euro adhoc: Basler AG
quarterly or semiannual financial statement
Basler:
Strong Components Business, Weaker Start for Systems Business
Disclosure announcement transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer is responsible for the content of this announcement.
3-month report
09.05.2007
Basler: Strong Components Business, Weaker Start for Systems Business
. First quarter 2007 turnover up by 14% over first quarter 2006 . Record incoming orders for components . Low level of incoming orders for systems . Gross margin burdened by one-off effects . Steady high investment in research and development, distribution and marketing . Net result: Euro -0.1 mill. . Slight adjustment downwards in forecast for the whole year
Ahrensburg, 9 May 2007 - Basler AG, one of the global leaders in Vision Technology - the technology of artificial vision - prolonged its turnover growth curve in the first quarter 2007 with turnover 14% up on results for the same quarter last year. Yet with the gross margin burdened by various one-off effects and investment continuing unabated in building the sales organization and developing new products, first quarter results were slightly off-key. Pre- tax earnings came to Euro -0.2 mill. (Q1/2006: Euro 0.8 mill.)
Key Figures at a Glance:
|in million euro |Q1/ |Q1/ |+/- % | | |2007 |2006 | | |Turnover |11.5 |10.1 |+14 | |Incoming orders |11.3 |12.3 |-8 | |Gross results |5.4 |5.2 |+4 | |Gross margin (in %) |47 |51 |-4 percentage | | | | |points | |Net results |-0.1 |0.4 |-125 | |Earnings per share (in |-0.04 |0.11 | | |Euro) | | | |
In the first quarter the Vision Components division continued to benefit from very lively demand for digital high performance cameras. The recently launched scout and pioneer product lines are exciting keen market interest and have already significantly boosted incoming orders. In the first quarter in 2007 turnover in components rose by 19% to Euro 6.3 mill. (Q1/2006: Euro 5.3 mill.) whilst incoming orders set a new record rocketing by 32% over last year's performance to Euro 7.5 mill. (Q1/2006: Euro 5.7 mill.). As we have made major investments in Vision Components for extending the production machine park and production processes to be ready to meet expected future growth in turnover, the first quarter gross margin reflects the impact of various one-off effects caused by readjustment. Vision Component segment earnings before interest, taxes and income from investments came to Euro 0.8 mill. (Q1/2006: 1.5 mill.
Euro).
|in million euro |Q1/ |Q1/ |+/- % | | |2007 |2006 | | |Turnover |6.3 |5.3 |+19 | |Incoming orders |7.5 |5.7 |+32 | |EBIT |0.8 |1.5 |-47 |
The Vision Systems business segment (inspection systems for industrial mass production) had first quarter turnover of Euro 5.2 mill., representing an 11% increase over last year's performance (Q1/2006: Euro 4.7 mill.).
At the same time there was no change in the sluggish demand for inspection systems for optical storage media. We are expecting that the launch of mass production of the new Blu-ray-Disk storage media in the course of the year will do much to revitalize demand in this segment.
On the other hand business with inspection systems for the rubber and elastomer industries has been extremely positive with exceptionally strong demand for the new premium product vario2 launched last year.
Our new inspection systems for the solar industry excited great interest in the first quarter 2007. By now we rank as one of the leading vendors for the testing of our automated inspection systems for the production of wafers and thin-foil solar cells.
In the first quarter of 2007 incoming orders for Vision Systems fell far short of our expectations. Total incoming orders reached a mere Euro 3.8 mill., representing a drop of 42% vis-à-vis the same quarter last year (Q1/2006: Euro 6.6 mill.). As in the same quarter 2006, results before taxes and interest moved in negative territory amounting to Euro -0.7 mill. (Q1/2006:Euro -0.5 mill.).
Key Figures for the Vision Systems Segment at a Glance:
|in million euro |Q1/ |Q1/ |+/- % | | |2007 |2006 | | |Turnover |5.2 |4.7 |+11 | |Incoming orders |3.8 |6.6 |-42 | |EBIT |-0.7 |-0.5 |-40 |
In the light of the weak performance of incoming orders for Vision Systems, we are not expecting a significant improvement in turnover and earnings for the second quarter. This should appear in the second half-year driven by a revitalized investment climate for our systems solutions - in particular in the flat screen industry. At the same time we are also expecting the first major turnover from our recently launched inspection systems for the solar industry in the second half-year. On the other hand during the course of the year our Vision Components high growth segment will continue to benefit from lively demand for digital high performance cameras in general and for our newly launched product lines in particular.
In the light of our cautious estimate that the dampening effects of Vision Systems business might possibly exceed the uplift given by Vision Components, we are scaling back the forecast for the whole of 2007 we gave in March. From our present perspective we now expect a turnover of between Euro 51 - 57 mill. (2006: Euro 52.1 mill.) with pre-tax profit of between Euro 2.0 - 5.0 mill. (2006: Euro 4.9).
The full Quarterly Report is available for download and as an online version at www.baslerweb.com. Basler AG, Peter Krumhoff (CFO), An der Strusbek 60-62, 22926 Ahrensburg, Germany. Tel. +49(0)4102-463100, ir@baslerweb.com, www.baslerweb.com, ISIN DE 0005102008
end of announcement euro adhoc 09.05.2007 06:41:11
Further inquiry note:
Verena Fehling
Assistant to the Board
Telefon: +49(0)4102 463-100
E-Mail: Verena.Fehling@baslerweb.com
Branche: Semiconductors & active components
ISIN: DE0005102008
WKN: 510200
Index: CDAX
Börsen: Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse / regulated dealing/prime
standard
Börse Berlin-Bremen / free trade
Hamburger Wertpapierbörse / free trade
Baden-Württembergische Wertpapierbörse / free trade
Börse Düsseldorf / free trade
Bayerische Börse / free trade
Original content of: Basler AG, transmitted by news aktuell