Laakirchen, September 3, 2014
Miba AG, listed in the standard market auction segment of Wiener Börse AG, continued its growth trajectory in the first half of 2014-2015 (February 1 to July 31). Consolidated revenue amounted to EUR 329.0 million, which equates to an increase of EUR 20.8 million, or 6.8 percent, compared to the first half of 2013-2014. EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) amounted to EUR 41.9 million and was therefore EUR 6.2 million above the prior-year comparative.

Many of Miba's sales markets performed well in recent months, which is also reflected in the upper Austrian technology group's results. The automotive industry and the heavy truck market in particular had performed very positively in Europe, the USA and China during the whole of the first half of the year, with growth in these sectors compensating for persistently weak demand in other areas such as the shipbuilding or mining markets.

In the first six months of the fiscal year, Miba invested a total of EUR 24.8 million in the expansion of capacity and in measures to improve productivity (previous year: EUR 25.6 million). Capital expenditure volumes for the whole year should at least be at or around the same level as in the previous year (EUR 68.1 million).

As of the July 31, 2014, reporting date, Miba employed 5,037 members of staff globally (including agency staff), and thus almost 500 more people than a year ago. On the one hand, the increase in the number of employees is attributable to the initial consolidation of the Chinese company, EBG Shenzhen Ltd., in which the Miba Group holds 55 percent of the shares overall. On the other hand, employees were recruited mainly at the Suzhou (China) site and in Slovakia and Austria.

Although Miba is not, for example, seeing any signs of recovery in shipbuilding, mining or in the South American automotive industry, the Company is expecting growth to continue in the second half of the year.

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