Wirecard AG / Quarter Results
20.05.2008
Release of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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Munich/Grasbrunn: May 20, 2008 - In the first quarter of 2008 Wirecard AG
once again managed to record steady growth. Compared with the same quarter
a year earlier, sales revenues were up by 53 percent, to reach EUR 40.8
million (Q1 in previous year: EUR 26.6 million). Earnings before interest
and taxes (EBIT) improved by 66 percent compared with the first quarter of
2007, to EUR 10.1 million (Q1 in previous year: EUR 6.1 million). The EBIT
margin increased from 23 percent to 25 percent.
Consolidated after-tax earnings increased from EUR 5.3 million by 52
percent, to EUR 8 million. Earnings per share rose from EUR 0.07 to EUR
0.10. The Groups equity ratio is in the region of 40 percent.
As a full-service technology provider in the core segment of electronic
payment processing and risk management solutions (EPRM) and with
supplementary services from Wirecard Bank AG, the Group is benefiting from
the trend that large-scale companies are increasingly devoting their
attention to the requirements of international payment processes with a
view to bundling these in a sensible manner.
In addition to banking products for payment processing, which include
acquiring services for commercial customers, the consumer products of
Wirecard Bank AG also made a positive contribution to our results in the
strategically important market of non-borrowing-based banking services. The
Wirecard Internet payment service (www.mywirecard.com) is meanwhile
available in approx. 30 European countries and in eleven languages. The
integrated virtual prepaid MasterCard of Wirecard Bank AG, consisting of a
card number, card checksum number (CVC2) and expiry date, enables consumers
to make secure payments with all Internet merchants worldwide who accept
the MasterCard.
Dr. Markus Braun, CEO of Wirecard AG: 'The increasing trend toward payment
transactions being shifted from the physical to the virtual world of the
Internet represents the key driving force behind our dynamic development.'
The Management Board affirms its forecast to increase earnings before
interest and taxes (EBIT) by more than 45 percent in 2008 as a whole.
The report for the first quarter of 2008 is available in PDF format for
download with immediate effect from our website http://ir.wirecard.com
under the heading 'Financial reports'.
Wirecard PR & IR Office
Iris Stöckl
Bretonischer Ring 4
D-85630 Grasbrunn / Munich
Germany
Ph.: +49 (0) 89 4424 0424
Fax: +49 (0) 89 4424 0524
e-mail: iris.stoeckl@wirecard.com
Internet: www.wirecard.com
About Wirecard:
Wirecard AG is one of the leading international providers of electronic
payment and risk management solutions. Worldwide, Wirecard supports over
9,000 companies from many and various industry segments in automating their
payment processes and minimizing cases of default. Wirecard Bank AG
provides account and credit card services both for business and private
customers and is a Principal Member of VISA, MasterCard and JCB. The
Internet payment service Wirecard enables consumers to make secure payments
at millions of MasterCard acceptance outlets worldwide. In addition,
registered users can send or receive money orders to each other on a
real-time basis. Wirecard AG is listed on the Frankfurt Securities Exchange
(TecDAX, ISIN DE0007472060, WDI).
www.wirecard.com | www.wirecardbank.de | www.mywirecard.com
DGAP 20.05.2008
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Language: English
Issuer: Wirecard AG
Bretonischer Ring 4
85630 Grasbrunn b. München
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)89-4424 0400
Fax: +49 (0)89-4424 0500
E-mail: ir@wirecard.com
Internet: www.wirecard.com
ISIN: DE0007472060
WKN: 747206
Indices: TecDAX, Prime All Share, Technology All Share
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, München
End of News DGAP News-Service
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DGAP-News: Wirecard AG: consistent growth
| Source: EQS Group AG