The following information relates to the continuing operations of
the Heidelberg Group. These include the Press, Postpress and
Financial Services divisions. The Digital Division was sold and
deconsoli- dated on May 1, 2004, the Web Systems Division on August
6, 2004. All figures for the previous year mentioned in this press
information have been adjusted to ensure that the figures stated
provide a basis for comparison.
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Sales up 12 percent to 3.586 billion Euro
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Incoming orders of 3.605 billion Euro exceed previous
year's level
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Operating result 277 million Euro, or 7.7 percent of
sales
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Net profit more than doubled to 135 million Euro
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Free cash flow of 143 million Euro well above
expectations
Preliminary figures indicate that Heidelberger Druckmaschinen
AG (Heidelberg) increased sales and earnings in financial year
2005/2006 (April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006). "The worldwide
economic boom has stabilized over the past year", stated
Bernhard Schreier, Chief Executive Officer of Heidelberger
Druckmaschinen AG. "This development has proved of great
benefit to us over the past financial year. Moreover, it looks like
the positive trend in the print media industry is set to continue
throughout the current financial year."
Preliminary sales by the Heidelberg Group during the period
under review grew 12 percent to 3.586 billion Euro (previous year:
3.207 billion Euro). At 1.149 billion Euro, sales in the fourth
quarter alone were roughly 18 percent up on the corresponding
quarter of the previous year (previous year: 976 million
Euro).
Preliminary incoming orders in the financial year just closed
were 3.605 billion Euro (previous year, including orders received
at drupa: 3.508 billion Euro) and were therefore around three
percent higher than last year's already high figure. Preliminary
incoming orders in the fourth quarter rose significantly to 880
million Euro compared to the previous year (780 million Euro). At
around one billion Euro, the preliminary order backlog at March 31,
2006 was on a par with the previous year's very high figures.
In the period under review, the Heidelberg Group increased
its preliminary operating profit to 277 million Euro, 31 percent up
on the previous year (continuing operations previous year: 211
million Euro). This produced an EBIT yield of 7.7 percent of sales.
Adjustments for exchange rate movements, the sales structure, high
levels of R&D expenditure and increased product launch and
material costs had a negative impact on the preliminary operating
profit. At 135 million Euro, preliminary net profit more than
doubled in comparison to the previous year (previous year,
including discontinuing operations: 59 million Euro). This
corresponds to a return on sales after tax of 3.8 percent. At 143
million Euro, free cash flow was well above expectations - and
already included the transfer of pension funding provisions
amounting to 124 million Euro.
"In the last financial year we increased our earnings
and financial power even further", stated Heidelberg's CFO,
Dr. Herbert Meyer. "Thanks to the stability in the industry
and improved cost structures at the Heidelberg Group there is
potential to take this even further. Economic risks such as
exchange rate movements and raw material and energy prices are
still very much a factor though."
As of March 31, 2006, the Heidelberg Group had a workforce of
18,716 worldwide (previous year: 18,679).
Results in the Press and Postpress Divisions
In the Press Division (offset printing), preliminary
sales in the financial year just closed rose by approx. 12 percent
to 3.142 billion Euro. Preliminary incoming orders in the period
under review increased by two percent on the previous year to
around 3.146 billion Euro. The preliminary operating profit for
2005/2006 was 248 million Euro (previous year: 187 million
Euro).
In the Postpress Division (finishing) preliminary sales in
the period under review rose by around 14 percent to 398 million
Euro. Preliminary incoming orders increased by 15 percent to 413
million Euro. The division's provisional operating result for the
period under review was -3 million Euro (previous year: -2 million
Euro). The preliminary operating result in the Postpress Division
was burdened by a one-off goodwill depreciation of 6.5 million Euro
which did not affect payments.
Preliminary sales in all regions were up on the previous
year. Preliminary incoming orders also grew, except in the Eastern
Europe and North America regions. In the North America region,
however, incoming orders in the fourth quarter alone rose by 15
percent compared to last year.
Share buyback
On November 8, 2005, the Management Board of Heidelberger
Druckmaschinen AG decided to initiate a share buyback program
covering up to five percent of its capital stock. 2,857,777 bearer
shares (3.3 percent of the outstanding shares) had been repurchased
as part of the simplified capital retirement by March 31, 2006. The
company's capital stock now amounts to 212,609,799.68 Euro and is
divided into 83,050,703 bearer shares.
The share buyback program will continue to run until a total
of five percent of the capital stock has been acquired. The
repurchased shares are earmarked for capital retirement and
employee share participation programs.
The tables showing the figures can be downloaded from the
Internet Press Lounge at
www.heidelberg.com.
Heidelberg's complete annual accounts for financial year
2005/2006 will be presented at the Annual Press Conference on June
7, 2006.
For further information, please contact:
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Corporate Communications
Thomas Fichtl
Tel.: +49 (0)6221 92 47 47
Fax: +49 (0)6221 92 50 69
E-mail:
thomas.fichtl@heidelberg.com