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AT&S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik AG

Quarterly Report Oct 26, 2015

736_ir_2015-10-26_bc30c6ff-926d-4cbe-89cc-85034ab2a9f1.pdf

Quarterly Report

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Key figures

Change
EARNINGS DATA AND GENERAL INFORMATION Unit H1 2014/15 H1 2015/16 in %
Revenue € in millions 302.1 387.1 28.2%
thereof produced in Asia % 76% 80%
thereof produced in Europe % 24% 20%
Cost of sales € in millions 235.9 302.3 28.2%
Gross profit € in millions 66.2 84.9 28.2%
Gross profit margin % 21.9% 21.9%
EBITDA € in millions 72.3 93.2 29.0%
EBITDA margin % 23.9% 24.1%
EBIT € in millions 39.9 50.7 27.1%
EBIT margin % 13.2% 13.1%
Profit for the period € in millions 28.4 42.1 48.1%
Profit for the period attributable to owners of the parent company € in millions 28.4 42.1 48.0%
Cash earnings € in millions 60.8 84.6 39.1%
ROE (Return on equity)1) % 13.3% 14.3%
ROCE (Return on capital employed)1) % 10.7% 11.2%
ROS (Return on sales) % 9.4% 10.9%
Cashflow from operating activities (OCF) € in millions 33.6 55.6 65.3%
Net CAPEX € in millions 88.7 98.2 10.7%
Employees (incl. leased personnel), end of reporting period 7,618 8,756 14.9%
Employees (incl. leased personnel), average 7,385 8,555 15.8%
BALANCE SHEET DATA 31 Mar 2015 30 Sep 2015
Total assets € in millions 1,220.8 1,217.5 (0.3%)
Total equity € in millions 604.4 575.1 (4.8%)
Equity attributable to owners of the parent company € in millions 604.3 575.0 (4.8%)
Equity ratio % 49.5% 47.2%
Net debt € in millions 130.5 194.4 49.0%
Net gearing % 21.6% 33.8%
Net working capital € in millions 95.3 120.6 26.5%
Net working capital per revenue % 14.3% 15.6%
STOCK EXCHANGE DATA H1 2014/15 H1 2015/16
Shares outstanding, end of reporting period 38,850,000 38,850,000
Weighted average number of shares outstanding 38,850,000 38,850,000
Earnings per shares outstanding end of reporting period 0.73 1.08 48.0%
Earnings per average number of shares outstanding 0.73 1.08 48.0%
Cash earnings per average number of shares 1.56 2.18 39.1%
Market capitalisation, end of reporting period € in millions 355.5 511.7 43.9%
Market capitalisation per equity2) % 76.4%3) 89.0%

1) Calculated on the basis of average values. 2) Equity attributable to owners of the parent company. 3) Calculated on the basis of the Equity as per 30 Sep 2014.

Highlights

  • Still very high capacity utilisation and strong demand in the customer segments
  • Revenue increased by 28.2 % to € 387.1 million: organic growth accounts for € 43.8 million and currency translation effects for € 41.2 million
  • EBITDA rose by 29.0% to € 93.2 million based on outstanding capacity utilisation, a good product mix, continuous cost improvements and currency translation effects of € 5.8 million resulting from negative currency effects related to the Indian rupee, the Korean won and the Chinese renminbi as well as positive effects from the USD
  • EBITDA margin rose from 23.9% to 24.1%
  • Profit for the period improved by 48.1% to € 42.1 million
  • Earnings per share up from € 0.73 to € 1.08
  • Investment in tangible and intangible assets in the first six months: € 98.3 million
  • Cash flow from results records 24.1% increase to € 85.4 million
  • Net debt increased from € 130.5 million at 31 March 2015 to € 194.4 million, primarily due to investments in Chongqing and other production sites, and due to higher working capital
  • Promissory note loan of € 220 million successfully placed
  • Set-up of the two plants in Chongqing proceeding according to plan

Statement of the Management Board

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Shareholders,

Once again, we can report on a very good quarter and thus on a strong operating development in the first six months of the financial year 2015/16. Based on continued high demand in the Business Unit Mobile Devices & Substrates and steadily growing demand in the Business Unit Automotive, Industrial, Medical, our capacity utilisation was still very high, which in combination with positive currency effects resulting from a weak euro led to an increase in revenue by 28.2% to € 387.1 million. Organic growth accounted for € 43.8 million or 14.5% of this growth. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 29.0% to € 93.2 million; here, positive and negative effects of exchange rates were largely balanced out. Equity was slightly negatively influenced by the devaluation of the renminbi due to conversion of net assets predominantly located in China into the group's reporting currency, the euro. At the group level, AT&S still partially benefits from the current currency relations in comparison with the previous year. The USD-EUR exchange rate as well as Renminbi-USD and Indian rupee-EUR are particularly important for us.

As in the past months, a very positive cash flow from results – amounting to € 85.4 million in the first six months of 2015/16, after € 68.8 million in the previous year – made a significant contribution to the internal financing power of AT&S.

On 23 October 2015 we successfully completed a promissory note loan of an aggregate amount of approximately € 220 million – the original target had been € 100 million. The funds will be used for early refinancing and partial repurchasing of the corporate bond as well as for a further optimisation of financial liabilities. AT&S is thus able to increase average debt maturities while reducing the average financing costs.

Recent turbulences in the capital markets regarding concerns of an economic slowdown in China were reflected in relatively volatile share price movements for AT&S as for many other listed companies; the operating business was largely unaffected.

