euro adhoc: Basler Vision Technologies AG
Quarterly or Semiannual
Financial Statements
Basler: Growth Trend Continues
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Basler: Growth Trend Continues
3rd quarter turnover increased 15% on previous year to 11.4 mill. pre-tax earnings up 16% to 0.8 mill. Incoming orders rise 24% to 14.6 mill. (Q3/2003: 11.8 mill.).
Previous years turnover exceeded after only nine months in 2004, with 37.5 mill. (2003: 35.7 mill.).
Forecast for 2004 (+40% turnover growth on 2003 to 50 mill., 5 mill. earnings before tax compared to 0.7 mill. in 2003) will be once again slightly exceeded.
Ahrensburg, 5 November 2004 Basler AG, a leading company in vision technology, the technology of artificial sight, increased turnover, earnings and incoming orders in the third quarter. Due to continued positive business operations, the companys own forecast for the 2004 financial year will be slightly exceeded once again. Turnover in the third quarter rose to 11.4 mill.. This is equivalent to a 15% increase on the year-earlier quarter ( 9.9 mill.). The 37.5 mill. turnover generated in the first nine months of the 2004 financial year already exceeds that of the entire previous year (2003: 35.7 mill.). Turnover thus rose 52% compared to the first nine months of the previous year (Q1-3/2003: 24.7 mill.).
Incoming orders were up 24% on the year-earlier quarter, at 14.6 mill. (Q3/2003: 11.8 mill.) Incoming orders in the first nine months thus amounted to 38.7 mill.. This is equivalent to a 32% increase on the year-earlier period (Q1-3/2003: 29.3 mill.). This positive turnover and orders development results from continued strong demand in our target markets. Basler has also gained market shares in all business areas due to the companys high level of investment activity, particularly for digital high-performance cameras (Vision Components) and flat screen inspection systems in the Vision Systems division.
Earnings before tax in the third quarter amounted to 0.8 mill. an increase in proportion with turnover growth of 16% on the year-earlier quarter (Q3/2003: 0.7 mill.). Earnings were thus clearly increased in the first nine months of 2004, to 4.4 mill. compared to 0.1 mill. in Q1-3/2003.
Basler is set to continue its growth trend in the fourth quarter of the 2004 financial year. The pre-tax earnings margin is likely to reach the level of the previous quarters, despite increasing investments in staff. Bearing in mind the successful first three quarters of 2004 and the high volume of incoming orders in the third quarter, we assume that we will once again outperform the forecast raised in the middle of the year to 50 mill. turnover (+40% compared to previous year) with pre-tax earnings of approx. 5 mill. (earnings before tax 2003: 0.7 mill.) and thus a pre-tax return rate of 10%.
We anticipate continuing our turnover and earnings growth in the 2005 financial year. Because turnover is increasingly equally distributed over the business areas, we can compensate for fluctuations in demand in individual target markets by growth in other areas. Taking current developments on the technology markets and a further deterioration of the US$/ exchange rate into account, growth in 2005 is likely to be below the unusually high level of the current financial year.
The detailed quarterly report is available to download at www.baslerweb.com.
end of announcement euro adhoc 05.11.2004 07:21:07
Further inquiry note:
Christian Höck
Tel.: +49 (0)4102 463 175
E-Mail: christian.hoeck@baslerweb.com
Branche: Semiconductors & active components
ISIN: DE0005102008
WKN: 510200
Index: Prime Standard, CDAX, Prime All Share, Technologie All Share
Börsen: Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse / regulated dealing
Berliner Wertpapierbörse / free trade
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