STUTTGART/Germany, 18.12.2018.
The ZEISS Group is continuing its growth trajectory. In fiscal year 2017/18 (ended on 30 September 2018), the company achieved record-breaking revenue and earnings: revenue increased by nine percent to EUR 5.817 billion (previous year: EUR 5.348 billion). After currency adjustments, revenue rose by 12 percent. With earnings, it was possible to fully compensate for the unfavorable currency effects. Thus, at EUR 772 million, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) were slightly higher than the previous year (EUR 770 million). The EBIT margin was 13 percent. Order intake increased by seven percent, totaling EUR 6.046 billion.
"All ZEISS segments and regions contributed to this outstanding result. Our innovative products for the semiconductor industry and medical technology in particular ensured significantly greater, above-market growth dynamics," says Prof. Dr. Michael Kaschke, President & CEO of ZEISS. "We have a strong, future-proof portfolio and impress our customers with leading high-tech solutions, a comprehensive service offering and a strong brand."
Segment development
Revenue (in million)
2017/18 2016/17 Change
Industrial Quality & Research 1,549 1,538 1% ( 2%)
Medical Technology* 1,546 1,427 8% ( 14%)
Consumer Markets 1,106 1,108 0% ( 5%)
Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology 1,531 1,212 26% ( 27%)
* Not identical to Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
All four segments made positive contributions to the ZEISS Groups earnings, but the development dynamics varied: the Industrial Quality & Research segment, comprising metrology and microscopy solutions, continued to benefit from the stable demand for measuring technology in the automotive sector. This, in turn, compensated for the weaker development in the microscopy business. In spite of considerable negative currency effects, the Medical Technology segment proved the growth driver in the direct business and, thanks to product innovations, held its own against strong competition from the US and Japan. The Consumer Markets segment, comprising the Vision Care and Consumer Products strategic business units, grew at an above-market rate in nearly all markets with ZEISS brand eyeglass lenses especially in China, Brazil and other emerging economies, but also in Europe. The camera lens business, however, did not meet expectations due to the broad negative market trends for photography. Significant investments in research and technology and increased capacities enabled the Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology segment to realize very strong growth of over 25 percent.
Key figures
In 2017/18, the ZEISS Group generated approximately 90 percent of its revenue outside Germany. Once again, the dynamically developing economies in the APAC region in particular contributed to this positive development. Direct business in China has grown by 21 percent, superseding Germany as the companys second-largest sales market after the US. ZEISS was able to continue growing in the EMEA region with a four-percent increase in revenue. Posting five-percent growth, the optics company again enjoyed positive gains in the Americas region.
The 16-percent increase in expenditures for research and development is a particularly strong indicator of the companys investment strategy: in fiscal year 2017/18, these totaled EUR 642 million (2016/17: EUR 552 million). During the reporting period, the investments in property, plant and equipment increased significantly to EUR 244 million (2016/17: EUR 183 million), as compared to depreciations totaling EUR 164 million (2016/17: EUR 160 million). "Our strategic investment strategy focused on continuity is the foundation for the ZEISS Groups future growth," says Dr. Christian M ller, who became Chief Financial Officer and Member of the Executive Board on 1 October 2018. "We are not only investing in technology and infrastructure at our existing sites worldwide, but are also progressively increasing our presence at new centers for high technology and digital innovation in Karlsruhe, Munich and Shanghai."
The acquisitions completed during the previous fiscal year included Bosello High Technology, a solutions provider for industrial X-ray systems, and Guardus, a software provider for production analysis and control. In October 2018, ZEISS announced that it had purchased IanTECH, which specializes in micro-interventional cataract surgery. "We have made targeted acquisitions in highly innovative solutions and companies that will reach their full potential as part of our portfolio," says Kaschke, explaining the M&A strategy.
On 30 September 2018, net liquidity totaled EUR 2,120 million, which was EUR 134 million higher than at the end of fiscal year 2016/17. This liquidity ensures sufficient flexibility for strategic acquisitions and investments.
Free cash flow amounted to EUR 752 million (2016/17: EUR 658 million). Equity rose by ten percent to EUR 3,763 million (30 September 2017: EUR 3,429 million).
A proposal will be made at the Annual General Meeting of Carl Zeiss AG to pay a dividend of EUR 54.3 million to the Carl Zeiss Foundation, the sole stockholder of the foundation company Carl Zeiss AG. Established in 1889, it is not only one of the oldest private foundations in Germany, but also one of the largest foundations committed to the promotion of science.
The number of employees worldwide increased by nine percent. Due to the personnel requirements at Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, the headcount increase occurred primarily in Germany, with over 700 new employees hired. On 30 September 2018, ZEISS had a global workforce of around 30,000 employees. As in previous years, employees shared in the companys success.
"The positive development in fiscal year 2017/18 confirms that we are on the right track with our corporate strategy, the ZEISS Agenda
Most recent headlines
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
28/03/2024
PARIS Embrace, a developer of advanced automation and orchestration software solutions, has announced that Sinclair Broadcast Group has selected Embrace's P...
28/03/2024
NEW YORK Nielsen has a multi-year renewal with Circle City Broadcasting, Indianas only locally owned and operated broadcast and digital news media network, for ...
28/03/2024
LAS VEGAS JVC Professional Video has announced that it will debut its new KY-PZ540 Series PTZ Cameras with 40x zoom at 2024 NAB Show (Booth C4720)....
28/03/2024
BOSTON Brightcove has announced the launch of Cloud Playout 2.0, a platform that the company said will offer customers new ways to create linear channels, monet...
28/03/2024
The Chicago Blackhawks and NBC Sports Chicago have announced a collaboration with the NHL to bring fans the first-ever local animated real-time sports telecast....
