• Most successful financial year ever: voestalpine Group revenues pass the EUR 10 billion mark for the first time 
• Profit from operations (EBIT) increases by almost 50 % to EUR 1.5 billion (before ppa) 
• Integration of BÖHLER-UDDEHOLM highly successful – synergies doubled to EUR 123 million 
• Record crude steel production: 7.6 million tons 
• Investment, research expenses and environmental expenses reach new record levels 
• Proposed dividend of EUR 2.10 per share (EUR 1.45) 
• voestalpine enjoys sustained sound business in 2008/09
  

In 2007/08, which was by far the most successful financial year in its history, the voestalpine Group soared to new heights in terms of revenue, profit and employees. In addition to a further increase in revenue, operating profit rose significantly for the sixth year in a row due to improved performance in the Steel, Profilform and Automotive Divisions.

• Revenue rose by 50.9% from EUR 6,943.8 million to EUR 10,481.2 million, thus exceeding the EUR 10 billion mark for the first time. 
• EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) rose by 44.9% from EUR 1,358.6 million to EUR 1,968.5 million before the pure accounting effects of the purchase price allocation (ppa) arising from the BÖHLER-UDDEHOLM AG acquisition are included, and still rose to EUR 1,836.5 million after ppa was taken into account. 
• The undistorted EBIT (profit from operations) increased by 48.6% over the previous year from EUR 1,011.4 million to EUR 1,503.0 million. The increase drops to EUR 1,152.6 million, however, when the effects of ppa are taken into account. The EBIT margin of 14.3% before ppa, or 11.0% after ppa for financial year 2007/08 was below the value of 14.6% in the previous year. 
• Before ppa, the net income (profit for the period) rose by 31.2% versus 2006/07 from EUR 764.9 million to EUR 1,003.6 million. When the pure accounting effects of BÖHLER-UDDEHOLM ppa and increased financing costs are taken into account net income for the year decreased slighly to EUR 751.9 million (2006/07: EUR 764.9 million). 
• Due to the financing required for the BÖHLER-UDDEHOLM acquisition above and beyond the hybrid bond, net financial debt increased from EUR 526.2 million to EUR 3,571.7 million. The equity of the voestalpine Group rose by 48.8% in 2007/08 from EUR 2,882.3 million to EUR 4,289.3 million.The gearing ratio (net financial liabilities as a percentage of equity) was therefore 83.3% (previous year 18.3%) at the end of financial year 2007/08. 
• Earnings per share were EUR 4.69 for financial year 2007/08 and thus remained close to the previous year’s level (EUR 4.76). 
• The proposed dividend of EUR 2.1 is more than 44.8% higher than the previous year (EUR 1.45 per share). Based on the average stock exchange share price of EUR 52.59 during financial year 2007/08, this corresponds to a dividend yield of 4.0%. 
• The voestalpine Group had 41,490 employees worldwide as of March 31, 2008 (not including apprentices). This corresponds to an increase of 16,877 employees (or nearly 69%) over the previous year (24,613), due mainly to the first-time consolidation of the BÖHLER-UDDEHOLM Group (Special Steel Division, 15,453 employees).
  

Increase in revenue mainly due to acquisitions
voestalpine Group revenue rose by 50.9% from EUR 6,943.8 million to EUR 10,481.2 million, mainly due to acquisitions. The total increase in revenue due to acquisitions was slightly more than EUR 3.1 billion in financial year 2007/08. The most significant increase over the previous year was recorded in the Automotive Division, where revenue increased by one third. This was mainly the result of acquisitions, as well as past investments that had reached the production phase. An increase of 17.5%, mainly supported by the expansion of business activities in North and South America, also moved revenue significantly above the previous year in the Profilform Division, while revenue rose slightly more than 7% in the both the Steel and Railway Systems Divisions, primarily as a result of previous investments.

