EANS-News: Basler AG
Business figures for 2011:
Best results in the company's history
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corporate news transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer/originator is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- annual report Ahrensburg (euro adhoc) - - Increase in sales by 8 % to EUR 55.1 million (previous year: EUR 51.0 million) - Earnings before taxes amounting to EUR 5.6 million (previous year: EUR 5.0 million) - Increase of cash flow from operational activity to EUR 13.7 million (previous year: EUR 11.8 million) - Preliminary sales expectations for 2012 between EUR 50 million and EUR 54 million and a pre-tax return of 6 - 8% BASLER AG, one of the leading global companies in vision technology, is presenting today its audited annual report for 2011. The group's turnover increased in fiscal year 2011 by 8 % to EUR 55.1 million (previous year: EUR 51.0 million). The gross profit margin increased to 44.3 % after 43.5 % in the previous year. The earnings before taxes increased to EUR 5.6 million (previous year: EUR 5.0 million). The pre-tax return amounted to 10.2 % (previous year: 9.8 %). With these results the company's forecast communicated to the capital market has been achieved. The cash flow from operational activity amounted to EUR 13.7 million (previous year: EUR 11.8 million +16%). The free cash flow calculated as the sum of cash flows from operational activity and investment reached a value of EUR 6.9 million (previous year: EUR 5.7 million, +21%). The positive development of the cash flow is due to decreased average delivery times and shorter collection periods for receivables as a result of an intense working capital management. In 2011 Basler AG achieved the best result in the company's history. "Our new strategy alignment agreed upon 3 years ago with focus on the camera business continues to prove successful", said Dr. Dietmar Ley, Chairman of the Management Board. Against this background, Basler AG will propose to this year's general meeting the distribution of a dividend of 30 cent per share. Due to the currently existing cyclical risks the Management Board opted for a cautious forecast. Accordingly, the Basler group expects in fiscal year 2012 approximately stable to slight declining sales revenues within a corridor between EUR 50.0 million and EUR 54.0 million. Here, sales in the core business with digital cameras (Components business segment) continue to increase compared to the previous year, whereas sales revenues of the Solutions business segment fall below the level reached in 2011 due to the current weak demand from the LCD industry. Because of the sustainably attractive growth opportunities in the camera business, investments in the Components business segment will continue with unabated intensity. Depending on the sales trend the company expects on the earnings side a solid pre-tax return between 6 % and 8 %. "In parallel to the expected improvement of the economic situation in the course of the year, we assume sales and pre-tax results in the second half-year to be above the figures of the first six months and then to show again the level of return reached in 2011", said the Chairman of the Management Board, Dr. Dietmar Ley, commenting on the forecast. Basler AG is developer and manufacturer of high-quality cameras for applications in industrial mass production, medical and traffic technology, as well as video surveillance. Basler has more than 20 years of experience in image processing and offers one of the widest product portfolios in the industry. The company employs approximately 300 employees in its headquarters in Ahrensburg, Germany, and in the subsidiaries in the USA, Singapore, Taiwan, and, Korea. The annual report can be downloaded from www.baslerweb.com/finanzberichte. Further inquiry note: Verena Fehling Investor Relations Telefon: +49(0)4102 463-101 E-Mail: ir@baslerweb.com end of announcement euro adhoc -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- company: Basler AG An der Strusbek 60-62 D-22926 Ahrensburg phone: +49 (0) 4102 463 0 FAX: +49 (0) 4102 463 108 mail: info@baslerweb.com WWW: http://www.baslerweb.com sector: Semiconductors & active components ISIN: DE0005102008 indexes: CDAX stockmarkets: free trade: Berlin, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt language: English
Original content of: Basler AG, transmitted by news aktuell