euro adhoc: feratel media technologies AG
Quarterly or Semiannual
Financial Statements
Group sales and results for Q1 in line with
expectations, Media Division sales up 30 % (E)
Disclosure announcement transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer is responsible for the content of this announcement.
"For us, the first quarter of financial 2003/04 reflects the continued mood of restraint in the economy in general," announced Markus Schröcksnadel, CEO at feratel media technologies AG. Sales fell from EUR 3.4 million in the first quarter of the previous year to EUR 2.7 million* in the first quarter of 2003/04. That downturn is due primarily to the withdrawal of ticketing business in the IRS Division following deconsolidation at 31.1.2003. Thanks to the good results achieved with marketing transmission time on TW1, the Media Division reports a 30 % increase in sales.
"Group EBITDA was negative at minus TEUR 545 as was EBT at minus TEUR 991. It should however be borne in mind that sales in the Telecommunications Division are always concentrated in the second half of the financial year," explains Schröcksnadel, "whereas overheads are distributed equally over the whole year." The major share of the contribution to the result made by Telecommunications will not therefore be posted until the second half of the year.
Highlights of the first quarter At the beginning of July 2003, feratel launched its TV weather cams on Baden-Wurttemberg´s BTV 4 in Germany. An agreement has also been signed with the Swiss French-language TV station TSR (Télévision Suisse Romande) for weather cam transmissions, with the program due to start at the end of the year.
In the Information and Reservation Systems Division, Naturarena Kärnten, the Lienz Dolomiten Region and the Jochberg Tourism Association have now joined the customer base. At Berlin Airport, arrivals will in future benefit from an additional service in the form of a visitor information kiosk offering a 24-hour guide to available accommodation.
In addition to the transmission time marketed on the Austrian TW1 channel for tourism, an equally positive picture for the first quarter is reported for NetPad. By marketing this portable wireless Internet terminal with the gambling community for placing bets, feratel has moved into a niche market which will have a positive stimulus on the current business year.
Outlook With the events of the recent past - 9/11, SARS and the Iraq conflict - beginning to lose their impact, the World Tourism Organization feels that the slump on the travel market is about to bottom out and is now taking a more sanguine view of developments over the next few months.
"For the months ahead, we anticipate satisfactory growth in our core markets Austria and Switzerland. The situation in Germany, on the other hand, is expected to remain subdued, and our efforts will be targeted at maintaining our market position in spite of the difficult economic climate there. Another main focus will be on developing new markets in the French-speaking area of Switzerland in the Telecommunications sector and in Bulgaria," says Schröcksnadel.
In the Telecommunications Division we shall continue to expand our camera network and further increase the number of co-operation agreements signed with broadcasting companies. In the IRS sector we are expecting positive developments with regard to sales of our information kiosks and the implementation of additional private label card projects and other international projects. In the Media Division the focus will again be on marketing transmission time on TW1.
"In spite of the general economic headwind confronting us, we are looking forward to an improved result for the current financial year. Close attention will continue to be paid to the necessary cost management measures. Given the present state of our knowledge, we are optimistic that we will be able to maintain and further consolidate our healthy market position in the current business year. At the present time, our goal is again to pay a dividend for financial 2003/04," Markus Schröcksnadel concludes.
* For reasons of economy and practicability, this quarterly balance sheet (1 Mai to 31 July) of the e-tourism and media group feratel media technologies AG, which is quoted on the Vienna stock exchange, was drawn up pursuant to the provisions of the Austrian Commercial Code (HGB), so that direct comparisons with the figures for the previous year according to IAS are not possible.
~Consolidated income statement (in TEUR)
1st Quarter 2003/2004 1st Quarter 2002/2003
öHGB IASSales 2,655.6 3,446.9 Income from operations 2,844.8 3,718.9 EBITDA -545.3 -193.6 EBT -991.1 -787.9
~
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end of announcement euro adhoc 23.10.2003
Further inquiry note:
Martin Fritsch
Branche: Tourism & Leisure
ISIN: AT0000737804
WKN: 073780
Index: Standard Market Auction
Börsen: Wiener Börse AG / official dealing
Berliner Wertpapierbörse / free trade
Bayerische Börse / free trade
Baden-Württembergische Wertpapierbörse / free trade
Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse / free trade
Original content of: feratel media technologies AG, transmitted by news aktuell