Ad hoc announcement acc. to Sec. 15 WpHG: H1 2015 figures set new records in customer contracts, sales and earnings
- Sales up 27.2% to EUR 1.823 billion
- EBITDA grows 47.9% to EUR 351.3 million, EBIT up 25.2% to EUR 242.3 million
- EPS improves 28.8% to EUR 0.85; EPS before PPA up 36.8% to EUR 0.93
- 2015 guidance: contract growth upgraded to approx. 880,000, while sales and earnings forecasts remain unchanged
Montabaur, August 12, 2015. United Internet AG continued its growth trajectory in the first half of 2015. The company once again posted strong improvements in customer contract figures, sales, and key earnings ratios.
Development of the Group
In the first six months of 2015, United Internet once again invested heavily in new customer relationships. As a result, the number of fee-based customer contracts was raised by 430,000 in the first half of 2015 to 15.21 million. This customer growth was driven by the Access segment.
Thanks to the further strong year-on-year rise in customer figures – as well as the consolidation of Versatel GmbH, acquired on October 1, 2014 – consolidated sales set a new record figure of EUR 1.823 billion, corresponding to year-on-year growth of 27.2%.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose by 47.9%, from EUR 237.6 million to EUR 351.3 million. This figure includes one-off income of
EUR 5.6 million from the sale of shares in the Goldbach Group.
Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) increased by 25.2%, from EUR 193.5 million to EUR 242.3 million. Earnings per share (EPS) improved by 28.8%, from EUR 0.66 last year to EUR 0.85. Before amortization from purchase price allocations (PPA), which mainly relate to the Versatel acquisition, EPS rose by 36.8%, from EUR 0.68 to EUR 0.93.
| Group development (in EUR million) | H1 2014 | H1 2015 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 1,433.6 | 1,823.4 | +27.2% |
| EBITDA | 237.6 | 351.3 | +47.9% |
| EBIT | 193.5 | 242.3 | +25.2% |
| EPS (in EUR) | 0.66 | 0.85 | +28.8% |
| EPS before PPA (in EUR) | 0.68 | 0.93 | +36.8% |
Outlook
With the figures achieved for sales and earnings in the first half of 2015, United Internet AG is well on track to meet its targets. Against the backdrop of strong customer growth in the first six months, the company is raising its full-year guidance for 2015 and now expects fee-based customer contracts to grow by 880,000 (previous forecast: approx. 800,000). This additional customer growth is expected to come from the Access segment (Mobile Internet). In the Applications segment, the company plans to conclude its acquisition of home.pl in the second half of the year and begin examining the possibility of an IPO for its Business Applications. In addition, United Internet signed an agreement at the end of June to sell shares in virtual minds AG to the ProSiebenSat.1 Group and thus reduce its stake from 48.65% to 25.10%. Subject to anti-trust approval, United Internet expects proceeds of EUR 13.4 million (EBITDA-effective: EUR 8.0 million) from this share sale. United Internet can confirm its EBITDA guidance for the full year with growth of around 40% (prior year: EUR 551.5 million) and continues to expect an increase in sales of approximately 20%.