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SEZ Group Forecasts Higher Sales and Profits for 2000 and 2001
ZURICH, Switzerland--October 12, 2000--The SEZ Group is raising its sales projections for fiscal 2000 to approximately CHF 190 million (USD 114 million). This represents an increase of 11 to 18.75 percent over the company's previous forecast of CHF 160-170 million (USD 97-103 million). For the current business year, SEZ anticipates an EBIT margin of approximately 23 percent and a net profit margin near 16 percent.
For business year 2001, the company's management has set a sales goal of about CHF 260 million (USD 156 million), up slightly from its previous estimate of CHF 250 million (USD 150 million). The company has also predicted a slight increase of its profit margins.
Increased demand for SEZ Spin-Processors allowed the Group to quadruple its consolidated sales in the third quarter of 2000 to CHF 60.6 million (USD 36.3 million), versus CHF 15.6 million (USD 10.7 million) in the third quarter of 1999. For the first nine months of this year, sales increased to CHF 137.7 million (USD 82.5 million), up from CHF 37.7 million (USD 25.9 million) for the same time period last year. In the third quarter of this year, the company has established an EBIT margin of approximately 23 percent.
"The revised profit projections for fiscal 2000 reflect the large number of SEZ Spin-Processors delivered to international semiconductor manufacturers who are expanding production or upgrading existing fabs," explained Herwig Petschnig, COO of the SEZ Group. "In general, we have seen a faster increase in orders from leading microchip producers in the U.S. and Europe than from Asia during the third quarter of 2000."
Overall, SEZ landed new orders worth CHF 89 million (USD 54 million) during the period from July to September 2000. Nine months into the current business year, SEZ now has new orders totalling CHF 190 million (USD 114 million), up from CHF 103 million (USD 69 million) in 1999. The company's order backlog as of September 30, 2000 stood at CHF 105 million (USD 61 million), versus CHF 63 million (USD 42 million) in 1999. The book-to-bill ratio for the period from January 1, 2000 to September 30, 2000 was 1.38.
About SEZ:
The SEZ Group is a leading supplier of spin-processing equipment to the global semiconductor manufacturing industry. The company's breakthrough proprietary Spin-Processor technology forms the basis of a broad portfolio of backside and frontside wafer surface conditioning products for semiconductor chipmakers worldwide. SEZ maintains development, manufacturing, sales, marketing and service operations in Europe, Asia and North America. Registered in Zurich, Switzerland, SEZ Holding AG is listed on the Swiss Exchange under the symbol (SWX: SEZN).
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