EANS-News: OVB Holding AG
OVB closes 2008 with significant growth in saes and
earnings
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companies/Financial statements 2008
Cologne (euro adhoc) - Consolidated sales up 5.7 percent, consolidated net profit up 20.5% - Proposed dividend increase to EUR1.35 - Cautious confidence for current financial year
Cologne/Frankfurt am Main, 31 March 2009 - OVB Holding AG increased its sales by 5.7% in financial year 2008 in an increasingly difficult economic environment. Overall sales commissions reached EUR260.2 million (previous year: EUR246.2 million). "We have OVB's broad international positioning to thank for this success," said Michael Frahnert, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, with conviction. Countries in the Central and Eastern European segment again achieved the largest share of the Group's sales growth in 2008 with EUR122.7 million (previous year: EUR105.2 million), a year-on-year increase of 16.7%. The Southern and Western European segment generated sales growth of 5.9% to EUR52.3 million (previous year: EUR49.3 million).
In Germany, sales were EUR85.2 million in 2008 (7% below the previous year's volume), as the environment was dominated by uncertainty due to the financial crisis and increased administrative expenses in field work for financial services sales organisations.
At EUR28.8 million, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) remained at the same level as the previous year. Due to the significant expansion in Central and Eastern Europe, business increased by 5.3% to EUR22.2 million there, while operating results in Southern and Western Europe largely remained on the prior-year level at EUR6.5 million. In Germany, EBIT fell from EUR9.4 million to EUR7.4 million. Despite the temporary weakness in business in this region, the OVB Group achieved an EBIT margin of 11.1% in 2008, significantly above the industry average.
Consolidated net income for 2008 significantly improved over the comparable previous year's figure by 20.5% or EUR4.2 million to EUR24.4 million. Basic earnings per share amounted to EUR1.71 after EUR1.42 in the previous year.
The number of customers also increased again. OVB obtained 170,000 new customers across Europe and now has a customer base of 2.78 million customers as at the end of 2008.
Over the course of 2008, the number of full-time advisors increased by 97, or 2.0%, to 4,862.
The overall positive financial year 2008 makes it possible to propose increasing the dividend by 17.4% from EUR1.15 to EUR1.35 per share at the Annual General Meeting on 12 June 2009.
Despite many uncertainties in the economic environment, Michael Frahnert is cautiously confident for the current financial year: "From today's view, I see a realistic opportunity to generate sales and earnings of around the previous year's level".
About the OVB Group
OVB Group, with its holding company headquartered in Cologne, is one of the leading European financial sales organisations. Since the formation of OVB Vermögensberatung AG in Germany in 1970, customer-oriented consulting for private households in the areas of insurance coverage, asset building and appreciation, pension provision and real estate acquisition have formed the
focus of OVB's business activities. OVB currently advises 2.8 million customers across Europe, working in cooperation with over 100 renowned product partners. OVB is presently active in 14 countries, with more than 4,800 full-time financial consultants working for the Group. In 2008, OVB Holding AG - which has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Prime Standard) since July 2006 - and its subsidiaries generated total sales commission of EUR260,2 million and EBIT of EUR28.8 million. Key figures of OVB Group business year 2008 |Key operating figures|Unit |2007 |2008 |Change | |Clients (31/12) |Number |2.61 |2.78 |+ 6.5 % | | |million | | | | |Financial advisors |Number |4,765 |4,862 |+ 2.0 % | |(31/12) | | | | | |New business |Number of |563,300 |585,817 |+ 4.0 % | | |contracts | | | | |Total sales |Euro |246.2 |260.2 |+ 5.7 % | |commission |million | | | | |Key financial figures|Unit |2007 |2008 |Change | |Earnings before |Mio. Euro |29.0 |28.8 |- 0.4 % | |interest and taxes | | | | | |(EBIT) | | | | | |EBIT margin* |% |11.8 |11.1 |- 0.7 | | | | | |%-pts. | |Consolidated net |Mio. Euro |20.2 |24.4 |+ 20.5 % | |income | | | | | |Earnings per share |Euro |1.42 |1.71 |+ 20.4 % | |(undiluted) | | | | |
* Based on total sales commission
Key figures per region of business year 2008
| |Unit |2007 |2008 |Change | |Central and Eastern | | | | | |Europe | | | | | |Clients (31/12) |Number |1.63 |1.76 |+ 8.0 % | | |million | | | | |Financial advisors |Number |2,690 |2,994 |+ 11.3 % | |(31/12) | | | | | |Total sales |Euro |105.2 |122.7 |+ 16.7 % | |commission |million | | | | |Earnings before |Euro |21.1 |22.2 |+ 5.3 % | |interest and taxes |million | | | | |(EBIT) | | | | | |EBIT margin* |% |20.1 |18.1 |- 2.0 | | | | | |%-pts. | |Germany | | | | | |Clients (31/12) |Number |685,200 |693,600 |+ 1.2 % | |Financial advisors |Number |1,293 |1,105 |- 14.5 % | |(31/12) | | | | | |Total sales |Euro |91.6 |85.2 |- 7.0 % | |commission |million | | | | |Brokerage income |Euro |67.2 |61.4 |- 8.6 % | | |million | | | | |Earnings before |Euro |9.4 |7.4 |- 21.3 % | |interest and taxes |million | | | | |(EBIT) | | | | | |EBIT margin* |% |10.3 |8.7 |-1.6 %-pts.| |Southern and Western | | | | | |Europe | | | | | |Clients (31/12) |Number |293,700 |318,950 |+ 8.6 % | |Financial advisors |Number |782 |763 |- 2.4 % | |(31/12) | | | | | |Total sales |Euro |49.3 |52.3 |+ 5.9 % | |commission |million | | | | |Earnings before |Euro |6.9 |6.5 |- 5.8% | |interest and taxes |million | | | | |(EBIT) | | | | | |EBIT margin* |% |14.0 |12.4 |- 1.6 | | | | | |%-pts. |
* Based on total sales commission
----------------------- OVB Holding AG Heumarkt 1 50667 Cologne Germany
IR Contact:
Brigitte Bonifer Investor Relations
Phone: +49(0)221 / 2015-288 Fax: +49(0)221 / 2015-325
bbonifer@ovb.de ir@ovb.ag Internet: www.ovb.ag
end of announcement euro adhoc --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further inquiry note:
Brigitte Bonifer
Investor Relations
phone: +49 (0)221 2015 288
E-Mail: bbonifer@ovb.de
Branche: Financial & Business Services
ISIN: DE0006286560
WKN: 628656
Index: CDAX, Classic All Share, Prime All Share
Börsen: Börse Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard
Börse Berlin / free trade
Börse Hamburg / free trade
Börse Stuttgart / free trade
Börse Düsseldorf / free trade
Börse München / free trade
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