15.05.2018
ecotel communication ag DE0005854343
DGAP-News: ecotel communication ag: ecotel presents Q1 figures: Continued growth in B2B segment
DGAP-News: ecotel communication ag / Key word(s): Quarterly / Interim
Statement
ecotel communication ag: ecotel presents Q1 figures: Continued growth in B2B
segment
15.05.2018 / 08:00
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
* B2B transactions increase in Q1 2018 to EUR 11.9 million (previous year
EUR11.6 million)
* Further growth in key account projects
* Gross profit increases by EUR 0.3 million to EUR 7.6 million
* EBITDA remains constant at EUR 1.8 million
* Free Cash Flow increases to EUR 0.4 million (previous year: EUR -0.7
million)
Düsseldorf, 15 May 2018
The year 2018 started off successfully for ecotel. For example, the
important core segment »ecotel Business Customers« increased its revenue by
EUR 0.3 million in comparison with the previous year to EUR 11.9 million,
continuing the profitable growth course of the past four years. This
development confirms that ecotel is well positioned with the new product
portfolio for business customers, and has successfully started
implementation of the technological transformation from ISDN to All-IP based
voice services.
The »easybell« and »nacamar« segments likewise increased their revenue from
EUR 0.1 million to EUR 4.0 million and EUR 0.5 million, respectively. The
change in strategy and the transformations implemented in these segments in
recent years are evident in this positive development. The low-margin
»ecotel Wholesale« segment achieved revenue of EUR 3.2 million (previous
year: EUR 11.0 million). This decrease of EUR 7.8 million in comparison with
the first quarter 2017 caused a decrease in consolidated revenue of EUR 7.3
million to EUR 19.6 million.
Consolidated gross profit on the other hand increased to EUR 7.6 million
(previous year: EUR 7.3 million). While gross profit in the »ecotel
Wholesale«, »easybell« and »nacamar« segments improved by a total of EUR 0.1
million, gross profit in the core segment »ecotel Business Customers«
increased to EUR 5.8 million (previous year: EUR 5.6 million). The gross
profit margin in this segment increased slightly to 48.7 % (previous year:
48.3 %). These results are the first positive effects from the growing share
of the new high-margin IP voice products from in-house developments.
Consolidated EBITDA remained unchanged at EUR 1.8 million (previous year:
EUR 1.8 million). The reinforcement of human resources made necessary in
2017 resulted in an increase in personnel expenses of EUR 0.2 million in
comparison to the first quarter 2017. Other operating expenses and income
increased by a total of EUR 0.1 million. The expected increase in
depreciations totalling EUR 1.3 million (previous year: EUR 1.1 million)
results in EBIT of EUR 0.5 million (previous year: EUR 0.7 million). After
deduction of taxes on income and earnings as well as shares of other
shareholders, ecotel achieved a consolidated surplus of EUR 0.1 million
(previous year: EUR 0.3 million) in the first three months of 2018, which
corresponds to earnings per share of EUR 0.04 (previous year: EUR 0.07).
With a nearly unchanged balance sheet total of EUR 41.6 million and equity
of EUR 22.3 million, ecotel is well equipped to continue its sustainable
growth strategy - with an equity ratio of 53.7 % (previous year: 48.8 %),
net financial assets of EUR 0.6 million (previous year: EUR 2.7 million) and
free cash flow of EUR 0.4 million (previous year: EUR -0.7 million).
ecotel will continue to make target-oriented and success-related investments
in high-performance customer equipment, which will temporarily burden the
free cash flow. With the new product portfolio ecotel now has everything
needed by business customers to complete the successful and efficient
development from ISDN to All-IP and eventually to a Gigabit society. The
individual customer solutions will be implemented with DSL and optical fibre
transmission technology of different upstream suppliers (multi-carrier
strategy), combined with voice services from in-house developments, and
managed by ecotel.
Meanwhile, more than 20 % of ecotel voice minutes are IP based, the majority
transmitted via the company's own local exchange network. This share
continues to increase. On the other hand, the share of voice minutes with
ISDN preliminary products from Telekom - meanwhile below 25 % - continues to
decrease as planned. The higher value creation from »in-house production«
simultaneously increases ecotel's competitiveness, which has also made it
possible to convince major customers to switch to IP-based voice services.
For example, ecotel recently acquired a major contract for networking of
regional branch offices with the head office via an MPLS VPN, including
IP-based voice services. Additionally, the realization of already acquired
major customer projects is proceeding as scheduled.
The Management Board is convinced that ecotel remains on the right path and
reconfirms the forecast for 2018. According tothis the Management Board is
predicting consolidated revenue ranging between EUR 90 and 120 million and
EBITDA in the realm of EUR 7.0 to 8.0 million with a slightly increased
gross profit margin, resulting in enhanced gross profits in the core segment
Business Solutions.
About ecotel communication ag:
The ecotel Group (hereinafter »ecotel«) is a group of companies operating
throughout Germany since 1998 that specialises in the marketing of
information and telecommunications solutions for different target groups.
The parent company is ecotel communication ag with headquarters in
Düsseldorf (hereinafter »ecotel ag«).
Currently ecotel provides more than 50,000 customers nationwide with about
10,000 data connections and more than 80,000 voice connections.
The company's core segment is represented by »ecotel Business Solutions«. In
this segment ecotel offers business customers nationwide an integrated
product portfolio consisting of voice and data services (IT/telecom
solutions). The focus is on enterprises with more than 50 employees.
The »ecotel Wholesale« segment comprises the services for other
telecommunications companies, including network interconnections with more
than 100 international carriers.
The »easybell« segment includes all transactions of the easybell group,
which consists of four companies. The easybell segment markets broadband
Internet access and VoIP telephony for private customers, as well as SIP
trunking services for smaller enterprises.
In the »nacamar« segment nacamar GmbH offers streaming services for media
enterprises on the basis of its own Content Delivery Network (CDN). With
AddRadio, nacamar is the market leader in Germany.
The corporate group, with its main office in Düsseldorf, has about 270
employees, including subsidiaries and holdings.
Note:
This publication is not an offer for the sale nor an invitation for the
purchase or subscription of securities. This publication is not a securities
brochure. This publication and the information contained therein are not
intended for direct or indirect dissemination to or within the United States
of America, Canada, Australia or Japan.
PR office:
Business and Financial Media
Annette Drescher (Assistant to the Managing Director)
Phone: 0211-55 007-740
Fax: 0211-55 007 5 740
E-mail: [email protected]
Business media:
Bernadette Loosen-Flanz (PR)
Phone: 0211-55 007-316
Fax: 0211-55 007 5 316
E-mail: [email protected]
For further information please visit us on the web at www.ecotel.de
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
15.05.2018 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: ecotel communication ag
Prinzenallee 11
40549 Düsseldorf
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)211 55 00 70
Fax: +49 (0)211 55 00 7 222
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: http://www.ecotel.de
ISIN: DE0005854343
WKN: 585434
Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated
Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Munich,
Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange
End of News DGAP News Service
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
685565 15.05.2018
|
Weitere Ad-hoc und Unternehmensrelevante Mitteilungen zu
ecotel communication ag ISIN: DE0005854343 können Sie bei EQS abrufen
Telekom , 585434 , E4C , XETR:E4C