GRENKE AG: GRENKE maintains its position in Q2 2020 and sees the first pickup in new leasing business

DGAP-News: GRENKE AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous GRENKE AG: GRENKE maintains its position in Q2 2020 and sees the first pickup in new leasing business 02.07.2020 / 07:02 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. GRENKE maintains its position in Q2 2020 and sees the first pickup in new leasing business - New business at GRENKE Group Leasing amounts to EUR 402.3 million (-45.2% compared to Q2 2019) - Subdued development in April and May with first signs of recovery emerging in June - Consolidated Group CM2 margin increases to 17.5% (Q2 2019: 16.6%) Baden-Baden, Germany, July 2, 2020: GRENKE AG, a global financing partner for small- and medium-sized enterprises, maintained its position in new leasing business in the second quarter of 2020 in the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic. After significantly subdued development at the beginning of the quarter due to the economic restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company recorded the first pickup in new business in June. Recording a decline of 45.2% (Q2 2019: EUR 734.6 million), new business, which is defined as the total acquisition costs of all newly purchased leased assets, was within the range of approximately 50% of the new business volume planned at the beginning of the year prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, as recently communicated by the Board of Directors. "We are seeing that the situation in several regions has eased somewhat. We saw the first pickup in new business in June. Whether this turns out to be a trend will continue to depend heavily on overall economic development. Right now, it is too soon to assess as to whether and how quickly we will move towards normalisation", explains Antje Leminsky, Chair of the Board of Directors of GRENKE AG. Regional development of new business When looking at the regional leasing markets individually, Germany clearly outperformed in the second quarter of 2020 compared to Europe's other regions, by recording a decline in new leasing business of a mere 15.2%. Western Europe without DACH, together with Southern Europe, registered declines in new leasing business in the current reporting period of 53.9% and 54.8%, respectively. Northern Europe saw a similar decline of 50.4%. Development of percentage contribution margins The contribution margin 2 (CM2) of the leasing business amounted to EUR 70.4 million in the second quarter of the current financial year (Q2 2019: EUR 121.8 million), resulting in a CM2 margin of 17.5% (Q2 2019: 16.6%). The rise in the CM2 margin resulted primarily from profitable small-ticket business, which represents the Company's core business. In the second quarter 2020, the mean acquisition value per lease equalled EUR 7,985 (Q2 2019: EUR 8,845). This lower average reflected the demand for small ticket financing solutions stemming from small and medium-sized companies. "Even in the difficult market environment, we were able to maintain our position and increase our percentage contribution margins over the prior year in all regions. At the same time, we are solidly financed, especially when we consider the growth in our deposit business at GRENKE Bank. This is very important to us because this liquidity gives us the peace of mind and flexibility, which will also be a benefit when demand starts picking up again more strongly", explains Sebastian Hirsch, member of the Board of Directors of GRENKE AG. Development of contribution margins The contribution margins at GRENKE Group Leasing in the second quarter of 2020 recorded varying degrees of decline on a regional basis in line with the new business volumes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related restrictions on overall economic activity. The DACH region, with a decline in the contribution margin of 15.4%, was the least affected. As in the case of new business, the regions most affected were Western Europe without DACH (-48.5%), Southern Europe (-49.9%) and Northern Europe (-47.0%). Contribution margin 1 (CM1), which consists of the contractual cash flows from lease contracts, remained essentially stable with a CM1 margin of 12.1% (Q2 2019: 12.4%) and amounted to EUR 48.5 million (Q2 2019: EUR 91.0 million). The GRENKE Group received a total of 111,934 lease applications in the second quarter of 2020. Of these, 24,348 