Hornbach Holding AG & Co. KGaA: Hornbach Group improves sales by 4.9%

Hornbach Group improves sales by 4.9%

Trading statement for 2016/2017: Hornbach Group generates consolidated sales of Euro 3,941 million / DIY stores with garden centers post like-for-like growth of 3.0% / Earnings forecast confirmed

Neustadt/Weinstrasse, March 23, 2017.
Based on preliminary figures, the Hornbach Group (Hornbach Holding AG & Co. KGaA Group) increased its consolidated sales for the 2016/2017 financial year (March 1, to February 28, 2017) by 4.9% to Euro 3,941 million. Hornbach Baumarkt AG, the largest operating subgroup which operated 155 DIY stores with garden centers in nine countries across Europe at the balance sheet date on February 28, 2017 (2015/2016: 153), boosted its sales by 5.0% to Euro 3,710 million. On a like-for-like basis and net of currency items, group-wide sales at the DIY stores with garden centers grew by 3.0%. Like in the previous year, the international stores were the key growth driver. The international share of sales at the Baumarkt subgroup rose from 43.1% to 45.0%. The Hornbach Baustoff Union GmbH subgroup contributed to the Group's growth, increasing its sales by 4.8% to Euro 229 million.
 

Germany: DIY stores with garden centers post like-for-like growth of 1.4%

The total of 98 Hornbach DIY stores with garden centers operated by the Hornbach Baumarkt AG subgroup in Germany at the balance sheet date on February 28, 2017 increased their sales by 1.5% to Euro 2,040 million in the 2016/2017 financial year. On a like-for-like basis, i.e. excluding stores newly opened or closed in the past twelve months, sales in Germany rose by 1.4% over the same period.

"Consistent with our forecast, we increased our sales compared with the past 2015/2016 financial year, and that both in our DIY retail business and in our builders' merchant business", commented Albrecht Hornbach, Chairman of the Board of Management of Hornbach Management AG (general partner of Hornbach Holding AG & Co. KGaA). "Not only that, with their sales performance the Hornbach DIY stores further extended their lead over the sector in Germany compared with the previous year. In what is an increasingly digital retail world, we are also successfully positioned in our online business."

The Hornbach Baustoff Union GmbH subgroup also steered a clear growth course in the 2016/2017 financial year and increased its sales compared with the previous year. Following growth of 2.4% one year earlier, in the year under report sales at the 27 builders' merchants outlets improved by 4.8% to Euro 229 million.
 

Other European countries: the Group's growth driver

The eight countries outside Germany were once again the source of the greatest growth momentum in the 2016/2017 financial year. DIY sales in other European countries grew by 9.6% to Euro 1,670 million. On a like-for-like basis and net of currency items, the international Hornbach stores increased their sales by 5.1% in 2016/2017. "This means we even exceeded the previous year's growth of 4.9%" commented Albrecht Hornbach. "Our retail concept, with its key focus on renovation projects, enabled us to participate to an above-average extent from the European construction boom. In the past financial year, we further expanded our market position outside Germany."

Like-for-like sales performance at DIY stores with garden centers * (in percent)

* Excluding currency items

 

Earnings forecast for 2016/2017 financial year confirmed

Based on the first preliminary and as yet unaudited annual results, the earnings forecasts have been confirmed both for the Hornbach Holding AG & Co. KGaA Group and for the Hornbach Baumarkt AG subgroup.

Operating earnings (EBIT) at the Hornbach Group and at the Hornbach Baumarkt AG subgroup are thus still expected to significantly exceed the figures for the previous 2015/2016 financial year. EBIT adjusted for non-operating income and expenses at the Hornbach Baumarkt AG subgroup is expected to match the level achieved in the 2015/2016 financial year (Euro 99 million). On the level of the Hornbach Group, adjusted EBIT is still expected to match or slightly exceed the previous year's figure of Euro 151 million.

Details of the earnings performance and the annual financial statements will be presented at the Annual Results Press Conference on May 29, 2017.

 

¹⁾ Head count at balance sheet date on February 28/29
Rounding up or down may lead to discrepancies between percentages and totals. Percentage figures calculated on basis of Euro 000s.