Record crude steel production exceeds 7 million tons for the first time
A total of 7.6 million tons of crude steel was produced in the voestalpine Group during financial year 2007/08. The increase of 13.4% over the previous year (6.7 million tons) was due both to the first-time inclusion of the Special Steel Division (just under 0.7 million tons), as well as a 5.9% increase in production at the Linz location (Steel Division), from 5.1 million tons to 5.4 million tons. The quantity of crude steel produced at the Donawitz location (Railway Systems Division) decreased 6.2%, from 1.6 million tons to 1.5 million tons, due to the renewal (relining) of a blast furnace in the summer of 2007.

Export ratio continues to grow
The export ratio (percentage of export revenue to total revenue) rose from 84% to 88% in financial year 2007/08. Europe remained by far the most important market, contributing a total of 80% of Group revenue. Germany and Italy remained the two largest single export markets.

Steel Division the most profitable segment
The increase from 14.8% to 17.4% in the EBIT margin of the Steel Division made this the most profitable area in the voestalpine Group in the year under review. Although the EBIT margins of 14.3% for the Railway Systems Division (previous value 16.4%) and 13.9% for the Profilform Division (2006/07: 15.0%) were somewhat lower than the values of the previous year, they nevertheless remained at a very high level. The Special Steel Division had an EBIT margin of 12.9% before PPA or 0.2% after ppa. The Automotive Division also recorded a strong increase in its EBIT margin. The increase from 5.8% to 6.4% in financial year 2007/08 not only marked the first time the division had passed the 6% mark since its formation in 2001, it also represented an excellent figure in a comparative analysis of the automotive supply industry.

First-time consolidation of newly acquired companies
In addition to the Special Steel Division, which has been consolidated since July 1, 2007, the twelve-months figures for revenue, profits and employees of the following companies were included in the consolidation for the first time in financial year 2007/08: Gutbrod Stanz- und Umformtechnik GmbH, Gutbrod Schmölln GmbH, Hügel GmbH & Co. KG and the Danke corporate group (all in Germany, Automotive Division). The two companies acquired by the Profilform Division, Sharon Custom Metal Forming Inc. (U.S.A.) and Meincol Distribuidora de Acos S.A. (Brazil), were also included in consolidation for the first time on January 1, 2008.

Rigorous pursuit of specialisation strategy
voestalpine AG’s acquisition activities in financial year 2007/08 were dominated by the successful acquisition of the BÖHLER-UDDEHOLM Group and its integration as the Special Steel Division of the voestalpine Group. The acquisition formed part of the continuing rigorous pursuit of the specialization strategy adopted by the voestalpine Group in 2001. The great success of the BÖHLER-UDDEHOLM integration as the Special Steel Division of the voestalpine Group is also shown by the magnitude of the potential synergies that were identified. The target for sustained potential synergy effects gradually increased during the financial year, from an initial level of EUR 65 million to a current target of nearly twice this amount, namely, EUR 123 million per year.

voestalpine AG held 90.65% of BÖHLER-UDDEHOLM AG’s voting rights as at the end of financial year 2007/08. In the meantime, in order to realize its plan to acquire all of the company’s shares, voestalpine AG had taken the steps required under the Austrian Minority Shareholder Squeeze-out Act to perform a squeeze-out of BÖHLER-UDDEHOLM AG’s minority shareholders. The goal is for a resolution to this effect to be adopted during BÖHLERUDDEHOLM AG’s annual general meeting on June 23, 2008.

In addition to the acquisition of BÖHLER-UDDEHOLM, the following strategically important acquisitions were also carried out in financial year 2007/08. The Profilform Division entered the South American market by acquiring a majority interest in the Brazilian company Meincol Distribuidora de Aços S.A and also acquired the North American company Sharon Custom Metal Forming Inc. The Railway Systems Division acquired a 49% interest in the Netherlands company René Prinsen Spoorwegmaterialen B.V. in the first half of the financial year, and a 51% majority interest in the Mexican switch manufacturing company DAMY Cambios de Vía,S.A. de C.V later in the financial year.

