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Leifheit Aktiengesellschaft: Considerable turnover and earnings growth in 2020

·5-min read

DGAP-News: Leifheit Aktiengesellschaft / Key word(s): Development of Sales/Preliminary Results
19.02.2021 / 08:20
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Leifheit AG: Considerable turnover and earnings growth in 2020


Nassau, 19 February 2021 - Leifheit AG (ISIN DE0006464506), one of the leading brand suppliers of household products in Europe, released preliminary figures for financial year 2020 today. On a preliminary basis, the Leifheit Group generated turnover of EUR 271.6 million in 2020, a significant year-on-year increase of 16.0%. The Group expects earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) to be at the upper end of the EBIT guidance, recently adjusted upwards to between EUR 17 million and EUR 19 million. In 2019 EBIT totalled EUR 9.9 million.

The Leifheit Group continued on its growth course in the fourth quarter of 2020 with an increase in turnover of 22.6% despite a challenging market environment that continues to be hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Henner Rinsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Leifheit AG: "Overall, financial year 2020 developed very positively for us. We continued determinedly with our Scaling Up Success strategy and the figures quite clearly show that it's working. We invested heavily in consumer advertising and also worked at making the product range leaner and more profitable. Demand for our Leifheit and Soehnle brand products, which we advertised intensively on TV and in print, also increased in the fourth quarter. This has resulted in growth in turnover being slightly above the forecast issued in October. This performance is particularly remarkable in view of the fact that many of our key sales channels were closed during the Christmas season because of the second lockdown. The good turnover growth in the final quarter enabled us to increase our TV budgets again at the end of the year and to implement additional streamlining measures, thereby setting the course to increase consumer demand and improve the margin and cost situation in 2021."

In the domestic market of Germany, the Leifheit Group was able to achieve considerable turnover growth of 14.6% to EUR 107.2 million (2019: EUR 93.5 million) following a recent decline, confirming the positive turnaround for the year as a whole. In all other target markets, the Leifheit Group was also able to record double-digit turnover growth. In Central Europe, turnover grew from EUR 101.3 million in the previous year to EUR 116.9 million, while it rose from EUR 30.7 million to EUR 33.9 million in Eastern Europe in the same period. In the markets outside Europe, the Leifheit Group was even able to increase turnover significantly by almost 60%, from EUR 8.5 million in financial year 2019 to EUR 13.6 million.

Henner Rinsche views the current financial year 2021 with optimism: "In 2021, we will continue to invest specifically in TV advertising, expanding our activities to additional countries and to the Soehnle brand. Our TV campaigns put products such as the Profi XL cleaning system and the Regulus Aqua PowerVac battery-powered vacuum wiper in the consumer spotlight. Both products help consumers clean thoroughly and hygienically at home, scored 'very good' in tests and eliminate up to 99%* of viruses. Based on our successes to date, we are confident that increased consumer advertising will further boost demand for our products and also make the Leifheit and Soehnle brands even more attractive to retailers. In addition, independent test results regularly confirm the high quality of our products. All the products that are being advertised on TV now, or will be in the next few months, scored 'very good' in tests."

In the Household segment, by far the largest Group segment with the Leifheit brand, turnover increased significantly from EUR 182.0 million in 2019 to EUR 213.1 million in 2020. In the significantly smaller Wellbeing segment with the Soehnle brand, turnover increased by as much as 34%, from EUR 19.8 million to EUR 26.5 million. In the Private Label segment with the French subsidiaries Birambeau and Herby, turnover remained stable at EUR 32.0 million (2019: EUR 32.2 million) over the course of the year, following a recent decline.

Leifheit will publish the final figures for the financial year 2020 and the forecast for the current financial year with the full annual financial report on 24 March 2021.
 

