Business

Oerlikon Posts Good Results For Q3 Sales

• 28.9 % increase in Group Q3 sales
• Group Q3 EBITDA margin: 15.0 %
• Double-digit growth in orders and sales sustained in Surface Solutions Segment
• Substantial increase in sales and orders recorded in Manmade Fibers Segment
• Full-year guidance for 2018 confirmed
• Intention to nominate additional independent member to the Board of Directors at 2019 AGM

“We are pleased to announce another quarter of strong growth,” said Dr. Roland Fischer, CEO Oerlikon Group. “We increased Group orders by 22 % and sales by almost 30 % year-over-year. The EBITDA margin of 15 % reflects the higher operating costs related to investments and a larger share of revenues generated by equipment and project businesses in this quarter.”

“We continued to grow our surface solutions business, increasing orders and sales in almost all of our end markets. For our Manmade Fibers Segment, we recorded significantly higher orders and achieved a historical high in sales,” added Dr. Fischer. “We have delivered strong results and are on track to deliver on our guidance for the full year of 2018.”

Group performance in Q3 2018

In the third quarter of 2018, Oerlikon increased orders and sales in nearly all of its end markets, except power generation. These results reflect Oerlikon’s efforts and success in sustaining and developing the business.

The Surface Solutions Segment achieved double-digit growth in both orders and sales in the third quarter. The upward trend in general industries in the first half of the year continued in the third quarter. Positive development was also registered in other end markets, particularly in aerospace and automotive, and mainly in the USA and Europe. Operating profitability for the surface solutions business came in lower year-over-year as a result of higher operating expenses related to investments and a larger share of project and equipment business. The Manmade Fibers Segment continued to capture a significant share of business in the filament equipment market, where the high level of demand, primarily in China, prevailed. In addition, a substantial increase in sales was recorded for machinery and systems for texturing and carpet yarn applications, as well as for nonwovens.

Group orders for the third quarter increased year-over-year by 22.2 % to CHF 655 million (Q3 2017: CHF 536 million) and sales were up by 28.9 % to CHF 687 million (Q3 2017: CHF 533 million). At constant exchange rates, sales stood at CHF 682 million. The Group’s EBITDA came in higher year-over-year at CHF 103 million, or 15.0 % of sales (Q3 2017: CHF 89 million, 16.7 %). EBIT for Q3 2018 stood at CHF 62 million, corresponding to a margin of 9.0 % (Q3 2017: CHF 49 million, 9.2 %). The third quarter performance resulted in a significantly improved rolling 12-month Oerlikon Group return on capital employed (ROCE) of 11.7 % (2017 reported: 7.0 %).

In the third quarter, service revenues contributed to 35.7 % of total Group sales (Q3 2017: 43.7 %), reflecting the higher proportion of revenues being generated through equipment and project businesses, mainly related to the strong recovery in the Manmade Fibers Segment.

Intention to nominate additional independent member to the Board of Directors

The Oerlikon Board intends to nominate an additional independent member to the Board of Directors. This change will be proposed to shareholders for approval at the 2019 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. This addition will increase the total number of independent Board Members to four while broadening its industrial experience.

Divestment of Drive Systems Segment

The customary approvals for the announced divestment of the Drive Systems Segment to Dana Inc. are ongoing and on track. Closing of this transaction is expected in late 2018 or the first quarter of 2019.

2018 outlook confirmed

Oerlikon has delivered a strong performance over the past three quarters and is thus confirming its guidance for the full year of 2018, despite the increasingly challenging market environment. For continued operations for the full year of 2018, Oerlikon Group order intake is expected to exceed CHF 2.6 billion, sales to be around CHF 2.6 billion, and EBITDA margin to exceed 15.5 %, after accounting for increased operating expenses from higher investments, particularly in additive manufacturing (AM), and impacts from the divestment of the Drive Systems Segment.

Surface Solutions Segment

The Surface Solutions Segment sustained top-line growth, delivering double-digit increases in both year-over-year orders and sales. A significant increase in order backlog compared to the same period in 2017 was also seen due to the higher volume of equipment orders. The Segment realized sales growth in all end markets except power generation. Sales continued to increase, notably in general industries, aerospace and automotive, and slightly in tooling. In the power generation market, sales came in slightly lower compared to the previous year, though remaining relatively stable over the past three quarters. Regionally, a healthy uptake of orders and sales was noted in the USA and Europe, while an uptick in orders was seen in China.