Preliminary results S IMMO AG: highest EBIT in the Group’s history

•    Net income for the year increased by 22.5% to EUR 26.0m
•    Ratio of EBITDA to portfolio value exceptionally strong at 5.3%
•    FFO yield of 10.1%
•    Dividend increase planned

After a very successful financial year 2011, S IMMO AG (Bloomberg: SPI:AV, Reuters: SIAG.VI) continued the positive trend in 2012 and significantly improved its key performance indicators once again. Ernst Vejdovszky, Member of S IMMO AG’s Management Board, comments: “The preliminary results for the financial year 2012 are not only proof of the quality of our portfolio, but also a confirmation of the correctness of our strategy. We deliberately invest in four regions and four segments, so as to take advantage of property cycles. The optimisation of our business processes and our constant increases in efficiency are also clearly reflected in these very satisfactory results.”

Profitable property sales
In the course of 2012 S IMMO took advantage of the excellent climate in the German and Austrian property markets and disposed of 21 properties at a profit. Sale proceeds during the year under review totalled EUR 132.2m, compared with EUR 46.5m in 2011, so that S IMMO well exceeded its target of property sales of EUR 100m for 2012. The gains on disposals came to EUR 10.8m.

Positive developments in hotel market
Rental income in 2012 totalled EUR 118.5m, compared with EUR 125.9m in 2011. The slight difference is mainly explained by the successful property disposals. However, the effect on earnings was more than compensated for by increases in efficiency and further optimisation of costs. Revenues from hotel operations (revenues from hotels operated under management agreements) increased slightly, from EUR 40.6m in 2011 to EUR 42.0m. This pushed the gross profit from hotel operations up from EUR 9.0m to EUR 9.9m, an increase of 9.1%. The total gross profit for the year came to EUR 104.4m, as against EUR 107.0m in 2011. S IMMO AG continues to be successful in reducing its administrative costs by 4.4% in 2012. EBITDA was EUR 98.8m (2011: EUR 101.4m). The ratio of EBITDA to the value of the property portfolio is 5.3% – an exceptionally good result compared with the international average for the industry of roughly 4%.

Highest EBIT in the Group’s history
Operating profit for the year (EBIT) of EUR 106.8m showed an improvement of EUR 14.5m compared with the EUR 92.3m achieved in 2011. This was an increase of 15.7% and the highest EBIT in the Group’s history. It was also EUR 6.8m higher in comparison with the figure in 2007, the most recent year before the financial crisis. For the whole of the financial year 2012, the Group’s consolidated net income came out at a very satisfactory EUR 26.0m, compared with EUR 21.2m the year before, a marked increase of 22.5% despite the smaller property portfolio.

Impressive FFO yield
S IMMO AG continued the positive trend of the first three quarters in the fourth quarter as well: FFO for the year totalled EUR 33.0m (2011: EUR 28.9m). The FFO yield, in relation to the Group’s market capitalisation, was a very respectable 10.1%, compared with 9.4% in 2011.

Dividend increase planned
At the Annual General Meeting on 12 June 2013 the Management Board will propose the distribution of a dividend. In the Management’s opinion, the significant improvement in results justifies an increase in dividend.

Outlook: S IMMO excellently positioned for 2013
S IMMO will continue to pursue its tried-and-tested strategy in the current year: In 2013, the Group again plans to dispose of around 5% of its portfolio. It also intends to take advantage of favourable opportunities for property purchases, especially in Germany. Friedrich Wachernig, Member of S IMMO AG’s Management Board comments: “We detect a gradual recovery in the property markets, from which we shall benefit in the years to come. Our ambition is to further improve on our excellent results for 2012 in the current year, and we see ourselves excellently positioned to carry out our tasks successfully in the years ahead.”

S IMMO AG’s final results for the year will be presented on 25 April 2013.