Carl Zeiss Meditec AG provided earnings guidance for the fiscal year 2024. For the fiscal year '23/'24 remains the same as lastly communicated at annual analyst conference last year. For fiscal year '23/'24 revenue should be at least in line with the underlying market which is expected to be around mid-single-digit percentage range, presumption here is a stable macroeconomic environment excluding currency effects.

As mentioned before, the special headwinds relating to China will weigh heavily on ophthalmology business in the first half of the year. Destocking refractive treatment packs in China will impact revenue and EBIT in the mid double-digit million range -- euro range, leading to a depressed EBIT margin in the half -- the first half year '23/'24. In the second half year, the company expecting a recovery due to the results of measures to slow down the pace of investments and the recovery in consumables, particularly in refractive with installed base growing further throughout the year as the company work way through the remaining backlog of VISUMAX systems and upgrade additional systems to VISUMAX 800.

EBIT should return to a healthy level in the second half year, which from today's point of view, should be in the high teens range and grow again versus the second half year '22/'23. As a result, for the whole year, '23/'24, EBIT is expected to remain around stable versus fiscal year '22/'23. Should the global economic situation, deteriorate further, particularly in China, the company have contingency measures in place to slow down expense growth even more.