About Leifheit

Leifheit AG, founded in 1959, is one of the leading European brand suppliers of household items. The Leifheit Group divides its operating business into the Household, Wellbeing and Private Label segments. Leifheit and Soehnle products - two of Germany's best-known household brands - are known for high quality and great utility for consumers. Its French subsidiaries Birambeau and Herby are active in the service-oriented Private Label segment with a selected product range. In each segment, the company focuses on its core product categories of cleaning, laundry care, kitchen goods and wellbeing. The Leifheit Group employs some 1,100 people. More information on Leifheit is available online at www.leifheit-group.com, www.leifheit.de and www.soehnle.de.

* The Profi XL floor mop with micro duo wipe removes up to 99% of viruses and bacteria (tested on modified Vaccinia-Ankara-virus with 25ml Leifheit Power Cleaner to 5l water at water temperature 60˚C). The Regulus Aqua PowerVac vacuum wiper removes up to 99.99% of viruses (tested on modified Vaccinia-Ankara-virus with 5ml Leifheit Universal Cleaner to 500ml water at max. water temperature 60˚C).


Contact:
Leifheit AG
D-56377 Nassau
ir@leifheit.com
+49 2604 977218


19.02.2021 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Archive at www.dgap.de

Language:

English

Company:

Leifheit Aktiengesellschaft

Leifheitstraße 1

56377 Nassau

Germany

Phone:

02604 977-0

Fax:

02604 977-340

E-mail:

ir@leifheit.com

Internet:

www.leifheit-group.com

ISIN:

DE0006464506

WKN:

646450

Listed:

Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange

EQS News ID:

1169611


 

End of News

DGAP News Service

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China has already announced plans to invest $1.4 trillion from 2020 to 2025 in high-tech infrastructure, from artificial intelligence to 5G base stations to high-speed rail.“If that does end up paying off and Xi Jinping is able to engineer a more centrally steered growth model, then China will overcome the long list of challenges that it’s facing domestically,” said Jude Blanchette, a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “If the state-led model is as unproductive as many think it is, then China will have wasted a generation’s capital pursuing a dream of centrally planned technological innovation.”China’s record of success is mixed. ​An example of what Beijing has in mind is biotech, which barely existed in China a decade ago and was earmarked as a “strategic industry” in the most recent five-year plan. From 2016 to 2020, the market capitalization of publicly listed Chinese companies developing innovative drugs rose from $1 billion to $217 billion, according to McKinsey. In 2019, the first China-developed cancer treatment was approved in the U.S.​The main area in which China has struggled is chipmaking, with its top companies still at least five years behind global rivals. China’s five-year plan will include measures to boost financing for semiconductors, treating the sector with the same kind of priority it once accorded to building its atomic capability, Bloomberg News reported in September.But there’s no guarantee it will work -- and the avalanche of state-directed investment risks spawning bad debt that destabilizes China’s economy. A taste of such a possibility came last year, when state-owned Tsinghua Unigroup Co., whose investments in chip production failed to pay off, roiled financial markets by defaulting on $2.5 billion of debt.‘Dark Storm Clouds’To reduce waste, Beijing has signaled that it would continue to rely predominately on private companies to meet its technology goals through tax breaks, direct investment in startups and minority stakes in promising but financially troubled companies. Beijing also wants more investment from foreign companies such as Tesla Inc., as long as they help meet the goal of upgrading China’s technology.While the West sees Xi’s ambitions as a threat, Beijing’s push to achieve self-sufficiency is mainly a defensive move by the Chinese Communist Party, according to Meg Rithmire, an associate professor at Harvard Business School.“If the CCP thought there were no dark storm clouds on the horizon,” she said, “I don’t think they would be taking such a heavy hand. It’s a risk-management mindset.”(Adds tout)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

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  • The Global Spintronics Market was valued at USD 303.8 million in 2020, and it is projected to be worth USD 4,558.5 million by 2026, registering a CAGR of 50.4%, during the period 2021-2026

