SFC Energy AG announces preliminary consolidated figures for 2017 - Record full year sales and earnings - Strong fourth quarter with clearly positive EBITDA

DGAP-News: SFC Energy AG / Key word(s): Preliminary Results

08.02.2018 / 07:30
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.


SFC Energy AG - Corporate News

SFC Energy AG announces preliminary consolidated figures for 2017 - Record full year sales and earnings - Strong fourth quarter with clearly positive EBITDA

- Strong Q4/2017: Sales at EUR 14.9 million (Q4/2016: EUR 12.7 million), underlying EBITDA clearly positive at EUR 1.5 million (Q4/2016: EUR 0.2 million)
- Successful 2017 fiscal year: Preliminary consolidated sales up 23 % to EUR 54.3 million (2016: EUR 44.0 million)
- Preliminary underlying EBITDA 2017 improved to EUR 1.5 million (previous year: loss of EUR 2.7 million)
- Year-end order backlog rose to EUR 18.6 million (2016: EUR 16.9 million)
- Target of sustained profitability for 2018 - Detailed information on the 2018 guidance will be published on March 29, 2018

Brunnthal/Munich, Germany, February 8, 2018 -SFC Energy AG (ISIN: DE0007568578), a leading provider of hybrid power solutions to the stationary and mobile power generation markets, today reported its preliminary consolidated figures for 2017 which was a very good year. There was also a strong fourth quarter in which the SFC Group generated total sales of EUR 14.9 million (Q4/2016: EUR 12.7 million) and reported a clearly positive underlying EBITDA of EUR 1.5 million compared to EUR 0.2 million in the prior year period.

The Major driver of the overall positive development in the past fiscal year was a robust growth in all core markets - Oil & Gas, Industry, Defense, and Government.

In particular, the Defense & Security business developed strongly. SFC Energy acquired new programs, especially on an international level, but also nationally, which contributed to the dynamic 2017 growth. Just prior to the year-end, SFC received a major order from the Bundeswehr in the total amount of EUR 3.6 million and which covered the first part of the customer's defined demand. The order, which will be reported in 2018 sales and earnings, underlines users' strong confidence in SFC Energy solutions and strengthens SFC Group's leading market position in reliable off-grid energy solutions for the defense sector.

"In the 2017 fiscal year, we achieved major growth in all core markets, and we also reached profitability. In the fourth quarter, we generated clearly positive earnings of EUR 1.5 million, on an underlying EBITDA basis. This is a great success for us. It clearly demonstrates the efficiency of our new product mix for growth, strict cost control, and our untiring efforts for the promotion of fuel cells as reliable, efficient and "green" energy sources. And we have pushed this success way beyond the borders of our German home market", says Dr. Peter Podesser, CEO SFC Energy AG.

In the 2017 fiscal year, SFC Group's preliminary consolidated sales rose to the highest level in the company's history, EUR 54.3 million, from EUR 44.0 million in the previous year. 2017 fiscal year earnings, too, developed positively: Preliminary consolidated underlying EBITDA increased to EUR 1.5 million in 2017 from a loss of EUR 2.7 million in 2016.

In addition to rising Defense & Security demands, SFC Energy also benefitted from ongoing robust demand from Industry and from the Oil & Gas industry's increasing investment activities in the wake of recovering oil prices. "Starting at an oil price of USD 45, we have observed a strong impact from new projects and also a palpable increase in maintenance investments as a consequence of 2015 and 2016 investment backlogs being released. As a long-standing, reliable partner we help our Oil & Gas customers to achieve improved cost structures and process improvements with our high-efficiency, high-innovation solutions. We expect above average benefits to come to us from these recovering growth dynamics", says Dr. Podesser. An increased year-end 2017 order backlog of EUR 18.6 million (previous year: EUR 16.9 million) further supports this optimistic assessment.

The figures announced in this press release are preliminary and unaudited. SFC Energy will publish final figures for the fiscal year 2017 and information on the 2018 guidance with the 2017 Annual Report on March 29, 2018.

SFC Energy AG will hold a telephone conference today, February 8, 2018, at 9:00 AM in English for interested investors and representatives. To register, please send an email to susan.hoffmeister@sfc.com.

About SFC Energy Group

SFC Energy AG (www.sfc.com) is a leading provider of hybrid solutions to the stationary and portable power generation markets. SFC is the number one supplier of fuel cells, with over 38,000 fuel cells sold to date. The Company has award-winning products and serves a range of applications in the Oil and Gas, Security and Industry, and Consumer markets. The Company is headquartered in Brunnthal/Munich, Germany, operates production facilities in the Netherlands, Romania, and Canada, and sales offices in the U.S and Canada. SFC Energy AG is listed on the Deutsche Boerse Prime Standard (GSIN: 756857 ISIN: DE0007568578).

SFC Investor Relations

SFC Energy AG
Eugen-Sänger-Ring 7
D-85649 Brunnthal
Tel. +49 89 673 592-378
Fax +49 89 673 592-169
Email: ir@sfc.com
Web: www.sfc.com

CROSS ALLIANCE communication GmbH
Susan Hoffmeister
Tel. +49 89 89827227
Email: susan.hoffmeister@sfc.com
Web: www.crossalliance.de



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