In the first six months, we invested € 98.3 million – above all in the set-up of the two production facilities in Chongqing, which is proceeding according to plan. The plant for IC substrates is currently in the final qualification phase of all production and machine parameters under serial production conditions. We expect the certification at the end of the year as planned in order to then start the ramp-up at the beginning of the year 2016 and to gradually launch production. As originally planned, we will manufacture IC substrates for the product segment computing (notebooks, PCs, etc.) for the initial customer, a leading producer of semiconductors starting from 2016. The ramp of this plant will entail the expected burdens related to such a phase in the fourth financial quarter of AT&S (01 Jan – 31 Mar 2016): depreciation of the entire plant and infrastructure fully starts, and at the beginning capacity utilisation and yield will be at a lower level as expected, although all costs (e.g. material, personnel) fully incur. In the fourth quarter, we expect a normal, seasonal business development in the core business. Based on that, the expected start-up costs in Chongqing in the last quarter will have an impact of the results of the full year. We have already taken this development into account in our guidance for 2015/16. On the basis of the organic growth in the first half of the year, an expected positive business development in the next six months, and an average expected EUR-USD exchange rate of 1.16, we increase the revenue guidance from € 725 million to € 740 million. Influenced by the expected costs for the start-up of the new plants in Chongqing, the EBITDA margin should exceed 19%. The EBITDA margin in the core business is expected to be on the level of the previous year. In the medium term, the new plants will contribute to securing our positioning as one of the technology leaders and support our objective to remain one of the most profitable printed circuit board producers.

To counter the price pressure, which is common in our industry, we implement our focused high-tech strategy and continuous measures to increase efficiency and cut costs.

We extend our special thanks to our customers and shareholders for their continued trust and especially to all our employees for their enormous commitment to our ongoing business activities and the establishment of the production facilities in China.

Andreas Gerstenmayer Chief Executive Officer

With best regards

Karl Asamer Chief Financial Officer

Heinz Moitzi Chief Operations Officer

AT&S stock

SHAREHOLDER STRUCTURE

MARKET AND SHARE PRICE DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2015/16 In the

second quarter the mood on the international capital markets deteriorated due to weaker global economic data. In this volatile situation, the devaluation of the Chinese currency in early August was seen as a confirmation of the feared economic slowdown in China as a result of a weakening global economy. Expansive measures taken by the Chinese central bank stopped share price losses of more than 30% (Shanghai Composite) within a few days for the time being, but the development remained volatile. Over the year, the index is still up 30%. The decision of the US Federal Reserve not to raise interest rates as expected in September had a negative impact on the markets as this was above all considered to confirm concerns about the economy yet again.

In the course of these developments, the US Dow Jones Industrial (DJI) Index recorded a decline by 7.6% in the third calendar quarter. The European stock index Eurostoxx 50 was hit even harder, falling 9.5%, as the effects of the crisis in Greece and the refugee crisis in Europe added to the burden of global worries about the economy. The Vienna Stock Exchange was unable to detach itself from the general decline in share prices on the stock markets in the third calendar quarter of 2015; consequently, the ATX fell 7.6%.

AT&S AGAINST ATX-PRIME AND TEC DAX

The AT&S share saw an equally volatile development in the first six months of the financial year 2015/16 (01 Apr – 30 Sep 2015): after corrections in June and July, a new high of € 16.35 was recorded in early August. Then the AT&S share showed a development similar to the international capital markets and closed at a price of € 13.17 at 30 September 2015, which was primarily due to the "China effect".

The average daily turnover amounted to 68,112 units in the first six months, thus exceeding the first six months of 2014/15 by 10,445 units per day.

AT&S intensified talks with analysts, institutional investors and private shareholders in the first six months of 2015/16 and completed a total of 11 road shows at the relevant exchange venues in Europe and in the USA. Moreover, AT&S held the Capital Markets Day in Chongqing in June, kept intensive contact with private investors, for example at the 21st Annual General Meeting, and informed numerous securities advisors about current developments at AT&S at the Stock Exchange Information Day in Vienna. These events were complemented by many individual telephone conferences and written inquiries. In early September, AT&S participated in Asia's largest investor conference for technology shares in Taipei, Taiwan for the first time. This conference provided a direct peer comparison as most competitors of AT&S are listed in Taiwan. Feedback by investors and analysts was positive.

The AT&S share is currently rated by nine analysts and has five "buy" recommendations and four "hold" recommendations.

KEY STOCK FIGURES FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS (€)

30 September 2015 30 September 2014
Earnings per share 1.08 0.73
High 16.35 10.44
Low 12.80 8.01
Close 13.17 9.15

AT&S SHARE

Vienna Stock Exchange
Shares outstanding 38,850,000
Security ID number 969985
ISIN-Code AT0000969985
Symbol ATS
Reuters RIC ATSV.VI
Bloomberg ATS AV
Indices ATX Prime, WBI SME

FINANCAL CALENDER

28 January 2016 Publication of results for third quarter 2015/16
10 May 2016 Publication of annual results 2015/16
07 July 2016 22nd Annual General Meeting

CONTACT INVESTOR RELATIONS

Elke Koch Phone: +43 (0) 3842 200 5925 [email protected]

Group Interim Management Report

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS AND SITUATION The highly successful business development of the last two quarters of the past financial year continued in the first half of the financial year 2015/16. Based on excellent sales volume in all business units, revenue increased by € 85,0 million or 28.2%, from € 302.1 million to € 387.1 million. The organic growth of € 43.8 million was primarily based on untypically high demand for printed circuit boards for mobile end devices in the first six months of the fianancial year 2015/16 (the first half of the financial year is usually characterised by lower seasonal demand) and the consistently growing demand for printed circuit boards for the automotive, industrial and medical technology sectors. In addition to this organic growth, the higher exchange rates compared with the previous year also contributed € 41.2 million or 13.7% to the increase. The share of products manufactured in Asia in revenue rose from 76% in the previous year to 80% in the current financial year. The distribution of production volume between Europe and Asia shows a continuously growing share from Asia.

