Feintool International Holding AG / Feintool boosts orders received and sales in abridged year as well . Processed and transmitted by Thomson Reuters ONE. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The Feintool Group continued its positive business trend from 1 October to 31 December 2011. At CHF 100 million, the company received 4.6% more orders than in the same period of the previous year. Group sales rose by 11% to CHF 101 million, while the order backlog rocketed by 28% to CHF 186 million. Despite the persistently negative currency situation, Feintool achieved a positive result in the abridged year as well. The company anticipates a stable trend over the coming months.

In the 2011 abridged year (resulting from the changeover of the financial reporting system to the calendar year), the Feintool Group continued to benefit from the automotive industry's successful development. Despite the persistently negative influence of the currency situation on all financial figures, the technology company achieved a positive result. Compared with the same period of the previous year, Feintool boosted its sales across the Group by 11.2% to CHF 101.2 million. Growth of sales in the individual business areas developed unevenly: the Fineblanking Technology and Automation segments, which are geared towards long-term capital goods, enjoyed considerable sales increases of 24.7% and 37.5%, respectively. The System Parts segment, which deals in more cyclical series parts, grew sales by 3.4%.

Orders received rise overall
 At Group level, orders received were up 4.6% to CHF 100 million compared with the same period of the previous year. The very pleasing increase in orders (70.1%) in the automation business compensated fully for the subdued level of orders received in the Fineblanking Technology segment. The decline of 32.0% in the latter is due to the loss of internal orders. Orders received from third parties were up by 6.8% to CHF 19.7 million. The figure for System Parts was down by 8.5% year on year, which was almost entirely due to lower euro and US dollar exchange rates. 

Strong order backlog for capital goods
 Compared with the same period of the previous year, the order backlog grew by 28.5% across the Group to CHF 186.2 million. Although the amount for Fineblanking Technology fell by 15.9%, the backlog still covers the next 6 to 8 months. The order backlog for the automation business almost doubled, corresponding to guaranteed utilization of capacity for almost a year. 

Positive outlook
 Business is already shaping up well for Feintool in 2012. For the 2012 calendar year, we anticipate consolidated sales of CHF 350-390 million and an EBIT margin of 4 to 6%.

Key financial figures in brief

Figures in CHF 31.12.2011
(CHF million)		 31.12.2010
(CHF million)		 Change
in %		 Change
in %
(after adjusting for
currencies)
Sales
- Fineblanking Technology segment 29.4 23.6 24.7 26.3
- System Parts segment 58.7 56.8 3.4 8.1
- Automation segment 16.7 12.1 37.5 47.3
Total for Feintool Group 101.2 91.0 11.2 15.9
Orders received
- Fineblanking Technology segment 22.8 33.5 -32.0 -31.5
- System Parts segment 59.3 64.8 -8.5 -4.4
- Automation segment 21.0 12.3 70.1 82.2
Total for Feintool Group 99.99 95.95 4.6 9.1
Order backlog
- Fineblanking Technology segment 42.4 50.4 -15.9
- System Parts segment 105.1 93.3 12.6
- Automation segment 46.8 24.5 91.1
Total for Feintool Group 186.2 144.9 28.5

Media spokesperson

Karin Labhart
Tel. +41 (0)32 387 51 63
Fax +41 (0)32 387 54 16
Mob+41 (0)79 609 22 02
karin.labhart@feintool.com:
mailto:karin.labhart@feintool.com

The press release can be downloaded from the following link:

Press Release (PDF):
http://hugin.info/100443/R/1579594/493086.pdf


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Source: Feintool International Holding AG via Thomson Reuters ONE
HUG#1579594