    The spintronics market is in its nascent stage, in which a significant portion of the market is still highly dependent on researches and technological innovations. Moreover, the supply side of the market was affected at the initial phase of COVID-19 due to nationwide lockdown and factory closure across the world.New York, March 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Spintronics Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 - 2026)" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06028467/?utm_source=GNW However, the scenario expanded the scope of the market studied as the industries, like data centers and cloud computing, witnessed a massive surge in demand and adoption.- In recent years, spintronics has been extensively deployed in data storage devices, due to its faster data transmission capabilities and increased storage capacities, when compared to conventional storage devices.- The spintronics market is at a nascent phase of development, with huge growth potential over the forecast period. There have been significant investments in research to develop suitable devices capable of being deployed across the world in a broad range of applications.- There have been comprehensive experimental efforts to control the electron displacement over long distances, although maintaining electron spin coherence after transfer remains a challenge. Since individual electron spins can be displaced coherently over a distance of 5?µm, controlling the spin of electrons for long distances was a challenge for the industry.- Products incorporated with spintronics technology have applications in an electric vehicle, industrial motor, data storage, MRAM, among other end-users discussed within the scope of this report.- In recent years, spintronics has been extensively deployed in data storage devices, due to its faster data transmission capabilities and increased storage capacities, when compared to conventional storage devices.- Incorporation of spintronics in MRAM resulted in a transformation of the data storage industry. Moreover, it is expected that MRAM will replace flash memory devices, such as SD cards, in the coming years.Key Market TrendsElectric Vehicle and Industrial Motor to Hold Significant Market Share- One of the prominent applications of spintronics is in electric vehicles (EVs). This is primarily attributed to the crucial role played by spintronics sensors in enhancing the battery performance of the EV. Without an exact measurement of the remaining battery capacity, reliable information on the remaining distance that can be traveled will be hard to determine. Moreover, enhancing the precision of battery monitoring enables the ability to check the charge and discharge condition of the battery, which is essential to calculate the remaining battery capacity, and prevents conditions that deteriorate the battery cell, thereby providing increased battery life.- According to Consors Finanz Automobile Barometer 2019, 69% of consumers in Germany decide against buying an electric vehicle because they expect the battery to run out while driving on the road. To avoid such instances, automakers and transportation infrastructure companies offer services such as showcasing precise battery consumption estimates and providing information about service and parking areas where such vehicles can charge the battery. These efforts will increase as EVs spread, and the electricity supply infrastructure witnessed considerable development in the future. These factors are poised to significantly increase the usage of spintronic devices such as TMR sensors in electric vehicles.- Among several types of current sensors used for battery monitoring, a typical measuring method is a type called a closed loop. Closed-loop current sensors have a large core consisting of a coil to generate magnetic flux for sensing. This has given challenges so far, such as decreased flexibility in battery monitoring design and an inability to reduce vehicle weight.- In February 2020, such challenges were solved by a new closed-loop tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) current sensor developed by TDK, wherein a coreless sensor is utilized. The TMR current sensor, into which the magnetism detecting section (consisting of a coil, TMR element, and resistor) and the application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) are integrated as one package, can measure a large current of almost 1200 A with high-precision, with an error as small as less than 1% in a non-contact manner. Besides, its low power consumption and small size can contribute to realizing high-precision battery monitoring.United States Expected to Hold a Dominant Market Share- A significant rise in the demand for electric vehicles has been observed in the country, owing to energy and environmental concerns, driving the market for spintronics, which are integrated in electric vehicles.- The rapid decline in battery costs, rising commitment from major car makers, strong policy support from state and local governments, and low operational costs have put electric vehicles (EVs) on track to overtake gasoline-powered vehicles in the near future, owing to which the country will witness a significant demand for spintronics technology.- Moreover, in the United States, a wealth of private-sector businesses, academic institutions, and federal research-and-development laboratories are specifically focused on the advancement of MEMS and nanotechnology.- The Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), founded by a USD 50 million contract with the US Army Research Office, is a research center in Cambridge, dedicated to developing nanotechnology to improve the survivability of soldiers.Competitive LandscapeThis market is characterized by steadily growing levels of product penetration, low product differentiation, and high levels of competition. Competitive advantage is heavily dependent on innovation. Some of the prominent market players, such as Spin Transfer Technologies and Crocus Technologies, received funding to enhance their product innovation in recent years. Thus, the intensity of competitive rivalry is high.- October 2020- NVE Corporation introduced two new devices that bring powerful sensing capabilities to design engineers. The company’s new AKT001-14E is an analog magnetometer sensor for precise sensing of magnetic fields up to a magnitude of 1.5 tesla. It employs NVE’s tunneling magneto resistive technology to accomplish the remarkable field range considering its low power requirement and small size.Reasons to Purchase this report:- The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format- 3 months of analyst supportRead the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06028467/?utm_source=GNWAbout ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.__________________________ CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001

