SUSS MicroTec did better than expected in 2014

The Company generated sales of EUR 145.3 million (previous year: EUR 134.5 million) in the last fiscal year and booked an order entry of EUR 134.3 million (previous year: EUR 135.0 million). The order backlog amounted to EUR 75.6 million (12/31/2013: EUR 85.7 million). Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) came in at EUR 8.4 million – which is better than previously expected (previous year: EUR -19.4 million). The main reasons are a positive product mix as well as better than expected gross margins. EBIT for 2014 includes an unexpected income from written-off receivables of EUR 1.3 million. It also includes a severance payment of EUR 1.0 million. The EBIT for 2013 included a special effect of EUR 13.2 million which resulted from the measures taken in the permanent bonding product line. Order entry in Q4 2014 came in at EUR 44.0 million (previous year: EUR 29.1 million). Sales of EUR 50.3 million were above the level of the previous year (EUR 40.5 million). The EBIT reached EUR 8.3 million after EUR -6.2 million in the previous year. EBIT for Q4 2014 includes an unexpected income from written-off receivables of EUR 0.6 million. EBIT of the fourth quarter 2013 includes a special effect of EUR 7.2 million, resulting from the measures taken in the permanent bonding product line. Taking the order backlog at the yearend 2014 and the expected order entry for the first half of 2015 into account, the Company guides sales for the fiscal year to come in between EUR 130 million and EUR 140 million, SUSS MicroTec writes in a statement.