Menu
Microsoft strongly encourages users to switch to a different browser than Internet Explorer as it no longer meets modern web and security standards. Therefore we cannot guarantee that our site fully works in Internet Explorer. You can use Chrome or Firefox instead.

DGAP-News: VARTA AG: VARTA AG further accelerates high growth momentum in the first nine months of 2019 - guidance for FY 2019 raised once again


DGAP-News: VARTA AG / Key word(s): Quarterly / Interim Statement
VARTA AG: VARTA AG further accelerates high growth momentum in the first nine months of 2019 - guidance for FY 2019 raised once again

29.10.2019 / 06:58
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.


Corporate News

Ellwangen, October 29, 2019

VARTA AG further accelerates high growth momentum in the first nine months of 2019 - guidance for FY 2019 raised once again

 

  • Highly dynamic growth in Group revenue in the first nine months - up 22.0% to EUR 242.8m
  • Disproportionately high increase of 66.5% to EUR 63.0m again recorded for Adjusted EBITDA
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin improves very sharply by 6.9 percentage points to 25.9%
  • Microbatteries segment records exceptionally strong first nine months
  • Power & Energy continues to trend in line with expectations
  • Revenue and Adj. EBITDA guidance for FY19 raised again:
    • Revenue expected to be between EUR 330m-340m (previously: EUR 320m-330m);
    • Adjusted EBITDA set to be between EUR 84m-88m (previously: EUR 72m-76m);
  • CAPEX of EUR 95m-110m expected due to additional capacity expansion (previously: EUR 75m-90m)
     
 

VARTA AG is today announcing its financial figures for the first nine months of 2019. Thanks to a very strong third quarter, the Group has further accelerated its high growth momentum and has again improved its profitability very significantly. Highly dynamic growth of 22.0% to EUR 242.8m was again registered for Group revenue. Adjusted EBITDA again recorded a significantly above-average increase of 66.5% to EUR 63.0m. The Adjusted EBITDA margin improved very sharply by 6.9 percentage points to 25.9%. Group net profit increased by 66.1% to EUR 33.0m.

Herbert Schein, CEO of VARTA AG: "In the first nine months of 2019, we again increased revenue and profits significantly. This success is above all due to our lithium-ion technology - as a leader in innovation and technology, we are benefitting from the strong growth seen in the market segment for premium headsets. To this end, we are investing massively in the expansion of our production capacities and will, as a result, further accelerate growth."

Steffen Munz, CFO, added: "We have again accelerated high growth momentum due to a very strong third quarter and achieved further step-change improvement in profitability. On the back of these impressive first nine months during which we have had an enormous and steadily growing order volume, we have taken the decision to again revise upwards our sales and profit forecast for financial year 2019."


"Microbatteries" segment records exceptionally strong first nine months - "Power & Energy" segment continues to trend in line with expectations

The "Microbatteries" segment continued the exceptionally strong revenue and profit growth seen over the current fiscal year. There was highly dynamic growth in revenue, rising by 25.5% to EUR 201.5m. In

the third quarter of the year, revenue increased by 38.5% year on year. By far the strongest revenue growth is again being recorded for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for high-tech consumer products, particularly premium true wireless headsets. This is a consequence of continued high customer demand in a market that is growing by more than 30% annually. As leaders in technology and innovation, VARTA AG has carved out unique competitive advantages and is therefore growing significantly faster than the market as a whole. In terms of hearing aid batteries, VARTA's market-leading position in the structurally growing hearing aid market was further expanded. The Group is currently benefiting from the trend towards rechargeable hearing aids and, as a leader in technology, is playing its part in this technological shift. Adjusted EBITDA in the "Microbatteries" segment grew very significantly in the first nine months of the year, rising by 72.0% to EUR 60.7m. As a result, a step-change improvement in the Adjusted EBITDA margin of 8.1PP to 30.1% of revenue was recorded.

The "Power & Energy" segment continues to trend in line with expectations during fiscal year 2019. Revenue in the first nine months of the year rose by 8.5% to EUR 40.9m, with revenue in Q3 increasing by 17.3% year on year. A positive Adjusted EBITDA of EUR 2.3m was recorded for the first nine months of 2019. At 5.7%, the adjusted EBITDA margin is essentially in line with the medium-term margin corridor target of between 6% and 8% in relation to revenue.

 

Continued high investment expenses from expansion of production capacities for lithium-ion batteries - further expansion to over 150 million cells per year in 2022

In the first nine months of 2019, CAPEX stood at EUR 67.9m. The focus of investment activities remains on the massive expansion of production capacities for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for high-tech consumer products, particularly premium true wireless headsets.

