Annual results
Wirecard AG: Next stage of growth
Aschheim (Munich) (ots)
- Consolidated revenues 2018 increased by 35.4 percent - Transaction volume 2018 increased by 37.3 percent - 36.6 percent increase in EBITDA - Free cash flow + 50.0 percent - Earnings after taxes + 35.7 percent - Proposed dividend of EUR 0.20 per share
Wirecard has entered the next stage of its growth path. In 2018, Group revenues increased by 35.4 percent to EUR 2.02 billion (PY: EUR 1.49 billion). The transaction volume processed through the Wirecard platform grew by 37.3 percent to EUR 124.9 billion (PY: EUR 91.0 billion).
Operating earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) increased in 2018 compared to the previous year by 36.6 percent to EUR 560.5 million (PY: EUR 410.3 million). In the 2018 fiscal year, the EBITDA margin increased to 27.8 percent (PY: 27.6 percent). The cash flow from operating activities (adjusted) amounted to EUR 500.1 million (PY: EUR 375.7 million). The free cash flow from operating activities (adjusted) increased by 50.0 percent to EUR 423.9 million (PY: EUR 282.6 million). Earnings after tax increased by 35.7 percent to EUR 347.4 million (PY: EUR 256.1 million), which corresponds to earnings per share of EUR 2.81 (PY: EUR 2.07).
Markus Braun, CEO of Wirecard: "Over the last decade, Wirecard has successfully expanded its businesses into relevant markets across the globe. The company has significantly increased shareholder value over the years. With its high level of technology and its global presence, Wirecard has entered the next stage of its growth path."
Using the diverse range of services within the payment ecosystem and the combination of software technology and banking products, the area of payment acceptance and processing will be further expanded and will be also increasingly linked with product innovations in the issuing area.
In this context, enhanced mobile payment functions and innovations to digitalize bricks and mortar trade are particularly noteworthy. New developments will be exploited through new business areas in mobile services, data analytics/AI, financial services, couponing and loyalty. The development of new products and solutions, some in cooperation with partners, is being driven forward constantly. Innovative strength, a competitive range of products and services and the ability to quickly implement industry and customer specific requirements remain the basis for organic growth.
Wirecard's Management Board has confirmed the EBITDA forecast for the 2019 fiscal year of between EUR 740 million and EUR 800 million.
The Management Board will propose to this year's Annual General Meeting that a dividend of EUR 0.20 per share (PY: EUR 0.18) is paid to shareholders.
The 2018 Annual Report is available on the company's website at: http://ir.wirecard.com/financialreports
Photos: http://wirecard.com/newsroom/imagefinder/
About Wirecard:
Wirecard (GER:WDI) is one of the world's fastest growing digital platforms in the area of financial commerce. We provide both business customers and consumers with a constantly expanding ecosystem of real-time value-added services built around innovative digital payments by using an integrated B2B2C approach. This ecosystem concentrates on the areas payment & risk, retail & transaction banking, loyalty & couponing, data analytics & conversion rate enhancement in all sales channels (online, mobile, ePOS). Wirecard operates regulated financial institutions in several key markets, holds issuing and acquiring licenses from all major payment and card networks. Wirecard AG is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (DAX and TecDAX, ISIN DE0007472060). Visit us on www.wirecard.com, follow us on Twitter @wirecard and on Facebook @wirecardgroup.
Wirecard contact::
Iris Stoeckl
Tel.: +49 (0) 89-4424-1424
Email: iris.stoeckl@wirecard.com
http://www.wirecard.com
ISIN DE0007472060
Reuters: WDI.GDE
Bloomberg: WDI GY
Original content of: Wirecard AG, transmitted by news aktuell