Result key data

€ in millions (unless otherwise stated) H1 2015/16 H1 2014/15 ±
Revenue 387.1 302.1 28.2%
Operating result before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation
(EBITDA) 93.2 72.3 29.0%
EBITDA margin (%) 24.1% 23.9%
Operating result (EBIT) 50.7 39.9 27.1%
EBIT margin (%) 13.1% 13.2%
Profit for the year 42.1 28.4 48.1%
Earnings per share (€) 1.08 0.73 48.0%
Additions to property, plant and equipment and intangible assets 124.6 94.0 32.7%
Average number of staff (incl. leased personnel) 8,555 7,385 15.8%

The EBITDA margin increased by 0.2 percentage points in a year-on-year comparison, from 23.9% to 24.1%. This improvement is on the one hand due to a fixed cost degression resulting from good capacity utilisation and on the other hand to a good product mix, despite a one time effect of a compensation payment of a supplier in the first half of the past financial year.

Development of profit
€ in millions H1 2014/15 One-off effects1) Currency effects2) Organic H1 2015/16
Revenue 302.1 41.2 43.8 387.1
Cost of sales (235.9) (39.5) (26.9) (302.3)
Gross profit 66.2 1.8 16.9 84.9
Distribution costs (14.8) (1.4) (1.1) (17.2)
General and administrative costs (13.5) (0.6) 0.5 (13.5)
Other operating result 2.0 (2.9) (0.8) (1.7) (3.4)
Operating result before interest,
tax, depreciation
and amortisation (EBITDA) 72.3 0.5 5.8 14.6 93.2
Operating result (EBIT) 39.9 (2.9) (1.0) 14.6 50.7
Finance costs - net (2.4) (1.7) 4.1 (0.0) 0.0
Profit before tax 37.6 (4.6) 3.1 14.6 50.8
Income taxes (9.1) 1.2 (1.2) 0.5 (8.6)
Profit for the year (result after tax) 28.4 (3.4) 1.9 15.1 42.1

1) Plant construction of Chongqing

2) Translation and valuation effects included in the consolidated financial statements

Depreciation and amortisation were up € 10.1 million or 31.2% in comparison to the previous year, increasing from € 32.4 million to € 42.5 million. The increase is primarily based on currency translation effects, but also on depreciation and amortisation in Chongqing.

Finance costs improved significantly from € -2.4 million to € 0.0 million. The slight increase in interest expenses from € 6.9 million to € 7.2 million was more than offset by higher, realised foreign exchange gains. The Group's tax rate, at 17.0%, was significantly lower than the value of 24.3% in the previous year. This reduction is primarily attributable to a lower tax rate of AT&S (China) Company Limited, which in the past financial year only received the favourable tax status of a "high-tech company" as of January 2015 (with retroactive effect for the calendar year 2014).

The profit for the period increased by € 13.7 million or 48.1%, from € 28.4 million to € 42.1 million due to the positive business development, very good finance costs and the low tax rate. As a result, earnings per share improved from € 0.73 to € 1.08.

FINANCIAL POSITION Total assets decreased by € 3.3 million or 0.3% in the first half of the financial year 2015/16, from € 1,220.8 million to € 1,217.5 million. The increase by additions to assets of € 68.0 million for the new plant in Chongqing, technology upgrades of € 56.6 million at other sites (thereof € 98,3 million CAPEX) and an increase by € 16.9 million in trade receivables and other receivables due to higher revenue, were offset by currency translation effects, depreciation and lower cash and cash equivalents.

Equity declined by € 29.3 million or 4.8%, from € 604.4 million to € 575.1 million. The higher profit for the period of € 42.1 million and gains from the valuation of hedging instruments amounting to € 0.4 million did not offset negative currency differences from the translation of the net asset position of subsidiaries and the translation of long-term loans to subsidiaries, which resulted from a slight strengthening of the EUR. The resulting equity ratio of 47.2% was 2.3 percentage points lower than the value at 31 March 2015.

Net debt rose by € 63,9 million or 49.0%, from € 130.5 million to € 194.4 million. This expected increase resulted due to high investing activities, the increase in working capital related to higher revenue and divi-

dend payment. The significant improvement in cash flow from results by € 16.6 million or 24.2%, which reflects the operationally very strong first six months of the current financial year contributed positively.

Net gearing, at 33.8%, was at a slightly higher level at 30 September 2015 than at 31 March 2015. This results from a slight increase in net debt and the effect on equity caused by negative currency differences.

Revenue from external customers by segment

Mobile Devices & Substrates Development of revenue € in millions 194.8272.8 H1 2014/15 H1 2015/16

Liquidity remains quite good at AT&S. The company has both sufficient long-term financial resources and short-term credit facilities at its disposal to cover the planned investments and working capital. Possibilities to optimise financing are reviewed on an ongoing basis.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BY SEGMENTS The AT&S Group breaks its operating activities down into three business units: "Mobile Devices & Substrates", "Automotive, Industrial, Medical" and "Others". At the beginning of the financial year 2015/16, the business unit Industrial & Automotive was renamed Automotive, Industrial, Medical. This change was made to underline the growing significance of business with medical devices in both therapy and diagnosis. For further information on the segments and segment reporting please refer to the Annual Report 2014/15.

All three segments show a very positive development in terms of both revenue and earnings. The persisting trend towards HDI printed circuit boards in the automotive industry, the trend towards embedded components in the electronics industry and further improvements in production optimisation between the segments led to a significant increase in intersegment revenue. The share of the business unit Mobile Devices & Substrates in total external revenue increased from 51.9% to 58.9%. The importance of the Others segment remained constant with 0.4%. The share of the Automotive, Industrial, Medical segment in revenues fell from 47.8% to 40.6% despite significant increases in absolute figures.

