PlasmaSelect AG / Quarter Results
04.08.2008
Release of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Munich, July 31, 2008 PlasmaSelect AG (securities ID 547 180), the
innovative Munich-based investment holding company in the healthcare new
technologies market, today announced its second-quarter and half-year
results for 2007/2008 as at May 31, 2008. Optimization of the companys
product portfolio led to reduced sales year-on-year for its continued field
of operations in the first six months of fiscal 2007/2008, a decrease of
7.1% from 19 million to 17.6 million. In the reporting period, the
Infusion and Irrigation Solutions division registered sales of 14.5
million, roughly equal to the prior year periods sales of 14.6 million.
Restructuring and consolidation actions initiated in the first quarter
increased efficiency throughout the value chain, generating a significantly
improved gross margin of 29.3% for the first half-year of 2008, compared to
22.5% in the prior first half-year. Gross profits also increased by 7% to
5.2 million (prior year: 4.3 million). PlasmaSelect AG continued its
first-quarter EBIT improvement into the second quarter and thus the entire
half-year; at k -1,942, EBIT for the reporting period showed a
year-on-year improvement of k 501 in comparison to the first half-year
2006/2007 (k -2,433). The result for the second quarter 2008 was
negatively impacted by one-off HR compensation payments of approximately k
400. In the first half-year of fiscal 2007/2008, the EBIT margin was -11%,
down from the prior first half-years -13%. Losses per share fell to -12.3
euro cents in the reporting period, compared to -21.7 euro cents for
continued operations in the first half of 2007.
Thanks to the positive trend at Aquaworx AG, for which PlasmaSelect
acquired 30% of shares and 50.1% of voting rights, and to the successful
consistent optimization of all corporate processes, the management is
confident that PlasmaSelect AGs upward trend will continue in the upcoming
quarters.
'The companys reorganization is currently in a critical phase', explains
Bernhard Giessel, Member of the Management Board, Chief Financial Officer,
Senior VP Controlling and Materials Officer of PlasmaSelect AG. 'We are
delighted that the structural and strategic reorganization measures
launched in the past quarters have now borne fruit for the second quarter
in succession and continued the trend towards consistent stabilization. The
corporations new structure as an investment holding is taking shape, and
key performance indicators have shown consistent and substantial
improvement across the board'.
Highlights of the second quarter/first half-year 2008
Aquaworx AG off to a spectacular start
'Significantly faster than anticipated', is the comment of PlasmaSelect AG
CEO Karl-Heinz Riggers about the initial global sales success of Aquaworx
AG, effectively acquired on June 2, 2008. Aquaworx is a new technology
company operating in high-growth international future-oriented markets in
the field of development and production of patent-pending technologies for
water and liquid treatment.
Under the aegis of Karl-Heinz Riggers, the investment holding company
attracted experienced industry expert Peter Falk as Managing Director and
appointed managers from the water treatment industry to strategic
international key positions, to take up their posts in the coming months.
'The potential of Aquaworx is reflected in its attraction for highly
qualified recruits', explains Karl-Heinz Riggers.
Initial success has also been noted in the implementation of sales measures
and establishment of a global sales network. In Majorca, the first devices
in the AquaHomeCare range for water disinfection and legionnaires disease
prevention have been sold in cooperation with local sales and installation
partner Mayortronic S.L. In addition, agreements with sales partners have
been signed in France, Canada, kazakhstan and Spain/Majorca, and a
cooperation agreement has been concluded with a strategic supplier which
opens up access to a global sales and service network with around 200
members of staff.
Aquaworx AG also achieved major success in the certification of its
platform technologies for specific applications. A globally leading
shipping company is acting as cooperation partner for a pilot test and
subsequent certification of closed systems for filtration and disinfection
of ballast water. Treatment of ballast water will become mandatory in
international shipping from 2009 and all ships must be equipped to do so by
2016. In addition, AquaLegioCon, a system for legionnaires disease
management, is on the brink of receiving a prestigious global seal of
quality. Prevention of legionnaires disease is an enormous challenge,
primarily for hotels, senior citizens homes, hospitals and other public
institutions; to date, no effective yet affordable solutions have been
found.
'Our acquisition of Aquaworx plus the pace and assertiveness with which
business development of the investments is proceeding already demonstrates
the companys reorientation toward the fields of healthcare, water and
ecology ', continues Bernhard Giessel. 'The management board regards these
fields as holding the maximum potential to reposition the PlasmaSelect
Group and create its new significance by addressing these future-oriented
markets.'
Restructuring of Infusion and Irrigation Solutions division
The restructuring of the Infusion and Irrigation Solutions production
division is well under way with the migration of the production program to
the Italian production site and launch of improvement measures for
production conditions. As an alternative, external procurement options are
under consideration for products considered less profitable from a
production point of view. As a result, in June 2008 the decision was made
to sell the Haemaccal business to Indian company Piramal Healthcare Group
as a contribution to streamlining the production portfolio.
The half-year report can be downloaded at www.plasmaselect.de under the
heading 'Investor Relations'.
PlasmaSelect AG
Founded in 1998 as a specialist in the sale of infusion and irrigation
solutions and complementary medical products, today PlasmaSelect AG is an
innovative investment holding company on the healthcare new technologies
market. The holding comprises six operating subsidiaries with a total of
almost 300 staff worldwide. In fiscal 2007 (as of 30 November 2007) the
company reported consolidated sales of EUR 56.3 million.
PlasmaSelect AG is listed on the Regulated Market (Prime Standard) of the
Frankfurt Stock Exchange (securities ID 547 180). For more information
please see www.plasmaselect.de
DGAP 04.08.2008
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Language: English
Issuer: PlasmaSelect AG
Pettenkoferstraße 22
80336 München
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)89 810 29-0
Fax: +49 (0)89 810 29-111
E-mail: info@plasmaselect.de
Internet: www.plasmaselect.de
ISIN: DE0005471809
WKN: 547180
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
in Berlin, Stuttgart, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf
End of News DGAP News-Service
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DGAP-News: PlasmaSelect AG continues positive trend through second quarter 2008
| Source: EQS Group AG