2020

• Consolidated revenues of EUR 112.9 million were less than the year-ago figure, as expected
• Consolidated operating profit (EBIT) of EUR 3.6 million is still positive
• Company confirms its earnings forecast for the 2020 financial year

Haselünne, October 22, 2020 – Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft, which is listed on the regulated market (General Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN: DE0005201602) today published its Interim Report for the third quarter of 2020. The corporate group generated consolidated revenues of EUR 112.9 million in the first nine months of this year (Q1-Q3 2019: EUR 120.6 million). The consolidated earnings before interest and taxes (consolidated EBIT) amounted to EUR 3.6 million (Q1-Q3 2019: EUR 6.1 million) and the consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (consolidated EBITDA) amounted to EUR 10.2 million (Q1-Q3 2019: EUR 12.3 million).

“When we look back today on the third quarter, we see a positive development”, said Oliver Schwegmann, one of the members of the Executive Board of Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft, and said further: “So far, the negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on our business activity were most pronounced in the second quarter. We experienced a modest recovery in the third quarter”. He attributed the largest share of this improvement to the Spirits segment, which actually generated higher revenues in the first nine months of the 2020 financial year than in the comparable period of last year. Nevertheless, lower revenues in the Non-alcoholic Beverages and Fresh Juice Systems segments caused a 6.4% decline in total consolidated revenues. The corresponding decline in the first half of the year had been 7.2%. The gross profit losses resulting from the lower business volumes were partially offset by counter-measures on the cost side, so that consolidated EBIT remained clearly positive, he said.

Outlook for future development

“The numbers we published today show that the assumptions we made three months ago largely proved to be correct”, Schwegmann said with regard to the earnings forecast for the 2020 financial year that the corporate group had revised at the end of July. “The performance in the third quarter supported our prediction that we will achieve positive results for the full year 2020, meaning that our forecast will be solidly fulfilled”. The Berentzen Group anticipates consolidated revenues in a range from EUR 153.0 million to EUR 160.0 million, a consolidated operating profit (consolidated EBIT) in a range from EUR 4.0 million to EUR 6.0 million, and an operating profit before depreciation and amortisation (consolidated EBITDA) in a range from EUR 13.0 million to EUR 15.0 million. “However, the prerequisite for the attainment of our full-year targets is that the currently dynamic trend of infections and the governmental measures implemented to stem the virus will only have a moderate effect on social and economic conditions”, Schwegmann said in conclusion.