DGAP-News: Viscom AG

Viscom AG continues stable growth in first half of 2017 and raises full-year forecast for 2017

Incoming orders: EUR 42,270 thousand (previous year: EUR 38,290 thousand, +10.4 %)
Revenue: EUR 39,895 thousand (previous year: EUR 31,209 thousand, +27.8 %)
EBIT: EUR 5,701 thousand (previous year: EUR 2,001 thousand, +184.9 %)
EBIT-Margin: 14.3 % (previous year: 6.4 %)
Viscom raises full-year forecast

Hanover, August 9, 2017 - Viscom AG (ISIN DE0007846867), the European market leader for automated optical inspection systems in the electronics industry, reinforced its position on the market with great success and enjoyed extremely positive operating performance in the first six months of the current financial year.

Viscom AG recorded revenue of EUR 39,895 thousand in the first half of 2017, up 27.8 % on the same period of the previous year (EUR 31,209 thousand). Incoming orders increased by a good 10.4 % year-on-year, from EUR 38,290 thousand to EUR 42,270 thousand, while the order backlog of EUR 20,445 thousand (previous year: EUR 18,897 thousand) means the Group will continue to enjoy an extremely high level of production capacity utilization over the coming months.

This extremely positive overall business development is reflected in operating profit (EBIT), which amounted to EUR 5,701 thousand (previous year: EUR 2,001 thousand). This resulted in an EBIT-Margin of 14.3 % (previous year: 6.4 %). Net profit for the period also increased significantly, from EUR 681 thousand in the previous year to EUR 4,122 thousand.

Europe was the Viscom Group's strongest region by some distance, generating revenue of EUR 20,912 thousand in the first six months of the 2017 financial year (previous year: EUR 20,545 thousand) and accounting for around 52 % of total revenue. Segment earnings in the Europe region totalled EUR 4,181 thousand (previous year: EUR 1,627 thousand), corresponding to a margin of 20.0 % (previous year: 7.9 %). At an encouraging EUR 23,345 thousand, incoming orders remained at the prior-year level (EUR 23,818 thousand).

The positive development in the Americas region in the first quarter of 2017 continued in the second quarter. Revenue increased by around 68 % year-on-year to EUR 6,497 thousand in the period under review (previous year: EUR 3,859 thousand). Demand in the automotive supply industry in Mexico and among medium-sized and large service providers and OEMs in the USA remained at a high level. This is also reflected in incoming orders, which amounted to an encouraging EUR 7,937 thousand (previous year: EUR 6,525 thousand). Segment earnings increased almost eightfold year-on-year to EUR 642 thousand (previous year: EUR 72 thousand). The EBIT-Margin amounted to 9.9 % (previous year: 1.9 %).

The Asia region also saw continued positive development in terms of incoming orders. In the first half of the year, and especially in the wake of the Nepcon Shanghai trade fair, the Group recorded encouraging incoming orders of EUR 10,988 thousand (previous year: EUR 7,947 thousand). One particularly strong performer was inline 3D X-ray inspection, technology which has now established itself as a fixed element of Viscom customers' inspection strategies. Segment revenue reached a new record high of EUR 12,486 thousand (previous year: EUR 6,805 thousand). This serves to further underline the growth potential of the Asia region. Segment earnings increased almost fourfold to EUR 1,136 thousand (previous year: EUR 295 thousand). In line with this development, the EBIT-Margin amounted to 9.1 % (previous year: 4.3 %).

The Viscom Group is also continuing to benefit from positive investment behaviour on the part of its customers and has not observed any signs of a slowdown in orders. Existing and new customers are being won over by the Group's good positioning for the 3D inspection of optical systems and its new inline X-ray technology in particular.

In light of the extremely positive business development in the first half of 2017, the Executive Board of Viscom AG is raising its forecast for the current financial year. It is now forecasting revenue of between EUR 87 million and EUR 92 million (previously: EUR 80-85 million) and an EBIT-Margin of between 14 % and 16 % (previously: 13-15 %).

The consolidated interim report for the first six months of 2017 can now be found in the Investor Relations section of the company's website at www.viscom.com.

OPERATING FIGURES

SEGMENT INFORMATION

Where this release contains forecasts, expectations or forward-looking statements, these statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties. We therefore cannot guarantee that these expectations will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may deviate significantly from the expectations and assumptions expressed. The factors causing such deviations may include changes in the general economic situation and the competitive environment, exchange rate and interest rate fluctuations, and changes to national and international legislation. The company assumes no obligation to update the statements contained in this release.