DGAP-News: HolidayCheck Group AG: HolidayCheck Group AG achieves substantial revenue and earnings growth in first half of 2018

Media Release

HolidayCheck Group AG achieves substantial revenue and earnings growth in first half of 2018

Munich, Germany, 8 August 2018 - In the current financial year, HolidayCheck Group AG can look back on a successful six-month period in which revenue and earnings both exceeded the figures for the first half of 2017.

Based on the company's own assessment, providers operating in the online package holiday segment, including the HolidayCheck Group, benefitted particularly in the first half of 2018 from a continuation of the buoyant conditions in this market in Central Europe in the fourth quarter of 2017. At the same time, the Management Board believes that the investments made in personnel, IT and marketing over the course of 2017 have had a positive impact on the revenue trend.

The HolidayCheck Group's revenue for the first half-year rose by 19.0 percent from EUR 61.2 million in 2017 to EUR 72.8 million. At EUR 31.4 million, second-quarter revenue was 13.4 percent up on the 2017 figure of EUR 27.7 million.

At EUR 7.2 million, EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) for the first half of 2018 was up 380.0 percent year on year (first half 2017: EUR 1.5 million). Second-quarter EBITDA increased from minus EUR 2.7 million in 2017 to EUR 1.2 million in the current financial year

At EUR 7.8 million in the first half of 2018, operating EBITDA (operating earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) increased by 212.0 percent on the figure of EUR 2.5 million for the same period in 2017. The second-quarter figure for the current financial year was up to EUR 1.6 million compared with minus EUR 1.9 million in 2017.

EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) for the first half-year improved from minus EUR 1.5 million in 2017 to EUR 4.1 million in the period under review. Second-quarter EBIT rose from minus EUR 4.3 million in 2017 to minus EUR 0.4 million in 2018.

EBT (earnings before taxes) increased to EUR 4.0 million in the first half of 2018 (first half 2017: minus EUR 1.6 million). EBT in the second quarter of 2018 rose to minus EUR 0.4 million (second quarter 2017: minus EUR 4.3 million).

Consolidated profit/(loss) improved to EUR 3.0 million in the first half of 2018 compared with minus EUR 1.8 million in the same period of 2017. Second-quarter consolidated profit/(loss) rose to minus EUR 0.4 million in 2018 compared with minus EUR 3.7 million in the previous year.

Basic and diluted earnings per share were up to EUR 0.05 in the first half of 2018 compared with minus EUR 0.03 in the same period of 2017. The second-quarter figure for 2018 increased to minus EUR 0.01 compared with minus EUR 0.06 in the second quarter of 2017.

Outlook
The HolidayCheck Group's vision is to become the most holidaymaker-friendly company in the world. Our goal is to continuously expand our portfolio of holiday services. The company therefore intends to invest consistently in the further development of its existing products and services (with an emphasis on the core fields of package holidays, 'hotel only' bookings and cruises).
We also have plans for the development of new products and services in adjoining areas and for the steady expansion of our data intelligence systems and customised travel advice service.
HolidayCheck Group AG's subsidiaries also intend to make further investments in marketing in the form of direct sales promotions and other measures designed to give a sustained boost to the profile of their various brands. Looking ahead at the second half of 2018, we plan to vigorously pursue the brand marketing campaign successfully launched by HolidayCheck in June 2017 and maintained throughout the period under review. As such, over the current financial year as a whole, our investments in brand advertising (e.g. TV advertising) are likely to be higher than in 2017.

In light of the positive development of business in the first half of 2018, HolidayCheck Group AG has increased its forecasts for consolidated revenue and operating EBITDA for the year as a whole.
The company now expects revenue to grow by between 10.0 and 14.0 percent in financial 2018. The corresponding forecast for operating EBITDA is between EUR 7.0 million and EUR 10.0 million.
In the original forecast for 2018, an increase of between 8 and 13 percent in revenue, with operating EBITDA between EUR 2.5 million and EUR 6.5 million had been anticipated.

About HolidayCheck Group AG:
HolidayCheck Group AG (ISIN DE005495329), Munich, Germany, is one of Europe's leading digital travel firms for holidaymakers. With a total workforce of around 450, HolidayCheck Group AG comprises HolidayCheck AG (which operates hotel review and travel booking portals by the same name), Driveboo AG (which operates the car rental portal MietwagenCheck) and WebAssets B.V. (which operates the Zoover hotel review portals and the MeteoVista/WeerOnline weather portals). HolidayCheck Group's vision is to become the world's most holidaymaker-friendly company in the world.

Media and Investor Relations contact:
HolidayCheck Group AG
Armin Blohmann
Neumarkter Strasse 61
81673 München
Germany

phone: +49 (0)89 357 680 901
fax: +49 (0)89 357 680 999
email: armin.blohmann@holidaycheckgroup.com

www.holidaycheckgroup.com
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