• +20.4% increase in revenue to EUR 138.3 million in Q3 2019
• +31.5% growth in recurring revenue, accelerated by subscriptions
• +46.4% rise in EBITDA to EUR 42.8 million leads to high EBITDA margin of 30.9%
• Earnings per share triples to EUR 0.47, driven by strong operating performance and positive one-off effect resulting from the successful sale of DocuWare
• Targets in the upper end confirmed for the year 2019 as a whole

Munich, October 31, 2019 – The Nemetschek Group (ISIN DE 0006452907), Germany’s second largest listed software company, continued on its dynamic growth course in the third quarter with an increase in revenue of 20.4% compared to the corresponding quarter in the previous year. The operating result before interest, tax and depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) clearly increased over-proportionally to revenue by 46.4%, which caused the operating margin to rise by more than five percentage points to 30.9%.

“Nemetschek is on a direct course to another record year. The results at the nine-month point reflect our strong positioning across the entire value chain process in the building industry, and are inherent to high growth dynamics and increased efficiency. Our Group has never been as strong and competitive as it is today,” sums up Patrik Heider, Spokesman of the Executive Board and CFOO of the Nemetschek Group.
 

Major indicators of the Group’s success in Q3 and the first nine months of 2019

• In the third quarter, Group revenue rose to EUR 138.3 million. A high rate of organic growth of 15.7% and the strong development of the recently acquired Spacewell brand led to a total growth rate of 20.4% compared to the same quarter of the previous year. In the first nine months of the year, revenues increased by 22.7% compared to the same period in the previous year, organically by 17.2%.
• With a plus of 31.5%, rising to EUR 76.6 million, recurring revenue from software service contracts and subscriptions remained a major growth driver in Q3. The nine-month perspective indicated similar growth dynamics (+33.9%).

Revenues from rental models ( subscriptions) contributed in particular to this, rising by 119.0% in Q3 and by 129.6% in the first nine months. In the case of several Nemetschek brands such as dRofus, RISA and Spacewell, a large portion of business is already based on subscriptions. At the beginning of September of this year, with Maxon a further brand has strengthened the strategic alignment of the Nemetschek Group with its new product release towards a subscription-based business model, which most importantly offers new customers very attractive options since there is no longer a license fee. The growing subscription-based revenues ensure high levels of continuity and planning reliability. The growth power of Nemetschek can thus no longer be measured solely in terms of license sales.

• The operating Group earnings ( EBITDA) clearly increased over-proportionally compared to revenue in Q3 by 46.4%, reaching EUR 42.8 million. The EBITDA margin consequently jumped to a high 30.9% (previous year: 25.5%). In the nine months, the margin improved, rising to 29.4% (previous year’s period: 26.7%).

The strong increase was positively influenced by the initial application of the new IFRS 16 concerning the accounting of leases. Adjusted for this effect, the EBITDA margin in Q3 amounted to 28.2%, which was more than that of the previous year, and reached the previous year’s level in the first nine months (26.7%).

• The quarterly profit almost tripled in Q3 as a result of the strong operative business and a positive one-off effect arising from the successful sale of the non-strategic interest in DocuWare of EUR 18.2 million, rising to EUR 54.0 million. The income arising from the sale of DocuWare in the amount of EUR 29.9 million is reflected in the financial results. The earnings per share rose accordingly from EUR 0.16 to EUR 0.47. Adjusted for the positive one-off effect, the result is a quarterly profit of EUR 24.1 million (+32.4%), and earnings per share amounting to EUR 0.21. From a nine-month perspective, it was possible to increase the profit for the period by 81.3%, rising to EUR 95.4 million, which corresponds to earnings per share in the amount of EUR 0.83 (previous year: EUR 0.46). 

Segment highlights in Q3 and in the first nine months of 2019

• The Build segment continues to be a growth driver of the Nemetschek Group with an increase in revenue of 25.2% in Q3, and of 27.9% in the first nine months. The corresponding clearly over-proportional rise in EBITDA (Q3: +76.3%, 9M: +51.7%) led to peak margins in this segment of 32.0% in Q3 and 32.7% in the first nine months.
• The Design segment recorded growth of 9.8% in Q3, and 11.3% in the nine-month perspective. EBITDA increased over-proportionally by 33.6% in Q3, which caused the EBITDA margin to reach 31.4% (previous year’s quarter: 25.8%) and rose to 29.0% in the first nine months (previous year’s period: 24.9%).
• The Manage segment was considerably strengthened by the acquisition of the Spacewell brand (initial consolidation as of September 2018). As a result of organic growth and the strong contribution of Spacewell, revenues in Q3 increased from EUR 3.6 million in the previous year’s period to EUR 9.7 million. In the first nine months, it was possible to increase revenue to EUR 27.2 million (previous year’s period: EUR 7.7 million). In Q3, the EBITDA margin amounted to 23.1%. The margin for the first three quarters of 12.6% includes the acquisition costs of EUR 1.5 million for the acquisition of the Axxerion brand from the first quarter. Adjusted for these acquisition costs, the EBITDA margin reached 18.1%.
• In the Media & Entertainment segment, strong growth was achieved with the simultaneous conversion to subscription models. The subscription model was introduced in late Q3 and contributed to the highest September results in segment history. As a result of organic growth and the contribution of the acquired Redshift, revenues rose by 26.0% in Q3 and 24.3% in the first nine months. The EBITDA margin in the first nine months amounted to 35.1% (previous year’s period: 41.9%) as a result of the acquisition and integration costs for Redshift as well as the conversion costs for subscriptions.    

Targets in the upper end anticipated for the year 2019 as a whole
As a result of the strong development in the first nine months, the executive board expects that the previously set corporate targets for the year 2019 as a whole will be comfortably achieved in terms of revenue as well as in terms of the EBITDA margin. Group revenue is thus anticipated in the upper end of the announced range of EUR 540 million to EUR 550 million, which corresponds to a growth of 17% to 19% compared to the previous year.

The executive board sees the EBITDA margin in the upper end of the target range of 27% to 29%, including the effects from the conversion to the new leasing standard IFRS 16*.

 * For the first time, as of January 1, 2019, the new financial reporting standard IFRS 16 is to be considered, according to which leases of any kind (operating or finance leasing) are to be accounted for and recognized. As a result of this reform, the Nemetschek Group anticipates a positive effect on the EBITDA level in the range of approximately EUR 14 million to EUR 15 million. The Nemetschek Group will provide detailed information on the effects on EBITDA arising from IFRS 16 in the quarters.  

Overview of quarterly key figures (Q3)