ESSEN (dpa-AFX) - IT security service provider Secunet Security Networks has started the year in the red due to weak business. In the first quarter, revenues of 55.2 million euros were around 16 percent lower than a year earlier, as the SDax-listed company surprisingly announced in Essen on Thursday on the basis of preliminary figures. Before interest and taxes (Ebit), there was a loss of 6.2 million euros, after Secunet had achieved an operating profit of 8.5 million euros a year earlier. Nevertheless, the management board is sticking to its business targets for the year as a whole - and points to a "record-high order backlog".

Management continues to expect sales of around 375 million euros in 2023. Operating profit (Ebit) is expected to reach around 50 million euros. Secunet's business has its focus in the second half of the year, it said. Such a course is also indicated for 2023. Orders on hand, for example, amounted to 228.6 million euros at the end of March, it said. Secunet shares reacted to the late afternoon news with a brief slide, but recovered a bit. In the end, it exited trading unchanged in percentage terms, making it one of the worst performers in the small cap index SDax./stw/he