DGAP-News: Bertrandt AG: Report on the 3rd quarter 2018/2019 - Total revenues up by 4.3 percent - despite challenging business environment

Report on the 3rd quarter 2018/2019
Total revenues up by 4.3 percent - despite challenging business environment

(Ehningen, 22 August 2019) Despite a challenging business environment, Bertrandt has continued to focus on the future in the first nine months of fiscal year 2018/2019. Total revenues increased by 4.3 percent. The Group is responding to increasing complexity with investments targeted specifically at infrastructure, know-how and interdisciplinary connectivity in individual sectors.

Connected and autonomous driving as well as e-mobility and the variety of models and variants continue to be key market trends driving Bertrandt's business. However, the automotive industry is mainly influenced by increasing mobility needs and by evolving requirements to respond to climate change. This is accompanied by a determined commitment to pressing ahead with the development of new drive solutions and technologies for the advancement of digitilisation and connectivity. This heterogeneous situation, in which declining sales and the resulting restructuring and cost saving programmes contrast with the need for more investment in new technology research and development, presents difficulties for OEM and suppliers. The ever greater breadth and depth of topics poses a challenge for Bertrandt as both generalist and specialist. "As a solutions-focused engineering business with comprehensive solution, control and project management capabilities, Bertrandt is taking on more and more responsibility in the development process in all the disciplines for which there is demand," says Markus Ruf, Member of the Board, Finance of Bertrandt AG. The growing interconnection of mobility and IT presents the Company with additional fields of business and cooperation. To be best prepared for this environment, Bertrandt is focusing its investment activities in building up infrastructure and know-how.

The Bertrandt Group performed in line with expectations in the first three quarters of fiscal year 2018/2019, despite a challenging business environment. The first nine months of the reporting period were one working day shorter than in the same period of the previous year. Total revenues increased by 4.3 percent to EUR 784.879 million. The EBIT was EUR 46.129 million, equivalent to a margin of 5.9 percent. Post-tax earnings were EUR 30.311 million. In the first three quarters of the fiscal year 2018/2019 necessary investments of EUR 46.558 million were made in buildings and technical equipment in respect of trend topics. The main focus of investment was on test facilities for electromobility and equipment for mobile emissions testing. The equity ratio was 50.9 percent. As a result, Bertrandt continues to be a financially strong company in the industry. The number of employees increased by 440 in the reporting period to 13,468.

With its announcement of 21st August 2019 Bertrandt has adjusted its forecast in response to gathering economic clouds and the current industry-specific challenges in the automotive sector. Nonetheless, in the medium term the Management Board looks forward with confidence to future growth and earnings. "All in all Bertrandt is well positioned for the future. The consistent focus on trend topics and specific investments in electromobility or autonomous driving offer good opportunities." says Markus Ruf

The Group is therefore continuing to expand its capabilities in these trend topics. With the commissioning of the new high-voltage battery test centre in Ehningen, Bertrandt is investing in the key future field of electromobility. The Company is also investing around EUR 80 million in the construction of two test centres, thereby laying the foundations for the drive concepts of the future. Bertrandt will also be using agile startup-type units and focusing in this context on industries and customers in the fields in which Bertrandt offers innovative solutions with know-how and engineering expertise: medical technology, virtual and augmented reality, cloud solutions, machine learning or big data.

Additional information is available from:

Bertrandt AG
Birkensee 1
71139 Ehningen
Internet: www.bertrandt.com
Agnes Schanz Julia Nonnenmacher
Investor Relations Spokeswoman
Tel.: +49 7034/656-4029 Tel.: +49 7034/656-4037
Fax: +49 7034/656-4488 Fax: +49 7034/656-4242
Email: investor.relations@bertrandt.com Email: julia.nonnenmacher@de.bertrandt.com