29.03.2017
USU Software AG DE000A0BVU28
DGAP-News: USU Software AG announces final figures for 2016 - dividend increases to EUR 0.40
DGAP-News: USU Software AG / Key word(s): Final Results
USU Software AG announces final figures for 2016 - dividend increases to EUR
0.40
29.03.2017 / 09:18
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Consolidated sales increase by 9.1% to EUR 72,101 thousand
- Adjusted EBIT up 9.4% to EUR 9,614 thousand
- Substantial increase in sales and earnings forecast for 2017
- Medium-term planning anticipates consolidated revenue of EUR 140 million
and adjusted EBIT of more than EUR 20 million by 2020
Möglingen, March 29, 2017.
The Management Board and the Supervisory Board of USU Software AG (ISIN
DE000A0BVU28) will propose an increase in the dividend for 2016 of around
15% to EUR 0.40 per share at the Annual General Meeting on July 4, 2017.
This substantial profit distribution reflects the successful development and
positive future prospects as well as the shareholder-friendly dividend
policy of USU Software AG and its subsidiaries (hereinafter referred to as
"USU" or the "USU Group") and serves to mark the Company's 40th anniversary
in 2017.
In the 2016 fiscal year, the USU Group again grew at a significantly faster
rate than the IT market as a whole. According to the audited figures for
2016, the Group achieved new records in terms of its sales and operating
result, thereby closing the year successfully. USU increased its IFRS
consolidated sales by 9.1% year-on-year to a total of EUR 72,101 thousand
(2015: EUR 66,091 thousand). The main growth driver in the period under
review was the high-margin SaaS and maintenance business. The Product
Business segment contributed a total of EUR 57,141 thousand to consolidated
sales, representing year-on-year organic sales growth of 8.8% (2015: EUR
52,508 thousand). At the same time, USU increased consulting-related sales
in the Service Business segment by 8.9% to EUR 14,787 thousand (2015: EUR
13,583 thousand).
In regional terms, the sales growth was due primarily to the extremely
strong domestic business. At the same time, revenue generated outside
Germany also increased by 1.5% to EUR 20,429 thousand in the 2016 fiscal
year (2015: EUR 20,122 thousand). This comparatively moderate rise was due
in particular to some major European customers preferring the usage-oriented
SaaS model over license purchases.
Thanks to its substantial sales growth accompanied by a moderate expansion
in the cost base, the USU Group increased its earnings before interest,
taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) by 9.2% year-on-year to EUR
10,782 thousand in the 2016 fiscal year (2015: EUR 9,878 thousand). After
depreciation and amortization expense totaling EUR 2,484 thousand (2015: EUR
2,288 thousand), USU generated earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of
EUR 8,299 thousand in the same period, an increase of 9.3% on the previous
year (2015: EUR 7,590 thousand).
Income tax expense amounted to EUR -1,526 thousand in 2016 after tax income
of EUR 501 thousand in the previous year. This was due to a positive
non-recurring tax effect in deferred taxes in 2015 resulting from the
conclusion of a profit transfer agreement in connection with the acquisition
of BIG Social Media GmbH. Accordingly, the USU Group's IFRS consolidated net
profit declined by 19.1% year-on-year to EUR 6,784 thousand (2015: EUR 8,382
thousand). At the same time, earnings per share amounted to EUR 0.64 (2015:
EUR 0.80).
USU's earnings before interest and taxes adjusted for extraordinary effects
due to acquisitions (adjusted EBIT) rose by 9.4% to EUR 9,614 thousand in
the 2016 fiscal year (2015: EUR 8,789 thousand). By contrast, adjusted
consolidated net profit declined to EUR 7,991 thousand as a result of the
aforementioned non-recurring tax effect (2015: EUR 8,789 thousand). Adjusted
earnings per share therefore amounted to EUR 0.76 in the year under review
(2015: EUR 0.84).
The USU Group's positive earnings performance led to an increase in
shareholders' equity to EUR 63,623 thousand as of the reporting date
(December 31, 2015: EUR 60,791 thousand). With total assets of EUR 91,905
thousand (December 31, 2015: EUR 89,186 thousand), the equity ratio amounted
to 69.2% as of December 31, 2016 (December 31, 2015: 68.2%). The USU Group's
liquidity increased slightly year-on-year to EUR 23,180 thousand as of
December 31, 2016 (December 31, 2015: EUR 23,109 thousand). The USU Group's
orders on hand increased by 8.9% year-on-year to EUR 39,534 thousand
(December 31, 2015: EUR 36,297 thousand). USU's positive business
development in 2016 was accompanied by a targeted increase in the workforce
of 9.2% to 544 employees at the end of the fiscal year (2015: 498).
In light of the current outlook, the Management Board expects the Company to
maintain its sales at above the overall market level in the current fiscal
year while continuing to improve its operating earnings. The guidance for
2017 anticipates consolidated sales in the range of EUR 83-88 million and
adjusted EBIT of EUR 10-11.5 million. This dynamic performance will be based
on the three established growth pillars of the USU Group: the development
and launch of innovative new products, inorganic growth through further
acquisitions, and the systematic expansion of the Group's
internationalization. Intensified marketing and sales activities are planned
in order to achieve even faster growth in the attractive foreign markets of
the US and Europe. The new medium-term forecast to 2020 involves sales
growth to EUR 140 million accompanied by the doubling of adjusted EBIT to
over EUR 20 million.
This press release is available at https://www.usu.de/en/
USU Software AG
The USU Group is the largest European provider of IT and knowledge
management software. Market leaders in all sectors of the international
economy use USU applications to create transparency, become more agile, save
costs, and reduce risks. USU Software AG (ISIN DE 000A0BVU28), listed in the
Prime Standard of the German stock exchange, incorporates USU AG -
established in 1977 - as well as Aspera GmbH, Aspera Technologies Inc., BIG
Social Media GmbH, LeuTek GmbH, OMEGA Software GmbH, and unitB technology
GmbH.
The IT Management division supports companies with extensive
ITIL(R)-compatible
solutions for strategic and operational IT & enterprise service management.
With USU solutions, customers gain an overall view of their IT processes and
IT infrastructure and are able to transparently plan, allocate, monitor and
actively manage IT services. USU is one of the world's leading providers in
the software license management sector.
With intelligent solutions and expertise in digital interaction, USU is a
prime mover in the digitization of business processes. Standard software and
consulting services help to automate service processes and actively provide
knowledge for all communication channels and customer contact points in
sales, marketing, and customer service. Our range in this field is rounded
off by system integration, individual applications and software for
industrial big data.
Further information: https://www.usu.de/en/
Contact
USU Software AG
Investor Relations
Falk Sorge
Tel.: +49 (0) 71 41 - 48 67 351
Fax: +49 (0) 71 41 - 48 67 108
E-Mail: [email protected]
USU Software AG
Corporate Communications
Dr. Thomas Gerick
Tel.: +49 (0) 71 41 - 48 67 440
Fax: +49 (0) 71 41 - 48 67 300
E-Mail: [email protected]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
29.03.2017 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.
The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements,
Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Archive at www.dgap.de
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Language: English
Company: USU Software AG
Spitalhof
71696 Möglingen
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)7141 4867-0
Fax: +49 (0)7141 4867-200
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.usu-software.de
ISIN: DE000A0BVU28
WKN: A0BVU2
Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated
Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich,
Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange
End of News DGAP News Service
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
559169 29.03.2017
|
Weitere Ad-hoc und Unternehmensrelevante Mitteilungen zu
USU Software AG ISIN: DE000A0BVU28 können Sie bei EQS abrufen
Software , A0BVU2 , OSP2 , XETR:OSP2