audius increases total operating performance by 8% after 9 months - order backlog continues to grow

• Total operating performance after 9 months increases by 8% to EUR 58.3 million (previous year EUR 54.0 million)
• EBITDA of EUR 6.2 million at previous year's level (previous year: EUR 6.3 million)
• Total operating performance in 2023 expected to fall slightly short of the target figure of 80 million

Weinstadt, 20.11.2023. The audius Group continued its growth path in the third quarter and increased its total operating performance to EUR 58.3 million, mainly organically. 

According to unaudited figures, total operating performance increased by 8.0% to EUR 58.3 million in the first nine months (total operating performance 9 months 2022: EUR 54.0 million). Total operating performance in the third quarter amounted to EUR 19.7 million (total operating performance in the third quarter of 2022: EUR 18.5 million). Despite good growth, audius was unable to fully meet its targets in the third quarter. This was due to an unfamiliar and unusually high number of sick days in the reporting period. At the same time, there were one-time delays in the awarding of contracts in the mobile communications sector due to a partial reorganization of market participants.

At EUR 6.2 million, the operating result EBITDA was roughly on a par with the same period of the previous year and therefore did not grow in line with total operating performance (EBITDA 9 months 2022: EUR 6.3 million). The EBITDA margin in the reporting period was 10.6% and therefore still within the target corridor. EBITDA for the third quarter was EUR 1.8 million. 

EBIT amounted to EUR 4.8 million (EBIT 9 months 2022: EUR 5.0 million). The reason for the slight decline in the margin was the lack of sales described above, while at the same time the cost of materials and personnel costs increased slightly faster than total operating performance. This was due to general wage increases and investments in the new business area "Mobile Device Management". In contrast to the rise in personnel costs, audius managed to increase other operating expenses at a lower rate than total operating performance. 

Order backlog as at September 30, 2023 increased again to around EUR 55.7 million (September 30, 2022: EUR 45.6 million), providing a very good basis for continuing the growth path in the future.
 

audius will not be able to fully make up for the slightly lower than planned total operating performance in the remainder of the year. As a result, the company now expects total operating performance for the year as a whole to fall slightly short of the planned figure of EUR 80 million. The company remains confident that the EBITDA figure of EUR 8 million will be achieved. 

In the case of the aforementioned lack of revenue due to the unusually high number of sick days and the delays in the awarding of contracts in the mobile communications sector, audius expects a return to normality in the future. At the same time, the investments made in 2023 in the new Mobile Device Management division will have a positive impact on revenue from 2024 and, like the other divisions, will ensure organic growth. audius therefore expects further growth and the usual profitability in the coming year despite the overall economic conditions.