DGAP-News: STRATEC achieves higher sales and improved

DGAP-News: STRATEC Biomedical AG / Key word(s): Final Results STRATEC achieves higher sales and improved profitability in 2015 14.04.2016 / 07:36 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- STRATEC achieves higher sales and improved profitability in 2015 - Sales of EUR 146.9 million (+1.4%; previous year: EUR 144.9 million) - EBIT of EUR 26.9 million (+11.7%; previous year: EUR 24.1 million) - EBIT margin at 18.3% (+170 base points; previous year: 16.6%) - Consolidated net income of EUR 22.1 million (+11.7%; previous year: EUR 19.8 million) - Earnings per share of EUR 1.87 (+11.3%; previous year: EUR 1.68) - Proposed dividend of EUR 0.75 per share (dividend payment previous year: EUR 0.70 per share) - Publication of new financial forecast in 2016 half-year Interim Report Birkenfeld, April 14, 2016 STRATEC Biomedical AG (Frankfurt: SBS; Prime Standard, TecDAX) today announced the final audited results of the STRATEC Group for the financial year ending December 31, 2015, with the publication of its 2015 Annual Report. These figures prepared in line with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) have been audited and granted an unqualified audit opinion. <pre> Key figures (EUR thousand) 01.01.- 31.12.2015 01.01.- 31.12.2014 Changes Sales 146,886 144,860 +1.4% EBIT 26,875 24,052 +11.7% Consolidated net income 22,084 19,768 +11.7% Earnings per share (EUR) 1.87 1.68 +11.3% EBIT margin (%) 18.3 16.6 +170 bps </pre> bps = basis points Business performance STRATEC achieved a growth in sales in the 2015 financial year of 1.4% over the previous year, from EUR 144.9 million to EUR 146.9 million. The EBIT margin was also significantly increased from 16.6% to 18.3%. This positive development was largely attributable to the mix of products, new projects in the workflow solutions area, and a locally beneficial development in currency fluctuations. Additionally, the company continued to receive a high volume of progress payments for development services. These projects and subsequent market launches are expected to generate the growth planned over the coming years. The share of sales attributable to service parts increased from 23.4% in 2014 to 24.3% in 2015. EBIT increased by 11.7% from EUR 24.1 million in the previous year to EUR 26.9 million in the 2015 financial year, representing an EBIT margin of 18.3%. Consolidated net income grew correspondingly by 11.7% to EUR 22.1 million, and earnings per share increased by 11.3% to EUR 1.87. Acquisition of Diatron STRATEC announced the acquisition of the hematology system specialist Diatron on March 23, 2016. The company designs and manufactures system solutions for hematology applications and clinical chemistry, as well as related consumables. With this acquisition, STRATEC is expanding its portfolio of products and customers. Synergies are expected especially in development and production. Diatron supplies analyzer systems and complementary products such as consumables and services for use in human and veterinary diagnostics to more than 100 countries. Among its customers are well-known life science companies with global operations. In 2015 the company generated sales equivalent to around EUR 34 million with profitability comparable to that of the STRATEC Group. The acquisition is expected to be make a positive contribution to Group earnings in 2016. Financial forecast STRATEC will publish a new forecast with the 2016 half-year figures. This will take into consideration the financial forecast published on March 15, 2016, (2014-2017 average annual growth rate [CAGR] of 6%) as well as the most recent effects from the acquisition of Diatron. Dividend proposal Given the company's positive business performance in 2015 and its strong long-term prospects, the Board of Management and Supervisory Board of STRATEC Biomedical AG will be proposing the distribution of a dividend of EUR 0.75 per share for the 2015 financial year for approval by the Annual General Meeting on June 9, 2016. After a dividend payout of EUR 0.70 per share in the previous year, this would represent an increase of 7.1%.This reflects the continued good earnings position and business prospects, also in respect of potential acquisitions. Pending approval from the Annual General Meeting, shareholders can thus anticipate an increase in the dividend for the twelfth consecutive time since dividends were first paid in 2004. We thus intend to maintain our continuity-based dividend policy, which provides for a distribution quota of between 40 and 60%. STRATEC continues to focus on internal and external growth opportunities. This may result in temporary deviations from the distribution quota. These opportunities may take the form of acquisitions or potential up-front financing for major projects. Development in personnel Including temporary employees and trainees, the STRATEC Group had a total of 583 employees as of December 31, 2015 (previous year: 544). In order to keep pace with the anticipated continued growth, production capacities at STRATEC's location in Switzerland were expanded during 2015. At the location in Romania, construction of a new building began towards the end of 2015, and the employees at the site in the United Kingdom moved to a modern, larger building as the capacity of the old space had been reached. STRATEC will continue to be in need of qualified personnel, especially in development. STRATEC's Board of Management has an interest in long-term staff retention. For this reason, employees were given the opportunity in the 2015 financial year to participate in the success of the company through an employee participation program, further details of which can be found in our Annual Report. Projects and other developments STRATEC will continue to focus in the current financial year on achieving further major milestones; important market launches are also scheduled for 2016. Negotiations on additional development and production projects are ongoing, and platform development is being pushed forward in order to secure growth on numerous pillars for the future. For 2016 we expect the proportion of sales from spare parts to remain in line with the high level achieved in 2015, partly driven by the increased need for spare parts for recently developed, more complex systems. The Data Management business unit developed very positively in the 2015 financial year, especially due to an order from a new major customer. The range of offerings and thus also the foundation for growth of STRATEC will continue to be strengthened through targeted company acquisitions. 2015 Annual Report The 2015 Annual Report of STRATEC Biomedical AG has been published on the company's homepage at www.stratec.com/financial_reports. Forthcoming dates The Interim Report as of March 31, 2016, will be published on April 26, 2016. The Annual General Meeting of STRATEC Biomedical AG will be held in Pforzheim on June 9, 2016. The invitation to the Annual General Meeting will be forwarded to STRATEC shareholders in good time ahead of the Annual General Meeting. About STRATEC STRATEC Biomedical AG (www.stratec.com) designs and manufactures fully automated analyzer systems for its partners in the fields of clinical diagnostics and biotechnology. These partners market such systems, in general together with their own reagents, as system solutions to laboratories, blood banks and research institutes around the world. The company develops its products on the basis of its own patented technologies. Shares in the company (ISIN: DE000STRA555) are traded in the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and are listed in the TecDAX select index of the German Stock Exchange. Further information can be obtained from: STRATEC Biomedical AG André Loy, Corporate Communications Gewerbestr. 37, 75217 Birkenfeld Germany Tel: +49 7082 7916-190 Fax: +49 7082 7916-999 ir@stratec.com www.stratec.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14.04.2016 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. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: STRATEC Biomedical AG Gewerbestr. 37 75217 Birkenfeld Germany Phone: +49 (0)7082 7916 0 Fax: +49 (0)7082 7916 999 E-mail: info@stratec.com Internet: www.stratec.com ISIN: DE000STRA555 WKN: STRA55 Indices: TecDAX Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange; Terminbörse EUREX End of News DGAP News Service --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 454185 14.04.2016