25.10.2023 21:00 MEZ

Koenig & Bauer expects EBIT of €25-35m for 2023
 

Würzburg, 25 October 2023 – Based on the preliminary figures for the first nine months of 2023 and the outlook for the fourth quarter, the Management Board of Koenig & Bauer AG expects the 2023 financial year to be weaker than previously assumed.

In particular, the still robust order pipeline for Banknote Solutions in the Special segment will be delayed for reasons related to individual nation states. In view of revenue recognition methods, which in the Special segment are largely based on the percentage-of-completion (POC) method, order intake shows up more quickly in revenue recognition and earnings.

In the Digital & Webfed segment, the future-oriented products generated strong order intake in the third quarter. However, as things currently stand, it can be assumed that further start-up costs will be required in connection with the introduction of the new flexo, corrugated board and digital printing products in the second half of 2023.

In the largest segment, Sheetfed, the company continues to assume that growth will be more profitable in 2023 than in the previous year.

Provided that general conditions do not deteriorate any further, Koenig & Bauer expects to achieve its revenue target of around €1.3bn accompanied by EBIT of €25-35m in 2023.

The adjustment to the outlook for the current year to factor in the economic volatility and geopolitical uncertainties has no impact on the medium-term targets, as the company’s focus is on the packaging market, which is growing structurally and sustainably. Koenig & Bauer will issue guidance for 2024 and 2025 when it publishes its full-year figures for 2023.

Koenig & Bauer will publish the complete financial figures for the third quarter and the first nine months on 8 November 2023.

The preliminary figures for the first nine months of 2023 as follows:

08.06.2023 10:40 MEZ

Koenig & Bauer signs cooperation agreement with Volkswagen on development collaboration in the field of battery cell manufacturing

Koenig & Bauer AG today signed a cooperation agreement with Volkswagen subsidiary PowerCo SE for development collaboration in the field of sustainable battery cell production.

Koenig & Bauer will develop a machine for the industrial powder coating ("solvent-free dry coating") of electrodes. Dry coating, which is a sub-process of multi-stage battery cell production, eliminates the costly and energy-intensive drying of wet-coated electrodes. Koenig & Bauer plans to cover most of the development costs with its own engineering resources. According to the current planning status, the development phase is scheduled to run until the end of 2024. Whether the ambitious development goals will be achieved can only be assessed after the development phase has been completed.

If the development goals are achieved, Volkswagen has the exclusive right to use or sell the Koenig & Bauer equipment for a period of 7 years.

A separate supply and distribution agreement is to be concluded for this purpose.

23.02.2023 18:40 MEZ

Koenig & Bauer exceeding EBIT forecast for 2022 on the basis of its preliminary figures

Koenig & Bauer AG, Würzburg (“Koenig & Bauer”, WKN: 719 350 / ISIN: DE0007193500) has announced that, on the basis of its preliminary and as yet unaudited figures, its preliminary Group earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) for 2022 have exceeded its own forecast as well as market expectations. On this basis, EBIT reached €22m (own forecast: €15 - €20m); at €1,186m, Group revenue was at the upper end of the company’s own forecast of €1,160 -1,190m.

This heightened profitability is attributable in particular to the more efficient response to the challenges posed by supply-chain and capacity constraints as well as the intensified implementation of the P24x programme.

For the current year 2023, the Management Board projects Group revenue of around €1.3bn, with an EBIT margin of roughly 3%.

The full and audited financial statements for 2022 will be published on 29 March 2023 and made available on the website.

21.07.2022 21:00 MEZ

Koenig & Bauer acquires 49 % in Celmacch Group S.r.l. and expands its presence on the growth market for corrugated board

Koenig & Bauer AG, Würzburg (“Koenig & Bauer,” WKN: 719 350 / ISIN: DE0007193500) and the shareholders of Celmacch Group S.r.l. – a leading manufacturer of high board line flexo printing presses and rotary die-cutters for the corrugated board industry – have today joined forces and agreed to the acquisition of a 49 per cent stake in the latter’s business by Koenig & Bauer. This lays the foundations for collaboration on development and marketing activities on the growth market for corrugated board. Koenig & Bauer has the option to acquire further shares in Celmacch Group S.r.l.. 

Celmacch Group S.r.l. counts around 50 employees and has gathered over 40 years of experience on the growth market for corrugated board, a segment that Koenig & Bauer also addresses with its complementary CorruCUT and CorruFLEX presses. Celmacch Group S.r.l. is a financially healthy company and has built up an excellent market standing, especially since the relaunch of its Chroma product family in 2019. These presses are already supplied to numerous major international packaging producers, primarily on the local markets. On this basis, turnover has increased strongly to around €20 million. Celmacch Group S.r.l. will operate as Koenig & Bauer Celmacch S.r.l. in future; its offices remain in Desenzano, Italy. For the first phase of the partnership, the focus will be placed on joint sales and service activities, further product development and expansion of the company’s assembly capacities. Under the name ‘Chroma’, a new product family will cover all price and performance classes in the relevant market segment.

Acquisition of the shares in Celmacch Group S.r.l. remains subject to official approval from the Italian authorities that oversee foreign direct investment. The parties have agreed not to disclose further details of the transaction. The final closing is anticipated for September 2022.

25.02.2022 17:10 MEZ

Koenig & Bauer exceeds EBIT forecast for 2021 on the basis of its preliminary figures

Koenig & Bauer AG, Würzburg (“Koenig & Bauer”, WKN: 719 350 / ISIN: DE0007193500) has announced on the basis of its preliminary and as yet unaudited figures that it has exceeded its own forecast for preliminary Group earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) for 2021.

Despite the ongoing pandemic in 2021 and a challenging procurement environment, EBIT of around €29m was achieved through the acceleration of the savings effects in the P24x efficiency programme and the more efficient implementation of the related personnel measures. This was also due to a high earnings contribution from the Special segment in the fourth quarter in particular. At around 2.6%, the EBIT margin thus exceeded the company’s own forecast of 2.0% for 2021. Driven by a generally strong final quarter, Group revenue reached the forecast range of €1,100 - 1,135m in 2021, coming to around € 1,116m.

The company plans to publish its forecast for 2022 together with the presentation of its audited annual financial statements and the annual report for 2021 no later than on March 30, 2022, also in view of the current developments in the Ukraine crisis and, resulting from this, the high level of uncertainty over the impact on the global economy. Koenig & Bauer will be holding a conference call (in English) for analysts and investors on 30 March 2022. The conference call will be available on the website later.