Dr. Hönle AG: Hönle increases its operating result by 16.4% to EUR 6.7 million in the first half of the year

Gräfelfing/München (pta011/12.05.2021/08:05 UTC+2) Although the Hönle Group was still largely spared from the corona pandemic in the first half of the previous year, the reluctance to invest especially in the printing business was clearly felt in the current financial year. Nevertheless, Hönle succeeded in raising both the revenue and earnings level, supported in particular, by the application fields of air disinfection and water disinfection. Overall, the Hönle Group's revenues in the first six months of the 2020/2021 financial year came to TEur 57,605, up 13.3 % on the previous year's level. The operating result rose by 16.4 % to TEur 6,733.

In the second quarter, compared to the first quarter of the current financial year, sales revenues increased by 16.0 % to TEur 30,932 and operating result by 117.8 % to TEur 4,615.

Earnings before tax (EBT) amounted to TEur 6,287 and were thus 10.7 % up on the prior year period. After income taxes, the consolidated profit amounted to TEur 4,553, corresponding to an increase of 3.7 %. Earnings per share improved from Eur 0.73 to Eur 0.77 (adjusted prior year figure). Net profit on sales came to 7.9 % in the first half of the year (PY: 8.6 %).

Outlook
Adhesives Segment
Given the corona pandemic, the Management expects stable business development in the short term and a return to strong business development over the medium to long term in the Adhesives segment. Current customer projects as well as the enlarged customer base will contribute to this positive course of business which is also demonstrated by the fact that all major smartphone manufacturers are now using Hönle Group adhesives. With a view to realising the growth planned, both the development and sales capacities in the Adhesives segment were stocked up. In addition, the space capacities were expanded. A new corporate building with 6000 m^2 of floor space was built in Steinbach near Frankfurt, which is ready for being occupied at the beginning of the year. Moreover, there are further expansion areas to enable the realisation of growth plans over the long term.

Equipment & Systems Segment
The Hönle Group has used the last few months to strengthen its position in the life science market. Highperformance equipment for the disinfection of air, water and surfaces has been developed to this end. In addition, Hönle further expanded its market position via several acquisitions. The Equipment & Systems segment as well as the Glass & Lamps segment will profit from the expected strong development of business with air and surface disinfection equipment.
Hönle is going to further expand its product range of high-performance air disinfection systems. In order to achieve significant sales increases in this field, Hönle is significantly intensifying its marketing activities. TV commercials, press conferences, print- and online advertising campaigns as well as its presence in social media are designed to inform the public about the Hönle Group's powerful disinfection devices aimed at reducing the risk of infection in connection with the corona pandemic, among others. After marketing in Germany, efforts are now underway to open up the European market and thereafter the US American market.
The food industry is a further target group within the scope of life science. Here, Hönle is continuously expanding its product range of environmentally friendly disinfection solutions. New technologies will be added to the existing product range and provide for additional growth opportunities.

Cooperation agreements with strategic partners also provide the Hönle Group with important growth potential in the water disinfection segment in the coming years. The Management expects that the UV-based disinfection business will make a significant contribution to the Hönle Group's sales revenues and earnings in the current financial year and in the future.

Glass & Lamps Segment
In order to accommodate the planned growth in the areas of UV air disinfection and ballast water disinfection, production capacities in the newly created lamp competence centre in Ilmenau were significantly increased. Rising sales generated with lamps and components for disinfection systems will contribute to the very encouraging business development at uv-technik Speziallampen GmbH.

In addition, the quartz glass market will also pick up, as underlined by the favourable order intake in recent months. Increased demand is expected from the semi-conductor industry, in particular. In addition, the planned expansion of sales capacities in conjunction with high-quality quartz glass products is expected to lead to a sales increase at Raesch Quarz (Germany) GmbH. Moreover, due to better purchasing conditions, Raesch Quarz (Germany) GmbH will also contribute to the improvement in earnings.

Overall Assessment of Future Business Development
Given the corona pandemic it is still difficult to predict the Hönle Group's business development and the impact on individual segments for the year 2020/2021. While, in the first six months of the financial year 2020/2021, the dampening effects of the corona crisis were still clearly felt in individual sectors such as the printing machine market, the Management Board expects respective stronger revenue and earnings contributions in the second half of the year. Moreover, very good development is expected for the business with systems and UV lamps for air and surface disinfection in the current financial year. However, although the Management expects the positive effects to clearly outweigh the negative ones due to the demand for air disinfection systems, in particular, a reliable quantitative prognosis for the financial year 2020/2021 cannot be made at this time. Nevertheless, the Management Board expects clear sales and earnings improvements in the reporting year compared to the previous year.

The complete quarterly report is available at:
https://www.hoenle.de/investoren/finanzinformation

About Hönle
Dr. Hönle AG is a listed technology company with its registered office in Gräfelfing near Munich. The Hönle Group with its more than 600 employees develops innovative solutions for a wide range of industrial manufacturing processes. One focus of its business activities is the development and sale of industrial adhesives and casting compounds. In addition, equipment for drying paints and varnishes, curing adhesives and plastics, as well as for surface disinfection and sunlight simulation are manufactured. Air disinfection devices that are used to contain the corona pandemic are new to the product range. In addition, the Group produces UV lamps for water disinfection, among other things, and manufactures tubes and semi-finished products made of quartz glass, which are used in various branches of industry. The Hönle Group supplies technology and world market leaders worldwide and is represented in over 20 countries by its own companies or partner companies.

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Emitter:	Dr. Hönle AG Lochhamer Schlag 1 82166 Gräfelfing/München Germany
Contact Person:	Peter Weinert
Phone:	+49 89 85608-173
E-Mail:	peter.weinert@hoenle.de
Website:	www.hoenle.de
ISIN(s):	DE0005157101 (Share)
Stock Exchange(s):	Regulated Market in Frankfurt; Free Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate