EQS-News: 3U HOLDING AG: Management defines medium-term planning under MISSION 2026

Management defines medium-term planning under MISSION 2026

• The Group is entering the next phase of a pronounced increase in value and is garnering success on its clearly defined growth trajectory
• 3U’s strategic upside potential is to grow significantly – as before, from EUR 510 million to EUR 620 million over the period through to 2026
• Plans include several acquisitions in the SHAC and ITC segment and ramping up capacities in the Renewable Energies segment
• Rigorous pursuit of the option of launching Selfio SE on the stock exchange; above-average shareholder participation in the context of exceptional value realisation
• Successful track record and focus on megatrends underpinning future success

Marburg, 16 September 2024 – The Management Board of 3U HOLDING AG (ISIN DE0005167902; stock exchange symbol: UUU) has reviewed and updated the medium-term goals set under MISSION 2026, presented back in mid-2023, against the backdrop of the current development of business and in consideration of future expectations. The concrete outcome of these deliberations now runs under the title of 3U MISSION 2026+. “As regards our original goals, nothing has basically changed. Recent months have already seen us successfully initiate a raft of planned initiatives. The time horizon necessary for full implementation of the goals we have set ourselves may, however, be longer than originally expected due to the persistently difficult framework conditions,” says Uwe Knoke, 3U HOLDING AG’s board member responsible for strategy and business development.

Rigorous pursuit of the 2026+ value strategy

The mission is anchored in a sound growth strategy which has been successfully implemented for years. Accordingly, the 3U Group is consistently aligned to dynamic revenue growth, flanked by sustainable growth in earnings and value. With this in mind, the company has underpinned its value ambitions by specifying revenue targets. Combined with an extensive investment programme, the growth initiatives should continue to generate value potential of around EUR 510 million to EUR 620 million for the Group in the years ahead. These plans are based on a comprehensive investment programme of more than EUR 220 million which comprises company acquisitions, as well as the significant increase in the Renewable Energies segment’s nominal output. 

Clearly defined growth ambitions for all three segments

In the ITC segment (Information and Telecommunications Technology), organic growth of the Managed Services business is to be accelerated through acquisitions, and the EBITDA margin is to be kept at a sustainably high level of 25 % to 30 %. Management anticipates the completion of an acquisition funded from 3U resources before the end of the current financial year, which would lift revenue to around EUR 25 million in the short term. Management estimates upside potential in the ITC segment at around EUR 60 million to EUR 70 million to be realised over the period through to 2026.

3U intends to significantly expand its energy plant portfolio in its Renewable Energies segment. Measures contributing to this goal include repowering the Langendorf and Klostermoor wind farms and progressing the wind farm project developments planned in Brandenburg. In conjunction with further plans for growth, such as acquiring projects or generating new undertakings in the context of the joint venture recently signed with Wiso Energie GmbH, a company also based in Marburg, the Group’s current nominal output is to be more than trebled, from 53 MW to up to 200 MW. Against this backdrop, 3U anticipates medium- to long-term financing requirements customary in the market of more than EUR 150 million raised by way of funding at favourable interest rates, with a proportion of up to 10 % funded by the company itself. These measures are aimed at realising value potential of between EUR 150 and 200 million.

In its SHAC segment (Sanitary, Heating and Air Conditioning Technology) 3U will be striving to increase annual revenues of currently around EUR 35 million to approximately EUR 100 million through acquisitions. Following Selfio SE’s launch as a European stock corporation, equipped with fresh share capital of more than EUR 30 million, all the measures necessary to strengthen competitiveness in the segment are currently being implemented. These measures include realigning and broadening the range of products and services on offer, flanked by expanding the proportion of profitable products and services, along with streamlining low growth niche activities. These endeavours would set in place a key prerequisite for the stock market eligibility of the e-commerce operations. With the prospect of an IPO, earnings are then to be raised in a second step, in conjunction with one or two further company takeovers, to more than EUR 150 million and the EBITDA margin up to 8 %, thereby leveraging value potential in the SHAC segment of between EUR 300 million and EUR 350 million by the end of 2026

Operational measures under 3U MISSION 2026+ are to be flanked by the Holding’s lucrative activities in the field of real estate and asset management. Having realised a significant amount of profit from the sale of the Gold holdings acquired in 2020, the Group has invested around EUR 12 million in Bitcoin in recent months with the aim of diversification and creating a long-term value reserve. Furthermore, 3U holds more than 3.2 million treasury shares which can also be deployed as acquisition currency in the context of future takeovers.

Sound financial base and positioning as a dividend stock

Thanks to 3U’s broad-based business model aligned to the megatrends of e-commerce, digitalisation and renewable energies, the company continues to have access to huge potential for sustainable and profitable growth to achieve the aforementioned medium-term goals under its defined 3U MISSION 2026+. As before, the Group has sufficient liquidity and options at its disposal for financing and expanding its operations.

“We will continue to be successful in the medium and long term under our 3U MISSION 2026+. One thing is for sure: we will be steadily forging ahead with our value strategy and doing our utmost to leverage the tailwind from the three megatrends we serve in our segments in the future as well. Backed by this ambitious but realistic growth programme, we will also be striving to raise the company’s value significantly on behalf of our shareholders. We will in principle be upholding our policy of distributing around 50 % of the annual result in the form of a lucrative dividend. In the event of creating exceptional value, as in the case of the successful sale of the weclapp investment, this dividend payout may also be significantly higher,” Uwe Knoke states.

The presentation on the details of the 3U MISSION 2026+ can be found on 3U’s homepage at https://www.3u.net/en/investor-relations/company-presentations/

About 3U:

3U HOLDING AG (www.3U.net), based in Marburg, Germany, was founded in 1997. As the operating management and investment holding company, it heads up the 3U Group. With a view to increasing the value for the shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers and all stakeholders, the company acquires, operates and sells companies in the three segments of ITC (Information and Telecommunications Technology), Renewable Energies and SHAC (Sanitary, Heating and Air Conditioning Technology). The 3U Group operates successfully and profitably with its business models in mega trends in all three segments and is striving to attain market leadership in particular with its e-commerce business model. 3U HOLDING AG shares are traded on XETRA, Tradegate and on German regional stock exchanges (ISIN: DE0005167902; identifier: UUU).