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© Bachem Holding AG
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April 26, 2000
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Bubendorf, April 26, 2000
Bachem group reports record net profit of CHF 40.1 million
Proposal for 30% dividend increase to CHF 13 submitted to Annual Shareholders' Meeting on May 16, 20011999 was another very successful year for the Bachem group. Operating income rose to CHF 49.9 million, generating a sales margin of more than 50% for the first time in the company's history. Net profit rose 23.5% from CHF 32.5 million in 1998 to CHF 40.1 million. This increase clearly exceeds set targets for 1999. "Based on these excellent results," said Peter Grogg, Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Management Committee, "we will propose a dividend increase of 30% to CHF 13 per share at our annual shareholders' meeting."
Despite modest sales growth of 2.6% in Swiss francs, all areas of the business contributed to the excellent result through efficiency increases and strict cost controls. The active ingredients business and the research peptides business developed on a comparable level, maintaining 70% and 30% of sales respectively, as last year.
During 1999, the active ingredient business expanded its activities into two promising new areas: extra-corporal plasma therapy or plasma therapy and "functional food." For its research peptides business, Bachem expects that, following the almost complete discovery of the human genome by genomics/proteomics companies, there will be a strong increase in the number of target compounds. Subsequently, the number of new therapeutic substances based on peptides is also expected to grow. As a leading company in this field, Bachem will particularly benefit from this development.
Given Bachem's increase in sales momentum during the second half of 1999 and the new applications for its peptides, management is confident that the company will, through its investments and its excellent market position, continue on its growth path during the 2000 business year.
| Key financial data at a glance |
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1999 |
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1998 |
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Change |
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in CHF m |
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in CHF m |
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in % |
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| Sales |
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98.5 |
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96.0 |
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+ 2.6 |
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| Cash - flow |
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47.5 |
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39.2 |
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+ 21.1 |
| in % of sales |
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48.2 |
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40.8 |
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| Net profit |
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40.1 |
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32.4 |
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+ 23.5 |
| in % of sales |
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40.7 |
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33.8 |
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| Equity |
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238.6 |
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197.9 |
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+ 20.6 |
| in % of balance sheet total |
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84.2 |
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85.0 |
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| Balance sheet total |
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283.2 |
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232.8 |
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+ 21.7 |
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| Number of employees |
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326 |
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331 |
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-1.5 |
| (in full time positions) |
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| Sales per employee (in CHF) |
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302'277 |
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289'940 |
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| Dividend per share (in CHF) |
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13.-- |
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10.-- |
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+ 30.0 |
For further information please contact:
Bachem AG
Jörg Stumpf
Hauptstrasse 144
CH-4416 Bubendorf
Telephone +41-61-931 23 33
Fax +41-61-931 25 49
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