The Sartorius Group, a process and laboratory technology provider worldwide, closed the first half of 2006 with significant gains in sales revenue and earnings
The positive results were supported by both divisions of the company and by all regions.
In the first half of 2006, group sales revenue rose 10.2% to 257.1 million euros from 233.2 million euros a year ago.
Currency-adjusted sales revenue grew 9.1%.
The strongest regional growth impulses came from North America; within the product segments, business with disposables for biopharmaceutical applications showed particularly successful development as in the previous quarters.
Order intake at 261.3 million euros was also considerably above the year-earlier figure of 244.4 million euros (up 6.9%; currency-adjusted: up 5.6%).
Sartorius increased its earnings before interest and taxes (Ebit) 31.7% to 22.0 million euros from 16.7 million euros posted for the first half of the previous year.
Accordingly, the Ebit margin rose from 7.2% to 8.6%.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) surged 22.8% to 31.6 million euros from 25.7 million euros a year earlier.
Net profit for the period at 11.7 million euros was also substantially higher than the previous year's figure of 7.6 million euros (up 53.3%).
Earnings per share were 0.69 euro, up from 0.45 euro a year ago.
The investment program planned for expanding the group locations in Goettingen, Germany, Beijing, China and Bangalore, India, is already up and running, and the investment volume posted for the first half approximately doubled as a result.
Despite this rise in capital expenditures, Sartorius achieved a positive first-half net cash flow of 5.0 million euros (previous year: 7.2 million euros).
Net debt of the Sartorius Group rose 11.0 million euros to 71.8 million euros as of June 30, 2006, relative to December 31, 2005.
