Pliezhausen, 19 January 2023. DATAGROUP SE (WKN: A0JC8S) today publishes its audited annual financial statements for the fiscal year 2020/2021. The IT service provider has again generated record results.

Revenue was up 12.8% to EUR 501.4m in the fiscal year just closed (PY: EUR 444.7m). This result exceeds the company’s guidance of EUR 480–500m. EBITDA increased by 13.6% to EUR 76.5m (PY: EUR 67.3m) which is also above the guidance of EUR 72–75m. At 15.2 %, the EBITDA margin is slightly above the prior- year level of 15.1 %. EBIT came in at EUR 41.5m (PY: EUR 28.7m), which is an increase of 44.7 % and a new record high. The EBIT margin improved significantly to 8.3% after 6.4% in the previous year.

“We are very happy that we have again surpassed our targets in the last fiscal year. Over the years, DATAGROUP has proven to be a stable company which continues to grow even in turbulent times”, explains Andreas Baresel, Chief Executive Officer of DATAGROUP. “Demand for our CORBOX IT services is growing and we have also seen strong interest in our consulting services, in SAP and Cloud amongst others.”

The financial result is burdened by one-time special effects of EUR 2.2m, mainly due to a final purchase price allocation. Net income grew to EUR 22.0m (PY: EUR 20.7m). Restructuring measures in the past financial year led to special tax effects, so that the tax rate rose from 22.4% in the same period of the previous year to 40.0% in the reporting period. DATAGROUP expects s significantly lower tax rate in the coming financial years.

High Service Revenue and Stable Customer Demand

At 80.9% (PY: 84.4 %) the proportion of services in revenue remains on a very high level. Customer demand also continues to grow unabated and has reached a new record high in the last fiscal year. 20 new CORBOX contracts were concluded, 20 contracts were extended, and 34 existing customers extended or renewed their contracts.

“IT is the central means of production for almost all companies in Germany”, explains Andreas Baresel. “Our customers of many years and the continuing high demand for our CORBOX services show that we do a good job meeting the needs of our market. We are constantly developing our service portfolio to address the changing requirements of our customers. Our focus on long-term contractual relationships ensures that we can reliably generate recurring service revenue.”

Growth was also driven by the companies acquired in the previous years, URANO Informationssysteme and DATAGROUP BIT Oldenburg (previously dna Gesellschaft für IT Services), and by the initial consolidation of Cloudeteer and the Hövermann IT Group.

Increase in Balance Sheet Total and Improved Equity Ratio

The company’s financing is built on sound foundations as can be seen in the balance sheet development of the fiscal year. The balance sheet total rose to EUR 483.6m after EUR 463.0m on 30 September 2021. Based on the final purchase price allocation of a company acquired in the previous financial year some balance sheet items of the previous year were adjusted.

The equity ratio also grew significantly to 26.4 % (PY: 20.3%). This growth is due to the strong operating result and the remeasurement of pension provisions, which are recognized without effect on profit or loss. Net debt decreased to EUR 109.3m (PY: EUR 116.6m). Liquid funds amounted to EUR 47.0m (PY: EUR 44.1m). Liabilities to banks remained unchanged at EUR 78.2m.

Cash Flow from Operating Activities Rose by 40.5%

Cash flow from operating activities rose to EUR 70.3m (PY: EUR 50.0m), an increase of 40.5 %, which stems from the outstanding operating income. At the same time, CAPEX declined in comparison to the prior year: Investments in property, plant and equipment and in intangible assets stood at EUR 8.8m (PY: EUR 11.0m), the investment ratio was down to 1.8 % (PY: 2.5 %).

“DATAGROUP has significantly increased all major key figures”, says Oliver Thome, CFO of DATAGROUP. “At the same time, our corporate financing remains well positioned for the long term. This provides sufficient scope for future acquisitions and further corporate growth.”

The Boards of DATAGROUP intend to propose to the Annual General Meeting on 9 March 2023 to distribute a dividend of EUR 1.10 for FY 2021/2022.

DATAGROUP with a Positive Start to Fiscal Year 2022/ 2023: Still in the Top Ranks in Customer Satisfaction

DATAGROUP again achieves top ranking in the current study on the IT outsourcing market in Germany by market research institute Whitelane and consulting company Navisco. Ranking fourth overall, with a customer satisfaction of 78 %, DATAGROUP again achieves an above-average customer satisfaction in the eighth year in a row.

Furthermore, for the fourth year in a row, DATAGROUP was voted one of the best IT service providers in Germany by over 5,000 experts surveyed by business magazine brand eins and Statista. As such, DATAGROUP is in the top category of the best 25 % of providers.

“We place high demands on our performance to provide our customers with the best possible service”, explains Dr. Sabine Laukemann, Chief Human Resources Officer, Organization and Strategy. “We are very happy that these efforts are reflected by the numerous awards.”

DATAGROUP will present the audited results of FY 2021/2022 in a web conference on 20 January 2023 at 10:00 am CET. You will find the login details under: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6812213834242548827

A recording will be provided on our website after the event.