Quarterly Report • Oct 15, 2009
Quarterly Report
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Six Months 2009 Report
| Earnings Data | 1-6/2009 | 1-6/2008 | Chg. in % | Ultimo 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | in € million | 43.56 | 52.26 | -17 | 106.21 |
| EBITDA | in € million | 0.78 | 3.90 | -80 | 7.79 |
| Operating EBITDA 1) | in € million | 1.85 | 3.90 | -52 | 7.79 |
| EBIT | in € million | -1.06 | 1.86 | >100 | 3.83 |
| Operating EBIT 1) | in € million | 0.02 | 1.86 | -99 | 3.83 |
| Profit before tax | in € million | -1.38 | 1.44 | >100 | 2.38 |
| Profit after tax | in € million | -1.60 | 0.86 | >100 | -2.10 |
| Earnings per share | in € | -0.10 | 0.06 | >100 | -0.14 |
| Adjusted earnings per share 1) | in € | -0.05 | 0.06 | >100 | 0.09 |
| Capital expenditure | in € million | 1.11 | 1.26 | -12 | 2.45 |
| Acquisitions | in € million | 0 | 2.34 | -100 | 2.22 |
| Employees 2) | 1,051 | 1,131 | -7 | 1,153 |
| Balance Sheet Data | 30.6.2009 | 31.12.2008 | Chg. in % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity | in € million | 22.54 | 24.15 | -7 |
| Net debt | in € million | 5.50 | 4.89 | +12 |
| Capital employed | in € million | 27.84 | 28.86 | -4 |
| Working capital 3) | in € million | 5.26 | 5.62 | -6 |
| Balance sheet total | in € million | 59.53 | 66.31 | -10 |
| Equity ratio | in % | 38 | 36 | - |
| Gearing | in % | 24 | 20 | - |
| Stock Exchange Data 4) | 1-6/2009 | 1-12/2008 | Chg. in % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share price high | in € | 2.19 | 2.58 | -15 |
| Share price low | in € | 1.02 | 1.01 | +1 |
| Share price at end of period | in € | 1.39 | 1.89 | -26 |
| Shares outstanding (weighted) | 1,000 | 15,387 | 15,387 | 0 |
| Market capitalization (ultimo) | in € million | 21.39 | 29.08 | -26 |
| Segments 5) 1-6/2009 in € million |
Germany | Central East Europe | South West Europe | North Europe | Holding and Other | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | 20.27 | (-16%) | 6.22 | (-19%) | 12.47 | (-15%) | 4.60 | (-22%) | 0 | - |
| Operating EBITDA 1) | 1.26 | (-50%) | 0.23 | (-67%) | 0.88 | (-40%) | 0.58 | (-40%) | -1.11 | (+37%) |
| Operating EBIT 1) | 0.78 | (-54%) | -0.29 | (>100) | 0.49 | (-58%) | 0.19 | (-70%) | -1.14 | (+36%) |
| Capital expenditure | 0.47 | (+15%) | 0.07 | (+47%) | 0.30 | (-37%) | 0.23 | (-20%) | 0.03 | (+5%) |
| Employees 2) | 444 | (0%) | 153 | (-12%) | 362 | (-11%) | 82 | (-12%) | 10 | (0%) |
4 North Europe 11%
Revenues by Business Areas
1) Adjusted for non-recurring restructuring costs
2) Average number of employees during the period
3) Current assets excl. cash minus current liabilities excl. financial liabilities and minus current provisions for earn-out payments
4) Vienna Stock Exchange
5) Due to the first-time adoption of IFRS 8 the segment earnings (EBITDA and EBIT) are reported before brand licensing costs and intercompany charges; the 2008 figures were adjusted correspondingly
As expected, the difficult business environment negatively impacted the earnings situation of BRAIN FORCE in the second quarter of 2009. In the first quarter of the year, we were able to rely upon a high order intake placed as at December 31, 2008. In the meantime, our customers have become more reluctant to initiate new IT investments in the current year, or have postponed contracts which were already concluded. Although we carried out measures at an early stage to optimize the Group's cost structure, second-quarter earnings and thus those for the first half of 2009 declined significantly. In particular, weaker license sales and increasing price pressure have taken their toll on our earnings situation.
In the second quarter of 2009, Group revenues were down 21% to € 21.27 million. Operating EBITDA fell by 71% to € 0.65 million in the period April to June 2009, whereas operating EBIT deteriorated to € -0.24 million, compared to € +1.25 million in the previous year. Accordingly, total revenues contracted by 17% to € 43.56 million during the first six months of the year. Adjusted for BRAIN FORCE Hamburg GmbH, sold in September 2008, the organic decline was 14%. The demand-related revenue decline of € 8.71 million could be partially compensated by tough cost savings and restructuring measures. Operating EBITDA was down 52% or € 2.04 to 1.85 million, and operating EBIT fell from € 1.86 to 0.02 million. A total of € 1.08 million in nonrecurring restructuring costs which are not included in the above-mentioned earnings figures arose in the first six months of 2009 for the dismissal of employees. After restructuring, Group EBITDA amounted to € 0.78 million in the first half of 2009, whereas EBIT totaled € -1.06 million.
