- 06.08.2009, 07:42:25
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- OTE0001
EANS-Adhoc: Basler AG / Second quarter of 2009 characterised by global economic and financial crisis, trough in demand presumably reached
. Incoming orders: EUR 6.7 million (previous year: EUR 18.3 million), sales:
EUR 8.1 million (previous year: EUR 15 million), pre-tax earnings: EUR
-4.9 million (previous year: EUR 1.4 million), free cash flow: EUR -0.8
million (previous year: EUR 0.3 million)
. Execution of the corporate strategy and cost-cutting program are complete;
one-time expenses are completely represented in the half-year figures;
break-even point is significantly reduced
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ad-hoc disclosure pursuant to section 15 of the WpHG transmitted by euro
adhoc with the aim of a Europe-wide distribution. The issuer is solely
responsible for the content of this announcement.
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06.08.2009
Ad hoc information pursuant to § 15 WpHG
Ahrensburg, August 06, 2009 - As of the second quarter of 2009, the
macroeconomic conditions for manufacturers of industrial goods have not yet
improved. The volume of equipment investment was characterized again by a
significant reduction compared to the previous year. Nonetheless, there are
some first indications that the economic crisis may have reached its low during
the reporting period.
The group's sales summed to EUR 8.1 million (previous year: EUR 15.0 million,
-46.0 %). With EUR 6.7 million, the incoming orders were by 63.4 % below
previous year's record value of EUR 18.3 million. The gross margin also
deteriorated to 45.8 % (previous year: 53.1 %). The earnings before taxes (EBT)
amounted to EUR -4.9 million (previous year: EUR 1.4 million). This includes
one-off expenses for cost-cutting measures amounting to approx. EUR 2.9
million. The earnings before taxes and before one-off expenses amounted to EUR
-2.0 million. The net results declined to EUR -4.1 million (previous year: EUR
0.9 million). In the second quarter, the free cash flow amounted to EUR -0.8
million and accordingly declined by approx. EUR 1.1 million compared to the
previous year (Q2/2008: EUR 0.3 million). At the end of the reporting period,
liquid assets amounted to EUR 6.7 million and increased by 39.6 % compared to
the previous year.
In its "COMPONENTS" business segment, Basler AG has realized sales in the
second quarter of 2009 amounting to EUR 5.6 million. Accordingly, revenue from
digital cameras declined by 26.3 % below previous year's figure of EUR 7.6
million. In comparison to the first quarter of 2009 (EUR 4.3 million) sales
increased again by 30.2 %. During the reporting period, incoming orders
amounted to EUR 6.1 million and were again below previous year's figure
(Q2/2008: EUR 8.8 million, -30.7 %). However, compared to the first quarter
(Q1/2009: EUR 5.5 million), the figure increased by approx. 10.9 %.
In the "SOLUTIONS" business segment, Basler AG has realized sales revenue
amounting to EUR 2.5 million in the second quarter of 2009. This implies a
decrease in sales of inspection solutions from EUR 7.4 million (-66.2 %)
compared to the previous year. Incoming orders in the second quarter of 2009
have continued the low values of the previous quarter. Compared to the
unusually strong quarter of the previous year, the orders have declined by EUR
8.8 million reaching the low level of EUR 0.7 million (Q2/2008: EUR 9.5
million, -92.6 %). The result for the segment before interest and taxes
amounted in the second quarter to EUR -3.6 million including one-off expenses
for strategic adjustments and cost-cutting measures. Compared to the previous
year, it therefore declined by EUR 4.6 million (Q2/2008: EUR 1.0 million).
As already stated in the report for the first quarter of 2009, since the
beginning of the fiscal year, the Management Board has been reacting to the
considerable decline in sales with an extensive catalog of measures. Starting
from the assumption that the markets for Basler AG will only gradually recover
and that recovery will reach into fiscal year 2011, the company has aligned
itself towards its core businesses and core competences and towards a speedy
return to the profit zone. The earnings before taxes of the first half-year of
2009 are therefore strongly characterized by one-off expenses. As the strategic
adjustments will be almost complete by the end of fiscal year 2009, no further
one-off expenses are planned for the second half-year. The intended lower cost
level will already be reached in the course of the third quarter of 2009.
We expect slightly increasing sales for our components business and lower
results for our solutions business in the second half of the year. On the group
level, sales for the second half of the year should therefore be slightly above
the levels for the first two quarters. Against this backdrop, we expect the
group's sales for 2009 in a corridor between EUR 31 million and EUR 33 million
which is distinctly below the sales level for 2008. Hence and due to
significant one-off expense in the context of the cost-cutting program in the
first quarter, we expect negative group's earnings before taxes in the region
between EUR -8.0 million and EUR -8.5 million. Adjusted for one-off expenses,
the group's earnings before taxes for 2009 will be between EUR -3.5 million and
EUR -4.5 million. In the second half-year of 2009 the company will quickly
approach the break-even point due to cost relief becoming effective.
The quarterly report can be downloaded from www.baslerweb.com/finanzberichte.
Basler AG, Dr. Dietmar Ley (CEO), An der Strusbek 60 - 62, 22926 Ahrensburg,
Tel. +49 (0)4102-463100, ir/baslerweb.com, www.baslerweb.com, ISIN DE
0005102008
Further inquiry note:
Verena Fehling
Assistant to the Board
Telefon: +49(0)4102 463-100
E-Mail: Verena.Fehling@baslerweb.com
end of announcement euro adhoc
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emitter: Basler AG
An der Strusbek 60-62
D-22926 Ahrensburg
phone: +49 (0) 4102 463 0
FAX: +49 (0) 4102 463 108
mail: info@baslerweb.com
WWW: http://www.baslerweb.com
sector: Semiconductors & active components
ISIN: DE0005102008
indexes: CDAX
stockmarkets: regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt, free trade: Berlin,
Hamburg, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, München
language: English
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