DGAP-News: GRENKE AG
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GRENKE New Business Q2 2021: Return to Conclusion of More Contracts - First Indications of a Normalisation - Number of new lease contracts rises again year-on-year for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic - New leasing business of EUR 398.6 million at previous year's level (Q2 2020: EUR 402.3 million) - CM2 margin of 18.1% above same prior-year quarter (Q2 2020: 17.5%) - New syndicated revolving credit facility with a total volume of EUR 250 million - GBB lowers rating from A to A- - Half-year financial report and analyst call scheduled for August 4, 2021 Baden-Baden, July 2, 2021: GRENKE AG, a global financing partner for small and medium-sized enterprises, generated new leasing business of EUR 398.6 million in Q2 2021, the same level as in the previous year (Q2 2020: EUR 402.3 million). The number of new contracts increased in Q2 2021 by 11.3% to 56,078, which was the first year-on-year increase since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The contribution margin 2 of the new leasing business also increased from 17.5% in the same prior-year quarter to 18.1% in the reporting quarter. The new leasing business is defined as the total acquisition cost of all newly purchased leased assets. "When we look back on the past few months, it's becoming evident that things are on the upturn. At the same time, we find ourselves in a market environment that continues to be dominated by the pandemic," explains Dr Sebastian Hirsch, Chief Financial Officer of GRENKE AG, adding: "With the onset of the Covid-19 crisis, we focused our new business activities specifically on risk limitation and small-ticket business. This strategy has worked, and we are now on the verge of taking the next step in which we also want to successively increase volumes. We have met a key prerequisite for achieving this based on our syndicated loan." Regional development of new leasing business The timing of the pandemic's development on a regional basis has varied dramatically. These differences are very visible when comparing the operating performance. At the beginning of Q2 2020, new business in Germany was still less affected by the pandemic. In comparison to this relatively robust performance a year ago, the DACH region saw lower year-on-year new leasing business in Q2 2021 of EUR 111.1 million (Q2 2020: EUR 131.6 million). Western Europe without DACH, on the other hand, recorded a significant increase of 27.8% in the same period. GRENKE achieved substantial growth in the second quarter of 2021, particularly in France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The Southern Europe region, in contrast, new business declined year-on-year by 12.2%. The strength of new business development in Spain, Portugal and Croatia was not able to fully compensate for the lower number of contracts in Italy. In Northern and Eastern Europe, GRENKE recorded growth in the new leasing business of 6.0%, driven by a significant increase in Great Britain and Poland. Other regions recorded new leasing business of EUR 20.9 million, for a year-on-year increase of 11.0%. Development of the contribution margin At EUR 72.1 million, the contribution margin 2 (CM2) of the new leasing business was close to the level of EUR 70.4 million reported in the same prior-year quarter. The CM2 margin increased again and reached 18.1% in Q2 2021 (Q2 2020: 17.5%), as a result of the ongoing and consistent focus on the profitable small-ticket business. The mean acquisition value per lease contract was EUR 7,108 in the reporting quarter (Q2 2020: EUR 7,985). GRENKE defines "small tickets" as lease contracts with a volume of between EUR 500 and EUR 25,000. The contribution margin 1 (CM1) in Q2 2021 was 2.8% below the same quarter last year at EUR 47.2 million (Q2 2020: EUR 48.5 million). As a result, GRENKE achieved a CM1 margin of 11.8%, which was just below the previous year's level (Q2 2020: 12.1%). Regional development of the contribution margins In the reporting quarter, GRENKE received a total of 117,387 lease applications - the first year-on-year increase since the start of the pandemic (Q2 2020: 111,934) - indicating an initial recovery in some of the target markets. During the reporting quarter, the DACH region accounted for 24,673 applications and the international regions for 92,714 applications. GRENKE concluded a total of 56,078 new lease contracts in the reporting period, corresponding to a conversion rate of 48%. In Q2 2020, 50,381 leases were concluded, equalling a conversion rate of 45%. New factoring business GRENKE Bank Financing base broadened - GBB lowers rating from A to A- On June 30, 2021, the GRENKE Group signed a syndicated revolving credit facility with a total volume of EUR 250 million with seven core banks. The facility runs for two years, with the option to extend the term for up to two further years. The GBB-Rating Gesellschaft für Bonitätsbeurteilung mbH lowered the rating for the GRENKE Group from A to A- on July 1, 2021. The outlook remains negative. GBB cited its primary rationale for this change as the Company's earnings situation, which is under pressure due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the progress that still needed to be made in the Company's governance and risk & compliance management to restore investor confidence. The economic viability of the business model continues to be rated as high. The GRENKE Group therefore continues to be given a high credit rating. Overview of new business development (in EUR millions)
*Regions: DACH: Germany, Austria, Switzerland Consolidated franchise companies: The half-year financial report will be published on August 4, 2021. For further information, please contact:
About GRENKE The GRENKE Group (GRENKE) is a global financing partner for small and medium-sized companies. As a one-stop shop for customers, GRENKE's products range from flexible small-ticket leasing and demand-driven bank products to convenient factoring. Fast and easy processing and personal contact with customers and partners are at the centre of GRENKE's activities. Founded in 1978 in Baden-Baden, the GRENKE Group operates in 33 countries and employs more than 1,800 staff worldwide. GRENKE shares are listed in the SDAX on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN DE000A161N30).
02.07.2021 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. |
Language: | English |
Company: | GRENKE AG |
Neuer Markt 2 | |
76532 Baden-Baden | |
Germany | |
Phone: | +49 (0)7221 50 07-204 |
Fax: | +49 (0)7221 50 07-4218 |
E-mail: | investor@grenke.de |
Internet: | www.grenke.de |
ISIN: | DE000A161N30 |
WKN: | A161N3 |
Listed: | Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange |
EQS News ID: | 1214655 |
End of News | DGAP News Service |
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1214655 02.07.2021