MOBILE DEVICES & SUBSTRATES SEGMENT The unabated strong demand for high-end HDI printed circuit boards for smartphones, which had already led to exceptionally high revenue in the last two quarters of the financial year 2014/15, continued in the first six months of 2015/16. In addition, this segment benefited from the ongoing favourable exchange rate from an euro perspective and the above mentioned stronger demand by the other business segments. Overall, this led to a considerable increase in revenue by € 78.0 million or 40.0%, from € 194.8 million to € 272.8 million.

€ in millions (unless otherwise stated) H1 2015/16 H1 2014/15 ±
Segment revenue 272.8 194.8 40.0%
Revenue from external customers 228.1 156.7 45.6%
Operating result before interest, tax, depreciation
and amortisation (EBITDA) 67.6 52.0 30.2%
EBITDA margin (%) 24.8% 26.7%
Operating result (EBIT) 30.9 24.3 27.1%
EBIT margin (%) 11.3% 12.5%
Additions to property, plant and equipment and intangible assets 107.8 77.4 39.3%
Employees (incl. leased personnel), average 5,795 4,767 21.6%

Mobile Devices & Substrates segment – overview

EBITDA rose by € 15.6 million or 30.2%, from € 52.0 million to € 67.6 million. Additionaly to higher revenue and the related utilisation at the upper capacity limit, this was also attributable to rigid cost management and economies of scale in production and overheads. Lower sales margins for the business unit Automotive, Industrial, Medical due to unfavourable exchange rate of sales in euro and production costs in Chinese renminbi debited the result.

Depreciation and amortisation in the segment rose by € 9.2 million or 33.3%, from € 27.6 million to € 36.8 million. Apart from currency translation effects of € 6.5 million, depreciation and amortisation in Chongqing also contributed to the increase. As a result, the segment's EBIT amounted to € 30.9 million, which exceeded the prior-year figure by € 6.6 million or 27.1%. The segment's EBIT margin reduced 1.2 percentage points from 12.5% to 11.3%.

The project Chongqing resulted in additions to assets of € 68.0 million (previous year: € 46.6 million). The remaining additions were related to technology upgrades at the Shanghai site. The increase in the number of employees by 1,028 persons is primarily attributable to the establishment of the Chongqing plant according to plan.

AUTOMOTIVE, INDUSTRIAL, MEDICAL SEGMENT With revenue growth by € 17,6 million or 11.6%, this segment raised the good prior-year value from € 151.9 million to € 169.5 million. The main driver was the continuously increasing demand from the automotive sector, which reflects the trend towards more electronic components in vehicles. Demand in the Industrial and Medical segments was slightly below the high level of the previous year.

Medical Development of revenue € in millions € in millions52.0 151.9 169.5 H1 2014/15 H1 2015/16

Automotive, Industrial,

Automotive, Industrial, Medical segment – overview

€ in millions (unless otherwise stated) H1 2015/16 H1 2014/15 ±
Segment revenue 169.5 151.9 11.6%
Revenue from external customers 157.3 144.3 9.0%
Operating result before interest, tax, depreciation
and amortisation (EBITDA) 19.2 17.8 8.2%
EBITDA margin (%) 11.3% 11.7%
Operating result (EBIT) 14.1 13.7 2.8%
EBIT margin (%) 8.3% 9.0%
Additions to property, plant and equipment and intangible assets 11.6 15.0 (22.8%)
Employees (incl. leased personnel), average 2,607 2,491 4.7%

Utilisation of the production sites of this segment was at the high level of the previous year and thus partially at the upper capacity limit. The segment benefited from increasing intercompany sales. Overall, this led to an increase in EBITDA by € 1.4 million or 8.2%, from € 17.8 million to € 19.2 million.

The EBITDA margin decreased by 0.4 percentage points from 11.7% to 11.3%. The negative effects, which resulted from a currency-related increase in production costs in India and Korea, were not compensated.

As depreciation and amortisation rose by € 1.1 million or 25.7%, the segment's EBIT declined slightly by € 0.4 million or 2.8%, from € 13.7 million to € 14.1 million.

The additions to assets, at € 11.6 million, significantly exceed the prior year value of € 15.0 million.

OTHERS SEGMENT The business unit Advanced Packaging, which is part of the Others segment, continued the positive development of the previous year and recorded a significant increase in revenue of € 8.0 million or 206.9% compared with the previous year. Revenue rose from € 3.9 million to € 11.9 million. The increase in revenue reflects the outstanding positioning of AT&S in this segment and the trend of embedding active and passive electronic components into printed circuit boards, which AT&S identified at an early stage.

Based on this highly favourable development, the segment generated clearly positive EBITDA and EBIT. The costs of the general holding activities, which are included in the Others segment, were maintained stable in comparison with the previous year; earnings increased significantly.

Others segment – overview
--------------------------- --
€ in millions (unless otherwise stated) H1 2015/16 H1 2014/15 ±
Segment revenue 11.9 3.9 206.9%
Revenue from external customers 1.7 1.1 60.1%
Operating result before interest, tax, depreciation
and amortisation (EBITDA) 6.2 2.5 145.0%
EBITDA margin (%) 51.9% 65.0%
Operating result (EBIT) 5.6 1.9 196.3%
EBIT margin (%) 46.8% 48.5%
Additions to property, plant and equipment and intangible assets 5.3 1.6 238.3%
Employees (incl. leased personnel), average 153 127 20.0%

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AFTER THE END OF THE INTERIM REPORTING PERIOD As of

22 October 2015 AT&S made a premature repayment of the corporate bond, which has fixed yearly interest rate of 5,0%, with a nominal amount of € 18 million as a further step to improve the debt structure.

