EQS : publishes preliminary figures for 2017

EQS Group AG publishes preliminary figures for 2017
Sales growth of 17%. Investment offensive leads to temporary burdens

Munich - 28.02.2018

EQS Group AG (ISIN: DE0005494165) has increased revenues by 17% to EUR30.5 million for the 2017 financial year based on preliminary, unaudited figures for that period. High investments led EBIT before non-recurrent acquisition costs, purchase price allocation and scheduled amortization of acquired customer bases (non-IFRS) to fall to between EUR1.3 million and EUR1.5 million (previous year: EUR3.3 million).

EQS Group AG made the pivotal decision in September 2017 to expand its core business to the adjacent Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) business unit and to exclusively develop cloud-based solutions. This move was marked by an investment offensive to expand the Group into a technology company. By the end of last year, 67 additional employees had been brought on board, resulting in a temporary burden on earnings.

In addition, ARIVA.DE AG and EQS Group's Swiss subsidiary recorded lower sales and earnings contributions than were originally planned. The decline in Switzerland is due to a change in management (which took place a year earlier than planned) of Tensid AG, which was acquired in 2016. Additionally, ARIVA.DE AG generated less revenue in project business than forecasted. Consequently, the guidance published for the expansion of the company's strategic orientation for the past financial year (sales of EUR31.2 million to EUR32.5 million and non-IFRS EBIT of EUR2.0 million to EUR2.3 million) cannot be attained. The outlook for the 2018 financial year remains unaffected and will only be adjusted upwards in terms of percentage.

Due to various European regulatory initiatives such as MiFID II and Sapin II, the Management Board is planning a 18-23% sales increase to between EUR36 million and EUR37.5 million for the 2018 financial year. The full outlook for 2018 will be completed and published in the Annual Report.

The audited figures for the 2017 financial year will be published by EQS Group AG on April 10, 2018.

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About EQS Group

EQS Group is a leading international technology provider for Investor Relations, Corporate Communications and Compliance. More than 8,000 companies worldwide trust EQS's products and services to securely, efficiently, and simultaneously fulfil complex national and international disclosure and compliance requirements, and to reach stakeholders globally.

The EQS COCKPIT, a cloud-based platform, digitally maps the workflows of IR, Communications and Compliance Officers, communicates with the company's website, and distributes company releases via one of the most important global newswires. With additional products such as websites, IR tools, digital reports, and webcasting solutions, EQS Group is a digital single source provider.

EQS Group was founded in Munich, Germany in 2000 and has developed from a start-up to an international group with offices in the world's key financial markets. The group employs around 400 professionals globally.

Contact:

André Marques
Head of Investor Relations
Tel.: +4989-21029833
Mobile: +49175-5250009
Email.: andre.marques@eqs.com