EANS-News: S&T AG steps up in first half of 2014 sales and earnings
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6-month report
* Sales increase 5% to EURO 164.8 million (2013: EUR 157.6 million)
* EBITDA up 23% to EUR 10.0 million (2013: EUR 8.1 million)
* Prospects: growth is to accelerate in 2015 thanks to "smart energy"
Linz, 05.08.2014. S&T AG (www.snt.at) was able in the second quarter of 2014 to
step up its earnings and sales growth. Sales rose 6.1% from 2013's EUR 80.6
million to the second quarter of 2014's EUR 85.6 million. This was accompanied
by gross margin's increase from EUR 27.2 million to EUR 28.5 million. 2014's
operative costs came to EUR 26.0 million, EUR 0.6 million less than the previous
year's EUR 26.6 million. The growth joined with the cut in costs in yielding in
the second quarter an EBITDA of EUR 5.2 million (2013: EUR 4.5 million).
Consolidated income amounted to EUR 2.5 million, up 19% from 2013's EUR 2.1
million.
Sales rose in the first half of 2014 to EUR 164.8 million (2013: EUR 157.6
million), with EBITDA climbing to EUR 10.0 million (2013: Eur 8.1 million). This
caused consolidated income to amount to EUR 4.9 million (2013: EUR 4.1 million).
Income per share therefore came to 12 cents, as opposed to 10 cents in the first
half of 2013.
Strongest driver of growth was the Appliances segment. The first half of 2014's
sales were up 46% to EUR 26.2 million (2013: EUR 18.0 million), with the
segment's earnings climbing to EUR 4.0 million (2013: EUR 2.9 million). Even
stronger growth is expected in 2015 for the Appliances segment. This will ensue
from the fast-growing "smart energy" market, in which S&T has been active since
2014.
Liquid funds came to EUR 32.3 million, as opposed to EUR 42.9 million as of
31.12.2013. The funds were used to reduce short-term bank loans (EUR 4.9
million), to pay dividends amounting to EUR 2.4 million, and to make
acquisitions. Notwithstanding a payment of a dividend of 6 cents per share - the
first in the company's history - equity rose to EUR 74.1 million as of
30.6.2014, up from EUR 71.2 million as of 31.12.2013. The equity rate thus
amounted to 35.9% (31.12.2013: 32.4%). The first half of 2014 registered a cash
flow of EUR -0.1 million (2013. EUR -2.8 million).
S&T's management is forecasting that the decline of sales registered by the
Products segment will be overcome, and that consolidated income for financial
year 2014 will record a 10% rise to at least EUR 375 million. After removing the
effects from the previous year's value, consolidated income will outperform the
above rise, increasing to more than EUR 12 million. The strongly growing smart
energy sector is expected to further step up growth in financial year 2015.
About S&T AG:
S&T AG (ISIN AT0000A0E9W5, WKN A0X9EJ, SANT) is listed on the Prime Standard
segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. S&T has some 1,550 employees. They
staff offices in Central and Eastern European countries. The company is one of
the three largest providers of IT systems in Austria and Eastern Europe. This
position is thanks to its variegated portfolio of products and services, which
feature proprietary technologies, which form the cores of cloud security, smart
energy and mobile IT solutions, and which are supplied throughout Central and
Eastern Europe.
Further inquiry note:
ir@snt.at; +431801911125;
end of announcement euro adhoc
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company: S&T AG
Industriezeile 35
A-4021 Linz
phone: +43 664 6119214
FAX: +43 1 80191 1290
mail: ir@snt.at
WWW: www.snt.at
sector: Computing & Information Technology
ISIN: AT0000A0E9W5, DE000A1HJLL6
indexes:
stockmarkets: regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt
language: English