In contrast, operating profit rose by 9.6 percent to € 67.7 million (previous year: € 61.8 million). The resulting operating margin of 14.7 percent for 2012, therefore above the prior year’s level (previous year: 11.9 percent).
Manfred Bender, CEO of Pfeiffer Vacuum Technology AG, states: “We have successfully implemented our plan to raise operating profit – despite declining turnover in a difficult market. I’m very proud of this achievement. The integration of adixen is progressing according to plan. We have interesting products in the pipeline which we plan to introduce at the “Hannover Messe” trade exhibition. These products will give a foretaste of the breadth of expertise the new Pfeiffer Vacuum is now able to offer.”
Orders received by Pfeiffer Vacuum for the fiscal year 2012 amounted to € 445.6 million (previous year: € 515.9 million). The book-to-bill ratio, which is the ratio of orders to sales, was at 0.97 in 2012 compared to 0.99 in 2011. The relatively low year-end level of order backlog of € 71.8 million in 2012 (previous year: € 87.6 million) is the result of unusually weak business in December.
Bender adds, “Business is currently very inconsistent. One month it’s good, the next it slackens off. It is too early as yet to deliver a forecast for the current fiscal year 2013. One thing is certain however – we will need to focus intensely on further improving our already respectable profitability in the months ahead.”
The detailed audited earnings figures, the full balance sheet and the dividend payout proposal will be announced by the company on the day of the press conference on their financial statements scheduled for March 22, 2013.
Source:
http://impeller.net:80/magazine/news_en/doc6529x.asp
