DGAP-News: NORMA Group SE / Key word(s): Change in Forecast NORMA Group SE increases its sales forecast for financial year 2018 07.05.2018 / 13:31 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- NORMA Group SE increases its sales forecast for financial year 2018 Maintal, Germany, May 7, 2018 - NORMA Group SE, a global market leader in engineered joining technology, increases its full year sales forecast for the financial year 2018, on the basis of group sales from January until April 2018 as well as the expected group sales until year end. The management board of NORMA Group SE now expects organic sales growth, excluding currency and acquisition-related effects, of around 5% to 8% in 2018 compared to 2017 (previous forecast: 'solid organic growth of around 3% to 5%'). For the regions Americas, Asia-Pacific and EMEA the following organic growth is now expected: In the Americas region the management board now expects a strong organic growth (previous forecast: 'solid organic growth'). The market for commercial and agricultural machinery develops stronger than expected. In the area of water management, among others, catch-up effects, which are higher than previously assumed, provide for increased demand. In the Asia-Pacific region, demand for advanced engineered joining technology is driven more strongly than originally forecast by the increased emission requirements of OEM customers, particularly in China and India. In this respect, the management board expects a higher than originally assumed organic growth in the double-digit range. In the EMEA region, the management expects an unchanged solid organic growth. For the two distribution channels of NORMA Group the following growth is now expected: DS: solid growth (unchanged forecast) EJT: strong growth (previous forecast: 'solid growth'). The remaining components of the forecast made in the 2017 Annual Report for the full year 2018 (including the adjusted EBITA margin) remain unchanged. On the basis of preliminary, unaudited figures, NORMA Group generated revenues of EUR 272.6 million in the first quarter of 2018. This represents an increase of 6.9% compared to the same quarter of the previous year (Q1 2017: EUR 254.9 million). This includes organic growth of 13.6% and an acquisitive growth of 1.0%. Currency effects had a negative impact of 7.6%. In addition, NORMA Group achieved an adjusted EBITA of EUR 45.7 million in the past quarter (Q1 2017: EUR 45.0 million). This resulted in an adjusted EBITA margin of 16.8% (Q1 2017: 17.7%). The development is due in large part to the high prices of critical raw materials. This applies especially to alloy surcharges and price increases for engineering plastics. Net operating cash flow in the first quarter was EUR -13.8 million (Q1 2017: EUR 4.5 million). This was mainly due to disproportionately changes in working capital as of the reporting date compared with the increase in adjusted EBITDA and the year on year increase in expenditures for investments from operating activities. Adjusted EBITA is defined as EBITA adjusted for material expenses in connection with the valuation of inventories carried out within the purchase price allocation of the recent acquisitions. In addition, expenses for acquisitions as well as depreciation of tangible assets from purchase price allocations were adjusted. The net operating cash flow is calculated on the basis of the adjusted EBITDA plus changes in working capital minus capital expenditures. Additional information is available in the Investor Relations section on www.investors.normagroup.com. Press photos are available from our platform at www.normagroup.com/images. Contact Alexandra Lipkowski Group Communications Tel.: +49 (0)6181 - 6102 747 E-Mail: [email protected] Andreas Trösch Investor Relations Tel: +49 (0)6181 - 6102 741 E-Mail: [email protected] About NORMA Group NORMA Group is an international market and technology leader in engineered joining technology (joining, connecting and fluid handling technology). The company manufactures a wide range of innovative connecting solutions and water management technology offering more than 40,000 products to customers in 100 countries with around 7,700 employees. NORMA Group helps its customers and business partners react to global challenges such as climate change and increasing scarcity of resources. NORMA Group joining products can be found in vehicles and trains, ships and aircraft, buildings and water management as well as in applications for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. In 2017 the company generated sales of around EUR 1.02 billion. NORMA Group operates a global network of 27 production facilities as well as numerous sales and distribution sites across Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. NORMA Group has its headquarters in Maintal, Germany. NORMA Group SE is listed on the German stock exchange (Prime Standard) and included in the MDAX index. Disclaimer This press release contains certain future-oriented statements. Future-oriented statements include all statements which do not relate to historical facts and events and contain future-oriented expressions such as "believe," "estimate," "assume," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "could," or "should" or expressions of a similar kind. Such future-oriented statements are subject to risks and uncertainties since they relate to future events and are based on the company's current assumptions, which may not in the future take place or be fulfilled as expected. The company points out that such future-oriented statements provide no guarantee for the future and that the actual events including the financial position and profitability of NORMA Group SE and developments in the economic and regulatory fundamentals may vary substantially (particularly on the down side) from those explicitly or implicitly assumed in these statements. Even if the actual assets for NORMA Group SE, including its financial position and profitability and the economic and regulatory fundamentals, are in accordance with such future-oriented statements in this press release, no guarantee can be given that this will continue to be the case in the future. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 07.05.2018 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: NORMA Group SE Edisonstr. 4 63477 Maintal Germany Phone: +49 6181 6102 741 Fax: +49 6181 6102 7641 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.normagroup.com ISIN: DE000A1H8BV3 WKN: A1H8BV Indices: MDAX Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange End of News DGAP News Service --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 683055 07.05.2018