HELMA Eigenheimbau AG reports record figures for H1 2022 and specifies its FY 2022 guidance

Lehrte, August 11, 2022 – HELMA Eigenheimbau AG today published its 2022 half-year report, in which it reports the achievement of new record figures for new order intake, revenue and earnings. Furthermore, the half-year report includes a specification of the company’s guidance, which was made on the basis of the current market environment characterised by both attractive opportunities and a wide variety of challenges.

Gratifying sales result:

In the first six months of the current financial year, the HELMA Group generated new order intake of EUR 197.4 million, slightly above the previous year’s record level (H1 2021: EUR 197.2 million) despite a deteriorating market environment. The resultant order book position of EUR 383.6 million as of June 30, 2022 (June 30, 2021: EUR 266.8 million) provides very good conditions for achieving a high level of revenue in the coming year as well, even though, as already reported in July, new order intake in the second half of the year is expected to be lower than in the first six months of the current financial year.

New order intake for the full 2022 year is expected to lie in the range of approximately EUR 350 million to EUR 360 million. If the order intake is achieved as planned, the HELMA Group would have received orders with a total volume of around EUR 800 million in 2021 and 2022 together, or an average of around EUR 400 million over the two years, which would represent very strong figures.

Revenue and earnings growth:

In the first half of 2022, the two business segments Individual and Pre-planned contributed to year-on-year growth in consolidated revenue from EUR 161.4 million to EUR 169.2 million. Furthermore, half-year earnings before taxes (EBT) amounted to EUR 13.5 million, representing an increase of 8.2 % compared to the same period of the previous year (H1 2021: EUR 12.4 million). After deducting income taxes and the minority interests’ share of earnings, pleasing earnings after taxes of EUR 8.9 million were posted as of the mid-year of 2022 (H1 2021: EUR 8.7 million). Accordingly, earnings per share improved to EUR 2.23 in the first half of 2022 (H1 2021: EUR 2.17).

Strong balance sheet:

Compared with the end of the 2021 financial year, equity grew from EUR 129.5 million to EUR 138.5 million due to the consolidated net income that was generated. At the same time, the HELMA Group’s net debt decreased from EUR 211.1 million to EUR 188.3 million as of June 30, 2022, despite the growing business momentum. As a consequence, the equity ratio increased to 31.6 % (December 31, 2021: 28.7 %), while net debt as a share of total equity and liabilities decreased to 43.0 % (December 31, 2021: 46.8 %).

In addition, the HELMA Group’s balance sheet contains significant hidden reserves as of the mid-year of 2022, reflecting properties held as inventories. These are recognised at the lower of cost or market and amounted to EUR 238.6 million as of June 30, 2022 (December 31, 2021: EUR 230.5 million). In the case of the properties recognised on the balance sheet, an average period of around four years has elapsed from the respective notarisation date to the balance sheet date. As a consequence, their current market value is likely to be very significantly higher than the purchase prices paid due to the high level of price increases in Germany’s metropolitan regions in recent years.

Medium-term growth strategy:

As of June 30, 2022, the project properties valued in inventories in accordance with the lower of cost or market principle amounted to EUR 238.6 million. Together with the other contractually secured properties with a purchase price volume of EUR 69.0 million, whose purchase prices were not yet due for payment as of the balance sheet date and which were consequently not recognised on the balance sheet, the HELMA Group has project properties in the amount of EUR 307.6 million as of mid-year 2022 (December 31, 2021: EUR 283.3 million).

For the property development business, these contractually secured land plots lead to potential revenue of EUR 2,084.2 million as of June 30, 2022 (December 31, 2021: EUR 1,958.4 million), most of which can be realised within a period of around six years, assuming corresponding demand for real estate in Germany. Moreover, plans exist to acquire attractive land plots in the future for the realisation of residential and holiday property projects.

In addition to the potential in the property development business, an annual revenue contribution of at least EUR 125 million is expected from the building services business of HELMA Eigenheimbau AG, for which no proprietary land plots are required.

The Group management report for the 2021 financial year presented in detail the medium-term growth strategy, according to which the HELMA Group aims to achieve a significant increase in revenue assuming an intact market environment and rising profitability. Accordingly, consolidated revenue of well over EUR 400 million and an EBT margin of over 10 % would be expected by the 2024 financial year at the latest, which would also generate consolidated EBT of well over EUR 40 million for the first time.

As far as the company is concerned, the prerequisites to implement this strategy are in place. In the property development business, for example, sales launches are planned for a large number of very attractive projects over the next 18 months, totalling up to one thousand units. However, the current market environment can no longer be described as intact, as it is characterised by various risks, which may have a negative impact on demand.

However, the successful implementation of the medium-term growth strategy requires correspondingly good market demand. For this reason, it is currently unclear to what extent the sales velocity required to set new revenue, earnings and margin records can be reached within the next 24 months. An update on this topic is planned by the company with the publication of the annual report in March 2023.

Outlook:

Taking into consideration the current challenges in the construction industry, which particularly include increases in construction costs, higher interest rates, shortages of materials and the discontinuation of subsidies for newbuilds, and subject to further deteriorations due to the consequences of the Ukraine war and the energy crisis, both revenue and EBT are expected to lie at the lower end of the existing guidance range for the 2022 financial year.

Accordingly, revenue is now expected to increase from EUR 331.5 million to EUR 360.0 million (previous forecast range: EUR 360 million to EUR 380 million) and EBT to increase from EUR 27.3 million to EUR 30.0 million (previous forecast range: EUR 30 million to EUR 33 million). The associated achievement of new records within such a challenging market environment would impressively underscore the robustness of HELMA’s business model.

The complete 2022 half-year report is available on the IR website www.ir.helma.de within the publications section and under the following link:

https://ir.helma.de/websites/helma/English/320/publications.html

About HELMA Eigenheimbau AG:
HELMA Eigenheimbau AG (HELMA) is one of the leading German building service providers offering the full service range. The focus is on the development, planning, sale and construction management of individually planned detached houses built on customers' properties applying the traditional solid construction method ("brick on brick"). Through the HELMA Wohnungsbau GmbH subsidiary – which operates as a broadly diversified project and property developer – the possibility also exists in various metropolitan regions across Germany to acquire individual dream houses together with suitable land plots on a one-stop-shop basis. Furthermore, HELMA Wohnungsbau GmbH realises high-quality semi-detached and terraced houses as well as apartment construction projects in sought-after locations.

With the realisation of holiday houses and apartments at locations enjoying well-developed infrastructures – predominantly on the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts, as well as at attractive locations on lakes, rivers and in low mountain regions in Germany – the HELMA Ferienimmobilien GmbH subsidiary is meanwhile the leading company in its market segment. Its offering addresses mainly private customers for their own use or as a capital investment.

As a financing and building insurance broker, the Hausbau Finanz GmbH subsidiary completes the HELMA Group's product range.

Since it was founded in 1980, HELMA has transferred well over 10,000 attractive residential and holiday properties to satisfied customers. More than 400 employees and specialist advisors ensure that meanwhile around 1,000 further properties are added annually. HELMA – we love to build for your life.

IR contact:
Daniel Weseloh, Investor Relations
Phone: +49 (0)5132 8850 221
E-Mail: ir@helma.de