SW Umwelttechnik Stoiser & Wolschner AG

Earnings Release • Apr 24, 2001

News Details

Ad-hoc | 24 April 2001 08:14

Ad hoc-Service: SW Umwelttechnik english

Ad hoc announcement transmitted by DGAP. The issuer has the sole responsibility of this announcement. ——————————————————————————– Central and East European wastewater treatment specialist SW Umwelttechnik reported a 56% increase in revenue for 2000 and a near-trebling of earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), thereby exceeding its growth targets by a wide margin. SW Umwelttechnik Management Board members Heinz Wolschner and Bernd Wolschner announced the results – for the first time based on International Accounting Standards – at a press conference today. In 2000 revenue was up by 56% to EUR 69.0 million (m); approx. 25% organic growth and 31% from the newly consolidated subsidiaries, Strong and Stadlbauer Umwelttechnik. The breakdown of revenue by core business sectors was virtually unchanged, with environmental products contributing 38.8%, environmental engineering 34.4% and infrastructure products 26.8% of the total. The share of revenue generated by the Hungarian environmental technology growth market rose to 53.8%, while Austria accounted for 42.5%, and other EU and CEE countries for the rest. EBIT almost trebled, rising from EUR 1.7m in 1999 to EUR 5m in 2000. Due to the Company’s excellent performance in Hungary the EBIT margin improved to 7.3%, despite fiercer competition and price erosion in Austria. Earnings per share soared by 129%, from EUR 1.56 to EUR 3.57. The Management Board will recommend payment of a dividend of EUR 0.75 to the Annual General Meeting on 18 May 2001. EUR m 2000 1999 Change Revenue 69.0 44.2 56% Total output 69.6 45.9 51% EBITDA 7.8 3.7 112% EBIT 5.0 1.7 192% POA 4.0 1.3 198% Earnings per share (EUR) 3.57 1.56 129% Payroll 818 703 16% end of ad hoc announcement, (c) DGAP 24.04.2001 Issuer’s information/explanation remarks concerning this ad hoc announcement: Outlook Following SW Umwelttechnik’s excellent showing in 2000, management are looking for continued rapid expansion. The importance attached to clean water is likely to increase still further, creating large long-term markets for the company’s products. Very high growth rates, fuelled by organic growth and acquisitions, are anticipated for the next few years: ? Robust demand for environmental and infrastructural products is expected to persist in Hungary. Thanks to its market leadership and heavy investment in the past few years, SW Umwelttechnik is in a very strong competitive position, pointing to further rapid growth. ? In order to expand the company’s share of the Hungarian market, a new factory for infrastructure products will be built in the Budapest area, this year. ? Reduced public funding due to government spending cuts will depress demand in Austria, leading to a squeeze on prices. Thanks to its technology and cost leadership, SW Umwelttechnik will be well placed to exploit this situation, playing an active role in the current phase of concentration in the industry. At the same time, the growing demand for alternative forms of finance and for low- cost decentralized purification systems will create openings for new business activities. ? Good order intake since balance sheet date, leading order backlog of EUR 33.2m as of February 2001, gives SW Umwelttechnik a strong platform for the double- digit growth it is targeting this year. ? The company will again be investing heavily in 2001, and capital expenditure of approx. EUR 7m is planned. The main focus is on expanding capacity, especially in Hungary, and on rationalization and specialization in Austria and Germany. ? The company will continue to pursue its expansion strategy, and apart from takeover targets in its Austrian and Hungarian home markets it will be looking at potential acquisitions in Croatia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Contacts Heinz Wolschner, member of the Management Board of SW Umwelttechnik Tel: +43 (0)463 32109 0; fax: +43 (0)463 37667 Christian Riel, Finance & Investor Relations Tel: 0664 433 71 05; fax: +43 (0)1 3688686; e-mail: christian.riel@sw- umwelttechnik.at Website: www.sw-umwelttechnik.at ——————————————————————————– WKN: 080820; Index: Listed: Amtlicher Handel in Wien; Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf und Stuttgart 240814 Apr 01