operative growth of D+S europe AG as the Heycom Group, whose takeover was announced at end of March, will only be consolidated as of the middle of the year.
EBITDA rose by 27.4% from EUR 6.2 million in the previous-year period to EUR 7.9 million in the first quarter of 2007. EBIT went up by 12% from EUR 4.5 million in the first quarter of 2006 to EUR 5.0 million in the period under review. It has to be taken into account that the figures already include the costs in the amount of EUR 0.5 million incurred for the acquisition of the Heycom Group. Without these advance costs for the Heycom Group acquisition EBIT would have risen by 22.2% reaching EUR 5.5 million in the first quarter of 2007. Earnings per share were burdened by 1 cent per share due to special expenditure incurring in the course of the Heycom acquisition in the first quarter of the year. Adjusted EPS standing at 9 cents in the first quarter of 2007 rose by 1 cent as opposed to the comparable previous-year value. In the previous-year´s quarter EPS adjusted for one-time tax capitalization amounted to 8 cents.
Thus D+S europe AG achieved its profit targets despite considerable expenditure incurred by upsizing its workforce nationwide in the first three months. In the past months D+S europe AG, having concluded several large long-term contracts, has been recruiting more than 600 additional employees in the first half of 2007, 376 in the first quarter alone. The existing locations of D+S europe AG have been fully utilized. In April D+S europe AG therefore decided to establish a new location on the island of Rügen which is planned to start operations with over 150 employees by mid-2007 and which is to be extended to 500 employees in 2008.
With the Heycom Group takeover D+S europe AG succeeded in skyrocketing to a leading position in the market of online transaction management, as it did in 2005 in the field of value-added services with the acquisition of dtms. Heycom´s initial consolidation in mid-2007 will provide an additional growth spurt for D+S europe AG resulting in earnings being doubled, so that the Group expects an EBIT of over EUR 11 million for both the third and fourth quarter of 2007. These first quarter results show that D+S europe AG is on its way to meet its 2007 targets. All in all the turnover of the current year is expected to increase by about 45.0% from EUR 165 million in 2006 to about EUR 240 million in 2007. EBIT is expected to rise in above average proportions by more than 75% from EUR 18.9 million in 2006 to over EUR 33 million in 2007 corresponding to an EBIT margin of almost 14%. Earnings per share are to rise to between 50 and 55 Cent in 2007.
For 2008 D+S europe AG anticipates continuing its growth trend, triggering another leap in earnings to over EUR 320 million together with the first all-year consolidation of the Heycom Group. D+S europe AG´s EBIT is expected to reach about EUR 50 million in 2008 signifying a 2.5-fold increase compared with 2006. Thus D+S europe AG would reach its EBIT margin target of 15% for the first time in 2008. Correspondingly earnings per share would rise to between 70 and 75 cent.
Dipl.-Ing. Achim Plate, Chairman of D+S europe AG: "D+S europe AG is continuing its growth very dynamically, and by taking over the Heycom Group in the first quarter of 2007 it has given the starting signal for pushing forward into new growth regions. The great number of large contracts of the past months clearly confirms D+S europe AG´s positioning as full service provider. For the future we expect further potential for improvement from our large contracts as we are already conducting talks with some of our clients on providing additional services from our full range of services."
On D+S europe:
D+S europe AG is one of the leading solutions providers for comprehensive customer management. Regardless of the communication channel, whether by landline, mobile phone, Internet, TV or in writing, D+S europe manages contacts between its clients and their most important assets, their private customers. For its clients D+S europe connects, provides contents and carries out billing procedures. Clients´ customer management processes can be completely outsourced: from identifying interesting contacts via establishing the ideal contact channel and contacting to collection services, if required. Application of the latest technologies results in utmost client and end-customer satisfaction. Internationally leading enterprises cooperate with D+S europe and are serviced by over 4,300 employees at locations all over Germany as well as in Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic. D+S europe AG´s share is listed in Prime Standard and in SDAX.
For further information please visit www.dseurope.ag.
end of announcement euro adhoc 15.05.2007 11:00:00
Further inquiry note:
Edited by:
D+S europe AG, Kapstadtring 10, 22297 Hamburg
Director Corporate Communications & Marketing
Thiess Johannssen, Telephone: +49 (0) 40.4114-1400, Telefax: +49 (0)
40.4114-3399
t.johannssen@dseurope.ag
Branche: Advertising
ISIN: DE0005336804
WKN: 533680
Index: CDAX, Classic All Share, Prime All Share, SDAX
Börsen: Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse / regulated dealing/prime
standard
Börse Berlin-Bremen / free trade
Hamburger Wertpapierbörse / free trade
Baden-Württembergische Wertpapierbörse / free trade
Börse Düsseldorf / free trade
Bayerische Börse / free trade