– Incoming orders: € 67.3 million (previous year: € 52.9 million, +27 %)

– Sales: € 54.6 million (previous year: € 43.7 million, +25 %)

– EBITDA: € 14.7 million (previous year: € 9.5 million, +55 %)

– Pre-tax result: € 9.9 million (previous year: € 6.3 million, +57 %)

– Pre-tax return rate: 18.1 % (previous year: 14.4 %)

– Period surplus: € 7.8 million (previous year: € 4.7 million, +66 %)

– Free cash flow: € 1.0 million (previous year: € -1.9 million)

BASLER AG, a leading manufacturer of computer vision components, is presenting today figures for the first three months of 2021.

The Basler group closed the first three months of 2021 with very positive results and thus laid a solid basis for the very ambitious financial year 2021.

Compared to the same period of 2020, sales increased by 25 % to € 54.6 million (previous year: € 43.7 million). Incoming orders increased by 27 % to € 67.3 million (previous year: € 52.9 million).

At the beginning of the year, Basler again developed better than the industry. At the end of March 2021, the VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau, German Engineering Federation) reported an increase in sales of 5 % for the financial year under review for the German manufacturers of image processing components. According to VDMA, the industry’s incoming orders increased by 15 % in the same period.

Compared to the previous year, the pre-tax result increased by € 3.6 million to € 9.9 million (previous year: € 6.3 million, +57 %), thus, the pre-tax return rate amounted to 18 %. The period surplus increased by 66 % to € 7.8 million (previous year: € 4.7 million).

The free cash flow was burdened in particular by the strong growth and the associated increase in receivables. It amounted to € 1.0 million (previous year: € -1.9 million).

The Basler group closed the first three months of the financial year 2021 very successfully and above expectations. It starts the second quarter of 2021 with a high order backlog and continuously strong incoming orders.

According to current findings, the positive trend in demand for image processing components in the application fields for semiconductor and electronics as well as in logistics will continue in the second quarter and probably weaken in the second half of the year due to seasonal factors. Additionally, the management assumes the comparably weak demand for image processing components in other automation applications to further recover in the course of the year.

According to the management’s assessment, the situation on the procurement markets remains tense in the upcoming months. The availability of semiconductor components on the procurement markets considerably deteriorated in the course of the first quarter and leads to a considerable increase in delivery times within the entire supply chain.

Due to the positive business development in the first quarter and the continued strong incoming orders in the month of April, the company increased its forecast for 2021 a few days ago and henceforth assumes group sales between € 205 million – € 225 million as well as a pre-tax return rate of 13 – 15,5 %. The relatively broad forecast corridor reflects the strong dynamic described above on the sales markets as well as the risks on the procurement markets.

The management is positive about the future and sticks to its medium-term planning to achieve sales of approximately € 250 million in 2023.