  • Danone Starts Search for New CEO as Faber to Give Up Role

    (Bloomberg) -- Danone said Emmanuel Faber will step down as chief executive officer in an attempt to alleviate pressure from shareholders who have called for new management to revive the world’s largest yogurt maker.Danone said late Monday it will separate the chairman and CEO positions, which Faber, 57, has held for the past three years. Once the company finds a new CEO, Faber will become non-executive chairman. The stock fell as much as 1.1% in Paris.Danone is suffering on three fronts. Nondairy substitutes are failing to compensate for a slowdown in yogurt. Meanwhile demand for bottled water has wilted as restaurants close due to the pandemic, while infant formula sales weaken due to slowing birthrates.“This is not a clean break,” wrote Bruno Monteyne, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein. The situation risks either leading to a new CEO who is controlled by Faber, or another standoff with investors further down the line, he said.Bluebell Capital Partners, one of the shareholders that campaigned for a management shake-up, said that the announcement marks a step in the right direction, but what Danone really needs is external leadership.“There should be an outside candidate, somebody who is not connected to the past,” said Bluebell Chief Investment Officer Giuseppe Bivona. “It’s good to split the role of chairman and CEO, but obviously what we want, what the company deserves, is an independent chairman, which clearly is not going to be the case.”The company said the board unanimously supports Faber, who will continue managing Danone until a new CEO arrives.A rising chorus of shareholders, including Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. and Causeway Capital Management called for a management revamp in recent weeks. Pressure on Faber mounted as Danone’s shares lost a quarter of their value in 2020 and sales fell for the first time in more than 30 years.Danone’s board Monday also appointed Gilles Schnepp as vice chairman, alongside Cecile Cabanis, the company’s former chief financial officer. Schnepp’s role as lead independent director will be transferred to Jean-Michel Severino, who also acts as head of the governance committee.Analysts said that those shifts give Faber more power, as he pushed for Cabanis and Schnepp to become new board members last year.“Faber’s presence as chair alongside former CFO Cecile Cabanis as vice-chair is likely to constrain the latitude of any new CEO,” said Martin Deboo, an analyst at Jefferies.Artisan Partners didn’t immediately comment.The maker of Actimel fermented drinks said Sunday it’s preparing to sell its stake in a Chinese dairy company worth more than $2 billion to fund stock buybacks in an attempt to boost shareholder returns.Danone has spent years trying to revive dairy sales, and in 2020 the pandemic hit it harder than rivals. Faber started a strategic review in October and announced plans to cut as many as 2,000 jobs the following month.Since becoming CEO in 2014, Faber has tried to improve Danone’s environmental and social credentials -- the company made its Evian bottled-water brand carbon neutral last year -- while also attempting to fix its ailing yogurt business.After spending more than $10 billion to buy nondairy producer WhiteWave in 2017, alternative products made from soy and oats have yet to offset a drop in demand for traditional dairy products. Danone has also had a series of organizational changes in the last seven years, which Artisan Partners said is disruptive. The company has changed how it reports earnings on its categories and geographies several times, and replaced its chief financial officer in October.(Updates shares in second paragraph.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

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  • HSBC BANK PLC - Form 8.5 (EPT/RI) - TalkTalk Telecom Group plc