In Germany, the Professional Services area was characterized by price pressure and a lower number of IT specialists deployed on customer projects, but still managed fairly well. In the Business Solutions area, our team took advantage of weaker demand to further develop FINAS Suite, which together with the decline in licensing proceeds led to a lower margin. The office in Berlin once again posted a negative operating result. In addition, business operations in Germany no longer benefited from the revenue and earnings contribution of BRAIN FORCE Hamburg GmbH, which was sold effective September 30, 2008, generating an EBIT of € 0.46 million in the first half of the previous year. In contrast, our office in Frankfurt developed positively, operating at full capacity and succeeding once again to increase its operating result within the context of a roll-out project for a globally operating airline. All in all, operating EBIT in Germany was down 54% (-38% excluding BRAIN FORCE Hamburg) in the first six months of the year, to € 0.78 million, which I primarily attribute to the extraordinarily difficult economic situation and the resulting price pressure in the service business.
In the period January to June 2009, the South West Europe region was faced with a considerable drop in demand for ERP and CRM licenses as well as lower IT infrastructure investments. In addition, our service business suffered and thus the operating EBIT of this segment fell by 58% from the previous year to € 0.49 million. As a consequence, a tough restructuring program was carried out leading to the dismissal of 48 employees, or 16% of the staff in Italy. Approximately 75% of the Group's restructuring costs are accrued for this and reported in the second quarter.
Günter Pridt, CEO of BRAIN FORCE HOLDING AG
Difficult economic environment negatively affects earnings
Consistent implementation of cost reduction and restructuring measures
Declining demand and price pressure in Germany
Tough restructuring program and job cuts in Italy
Improved second quarter license sales by SolveDirect
Potential success based on Windows 7 roll-out in North Europe
First positive effects from projects to optimize working capital and interest expenses
BRAIN FORCE has a solid balance sheet structure and secure financing
In the Central East Europe segment, the BRAIN FORCE subsidiary in the Czech Republic posted a positive operating result. In contrast, the company's operations in Austria reported a revenue-related drop in earnings and a negative EBIT. This development can be primarily attributed to lower license sales in the Infrastructure Optimization area (SolveDirect), although the situation improved somewhat in the second quarter. In the light of declining earnings, BRAIN FORCE Austria also determinedly pursued its cost optimization efforts. Nevertheless, operating EBIT in Central East Europe was down to € -0.29 million during the period under review, from € +0.17 million in the previous year.
In the North Europe region, our subsidiary in the Netherlands generated a positive operating EBIT of € 0.19 million despite a 22% revenue decline. As a consequence of the business contraction, the company stopped deploying most of its free-lance employees and intensified its cooperation with Microsoft within the context of the Windows 7 roll-out, which I hope will achieve initial successes in the fourth quarter of the 2009 calendar year.
In expectation of a difficult market environment, we initiated measures at an early stage to guide the company relatively unscathed through the recessionary year 2009. This includes a series of consistently implemented measures to cut operating costs, the transfer of the corporate headquarters in Austria to a much more favorably priced location, tough restructuring measures in Italy and short-time working in Germany. On a Group-wide basis, we had to dismiss 109 employees, or about 10% of the total staff during the first six months. The Management Board of the BRAIN FORCE Group and the managing directors of the national subsidiaries have voluntarily accepted an approximately 10 to 15% cut in their fixed remuneration in order to send a clear signal in respect to the necessity of reducing the cost basis. We also succeeded in reducing costs in the holding company by € 0.65 million during the period under review. At the same time, we created a Group-wide cash pooling system for purposes of internal liquidity equalization to significantly reduce interest expenses, and also implemented a project designed to optimize working capital within the BRAIN FORCE Group. The positive impact of these measures is reflected in the cash flow from operating activities, which amounted to € 1.42 million in the second quarter and € 0.45 million for the first half of 2009 as a whole despite the negative earnings.
Nevertheless, we have not been able to fully compensate for the revenue decline on the basis of the measures taken. Accordingly, BRAIN FORCE will report a negative operating EBIT in the short financial year ending September 30, 2009. In addition to the restructuring costs of € 1.08 million to date, an additional € 1.40 million may be required in the third quarter, corresponding to the total potential restructuring costs mentioned in the report on the first quarter. Depending on upcoming decisions, the financial statements for the BRAIN FORCE Group as at September 30, 2009 will report an EBIT including restructuring costs of approximately € -4.0 million. It is important to note that the missing fourth quarter usually makes a significant earnings contribution for the entire year. One positive development is an unexpected cash inflow in July amounting to about € 0.36 million (USD 0.50 million) from the sale of our shareholding in KEMP in the USA and the cancellation of the convertible bond. This will result in a book gain to the same amount, which will be included in the financial result for the third quarter.
I confidently look ahead to the future thanks to the measures which have been initiated and implemented, due to the fact that the management and employees of the BRAIN FORCE Group are working together and efficiently to pursue our business strategy. Nevertheless, we will have to continue adjusting to a difficult price level, even if demand does improve slightly in the months ahead. Nevertheless, BRAIN FORCE has a solid balance sheet structure and no foreseeable financing shortfalls at the present time. We will continue to pull out all the stops to optimally deploy the IT resources of our customers based on our tailor-made solutions, and thus position the Group to generate growth again after the end of the economic crisis.
