SOFTWARE AG: LARGEST BUSINESS LINE STAYS ON GROWTH
TRACK
·
BPE: Q1 revenue up 11 percent
·
ETS: Steady margin, performance in
line with expectations
·
Consulting: Sale of SAP service
operations agreed
·
Currency exchange rates burden total
revenue
·
Full-year forecast confirmed
[Note: All percentages
contained herein are rounded and at constant currency]
May 2014 - Software AG (Frankfurt TecDAX: SOW) reported a continued
positive performance in the first quarter of 2014 for its largest business line
Business Process Excellence (BPE) with a growth of 11 percent (at constant
currency). The company set its dynamic growth course through the targeted
expansion of sales and placing new products in key future markets in 2013.
Software AG expects further dynamic growth in BPE over the course of fiscal
2014 and has confirmed its outlook for the year.
Karl-Heinz Streibich, CEO of Software AG, states, “The two-digit BPE
growth confirms the direction of our transformation strategy. More and more
customers are investing in innovative software to fuel the digitization of
their businesses with new process management and integration solutions.”
Arnd Zinnhardt, CFO of Software AG, adds, “As a pure software product
vendor, we can now focus on our own portfolio and achieve a higher margin than
with third-party product consulting services. The sale of our SAP service
activities was therefore a logical step.”
Business line development
The Business Process Excellence (BPE) line achieved revenue
growth of 11 percent at constant currency to total €95.3 million (2013: €90.3
million). Of that, license sales rose 10 percent to €43.7 million (2013: €41.9
million). Maintenance revenue grew by 11 percent to €51.6 million (2013: €48.4
million). In total, BPE revenue accounted for almost two-thirds (2013: 58 percent)
of Group product revenue, which reflects a further improvement to Software AG’s
revenue mix in favor of this high-growth future-oriented business line. This
development verifies the impact of the strategic growth measures which were
taken last year—including the expansion of the sales force and the
establishment of Software AG Government Solutions, a U.S. subsidiary,
which focuses on public sector customers. Based on its current sales pipeline,
Software AG is optimistic about the upcoming quarters and expects BPE license
revenue to continue to rise over the course of the year.
In line with expectations, the traditional Enterprise Transaction
Systems (ETS) database business generated €51.1 million (2013: €64.5
million) in revenue in the first quarter of 2014. Of that, ETS license
sales were down to €13.3 million (2013: €21.1 million). As more ETS
software licenses were sold already in the fourth quarter of 2013 than
originally expected, fewer deals were closed in the first quarter of 2014.
Software AG was however able to maintain the segment contribution’s margin
through effective cost management.
The Consulting
business line posted first-quarter revenue of €62.5 million (2013: €70.1
million). The decline is primarily due to the consolidation of SAP-related
consulting operations. As part of that, operations in North America and Eastern
Europe were disposed in 2013. This was followed by the sale of SAP consulting
in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (approx. 500 employees and €64 million in
annual revenue) to the Scheer Group of Saarbrucken, Germany, in March 2014. The
transaction successfully concluded the refocus of Software AG’s consulting
activities.
Software AG's
global total revenue was €208.9 million (2013: €224.9 million). The
negative effects of exchange rates totaled €9.7 million; and consolidation of
the SAP consulting business decreased Consulting revenue by €7.6 million to
€62.5 million (2013: €70.1 million). First-quarter product revenue (licenses
+ maintenance) for the core BPE and ETS business lines was €146.2 million and
therefore at last year's level at constant currency. BPE growth fully offset
the anticipated decline in ETS.
Earnings performance
First-quarter operating earnings (non-IFRS) were €43.0 million
(2013: €48.9 million); accordingly the operating profit margin (non-IFRS) was
21 percent (2013: 22 percent). EBIT totaled €30.5 million (2013: €41.6
million) as a result of investments. Net income after taxes totaled
€18.6 million (2013: €27.2 million).
Software AG's equity ratio as of March 31, 2014 was still high at
47.4 percent of total assets, despite the successfully concluded share buyback
program. The company acquired 4.1 million treasury shares for a total price of
€110.0 million during the period from November 2013 to February 2014. Software
AG currently holds 8.1 million treasury shares, which represents 9.3 percent of
the company's share capital.
Outlook 2014
Software AG anticipates further positive performance and confirms its
outlook. Accordingly, the company expects an increase in BPE revenue of between
12 and 18 percent (at constant currency) for fiscal year 2014. Revenue in the
traditional ETS database business is likely to fall by 16 to 9 percent (at
constant currency). Software AG expects an improved Group operating profit
margin for fiscal 2014 as well as operating earnings (non-IFRS 2013: €260.7
million) growth between 2 and 7 percent.