DGAP-News: Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft: Positive business performance in 2019 meets expectations

P R E S S R E L E A S E No. 20/2019

Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft publishes Q3/2019 Interim Report
Positive business performance in 2019 meets expectations

• At EUR 120.6 million, consolidated revenues up some 2.5% on the previous year
• Consolidated operating result (EBIT) sees a slight increase to EUR 6.1 million
• Earnings forecasts for the 2019 financial year confirmed

Haselünne, 24 October 2019 - Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft, which is listed on the regulated market (General Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN: DE0005201602) today presented its interim report for the third quarter of 2019. Over the first nine months of this year, the corporate group saw growth in consolidated revenues of 2.5 percent to EUR 120.6 million (Q3 2018: EUR 117.6 million). Consolidated earnings before interest and taxes (consolidated EBIT) improved slightly to EUR 6.1 million (Q3 2018: EUR 6.0 million). Consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (consolidated EBITDA) stood at EUR 12.3 million (Q3 2018: EUR 11.6 million), likewise a rise on the equivalent period last year.

"With the relative growth rates achieved, we are also within the ranges we forecast for the 2019 financial year as a whole with regard to our three key performance indicators," explains Oliver Schwegmann, one of Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft's Executive Board members, and continues: "We are pleased that our dynamic revenue growth has now picked up speed in the third quarter. All in all, the figures presented today demonstrate that we are in a fundamentally sound position as a company, even in economically more challenging times."

He went on to say that the operating performance is how it should be, which becomes apparent from the higher revenues, in particular the once again greater increase in gross profit of EUR 2.8 million. "We have already communicated on several occasions that we are going to invest increasingly in marketing initiatives and operational excellence in order to grow our revenue and gross profit. On account of this investment, our consolidated EBIT is generally at the previous-year level despite a significant rise in gross profit, as anticipated," says Schwegmann.

He noted that over the course of the year so far, both the Spirits and the Non-alcoholic Beverages segments had seen positive developments in terms of revenues. In the Non-alcoholic Beverages segment, revenue growth was driven exclusively by the corporate group's own brands. "In turn, the products marketed under our Mio Mio brand made up the lion's share of this figure; we succeeded once again in increasing their sales volume by 36 percent with even faster revenue growth on the previous year. We are particular proud of Mio Mio's ongoing success story," says Schwegmann with a certain emphasis.

An increase in revenues had now likewise been achieved in the Spirits segment, after a slight drop had still been reported at the end of the first half of the year. Specifically, the rise in the volume of both sales and revenues in the area of branded dealer and private-label products was the factor underlying this development. "Most of all, it is our premium concepts that are making a good contribution in this respect. This means that we are now harvesting the first fruits of our strategy of increasingly focusing on products that provide a significant boost to our value added", says Schwegmann.

The Fresh Juice Systems segment had also reported revenue growth arising primarily from a significant increase in sales of oranges and bottles. Once again with revenue growth of six percent the positive development of this segment in the first months of the year had continued and consolidated.

Outlook for future development

Schwegmann continued that the earnings forecast for the 2019 financial year was being confirmed once again in light of the development of the performance indicators published today, according to which the corporate group expects consolidated revenues of between EUR 164.7 million and EUR 173.4 million, a consolidated operating result (consolidated EBIT) of between EUR 9.0 million and EUR 10.0 million and a consolidated operating profit before amortisation and depreciation (consolidated EBITDA) of between EUR 17.0 million and EUR 18.8 million. In this context, Schwegmann emphasised that the competitive end-of-year business is always of particular importance for reaching the annual targets.

About the Berentzen Group:
The Berentzen Group is a broad-based beverage company operating in the following three segments: Spirits, Non-alcoholic Beverages, and Fresh Juice Systems. The Berentzen Group is one of the oldest producers of spirits in Germany with a corporate history going back over 250 years. Today, it has a presence in more than 60 countries around the world with well-known brands like Berentzen and Puschkin and attractively priced private label products. In its Non-alcoholic Beverages segment, the corporate group produces mineral waters, carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks under its own brands and also boasts more than 50 years of experience in the franchise business for soft drinks, currently acting as franchisee for the Sinalco brand. In addition, the Berentzen Group markets innovative fresh juice systems under the Citrocasa brand in its third segment, thus serving the fast-growing market for modern, health-oriented drinks. The Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft share (ISIN DE0005201602) is listed on the regulated market (General Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Further information is available at
www.berentzen-gruppe.de/en/
www.berentzen.de

Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft
Thorsten Schmitt
Corporate Communications
Tel. +49 (0) 5961 502 215
[email protected]