Yours,
In the first six months of the financial year 2009, the BRAIN FORCE Group generated revenues of € 43.56 million, down 17% from the previous year. Adjusted for BRAIN FORCE Hamburg GmbH, sold as at September 30, 2008, the organic revenue decline was 14%. All segments posted a drop in revenues, which can be attributed to the difficult business environment. Revenues in Germany fell 16% to € 20.27 million, whereas revenues in the South West Europe region decreased by 15% to € 12.47 million. The weakening of customer demand had a more drastic impact on the Central East Europe region, where revenues contracted by 19% to € 6.22 million, and the North Europe region, down 22% to € 4.60 million.
The demand-related revenue decline of € 8.71 million could be partially cushioned by tough cost savings and restructuring measures. Operating EBITDA was down 52% or € 2.04 to 1.85 million, and operating EBIT fell from € 1.86 to 0.02 million. A total of € 1.08 million in non-recurring restructuring costs which are not included in the above-mentioned earnings figures arose in the first six months of 2009 for the dismissal of employees. After restructuring, Group EBITDA amounted to € 0.78 million in the first half of 2009 (previous year: € 3.90 million including the € 0.48 million earnings contribution of the subsidiary in Hamburg), whereas EBIT totaled € - 1.06 million (previous year: € +1.86 million).
In Germany, BRAIN FORCE generated an operating EBITDA of € 1.26 million in the first half of 2009, down 50% in a year-on-year comparison, and an operating EBIT of € 0.78 million. In the South West Europe segment, operating EBITDA was € 0.88 million and operating EBIT € 0.49 million. The Central East Europe segment achieved an operating EBITDA of € 0.23 million, a decline of 67% from the previous year, and a negative operating EBIT of € -0.29 million, which is related to the high PPA amortization at SolveDirect. The North Europe segment generated an operating EBITDA of € 0.58 million (-40%), and an operating EBIT of € 0.19 million. As a consequence of intensive cost cuts, the EBIT of the Holding and Other segment improved from € -1.79 to -1.14 million.
The financial result of the BRAIN FORCE Group improved by 23% during the period under review to € -0.33 million (previous year: € -0.43 million), due to the optimization of inter-company financing, the reduction of working capital and the related decrease in net debt. Accordingly, the profit after tax in the first half of 2009 amounted to € -1.60 million, compared to € +0.86 million in the first six months of 2008. This corresponds to earnings per share of € -0.10 (previous year: € +0.06). Earnings per share adjusted for restructuring costs amounted to € -0.05 per share, down from € +0.06 in the previous year.
Group revenues fell 21% to € 21.27 million in the second quarter of the financial year 2009. All regions posted a similar revenue decrease of about 21%. Revenues in Germany were down from € 12.31 to 9.73 million, and the South West Europe segment achieved revenues of € 5.98 million compared to € 7.61 million in the previous year. The Central East Europe and North Europe regions generated revenues of € 3.20 million (previous year: € 4.06 million) and € 2.36 million (previous year: € 2.95 million) respectively, lower than in the second quarter of 2008.
The operating EBITDA of the BRAIN FORCE Group fell from € 2.28 to 0.65 million in the second quarter of 2009. Non-recurring restructuring charges of € 0.93 million are not included in this figure. Group EBITDA including restructuring fell from € 2.28 million in the previous year to € -0.27 million during the period under review. The operating EBITDA was € 0.43 million in Germany (previous year: € 1.51 million) and € 0.20 million in the South West Europe region (previous year: € 0.75 million). Second-quarter operating EBITDA in the Central East Europe region totaled € 0.29 million (previous year: € 0.45 million) and amounted to € 0.36 million in North Europe (previous year: € 0.49 million).
Economic crisis leads to lower operating result in all segments
Negative profit after tax in the first half-year due to revenue decline and restructuring
Weaker demand and price pressure resulted in a secondquarter revenue decline
All national subsidiaries generated a positive operating EBITDA in the second quarter
| 30.6.2009 | |
|---|---|
| 22.54 | |
| 31.12.2008 | |
| 24.15 |
Net debt in € million 30.6.2009 5.50
31.12.2008 4.89
Despite the revenue decrease and the negative profit after tax, the gross cash flow in the first half of 2009 remained positive, at € 0.41 million (previous year: € 2.41 million). The cash flow from operating activities fell slightly from € 0.48 to 0.45 million. Thus a considerably positive effect could be achieved in the current financial year from the reduction of working capital, whereas working capital rose by about € 1.9 million in the first half of 2008. On the one hand, the cash outflow relating to the reduction of trade payables was significantly overcompensated by the cash inflow resulting from the decline in trade receivables. The lower level of trade payables was the consequence of a reduction in the number of subcontractors and the overall decline in trade receivables resulted from lower revenues and efforts made to optimize working capital. On the other hand, other current liabilities decreased significantly, which can be attributed to the lower sales tax payable arising as a result from the revenue decline, as well as bonus payments for the record operating result achieved in 2008.
