DGAP-News: ecotel communication ag: Preliminary figures for the 2021 business year

ecotel communication ag: Preliminary figures for the 2021 business year  

• Revenue EUR 95.9 million, EBITDA EUR 18.1 million, consolidated surplus EUR 4.8 million, EPS EUR 1.36
• We expect to see another earnings increase in the year 2022.
• New scalable cloud services in premium quality offer potential for growth

Düsseldorf, February 9, 2022

The 2021 business year turned out to be the most successful year by far in ecotel's 24-year history. The Group managed to expand their earning power substantially, which is largely thanks to the sustained rise in revenue and gross profit margins in the core segments of »ecotel Business Solutions« and »easybell«. 

After the EBITDA projection was lifted twice during the fiscal year from an original spread of EUR 12 to EUR 14 to a final spread of EUR 17.5 to EUR 18.5 million, ecotel is expected to conclude the 2021 business year with an EBITDA of EUR 18.1 million. The consolidated surplus is expected to reach EUR 4.8 million. This corresponds to earnings per share of EUR 1.36.

The following is a depiction of how the key figures have developed over the last three years. All information related to the "preliminary figures for the 2021 business year" are based on preliminary and not-yet-certified data that is still conditional on the certification by an annual auditor and the approval by the supervisory board.
 
    (in million EUR)                                                                2019          2020        2021                  
 

• Consolidated revenue (total)                            82.8    /    98.3    /    95.9
  • ecotel Business Solutions *                             45.6     /      44.5    /      46.3                  
  • easybell                                                         18.6      /      21.5     /     25.0                  
  • Other segments *                                           18.8      /      32.3     /     24.6                  
• Gross profit (total)                                           33.6      /      37.7    /      45.7                  
  • ecotel Business Solutions *                             23.5     /       23.8     /     28.5                  
  • easybell                                                           8.3      /      11.2      /    14.6                  
  • Other segments *                                             1.8       /       2.7     /       2.6                  
• EBITDA (total)                                                    8.8     /       11.7    /      18.1                  
  • ecotel Business Solutions *                               4.0       /       4.6      /      8.6                  
  • easybell                                                           4.0        /      5.9      /      8.5                  
  • Other segments *                                             0.8       /       1.2      /      1.0
• EBIT                                                                    1.5      /        4.0     /     10.6
• Consolidated surplus                                      -0.2       /       1.0      /      4.8                  
• Earnings per share (in EUR)                         -0.05      /      0.28     /     1.36                  
• Free cash flow                                                            3.6       /       4.4        /   10.5                  
• Free cash flow per share (in EUR)                             1.03       /      1.25     /      2.99                  
• Net financial assets                                                    1.0       /        2.3      /       9.6                  
• Equity ratio (in %)                                                   39.0 %    /    43.4 %    /  47.6 %

* Segment reporting has been adjusted. The data revenue generated with wholesale partners (connections, etc.) are no longer reported in ecotel's Business Solutions segment, but in the segment Wholesale. The preceding years have been adjusted accordingly.

 
>>ecotel Business Solutions<< segment

After undergoing years of transformation and despite the adversities imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the »ecotel Business Solutions« segment managed to boost all key figures in the past business year. Aside from the altered product mix with greater value creation and higher margins in conjunction with the reorientation towards scalable products and digital cloud services, purchasing benefits and economies of scale have now shown a positive and lasting effect on the profitability of the segment. The impact is that ecotel communication ag as an individual business - and not merely the Group overall - is now profitable. 

>>easybell<< segment

The »easybell« continues to grow and was able to boost profitability considerably yet again. This growth is rooted in the mainly self-developed, automated and highly scalable production platform for voice and connection products, which markets a product range - largely online - that is tailored to the specific needs of small enterprises. In the past business year, the >>easybell.com<< segment furthermore attained initial success in the internationalization of the business model and managed to bill substantial revenue outside of Germany.

The other segments of >>Wholesale<< and >>nacamar<< developed as projected.

New market strategy lays the groundwork for additional growth

The ecotel Group has built the perfect foundation for future growth with a strategy involving manifold, complementary marketing concepts, the scalable production platform and a portfolio tailored to fit market and customer needs, especially in the segments >>ecotel Business solutions<< and >>easybell<<. The gradual introduction of new scalable clouds services and the clear commitment to premium quality, the Group has now shifted the focus towards boosting sales activities and the acquisition of new customers - both in the product and in the solution business.

The pursued growth path will continue in 2022 as well

For the 2022 business year, the Management Board has planned to stay on the path of profitable growth and, thus, aim for another earnings increase. The Management Board will use the release of the annual report for 2021 on March 10, 2022 as an opportunity both to give an extensive forecast for the 2022 business year and to provide information on medium-term planning and the dividend policy. The company plans, furthermore, publish a detailed outlook on the Group's strategic development in the future.

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About ecotel communication ag:
The ecotel Group (hereinafter »ecotel«), operating throughout Germany since 1998, specializes in the marketing of IT and telecommunications solutions in various segments. The parent company is ecotel communication ag with headquarters in Düsseldorf. Including its subsidiaries and holdings, ecotel has a total of about 300 employees. Currently, ecotel serves more than 50,000 customers nationwide, providing nearly 55,000 data connections and more than 440,000 voice channels.

Note:
This publication is not an offer for the sale nor an invitation for the purchase or subscription of securities. This publication is not a securities brochure. This publication and the information contained therein are not intended for direct or indirect dissemination to or within the United States of America, Canada, Australia or Japan.

Investor relations
ecotel communication ag
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E-Mail: investorrelations@ecotel.de

For more information, please visit us at www.ecotel.de