    FORM 8.5 (EPT/RI) PUBLIC DEALING DISCLOSURE BY AN EXEMPT PRINCIPAL TRADER WITH RECOGNISED INTERMEDIARY STATUS DEALING IN A CLIENT-SERVING CAPACITY Rule 8.5 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”) 1. KEY INFORMATION (a) Name of exempt principal trader: HSBC BANK PLC (b) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree TalkTalk Telecom Group plc (c) Name of the party to the offer with which exempt principal trader is connected: Offeree - TalkTalk Telecom Group plc (d) Date dealing undertaken: 01 March 2021 (e) In addition to the company in 1(b) above, is the exempt principal trader making disclosures in respect of any other party to this offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A” N/A 2. DEALINGS BY THE EXEMPT PRINCIPAL TRADER Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(b), copy table 2(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in. The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated. (a) Purchases and sales Class of relevant security Purchases/ sales Total number of securities Highest price per unit paid/received (GBP) Lowest price per unit paid/received (GBP) Ordinary Shares Purchase 4,431 96.950 p 96.242 p Ordinary Shares Sale 142,459 96.600 p 96.242 p (b) Cash-settled derivative transactions Class of relevant security Product description e.g. CFD Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit (GBP) Ordinary Shares Swap Increasing a Short Position 936 96.958 p Ordinary Shares Swap Increasing a Short Position 2,907 96.597 p Ordinary Shares Swap Reducing a Short Position 9,040 96.600 p Ordinary Shares Swap Reducing a Short Position 132,831 96.600 p (c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options) (i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit (ii) Exercise Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit (d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities) Class of relevant security Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable) 3. OTHER INFORMATION (a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the exempt principal trader making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none” (b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the exempt principal trader making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none” Date of disclosure: 02 March 2021 Contact name: Mohammed Abdul Qader Telephone number: 0207 088 2000 Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service. The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s dealing disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129. The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

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  • Agricultural Wastewater Treatment Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 - 2026)

    The global agricultural wastewater treatment market is expected to grow at with a CAGR greater than 5% during the forecast period. One of the major factors driving the market is the rapidly diminishing water resources across the globe.New York, March 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Agricultural Wastewater Treatment Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 - 2026)" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06028468/?utm_source=GNW However, lack of awareness regarding agricultural wastewater treatment is likely to hinder the growth of the market studied.- Increasing investments in wastewater treatment applications are expected to provide a major growth opportunity for the market studied- Asia-Pacific accounted for the highest share of the market and is likely to continue dominating the market during the forecast period.Key Market TrendsChemical Treatment Technology to Dominate the Market- Chemicals in agricultural wastewater treatment are mainly used for the treatment of pesticides and other harmful chemicals, before the release of water in the river or other water resources.- The primary technology employed for the treatment of wastewater from the agricultural sector is chemical. These chemicals are mainly used for the treatment of pesticides and other harmful chemicals, before the release of water in river or other sources.- Chemical precipitation, coagulation, flocculation processes, absorption process, etc., are some of the chemical treatment processes commonly used to remove colloidal particles and microbes from wastewater.- Growing demand for agricultural products across the globe is likely to boost the demand for agricultural production which in turn is likely to drive the chemical agricultural wastewater treatment technology market.- Hence, owing to the above-mentioned factors, chemical treatment technology to dominate the market.Asia-Pacific to Dominate the Market- Asia-Pacific accounts for the highest share of wastewater treatment market owing to the high demand from countries like China and India.- China has a major problem of water pollution particularly in the Northern part of the country. Majority of the groundwater resources are expected to chemically treat in order to be used for agricultural activity.- In India, agriculture is the major sector of the Indian economy. Agriculture accounts for more than 80% of the water usage. The growing agricultural production in the country is likely to drive the demand for agricultural wastewater treatment in the country.- Hence, owing to the rise in the agriculture industry, consumption of fertilizers, and growing population Asia-pacific is expected to dominate the forecast period.Competitive LandscapeThe global agricultural wastewater treatment market is highly fragmented. Key players in the market studied include Dow, Suez, Evoqua Water Technologies LLC, Veolia, and Organo Corporation, among others.Reasons to Purchase this report:- The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format- 3 months of analyst supportRead the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06028468/?utm_source=GNWAbout ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.__________________________ CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001

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