28/03/2024
The Best News Coverage is Real, Live, Balanced, Professional
Andy Marken March 28, 2024
0 Comments
Hero image source News of the World, Perfect Wo...
28/03/2024
Smoke and Mirrors: Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South Af...
28/03/2024
Muvhango: Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South African web...
28/03/2024
Gqeberha: The Empire - Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The Sout...
28/03/2024
Skeem Saam: Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]Missed an episode of Skeem Saam? No problem! Watch the latest episode of your favourite South African ...
28/03/2024
House of Zwide: Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episode of South African soapie House of Zwide on The South Africa...
28/03/2024
My Brother's Keeper: Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The So...
28/03/2024
Uzalo: Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [video]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South African websit...
28/03/2024
Scandal!: Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South African web...
28/03/2024
Umkhokha: The Curse - Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South...
27/03/2024
Wednesday 27 March 2024 - UKTV has commissioned a second series of Dream Car Fixers (6x60) for leading factual channel Yesterday and free streaming service UKTV...
27/03/2024
By Jen Scott
It's time to unwrap those noisy candies and put your phone on ...
27/03/2024
Spotify is committed to amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups, and that starts with empowering the creators who will shape our industry's future....
27/03/2024
Las Vegas, NV, April 14-17, Booth W2401 Sencore, a leading provider of profess...
27/03/2024
Living Black, the longest-running Indigenous current affairs television program ...
27/03/2024
I'm proud to be a woman in aerospace making an impact on our world and among my peers, team and future generations of women in STEM....
27/03/2024
DENVER Bitmovin has launched its Live Encoder running on the Akamai Cloud Computing, optimizing live streaming and reducing total streaming costs by up to 90%, ...
27/03/2024
BURBANK, Calif. The Walt Disney Company has officially launched Hulu on Disney+ in the U.S. in a move that brings together the extensive Disney+ and Hulu librar...
27/03/2024
WASHINGTON D.C. WJLA, Sinclair Broadcast Group's flagship TV station in the nation's capital, has revamped its Studio A news studio with lighting soluti...
27/03/2024
The NCAA has released figures showing that the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship and the Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship both saw...
27/03/2024
Mediahaus GmbH Brings SRT Live Streaming to the Mountain Attack with 5G and URSA...
27/03/2024
Instant Latte: NVIDIA Gen AI Research Brews 3D Shapes in Under a Second
Isha Salian March 27, 2024
0 Comments
The LATTE3D model rapidly transforms tex...
27/03/2024
TV TECH: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2024 NAB Show? TVT: What will be your most important product news? TVT: Ho...
27/03/2024
TVBEurope hears from some of the students who took part in Crew Room Academys Sc...
27/03/2024
Elsewhere, Adobe revealed a new feature in Adobe Firefly, which uses the companys generative AI to easily apply the structure of an existing image to newly gene...
27/03/2024
The awards, from industry-leading brands of Future plc, provide a great opportunity for companies to stand out at one the most attended shows in the industry
B...
27/03/2024
By TVBEurope Staff
Published: March 27, 2024
CueScript's director of IT and operations, Meghan Tyler, tells TVBEurope about how she started her media c...
27/03/2024
CueScript, the leading developer of professional teleprompting solutions, is poised to transform the prompting experience with a line-up comprised of world firs...
27/03/2024
Visit Beck TV at 2024 NAB Show at Booth C4035
BeckTV, a premier systems integrator for the broadcast media industry, will showcase its facility design, enginee...
27/03/2024
arkona technologies GmbH, provider of IP core infrastructure solutions for top-tier broadcast productions, is cutting through the complexity of live production ...
27/03/2024
As the unwavering cornerstone of professional audio monitoring for over three decades, KRK earned its reputation through a rich history of innovation and precis...
27/03/2024
Maxon, developers of professional software solutions for editors, filmmakers, motion designers, visual effects artists, and creators of all types, is excited to...
27/03/2024
OpenDrives, Inc., the global provider of software-defined media workflow solutions and data management capabilities, will unveil its new Atlas platform and busi...
27/03/2024
Pixotope, the leading software platform for end-to-end real-time virtual production solutions, is ushering in a new era of immersive storytelling at NAB 2024. A...
27/03/2024
Like many in the industry, Multi-platinum, Award-winning Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Songwriter and Musician Clint Murphy's latest work has been consumed by ...
27/03/2024
Ateliere Locations: AWS Partner Village W1343 F, W1343 S and Fontainebleau Hotel
Contact: Arianna Ruvalcaba, Arianna.Ruvalcaba@ateliere.com
Century City, Cal...
27/03/2024
At the 2024 NAB Show (April 14-17, Las Vegas Convention Center, booth W2467), Imagine Communications is making it easier for media companies to efficiently oper...
27/03/2024
LG Business Solutions USA, a leading innovator of cutting-edge display technologies, has introduced LG Studio Series DVLED, a new family of advanced giant-scree...
27/03/2024
Systems and solutions provider continues team expansion and accelerates nation-wide growth strategy
ZTransform, a leading technology systems and solutions pro...
27/03/2024
Appear, the global leader in live production technology, will demonstrate its innovative solutions for contribution, remote production and distribution at NAB S...
27/03/2024
Test & measurement innovator, PHABRIX, has announced that Grass Valley has expanded its already-extensive inventory of PHABRIX test & measurement (T&M) equipmen...
27/03/2024
Arrow Media, an award-winning producer of documentary, factual and non-scripted content, creates high quality programming covering a wide range of subjects. Est...
27/03/2024
SYDNEY & DELHI Planetcast Media Services, a leading media technology services provider in India and Southeast Asia, has acquired one of its key partners, Switch...
27/03/2024
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has announced plans to launch its portfolio of free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels on LG Channels, Samsung...