On account of the continued very high level of customer demand for lithium-ion batteries, particularly with regard to premium true wireless headsets, VARTA AG announced in September its intention to further expand production facilities - from the previous target of 100 million cells per year in 2020 to more than 150 million cells per year by 2022. Work to implement this further capacity expansion will be initiated in the current fiscal year. The capacity expansion requires an additional investment of around
EUR 130m (to manufacture an additional 50 million cells per year). The investment volume is to be financed by the cash flow from the operating activities in connection with further customer pre-payments. Furthermore, a revolving credit facility in the amount of EUR 80m is available to the Group.

 

Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA guidance for fiscal year 2019 raised again - higher CAPEX from further production capacity expansion

After the financial results for the first nine months of 2019 exceeded expectations and due to the enormous and steadily growing order backlog, VARTA AG has again raised its revenue and Adjusted EBITDA guidance for fiscal year 2019. The revenue guidance has now been raised from EUR 320m-330m up to EUR 330m-340m. This equates to revenue growth of approximately 21% to 25%. The Adjusted EBITDA guidance has been increased from the previously communicated range of EUR 72m-76m to
EUR 84m-88m, which would represent year-on-year growth of between 67% and 75%.

The acquisition of VARTA Consumer Batteries has not been factored into either the revenue or Adjusted EBITDA guidance. The closing of the transaction is currently expected on January 02, 2020. On account of the further expansion of production capacities to more than 150 million cells per year by 2022 outlined above, CAPEX is anticipated to range between EUR 95m and EUR 110m for fiscal year 2019 (previously: EUR 75m-90m).

In EURm 9M 2019 9M 2018
Revenue 242.8 198,9*
EBITDA 61.0 36.2*
Adjusted EBITDA 63.0 37.8*
Adjusted EBITDA margin (%) 25.9% 19.0%
Group net profit 33.0 19.9*
Investments (CAPEX) 67.9 36.5
Free Cash Flow -23.4 -26.2
Equity ratio 64.8% 64,6 %**
Total assets 612.9 401,7**
Staff (as at September 30) 2,613 2,272
 

* Changes to the previous year's figures due to conversion to IFRS 15
** as of December 31, 2018


Calendar:

Feb. 18, 2020
March 31, 2020
Preliminary figures 2019
Annual financial statements 2019
May 15, 2020 Interim report Q1 2020
Aug. 14, 2020 Half-year report 2020
Nov. 12, 2020 Interim report Q3 2020
 
Contact:  
Bernhard Wolf Nicole Selle
Head of Investor Relations Corporate Communications
Tel: +49 79 61 921-969 Tel.: +49 79 61 921-221
[email protected] [email protected]
 

About VARTA AG
As the parent company of the Group, VARTA AG is active in the business segments Microbatteries and Power & Energy through its operating subsidiaries VARTA Microbattery GmbH and VARTA Storage GmbH. Already today an innovation leader in the microbatteries sector and one of the market leaders for hearing-aid microbatteries, VARTA Microbattery GmbH also aspires to market leadership for lithium-ion batteries in wearables and, in particular, hearables. VARTA Storage GmbH focuses on intelligent energy solutions for customized battery storage systems for OEM customers and the design, system integration and assembly of stationary lithium-ion energy storage systems. The VARTA AG Group's operating subsidiaries are currently active in more than 75 countries around the world, with six production and assembly facilities in Europe and Asia as well as distribution centers in Asia, Europe and the USA.



29.10.2019 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: VARTA AG
VARTA-Platz 1
73479 Ellwangen
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)791-921-0
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.varta-ag.com
ISIN: DE000A0TGJ55
WKN: A0TGJ5
Indices: SDAX
Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange
EQS News ID: 898479

 
End of News DGAP News Service

898479  29.10.2019 

fncls.ssp?fn=show_t_gif&application_id=898479&application_name=news&site_id=sharewise

Varta AG Stock

€14.76
2.840%
There is an upward development for Varta AG compared to yesterday, with an increase of €0.41 (2.840%).
With 3 Buy predictions and 2 Sell predictions the community is currently undecided on Varta AG.
With a target price of 20 € there is a positive potential of 35.55% for Varta AG compared to the current price of 14.76 €.
Like: 0
Share
EQS Group is a leading international provider of regulatory technology in the fields of corporate compliance and investor relations. In working with EQS Group, thousands of companies worldwide inspire trust by fulfilling complex national and international disclosure obligations, minimizing risks and communicating transparently with stakeholders.




Legal notice

Comments