As of 23 October 2015 a promissory note loan was successfully placed in the total amount of € 220 million. Due to the high demand the former issuing volume of € 100 million, which should guarantee the premature refunding of the bond due to favorable current interest rates, has been increased up to € 220 million. The additional amount will be used for optimising the financial liabilities.

The promissory note loan comprises several tranches with terms to maturity of five and seven years carrying fixed and variable interest in euro and US dollar. This should lead, after optimising the financial liablities and refunding the loan to a higher duration as well as to a significant reduction of interest expense due to an average interest rate of 1.6%.

SIGNIFICANT RISKS, UNCERTAINTIES AND OPPORTUNITIES There were no significant changes in the risk categories compared with those described in detail in section 6 "Risk and opportunities management" of the Group Management Report of the consolidated financial statements 2014/15.

With respect to opportunities and risks related to developments in the external environment for the full financial year 2015/16, it is still assumed that total revenues in the printed circuit board industry will increase worldwide.

OUTLOOK Provided a stable macroeconomic environment and continuous good customer demand the Management Board expects an ongoing high level of capacity utilisation for the financial year 2015/16.

On the basis of the organic growth in the first half-year, an expected positive business development in the next six months and an average supposed USD-EUR exchange rate of 1.16, the Management Board increases the revenue expected for the financial year 2015/16 from € 725 million to € 740 million.

Influenced by the expected costs of the start-up of the new plants in Chongqing, the EBITDA margin should exceed 19% (guidance at the beginning of the financial year: 18-20%). This includes an EBITDA margin in the core business at the level of the previous year.

Leoben-Hinterberg, 26 October 2015

Management Board

Andreas Gerstenmayer m.p. Karl Asamer m.p. Heinz Moitzi m.p.

Interim Financial Report (IFRS)

Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss

€ in thousands 01 Jul - 30 Sep 2015 01 Jul - 30 Sep 2014 01 Apr - 30 Sep 2015 01 Apr - 30 Sep 2014
Revenue 192,737 160,767 387,129 302,077
Cost of sales (149,650) (123,090) (302,255) (235,856)
Gross profit 43,087 37,677 84,874 66,221
Distribution costs (8,579) (7,631) (17,192) (14,768)
General and administrative costs (6,981) (6,633) (13,538) (13,495)
Other operating result (598) 3,192 (3,402) 1,970
Operating result 26,929 26,605 50,742 39,928
Finance income 1,990 3,476 5,189 3,810
Finance costs (1,795) (3,174) (5,164) (6,173)
Finance costs - net 195 302 25 (2,363)
Profit before tax 27,124 26,907 50,767 37,565
Income taxes (4,637) (6,041) (8,630) (9,120)
Profit for the period 22,487 20,866 42,137 28,445
Attributable to owners of the parent company 22,449 20,847 42,066 28,416
Attributable to non-controlling interests 38 19 71 29
Earnings per share attributable to equity holders
of the parent company (in € per share):
- basic 0.58 0.54 1.08 0.73
- diluted 0.58 0.54 1.08 0.73
Weighted average number of shares outstanding
- basic (in thousands)
38,850 38,850 38,850 38,850
Weighted average number of shares outstanding
- diluted (in thousands)
38,850 38,850 38,850 38,850

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

€ in thousands 01 Jul - 30 Sep 2015 01 Jul - 30 Sep 2014 01 Apr - 30 Sep 2015 01 Apr - 30 Sep 2014
Profit for the period 22,487 20,866 42,137 28,445
Items to be reclassified:
Currency translation differences (34,188) 50,103 (57,741) 55,753
Gains/(losses) from the fair value measurement of hedging instruments
for cash flow hedges, net of tax (260) (667) 358 (1,967)
Other comprehensive income for the period (34,448) 49,436 (57,383) 53,786
Total comprehensive income for the period (11,961) 70,302 (15,246) 82,231
Attributable to owners of the parent company (11,984) 70,277 (15,291) 82,189
Attributable to non-controlling interests 23 25 45 42

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

€ in thousands 30 Sep 2015 31 Mar 2015
ASSETS
Property, plant and equipment 611,597 603,664
Intangible assets 75,392 45,211
Financial assets 96 96
Deferred tax assets 33,629 34,301
Other non-current assets 29,626 29,485
Non-current assets 750,340 712,757
Inventories 92,513 89,222
Trade and other receivables 160,056 143,130
Financial assets 647 780
Current income tax receivables 271 1,004
Cash and cash equivalents 213,674 273,919
Current assets 467,161 508,055
Total assets 1,217,501 1,220,812
EQUITY
Share capital 141,846 141,846
Other reserves 93,417 150,774
Retained earnings 339,722 311,642
Equity attributable to owners of the parent company 574,985 604,262
Non-controlling interests 141 96
Total equity 575,126 604,358
LIABILITIES
Financial liabilities 357,793 359,268
Provisions for employee benefits 34,607 33,726
Other provisions 7,232 7,545
Deferred tax liabilities 9,099 7,774
Other liabilities 4,556 4,757
Non-current liabilities 413,287 413,070
Trade and other payables 165,401 149,409
Financial liabilities 51,044 46,037
Current income tax payables 6,913 2,823
Other provisions 5,730 5,115
Current liabilities 229,088 203,384
Total liabilities 642,375 616,454
Total equity and liabilities 1,217,501 1,220,812

