DGAP-News: RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG Continues Strategy for Sustainable Organic Growth - Shareholders Approve Dividend Increase at AGM

Corporate News
 

Bad Neustadt / Saale | 5th June 2019
 

RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG Continues Strategy for Sustainable Organic Growth - Shareholders Approve Dividend Increase at AGM

• Shareholders approve dividend increase by roughly 32 percent to EURO 0.29 following significant rise in EBITDA and net consolidated profit in financial year 2018
   
• Large majority at AGM formally approve actions of Board of Management and members of the Supervisory Board
   
• Healthcare provider RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG focuses on sustainable organic growth and three pillars of strength: campus strategy, digital transformation and telemedicine
   
• Guidance for2019 confirmed: revenues in the amount of EURO 1.30 billion +/- 5 percent;
  EBITDA in a range of EURO 117.5 million to EURO 127.5 million

RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG, one of the largest healthcare providers in Germany, has confirmed its guidance following a significant rise in earnings and profit in financial year 2018 and an agreeable development in the first quarter of 2019 and has hinted at sustainable operative growth. "We are continuing a strategy for organic growth which certainly no longer has anything in common with the past strategy of rapid hospital acquisitions which in particular took place in the 1990s and which is now no longer possible in view of the currently radically different market conditions. We are now focusing on sustainable organic growth, on quality rather than quantity," CEO Stephan Holzinger explained at the 31^st ordinary Annual General Meeting (AGM) which took place today in Bad Neustadt /Saale, the home of the corporate headquarters.

"With our campus which we successfully took into service at the beginning of 2019 we have implemented a bold model for the future of the ailing German healthcare system. Instead of strict separation of the in-patient and out-patient sectors which has now become out-of-touch with current patient requirements our one-stop campus concept offers any type of medical services of the highest quality where the patient is truly at the centre of modern healthcare.

We intend to provide this campus concept at other places in Germany and shall know how to exploit opportunities which will no doubt arise in the future," Holzinger stated.

"Boldly Going New Ways" - Corporate Strength and Strategic Direction

"RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG rests on three strategic pillars of strength. And it knows where its skills lie; it knows where it is going," Holzinger stated in his speech to the shareholders. The strategic focus is on the RHÖN campus strategy, on the comprehensive digital transformation of the Company in the areas of medical care, nursing and administration and on entering the forward-looking telemedicine market in Germany as was declared at the beginning of 2019. "At RHÖN we have the courage and innovative capacity to grasp opportunities in a competitive environment which is characterised by regulatory challenges. We can therefore develop new business models beyond our hitherto natural core business. Telemedicine is an important addition which is the right complement to the "out-patient services before in-patient services before rehab services" value chain which we have applied in our Company until now. We shall place it at the front of this chain. We believe the ability to provide treatment and medical consultations to patients via telephone, video and internet which has now generally been made possible in Germany by relaxing the so-called ban on telemedicine is a strategic addition to our campus services." This stands for forward-looking healthcare particularly in rural areas. Thanks to a closely knit network of the people who are involved in the medical treatment and short communication distances RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG follows the objective of being able to make medical services even more comfortable, better and faster for patients.

At the AGM the CEO also drew attention to the necessity of extensively reforming the healthcare system against the background of the various challenges in the healthcare industry. Such a reform must take account of the growing trend towards more and more out-patient medical services and prevention as well as a more efficient channelling of patients. "We are convinced that a reform of the healthcare system which must unavoidably be restructured should also include a reform of the remuneration system. Innovative ideas in the remuneration of our services are therefore also a logical step following on from our campus concept in Bad Neustadt which answers the trend towards more and more out-patient medical services and the rapid progress in medical technology. We believe that the current system of so-called diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) is no longer fit for purpose due to its extreme complexity and some false incentives."

Dividend Increase

With a majority of 99.99 percent the shareholders approved the proposal by the Supervisory Board and the Board of Management to increase the dividend to EURO 0.29 per non-par share after EURO 0.22 last year. As specified in the agenda the sum of approx. Euro 19.4 million from the 2018 net distributable profit will be used for the distribution of the dividend. This corresponds to a dividend payout ratio of approx. 40 percent. With this ratio RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG safeguards its medium-term ability to make investments yet also allows its shareholders to participate in the future success of the Company. The actions of the members of the Board of Management, Stephan Holzinger (98.52 percent), Prof. Dr. Bernd Griewing (98.49 percent) and Dr. Gunther Weiss (98.51 percent) as well as of the members of the Supervisory Board who were in office in 2018 have all been formally approved with a very high percentage. Dr. Gunther Weiss has been a member of the Board of Management since 1^st May 2018. The Supervisory Board unanimously revoked Dr. Martin Siebert as a member of the Board of Management on 28^th March 2018. His actions were formally approved with 98.50 percent of the votes.

Jan Hacker was voted onto the Supervisory Board as a new member. Hacker is an entrepreneur and CEO of Oberender AG with its registered office in Bayreuth. Jan Hacker was appointed to his office until the end of the AGM which will pass the resolution to formally approve the actions of the Board of Management and Supervisory Board in 2019. This new appointment was necessary due to the departure pursuant to the articles of association of Prof. Dr. h. c. Ludwig Georg Braun, Melsungen, who became 76 years old on 21^st September 2018 and has therefore left for reasons of age. The Board of Management wishes to thank Prof. Dr. h. c. Ludwig Georg Braun for his positive commitment to the Company during his many years of service on the Supervisory Board and warmly welcomes Jan Hacker. 82.49 percent of the registered share capital voted at the ordinary AGM of RKA.

Confirmation of Guidance

Looking ahead Holzinger stated to the shareholders: "We shall hold our ground in this strongly competitive environment by boldly going new ways with efficiency, innovative strength, strategic clarity, commitment and not least courage." He confirmed the guidance for 2019: "After the first few months of this financial year we are very confident that we shall also achieve our objectives for 2019. We wish to continue with our profitable growth in the current financial year. We expect revenues in the amount of EURO 1.3 billion plus/minus 5 percent. We also expect EBITDA in the range of EURO 117.5 million to EURO 127.5 million."

RHÖN‐KLINIKUM AG is one of the largest healthcare providers in Germany. The hospital group offers excellent medical care with a direct link to universities and research institutes. More than 850,000 patients are treated every year at the five group hospitals located in Bad Berka, Bad Neustadt, Frankfurt (Oder), Giessen and Marburg where almost 17,000 employees work. With the RHÖN campus concept the Company is currently implementing a new and forward-looking project which raises fully comprehensive healthcare in rural areas to a new level of excellence and is geared to the growing needs of patients.

More information under www.rhoen-klinikum-ag.com

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Contact:

RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG | Head of Corporate Communications and Marketing
Elke Pfeifer
Telephone: +49 9771 65-1327 | E-Mail: elke.pfeifer@rhoen-klinikum-ag.com

RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG | Head of Investor Relations and Treasury
Julian Schmitt
Telephone: +49 9771 65-1536 | E-Mail: julian.schmitt@rhoen-klinikum-ag.com

RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG | Schlossplatz 1 | 97616 Bad Neustadt / Saale, Germany