- After a good start into the business year 2014/15, the EU is facing an increasingly difficult economic environment
- Strong economic development in North America and China at a solid level
- Brazil and Russia have little prospect of a speedy return to growth
- At EUR 5,561.1 million, revenue of the voestalpine Group in the first half of 2014/15 is only marginally below the previous year (EUR 5,643.4 million), a slight decline of –1.5%
- Due to non-recurring effects in the second quarter of 2014/15, EBITDA and EBIT were affected positively at EUR 66.5 million and EUR 45.2 million respectively
- EBITDA up by 11.2% from EUR 680.4 million to EUR 756.9 million in a year-to-year comparison; at EUR 690.4 million, adjusted EBITDA slightly above previous year
- EBIT improves by 12.2% from EUR 396.3 million to EUR 444.7 million, adjusted for non-recurring effects, EBIT also up slightly at EUR 399.5 million
- Even after adjustment for non-recurring effects, substantial increase of both profit before tax (from EUR 312.1 million to EUR 346.5 million) and profit for the period (from EUR 238.4 million to EUR 280.6 million) primarily due to lower financing costs
- At 58.8%, gearing ratio (net financial debt in percent of equity) increases compared to March 31, 2014 (46.0%, retroactively adjusted) because hybrid bond 2007 called as of October 31, 2014
- Beginning of construction of the HBI project in Texas; all permits and approvals obtained on schedule in July 2014