S&T AG (www.snt.at) stepped up its growth in the first nine months of financial year 2015. Its sales came in the third quarter of 2015 to EUR 114.2 million (PY.: EUR 88.8 million). The figure for the first nine months of the financial year was EUR 302.4 million (PY.: EUR 253.6 million). This thus represents the first time that S&T has recorded sales of more than EUR 300.0 million in such a period.
The rise in sales enabled the further improvement of earnings. The EBITDA in the first quarter of 2015 amounted to EUR 5.9 million (PY.: EUR 5.2 million), with the nine months' figure increasing to EUR 16.7 million (PY.: EUR 15.1 million). The consolidated income for the third quarter amounted to EUR 3.1 million (PY.: EUR 2.4 million), with the three quarters' total rising to EUR 9.1 million (PY.: EUR 7.4 million) – translating into jumps of 28.8% and 23.6%.respectively.
Driver of growth in the third quarter was the Services Eastern Europe segment, whose sales rose by EUR 22.2 million to EUR 71.5 million (PY.: EUR 49.3 million). Equally strong growth was achieved by both Appliances segments. Appliances Security increased its sales to EUR 15.8 million (PY.: EUR 12.9 million), with those of Appliances Smart Energy registering a climb to EUR 10.6 million (PY.: EUR 6.6 million). As had been planned for it, the Services Germany, Austria and Switzerland segment experienced a decline in sales, a rise in margins and an increase in profits.
S&T's assets, finances and liquidity have developed as well as its sales and profitability. They bear witness to the company's stability, and form the base for further expansion. As of September 30, 2015, the company's liquid funds came to EUR 36.2 million, as opposed to EUR 39.5 million as of 31.12.2014. Liabilities due to banks amounted to EUR 54.3 million (31.12.2014: EUR 41.0 million). This increase is solely due to the reduction of receivables as of the date of reporting. Equity increased as of 30.9.2015 to EUR 95.0 million, as opposed to EUR 89.7 million as of 31.12.2014. The equity rate thus came to 34.7% (31.12.2014: 32.9%).
The growth attained is leading S&T's management to maintain its forecast for 2015 as a whole of the Group's achieving strong, 20% growth in sales and consolidated income of EUR 15 million – despite the start-up losses being recorded by the Smart Energy segment. Planned for 2016 are double-digit sales growth and profits rising even faster than that. These ambitious objectives are based upon the order backlog, which has risen to a very large EUR 198 million, and on the project pipeline, which now amounts to EUR 714 million.