DGAP-News: HolidayCheck AG

Corporate News

HolidayCheck Group AG publishes definitive results for 2017

Munich, Germany, 21 March 2018 - HolidayCheck Group AG can look back on a successful financial year in 2017. Both revenue and operating EBITDA exceeded the company's forecasts by a considerable margin.

In the company's own assessment, the Central European package holiday sector generated mid-single digit revenue growth in percentage terms thanks to a more stable geopolitical situation in the most popular holiday destinations. In the view of the Management Board, growth among online travel agencies is likely to have been a little above this figure.

Against this wider industry background, HolidayCheck Group AG saw a year-on-year increase of 13.3 percent in revenue from EUR 107.3 million in 2016 to EUR 121.6 million, thus exceeding its original forecast of 5 to 10 percent growth.
At EUR 28.4 million, fourth-quarter revenue was up by as much as 25.1 percent compared with EUR 22.6 million for the same period of 2016, thanks to greater demand for bookings.

At EUR 0.2 million, EBITDA (Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) was 93.0 percent down on the 2016 total of EUR 2.8 million.

At EUR 1.6 million, operating EBITDA (operating earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) was 42.4 percent down on the 2016 figure of EUR 2.7 million. In its original forecast, the company had set a target of between minus EUR 5 million and break-even for operating EBITDA.

EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) stood at minus EUR 5.7 million in financial 2017 compared with minus EUR 3.0 million in the previous year.

EBT (earnings before taxes) were minus EUR 5.9 million in 2017 (2016: minus EUR 2.8 million).

Consolidated net profit/(loss) was minus EUR 5.9 million in 2017 compared with minus EUR 2.9 million in 2016.

Basic and diluted earnings per share from all operations were minus EUR 0.10 in 2017 compared with minus EUR 0.05 in 2016.

As at 31 December 2017, the equity ratio was unchanged year on year at 86.1 percent.

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of 2017 stood at EUR 26.2 million, down from EUR 40.1 million at the end of 2016.

Outlook
The HolidayCheck Group's vision is to become the most holidaymaker-friendly company in the world. To achieve this goal, we plan to constantly expand our portfolio of holiday services, partly by investing in measures to speed up the further development of our existing products and services (with an emphasis on the core fields of package holidays, 'hotel only' bookings and cruises) and partly by developing new products and services in adjoining areas. We also intend to invest in the steady expansion of our data intelligence systems and customised travel advice service.

We also plan to make further investments in marketing that involve both direct sales promotions and other measures designed to give a sustained boost to the profile of our various brands.

The goal of these measures is to improve the overall user experience and consequently generate faster revenue growth. At the same time, beginning in the second half of 2018, we aim to keep the rate of increase in our marketing and personnel costs below that of our revenue growth.

The Management Board anticipates a further increase of between 8 and 13 percent in the HolidayCheck Group's total revenue in 2018, after adjusting for any acquisitions or disposals of long-term equity investments.

As a result of the personnel and marketing investments outlined above, the Management Board expects operating EBITDA in financial 2018 to lie between EUR 2.5 million and EUR 6.5 million.

In the first two months of the financial year of 2018, HolidayCheck Group AG generated a clear double-digit increase in revenue. Over the same period, growth in operating EBITDA was in similarly positive territory. In the view of the Management Board, we will need to see the Group's operating results for the second and third quarters before we can point to a sustained trend for the year as a whole.

About HolidayCheck Group AG:
HolidayCheck Group AG (ISIN DE005495329), Munich, Germany, is one of Europe's leading digital firms for holidaymakers. With a total workforce of around 450, HolidayCheck Group AG comprises HolidayCheck AG (which operates hotel review and travel booking portals by the same name); Driveboo AG (which operates the car rental portal MietwagenCheck); and WebAssets B.V. (which operates the Zoover hotel review portals and the MeteoVista/WeerOnline weather portals). HolidayCheck Group's vision is to become the world's most holidaymaker-friendly company in the world.

Media and Investor Relations contact
HolidayCheck Group AG
Armin Blohmann
Neumarkter Strasse 61
81673 München
Germany

phone +49 (0)89 357 680 901
fax +49 (0)89 357 680 999
email armin.blohmann@holidaycheckgroup.com

www.holidaycheckgroup.com
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