Good group business performance
Despite persistently challenging global economic and political conditions, the group recorded a robust order intake of €1149.7 million, only slightly shy of the previous year’s figure (€1182.7 million). At €557.5 million, the order backlog at the end of 2016 remained at a high level (2015: €574.9 million). With the revenue structure continuing to shift in favor of the markets of the future, the group revenue came to €1,167.1 million, 13.9% up on the previous year’s figure of €1,025.1 million. Driven by growth in the rest of Europe, Northern and Latin America as well as Africa, the export ratio came to 85.5% and was thus slightly up on previous year’s already high level (85%). Business in Asia-Pacific was impacted by the softer economy in China.
Group net profit rises to €82.2 million
Increased revenue accompanied by improved margins, consistently high capacity utilisation and the sustained reduction of the cost base following the successful completion of restructuring underpinned the increase in profit, which reached the highest level in the company’s 199-year history. Adjusted for non-recurring income, EBIT and EBT climbed to €62.9 million and €56.8 million, respectively. At 4.9%, the EBT margin guidance of up to 5% was achieved in full. Besides these operating factors, earnings were driven by non-recurring income of €22.4 million from the mandatory write-ups of property, plant and equipment and the recognition of deferred tax assets of €7.4 million. Group net profit rose more than three-fold to €82.2 million (2015: €26.9 million), equivalent to earnings per share of €4.98 (2015: €1.62).
Presented at drupa and featuring outstanding printing results, the RotaJET L inkjet rotary press is currently being enhanced for new industrial and packaging printing applications. Photo KBAPositive earnings continue for sheetfed
Thanks to the growth in the packaging market and substantial market share gains, the sheetfed segment posted a 9.5% increase in revenue to € 615 million. Despite high fair and development expenses, EBIT climbed from €25.5 million to €31.3 million, underpinned by the higher revenue in tandem with improved margins, strong capacity utilisation and the growth in service business. After the expected slowdown in post-drupa business KBA achieved with a good Q4, an order intake of €569.7 million (2015: €663 million).
Digital & web growing in future markets
Driven by growth in service business and in new digital printing applications, digital & web performed well, becoming profitable with an EBIT of €1.9 million despite the strain caused by development expenses. With order intake up 28% to €150.8 million, revenue rose by 59% to €156.5 million. Koenig & Bauer expects the partnership with HP in the corrugated packaging sector and its own RotaJET series to make a growing contribution to its digital printing business.
Order intake, revenue and profit up in the special segment
The favourable performance of packaging printing solutions caused order intake to climb to €491.4 million (2015: €477.7 million). In a competitive environment, the company maintained its leading international position in security printing with a market share of over 80%. Revenue grew by 11.6% from €422.9 million in the previous year to €472 million. Segment profit came to €42.8 million, up from €27.7 million in 2015.
Stronger balance sheet and financial power
The substantial increase in free cash flow contributed to a rise in liquidity to €202 million (31 December 2015: €186.3 million). The solid balance sheet structure was additionally improved with the increase in the equity ratio to 31.1% (2015: 26.5%).
In 2016, the group workforce increased by 69 to 5,318 employees. In addition to specific recruiting in the expanding service segment and for new applications for the packaging and digital printing markets, 60 employees joined the group with the acquisition of Iberica AG as part of the entry into the growing market for flatbed die-cutters.
Guidance for 2017
“Despite the persistently challenging conditions in the global economy particularly in the light of recent political developments, we are facing 2017, the year of our company’s 200th anniversary, with confidence,” said Bolza-Schünemann . “Should conditions for our global business not significantly deteriorate, we target an organic growth to €1.25 billion in group revenue and an EBIT margin of around 6% in 2017.”