The cash flow from investing activities amounted to € -2.08 million in the period under review (previous year: € -4.04 million), of which € -1.11 million relate to capital expenditure and € -1.02 million for investments in available-for-sale securities. The cash flow from financing activities totaled € -2.37 million (previous year: € -0.77 million), reflecting the successful reduction of current financial liabilities by means of cash pooling. Of the non-current financial liabilities amounting to € 11.03 million, a total of € 1.08 million is due for payment between 2010 and 2012, with € 9.95 million first maturing in the year 2014. Cash and cash equivalents were € 4.80 million as at June 30, 2009. BRAIN FORCE has a total of € 5.83 million in liquid assets at its disposal, including the current available-for-sale securities.
The balance sheet total of the BRAIN FORCE Group was € 59.35 million as at June 30, 2009, and equity amounted to € 22.54 million. Accordingly, the equity ratio improved to 38% compared to 36% at the end of 2008, which can be attributed to the further reduction of the balance sheet total. Net debt as at June 30, 2009 was € 5.50 million, up from € 4.89 million as at December 31, 2008. This increase is related to capital expenditures of € 1.11 million in property, plant and equipment and intangible assets in the light of a positive cash flow from operating activities of € 0.45 million. In the second quarter of 2009, net debt could be reduced by € 0.95 million, primarily due to the optimization of working capital. Gearing (net debt to equity) in the BRAIN FORCE Group amounted to a solid 24% as at June 30, 2009, and the ratio of net debt to operating EBITDA was 1.0x as calculated over the last 12 months.
The business activities of BRAIN FORCE are subdivided into the following segments:
North Europe with the Netherlands
1 Germany 46%
4 North Europe 11%
1 Professional Services 31% 1 Germany 52%
BRAIN FORCE HOLDING AG reports according to geographic segments in accordance with the management approach stipulated in IFRS 8, "Operating Segments". The segment earnings (EBITDA and EBIT) have been reported before brand licensing costs and intercompany charges since 2009. These costs were still included in the previous year's segment reporting. The 2008 figures were adjusted correspondingly in the current reporting.
In the first half of 2009, revenues in Germany declined by 16% to € 20.27 million, representing 46% of Group revenues. Operating EBITDA before intercompany charges was down 50% to € 1.26 million, and the operating EBIT fell by 54% to € 0.78 million. One-off restructuring costs of € 0.16 million for termination benefits paid to dismissed employees are not included in the operating results.
The Professional Service area continues to suffer from the difficulties in generating new business and an increased margin pressure on the part of customers. Nevertheless, additional IT consultants were placed with a customer in the cellphone industry, and two larger contracts were won to serve a telematics providers. In the Business Solutions area, new orders were placed by a customer in the insurance sector to adjust and upgrade the implemented pension benefit solution Vorsorgeoptimierung (optimization of pension planning). Furthermore, an extensive contract was signed with a large Austrian bank for the servicing and maintenance of the consultant software FINAS Suite.
The marketing launch of the Infrastructure Optimization segment and in particular the packaging software Packaging Robot has proceeded promisingly up until now. Following small consulting projects in the first quarter, two companies decided in the second quarter to purchase licenses and maintenance support services as a means of automatically bundling their software applications. The business unit BRAIN FORCE Channel, specializing in marketing hardware produced by various technology providers, sold numerous products manufactured by its partner NetOptics in the second quarter of 2009.
The Central East Europe segment achieved revenues of € 6.22 million during the period under review, a decline of 19% from the previous year, and equaling a 14% share of Group revenues. Operating EBITDA amounted to € 0.23 million, down 67% from 2008, whereas operating EBIT deteriorated to € -0.29 million, compared to € +0.17 million in the first half of the preceding year. Restructuring costs of € 0.09 million were recognized in Austria in the first half-year of 2009.
In the Professional Services area, several BRAIN FORCE employees were once again deployed to carry out an IT infrastructure project for a technology company. The team is responsible for infrastructure maintenance, management of small servers and further support services for the company's operating system, networks and applications. Following a weak first quarter, the SolveDirect division succeeded in generating new orders and license sales. Accordingly, the service management software SD.cube was installed on behalf of an international IT company. Several SD.bridges were implemented for a leading multinational producer of network structures in the USA, and related services were sold. Moreover, a large media group selected the service management solution Service Desk SD2 . A large order was placed by a financial service provider in the Czech Republic to migrate the latest version of the Microsoft SQL data base.
In the period January to June 2009, revenues in the South West Europe region fell by 15% from the previous year to € 12.47 million, accounting for 29% of Group revenues. Operating EBITDA was down 40% to € 0.88 million, and the operating EBIT totaled € 0.49 million, a drop of 58% from the first half of 2008. Results in the region were additionally negatively affected by restructuring costs of € 0.83 million for severance payments to employees in Italy.
Additional Microsoft Dynamics AX licenses could be sold in Italy during the first half of 2009. For example, an industrial company, a consulting firm and a prominent financial service provider all decided to rely on the professional competence of BRAIN FORCE and comprehensive service support. However, the marketing of CRM and ERP licenses remains difficult due to the ongoing extreme reluctance on the part of customers to initiate new IT investments. Orders were placed by two companies in the health care sector and two banking customers in the Infrastructure Optimization area for services ranging from optimizing the applied hardware and software to the virtualization of the entire infrastructure architecture at the firms.
