EANS-News: USU Software AG announces final figures for 2009

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Corporate news transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer/originator is solely
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Subtitle:
• Sales up slightly year-on-year, substantial earnings growth
• Proposed dividend payment of EUR 0.15 per share
• Further expansion of Group-wide liquidity targeted
• Sales and earnings expected to grow in 2010

Möglingen (Germany), March 25, 2010 (euro adhoc) - In the 2009 fiscal year, USU
Software AG defied the global recession to record a moderate year-on-year
increase in Group sales of 0.2% to EUR 34,048 thousand (2008: EUR 33,977
thousand). Although the Company made targeted investments in Group-wide foreign
and partner activities as part of its internationalization strategy and the
further development of Group products, the USU Group improved its operating
result (EBITDA) by an impressive 11.3% to EUR 2,546 thousand compared with EUR
2,287 thousand in the previous year. The recognition of tax loss carryforwards
at the Group subsidiary USU AG accompanied by goodwill impairment at USU
Software AG in the same amount meant that earnings before interest and taxes
(EBIT) declined to EUR 453 thousand in the 2009 fiscal year (2008: EUR 967
thousand), while tax income amounted to EUR 772 thousand (2008: tax expense of
EUR 181 thousand). These measures did not have a net impact on earnings after
taxes. Accordingly, USU increased its net profit for the period by 19.5%, from
EUR 1,294 thousand in the previous year to EUR 1,546 thousand in 2009.

Based on an average number of shares in circulation of 10,021,054 (2008:
10,185,235), USU increased its earnings per share from EUR 0.13 in the previous
year to EUR 0.15. In the interests of a shareholder-friendly dividend policy,
the Management Board and Supervisory Board of USU Software AG will propose the
payment of a dividend of EUR 0.15 per share (2008: EUR 0.15) to the Company´s
Annual General Meeting on July 15, 2010, thereby allowing the shareholders of
USU Software AG to participate in the Company´s success in 2009 as announced.

As a result of its positive business development, the USU Group significantly
increased its net cash from operating activities to EUR 4,036 thousand (2008:
EUR 1,814 thousand). With total liquidity of EUR 10,888 thousand (2008: EUR
9,541 thousand), an increased equity ratio of 85.7% (2008: 84.8%) and no
liabilities to banks, USU Software AG still has the solid financing it requires
at the end of the 2009 fiscal year to make targeted investments even in
difficult economic times and to purchase companies or participations in
companies when potential acquisitions present themselves.

USU increased the number of employees in the Group as a whole to 269 as of
December 31, 2009, up 6.7% on the previous year (2008: 252).

The USU Group had orders on hand of EUR 13,421 thousand as of December 31, 2009
(2008: EUR 14,177 thousand). In accordance with planning, this year-on-year
decline was due to the completion of multi year consulting contracts, while
maintenance orders on hand developed positively.

Following the USU Group´s successful business performance in 2009, a year that
was dominated by the recession, the Management Board expects to see continued
positive development in 2010. International partner business in particular is
likely to make a tangible contribution to growth, leading to a significant
increase in the share of Group sales attributable to foreign business. Assuming
a sustained economic recovery, the Management Board of USU Software AG expects
sales growth for the Group as a whole to exceed the average for the IT market in
the 2010 fiscal year. Operating earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation
and amortization (EBITDA) is again expected to rise strongly compared to Group
sales. At the same time, the Company will make targeted investments in further
expanding the international focus of the USU Group and in key product
innovations with a view to increasing sales and earnings in the medium to long
term. Based on this forecast, the Management Board intends to continue the
shareholder-friendly dividend policy it has established over recent years, both
in 2010 and beyond.

This announcement is available at http://www.usu-software.com

USU - The Knowledge Business Company

The USU Software AG offers with its company network appliances, products and
consulting all about Knowledge Business, aligned for the future.
For example Valuemation. Our clients obtain a broad and complete overview over
their IT processes, IT infrastructure and are able to display their IT costs
transparently, to account and control actively. More than 500 clients
administrate with this product group more than 30 million IT assets.
For example KnowledgeMiner. As an integrated research and navigation system or
portal solution, we activate the complete knowledge of a single organisation
with this technology. Call and service centres solve more than ten thousand
individual problems and requests day for day, using the technology. Departments
like quality assurance, production or distribution fasten their core processes
and improve their quality.
The ability to form branch knowhow, competence of technology and user demands to
an integrated software system, has been convincing clients for more than two
decades in all fields of the international economy.
The USU Software AG (ISIN DE000A0BVU28) is listed in the Prime Standard of the
Frankfurt stock exchange.

Further inquiry note:
Contact:

USU Software AG
Investor Relations
Falk Sorge
Tel.: +49 (0) 71 41 / 48 67 351
Fax: +49 (0) 71 41 / 48 67 108
Email: [email protected]

USU Software AG
Corporate Communications
Dr. Thomas Gerick
Tel.: +49 (0) 71 41 / 48 67 440
Fax: +49 (0) 71 41 / 48 67 909
Email: [email protected]
end of announcement euro adhoc
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issuer: USU Software AG
Spitalhof
D-71696 Möglingen
phone: +49 (0)7141 4867 0
FAX: +49 (0)7141 4867 20
mail: [email protected]
WWW: http://www.usu-software.de
sector: Software
ISIN: DE000A0BVU28
indexes: CDAX, Prime All Share, Technology All Share
stockmarkets: regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt, free trade: Berlin,
Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Hannover, München, regulated dealing: Stuttgart
language: English

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