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Ticker: ECK
ISIN: DE0005199905

DGAP-News: Ludwig Beck am Rathauseck-Textilhaus Feldmeier AG: LUDWIG BECK concludes problematic Fiscal Year 2018

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DGAP-News: Ludwig Beck am Rathauseck-Textilhaus Feldmeier AG / Key word(s): Annual Results/Annual Results
Ludwig Beck am Rathauseck-Textilhaus Feldmeier AG: LUDWIG BECK concludes problematic Fiscal Year 2018

28.03.2019 / 15:35
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.


Corporate News

LUDWIG BECK concludes problematic Fiscal Year 2018

Munich, March 28, 2019 - The Munich Fashion Group LUDWIG BECK (ISIN DE 0005199905), alike fashion traders all over Europe, had to put up with constant structural pressures in the Fiscal Year 2018. Unpredictable climatic influences repeatedly curbed seasonal sales as well. Consequently, the sales and earnings situation reflected the negative industry trend and failed to meet expectations.

Development of sales
LUDWIG BECK generated gross sales in the amount of EUR 166.1m at Group level (previous year: EUR 173.2m), thus slightly exceeding the target sales figures adjusted in December 2018. Before the adjustment, expectations had ranged between EUR 170m and EUR 180m. The LUDWIG BECK segment, including the online beauty trade at www.ludwigbeck.de, accounted for sales of EUR 95.5m in aggregate (previous year: EUR 99.0m). In 2018, the development of the e-commerce portal unfolded in line with the management's expectations. The WORMLAND segment contributed sales totaling EUR 70.5m (previous year: EUR 74.2m). The German fashion trade in general had to face another 2% decline in the lapsed fiscal year (source: TextilWirtschaft).

Earnings situation
Consolidated earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) amounted to EUR 2.0m (previous year: EUR 6.5m). While the LUDWIG BECK segment generated EUR 7.6m (previous year: EUR 8.9m) thus making a positive contribution to earnings (previous year: EUR 8.9m), the WORMLAND segment recorded EUR -5.7m (previous year: EUR -2.4m) also due to impairment write-downs in the amount of EUR 2.5m.

This corresponds to earnings before taxes (EBT) on Group level of EUR 1.1m (previous year: EUR 5.6m). The LUDWIG BECK segment accounted for EUR 6.9m (previous year: EUR 8.1m), while the WORMLAND segment's negative contribution came to EUR 5.8m (previous year: EUR -2.5m). The EBT margin was 0.8% (previous year: 3.8%).

Taxes on income amounted to EUR 1.9m for the LUDWIG BECK segment (previous year: EUR 2.3m). No deferred tax assets were formed for the WORMLAND segment.

The consolidated net profit/loss came to EUR -0.8m (previous year: EUR 3.3m).

As per reporting date, December 31, 2018, the Group's equity totaled EUR 75.8m (previous year: EUR 79.4m). The equity ratio remained strong with 59.9% (previous year: 60.8%).

Dividend payment
In connection with the intended sale of the WORMLAND Group, LUDWIG BECK AG established accounting provisions and, with EUR 6.0m, fully wrote off the WORMLAND participation in the individual financial statements 2018. Since, on account thereof, a net loss of EUR 3.9m had to be carried in the individual financial statements of LUDWIG BECK AG which had to be offset by releasing profit reserves, the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board will propose to the Annual General Meeting on June 3, 2019 to not distribute any dividend.

Outlook
Also in 2019, LUDWIG BECK will have to deal with the predatory competion that holds fashion trade in its grip. In order to respond to the endurance test imposed by online trade, the company has, among other, planned an enhancement of its own e-commerce activities - for instance by expanding the reach of www.ludwigbeck.de. Service and advising efficacy at the flagship store at Marienplatz are supposed to give the company a competitve edge that can be further exploited. Should the weather do its bit and stick to seasonal expectations, this could also help the Group to return to its familiar path to success in 2019.

Member of the Executive Board, Dieter Münch: "Even though the WORMLAND topic will still pose great challenges to us in 2019, we are convinced that after this transformational year LUDWIG BECK will progress strenghtened into the future, as LUDWIG BECK has experience in dealing with setbacks".

After the difficult 2018 fiscal year, the Group will continue to rely on its traditional values and strive for sound stability in order to be able to take advantage of all growth potentials available. In that vein, the Executive Board expects the consolidated sales to range between EUR 165m and EUR 170m, and earnings before taxes (EBT) to reach between EUR 1.5m and EUR 2.5m in 2019. This forecast is subject to the assumption that WORMLAND will remain in the LUDWIG BECK Group until the end of 2019.

The Executive Board and the Supervisory Board of LUDWIG BECK AG decided in January to initiate a structured selling process for WORMLAND, which is scheduled to be concluded in the first half of 2019. If no adequate sales price can be achieved, LUDWIG BECK will continue the restructuring of WORMLAND on its own.

For further information regarding the company and the share please refer to the corporate website at https://kaufhaus.ludwigbeck.de/en/home.

Key Figures of the Group

in EURm 2018 2017
Gross sales 166.1 173.2
Net sales 139.6 145.6
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) 8.4 10.9
Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) 2.0 6.5
Earnings before taxes (EBT) 1.1 5.6
Consolidated net profit/loss -0.8 3.3
Equity 75.8 79.4
Equity ratio in % 59.9 60.8
Investments 2.5 2.5
Employees (average)1) 875 874
Earnings per share (in EUR) -0.22 0.88
Dividend (in EUR) 0.00 0.65

1) without apprentices

About LUDWIG BECK
LUDWIG BECK is one of the top fashion retail companies in Germany. In 2018, with 455 employees, it generated gross sales of EUR 95.5m (as per December 31, 2018) on an area of about 12,400 sqm.

LUDWIG BECK is located in the heart of Munich, directly at Marienplatz. On seven floors the Munich fashion company showcases international fashion, leather goods and accessories, exclusive cosmetics and with over 120,000 titles Europe's largest onsite collection of classical, jazz and world music and audiobooks.

About ludwigbeck.de
Since the end of 2012, the singular brand portfolio of the beauty department is also available for online shopping at www.ludwigbeck.de. Customers can expect a unique selection of almost 10.000 products of more than 100 luxury and niche cosmetics brands.

About WORMLAND:
THEO WORMLAND GmbH & Co. KG, based in Hanover, generated in 2018 sales turnover in the amount of EUR 70.5m with 414 employees on a total area of about 16,200 sqm (as per December 31, 2018). The Group of companies is based on two differing store concepts: WORMLAND and THEO. Today, THEO WORMLAND GmbH & Co. KG ranges among Germany's top men's fashion retailers with a total of 15 outlets.

Über WORMLAND

Investor Relations contact:
esVedra consulting GmbH
Metis Tarta
t: +49 89 206021 - 210
f: +49 89 206021 - 610
[email protected]

Group Accounting contact:
LUDWIG BECK AG
Jens Schott
t: +49 89 23691 - 798
f: +49 89 23691 - 600
[email protected]



28.03.2019 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
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Language: English
Company: Ludwig Beck am Rathauseck-Textilhaus Feldmeier AG
Marienplatz 11
80331 München
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)89 2 36 91-0
Fax: +49 (0)89 2 36 91-600
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.ludwigbeck.de
ISIN: DE0005199905
WKN: 519990
Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard), Munich; Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange
EQS News ID: 793019

 
End of News DGAP News Service

793019  28.03.2019 

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