plenum AG / Preliminary Results
07.04.2009
Release of a Adhoc News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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Ad hoc - Release of plenum AG
Profits rise on the basis of restrained growth and core business expansion
* Management Consulting grows by 5.5%
* EBIT rises to 0.53 million EUR in 2008 (2007: 0.18 million EUR)
* Consulting competence expands from acquisition of MANIC GmbH
Wiesbaden, April 7, 2009 - plenum AG (Prime Standard, ISIN DE 0006901002)
reports significantly higher profits in 2008 and further expanded its core
business in Management Consulting.
plenum generated revenues of 18.3 Million EUR in 2008. Adjusted for
discontinued operations following the sale of the agency, stoll &
fischbach, total revenues from the remaining business rose by 5.5% in 2008
from 17.3 million EUR in 2007.
Following the expansion in consulting revenues by 26% already in 2006
versus 2005 and by 34% in 2007, the target growth rate of 15% for 2008
was ceased due to the financial and economic crisis. The planned
substantial expansion in employees has been delayed to a later date when
the continued economic development can be better estimated.
But with growth of 5.5 %, the EBIT at 0.53 million EUR in 2008 almost
tripled (2007: 0.18 million EUR). The positive financial result coupled
with the effect from the loss carryforward led to an increase in earnings
per share from 3 to 6 cents. The gross margin again increased from 30.4% in
2007 to 34.0% in 2008.
Liquid funds stood at about 4.4 million EUR as of December 31, 2008 (2007:
4.4 million EUR), thus forming a solid basis for further business
expansion.
With respect to challenges ignited by the financial crisis, plenum
considers itself to be well-placed in terms of organization and contents.
Banks and insurance companies must continue to standardize and automate
their processes. plenum's consulting know-how presents a key competence in
this field.
This key competence also strengthens the acquisition of MANIC Management
Information Consulting GmbH. Negotiations for the purchase of this
consulting company focusing on 'industrialization of financial service
providers' were successfully concluded. The agreement to acquire MANIC by
plenum AG was signed on March 31, 2009 and was effective retroactively as
of January 1, 2009. MANIC supplements plenum's know-how in the core banks
industry and will be managed as a 94% subsidiary of plenum AG. The
managing directors of MANIC are Wolfgang Werner (managing director of MANIC
since 1998) and Michael Rohde, who in addition to his activities as
Chairman of the management board of plenum Management Consulting GmbH has
also been appointed as managing director of MANIC.
For 2009, plenum is prepared to possibly book lower revenues on a temporary
basis due to the financial and economic turmoil. However, since a very
good gross margin was achieved in 2008 despite the difficult market
conditions, plenum also anticipates overall positive earnings (EBIT) in
2009.
The company's consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2008
will be available on April 23, 2009. Interested parties may download the
Annual Report under our website www.plenum.de or may request a copy under
aktie@plenum.de or from plenum Aktiengesellschaft, Investor Relations,
Hagenauer Str. 53, 65203 Wiesbaden.
Information and comments from the issuer of this report:
This report contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and
uncertainties due to current expectations, estimates, predictions and
fore-casts as well as the use of estimates by the management of plenum AG.
Such forward-looking comments comprise the predictions of budgets,
strategies and outlooks. Forward-looking statements can also be identified
by words such as 'anticipates', 'expects', 'preliminary', 'plans',
'predicts', and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are no guarantees
of future performance and the Company's actual results may differ
significantly from the results discussed in this section.
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Information and Explaination of the Issuer to this News:
Information about MANIC Management Information Consulting GmbH:
MANIC Information Management Consulting GmbH was formed in September 1997
as a subsidiary of a German universal bank and was a member of the SUBITO
group from 2000 to 2008. MANIC specializes in Credit Business, IT Solutions
and Transac-tion Banking.
Information about plenum AG:
plenum AG (Prime Standard, ISIN DE0006901001) is a leading German
Management Consulting Firm focusing on solutions for strategic task
completion as part of the industrialization of service providers,
particularly financial service providers and energy suppliers.
DGAP 07.04.2009
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Language: English
Issuer: plenum AG
Hagenauer Straße 53
65203 Wiesbaden
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)611 9882-361
Fax: +49 (0)611 9882-496
E-mail: aktie@plenum.de
Internet: www.plenum.de
ISIN: DE0006901002
WKN: 690100
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard), Stuttgart;
Freiverkehr in Berlin, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf
End of News DGAP News-Service
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DGAP-Adhoc: plenum AG: Profits rise on the basis of restrained growth and core business expansion
| Source: EQS Group AG