Alle Storys
Folgen
Keine Story von freenet.de AG mehr verpassen.

freenet.de AG

euro adhoc: freenet.de AG
Financial Figures/Balance Sheet
freenet continues growing business and profits in 3rd quarter

  Disclosure announcement transmitted by euro adhoc.
  The issuer is responsible for the content of this announcement.
08.11.2005
• New revenues record at EUR185.7 million  • Operating EBITDA hits
EUR32 million before one-off special charges • Number of customers
soars past 10 million  • Accelerated growth in the DSL sector  • Cash
and cash equivalents rise to EUR135 million Hamburg / freenet.de AG -
freenet.de AG set a new revenue record in Q3/2005, generating
EUR185.7 million in revenues - a 60 percent increase vs. the same
quarter last year, and a 4 percent improvement on the previous
quarter, which was already excellent. This brings revenues for the
first nine months of the year to EUR510.2 million, a 48 percent
year-on-year rise. Gross profit also rose during the third quarter,
to currently EUR78.3 million; this translates to a 42 percent gross
margin.  The third-quarter EBITDA of nearly EUR32 million (EUR99.75
million for the first nine months) - adjusted for one-off special
charges related to the merger with mobilcom AG - shows that freenet
continues to do business profitably, despite sustained aggressive
growth in a tougher competitive landscape. "We are well on plan for
making our target EBITDA corridor of EUR125-140 million for all of
2005," confirms freenet.de AG CEO Eckhard Spoerr. Adjusted pre-tax
earnings for the third quarter amounted to EUR23.87 million or
EUR72.28 million for the first nine months. During the third quarter,
merger-related costs totaling a good EUR3.3 million were posted under
Other Operating Expenses. In addition, all owners of options in the
freenet group’s stock option program signed an agreement with the
company waiving their options and all rights arising therefrom in
return for a cash compensation; this is contingent upon the merger
becoming effect. As the Executive Board assumes that the merger with
mobilcom will conclude as planned, freenet already created reserves
for projected expenditures arising from this agreement, in an
analogous application of IFRS 2.28a and effective September 30, 2005,
in the amount of a good EUR8.4 million. Accordingly, this caused
third-quarter personnel expenses to rise to EUR23.8 million.
Including these one-off special charges totaling about EUR11.7
million, reported EBITDA came to EUR20.3 million for the third
quarter, or EUR88.1 million for the first nine months of 2005.
Pre-tax profits, reduced by the special charges, amounted to EUR12.2
million for the third quarter and EUR60.59 million for the first
three quarters of the year. At the same time, freenet’s cash and cash
equivalents increased to EUR135 million at the end of September,
despite a EUR19.80 million dividend payout performed this summer. All
four of freenet’s income pillars delivered a very positive
third-quarter performance. Internet Access continues to be the
strongest revenues mainstay, having contributed EUR82.2 million in
the third quarter, and is followed by fixed-line telephony (EUR39.3
million), and B2B Services (EUR38.1 million), and the Portal Business
(EUR26.1 million). The two latter segments in particular benefited
very strongly from the acquisitions of the STRATO group and the
Talkline ID GmbH which were completed during the first half of 2005:
The Portal Business more than tripled year-on-year, and a number of
customers now rely on freenet’s online expertise and sales power,
including "klarmobil.de," a wireless discounter and mobilcom AG
subsidiary whose business model is based primarily on the online and
hotline business. B2B services grew by a factor of more than 30
compared with the same period last year.  The company´s successful
efforts in the keenly contested Internet and fixed-line telephony
markets is also evident from freenet´s total customer base: During
the third quarter, the total number of customers soared past 10
million for the first time ever. This figure includes nearly 2.5
million contract customers - mainly in the DSL, Preselection
Telephony, Domain Hosting and Paid Services segments. freenet
registered an increase in the number of active telephony customers,
by 565,000 to currently 5.3 million. One especially gratifying
development is growth in the broadband sector, which accelerated
again: During the third quarter, freenet’ DSL customer base rose by
80,000 to currently well over 600,000 - the company availed itself of
some new distribution channels for the first time, and began selling
freenetDSL through mobilcom AG’s numerous shops and retailers.
freenet.de AG aims to further push this growth in Q4/2005.
                        Q3/2005 Q2/2005 Q3/2004    Q1-Q3 2005 Q1-Q3 2004
                                        adjusted**            adjusted**
Revenues                185,656 178,279 116,016    510,191    345,116
Segment: Internet
access                  82,173  79,876  68,563     246,236    209,678
Segment: Portal
business                26,079  24,129  8,248      70,249     23,129
Segment: Voice          39,276  39,709  38,000     118,899    108,574
Segment: B2B Services   38,128  34,565  1,205      74,807     3,735
Gross profit            78,267  77,627  58,136     229,736    178,633
EBITDA                  20,323  31,150  41,228     88,061     104,484
EBITDA (adjusted)*      32,007                     99,745
Earnings before
taxes (EBT)             12,190  20,346  32,944     60,592     77,264
Earnings before
taxes (EBT) (adjusted)* 23,874                     72,276
Group result            7,491   12,490  19,891     37,410     46,961
Capital and reserves    268,735 281,304 174,196    268,735    174,196
Balance sheet total     521,020 516,432 313,539    521,020    313,539
Cash and cash
equivalents             134,962 121,891 150,229    134,962    150,229
Financial data per IFRS; in TEUR / Source: freenet.de AG
*Adjusted for one-off items totaling 11.7 million euros.
**Adjustments as part of the first-time application of IFRS2.
end of announcement                               euro adhoc 08.11.2005 07:30:00

Further inquiry note:

Andreas Neumann
Investor Relations
Tel.: +49 (0)40 51306 778
E-Mail: IR@freenet-ag.de

Branche: Online
ISIN: DE0005792006
WKN: 579200
Index: TecDAX, Prime Standard, CDAX, Prime All Share, HDAX,
Technologie All Share, Midcap Market Index
Börsen: Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse / regulated dealing
Berliner Wertpapierbörse / free trade
Hamburger Wertpapierbörse / free trade
Baden-Württembergische Wertpapierbörse / free trade
Börse Düsseldorf / free trade
Niedersächsische Börse zu Hannover / free trade
Bayerische Börse / free trade
Bremer Wertpapierbörse (BWB) / free trade

Weitere Storys: freenet.de AG
Weitere Storys: freenet.de AG