originated in the DACH region and 87,586 in international markets. At the Group level, 50,381 new lease contracts were concluded based on these applications, which corresponds to a conversion rate of 45%. With a purchased receivables volume of EUR 141.7 million, new business at GRENKE Group Factoring recorded a decline of 13.1% compared to the same period of the previous year (Q2 2019: EUR 163.1 million). Due to the increased demand for KFW development loans, the SME new lending business of GRENKE Bank of EUR 54.2 million reached a significantly higher level in the second quarter of 2020 than in the same quarter of the previous year (Q2 2019: EUR 11.9 million). The deposit business of GRENKE Bank increased by 70.5% in the second quarter of 2020 and thus contributed EUR 1,312.3 million (Q2 2019: EUR 769.9 million) to the Consolidated Group's refinancing. Outlook 2020 The scope and extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the GRENKE Group's further business and earnings development cannot be reliably estimated at the present time and is not included in the outlook for the 2020 fiscal year, which was published on February 11, 2020. The Board of Directors will update its forecast once the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic can be sufficiently determined. Overview of new business development (in EUR millions)   Q2 2020 Q2 2019 ? Q1-Q2 2020 Q1-Q2 2019 ?               New business GRENKE Group Leasing 402.3 734.6 -45.2% 1,083.6 1,404.9 -22.9% - of which international 257.1 553.3 -53.5% 760.2 1,068.8 -28.9% - of which Franchise international 13.6 20.8 -34.5% 33.6 39.6 -15.2% - of which DACH* 131.6 160.5 -18.0% 289.9 296.5 -2.3% Western Europe without DACH* 85.8 186.2 -53.9% 263.2 372.9 -29.4% Southern Europe* 104.0 229.9 -54.8% 300.9 442.6 -32.0% Northern/Eastern Europe* 62.1 125.1 -50.4% 182.6 233.4 -21.8% Other regions* 18.8 32.8 -42.7% 47.1 59.4 -20.7% New business GRENKE Group Factoring 141.7 163.1 -13.1% 313.4 305.5 2.6% - of which Germany 42.3 43.7 -3.2% 91.5 84.9 7.8% - of which international 33.9 44.4 -23.8% 71.9 81.3 -11.6% - of which Franchise international 65.5 74.9 -12.7% 150.0 139.3 7.7% GRENKE Bank             Deposit volume** 1,312.3 769.9 70.5% 1,312.3 769.9 70.5% New business SME lending business 54.2 11.9 354.9% 72.2 23.7 204.9% Contribution margin 2 (CM2) new business             GRENKE Group Leasing 70.4 121.8 -42.2% 194.3 233.0 -16.6% - of which international 49.2 95.9 -48.7% 144.6 184.0 -21.4% - of which Franchise international 3.0 4.4 -30.7% 7.3 8.3 -12.0% - of which DACH* 18.2 21.5 -15.4% 42.5 40.7 4.3% Western Europe without DACH* 16.6 32.2 -48.5% 50.0 64.9 -23.0% Southern Europe* 19.5 39.0 -49.9% 56.8 72.7 -21.8% Northern/Eastern Europe* 11.7 22.1 -47.0% 34.5 42.1 -17.9% Other regions* 4.4 7.0 -36.9% 10.5 12.6 -16.9%   *Regions: DACH: Germany, Austria, Switzerland Western Europe without DACH: Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands Southern Europe: Croatia, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain Northern | Eastern Europe: Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden, UK | Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia Other regions: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Singapore, Turkey, UAE ** At the end of the reporting period The half-year financial report will be published on July 30, 2020. About GRENKE The GRENKE Group (GRENKE) is a global financing partner for small and medium-sized companies. As a one-stop shop for customers, GRENKE's products range from flexible small-ticket leasing and demand-driven bank products to convenient factoring. Fast and easy processing and personal contact with customers and partners are at the centre of GRENKE's activities. Founded in 1978 in Baden-Baden, the Group operates in 32 countries and employs more than 1,700 staff worldwide. GRENKE shares are listed in the MDAX on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN DE000A161N30). Further information about GRENKE and its products is available at www.grenke.com. 02.07.2020 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de

Language:	English
Company:	GRENKE AG
	Neuer Markt 2
	76532 Baden-Baden
	Germany
Phone:	[phone]
Fax:	[phone]
E-mail:	[e-mail]
Internet:	www.grenke.de
ISIN:	DE000A161N30
WKN:	A161N3
Indices:	MDAX
Listed:	Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange
EQS News ID:	1084363

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1084363  02.07.2020