22.03.2017
DATAGROUP SE DE000A0JC8S7
DGAP-News: DATAGROUP SE: DATAGROUP pays higher dividend
DGAP-News: DATAGROUP SE / Key word(s): AGM/EGM/Dividend
DATAGROUP SE: DATAGROUP pays higher dividend
22.03.2017 / 14:06
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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DATAGROUP pays higher dividend
Dividend up 20% to 30 cents per share
Supervisory board members confirmed for another five years
Forecast of a strong increase in revenues and EBITDA
Management increases guidance for fiscal year 2016/2017
Pliezhausen, March 22, 2017. The Annual General Meeting of DATAGROUP SE (WKN
A0JC8S) today decided to raise the dividend from 25 to 30 cents per share.
This way, the shareholders benefit from the record earnings of the past
fiscal year 2015/2016. For the current fiscal year, the management expects
another strong increase in revenues and earnings, and raises its full-year
forecast.
Some 77% of the share capital were represented at today's Annual General
Meeting of DATAGROUP SE. All agenda items were approved unanimously or with
a large majority, including the distribution of a dividend of 30 cents per
share. Overall, the company will pay out EUR 2,271,737.70 to its
shareholders, equalling 38% of the net profit. The remaining amount of EUR
3,721,626.24 will be carried forward to new account. With revenues of EUR
175m and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation
(EBITDA) of EUR 19.1m in FY 2015/2016, DATAGROUP had significantly exceeded
the former all-time-highs and in each case reached the upper end of its
guidance.
Other important resolutions of the meeting have been an authorisation
granted to the management to apply for a switch from the open market segment
to the regulated market, and the election of the new supervisory board. Dr.
Carola Wittig, Heinz Hilgert and Dr. Helmut Mahler, the acting members, have
been confirmed for another five years.
"The fiscal year was highly successful for DATAGROUP", commented DATAGROUP
COO Dirk Peters. "We have generated strong double-digit growth and record
earnings and, at the same time, have laid key foundations for the future.
This includes in particular the takeover of 306 SAP and application
specialists from Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and the successful conversion to
a European Company. The German market for IT services is changing very
dynamically. We are actively and powerfully involved in this change as part
of our long-term growth strategy DATAGROUP 2020."
The very positive development is continued in FY 2016/2017 (01.10.2016 -
30.09.2017), as the executive board members highlighted in their outlook.
DATAGROUP has seen particularly strong growth in the strategic core business
with high-margin Cloud and outsourcing services. The integration of the IT
specialists taken over from HPE works smoothly as well. This makes DATAGROUP
even more profitable. In the first five months of FY 2016/2017, revenues
grew significantly by 31% to EUR 88.7m (previous year EUR 67.7m). EBITDA
climbed by 68% to EUR 8.9m (previous year EUR 5.3m), earnings per share
(EPS) skyrocketed by 122% to 40 cents (previous year 18 cents).
"The successful HPE deal underlines how we can take the company's revenue,
earnings and know-how to the next level with the help of targeted company
acquisitions", commented DATAGROUP CEO Max H.-H. Schaber. "Acquisitions are
an integral part of our growth strategy, and we are permanently in
discussion with potential takeover candidates. However, to be able to
respond quickly to great acquisition opportunities in the future as well we
need to improve the equity ratio. This can be gradually achieved through a
strong development of operating earnings. To accelerate this process, we are
also considering to implement a capital increase of up to 10% of the share
capital." The HPE transaction and the issuance of a promissory note loan
with a volume of EUR 30m in the previous year had led to a considerable
extension of the balance sheet, as a result of which the equity ratio sank
to below 20%.
Based on the very good business development the management has increased its
full-year guidance with revenues of between EUR 210m and EUR 220m (so far:
over EUR 200m) and EBITDA of between EUR 21.5m and EUR 22.5m (so far: over
EUR 20m) being expected for FY 2016/2017.
Contact:
DATAGROUP SE
Dr. Michael Klein
Investor Relations
Wilhelm-Schickard-Str. 7
D-72124 Pliezhausen
T +49-7127-970-059
F +49-7127-970-033
[email protected]
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22.03.2017 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a
service of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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Language: English
Company: DATAGROUP SE
Wilhelm-Schickard-Str. 7
72124 Pliezhausen
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)7127 970 000
Fax: +49 (0)7127 970 033
Internet: www.datagroup.de
ISIN: DE000A0JC8S7
WKN: A0JC8S
Listed: Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Munich,
Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange; Open Market (Scale) in
Frankfurt
End of News DGAP News Service
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556961 22.03.2017
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