EANS-News: USU Software AG Final Business Figures of 2012 Confirm Successful
Trend - Dividend Increase to EUR 0.25 per Share Announced
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Corporate news transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer/originator is solely
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Subtitle: Clear growth in sales and profits
Strong increase in international business
25% dividend increase on previous year announced
Consistently solid financing with high Group liquidity
Plan for sales to surpass EUR 100-million mark within five years
Financial Figures/Balance Sheet
Möglingen (euro adhoc) - Möglingen, March 26, 2013 - USU Software AG (ISIN
DE000A0BVU28) increased Group sales in line with IFRS in fiscal 2012 by 12.4% to
EUR 51,229 thousand (2011: EUR 45,597 thousand). International business proved
particularly successful, contributing a total of EUR 9,192 thousand (2011: EUR
5,412 thousand) to Group sales. This represents year-on-year growth of 69.8%.
The share of consolidated sales generated outside Germany therefore rose from
11.9% in 2011 to 17.9% during the year under review. In fiscal 2012, USU thus
exceeded its medium-term target of achieving 15% of total sales abroad.
Broken down by type of sales, license business posted the highest rise thanks to
international expansion, as anticipated. USU thus increased income from software
licenses by 35.1% on the previous year to EUR 7,997 thousand in 2012 (2011: EUR
5,919 thousand). As a result of the expansion in software license business,
maintenance income also climbed by 9.9% to EUR 11,679 thousand (2011: EUR 10,624
thousand). In terms of sales of consulting services in the Product Business and
Service Business segments, USU achieved an increase over the previous year of
11.4% to EUR 29,215 thousand (2011: EUR 26,232 thousand).
Owing to the non-recurring effects of the final Aspera acquisition in the year
under review and the associated non-recurring expense for the purchase price
adjustment of EUR 1,855 thousand, EBITDA for fiscal 2012 amounted to EUR 5,265
thousand (2011: EUR 6,700 thousand), while EBIT amounted to EUR 3,528 thousand
(2011: EUR 4,644 thousand). Mainly as a result of the recognition of deferred
tax assets in connection with the conclusion of the profit transfer agreement in
the period under review between USU Software AG and Aspera GmbH, USU generated
cumulative tax income of EUR 1,380 thousand in fiscal 2012, compared with tax
expenditure of EUR 962 thousand in the previous year. Overall, the USU Group
generated unadjusted consolidated earnings in the reporting period of EUR 4,815
thousand (2011: EUR 3,545 thousand), up 35.8%, corresponding to earnings per
share of EUR 0.46 (2011: EUR 0.34).
After adjustment for acquisition-related non-recurring effects, the USU Group
increased its adjusted EBIT by 8.3% to EUR 7,065 thousand in 2012 (2011: EUR
6,522 thousand). Adjusted consolidated earnings rose by 35.7% to EUR 7,219
thousand (2011: EUR 5,319 thousand). This corresponds to adjusted earnings per
share of EUR 0.69 (2011: EUR 0.50).
In view of the successful performance of the USU Group and its positive future
prospects, the Management and Supervisory Boards will propose a 25% increase in
the dividend compared with the previous year to EUR 0.25 (2011: EUR 0.20) per
share at the Annual General Meeting on June 6, 2013.
As a result of the positive development of income, the equity of USU Software AG
increased in 2012 to EUR 52,295 thousand (December 31, 2011: EUR 49,908
thousand) compared with the previous year. With total assets of EUR 66,721
thousand (December 31, 2011: EUR 70,050 thousand), the equity ratio rose
accordingly to 78.4% as of December 31, 2012 (December 31, 2011: 71.2%). As a
result of the settlement of the purchase price for the remaining 49% of shares
in Aspera including the pro rata profit distribution totaling EUR 8,978 thousand
and the payment of the dividend to USU shareholders of EUR 2,105 thousand, cash
and cash equivalents including securities declined to a total of EUR 11,408
thousand as of December 31, 2012 in line with planning (December 31, 2011: EUR
17,630 thousand).
The Group-wide order book for the USU Group increased by 1.9% on the previous
year to EUR 21,914 thousand (2011: EUR 21,501 thousand). The Group expanded its
workforce by 14.6% to 362 (2011: 316) employees.
Following the successful performance in 2012, the Management Board expects USU
Software AG to achieve further growth in sales and earnings in the coming years.
Above all, Product Business is expected to continue growing. Following the
expiry of several major projects at the end of the year under review and a
correspondingly weak start to the current fiscal year, however, Service Business
is not likely to see business expand until later this year. In fiscal 2013,
positive effects in sales and income are expected to result primarily from the
internationalization of the USU Group. From the second quarter of 2013, CA
Technologies - one of the biggest global software groups in the USA - will be
responsible for global sales growth of the USU Group's license management
solution. In addition to organic growth, another key element of the Company's
strategy is the expansion of Group activities through the acquisition of
companies and interests in companies. To this end, USU Software AG acquired at
the end of December 2012 a majority stake in BIG Social Media GmbH, an
international provider of SaaS solutions in the area of social media management
that will from 2013 be fully consolidated in the Group's financial statements.
After sales topped the EUR 50 million mark in 2012, the Management Board
anticipates an increase in consolidated sales to at least EUR 58 million in
fiscal 2013. Adjusted EBIT is expected to rise to over EUR 8 million (2012: EUR
7.1 million) in the same period. At the same time, shareholders in USU Software
AG can expect once again to participate significantly in the Company's business
success through a continuation of the shareholder-friendly dividend policy
established over recent years.
For subsequent years, the Management Board also expects sales above the average
market level, while continuing to improve the earnings margin. As part of the
Management Board's medium-term plan, sales growth to over EUR 100 million has
been forecast within the next five years.
USU Software AG
The USU Group is Europe's largest provider of IT Management and Knowledge
Management software. Market leaders from every sector of the international
economy create transparency with USU applications, while also increasing
flexibility, decreasing risks and cutting costs. In addition to USU AG (founded
in 1977), the subsidiaries Aspera GmbH, LeuTek GmbH, OMEGA Software GmbH, USU
Consulting GmbH and BIG Social Media GmbH belong to USU Software AG (ISIN DE
000A0BVU28), which is listed in the Prime Segment of the German Stock Exchange
(DAX) in Frankfurt and on the German Entrepreneurial Index (GEX).
Further inquiry note:
USU Software AG
Investor Relations
Falk Sorge
Spitalhof
D-71696 Möglingen
Tel.: +49 (0) 71 41 - 48 67 351
Fax: +49 (0) 71 41 - 48 67 108
E-Mail: f.sorge@usu-software.de
USU Software AG
Corporate Communications
Dr. Thomas Gerick
Tel.: +49 (0) 71 41 - 48 67 440
Fax: +49 (0) 71 41 - 48 67 909
E-Mail: t.gerick@usu-software.de
end of announcement euro adhoc
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company: USU Software AG
Spitalhof
D-71696 Möglingen
phone: +49 (0)7141 4867 0
FAX: +49 (0)7141 4867 20
mail: investor@usu-software.de
WWW: http://www.usu-software.de
sector: Software
ISIN: DE000A0BVU28
indexes: CDAX, Prime All Share, Technology All Share
stockmarkets: free trade: Hannover, Berlin, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf,
regulated dealing: Stuttgart, regulated dealing/prime standard:
Frankfurt
language: English