Difficult acquisition of new business but loyal existing customers in Germany
Successful launch of the Infrastructure Optimization area
New contracts and license sales by SolveDirect in the second quarter and win of a major customer in the US
Customer restraint in IT investments, particularly in Italy
The North Europe region generated revenues of € 4.59 million in the first two quarters of 2009, down 22% from the previous year, and accounts for 11% of Group revenues. EBITDA amounted to € 0.58 million (previous year: € 0.97 million), and EBIT was € 0.19 million (previous year: € 0.62 million).
The business model of BRAIN FORCE Netherlands strongly focuses on attracting new customers, who are very restrained in respect to IT investments at the present time. Nevertheless, Bugaboo contracted an important migration project and the installation of the new Microsoft operating system Windows 7. In this manner, BRAIN FORCE Netherlands is able to demonstrate its competence as a major Microsoft partner, also making its comprehensive know-how available in Germany, Italy and Austria in cooperation with the local companies. Furthermore, larger orders were placed by an energy company as well as a company in the health care sector to virtualize the entire server and software landscape.
In the first half of 2009, the Holding and Other segment significantly improved its EBITDA from € -1.76 to -1.11 million, and its EBIT from € -1.79 to -1.14 million. This positive development is based on strict cost reduction measures carried out in the holding company, and the relocation of corporate headquarters to a new office building with considerably lower rental costs.
Order intake reflects the prevailing business environment
Installation of Windows 7 for an international customer in the
Strict cost reduction measures lead to considerable earnings improvement at the holding
Netherlands
As at June 30, 2009, the order volume at the Group amounted to € 26.00 million, down 13% from the previous year's level of € 29.99 million. In comparison to the situation at December 31, 2008, the order volume fell by 20% as expected, reflecting the difficult business environment.
As at June 30, 2009, the order volumes are attributable to the segments as follows:
Online capability established for BRAIN FORCE Financial Analysis Center
BRAIN FORCE has tailored its research and development activities to current market conditions. In Germany, the company continued the upgrading of the modules Finanzanalyse Center (Financial Analysis Center), Risikoabsicherung (Risk Management) and Gesundheitsvorsorge (Health Care) on an HTML basis which was initiated in the first quarter, and completed the process in the course of the second quarter. In addition, a solution focusing on pension benefits for civil service employees was developed and implemented for a customer in the insurance sector.
In the Netherlands, BRAIN FORCE created new release standards for the Process Manager and the product System Setup. They ensure improved performance as well as an optimized interface design. In the second quarter of 2009, the SolveDirect division launched an updated version of SD Release 5.1 in Austria. In addition to providing a clearer presentation of service costs and working hours, the upgraded version boasts a more effective processing of inbound messages via SD.bridge as well as speedier and more efficient processes based on improved user navigation.
The total number of people working for the BRAIN FORCE Group as at June 20, 209 amounted to 750 salaried employees, a decline of 10% compared to the previous year. In addition, BRAIN FORCE employed 270 people on a freelance basis for various customer projects, a figure which is 15% lower than in 2008. On balance, the BRAIN FORCE Group employed 1,020 people as at June 30, 2009, a drop of 11% from the comparable level of 2008.
The decisive reason for the reduction in the number of employees is the ongoing economic crisis and the accompanying drop in revenue. Accordingly, due to the unfavorable economic situation, the BRAIN FORCE staff in Italy was cut by 16% compared to staff numbers as at June 30, 2008, following intensive negotiations with the local trade union. The number of employees also had to be trimmed by 16% in Austria, where the SolveDirect division and the Professional Services area were confronted with difficult market conditions. In the Netherlands, the decrease in staff as at the balance sheet date was primarily the result of contracts which were not extended with free-lance employees. In Germany, the number of employees decreased by comparative slight 4%. Nevertheless, the difficult market environment also took its toll in this region, forcing BRAIN FORCE to put employees in some individual business units on shorttime working towards the middle of the year.
The breakdown of staff (salaried and free-lance) by region as at June 30, 2009 is as follows:
On average, the staff of BRAIN FORCE was comprised of 779 salaried employees in the first half of 2009 (previous year: 840) and 272 people on a free-lance basis (previous year: 291). On balance, the average number of employees in the BRAIN FORCE Group declined by 7% to 1,051 people in the first six months of 2009 (previous year: 1,131).
