Sales in emerging markets represented 26 % of the total of sales recorded in this quarter.
Operating charges break down into sales and marketing expenses (EUR1.83 million), general and administrative expenses (EUR1.06 million) and research and development expenses (EUR0.19 million). Other operating revenues and costs contributed positively for an amount of EUR0.1 million.
All lines of results showed very strong numbers.
Gross Margin and EBITDA rose both sharply, reflecting the clear improvement following the reorganization of the group’s activities. Expressed in percentage terms, the gross margin has continued to expand, now reaching 58%.
The EBIT result is hitting a record historical high and the company is also recording its first significant Net profit.
Comments and Outlook for 2009
IBt Bebig today occupies a clear lead position on its market segment and is able to reap the benefits of the turnaround of its activities thanks to the successful integration of its acquisitions achieved during 2008.
The current world crisis has had, so far, very limited impact on the activities of the group. During the coming quarters, IBt Bebig will be pursuing its strategy of internal and external development aimed at growing a group with a strong identity and constituting the indisputable reference in the field of treatment of cancer by brachytherapy.
On a forward looking basis:
At this stage, the company believes that the growth demonstrated by this set of outstanding first quarter results can not be extrapolated to all the quarters to come in the year 2009.
However, based on the excellent operating results recorded over the last quarter and the first weeks of the second quarter as well, the group confirms that it looks towards its future development and growth with clear optimism. As a result, the company is revising upwards its guidance for 2009. It now expects that turnover will grow by 55 to 65%, that the EBIT margin (as expressed in % of sales) will reach double digit and that all lines of results will show significant growth.