EQS-News: STS Group AG publishes 2024 Annual Report – annual forecast met in a challenging market environment

STS Group AG publishes 2024 Annual Report – annual forecast met in a challenging market environment

• US production site as a key growth driver
• Group revenue before one-off effects increases by 8.5% to EUR 301.5 million (2023: EUR 277.9 million)
• EBITDA improves to EUR 23.0 million (2023: EUR 20.5 million)
• EBITDA margin stable at to 7.4% (2023: 7.4%)
• Forecast 2025: Stable group revenue before one-off effects and EBITDA margin in the higher single-digit percentage range

Hagen, 31 March 2025 – STS Group AG (ISIN: DE000A1TNU68), a global systems supplier for the automotive industry listed on the General Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, is publishing its annual report and audited consolidated figures for the 2024 financial year today. As expected, the growth in the 2024 financial year was driven in particular by the systematic ramp-up of the new plant in the USA. Accordingly, the STS Group achieved its annual guidance for Group revenue and the Group EBITDA margin in a challenging market environment.

Alberto Buniato, CEO of STS Group AG: “The ongoing weakness in the global economy has also had a dampening effect on the commercial vehicle industry. Catch-up effects from the pandemic have largely dissipated and market momentum has normalized. Accordingly, declining sales figures were observed in key regional markets in financial year 2024, which also weighed on the STS Group's business performance in some cases. Nevertheless, we have performed very well in this challenging market environment and were able to significantly increase both revenue and earnings. As expected, the new production site in the US made a significant contribution to this. Despite the ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainties, we see ourselves as well prepared to further stabilize our market position in the financial year 2025 on this basis.”

Revenue development

In the 2024 financial year, STS Group AG generated Group revenue of EUR 311.1 million, compared with EUR 277.9 million in the prior-year period. Adjusted for one-off effects of EUR 9.7 million attributable purely to fixed cost compensation from customers, a revenue growth of 8.5% was achieved, which is in line with the annual forecast. This growth was largely driven by the Plastics segment and the revenue contributions from the US site. The Plastics segment reported a significant revenue growth before one-off effects of 17.3% to EUR 238.2 million (2023: EUR 203.1 million). Including the aforementioned fixed cost compensations from customers, revenue rose by 22.1% to EUR 247.9 million. In the China segment, revenue decreased by 13.6% to EUR 44.1 million (2023: EUR 51.0 million). This is due to a normalization of the market in 2024 after the positive effect in the previous year related to the end of the strict zero-Covid policy beginning of 2023. The Materials segment also recorded a decline in revenue of 10.6% to EUR 34.5 million (2023: EUR 38.5 million), which is attributable to the declining commercial vehicle markets.

Earnings development

The STS Group's earnings situation developed disproportionately positively. In particular, the restructuring and cost-cutting measures implemented in previous years paid off, resulting in a further increase in profitability despite the start-up costs for the US plant. The Plastics segment, in particular, was able to notably improve its contribution to EBITDA. The Group's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose by a total of 2.4 million euros or 11.9% to EUR 23.0 million after EUR 20.5 million in the prior year. The EBITDA margin of the STS Group was stable at 7.4% (2023: 7.4%), reaching the lower end of the forecast. The net result remained negative at EUR -0.6 million (2023: EUR -1.2 million), mainly due to increased depreciation and amortization and a further deterioration in the financial result.

Guidance 2025

In the 2024 financial year, Group revenue was also driven by above-average revenues from tools for new projects. For the 2025 financial year, the Management Board forecasts a stabilization of Group revenue, which is due to lower revenues from tools, partially offset by additional serial sales from the new plant in the USA. Therefore, Group revenue is expected to be roughly in line with the revenue adjusted for one-off effects from the 2024 financial year (2024: around EUR 300 million). The EBITDA margin should further stabilize at a higher single-digit percentage and EBITDA should be roughly in line with the previous year's level.

The 2024 Annual Report of STS Group AG is available for download at https://www.sts.group/de/investor-relations/publikationen (German language only).

Key figures for the 2024 financial year

About STS Group:

STS Group AG, www.sts.group (ISIN: DE000A1TNU68), is a leading systems supplier for the automotive industry. The group of companies employs 1,400 people worldwide and generated sales of EUR 311.1 million in the 2024 financial year. At its plants and development centers in France, Germany, Mexico, China and, in future, the USA, STS Group ("STS") produces and develops injection-molded plastics and components made from sheet molding compounds (SMC), such as rigid and flexible vehicle and aerodynamic trim, holistic interior systems, as well as lightweight and battery components for electric vehicles. STS is a technological leader in the production of plastic injection molding and composite components. STS has a large global footprint with plants on three continents. The customer portfolio includes leading international manufacturers of commercial vehicles, passenger cars and electric vehicles.

STS Group AG
Investor Relations
Kabeler Str. 4
58099 Hagen
Germany
ir@sts.group
www.sts.group

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