Average of 1,051 people in the Group in the first half-year
New SolveDirect release launched on the market
Revenue decline leads to 11% cut in staff
BRAIN FORCE Italy had to reduce staff by 16%
Employees by segments 30.6.2009 30.6.2008
2 Central East Europe 15% 3 South West Europe 35% 4 North Europe 8% 1 Germany 41% 5 Holding and Other 1% 2 1 3 4 5
| Income Statement in EUR | 4-6/2009 | 4-6/2008 | 1-6/2009 | 1-6/2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | 21,268,200 | 26,929,155 | 43,557,905 | 52,263,460 |
| Cost of sales | -16,540,936 | -19,812,198 | -33,936,752 | -38,673,987 |
| Gross profit | 4,727,264 | 7,116,957 | 9,621,153 | 13,589,473 |
| Selling expenses | -2,561,498 | -3,128,806 | -4,987,202 | -5,950,012 |
| Administrative expenses | -2,240,924 | -2,812,120 | -4,625,101 | -5,657,615 |
| Other operating expenses | -222,806 | -77,450 | -381,961 | -364,385 |
| Other operating income | 59,405 | 155,526 | 393,804 | 245,741 |
| Operating profit before restructuring costs (Operating EBIT) | -238,559 | 1,254,107 | 20,693 | 1,863,202 |
| Restructuring costs | -925,656 | 0 | -1,076,622 | 0 |
| Operating profit after restructuring costs (EBIT) | -1,164,215 | 1,254,107 | -1,055,929 | 1,863,202 |
| Financial income | 10,826 | 18,731 | 68,191 | 166,444 |
| Financial expenses | -189,406 | -274,019 | -395,728 | -593,495 |
| Financial result | -178,580 | -255,288 | -327,537 | -427,051 |
| Profit before tax | -1,342,795 | 998,819 | -1,383,466 | 1,436,151 |
| Income taxes | 74,747 | -302,412 | -213,217 | -580,615 |
| Profit after tax | -1,268,048 | 696,407 | -1,596,683 | 855,536 |
| Result for the period attributable to equity holders of the parent company | -1,268,048 | 696,407 | -1,596,683 | 855,536 |
| Earnings per share | -0.08 | 0.05 | -0.10 | 0.06 |
| Adjusted earnings per share | -0.04 | 0.05 | -0.05 | 0.06 |
| Statement of Comprehensive Income in EUR | 4-6/2009 | 4-6/2008 | 1-6/2009 | 1-6/2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit after tax | -1,268,048 | 696,407 | -1,596,683 | 855,536 |
| Fair value adjustments of securities | 1,300 | -2,752 | 2,791 | -691 |
| Currency translation differences | 18,944 | -11,032 | -13,633 | -5,010 |
| Total comprehensive income | -1,247,804 | 682,623 | -1,607,525 | 849,835 |
| Segment Reporting 1-6/2009 in EUR |
Germany | Central East Europe |
South West Europe |
North Europe | Holding and Other |
BRAIN FORCE Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues (consolidated) | 20,274,537 | 6,223,935 | 12,470,286 | 4,589,147 | 0 | 43,557,905 |
| Operating EBITDA 1) | 1,263,753 | 232,860 | 884,292 | 578,031 | -1,106,432 | 1,852,504 |
| Depreciation and amortization | -482,682 | -523,588 | -397,896 | -390,290 | -37,355 | -1,831,811 |
| Operating EBIT 1) | 781,071 | -290,728 | 486,396 | 187,741 | -1,143,787 | 20,693 |
| Restructuring costs | -160,057 | -86,571 | -829,994 | 0 | 0 | -1,076,622 |
| Capital expenditure | 471,904 | 73,846 | 304,613 | 232,884 | 26,264 | 1,109,511 |
| Segment assets | 16,819,813 | 15,989,256 | 17,846,069 | 8,342,955 | 353,779 | 59,351,872 |
| Segment liabilities | 6,229,120 | 3,782,236 | 10,583,854 | 1,473,594 | 14,741,475 | 36,810,279 |
| Segment Reporting 1-6/2008 in EUR |
Germany | Central East Europe |
South West Europe |
North Europe | Holding and Other |
BRAIN FORCE Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues (consolidated) | 24,076,043 | 7,727,558 | 14,598,953 | 5,860,906 | 0 | 52,263,460 |
| Operating EBITDA 1) | 2,519,116 | 699,915 | 1,464,185 | 969,982 | -1,755,904 | 3,897,294 |
| Depreciation and amortization | -806,997 | -525,171 | -319,379 | -346,648 | -35,897 | -2,034,092 |
| Operating EBIT 1) | 1,712,119 | 174,744 | 1,144,806 | 623,334 | -1,791,801 | 1,863,202 |
| Restructuring costs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Capital expenditure | 411,314 | 50,163 | 483,859 | 292,910 | 25,099 | 1,263,345 |
| Segment assets | 20,099,411 | 18,581,451 | 20,506,177 | 9,249,725 | 3,593,351 | 72,030,115 |
| Segment liabilities | 7,965,176 | 4,251,551 | 14,534,248 | 1,872,977 | 16,290,906 | 44,914,858 |
1) before restructuring costs
| Balance Sheet in EUR | 30.6.2009 | 31.12.2008 |
|---|---|---|
| ASSETS | ||
| Property, plant and equipment | 2,281,014 | 2,493,383 |
| Goodwill | 14,516,571 | 14,516,571 |
| Other intangible assets | 10,784,562 | 11,328,281 |
| Investments in associates | 11,466 | 11,466 |
| Financial assets | 185,919 | 183,128 |
| Other receivables and assets | 102,338 | 101,712 |
| Deferred tax assets | 12,554 | 50,723 |
| Non-current assets | 27,894,424 | 28,685,264 |
| Inventories | 304,722 | 185,787 |
| Trade receivables | 23,631,918 | 26,898,432 |
| Other receivables and assets | 1,696,656 | 1,741,880 |
| Financial assets | 1,030,191 | 0 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 4,795,282 | 8,799,244 |
| Current assets | 31,458,769 | 37,625,343 |
| Total assets | 59,353,193 | 66,310,607 |
| EQUITY AND LIABILITIES | ||
| Equity attributable to equity holders of the parent company | ||
| Share capital | 15,386,742 | 15,386,742 |
| Reserves | 15,234,257 | 15,245,099 |
| Retained earnings | -8,079,406 | -6,482,723 |
| Equity | 22,541,593 | 24,149,118 |
| Financial liabilities | 11,031,521 | 10,975,548 |
| Other liabilities | 138,925 | 144,891 |
