News 

•Preliminary sales increase by 9.3% year on year to the record level of EUR   694.7 million in 2014

•Preliminary adjusted EBITA improves by 7.9% to EUR 121.5 million

•Preliminary adjusted EBITA margin remains at a high level of 17.5%

NORMA Group SE (“NORMA Group”), a global market leader in engineered joining technology, continued on its successful course in financial year 2014 by increasing both its sales and its earnings to record levels. According to preliminary and unaudited figures, sales rose by 9.3% to EUR 694.7 million in 2014 compared to the previous year (2013: EUR 635.5 million). The acquisitions made in 2013 and 2014 contributed EUR 22.0 million to this result. Sales grew organically by 6.5% in financial year 2014. The MDAX-listed company increased its adjusted operating earnings (adjusted EBITA) by 7.9% to EUR 121.5 million from EUR 112.6 million the previous year. The adjusted EBITA margin in financial year 2014 remained at a high level of 17.5% (2013: 17.7%). The figures for 2014 were thus in line with the forecast. NORMA Group had expected to achieve solid organic growth in sales of around 4 to 7% in financial year 2014 compared to the previous year and an adjusted EBITA margin at the same level as in previous years of over 17%.

Strong growth in the fourth quarter of 2014 Sales increased significantly by 15.3% in the fourth quarter of 2014 to EUR 176.2 million compared to the same quarter of the previous year (Q4 2013: EUR 152.8 million). Acquisitions contributed EUR 14.9 million toward this figure. Adjusted EBITA increased by 6.0% to EUR 29.2 million (Q4 2013: EUR 27.6 million). The adjusted EBITA margin from October to December 2014 was thus 16.6% (Q4 2013: 18.0%).