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SEZ Group Reports on Track after First Quarter 2007
- Recorded CHF 102.6 million net sales
- EBIT margin registered at 9.6 percent
- Order intake logged at CHF 101.3 million
- Confirmed sales forecast of CHF 200 million for first half-year
In the first quarter of 2007, the SEZ Group (SWX Swiss Exchange: SEZN) achieved CHF 102.6 million in net sales, compared to CHF 108.6 million in the previous quarter. Order intake was recorded at CHF 101.3 million, compared to CHF 107.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2006. After the first three months of 2007, the book-to-bill-ratio was 0.99, while the SEZ Group’s backlog stood at CHF 68.8 million. The company reports an operating profit (EBIT) of CHF 9.9 million, corresponding to an EBIT margin of 9.6 percent. Net profit accounted for CHF 9.8 million or 9.6 percent of net sales. Due to continuing strong investments in memory SEZ confirms its sales forecast of CHF 200 million for the first half-year 2007. Delayed recovery in the foundry segment results in temporarily limited market visibility. Therefore, SEZ expects order intake to fall below the level of prior quarters in the second quarter of 2007. By mid-year, a significant recovery in the foundry segment is expected. For the full-year 2007, SEZ Group’s sales expectation of around CHF 400 million is unchanged. Quarterly Key Figures (unaudited)
in CHF million | Q1/07 | Q4/06 | Q3/06 * | Q2/06 * | Q1/06 * | Order intake | 101.3 | 107.3 | 104.4 | 104.7 | 91.3 | Order intake end of quarter | 68.8 | 72.7 | 75.1 | 86.2 | 82.8 | Book-to-bill ratio | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.91 | 1.05 | 1.33 | Net sales | 102.6 | 108.6 | 115.1 | 99.3 | 68.9 | Gross profit | 41.7 | 42.9 | 48.5 | 40.0 | 24.7 | Gross profit margin | 40.6% | 39.5% | 42.2% | 40.2% | 35.8% | EBIT (operating profit) | 9.9 | 12.4 | 15.9 | 9.5 | 0.9 | EBIT margin | 9.6% | 11.4% | 13.8% | 9.6% | 1.3% | Net profit | 9.8 | 12.2 | 15.3 | 7.4 | 1.7 | Net profit margin | 9.6% | 11.2% | 13.3% | 7.4% | 2.5% |
* Prior year figures have been restated due to the implementation of an accounting policy choice in IAS 19.
Average exchange rates January – March 2007:
EUR/CHF 1.61582; USD/CHF 1.23590
Upcoming Financial Events
| 26 April 2007 | Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, Zurich, Switzerland | | 31 July 2007 | Press release and conference call reporting first half-year 2007 results |
This press release includes tables of the results for the consolidated income statements and balance sheets for the SEZ Group’s first three months of 2007. About SEZ Group
The SEZ Group is the leading provider of single-wafer wet-clean processing solutions for the semiconductor industry, with an installed base of over 1,100 tools. The company maintains operations in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Japan and North America. Since 1996, registered shares of SEZ Holding Ltd. have been traded on the SWX Swiss Exchange under the symbol SEZN. Additional information about the company is available on the Internet at www.sez.com.
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