Corrected: (OFFICIAL)-BRIEF-Hochdorf Holding H1 EBIT up 23 pct at CHF 13.1 mln

Centiel AG

17/08/2016 08:57

(Corrects the last bullet point to say that expected FY EBIT 
percentage is 4.0-4.2 pct and not 3.5-4.0 pct. Company corrected 
its own statement.) 
    Aug 17 (Reuters) - Hochdorf Holding AG  HOCN.S : 
    * Due in part to efficiency-boosting measures, H1 EBIT rose 
sharply to 13.1 million Swiss francs (+22.7 pct). 
    * H1 net profit amounted to a gratifying 11.0 million Swiss 
francs (previous year: 4.1 million Swiss francs) 
    * Implementation of the communicated strategy 2016-2020 is 
underway 
    * Presuming that a purchase agreement is signed on schedule, 
the board of directors will convene an extraordinary general 
meeting in the fourth quarter of 2016 
    * "We are optimistic as to the second half of the year. '' - 
CEO 
    * H1 gross sales revenue of 278.4 million Swiss francs 
(previous year: 284.3 million Swiss francs; -2.1 pct). 
    * Turnover and revenue targets for the 2016 business year as 
a whole have been adjusted. 
    * In H1 group significantly boosted both EBITDA (18.4 
million Swiss francs) and EBIT (13.1 million Swiss francs) 
    * A letter of intent was signed in early July concerning the 
potential majority participation by the Hochdorf Group in 
Pharmalys Laboratories SA 
    * An increase in the restriction to voting rights from the 
current 5 pct to 15 pct might also become necessary 
    * "Because of the persistently low price of milk with 
influence on the dairy ingredients products, we slightly lowered 
the forecasted annual turnover to 540 to 580 million Swiss 
francs''- CEO 
    * Based on the good result for the first half of the year, 
Eisenring expects that the EBIT percentage will now come in the 
range of 4.0-4.2% pct 
 
Source text for Eikon:  ID:nEQ92YK9ha ,  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nEQ4TF18Xa 
Further company coverage:  HOCN.S  
 
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