Carl Zeiss Meditec AG concludes fiscal year 2019/20 with a recovery in profit in fourth quarter – outlook remains uncertain due to COVID-19 pandemic

Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (ISIN: DE0005313704) has achieved revenue of approximately EUR 1,335.5 million in fiscal year 2019/20 (previous year EUR 1,459.3 million) and has thereby exceeded the forecast of approx. EUR 1.3 billion provided on July 15, 2020. This corresponds to a decline of -8.5% vs. the past year. After adjustment for currency effects¹ , the decline amounted to -8.7%. In the fourth quarter of 2019/20, revenue reached EUR 367.6 million (Q4 2018/19: EUR 431.7 million), a decline of -14.9%. After adjustment for currency effects, the decline amounted to around -14.5%.

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT)² amounted to EUR 177.6 million in fiscal year 2019/20 (previous year EUR 264.7 million). EBIT margin (EBIT / revenue) was 13.3% (previous year 18.1%). In the fourth quarter of 2019/20, EBIT amounted to EUR 65.7 million (Q4 2018/19: 80.5 million), EBIT margin was 17.9% (Q4 2018/19: 18.6%).

Earnings per share (EPS)³ declined to EUR 1.37 (previous year EUR 1.79). In the fourth quarter of 2019/20, EPS was EUR 0.60 (Q4 2018/19: EUR 0.57).

Full results for fiscal year 2019/20 will be provided on Dec 11, 2020.

Carl Zeiss Meditec broadly expects a recovery of its markets in fiscal year 2020/21 and thereby a return to growth in revenue and EBIT. Due to the current trend in COVID-19 infections in Europe and North America, an additional impact from the pandemic cannot be ruled out at the outset of the new fiscal year, though. From today’s point of view, the company expects revenue and EBIT for the first months of the new fiscal year 2020/21 to come in below last year’s values for the same period.

^{1 Currency-adjusted sales growth is determined by weighing sales in the comparative period with current instead of actual historical exchange rates.
2 Earnings before interest and taxes (also operating profit, EBIT) refers to a key earnings figure within the Carl Zeiss Meditec Group and is calculated in accordance with IFRS standards (see Annual Report 2018/19, p. 76 for reconciliation).
3 Earnings per share (also EPS) refers to a key earnings figure within the Carl Zeiss Meditec Group and is calculated according to IFRS standards (see Annual Report 2018/19, p. 76 for reconciliation).}