DGAP-News: H&R GmbH & Co. KGaA

H&R GmbH & Co. KGaA confirms good business trend in first half of 2017

- EBITDA at high level of just under EUR 53 million
- Significant increase in earnings from international business and Plastics division
- Better minimum result expected for year as a whole

Salzbergen, 11 August 2017. H&R KGaA (ISIN DE000A2E4T77) confirms that the good performance at the beginning of the year continued right through to the end of the first half of 2017: with EUR 52.9 million (first half of 2016: EUR 54.4 million) of operating income (EBITDA - earnings before income taxes, other financial income and expenses and depreciation, amortization, impairments and reversals of impairments of fixed assets and intangible assets), the company performed well once again. EBIT totaled EUR 35.2 million (first half of 2016: EUR 39.0 million) and earnings before taxes (EBT) amounted to EUR 30.3 million in the first half (first half of 2016: EUR 33.7 million). Following several quarters of improvement in the company's business situation, the resulting increase in income tax expenses impacted the consolidated net income attributable to shareholders, which decreased from EUR 26.3 million in the first half of 2016 to EUR 21.4 million in the first half of 2017. Nevertheless, H&R KGaA generated earnings per share of EUR 0.60.

Due to prices of raw materials, sales revenues of EUR 527.7 million were around 13.5% higher than the prior-year figure (first half of 2016: EUR 465.1 million).

Overview of Key Figures:

All three segments made positive contributions to this result. In both the Chemical-Pharmaceutical segments, production and sales volumes were high, as was demand. While the Refining segment's earnings increased to EUR 17.1 million during the second quarter of this year, they were nevertheless lower for the first half as a whole (at EUR 33.1 million) than in the previous year (first half of 2016: EUR 39.0 million). This was at least partially offset by the strong EUR 19.0 million of earnings from the Sales segment, including its international businesses (first half of 2016: EUR 16.8 million). At the same time, because the oil price was higher than in the previous year, we reported higher sales revenues in both segments (first half of 2017: EUR 318.6 million for Refining (up EUR 34.9 million) and EUR 183.5 million for Sales (up EUR 25.6 million)); (second quarter of 2017: EUR 156.8 million for Refining (up EUR 13.1 million) and EUR 91.2 million for Sales (up EUR 10.8 million)).

The Plastics segment once again performed well, generating a EUR 1.8 million increase in EBITDA to EUR 2.7 million on a comparable level of sales revenues (first half of 2017: EUR 30.6 million, an increase of EUR 2.2 million).

The Management Team expects overall business performance to be somewhat less dynamic during the second half of 2017, primarily based on signs from the U.S. and Asian automotive and tire industries which indicate that business will be lower than was projected at the beginning of the year. Nevertheless, H&R is raising the lower end of the expected range to EUR 92.0 million (previously: EUR 86.0 million) and - based on currently available information - also believes it is possible that EBITDA will reach the higher end of the range of up to EUR 101.0 million.

For detailed statements on the business and earnings trend, please consult the company's interim report for the second quarter of 2017 published today in the "Publications Overview" section of H&R KGaA's website at www.hur.com.

Contact information:
H&R GmbH & Co. KGaA, Investor Relations/Communications, Ties Kaiser


Neuenkirchener Strasse 8, 48499 Salzbergen

Tel. +49 40 43218-321, Fax: +49 40 43218-390
e-mail: ties.kaiser@hur.com
www.hur.com

H&R GmbH & Co. KGaA (formerly H&R AG):
H&R KGaA is a specialty-chemicals company listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange's Prime Standard segment (ISIN DE000A2E4T77). It develops and manufactures crude-oil-based chemical and pharmaceutical specialty products and produces high-precision plastic parts.

Forward-looking statements and forecasts:
This press release contains forward-looking statements. The statements are based on the current estimates and forecasts by the Management Team and the information available to it at this time. These forward-looking statements do not provide any warranty for the future developments and results contained therein. The future developments and results are dependent on a number of factors; they entail various risks and contingencies and are based on assumptions which could prove to be incorrect. We do not assume any responsibility for updating the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.