Leifheit AG: First quarter of 2012 with strong growth in earnings

Leifheit AG  / Key word(s): Quarter Results10.05.2012 08:27Dissemination of an Ad hoc announcement according to § 15 WpHG, transmittedby DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG.The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.---------------------------------------------------------------------------* Group turnover up 1.3% to EUR 59.4 million * Strong turnover growth in Brand Business of 4.6% to EUR 49.4 million * Group EBIT increases from EUR 1.5 million to EUR 2.8 million * Earnings outlook for 2012 confirmedThe Leifheit Group, one of the leading European brand suppliers of householditems, has generated turnover of EUR 59.4 million in the first quarter of2012 after EUR 58.7 million in the same quarter of the previous year. TheBrand Business division again posted solid growth in the first quarter.Turnover with the Leifheit, Dr Oetker Bakeware and Soehnle brands increasedby 4.6% to EUR 49.4 million. In line with strategy, the share of BrandBusiness therefore rose to 83.2% of consolidated turnover. In VolumeBusiness, turnover decreased by EUR 1.5 million to EUR 10.0 million as aresult of shifts within Project Business.Germany accounted for 45.3% of consolidated turnover, Europe not includingGermany 49.8% and the overseas region 4.9%. The foreign share thus increasedslightly to 54.7% after 53.3% in the previous year.Strong rise in earningsLeifheit again generated a strong rise in earnings in proportion toturnover: Consolidated EBIT climbed by 83.4% to EUR 2.8 million in the firstquarter of 2012 (previous year: EUR 1.5 million). This impressive growth isdue to several factors: successful optimisation measures on the one hand anda strict focus on high-margin business on the other. In addition, unrealisedcurrency effects from the measurement of forward foreign exchange contractstotalling EUR 0.6 million had a negative impact on EBIT in the same periodof the previous year. Adjusted by this effect, the comparable figure for theprevious year was EUR 2.1 million, the comparable earnings growth was 33.4%.The profit for the period increased by EUR 1.2 million to EUR 1.8 million(previous year: EUR 0.6 million).Positive outlook The performance in 2012 is dependent on the further effects of the sovereigndebt crisis on our sales markets, as they indirectly affect consumerbehaviour. If the effects in our main sales markets are moderate and the USdollar is down just slightly year-on-year, Leifheit's Board of Management isforecasting average sustainable turnover growth of 3% to 5% for both 2012and 2013 and above-average increase in adjusted EBIT of at least 10% foreach year. Growth is planned in Brand Business only, while development inVolume Business is expected to remain constant at most.Additional information can be found in the quarterly financial report as at31 March 2012 and athttp://www.leifheit.de/en/investor-relations/publications/financial-reports.html.Contact:Leifheit AGD-56377 +49 2604 97721810.05.2012 DGAP's Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements,Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language:     EnglishCompany:      Leifheit AG              Leifheitstraße              56377 Nassau              GermanyPhone:        02604 977-0Fax:          02604 977-340E-mail:       :     www.leifheit.comISIN:         DE0006464506WKN:          646450Listed:       Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr              in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, München, Stuttgart End of Announcement                             DGAP News-Service ---------------------------------------------------------------------------