DGAP-News: Berentzen Group maintains high-level growth trend in Q3 2016


DGAP-News: Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft / Key word(s): Quarterly /
Interim Statement/Quarterly / Interim Statement
Berentzen Group maintains high-level growth trend in Q3 2016

27.10.2016 / 06:48
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Berentzen Group maintains high-level growth trend in Q3 2016

  - Consolidated revenues up 8.0% to EUR 124.7 million

  - Consolidated EBIT climbs 48.9% to EUR 7.0 million

  - Strategic brands expand much faster than the market

  - Outlook for 2016 reaffirmed: sharp increase in earnings figures
    expected

Haselünne, October 27, 2016 - Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft, which is
listed on the regulated market (General Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock
Exchange (ISIN: DE0005201602), maintained its pattern of growth through the
third quarter of 2016. CEO Frank Schübel is highly satisfied with the
Company's performance: "The Berentzen Group is growing strongly. What's
particularly pleasing is the way the positive trend is entrenched across
all three pillars of our business model. After nine months of this year,
we've already reached roughly the same level of earnings that we attained
over the whole of last year."

Specifically, consolidated revenues rose by 8.0% to EUR 124.7 (115.5)
million in the first nine months of the current financial year.
Consolidated earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) improved sharply to
EUR 7.0 (4.7) million in the period from January to September 2016. All
three segments - Fresh Juice Systems, Spirits and Non-alcoholic Beverages -
contributed to growth.

"The consistent strategy built around product innovations and the rising
demand for fresh products alongside our classic brands is paying off,"
explains Frank Schübel. The business involving fresh juice systems under
the Citrocasa brand, for instance, saw its revenues rise by 26.0% in the
first nine months compared with the first three quarters for last year.

The Non-alcoholic Beverages segment similarly performed extremely well.
Despite a contracting market in Germany overall (down 1.3% according to the
German mineral water association VDM), the Berentzen Group recorded a 7.8%
increase in revenues during the reporting period. Within this total, the
revenues from the highly innovative Mio Mio brand family, which jumped
65.3% over the equivalent period last year, are worthy of special note. The
massive increase results from strong consumer demand for Mio Mio Mate,
Cola, Cola Zero and the new Mate Banana flavour as well as expanded
distribution activities. Revenues in the franchise business involving
drinks marketed under the Sinalco brand rose by 21.6% in the period from
January to September compared with the year-ago total.

The good overall performance also stems in part from the third pillar, the
original Spirits segment. Here, too, the domestic market contracted by 3.0%
overall (January to August 2016) according to a survey conducted by The
Nielsen Company. The Berentzen Group bucked the market trend to increase
its revenues by 4.9% during the reporting period. The two strategic
umbrella brands, Berentzen and Puschkin, recorded revenues up 7.3% and 6.0%
respectively on the back of consistent brand management. The Berentzen
Group similarly generated a 7.7% increase in revenues in the spirits
business involving branded dealer and private-label products. The positive
development is essentially attributable to growth under new volume
contracts together with an increase in revenues from products with greater
value added. On the other hand, international revenues from branded spirits
slipped by 9.2% during the reporting period compared with the first three
quarters of last year. The decline can be attributed to the well-known
problems in the crisis-hit countries in Eastern Europe and Turkey and has
already been incorporated in the forecasts.

New shareholder structure

With the final and complete exit of the Munich-based private equity holding
company AURELIUS Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA as announced on
September 26, 2016, the shake-up in the ownership structure that had been
initiated over recent months was successfully concluded by the end of the
third quarter. The new shareholder structure features a balanced spread
across institutional and private investors at home and abroad. "The capital
market has given a very warm welcome to our new shareholder structure. This
is reflected in the far greater liquidity of the share and a higher share
price overall," comments Frank Schübel.

Outlook

In line with the positive development throughout the first nine months of
2016, Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft expects to report continuous
advancement in earning figures over the entire year, compared to 2015.
"We'll continue to systematically apply our successful strategy and
generate sustainable growth with our strong brands and innovative products.
I'm certain we'll be able to achieve this not only in the fourth quarter of
this year but also over the next few years," says Frank Schübel.

The Q3/2016 Interim Report can be downloaded from the corporate website of
Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft - www.berentzen-gruppe.de - using the
following link:
www.berentzen-gruppe.de/en/investors/announcements/financial-reports

About the Berentzen Group:

The Berentzen Group is a broad-based beverage company operating in the
following three segments: Spirits, Non-alcoholic Beverages and Fresh Juice
Systems. The Berentzen Group is one of the oldest producers of spirits in
Germany with a corporate history going back over 250 years. Today, it has a
presence in more than 60 countries around the world with well-known brands
like Berentzen and Puschkin and attractively priced private label products.
In its Non-alcoholic Beverages segment, the corporate group produces
mineral waters, carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks under its own
brands and also boasts more than 50 years of experience in the franchise
business for soft drinks, currently acting as franchisee for the Sinalco
brand. In addition, the Berentzen Group markets innovative fresh juice
systems under the Citrocasa brand in its third segment, thus serving the
fast-growing market for modern, health-oriented drinks. The Berentzen-
Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft share (ISIN DE0005201602) is listed on the
regulated market (General Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

For more information
www.berentzen-gruppe.de

Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft
Antje Schwindeler
Press and PR
Tel. +49 (0)5961-502215
pr@berentzen.de


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27.10.2016 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:     Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft                      
                Ritterstraße 7                                           
                49740 Haselünne                                          
                Germany                                                  
   Phone:       +49 (0)5961 502-0                                        
   Fax:         +49 (0)5961 502-550                                      
   E-mail:      ir@berentzen.de                                          
   Internet:    www.berentzen-gruppe.de                                  
   ISIN:        DE0005201602, DE000A1RE1V3,                              
   WKN:         520160, A1RE1V                                           
   Listed:      Regulated Market in Frankfurt (General Standard);        
                Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf,       
                Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange  
 
 
   End of News    DGAP News Service  
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