DGAP-News: Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft publishes preliminary business results: 2019 financial year comes to a successful conclusion - earnings targets reached

Press release no. 3/2020

Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft publishes preliminary business results
2019 financial year comes to a successful conclusion - earnings targets reached

- Consolidated revenues increase by 5.2 million to EUR 167.4 million

- Consolidated operating result (EBIT) of EUR 9.8 million at the upper end of the forecast range

Haselünne, February 4, 2020 - Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft, listed on the regulated market (General Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN: DE0005201602), today announced its preliminary business results for the 2019 financial year, which have not yet been audited. Based on those figures, the Group recorded consolidated revenues of EUR 167.4 million - an increase of 3.2% on the 2018 financial year (EUR 162.2 million). Consolidated operating result before interest and taxes (consolidated EBIT) are anticipated to amount to EUR 9.8 million in the 2019 financial year (2018: EUR 9.8 million), consolidated operating result before interest tax, amortisation and depreciation (consolidated EBITDA) to EUR 18.4 million (2018: EUR 17.3 million).

"All the Group's key performance indicators for the 2019 financial year are within the ranges we forecast - EBIT and EBITDA even at the upper end. This means that we have fully achieved our objectives for the year", says Oliver Schwegmann, one of the Berentzen Group's Executive Board members. "We are especially pleased about the rise in our consolidated revenues. In this respect, each of our segments - Spirits, Non-alcoholic Beverages and Fresh Juice Systems - made a positive contribution." He continues that, specifically in light of the fact that the Berentzen Group was operating in markets that were to a great extent stagnating or even contracting, this development showed that the corporate group was showing more dynamic growth than its most important markets.

"As we expected, and communicated on several occasions last year, the positive development with regard to revenues continued to pick up speed over the course of the 2019 financial year", explains Schwegmann. He went on to say that while the rise over the first half of 2019 accordingly remained moderate at around one percent, significant revenue growth of 5.2 percent was recorded in the second half, which brought about a cumulative growth rate of 3.2 percent for the full year.

"One especially pleasing factor in this development is the quality of the revenue trajectory as we not only succeeded in boosting our revenue but also our gross profit margin. As a consequence, we generated gross profit growth of a faster rate than sales", says Schwegmann. "At the same time, we significantly increased our capital expenditure on qualified staff, equipment and marketing, as budgeted, in order to be able to sustainably implement our strategy for profitable growth over the long term." This explains why consolidated EBIT remained at the previous-year level of EUR 9.8 million. EBIT in a range of between EUR 9.0 million and EUR 10.0 million was anticipated for the 2019 financial year.

Schwegmann concludes by saying that the Berentzen Group is expecting positive developments in revenues and earnings for the 2020 financial year.

The Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft's preliminary business results are subject to the auditor's review and approval by the Supervisory Board. The final business results as well as further information on the 2019 financial year and on the forecasts for 2020 are planned for publication on March 26, 2020 with the 2019 annual report.

About the Berentzen Group:

The Berentzen Group is a broad-based beverage company operating in the following three segments: Spirits, Non-alcoholic Beverages and Fresh Juice Systems. The Berentzen Group is one of the oldest producers of spirits in Germany with a corporate history going back over 250 years. Today, it has a presence in more than 60 countries around the world with well-known brands like Berentzen and Puschkin and attractively priced private label products. In its Non-alcoholic Beverages segment, the corporate group produces mineral waters, carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks under its own brands and also boasts more than 50 years of experience in the franchise business for soft drinks, currently acting as franchisee for the Sinalco brand. In addition, the Berentzen Group markets innovative fresh juice systems under the Citrocasa brand in its third segment, thus serving the fast-growing market for modern, health-oriented drinks. The Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft share (ISIN DE0005201602) is listed on the regulated market (General Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

For more information

Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft
Thorsten Schmitt
Press and PR
Tel. +49 (0) 5961 502 215
[email protected]
www.berentzen-gruppe.de