| Provisions for post-employment benefits | 2,119,276 | 2,271,221 |
| Deferred tax liabilities | 2,606,363 | 2,613,772 |
| Non-current liabilities | 15,896,085 | 16,005,432 |
| Financial liabilities | 289,000 | 2,713,156 |
| Trade payables | 7,595,856 | 8,340,473 |
| Other liabilities | 11,042,557 | 13,105,463 |
| Income tax provisions | 1,013,095 | 824,561 |
| Other provisions | 975,007 | 1,172,404 |
| Current liabilities | 20,915,515 | 26,156,057 |
| Total equity and liabilities | 59,353,193 | 66,310,607 |
| Changes in Equity Statement in EUR | Share capital | Share premium | Other reserves | Retained earnings | Total equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance on 1.1.2009 | 15,386,742 | 15,536,020 | -290,921 | -6,482,723 | 24,149,118 |
| Fair value adjustments of securities | 0 | 0 | 2,791 | 0 | 2,791 |
| Currency translation differences | 0 | 0 | -13,633 | 0 | -13,633 |
| Profit after tax | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1,596,683 | -1,596,683 |
| Balance on 30.6.2009 | 15,386,742 | 15,536,020 | -301,763 | -8,079,406 | 22,541,593 |
| Cash Flow Statement in EUR | 1-6/2009 | 1-6/2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Profit before tax | -1,383,466 | 1,436,151 |
| Depreciation and amortization | 1,831,811 | 2,034,092 |
| Financial result | 327,537 | 427,051 |
| Gains/losses from the disposal of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets | -12,680 | 3,023 |
| Changes in non-current provisions and liabilities | -157,911 | -173,741 |
| Net interest paid | -201,951 | -348,072 |
| Income taxes paid | 4,034 | -968,727 |
| Gross cash flow | 407,374 | 2,409,777 |
| Changes in inventories | -118,935 | -104,186 |
| Changes in trade receivables | 3,266,514 | -2,159,340 |
| Changes in trade payables | -744,617 | -685,526 |
| Changes in other current assets and liabilities | -2,342,809 | 1,048,016 |
| Currency translation differences | -18,460 | -29,473 |
| Cash flow from operating activities | 449,067 | 479,268 |
| Acquisition of subsidiaries | 0 | -2,341,599 |
| Investments in property, plant and equipment and other intangible assets | -1,109,511 | -1,263,345 |
| Sale of property, plant and equipment and other intangible assets | 42,579 | 13,166 |
| Investments in financial assets (securities) | -1,017,914 | -446,795 |
| Cash flow from investing activities | -2,084,846 | -4,038,573 |
| Increase in financial liabilities | 161,616 | 1,005,356 |
| Repayment of financial liabilities | -2,529,799 | -1,779,871 |
| Dividends paid | 0 | 0 |
| Capital increase | 0 | 0 |
| Purchase of treasury stock | 0 | 0 |
| Cash flow from financing activities | -2,368,183 | -774,515 |
| Change in cash and cash equivalents | -4,003,962 | -4,333,820 |
| Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period | 8,799,244 | 9,440,943 |
| Change in cash and cash equivalents | -4,003,962 | -4,333,820 |
| Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period | 4,795,282 | 5,107,123 |
The Six Months 2009 Report as at June 30, 2009 has been prepared in accordance with the principles contained in the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), as stipulated in IAS 34, "Interim Financial Reporting".
The accounting and measurement principles applied in preparing the consolidated financial statements as at December 31, 2008 remain unchanged. The structuring of the balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement correspond to that in the consolidated financial statements for the 2008 financial year. The presentation of the statement of changes in equity applies to the period January 1, 2009 to June 30, 2009. IFRS 8 "Operating Segments" was applied for the first time as of the beginning of the 2009 financial year.
For more information on accounting and measurement principles, we refer to the annual report and the consolidated financial statements as at December 31, 2008.
All subsidiaries, including those companies in which BRAIN FORCE HOLDING AG directly or indirectly holds more than half of the voting rights or over which BRAIN FORCE exerts a controlling influence are included in the consolidated financial statements.
The consolidation range remains unchanged since the balance sheet date as at December 31, 2008. BRAIN FORCE Hamburg GmbH, Munich, Germany was still included in consolidation in the comparable period of January 1, 2008 to June 30, 2008. The contribution of BRAIN FORCE Hamburg to Group revenues amounted to € 1.56 million, generating an EBITDA of € 0.48 million. The shares in BRAIN FORCE Hamburg GmbH were sold at the closing date of the transaction effective September 30, 2008.
Group revenues fell by 17% from the comparable period of the previous year to € 43.56 million. Adjusted for BRAIN FORCE Hamburg GmbH, the organic revenue decline was 14%. Earnings figures for the period under review are impacted by restructuring costs of € 1.08 million. The operating result (without non-recurring restructuring costs) before depreciation (EBITDA) for the first half of 2009 was down 52%, from € 3.90 to 1.85 million. The operating result (EBIT) for the first six months totaled € 0.02 million (previous year: € 1.86 million). EBITDA including restructuring costs was € 0.78 million (previous year: € 3.90 million), and EBIT amounted to € -1.06 million (previous year: € 1.86 million).
