DGAP-News: ecotel communication ag / Key word(s): Final Results
ecotel communication ag: ecotel communication ag presents financial
statement for 2014
31.03.2015 / 08:00
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- Revenue in 2014: EUR 101.5 million (forecast: EUR 85 to 95 million)
- EBITDA 2014: EUR 7.3 million (forecast: EUR 6.5 to 7.5 million)
- Introduction of dividends planned
Düsseldorf, 31 March 2015
ecotel again succeeded in continuing the profitable course of growth in
financial year 2014. The forecast goals were again either exceeded or at
least reached at the upper end.
In financial year 2014 ecotel exceeded the aspired revenue threshold of EUR
100 million with a figure of EUR 101.5 million, compared to EUR 91.2
million in the previous year. This corresponds to growth of 11.3 %, which
puts the company clearly above the forecast corridor of EUR 85 to 95
million. This growth of revenue is essentially due to the Wholesale
Solutions and New Business segments. Revenue in the Business Solutions
segment of EUR 41.9 million remained at the previous year's level (previous
year: EUR 42.0 million). In this respect it should be pointed out that
since mid-2014 ecotel has discontinued marketing of the company's own
mobile services. Without this effect, revenue in Business Solutions would
have increased slightly to EUR 42.3 million.
Despite the strong growth of revenue in the low-margin area of Wholesale
Solutions, gross profit was stabilised for the most part at EUR 26.6
million (previous year: EUR 26.8 million). This is essentially due to the
positive development of the low-margin segments Business Solutions and New
Business (easybell).
EBITDA totalling EUR 7.3 million was 10.6 % higher than in the comparison
period and therefore at the upper end of the forecast corridor of EUR 6.5
to 7.5 million. EBIT for the reporting period totalled EUR 3.0 million
(previous year: EUR 3.2 million) and consolidated profit totalled EUR 1.2
million (previous year: EUR 1.4 million), due to higher depreciations.
Earnings per share therefore decreased from EUR 0.40 to EUR 0.33. The
equity ratio on the other hand increased to 47.1Â %.
The subsidiary easybell can also look back on a successful year 2014.
Especially positive again was the development of the DSL business with
All-IP-based voice products, which clearly gained in dynamics in the
financial year. The total revenue of the easybell Group therefore increased
by EUR 2.7 million, or 23.7 %, from EUR 11.4 million to EUR 14.1 million,
with gross profit of EUR 4.1 million (29 %). Driving factors for growth are
recommendations from satisfied customers who praise the good
cost-effectiveness ratio and the service. This is also confirmed by various
customer surveys conducted by Computer BILD and the German Association for
Consumer Studies in cooperation with N24, in which easybell once again was
distinguished as the best supra-regional DSL provider in Germany.
Due to the positive business development and earnings situation, the
Management Board and Supervisory Board have decided to recommend the
introduction of a dividend of EUR 0.16 per qualified share at the Annual
General Meeting.
For 2015 the Management Board expects consolidated revenue of EUR 90 to 100
million, and EBITDA of EUR 7.5 to 8.5 million. In addition, the Management
Board continues to pursue the goal of sustainably increasing revenue to EUR
100 million, with EBITDA of EUR 8 - 10 million by 2016.
About ecotel communication ag:
The ecotel Group (hereinafter »ecotel«) is a telecommunications company
that has been active throughout Germany since 1998 and specialises in
meeting the information and telecommunication (IT/telecom) requirements of
customers. The parent company is ecotel communication ag. The shares are
traded in the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
ecotel markets products and services in the following segments: »Business
Solutions (B2B)«, »Wholesale Solutions«, »Private Customer Solutions (B2C)«
and »New Media Solutions«.
ecotel's core segment is represented by »Business Solutions (B2B)«. Here
ecotel offers 18,000 small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as
large-scale customers throughout Germany, an integrated product portfolio
of voice and data services (IT/telecom solutions) from a single source.
In »Wholesale Solutions« ecotel integrates the offerings for other
telecommunications companies. In addition, ecotel is active in
cross-network trading of telephone minutes (wholesale) for national and
international carriers; for this purpose, ecotel maintains network
interconnections with approximately 100 international carriers.
The »Private Customer Solutions (B2C)« of ecotel include the services of
the easybell Group. The Berlin-based subsidiary markets high-quality yet
low-priced Internet and telephone services. For this purpose easybell
provides rate-adaptable ADSL2+ and VDSL services nationwide. easybell is
also one of the market leaders in the provision of classic call-by-call and
Internet-by-call access.
With its »New Media Solutions« nacamar GmbH offers streaming services for
media enterprises on the basis of its own Content Delivery Network (CDN),
which is hosted in the ecotel computer centre. The company also markets
customised solutions for content management systems, online representation
and technical developments (apps) for access by end devices (smartphones,
tablet PC and smart TVs).
The corporate group, with its main office in Düsseldorf, currently has
about 240 employees, including subsidiaries and holdings.
Note:
This publication is not an offer for the sale nor an invitation for the
purchase or subscription of securities. This publication is not a
securities brochure. This publication and the information contained therein
are not intended for direct or indirect dissemination to or within the
United States of America, Canada, Australia or Japan.
PR office:
Business and Financial Media
Annette Drescher (Assistant to the Managing Director)
Phone: 0211-55 007-740
Fax: 0211-55 007 5 740
E-mail: presse@ecotel.de
Business media
Bernadette Loosen-Flanz (PR)
Phone: 0211-55 007-316
Fax: 0211-55 007 5 316
E-mail: presse@ecotel.de
For more information, please visit us on the web at www.ecotel.de
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31.03.2015 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a
service of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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Language: English
Company: ecotel communication ag
Prinzenallee 11
40549 Düsseldorf
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)211 55 00 70
Fax: +49 (0)211 55 00 7 222
E-mail: info@ecotel.de
Internet: http://www.ecotel.de
ISIN: DE0005854343
WKN: 585434
Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated
Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Munich, Stuttgart
End of News DGAP News-Service
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339411 31.03.2015
DGAP-News: ecotel communication ag: ecotel communication ag presents financial statement for 2014
| Source: EQS Group AG