DGAP-News: DATAGROUP AG / Key word(s): Quarter Results DATAGROUP AG: DATAGROUP with strong revenue growth and top ranking in customer satisfaction 29.02.2016 / 17:40 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- DATAGROUP with strong revenue growth and top ranking in customer satisfaction Figures for Q1 2015/2016 (01.10.-31.12.2015) Revenues up 7% to EUR 41.6m Continued intensified focus on services Comparative study sees DATAGROUP among Top 3 in customer satisfaction in Germany Pliezhausen, February 29, 2016. DATAGROUP AG (WKN A0JC8S) today publishes Q1 figures for FY 2015/2016 (01.10.-31.12.2015). Revenues surged. Service business has been heavily expanded; the share of services in revenue has grown again. DATAGROUP ranks among the top group of IT outsourcers in customer satisfaction in Germany as an independent comparative study confirms. In Q1 2015/2016, DATAGROUP has increased its revenues significantly to EUR 41.6m (previous year EUR 38.9m, +7%). Particularly in its core business of IT services, the company's result improved disproportionately. Revenues here climbed by 15% to EUR 32.6m (previous year EUR 28.4m). The share of services in revenue amounted to 79% (previous year 73%). The gross profit margin was up from 62.5% in the previous year to 66.1% in the current fiscal year. The equity ratio has improved further during Q1 from 23.3% to 24.2%, net debt has been reduced according to plan from EUR 28.2m to EUR 27.2m. 'In fiscal 2015/2016, we will again place the company on a higher growth path than in the previous years', comments Max H.-H. Schaber, CEO of DATAGROUP AG. 'We are focusing on the core business of high-margin services which has helped us to significantly increase the gross profit margin in Q1. At the same time, we are pushing ahead with several projects of the strategic corporate development, for instance the integration of DATAGROUP Vega. We are also very active in terms of mergers and acquisitions. This will temporarily lead to higher expenses, for external consulting services, among others, in the first quarters of the current fiscal year.' Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were slightly lower in Q1, totalling EUR 2.5m in Q1 (previous year EUR 3.1m, -20%). The EBITDA margin reached 5.9% (previous year 7.9%). Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of TEUR 907 were also lower yoy (previous year TEUR 1,650, -45%). Earnings per share stood at 5 cents (previous year 10 cents). 'The previous year's quarter was driven by high six-digit earnings caused by the one-off release of provisions, which will not materialise to this extent in the current year', says DATAGROUP CEO Max H.-H. Schaber. 'Additionally, we made major one-off investments in the long-term corporate development in Q1 2015/2016. We were able to confirm the very good previous year's operating result in the first quarter which traditionally is rather weak. Therefore, we are very satisfied overall with the quarterly results and remain fully on track on an annualised basis.' The guidance for the fiscal year will traditionally be announced by the management board at the Annual General Meeting on March 17, 2016. DATAGROUP is among the Top 3 in customer satisfaction in Germany DATAGROUP had a very good start to the new fiscal year in terms of sales and has gained several large Mittelstand companies as new customers for long-term Cloud and outsourcing contracts. High customer satisfaction is a key selling point for the IT service provider. DATAGROUP ranks third here among the 22 leading IT outsourcers which positions the company in the top group in Germany. These are the findings of the recently published 'IT Outsourcing Study Germany / Austria 2015' conducted by well-known market researcher Whitelane Research. A total of 22 leading international and Mittelstand IT service providers were rated by their customers for this independent comparative study. DATAGROUP has been considered in the ranking for the first time and achieved third place straightaway. With a general customer satisfaction of 80% the IT service provider is well above the average of 70% and far ahead of major players in the sector such as IBM, Infosys and Atos. In important detail categories, e.g. quality in service delivery, flexibility and account management, DATAGROUP also achieved a customer satisfaction that well exceeds the average. 'We are very proud of this excellent result', says Dirk Peters, COO of DATAGROUP AG. 'It proves that we are close to our customers and provide the right answers to their questions. High customer satisfaction is a prerequisite for our success and therefore is an integral part of our vision and future strategy DATAGROUP 2020. The study confirms that we are on the right path regarding the implementation of our vision.' Further information on the study: www.whitelane.com. Detailed key figures for Q1 2015/2016 are available for download: www.datagroup.de > Investor Relations > Financial Information. About DATAGROUP: DATAGROUP is a leading German IT service company. Over 1,400 employees at 16 locations across Germany design, implement, and operate IT infrastructure and business applications such as SAP. With its product CORBOX, DATAGROUP is a full-service provider, serving over 330,000 global IT workstations for medium and large enterprises as well as for public-sector clients. In other words: 'We manage IT'. The company is growing organically and through acquisitions. The acquisition strategy is particularly noted for its optimal integration of the new companies. DATAGROUP is actively participating in the IT service market's consolidation process with its 'buy and turn around' and its 'buy and build' strategy. Contact: DATAGROUP AG Dr. Michael Klein Investor Relations Wilhelm-Schickard-Str. 7 D-72124 Pliezhausen T +49-7127-970-059 F +49-7127-970-033 [email protected] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29.02.2016 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. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: DATAGROUP AG 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; Open Market (Entry Standard) in Frankfurt End of News DGAP News Service --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 440815 29.02.2016