BRAIN FORCE HOLDING AG reports according to geographic segments. In accordance with the management approach contained in the stipulations of IFRS 8, "Operating Segments". Segment earnings (EBITDA and EBIT) are reported before brand licensing costs and intercompany charges. These costs were still included in the previous year's segment reporting. The 2008 figures were adjusted correspondingly in the current reporting. Segment information is included in this interim report directly after the consolidated income statement.
Gross cash flow reflected the overall business development of the BRAIN FORCE Group. At € 0.41 million, it was significantly below the previous year's level of € 2.41 million. In contrast, the cash flow from operating activities was only down by 6%, and totaled € 0.45 million in the period under review. The positive cash flow from operating activities is primarily related to the reduction of trade receivables. The cash flow from investing activities amounted to € -2.08 million, of which € -1.11 million involved capital expenditure for property, plant and equipment and other intangible assets, and € -1.02 million for investments in available-for-sale securities. The cash flow from financing activities totaled € -2.37 million, mainly reflecting the reduction of current liabilities.
Non-current assets made up 47% of total assets, amounting to € 27.89 million as of June 30, 2009. Capital expenditure in property, plant and equipment and other intangible assets totaled € 1.11 million in the reporting period, of which € 0.84 million comprised product development costs (own work capitalized).
Current assets comprised 53% of total assets on the reporting date of June 30, 2009. Compared to the last balance sheet date of December 31, 2008, trade receivables were down 12% to € 23.63 million and comprised 40% of total assets. Working capital was € 5.26 million on the reporting date, a decrease of € 0.36 million. In contrast to the reporting for the consolidated fi nancial statements as of December 31, 2008, working capital as of 2009 does not include current provisions for earn-out payments. The previous year's fi gure has been adapted correspondingly.
On the reporting date of June 30, 2009, cash and cash equivalents totaled € 4.80 million. Including fi nancial assets, the available liquid funds reached a level of € 5.83 million. Net debt increased by € 0.61 million from December 31, 2008 to € 5.50 million. IFRS-based equity in the BRAIN FORCE Group was € 22.54 million, corresponding to an equity ratio of 38%.
As of June 30, 2009, the number of outstanding shares was 15,386,742. Authorized capital amounted to € 7,693,371.
The 11th Annual General Meeting of the shareholders of BRAIN FORCE HOLDING AG took place on May 14, 2009. Among the items on the agenda were the authorization granted to the Management Board to acquire treasury stock, and the change of the fi nancial year, which in the future will begin on October 1st and end on the following September 30th. The current fi nancial year began on January 1, 2009 and will thus end on September 30, 2009.
On July 3, 2009, BRAIN FORCE HOLDING AG announced that it had sold back its 30% stake in KEMP Technologies Inc., USA, to the company for USD 500,000. At the same time, the convertible bond issued by KEMP to which BRAIN FORCE subscribed has been cancelled. Accordingly, BRAIN FORCE will realize a book gain of about € 0.36 million in the third quarter of 2009 from the disposal of its stake in KEMP. No signifi cant business transactions were concluded with related companies or individuals during the period under review.
The Management Board of BRAIN FORCE HOLDING AG certifi es, to the best of its knowledge, that the unaudited and not reviewed consolidated interim fi nancial statements as at June 30, 2009, have been prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, fi nancial position and profi t or loss of the BRAIN FORCE Group as at June 30, 2009. Furthermore, the Management Board of BRAIN FORCE HOLDING AG certifi es, to the best of its knowledge, that the six months report presents the important events taking place in the fi rst six months of the fi nancial year and its effects on the condensed consolidated fi nancial statements, together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties to which BRAIN FORCE is exposed from today's point of view for the remaining months of the fi nancial year, in such a manner that it gives a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, fi nancial position and profi t or loss of the BRAIN FORCE Group.
Vienna, August 21, 2009
The Management Board
Günter Pridt Thomas Melzer
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| August 21, 2009 | Six months 2009 report |
| December 22, 2009 | 2009 results (short financial year ending September 30, 2009) |
| February 16, 2010 | Report on the first quarter 2009/2010 |
| February 24, 2010 | 12th Annual General Meeting |
| February 25, 2010 | Ex-dividend day 2009 |
| March 1, 2010 | 1st dividend payment day for 2009 |
| May 12, 2010 | Six months 2009/2010 report |
| August 12, 2010 | Report on the first three quarters of 2009/2010 |
| December 21, 2010 | 2009/10 results |
| Investor Relations: | Thomas Melzer |
|---|---|
| Telephone: | +43 1 263 09 09 12 |
| E-Mail: | [email protected] |
| Internet: | www.brainforce.com |
| Vienna Stock Exchange: BFC | |
| Reuters: | BFC.VI |
| Bloomberg: | BFC AV |
| Datastream: | O:BFS |
| ISIN: | AT0000820659 |
Karl-Farkas-Gasse 22 1030 Vienna Austria
Telephone: +43 1 263 09 09 0 Fax: +43 1 263 09 09 40
[email protected] www.brainforce.com
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