Free cash flow amounted to EUR 341 million (1st half of 2017/18: EUR 349 million). With a total of EUR 3,879 million, the company’s equity rose by 3 percent over the end-of-year figure for fiscal year 2017/18 (30 September 2018: EUR 3,763 million).
ZEISS stepped up its investments in research and development in the first half of fiscal year 2018/19 by around 8 percent to EUR 322 million (1st half of 2017/18: EUR 298 million).
Investments in property, plant and equipment amounted to EUR 133 million in the reporting period (1st half of 2017/18: EUR 115 million) as compared to depreciations totaling EUR 105 million (1st half of 2017/18: EUR 77 million).
Net liquidity totaled EUR 2,071 million on 31 March 2019.
Particularly strong business development in Asia and in our key European markets contributed to positive regional growth.
“Considerable investments in research and development, the modernization and expansion of our company and, of course, in our workforce, have strengthened our innovative power and thus made us more successful,” says Dr. Christian Müller, Chief Financial Officer of Carl Zeiss AG. “Today, we generate almost half of our revenue with products that are less than three years old,” says Müller, commenting on the 42 percent increase in the new product rate.
At the end of the first six months of the year (31 March 2019), ZEISS had a global workforce of 30,475 employees. Its headcount thus increased by 8 percent as compared to 31 March 2018. 708 new employees were hired in Germany alone. Further recruitment is planned particularly in Research and Development, and in Sales and Service in Germany and in Asia.