DGAP-News: NORMA Group SE

DGAP-News: NORMA Group SE starts financial year 2016 with solid growth

DGAP-News: NORMA Group SE / Key word(s): Quarter Results/Quarterly / Interim Statement NORMA Group SE starts financial year 2016 with solid growth

04.05.2016 / 07:17 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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NORMA Group SE starts financial year 2016 with solid growth

- Sales increased by 2.3 percent to EUR 226.6 million in the first quarter of 2016 compared to the same quarter last year

- Adjusted EBITA improved by 2.2 percent to EUR 40.1 million

- Outlook for financial year 2016 confirmed

Maintal, Germany, 4 May 2016 - NORMA Group SE ("NORMA Group"), a global market leader in engineered joining technology, achieved solid growth in the first quarter of financial year 2016. Sales rose by 2.3 percent to EUR 226.6 million compared to the same quarter of the previous year (Q1 2015: EUR 221.5 million). The organic growth amounted to 2.4 percent. Negative currency effects resulted in a 0.1 percent decline. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes and amortisation of intangible assets (adjusted EBITA) increased by 2.2 percent to EUR 40.1 million (Q1 2015: EUR 39.2 million). The adjusted EBITA margin was 17.7 percent and thus remained at a high level (Q1 2015: 17.7 percent).

"We had a good start in financial year 2016 and managed to increase both our sales and our earnings again in the first quarter," said Werner Deggim, CEO of NORMA Group. "The EMEA region showed stronger organic growth as we had expected and the Asia-Pacific region continued to develop dynamically. We are confident that we will be able to continue to grow profitably in financial year 2016."

Stronger growth in the EMEA region and Asia-Pacific

In the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region, NORMA Group managed to increase its sales by 6.1 percent to EUR 112.1 million (Q1 2015: EUR 105.6 million) thus far in 2016. This strong organic growth can be attributed for the most part to the upswing in the euro zone and continued positive development of the European automotive industry.

In the Americas region, NORMA Group generated sales of EUR 96.0 million, a slight 1.8 percent decline (Q1 2015: EUR 97.7 million). This development is mainly due to the weakness in the commercial vehicles and agricultural machinery sectors.

In the Asia-Pacific region, NORMA Group managed to increase its sales by 1.9 percent to EUR 18.6 million (Q1 2015: EUR 18.2 million). Despite the drop in China's economic growth, the region recorded strong organic growth with offsetting negative currency effects and thus continued its sustained positive development.

Equity ratio increased again

Group equity rose to EUR 437.1 million as of 31 March 2016, an increase of 1.7 percent compared to the end of last year (31 December 2015: EUR 429.8 million). The equity ratio improved to 37.5 percent (31 December 2015: 36.8 percent). Net debt including hedging instruments declined to EUR 347.8 million as of 31 March 2016 (31 December 2015: EUR 360.9 million). NORMA Group had 6,322 employees including temporary employees worldwide on 31 March 2016 (31 December 2015: 6,306).

Outlook for financial year 2016 confirmed

NORMA Group has reaffirmed its forecast for financial year 2016. The company expects to see solid organic sales growth of around 2 to 5 percent compared to 2015 and will strive to achieve a sustainable adjusted EBITA margin at the same level of previous years of over 17 percent (2015: 17.6 percent; 2014: 17.5 percent; 2013: 17.7 percent).

NORMA Group SE in figures



Key figures at a glance (in EUR millions) Q1 2016 Q1 2015 Q4 2015 01/01 - 31/ 01/01 - 31/ 01/10 - 31/ Income statement 03/2016 03/2015 12/2015 Sales 226.6 221.5 217.0 Adjusted EBITA* 40.1 39.2 35.6 Adjusted EBITA margin* 17.7% 17.7% 16.4%

Balance sheet 31/03/2016 31/03/2015 31/12/2015 Total assets 1,164.1 1,185.4 1,167.9 Equity 437.1 413.4 429.8 Equity ratio 37.5% 34.9% 36.8% Net debt** 347.8 411.8 360.9



* Adjustments: Q1/2016 by depreciations from PPA adjustments; Q1/2015 by integration costs (EUR 0.1 million), step-up effects from purchase price allocations (EUR 2.4 million) and depreciations from PPA adjustments; Q4/2015 by integration costs, step-up effects from purchase price allocations and depreciations from PPA adjustments **Net debt including hedging instruments (31.03.2016: EUR 4.4 million; 31.03.2015: EUR 35.3 million; 31.12.2015: EUR 3.4 million)

Additional information is available from NORMA Group's Investor Relations section at www.investors.normagroup.com. Please visit www.normagroup.com/Images for press photos.

Other dates

Publication of the financial results for the second quarter of financial year 2016 is scheduled for 3 August 2016.

Contact NORMA Group SE Daphne Recker Group Communications Tel.: +49 (0)6181 - 6102 743 E-Mail: daphne.recker@normagroup.com

Andreas Trösch Investor Relations Tel: +49 (0)6181 - 6102 741 E-Mail: andreas.troesch@normagroup.com

About NORMA Group NORMA Group is a global market leader in engineered joining technology. The company manufactures a wide range of innovative connecting solutions and water management technology offering more than 35,000 products to customers in 100 countries with around 6,500 employees. NORMA Group helps its customers and business partners to react to global challenges such as climate change and increasing scarcity of resources. NORMA Group joining products can be found in vehicles and trains, ships and aircraft, buildings and water management as well as in applications for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. The company generated sales of around EUR 890 million in 2015. NORMA Group operates a global network of 22 production facilities as well as numerous sales and distribution sites across Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. NORMA Group has its headquarters in Maintal, Germany. NORMA Group SE is listed on the German stock exchange (Prime Standard) and included in the MDAX index.

Disclaimer This press release contains certain future-oriented statements. Future-oriented statements include all statements which do not relate to historical facts and events and contain future-oriented expressions such as "believe," "estimate," "assume," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "could," or "should" or expressions of a similar kind. Such future-oriented statements are subject to risks and uncertainties since they relate to future events and are based on the company's current assumptions, which may not in the future take place or be fulfilled as expected. The company points out that such future-oriented statements provide no guarantee for the future and that the actual events including the financial position and profitability of NORMA Group SE and developments in the economic and regulatory fundamentals may vary substantially (particularly on the down side) from those explicitly or implicitly assumed in these statements. Even if the actual assets for NORMA Group SE, including its financial position and profitability and the economic and regulatory fundamentals, are in accordance with such future-oriented statements in this press release, no guarantee can be given that this will continue to be the case in the future.

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04.05.2016 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.

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Language: English Company: NORMA Group SE Edisonstr. 4 63477 Maintal Germany Phone: +49 (0)6181-6102-741 Fax: +49 (0)6181-6102-7641 E-mail: ir@normagroup.com Internet: www.normagroup.com ISIN: DE000A1H8BV3 WKN: A1H8BV Indices: MDAX Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Munich, Stuttgart; Terminbörse EUREX End of News DGAP News Service ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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