HUBER+SUHNER: continued strong growth path after nine months

21/10/2021 06:45:00Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

Further year-on-year increase in order intake and net sales after nine months - Outlook confirmed - Share buyback programme planned

For HUBER+SUHNER, also the third quarter of 2021 developed extremely positively. After nine months, the order intake of CHF 743.2 million was 30 % higher than in the prior-year period. Net sales reached CHF 645.4 million, an increase of 15 % year on year. Adjusted for currency and copper price effects, growth amounted to 11.4 %.

Across-the-board growth for Industry segment
After nine months, the Industry market segment with its diversified portfolio reported double-digit growth. Compared to the first half-year, the overall growth in net sales in percentage terms was again slightly higher than in the same period of the previous year. In addition to the broad-based upswing in industrial applications, business with solutions in high-growth areas, such as high-power charging systems, developed very well.

Communication segment benefits from mobile network expansion
The positive momentum in the Communication segment intensified further in the third quarter. The roll-out of the new 5G mobile communications standard triggered investments in the corresponding infrastructure, especially in North America. In general, the need to process massively increasing data volumes continues. Demand for data centers and the expansion of access networks therefore also rose significantly.

Transportation segment growth attributable to applications for automotive suppliers
In the third quarter, the Transportation segment continued to show uneven development in its two subsegments. Business in the Automotive subsegment was extremely dynamic due to demand for solutions in the field of electromobility. With radar antennas for autonomous driving now ready for series production, a future-oriented solution was added to the product portfolio for automotive applications. In the Railway subsegment, there was a high level of activity in upgrading trains through the integration of mobile communications, whereas the railway market has not yet recovered from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in terms of commissioning new rolling stock.

Share buyback programme for a capital reduction
The Board of Directors of HUBER+SUHNER AG is planning to launch a public share buyback programme, expected to start by the end of the month, for up to 5 % of the share capital. This will lead to a sustained concentration of earnings per share. Given the high liquidity and the strong balance sheet, strategic flexibility for future investments and acquisitions remains intact. The plan is to buy back shares for the purpose of capital reduction via a second trading line on the SIX Swiss Exchange over a maximum period of three years. The details of the share buyback programme will be communicated upon publication of the programme.

Outlook
The broad economic recovery continued in the third quarter, as reflected in a significant increase in order intake after nine months compared to the prior-year period. In the reporting period, growth in net sales was also in the double-digit percentage range in all three market segments. The greatest risk at present arises from capacity shortages in both global supply chains and transportation. This situation is expected to persist, resulting in ongoing bottlenecks in many industries. Nevertheless, the company confirms its guidance for the current financial year of double-digit growth in net sales with an EBIT margin slightly above the medium-term EBIT target range of 8-10 %.

This media release can be found at
https://www.hubersuhner.com/en/company/media/ad-hoc-news
and is also available in German. The German version is binding.

The definition of alternative performance indicators is available at
https://www.hubersuhner.com/en/company/investors/publications

HUBER+SUHNER AG
Patrick G. Köppe
Head Corporate Communications
Tumbelenstrasse 20
8330 Pfäffikon ZH
Switzerland