EANS-News: USU Software AG
USU increases sales and earnings in first half of
2009
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6-month report
Möglingen (euro adhoc) - USU increases sales and earnings in first half of 2009
Sales growth in line with planning
Significant increase in earnings power
Strong Group liquidity and extremely solid financing
Management Board reaffirms outlook and shareholder-friendly
dividend policyMöglingen (Germany), August 20, 2009 - USU Software AG (ISIN DE000A0VU28) enjoyed an extremely successful business performance in the first six months of fiscal 2009. Consolidated sales rose by 6.4% to EUR 16,680 thousand (H1 2008: EUR 15,674 thousand) and net profit for the period ballooned by 53.1% to EUR 395 thousand (H1 2008: EUR 258 thousand). The Company also improved its EBITDA by 6.3% to EUR 812 thousand (H1 2008: EUR 764 thousand) while EBIT soared by 56.3% to EUR 272 thousand (H1 2008: EUR 174 thousand). Assuming that economic developments continue to stabilize, the Management Board is anticipating further improvements in sales and earnings in the traditionally stronger second half of the year. As forecast, the USU Group is expected to generate sales growth in excess of the average for its relevant market segments over the year as a whole. EBITDA should also rise significantly on the previous year.
Sales growth in line with planning - In spite of the current economic and financial market crisis, USU Software AG saw a rise in consolidated sales of 6.4% in the first half of fiscal 2009 to EUR 16,680 thousand (H1 2008: EUR 15,674 thousand). While consulting business picked up by 12.4% to EUR 10,747 thousand (H1 2008: EUR 9,561 thousand) and maintenance business rose by 8.3% to EUR 3,480 thousand (H1 2008: EUR 3,213 thousand), license business was down 19.0% year-on-year at EUR 1,993 thousand (H1 2008: EUR 2,462 thousand) after a very strong second quarter in 2008 when several major individual orders were posted. Other income amounted to EUR 460 thousand in the first two quarters of 2009 (H1 2008: EUR 439 thousand) and essentially related to merchandise. As a result of the positive ongoing order development, orders on hand rose slightly to EUR 12,877 thousand as of June 30, 2009 (June 30, 2008: EUR 12,877 thousand) despite the significant upturn in consulting and maintenance revenue.
Significant increase in earnings power - With a surge in net profit for the period of 53.1% as against the previous year to EUR 395 thousand (H1 2008: EUR 258 thousand), the USU Group also continued its positive earnings performance in the first half of 2009. Accordingly, earnings per share amounted to EUR 0.04 (H1 2008: EUR 0.03) based on an average number of 10,021,054 (H1 2008: 10,276,126) shares. Despite stepping up its activities abroad and with partners as part of its internationalization strategy and the greater investments in the ongoing development of Group products, USU increased its EBITDA to EUR 812 thousand (H1 2008: EUR 764 thousand), a rise of 6.3%. EBIT rocketed 56.3% to EUR 272 thousand (H1 2008: EUR 174 thousand) as against the same period of the previous year on account of the positive sales performance, moderate development in costs and lower write-downs.
Strong Group liquidity and extremely solid financing without liabilities to banks - Group liquidity amounted to EUR 8,668 thousand as of June 30, 2009 (December 31, 2008: EUR 9,541 thousand). The reported decline in cash and cash equivalents resulted from the dividend payment of EUR 1,503 thousand to USU Software AG shareholders on June 26, 2009. The dividend distribution also reduced the Company's equity as against the balance sheet date December 31, 2008 to EUR 44,838 thousand (December 31, 2008: EUR 45,921 thousand). At the same time, USU lowered its borrowed capital to EUR 7,834 thousand as of the end of the second quarter of 2009 (December 31, 2008: EUR 8,232 thousand). There were no liabilities to banks as of the end of the second quarter of 2009. Thus, USU's financing situation is still extremely solid. With total assets of EUR 52,672 thousand (December 31, 2008: EUR 54,153 thousand), the equity ratio was 85.1% as of June 30, 2009 (December 31, 2008: 84.8%).
Management Board reaffirms outlook and shareholder-friendly dividend policy - Following a successful business performance in the first half of 2009 and assuming that economic developments continue to stabilize, the Management Board is anticipating further improvements in sales and earnings in the traditionally stronger second half of the year. As forecast, the USU Group is expected to generate sales growth in excess of the average for its relevant market segments over the year as a whole, as USU products for cost transparency in IT and efficiency enhancements in core processes are still in demand in the economic and financial crisis. EBITDA should also rise significantly on the previous year. In addition to continuing strong domestic business, international partner business is increasingly a key factor in ongoing business success as well. USU gained several international sales partners who had their first product training sessions in the first half of 2009 to be able to post their first sales successes by the end of the current fiscal year. By 2010, the international share of consolidated sales, which will primarily consist of partner sales from license and maintenance business, will rise from currently around 7% to over 15%. The Company is therefore investing specifically in expanding its international business and the further development of Group products to generate sales growth above the relevant market segment and above-average earnings growth in the medium to long term. On this basis the Management Board is planning to continue the shareholder-friendly dividend policy of recent years to allow the shareholders of USU Software AG to participate in the business success of the Company as in previous years.
This press release is available at http://www.usu-software.de.
USU - The Knowledge Business Company The USU Software AG offers with its company network appliances, products and consulting all about Knowledge Business, aligned for the future. For example Valuemation. Our clients obtain a broad and complete overview over their IT processes, IT infrastructure and are able to display their IT costs transparently, to account and control actively. More than 500 clients administrate with this product group more than 30 million IT assets. For example KnowledgeMiner. As an integrated research and navigation system or portal solution, we activate the complete knowledge of a single organisation with this technology. Call and service centres solve more than ten thousand individual problems and requests day for day, using the technology. Departments like quality assurance, production or distribution fasten their core processes and improve their quality. The ability to form branch knowhow, competence of technology and user demands to an integrated software system, has been convincing clients for more than two decades in all fields of the international economy. The USU Software AG (ISIN DE000A0BVU28) is listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt stock exchange.
Contact: USU Software AG Investor Relations Falk Sorge Tel.: +49 (0) 71 41 / 48 67 351 Fax: +49 (0) 71 41 / 48 67 108 Email: 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 Email: t.gerick@usu-software.de
end of announcement euro adhoc --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further inquiry note:
Falk Sorge
Tel.: +49 (0)7141 4867 351
E-Mail: fsorge@usu.de
Branche: Software
ISIN: DE000A0BVU28
WKN: A0BVU2
Index: CDAX, Prime All Share, Technologie All Share
Börsen: Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard
Berlin / free trade
Hamburg / free trade
Düsseldorf / free trade
Hannover / free trade
München / free trade
Stuttgart / regulated dealing
Original content of: USU Software AG, transmitted by news aktuell