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DGAP-News: USU Software AG publishes final figures for 2013 and confirms planning - dividend of EUR 0.25 per share announced(DGAP Corporate News Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) DGAP-News: USU Software AG / Key word(s): Final Results/Dividend USU Software AG publishes final figures for 2013 and confirms planning - dividend of EUR 0.25 per share announced 27.03.2014 / 09:58 --------------------------------------------------------------------- * Significant increase in consolidated sales thanks to positive license business * High investments in growth impact consolidated earnings * Rise in operating cash flow and Group liquidity * Significant increase in sales and earnings planned for 2014 * Dividend of EUR 0.25 announced for 2013 fiscal year USU Software AG (ISIN DE000A0BVU28) announced its final figures for 2013 today. These figures show that USU increased its IFRS consolidated sales by 8.8% to EUR 55,713 thousand (2012: EUR 51,229 thousand), particularly as a result of strong software license sales with new customers as of the end of the year. The USU Group thus increased license sales by 25.7% year-on-year to EUR 10,056 thousand in the 2013 fiscal year (2012: EUR 7,997 thousand), surpassing the EUR 10 million mark for license sales for the first time. Maintenance business contributed EUR 12,364 thousand (2012: EUR 11,679 thousand) to consolidated sales, equivalent to a rise of 5.9% in comparison to the previous year. USU increased its consulting income by 8.4% to EUR 31,668 thousand (2012: EUR 29,215 thousand) thanks to the positive development of product business. Other income, which primarily relates to merchandise sales of third-party hardware and software, totaled EUR 1,625 thousand in the four quarters of 2013 (2012: EUR 2,338 thousand). After a modest start to the 2013 fiscal year, USU posted significant business growth again in the second half of the year. In addition to the acquisition of a majority interest in B.I.G. Social Media GmbH (BIG) in 2013 and the further development of the portfolio, this increase was also attributable to the new product innovations launched on the domestic market over the course of the reporting year. With a view to implementing its medium-term strategy, the USU Group made substantial investments in expanding its product range in 2013 and selectively expanded its workforce by 24.9% year-on-year to 452 employees (December 31, 2012: 362). Taken together with the up-front investments in the partnership with the US software group CA Technologies and the muted overall development of the consulting-based Service Business segment, these investments in growth meant that operating earnings were lower than in the previous year. As anticipated, earnings before interest and taxes adjusted for extraordinary effects due to acquisitions (adjusted EBIT) amounted to EUR 5,083 thousand (2012: EUR 7,065 thousand). Unadjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) totaled EUR 3,408 thousand (2012: EUR 3,528 thousand). Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) increased to EUR 5,490 thousand (2012: EUR 5,265 thousand) in the same period. All in all, net profit for the year amounted to EUR 3,646 thousand (2012: EUR 4,815 thousand), corresponding to earnings per share of EUR 0.35 (2012: EUR 0.46). Despite the high investments in the future, the dividend paid to USU shareholders and the purchase price paid for BIG, USU increased Group liquidity to EUR 14,231 thousand in the 2013 fiscal year (December 31, 2012: EUR 11,408 thousand). This was largely due to a positive cash flow from operating activities, which improved from EUR 5,591 thousand in 2012 to EUR 9,855 thousand in the reporting period. This increase partly reflects the cash inflow from contractual prepayments from CA under the terms of the partnership agreement with USU. Following the investments made in 2013, the Management Board of USU Software AG believes that the Group as a whole is well positioned to successfully achieve its medium-term targets of consolidated sales in excess of EUR 100 million and a margin of more than 15% based on adjusted EBIT by 2017. The Management Board expects sales to increase to EUR 63-65 million in the 2014 fiscal year, corresponding to organic sales growth of more than 13%. Adjusted EBIT is forecast to rise by more than 50% to EUR 8-8.5 million in the same period. Based on this forecast, the Management Board plans to allow the shareholders of USU Software AG to participate significantly in the Company's operating success again. In line with the USU Group's dividend policy, which stipulates the distribution of roughly half of the Company's profit to the shareholders but a dividend at least at the previous year's level, and in view of the positive future prospects, the Management Board and the Supervisory Board of the Company will propose a dividend distribution at the previous year's level of EUR 0.25 per share at the Annual General Meeting for the 2013 fiscal year on June 24, 2014. USU Software AG The USU Group is the largest provider in Europe for IT and knowledge management software. Market leaders from all sectors of the international economy use USU applications to create transparency, enhance agility, save costs and reduce their risks. In addition to USU AG, founded in 1977, USU Software AG - which is listed in the Prime Standard of the German Stock Exchange and in the GEX (ISIN DE000A0BVU28) - also includes the subsidiaries Aspera GmbH, Aspera Technologies Inc., LeuTek GmbH, OMEGA Software GmbH, USU Consulting GmbH and B.I.G. Social Media GmbH. Contact: USU Software AG Corporate Communications Dr. Thomas Gerick Tel.: +49 (0) 71 41 - 48 67 440 Fax: +49 (0) 71 41 - 48 67 909 E-Mail: [email protected] USU Software AG Investor Relations Falk Sorge Spitalhof D-71696 Möglingen Tel.: +49 (0) 71 41 - 48 67 351 Fax: +49 (0) 71 41 - 48 67 108 E-Mail: [email protected] End of Corporate News --------------------------------------------------------------------- 27.03.2014 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. DGAP's Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: USU Software AG Spitalhof 71696 Möglingen Germany Phone: +49 (0)7141 4867-0 Fax: +49 (0)7141 4867-200 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.usu-software.de ISIN: DE000A0BVU28 WKN: A0BVU2 Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, München, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News-Service --------------------------------------------------------------------- 259944 27.03.2014 |