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

€ in thousands 01 Apr - 30 Sep 2015 01 Apr - 30 Sep 2014
Profit for the period
Depreciation, amortisation and impairment of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets
42,137
42,488
28,445
32,369
Changes in non-current provisions 918 567
Income taxes 8,630 9,120
Finance costs/income (25) 2,363
Gains/losses from the sale of fixed assets 104 67
Release of government grants (524) (610)
Other non-cash expense/(income), net (1,611) 4,573
Interest paid (3,915) (2,941)
Interest and dividends received 1,536 1,396
Income taxes paid (4,346) (6,592)
Cash flow from operating activities before changes in working capital 85,392 68,757
Inventories (8,193) (14,776)
Trade and other receivables (23,926) (39,786)
Trade and other payables 1,522 18,770
Other provisions 840 685
Cash flow from operating activities 55,635 33,650
Capital expenditure for property, plant and equipment and intangible assets (98,288) (88,859)
Proceeds from the sale of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets 62 160
Capital expenditure for financial assets (222)
Proceeds from the sale of financial assets 963
Cash flow from investing activities (97,485) (88,699)
Proceeds from borrowings 9,849 26,378
Repayments of borrowings (6,022) (6,317)
Proceeds from government grants 280 327
Dividends paid (13,986) (7,770)
Cash flow from financing activities (9,879) 12,618
Change in cash and cash equivalents (51,729) (42,431)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year 273,919 260,133
Exchange gains/(losses) on cash and cash equivalents (8,516) 3,486
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period 213,674 221,188

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

Equity
attributable
to owners Non
Share Other Retained of the parent controlling Total
€ in thousands capital reserves earnings company interests equity
31 Mar 2014 141,846 (1,297) 250,133 390,682 (2) 390,680
Profit for the period 28,416 28,416 29 28,445
Other comprehensive income for the period 53,773 53,773 13 53,786
thereof currency translation differences 55,740 55,740 13 55,753
thereof change in hedging instruments for
cash flow hedges, net of tax (1,967) (1,967) (1,967)
Total comprehensive income for the period 53,773 28,416 82,189 42 82,231
Dividends paid relating to 2013/14 (7,770) (7,770) (7,770)
30 Sep 2014 141,846 52,476 270,779 465,101 40 465,141
31 Mar 2015 141,846 150,774 311,642 604,262 96 604,358
Profit for the period 42,066 42,066 71 42,137
Other comprehensive income for the period (57,357) (57,357) (26) (57,383)
thereof currency translation differences (57,715) (57,715) (26) (57,741)
thereof change in hedging instruments for
cash flow hedges, net of tax 358 358 358
Total comprehensive income for the period (57,357) 42,066 (15,291) 45 (15,246)
Dividends paid relating to 2014/15 (13,986) (13,986) (13,986)
30 Sep 2015 141,846 93,417 339,722 574,985 141 575,126

Segment Reporting

01 Apr - 30 Sep 2015

Mobile Devices & Automotive, Elimination/
€ in thousands Substrates Industrial, Medical Others Consolidation Group
Segment revenue 272,809 169,456 11,925 (67,061) 387,129
Intersegment revenue (44,708) (12,148) (10,205) 67,061
Revenue from external customers 228,101 157,308 1,720 387,129
Operating result before depreciation/amortisation 67,647 19,208 6,188 187 93,230
Depreciation/amortisation (36,752) (5,127) (609) (42,488)
Operating result 30,895 14,081 5,579 187 50,742
Finance costs - net 25
Profit before tax 50,767
Income taxes (8,630)
Profit for the period 42,137
Property, plant and equipment
and intangible assets 598,014 73,363 15,612 686,989
Additions to property, plant and equipment
and intangible assets 107,768 11,577 5,284 124,628

01 Apr - 30 Sep 2014

Mobile Devices & Automotive, Elimination/
€ in thousands Substrates Industrial, Medical Others Consolidation Group
Segment revenue 194,836 151,902 3,885 (48,546) 302,077
Intersegment revenue (38,134) (7,601) (2,811) 48,546
Revenue from external customers 156,702 144,301 1,074 302,077
Operating result before depreciation/amortisation 51,965 17,763 2,526 44 72,297
Depreciation/amortisation (27,648) (4,078) (643) (32,369)
Operating result 24,316 13,685 1,883 44 39,928
Finance costs - net (2,363)
Profit before tax 37,565
Income taxes (9,120)
Profit for the period 28,445
Property, plant and equipment
and intangible assets *)
567,909 70,036 10,930 648,875
Additions to property, plant and equipment
and intangible assets 77,384 15,004 1,562 93,950

*) Value as of 31 March 2015

Information by geographic region

Revenues broken down by customer region, based on ship-to-region:

Property, plant and equipment and intangible assets broken down by domicile:

01 Apr - 30 Sep
€ in thousands 2015 2014
Austria 10,814 11,859
Germany 68,782 68,628
Other European countries 46,984 41,672
China 183,056 104,970
Other Asian countries 58,002 61,720
Americas 19,491 13,228
Revenue 387,129 302,077
€ in thousands 30 Sep 2014 31 Mar 2014
Austria 57,973 49,019
China 597,975 567,867
Others 31,041 31,989
Property, plant and equipment
and intangible assets 686,989 648,875

Notes to the Interim Financial Report

GENERAL INFORMATION

ACCOUNTING AND MEASUREMENT POLICIES The interim report for the six months ended 30 September 2015 has been prepared in accordance with the standards (IFRS and IAS) and interpretations (IFRIC and SIC) of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), taking IAS 34 into account, as adopted by the European Union.

The interim consolidated financial statements do not include all the information contained in the annual consolidated financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated annual financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2015.

Due to the increasing importance of the sector medical the business unit Industrial & Automotive has been renamed into Automotive, Industrial, Medical.

The interim consolidated statements ended 30 September 2015 are unaudited and have not been the subject of external audit review.

NOTES TO THE STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS

REVENUE Group revenue in the first half of the current financial year increased by 28.2% from € 302.1 million in the same period last year up to € 387.1 million.

