DGAP-News: Villeroy & Boch AG

DGAP-News: Villeroy & Boch AG: Villeroy & Boch starts new fiscal year with revenue and earnings growth

DGAP-News: Villeroy & Boch AG / Key word(s): Quarter Results/Interim Report Villeroy & Boch AG: Villeroy & Boch starts new fiscal year with revenue and earnings growth

20.04.2016 / 08:00 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Press Release Mettlach, 20 April 2016



Interim report on the first quarter of 2016:

Villeroy & Boch starts new fiscal year with revenue and earnings growth

? * Consolidated revenue up 1.6 % to EUR 198.4 million

* Operating EBIT improves by 5.3 % to EUR 10.0 million

* Growth and earnings targets for 2016 as a whole confirmed



Revenue performance: +1.6 % year-on-year

In the first three months of the 2016 financial year, the Villeroy & Boch Group increased its revenue by 1.6 % year-on-year to EUR 198.4 million. On a constant currency basis, i.e. assuming unchanged exchange rates compared with the previous year, revenue amounted to EUR 199.1 million (+2.0 %). Revenue in the Group's home market of Germany increased by EUR 0.6 million or 1.0 % to EUR 60.6 million. Revenue outside Germany rose by 1.9 % year-on-year to EUR 137.8 million. Orders on hand amounted to EUR 77.2 million as at 31 March 2016, an increase of EUR 13.9 million compared with the start of the year. The Bathroom and Wellness Division accounted for EUR 58.5 million of this figure.

Operating EBIT up 5.3 % to EUR 10.0 million

Operating EBIT increased by 5.3 % to EUR 10.0 million in the first three months of the financial year.

Development in the divisions

The Bathroom and Wellness Division generated revenue of EUR 129.2 million in the first quarter of 2016, an increase of 4.4 % as against the previous year. Revenue rose by 5.4 % on a constant currency basis. Significant negative exchange rate effects resulted from the development of the Russian rouble, the Mexican peso and the Norwegian krone. In the Group's home market of Germany, revenue increased by 2.8 % to EUR 39.7 million in the first quarter. Significant revenue growth was also recorded in China (+25.3 %), the United Kingdom (+24.8 %), the Netherlands (+21.3 %) and Sweden (+18.8 %). Revenue in France (-5.7 %) and Italy (-4.8 %) declined due to the sustained weakness of the construction industry. The continued difficult political and economic conditions and the weakness of the rouble meant that revenue in Russia fell by 33.0 %. The Tableware Division reported revenue of EUR 69.2 million in the first quarter of 2016. This represents a year-on-year decrease of 3.2 %, but while the prior-year figure included revenue from project business with hotels and restaurants and business with secondary brands, comparable revenue is not expected to be generated until the coming quarters of 2016. Revenue declined by 3.9 % on a constant currency basis. Significant positive exchange rate effects resulted in particular from the development of the US dollar. Revenue of EUR 20.9 million was generated in the Group's home market of Germany (-1.9 %). Revenue growth was also recorded in Belgium (+16.6 %), the Netherlands (+14.3 %) and the Eastern Europe region (+12.7 %) in particular. The division's e-commerce business enjoyed positive performance across all sales markets (+19.8 %). Downturns in revenue were recorded in Japan (-23.0 %), Italy (-10.7 %) and the USA (-8.9 %).

Investment volume in the first quarter of 2016: EUR 2.4 million

The Villeroy & Boch Group made investments totalling EUR 2.4 million in the first quarter of 2016 (previous year: EUR 2.9 million). Two-thirds (66.7 %) of this figure related to the Bathroom and Wellness Division, which invested in new facilities at the production sites in Germany, Romania, Thailand and the Netherlands. Investments in the Tableware Division related primarily to the newly opened retail stores in Helsinki (Finland) and Ringsted (Denmark).

Outlook for 2016 as a whole

"We are satisfied with our start to the 2016 financial year on the whole. Assuming continued moderate growth in the global economy and based on the significant increase in our orders on hand, we are confirming our revenue and earnings guidance for the full year," commented Frank Göring, CEO of Villeroy & Boch AG. This means that the company is continuing to forecast consolidated revenue growth of between 3 % and 6 % accompanied by an increase in operating EBIT of between 5 % and 10 %.



Please find the complete Interim Report as a PDF-file for download here: http://www.villeroyboch-group.com/en/investor-relations/reports.html



Further inquiry note: Annette Engelke Head of Press & Public Relations Tel: (+49) 6864 81-1397 Fax: (+49) 6864 81-71331 Mail: presse@villeroy-boch.com

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20.04.2016 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Language: English Company: Villeroy & Boch AG Saaruferstraße 1-3 66693 Mettlach Germany Phone: +49 (0)6864 81-0 E-mail: information@villeroy-boch.com Internet: www.villeroy-boch.de ISIN: DE0007657231 WKN: 765723 Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News Service ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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