Portfolio adjustment in the Automotive Division
As part of portfolio adjustment in the Automotive Division in financial year 2007/08, the North American pressing supplier voestalpine Polynorm Inc. was sold to a British corporation in October 2007. In the 4th quarter of 2007/08, the Company began the process of selling three companies active in the manufacture of plastic automotive parts, voestalpine Polynorm van Niftrik B.V. (Netherlands), voestalpine Polynorm Plastics B.V. (Netherlands), and voestalpine Polynorm Plastics Ltd. (Great Britain). The three companies had total revenue of approximately EUR 100 million in financial year 2006/07. The decision was also made at this time to divest the French small pressing manufacturer Amstutz Levin & Cie.

A further increase in investment activity
The voestalpine Group made total investments of EUR 3,910.1 million in financial year 2007/08. Although the striking increase over the value of EUR 908 million in the previous year is primarily due to the acquisition of BÖHLER-UDDEHOLM AG, accelerated investment programs in all of the other divisions were also a major factor.

Higher research and development expenses
The voestalpine Group incurred research and development expenses of EUR 93 million in financial year 2007/08. The increase over the previous year (EUR 66 million) was primarily due to the integration of the BÖHLER-UDDEHOLM Group (Special Steel Division), which reported R&D expenses of approximately EUR 21 million for the period from July 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008. However, the considerable increase also reflects the steady increase in research and development funding provided by the voestalpine Group over many years. The research ratio (R&D expenses divided by total revenue) of just under 1% for the year under review remained unchanged versus the previous year in spite of the disproportionate growth in revenue, as did the ratio of R&D expenses to economic value added, which remained at the previous year’s level of 2.2%. A total of approximately 570 employees work on research and development throughout the Group.

Environment-related investments increased by one third
The voestalpine Group made environment-related investments of approximately EUR 61 million in Austria alone in financial year 2007/08. This increase of around one third over the previous year (EUR 47 million) was due to the fact that the figures include the Austrian BÖHLER-UDDEHOLM locations for the first time, and to major projects that were undertaken, primarily in the Steel and Railway Systems Divisions. For the same reasons, current expenses for operation and maintenance of environmental protection systems reached a new high of approximately EUR 206 million for the Austrian production companies of the voestalpine Group alone. This was approximately 9% higher than the previous year.

The new system for reducing wastewater emissions into the Danube during blast furnace operation, and commissioning of the world’s most advanced exhaust gas treatment system on the sintering line are examples of the significant environmental measures taken. This innovative system reduces average emissions from the sintering facility by approximately 90%. The blast furnace plastic pellet injection system that began operation at the beginning of the financial year also represents a pioneering technological innovation. The use of specially prepared waste plastic allows a considerable reduction in fossilfuel reducing agents (such as coke, coal and heavy heating oil), thereby decreasing CO2 emissions at the Linz location by around another 500,000 tons per year at full operation.

Evaluation for a steel plant on the Black Sea
voestalpine is currently evaluating the construction of a steel plant on the Black Sea. Of the twelve sites in Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine initially considered now four sites – one site in each of the four countries – are being examined in detail. The goal of the examination is to put voestalpine in a position to make a decision based on the investment costs, technical feasibility and profitability of each of the sites.

Outlook for the financial year 2008/09
The beginning of financial year 2008/09 has been somewhat mixed in terms of economic development. While the real economy in Europe is characterized by a market growth that is supported by solid, stable demand, fears of recession are growing in the U.S. China, Southeast Asia and India will remain reliable engines of global growth in coming years. The fact is that over the past twelve months the European economy has managed surprisingly well with the problems arising from the subprime crisis in the U.S., as well as with the continued strengthening of the euro versus not only the US dollar, but a number of other currencies as well, and with the enormous increases that have taken place in commodity prices.

All currently available indicators, including the flow of orders received in previous months, indicate that this situation should continue for the balance of calendar year 2008 with no downturn in the European economy. Given the sustained favorable development of the economic environment for all five divisions of the voestalpine Group, current indications are that – in spite of the enormous increases in commodity prices and the difficulties of assessing the economic situation in the last quarter of the financial year – the Group’s operating profit in 2008/09 will be of the same magnitude as in the past financial year.

Annual Report

The Annual Report 2007/08 is available here in pdf format for download.

(05/06/2008)