GROSS PROFIT The actual gross profit of € 84.9 million was considerably higher than the € 66.2 million achieved in the same period last year. This is an increase of 28.2%. This highly satisfactory outcome results from increased group revenue, efficient capacity utilisation and continuous efficency improvement programs.

OPERATING RESULT On the basis of the improved gross profit and losses on foreign exchange, AT&S was able to improve its consolidated operating result considerably to € 50.7 million or 13.1% of revenue.

FINANCE COSTS - NET The finance costs of € 5.2 million were under the last year level. The financial income from investment of free cash and gains from foreign exchange were € 5.2 million. As a consequence the net finance costs of € 0.0 million decreased by € 2.4 million in comparison to the same period last year. In the net finance costs € 2.9 million (previous year: € 1.4 million) gains for capitalised interest are included. Net interest expense on personnel-related liabilities amounted € 0.3 million is presented in the "finance costs – net". Last year's figures have not been restated due to insignificance.

INCOME TAXES The change of the effective tax rate on consolidated level compared with the same period last year is mainly resulting from the reapplied reduced tax rate of 15% for AT&S (China) Company Limited, compared to the general tax rate of 25% in the first half of the previous year, as well as the variation of proportions of Group earnings contributed by individual companies with different tax rates.

NOTES TO THE STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

CURRENCY TRANSLATION DIFFERENCES The decrease in the foreign currency translation reserve in the current financial year (€ -57.7 million) was the result of the changes in exchange rates of the Group's functional currencies, the Chinese renminbi, the Hong Kong dollar, the US dollar, the Indian rupee and the South Korean won against the Group reporting currency, the euro.

Closing rate Average rate
30 Sep 2015 31 Mar 2015 Change in % 01 Apr -
30 Sep 2015
01 Apr -
30 Sep 2014
Change in %
Chinese yuan renminbi 7.1344 6.6572 7.2% 6.8644 8.3388 (17.7%)
Hong Kong dollar 8.6925 8.3285 4.4% 8.5782 10.4316 (17.8%)
Indian rupee 73.6113 67.2055 9.5% 71.1427 81.0962 (12.3%)
Japanese yen 134.8500 128.7780 4.7% 134.5226 139.1352 (3.3%)
South Korean won 1,328.7941 1,191.6030 11.5% 1,257.4202 1,388.8744 (9.5%)
US dollar 1.1216 1.0740 4.4% 1.1069 1.3453 (17.7%)
Taiwan dollar 36.8814 33.6151 9.7% 34.8902 40.5157 (13.9%)

NOTES TO THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

ASSETS AND FINANCES Net debt of € 194.4 million increased versus the € 130.5 million outstanding at 31 March 2015. The increase was among others investments in the new facility in Chongqing as well as technology upgrades in the other plants and paid dividends. Net working capital of € 95.3 million as at 31 March 2015 increased to € 120.6 million mainly due to increased business acitivities. The net gearing ratio was with 33.8% above the 21.6% at 31 March 2015.

VALUATION HIERARCHIES FOR FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS MEASURED AT FAIR VALUE

Three valuation hierarchies have to be distinguished in the valuation of financial instruments measured at fair value.

  • Level 1: fair values are determined on the basis of publicly quoted prices in active markets for identical financial instruments.
  • Level 2: if no publicly quoted prices in active markets exist, then fair values are determined on the basis of valuation methods based to the greatest possible extent on market prices.
  • Level 3: in this case, the models used to determine fair value are based on inputs not observable in the market.

The financial instruments valued at fair value at the end of the reporting period at the three valuation levels were as follows:

€ in thousands
30 Sep 2015 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Financial assets
Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss:
- Bonds 647 647
Available-for-sale financial assets 96 96
Financial liabilities
Derivative financial instruments 3,299 3,299
€ in thousands
31 Mar 2015
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Financial assets
Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss:
- Bonds 780 780
Available-for-sale financial assets 96 96
Financial liabilities
Derivative financial instruments 3,777 3,777

Bonds, export loans, government loans and other bank borrowings amounting to € 405.5 million (31 March 2015: € 401.5 million) are measured at amortised cost. The fair value of these liabilities was € 412.0 million (31 March 2015: € 408.3 million).

OTHER FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS At 30 September 2015 the Group had other financial commitments amounting to € 103.4 million, in connection with contractually binding investment commitments, the greater part of which related to the continuing construction of the new site in Chongqing and investments in the Shanghai and Leoben plants. As at 31 March 2015 other financial commitments stood at € 32.9 million.

EQUITY Consolidated equity decreased from € 604.4 million at 31 March 2015 to € 575.1 million. The good consolidated profit for the period of € 42.1 million and a positive change for hedging instruments of € 0.4 million, confronted with negative impacts from currency translation differences of € -57.7 million, contributed to the consolidated total comprehensive income of € -15.2 million.

In the 20th Annual General Meeting on 3 July 2014 the Management Board was authorised until 2 July 2019 to increase the share capital of the Company, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, by up to € 21,367,500 by way of issuing up to 19,425,000 no-par value bearer shares, for contributions in cash or kind, in one or more tranches, including issue by means of an indirect share offering via banks in accordance with section 153 para 6 Austrian Companies Act (AktG). The Management Board was authorised, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, to determine the detailed terms and conditions of issue (in particular, issue price, nature of contributions in kind, rights attaching to shares, exclusion of subscription rights, etc.) (approved capital). The Supervisory Board was authorised to approve changes in the Articles of Association required by the issue of shares out of authorised capital. The Annual General Meeting approved a resolution amending Section 4 (Nominal Capital) of the Articles of Association to reflect this change.

