EQS-News: Preliminary business figures for 2024: Basler closes 2024 in line with current forecast, proposal to suspend again dividend payment for 2024

Corporate News

Preliminary business figures for 2024:

Basler closes 2024 in line with current forecast, proposal to suspend again dividend payment for 2024

• Sales Euro 183.7 million (2023: Euro 203.1 million, -10 %)
• Incoming orders Euro 192.4 million (2023: Euro 166.9 million, +15 %)
• EBITDA Euro 8.9 million (2023: Euro 1.7 million, >100 %)
• Adjusted EBITDA before one-off expense Euro 13.6 million
• EBT Euro -12.0 million (2023: Euro -20.2 million)
• Adjusted EBT before one-off expense Euro -5.8 million
• Annual surplus Euro -13.8 million (2023: Euro -13.8 million)
• Free cash flow Euro 1.4 million (2023: Euro -9.2 million, >100 %)

Ahrensburg, March 21, 2025 – Basler AG, a leading provider of image processing components for computer vision applications, is presenting preliminary figures for the 2024 financial year today.

After strong growth in previous years, the Basler group recorded a 25 % decline in sales in the 2023 financial year. In the 2024 financial year, sales decreased again from Euro 203 million in 2023 to Euro 184 million. At the beginning of 2024, incoming orders and sales initially increased successively. However, the third quarter saw an unforeseen setback in business performance, and the anticipated market recovery in the second half of the year failed to materialize. The Basler management was forced to adjust the capital market forecast and responded immediately with a cost reduction program, which was rigorously implemented by the end of the year and further lowers the break-even point for the financial year 2025.

The market environment in 2024 was very weak. The market for capital goods in the field of robotics and automation that is relevant for Basler declined compared to the previous year. The incoming orders of German companies in this sector recorded a nominal downturn of 11 %. Sales revenues fell by 5 %. The manufacturers of components for industrial image processing as a subset of the German robotics and automation industry to which the Basler group belongs and reports, experienced a nominal decline in incoming orders of 3 % and a decline in sales of 12 %. (Source: VDMA (German Engineering Federation) statistics, Jan-Dec 2024).

Towards the end of the financial year, business picked up and the Basler group closed the year with a positive book-to-bill ratio. In total, compared to the previous year, the Basler group's incoming orders in 2024 increased by 15 % to Euro 192.4 million (previous year: Euro 166.9 million). Sales revenues amounted to Euro 183.7 million (previous year: Euro 203.1 million). Earnings before taxes amounted to Euro -12.0 million (previous year: Euro -20.2 million), corresponding to a negative pre-tax yield of -6.5 % (previous year: -9.9 %). The one-off expense for the cost reduction program amounted to Euro 6.2 million and is fully included in the reported loss.

With these results, Basler closes the financial year in line with the revised guidance issued at the end of October, which expected sales of between Euro 178 million and Euro 184 million and a pre-tax loss of between Euro 8 million and Euro 12 million for the financial year 2024.

Despite the significant loss, free cash flow was positive at Euro 1.4 million (previous year: Euro -9.2 million). This was influenced, among other things, by the acquisition of shares in Roboception GmbH and the complete takeover of Basler France.

The cost saving measures taken in October 2024 were implemented as planned at the end of 2024. According to current projections, they will lower the group's break-even point to approximately Euro 180 million of sales revenues in 2025.

In view of the high loss and the far-reaching measures in the 2024 financial year, as well as to conserve liquidity and to restore the company's resilience, the management board of Basler AG has decided in its today’s meeting to propose to the annual general meeting to suspend the payment of a dividend again for the 2024 financial year and to carry forward the entire balance sheet profit to new account. The fundamental dividend policy remains unchanged.

Further background information on the 2024 results, the outlook for the 2025 financial year and the update of the medium-term outlook will follow with the publication of the final figures and the annual report on March 28, 2025.

The preliminary figures are subject to the auditors' approval and the consent of the supervisory board.

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Basler AG is an international leader and experienced expert in computer vision. The company offers a broad coordinated portfolio of vision hardware and software. In addition, it enables customers to solve their vision application issues by developing customer-specific products or solutions. Founded in 1988, the Basler Group employs approximately 800 employees at its headquarters in Ahrensburg, Germany, as well as other sales and development locations throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. 

Basler AG, Hardy Mehl (CCO/COO), An der Strusbek 60 – 62, 22926 Ahrensburg, Tel. +49 (0)4102-463101, ir/baslerweb.com, www.baslerweb.com, ISIN DE 0005102008