Full-year guidance for 2016 confirmed Order books a high EUR 1.6 billion

• Total revenue of EUR 507 million achieved;
• EBITDA of EUR 37.5 million and EBIT of EUR 28.6 million at last year’s level

Bremen, November 16, 2016. OHB Group (ISIN: DE0005936124, Prime Standard) achieved total revenues of EUR 507.1 million (previous year: EUR 534.3 million) after nine months. The OHB Group’s total revenues are dependent on the achievement of milestones and delivery dates for the individual projects and are therefore not linear in nature. Postponements from one reporting period to the next result in heavy quarter-on-quarter volatility in total revenues during the year.

Operating earnings (EBITDA) at the end of the first nine months came to EUR 37.5 million and were thus virtually unchanged over the same period of the previous year (EUR 37.4 million). The operating EBITDA margin widened to 7.4% at the end of the first nine months of 2016, compared with 7.0% in the comparable prior-year period. EBIT came to EUR 28.6 million and was thus also the same as in the previous year (EUR 28.7 million). As a result, the EBIT margin widened from 5.4% in the previous year to 5.6%. The EBIT margin on the Group’s own substantially higher manufacturing input thus came to 8.9% in the first nine months, down from 9.9% in the previous year. The increase in net finance expense over the same period in the previous year from EUR 2.1 million to EUR 3.1 million reflects reduced interest income. As a result, profit from ordinary business activities dropped slightly by around 4% to EUR 25.4 million in the first nine months of 2016 (previous year: EUR 26.6 million). With income tax virtually unchanged at EUR 8.1 million in the first nine months of 2016 (previous year: EUR 8.2 million), the OHB Group recorded a decline of just under 6% in consolidated net profit for the period to EUR 17.3 million (previous year: EUR 18.4 million).

At EUR 387.2 million, non-consolidated total revenues in the Space Systemsbusiness unit were down roughly 5% on the first nine month of the previous year (EUR 407.9 million). As a result, operating earnings (EBITDA) rose by 13% to EUR 24.7 million, up from EUR 21.8 million in the previous year.

Segment EBIT climbed by some EUR 2.8 million or 17% to EUR 19.2 million (previous year: EUR 16.4 million). The EBIT margin relative to non-consolidated total revenues also widened to around 5.0%, up from 4.0% in the previous year. The EBIT margin relative to the segment’s own manufacturing input, contracted slightly to 9.2%, down from 9.5% in the previous year, due to the sharp increase of around 21% in the segment’s own manufacturing input. 

In the first nine months of 2016, non-consolidated total revenues in the Aerospace + Industrial Products business unit declined by around 6% over the year-ago period to EUR 123.3 million (previous year: 130.9 million). Despite a roughly 14% drop in the cost of materials and services purchased to EUR 54.8 million (previous year: EUR 63.6 million), operating earnings (EBITDA) came to EUR 13.1 million, down 16% from EUR 15.7 million in the previous year.

The lower segment EBIT of EUR 9.8 million (previous year: EUR 12.3 million) was due to steady depreciation and amortisation expense. The EBIT margin relative to the segment’s own non-consolidated total revenues contracted to 7.9% (previous year: 9.4%). The EBIT margin relative to the segment’s own manufacturing input, which declined by a good 3%, narrowed to 8.7%, down from 10.5% in the previous year.

At the end of the first nine months of 2016, the firm orders held by the OHB Group were valued at EUR 1,601 million, down from EUR 1,684 million as of December 31, 2015. Of this, OHB System AG accounted for EUR 1,145 million or a good 71%.

At EUR 61.5 million at the end of the period under review, cash and cash equivalents (net of securities) were thus substantially up on the end of the same period in the previous year (EUR 34.4 million). Total consolidated assets increased by EUR 85.4 million or around 13% over December 31, 2015 (EUR 638.7 million) to EUR 724.1 million as of September 30, 2016. Consolidated equity expanded by EUR 15.0 million to EUR 183.7 million. Accordingly, the equity ratio came to 25% as of September 30, 2016 and was thus virtually unchanged over December 31, 2015 (26%).

The Management Board expects consolidated total revenues of EUR 750 million for 2016, accompanied by EBITDA of EUR 54 million and EBIT of 42 million. Given the greater order backlog and upbeat outlook for the current year, we assume that the Group’s results of operations, financial condition and net assets will also remain strong and reaffirm the full-year guidance issued in February for 2016.