euro adhoc: BENE AG
quarterly or semiannual financial statement
Significant
sales increase and disproportionate earnings improvement in the first quarter of
2008/09.
Disclosure announcement transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer is responsible for the content of this announcement.
quaterly report
24.06.2008
Consolidated sales increased by 9.6 % to EUR 59.7 million EBIT rose by 35.2 % to EUR 3.3 million Clearly improved profitability compared to the previous year Ongoing brisk project activity
Vienna / Waidhofen/Ybbs, June 24, 2008. With a significant rise in sales and a disproportionate improvement in earnings, in the first quarter of 2008/09, the Vienna listed Bene AG (ISIN AT00000BENE6) increased its profitability and further strengthened its position.
With a sales increase of 9.6 % to EUR 59.7 million (Q1 2007/08: EUR 54.5 million) in the first quarter of 2008/09, the internationally operating specialist for office and working environments sustainably continued its growth policy. In the first three months, the Bene Group´s sales in Austria rose again by 18.8 % to EUR 19.7 million (Q1 2007/08: EUR 16.5 million). Likewise in Germany, sales grew by 16.0 % from EUR 13.7 million in the reference period to EUR 15.9 million. After an extraordinary good first quarter in the last year, UK sales decreased by 22.5 % to EUR 6.8 million (Q1 2007/08: EUR 8.8 million) due to the subdued investment climate and to the shifting of various projects. The decline in sales of the Russia segment to EUR 3.4 million (Q1 2007/08: EUR 6.8 million) is as well resulting from the delay of project realisations. With a sales growth of 60.8 % to EUR 14.0 million (Q1 2007/08: EUR 8.7 million) the Bene Group´s "Other markets" segment achieved an impressive improvement.
The earnings key figures and thus the profitability of the Bene Group improved even better than sales. In the first quarter of the present year, earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) increased by 35.2 % to EUR 3.3 million (Q1 2007/08: EUR 2.5 million). Thus, compared to the previous year´s reference period, the Bene Group significantly improved its EBIT-margin from 4.5 % to 5.6 %.
Compared to the last year´s quarter, as a result of the higher investment-related payments, the financial result of the Bene Group slightly decreased by EUR 0.25 million to EUR - 0.15 million. Overall, the EBT of EUR 2.6 million rose by 24.2 % to EUR 3.2 million and the EBT-margin increased from 4.7 % to 5.3 %.
The positive business performance in the first quarter lead to a temporary expansion of the working capital to EUR 39.4 million on the reporting date April 30, 2008 (January 31, 2008: EUR 34.2 million). As of the same date, the equity ratio was 46.8 % (January 31, 2008: 48.7 %).
A large part of the Bene Group´s investments in the total amount of EUR 4.0 million in the first quarter of 2008/09 (Q1 2007/08: EUR 2.2 million) was arising from the expansion and the modernisation of the production site as well as from the adaptation and modernisation of the distribution sites.
On the reporting date April 30, 2008, the Bene Group occupied 1.457employees, which corresponds to an increase of 4.7 %.
After the solid first quarter of 2008/09, the Management of the Bene Group likewise positively looks forward to the business performance of the remaining year and is optimistic to increase sales and at the same time further improve earnings of the entire business year.
Note. Among others, this report contains statements on potential future developments, which were made on the basis of currently available information. Such statements, which reflect the current assessment of future developments by our Management, cannot be construed as guarantees for future performance and bear unforeseeable risk and uncertainty. There may be a variety of reasons for actual results and conditions to diverge from the assumption, on which the statements were based.
The comprehensive quarterly report is available under www.bene.com.
end of announcement euro adhoc
Further inquiry note:
Investor Relations
Mag. 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
www.bene.com
Branche: Furnishings & Furniture
ISIN: AT00000BENE6
WKN:
Index: ATX Prime
Börsen: Wiener Börse AG / official market