- EBITDA up 20 percent to EUR 25.9 million in first half-year 2014/2015
- Production of biodiesel and bioethanol increased by 11 percent
- First biomethane from 100% straw fed in to the network
- Prospects for dividend payments
Leipzig, February 5, 2015 – VERBIO AG earnings growth continued in the first half of the 2014/2015 financial year. The Group’s revenues for the period fell by 27 percent to EUR 307.8 million (1 HY 2013/2014: EUR 420.2 million) compared to the same period in the previous year. The fall was primarily a result of the lower price levels for biofuels and the lower level of merchandise revenues from fossil and biofuel trading.
Earnings before interest, taxes, and depreciation (EBITDA) amounted to EUR 25.9 million, EUR 4.4 million (20 percent) more than in the comparative period in the previous year (1 HY 2013/2014: EUR 21.5 million). The Group's earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) increased by 40 percent, totaling EUR 14.7 million (1 HY 2013/2014: EUR 10.5 million). The Group’s net result before taxes (EBT) totals EUR 13.0 million (1 HY 2013/2014: EUR 8.8 million), and the net result for the period is EUR 11.8 million (1 HY 2013/2014: EUR 7.9 million). Based on the result for the period, earnings per share (basic and diluted) is EUR 0.19 (1 HY 2013/2014: EUR 0.13).
The primary drivers of earnings growth were the increased sales quantities, resulting from higher pro-duction capacity usage, as well as effective efficiency improvements in the Bioethanol segment. Pro-duction of biodiesel and bioethanol in the period from July 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014 was 343,248 tons, an increase of 11 percent over the 309,417 tons produced in the same period of the previous year. In addition, a total of 227.5 GWh of biomethane was produced in the first half of the 2014/2015 financial year (1 HY 2013/2014: 132.5 GWh), an increase of 72 percent compared to the equivalent period of the previous year. At the Schwedt site, which is supported under the European NER 300 subsidy project, the plant expansion designed to produce biomethane from 100 percent straw achieved its first milestones according to plan.
Development of the Biodiesel, Bioethanol and Other segments
The Biodiesel segment generated sales revenues of EUR 195.5 million in the reporting period covering the first half-year 2014/2015 (1 HY 2013/2014: EUR 257.9 million). At 217,954 tons (1 HY 2013/2014: 209,522 tons) production of biodiesel increased a further 4 percent. This represents a 97 percent production capacity utilization rate. The Biodiesel segment contributed EUR 13.5 million EBITDA (1 HY 2013/2014: EUR 13.3 million) and EUR 11.0 million EBIT (1 HY 2013/2014: EUR 10.7 million) to the Group's results.
The Bioethanol segment generated sales revenues of EUR 108.1 million in the reporting period covering the first half-year 2014/2015 (1 HY 2013/2014: EUR 151.0 million). With 125,294 tons of bioethanol (1 HY 2013/2014: 99,895 tons) and 227.5 GWh biomethane (1 HY 2013/2014: 132.5 GWh) production in this area also increased, by 25 percent and 72 percent, respectively. The Bioethanol segment contributed EUR 11.5 million EBITDA (1 HY 2013/2014: EUR 8.8 million) and EUR 3.4 million EBIT (1 HY 2013/2014: EUR 1.1 million) to the Group's results.
Revenues generated in the Other segment totaled EUR 7.5 million in the first six months of the 2014/2015 financial year (1 HY 2013/2014: EUR 18.5 million), primarily from transport and logistics services. The segment result amounted to EUR 0.3 million (1 HY 2013/2014: EUR -1.3 million).
Increase in earnings forecasts and possible dividend payment for the 2014/2015 financial year
The Management Board currently expects an EBITDA in the range of between EUR 36 million and EUR 44 million and EBIT in the range between EUR 14 million to EUR 22 million for the full 2014/2015 financial year. In its most recent previous forecast the Company had expected EBITDA of between EUR 25 million and EUR 35 million and EBIT of between EUR 3 million and EUR 13 million. Provided current business trends continue, and provided that all statutory conditions are fulfilled, the payment of a dividend for the 2014/2015 financial year in a range of between five and ten cents per share is considered possible.
Detailed information on business developments in the first half-year 2014/2015 is provided in the half-year report 2014/2015. The report can be viewed from 9 a.m. on Verbio's website, www.verbio.de.
Information about VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG (VERBIO)
VERBIO is one of the leading independent producers and providers of biofuels and is at the same time the only large industrial producer of biodiesel, bioethanol and biomethane in Europe. The production capacity is at a rounded 450,000 tons biodiesel, 260,000 tons bioethanol and 480 gigawatt hours biomethane per year. In the production of its highly efficient fuels, the company uses energy-saving production processes and innovative technologies of own development. The biofuels of VERBIO achieve CO2 reductions of up to 90 percent compared to petrol or diesel. VERBIO delivers its products directly to the European mineral oil conglomerates, mineral oil trading companies, independent gas stations, freight forwarders, municipal utilities and vehicle fleets. In addition, VERBIO markets high-quality pharma glycerine for the consumer goods and cosmetics industry (glycerine is gained as a by-product in biodiesel production). Within the group, VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG acts as Management Holding. The operative business is exercised by the subsidiaries, VERBIO Diesel Bitterfeld GmbH & Co. KG, VERBIO Diesel Schwedt GmbH & Co. KG, VERBIO Ethanol Schwedt GmbH & Co. KG, VERBIO Ethanol Zörbig GmbH & Co. KG and Märka GmbH. The VERBIO stock (ISIN DE000A0JL9W6 / WKN A0JL9W) has been listed at the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt stock exchange since October 2006.
Important notice
This publication contains certain forward-looking statements concerning the VERBIO group of companies. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the judgment of VERBIO as of the date of this release and involve risks and uncertainties. Should actual conditions differ from the Company's assumptions, actual results and actions may differ from those anticipated. VERBIO does not intend to update any of these forward-looking statements as far as the wording of the relevant publication is concerned.