In addition, in the 20th Annual General Meeting of 3 July 2014 the resolution of the Annual General Meeting of 7 July 2010 authorising the issue of convertible loan stock was rescinded and at the same time the Management Board was authorised until 2 July 2019, and with the approval of the Supervisory Board, to issue up to a maximum nominal value of € 150,000,000 of bearer convertible loan stock in one or more tranches, and to grant the holders of the loan stock subscription and/or conversion rights for up to 19,425,000 new no-par value bearer shares in the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions of the convertible loan stock to be determined by the Management Board. For this purpose, in accordance with section 159 para 2 item 1 AktG, the share capital of the Company was also conditionally increased by up to € 21,367,500 in the form of up to 19,425,000 new no-par value bearer shares. This capital increase will only take place to the extent that holders of convertible loan stock exercise their conversion or subscription rights in accordance with the resolution of the Annual General Meeting of 3 July 2014. The Management Board was also authorised, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, to determine further details of the conditional capital increase (in particular, the amount of the issue and the rights attaching to shares).

With respect to the authorised share capital increase and/or the conditional capital increase, the following restrictions on the amounts of the increases are to be observed, as required under the resolutions of the Annual General Meeting of 3 July 2014: The total of (i) the number of new shares actually issued or potentially issuable out of conditional capital under the terms and conditions of the convertible bonds, and (ii) the number of shares issued out of authorised capital may not exceed 19,425,000.

TREASURY SHARES In the 21st Annual General Meeting of 9 July 2015 the Management Board was again authorised for a period of 30 months from the date of the resolution to acquire and retire the Company's own shares up to a maximum amount of 10% of the share capital. The Management Board was also again authorised – for a period of five years (i.e., until 8 July 2020), upon approval of the Supervisory Board – to sell treasury shares otherwise than through the stock exchange or by means of public offerings, and in particular for the purpose of enabling the exercise of employee stock options or the conversion of convertible bonds, or as consideration for the acquisition of businesses or other assets, or for any other legally permissible purpose.

On 30 September 2015, the Group held no treasury shares.

NOTES TO THE STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS The cash flow from operating activities amounted to € 55.6 million compared with € 33.6 million in the same period last year. The increase is mainly due to the increase in the profit of the period.

The cash flow from investing activities reached with € -97.5 million a above level than the € -88.7 million in the same period last year. This year's capital expenditures are predominantly in the new factory in Chongqing as well as technology upgrades in the other plants.

The cash flows from financing activities amounted to € -9.9 million.

OTHER INFORMATION

DIVIDENDS The Annual General Meeting of 9 July 2015 resolved on a dividend payment of € 0.36 per share out of retained earnings as at 31 March 2015. The dividend distribution of € 14.0 million took place on 30 July 2015.

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS In connection with various projects, the Group received consulting services from companies where Supervisory Board chairman Mr. Androsch (AIC Androsch International Management Consulting GmbH) and Supervisory Board deputy chairman Mr. Dörflinger (Dörflinger Management & Beteiligungs GmbH) are managing directors with the power of sole representation. The Group also received in previous year legal advice from Frotz Riedl Rechtsanwälte, where Supervisory Board member Mr. Riedl works as an independent lawyer. The fees charged are as follows:

€ in thousands 01 Apr - 30 Sep 2015 01 Apr - 30 Sep 2014
AIC Androsch International Management Consulting GmbH 198 189
Dörflinger Management & Beteiligungs GmbH 2 5
Frotz Riedl Rechtsanwälte 3
Total fees 200 197

At the balance sheet date, there are no outstanding balances or obligations to the above mentioned legal and consulting companies.

Leoben-Hinterberg, 26 October 2015

Management Board

Andreas Gerstenmayer m.p. Karl Asamer m.p. Heinz Moitzi m.p.

Statement of all Legal Representatives

We confirm to the best of our knowledge that the interim financial statements give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the group as required by the applicable accounting standards and that the group interim management report gives a true and fair view of important events that have occurred during the first six months of the financial year and their impact on the interim financial statements, of the principal risks and uncertainties for the remaining six months of the financial year and of the major related party transactions to be disclosed.

Leoben-Hinterberg, 26 October 2015

The Management Board

Andreas Gerstenmayer Chief Executive Officer

Karl Asamer Chief Financial Officer

Heinz Moitzi Chief Operations Officer

Contact/Publication details

CONTACT

AT & S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik Aktiengesellschaft Fabriksgasse 13 A-8700 Leoben Austria Tel: +43 (0) 3842 200-0 www.ats.net

INVESTOR RELATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS

Elke Koch Phone +43 (0) 3842 200-5925 [email protected]

PUBLISHED BY AND RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTENT

AT & S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik Aktiengesellschaft Fabriksgasse 13 A-8700 Leoben Austria www.ats.net

PHOTOS

Klaus Vyhnalek Fotografie, Vienna Werbeagentur DMP, Maria Enzersdorf

DISCLAIMER

This report contains forward-looking statements which were made on the basis of the information available at the time of publication. These can be identified by the use of such expressions as "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "intends", "could", "will", "aim" and "estimation" or other similar words. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions. Such statements are by their very nature subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties. As a result, actual developments may vary significantly from the forward-looking statements made in this report. Recipients of this report are expressly cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. Neither AT&S nor any other entity accept any responsibility for the correctness and completeness of the forward-looking statements contained in this report. AT&S undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of changed assumptions or expectations, new information or future events.

Percentages and individual items presented in this report are rounded which may result in rounding differences.

Formulations attributable to people are to be understood as gender-neutral.

This report in no way represents an invitation or recommendation to buy or sell shares in AT&S.

The report is published in German and English. In case of doubt, the German version is binding.

No responsibility accepted for errors or omissions.

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