Kontron's revenue up 15.7 % year-on-year

Operating earnings (EBIT) also registered a very positive trend, rising from EUR -5.8 million in the previous year to EUR 34.1 million in 2011. Earnings per share increased to EUR 0.39 (2010: EUR -0.24). The Management and Supervisory boards will propose to the Shareholders' General Meeting to be held in June 2012 that it approves the payment of a EUR 0.20 per share dividend. Given the economic and business environment, Kontron is retaining its forecast for 2012 that it issued at the start of this year. Public-sector entities around the world are important buyers of Kontron's embedded computer products. Kontron anticipates moderate business progress in the first half of the year given the difficult financial circumstances surrounding many state budgets. At the same time, management expects significant positive impulses in the second half of 2012. Kontron assumes its 2012 revenue to remain at the previous year's level (EUR 574 million on an adjusted basis), with a potential variance of +/-3 % . The EBIT margin should also rise. Kontron has created good preconditions for further growth given a renewed improvement in its financial structure in 2011: an equity ratio of 63.7 % (2010: 62.2 % ), equity of EUR 333.6 million (2010: EUR 320.8 million), and EUR 31.6 million of operating cash flow (2010: EUR 16.2 million).