Basler AG: Business figures for the first six months of 2018: Basler closes first half year with slight sales growth and high profitability

13.08.2018 / 09:53
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Corporate News
Business figures / Six-month report

Business figures for the first six months of 2018:
Basler closes first half year with slight sales growth and high profitability

- Incoming orders: Euro 79.8 million (previous year: Euro 100.4 million, -21 %)

- Sales: Euro 83.4 million (previous year: Euro 78.5 million, +6 %)

- EBITDA: Euro 24.4 million (previous year: Euro 23.0 million, +6 %)

- EBT: Euro 19.2 million (previous year: Euro 18.2 million, +5 %)

- Earning before tax: 23 % (previous year: 23 %)

- Free cash flow: Euro 5.9 million (previous year: 4.1 million, +44 %)

Ahrensburg, August 13, 2018 - BASLER AG, the leading global manufacturer of industrial cameras, is presenting today final figures for the first six months of 2018.

In the first six months of 2018 the group's incoming orders amounted to Euro 79.8 million (previous year: Euro 100.4 million, -21 %). The group's sales of Euro 83.4 million were 6 % above the previous year's level (Euro 78.5 million) at a slightly increased gross profit margin of 50.6 % (previous year: 50.3 %). The earnings before taxes (EBT) for the group increased by 5 % to Euro 19.2 million (previous year: Euro 18.2 million). The pre-tax return rate amounted to 23 % (previous year: 23 %). The free cash flow was at a level of Euro 5.9 million (previous year: Euro 4.1 million).

In an as expected more quiet market environment than last year, Basler group has developed positively and according to plan in the first six months of 2018. As foreseen, the previous quarter's extraordinarily strong momentum of the capital goods markets for the electronics industry was not repeated. Nevertheless, a 6 % increase of sales led to renewed expansion of the market position as well as to high profitability and free cash flow. However, weaker demand combined with shorter delivery times compared to the previous year, due to increased production capacity, led to a decline in incoming orders year-on-year. In total, incoming orders were on a planned level and the underlying growth trends of the industry are intact.

So far, as expected, the fiscal year 2018 has developed positively along the forecast communicated to the capital market. The growth targets were achieved. In the first six months, profitability was higher than expected due to a positive development of the gross margin and an employee recruiting program slower than planned. The management expects a seasonally slight slowdown of business for the second half of 2018 and confirms the current forecast according to which the group's sales 2018 will be within a corridor of Euro 145 - 160 million at a pre-tax return margin of 13 - 15 %. The acquisition of Silicon Software GmbH is expected to contribute approximately Euro 5 million to the group sales in the second half of the year. Based on positive results and positive outlook the management will continue to go ahead with the recruiting program in the coming months.

The full six-month report 2018 can be seen on the company's website (www.baslerweb.com).

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Basler is a leading manufacturer of high-quality cameras and camera accessories for industry, medicine, traffic and a variety of other markets. The company's product portfolio encompasses area scan and line scan cameras in compact housing dimensions, camera modules in board level variants for embedded solutions, and 3D cameras. The catalog is rounded off by our user-friendly pylon SDK plus a broad spectrum of accessories, including several developed specially for Basler and optimally harmonized for our cameras. Basler has three decades of experience in computer vision. The company is home to approximately 600 employees, at its headquarters in Ahrensburg, Germany, and at its subsidiaries and sales offices in Europe, Asia, and North America.

Basler AG, Hardy Mehl (CFO/COO), An der Strusbek 60 - 62, 22926 Ahrensburg, Tel. [phone], ir/baslerweb.com, www.baslerweb.com, ISIN DE 0005102008

Contact:
Basler AG
Verena Fehling
Tel. [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

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