SAF presents impressive second quarter figures
Significant growth in net sales by 78.7% in H1 2006, 91.9% in Q2/2006 EBIT margin at 38.7% und net profit margin at 34,2% in H1 2006 OEM partner SAP publicly defined retail indutry as a strategic business area Guidance FY 2006: Net sales EUR 12,3-13 Mio. and net profit margin at 27-30%
ots-CorporateNews transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer is responsible for the content of this announcement.
Tägerwilen/Switzerland, 30 August 2006. SAF AG which is listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN CH0024848738) publishes the figures of the second quarter and shows that it is able to almost tie up seamlessly to the first quarter of 2006. "SAF AG is reporting net sales of EUR 4.2 million for the second quarter, an increase of 91,9 percent compared with the same period last year and one which has exceeded our expectations", the CEO and President Dr. Andreas von Beringe explains. He amends: "The increase again reflects our strategic focus on growth in net sales both from sales of licences and from maintenance income."
In general, sales tend to be rather slack in the second quarter but - fuelled by sales of software licences that rose by 135.5 percent to EUR 3.1 million and maintenance income increased by 87.6 percent to TEUR 577 - SAF AG achieved a markedly successful raise in consolidated total net sales.
As planned, SAF AG was able to recruit additional employees in the second quarter. The focus is on hiring employees in the Research & Development and Customer Engineering & Support divi-sion in order to step up product development and in order to respond to our customers' requirements even more effectively.
In the second quarter, SAF AG also achieved a substantial improvement over the previous year in its operating result (EBIT) despite the planned increase in costs in the course of building our busi-ness organisation. The operating result (EBIT) of SAF AG of EUR 2.2 million in the second quarter (representing an increase of 127.7 percent over the prior-year period) gives rise to a half-year op-erating result of EUR 2.4 million (representing an increase of 161.6 percent over the same period in the previous year). This corresponds to an EBIT margin of 51.5 percent or 38.7 percent for the six month period.
SAF AG also achieved a remarkable growth of net profit in the second quarter over the previous year. Net profit of EUR 2.0 million in the second quarter (representing a rise of 127.6 percent) in-creased further to EUR 2.1 million as of the end of the first six-month period (representing a jump of 169.2 percent). The resulting net profit margin is 46.8 percent (prior-year period: 39.4 percent) for the quarter and 34.2 percent for the half-year (prior-year period: 22.7 percent).
Another major objective is the expansion of SAF´s direct sales operations in order to continue to drive the direct business forward. A well stuffed sales pipeline for 2006/07 gives great confidence for this area. Furthermore, even after the repayment of a loan, SAF has a solid foundation of EUR 23.8 million in cash and cash equivalents, which includes EUR 20.2 million representing the net proceeds of the IPO.
The OEM partner SAP, which has now publicly defined retailing as a strategic business area, intends to certify SAF AG as a SAP Services Partner. This will enable customers to benefit from SAF's expertise when implementing SAP F&R in the future, and to realise additional potential for optimising their processes with the direct application of SAF Analytics.
In the first six months, SAF has laid the foundations for further substantial growth and is confident that the positive operating performance will continue, especially in the fourth quarter which is traditionally strong in the software industry.
Von Beringe expresses his expectations for the financial year 2006: "SAF AG continues to expect significant and high-margin growth in sales for 2006. We expect that in the current financial year total net sales will be between EUR 12.3 million and EUR 13.0 million. This leads to a budgeted net profit margin of 27 to 30 percent."
About SAF AG SAF Simulation, Analysis and Forecasting AG (ISIN: CH0024848738 / WKN: A0JD78) specializes in the development of automated ordering and forecasting software for retailers and industrial manufacturers. SAF deploys the demand chain management approach, which controls replenishment planning based on con-sumer demand patterns. SAF software assists users to realize substantial cost savings and optimizes gen-eral logistics conditions through its simulation capabilities. As a result, significant competitive advantages are achieved along the entire value chain: lower inventories, improved product availability, and last, but not least, a higher level of customer satisfaction.
SAF AG was established in 1996 by Dr. Andreas von Beringe and Prof. Dr. Gerhard Arminger. Today, the company employs approx. 60 people. Consolidated sales revenues for fiscal year 2005, were approx. 7.4 million EUR with consolidated profit of 2 million EUR according to IFRS. SAFs products are distributed in many European countries as well as in the United States. The company is headquartered in Tägerwilen, Switzerland. SAF also has a subsidiary in the United States: SAF USA, Inc., Grapevine, Texas and in Slova-kia, Bratislava: SAF Simulation, Analysis and Forecasting Slovakia s.r.o. with the focus on Nearshore-Development. The German Logistics Association (BVL) bestowed the Logistics Service Award 2006 upon SAF AG and Deutsche Woolworth GmbH & Co. OHG. The two companies received this award for the realisation of cus-tomer demand oriented logistics services based on innovative forecasting technology.
Note The complete Report of Q2/2006 as well as financial tables are digital available under: www.saf-ag.com: Please click on "Investor Relations" or call +41 (0)71 666 79 48
Forward looking statements and estimates This presentation contains forward looking statements based on assumptions and estimates of SAF's Man-agement Board. Although we assume the expectations in these forward looking statements are realistic, we cannot guarantee they will prove to be correct. The assumptions may harbor risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual figures to differ considerably from the forward looking statements. Factors that may cause such discrepancies include, among other things, risks that are mentioned in the Offering Memorandum. SAF does not plan to update the forward looking statements, nor does it assume the obligation to do so.
end of announcement euro adhoc 29.08.2006 21:15:59
Further inquiry note:
Astrid Strömer
+41 (0)71 666 79 48
astrid.stroemer@saf-ag.com
Branche: Software
ISIN: CH0024848738
WKN: A0JD78
Index: Technologie All Share, Prime All Share
Börsen: Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse / official dealing/prime standard
Börse Berlin-Bremen / free trade
Baden-Württembergische Wertpapierbörse / free trade
Börse Düsseldorf / free trade
Bayerische Börse / free trade