Jena/Germany | Carl Zeiss Meditec AG

In the first half of fiscal year 2018/19 Carl Zeiss Meditec generated revenue of €667.2m, representing an increase of 8.7 percent (adjusted for currency effects: +6.8 percent; prior year’s revenue: €613.7m). Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) rose significantly, to €264.7m (prior year: €197.1m). The EBIT margin increased further, to 16.5% (prior year. 14.4%).

“In the first half of 2018/19, we have continued on our growth path, with a strong contribution from new products and a high level of recurring revenue”, comments Dr. Ludwin Monz, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss Meditec AG.

The Ophthalmic Devices strategic business unit (SBU) increased its revenue by 9.2 percent in the first half of fiscal year 2018/19 (adjusted for currency effects: +7.4 percent), to €490.7m, compared with €449.3m in the same period of the prior year. This revenue increase is mainly attributed to the unchanged high demand for laser vision correction solutions as well as products for cataract surgery.

Revenue in the Microsurgery SBU grew by 7.4 percent (adjusted for currency effects: +5.2 percent), to €176.5m, compared with €164.4m in the same period of the prior year. Sales of neurosurgical visualization systems for the treatment of tumors and vascular diseases remained strong.

Revenue in the EMEA¹ increased by 10.7 percent (adjusted for currency effects: +11.6 percent), to €213.7m (prior year: €193.0m). Germany, France and Spain all posted strong revenue growth.

At €180.9m (prior year: €181.6; -0.4 percent, adjusted for currency effects: -5.0 percent), revenue in the first half of the current fiscal year in the Americas region was slightly below the prior year's figure. This development is primarily attributable to new product launches in the first half of the 2017/18 fiscal year, which had provided a strong boost to revenue in the same period of the prior year.

The APAC² also posted a further increase in its revenue, of 14.0 percent (adjusted for currency effects: +12.3 percent) to €272.6m (prior year: €239.1m). Strongest contribution came again from China and South Korea.

The operating result (EBIT) increased significantly and reached €110.4m in the first half of the current fiscal year (prior year: €88.2m). This increase was mainly driven by a favorable development of product mix with a high share of recurring revenue. The EBIT margin increased from 14.4 percent to 16.5 percent. Adjusted for special effects, this represented an increase to 16.8 percent (prior year: 14.7 percent). Earnings went up to €0.65 per share from the €0.63 of the same period in the previous year.

“With the results of the first half of the fiscal year in the books, we are now able to provide a more precise forecast:” says Dr. Ludwin Monz: “We expect to achieve sales of € 1,350 million - € 1,420 million for the full year. Due to the strong level of the EBIT margin in the first half, we are adjusting our expectations for the current fiscal year 2018/19 and now expect an EBIT margin between 15.0 percent to 17.5 percent (up from previously: 14.0 percent to16.0 percent). The forecast for the mid-term development of the EBIT margin will be reviewed as part of the publication of the financial results for 2018/19, considering the planned strategic investments in research and development."