NORMA Group SE Starts Financial Year 2016 with Solid Growth

MAINTAL, Germany

NORMA Group SE, a global market leader in engineered joining technology, achieved solid growth in the first quarter of financial year 2016. Sales rose by 2.3 percent to 226.6 million euros compared to the same quarter of the previous year (Q1 2015: 221.5 million euros).

Organic growth amounted to 2.4 percent. Negative currency effects resulted in a 0.1 percent decline.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes and amortization of intangible assets (adjusted EBITA) increased by 2.2 percent to 40.1 million euros (Q1 2015: 39.2 million euros). The adjusted EBITA margin was 17.7 percent and thus remained at a high level (Q1 2015: 17.7 percent).

“We had a good start in financial year 2016 and managed to increase both our sales and our earnings again in the first quarter,” said Werner Deggim, CEO of NORMA Group. “The EMEA region showed stronger organic growth than we had expected and the Asia-Pacific region continued to develop dynamically. We are confident that we will be able to continue to grow profitably in financial year 2016.”

Stronger growth in the EMEA region and Asia-Pacific

In the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region, NORMA Group managed to increase its sales by 6.1 percent to 112.1 million euros (Q1 2015: 105.6 million euros) in the first quarter 2016. This strong organic growth can be attributed for the most part to the upswing in the euro zone and continued positive development of the European automotive industry.

In the Americas region, NORMA Group generated sales of 96.0 million euros in the first three months of 2016, a slight 1.8 percent decline (Q1 2015: 97.7 million euros). This development is mainly due to the weakness in the commercial vehicles and agricultural machinery sectors.

In the Asia-Pacific region, NORMA Group managed to increase its sales by 1.9 percent to 18.6 million euros (Q1 2015: 18.2 million euros). Despite the drop in China’s economic growth, the region recorded strong organic growth with offsetting negative currency effects and thus continued its sustained positive development.

Equity ratio increased again

Group equity rose to 437.1 million euros as of 31 March 2016, an increase of 1.7 percent compared to the end of last year (31 December 2015: 429.8 million euros). The equity ratio improved to 37.5 percent (31 December 2015: 36.8 percent). Net debt including hedging instruments declined to 347.8 million euros as of 31 March 2016 (31 December 2015: 360.9 million euros). NORMA Group had 6,322 employees including temporary employees worldwide on 31 March 2016 (31 December 2015: 6,306).

Outlook for financial year 2016 confirmed

NORMA Group has reaffirmed its forecast for financial year 2016. The company expects to see solid organic sales growth of around 2 to 5 percent compared to 2015 and will strive to achieve a sustainable adjusted EBITA margin at the same level of previous years of over 17 percent (2015: 17.6 percent; 2014: 17.5 percent; 2013: 17.7 percent).

NORMA Group SE in figures

* Adjustments: Q1/2016 by depreciations from PPA adjustments; Q1/2015 by integration costs (0.1 million euros), step-up effects from purchase price allocations (2.4 millioneuros) and depreciations from PPA adjustments; Q4/2015 by integration costs, step-up effects from purchase price allocations and depreciations from PPA adjustments

**Net debt including hedging instruments (31.03.2016: 4.4 million euros; 31.03.2015: 35.3 million euros; 31.12.2015: 3.4 million euros)

Additional information is available from NORMA Group’s Investor Relations section at www.investors.normagroup.com. Please visit www.normagroup.com/Images for press photos.

Other dates

Publication of the financial results for the second quarter of financial year 2016 is scheduled for August 3, 2016.

About NORMA Group

NORMA Group is a global market leader in engineered joining technology. The company manufactures a wide range of innovative connecting solutions and water management technology offering more than 35,000 products to customers in 100 countries with around 6,500 employees. NORMA Group helps its customers and business partners to react to global challenges such as climate change and increasing scarcity of resources. NORMA Group joining products can be found in vehicles and trains, ships and aircraft, buildings and water management as well as in applications for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. The company generated sales of around 890 million euros in 2015. NORMA Group operates a global network of 22 production facilities as well as numerous sales and distribution sites across Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. NORMA Group has its headquarters in Maintal, Germany. NORMA Group SE is listed on the German stock exchange (Prime Standard) and included in the MDAX index.

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain future-oriented statements. Future-oriented statements include all statements which do not relate to historical facts and events and contain future-oriented expressions such as “believe,” “estimate,” “assume,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “could,” or “should” or expressions of a similar kind. Such future-oriented statements are subject to risks and uncertainties since they relate to future events and are based on the company’s current assumptions, which may not in the future take place or be fulfilled as expected. The company points out that such future-oriented statements provide no guarantee for the future and that the actual events including the financial position and profitability of NORMA Group SE and developments in the economic and regulatory fundamentals may vary substantially (particularly on the down side) from those explicitly or implicitly assumed in these statements. Even if the actual assets for NORMA Group SE, including its financial position and profitability and the economic and regulatory fundamentals, are in accordance with such future-oriented statements in this press release, no guarantee can be given that this will continue to be the case in the future.

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Company Contact
Daphne Recker
Group Communications
NORMA Group SE
Tel.:+49 6181.6102.743
Email: Daphne.recker@normagroup.com
Andreas Trösch
Investor Relations
Tel: +49 (0)6181 – 610 2741
E-Mail: andreas.troesch@normagroup.com
Media Contact
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