Half-year Report: ZEI on Course to Furer Grow

OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 29.04.2016. The ZEISS Group has ended the first six months of fiscal year 2015/16 (ended 31 March) with an increase in revenue which rose by 5 percent over the previous year to 2.322 billion (first half of 2014/15: 2.206 billion). At 280 million, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) were almost 90 million above the previous years figure ( 191 million).

"The first half of the year went well overall. We achieved particularly strong growth in the Medical Technology and Research & Quality Technology segments," said Dr. Michael Kaschke, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss AG. "In addition, the programs initiated to increase the companys competitiveness are bearing fruit. We will continue with these initiatives in order to maintain and expand the leading position that we already hold in many areas."

Different developments in the segments

Revenue (in million)

1st Half of

2015/16 1st Half of

2014/15 Change

Research & Quality Technology 719 644 12%

Medical Technology

Not identical to Carl Zeiss Meditec AG 621 573 8%

Vision Care / Consumer Optics 530 489 8%

Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology 419 481 -13%

The Research & Quality Technology segment this includes the Industrial Metrology and Microscopy business groups reported overall growth: while Microscopy remains at the same level as last year and has not yet met its revenue target, Industrial Metrology clearly benefited from the increased demand in virtually all product segments. Medical Technology once again succeeded in expanding its position in the dynamic healthcare market at a high level. The Vision Care / Consumer Optics segment is reporting a strong boost in revenue thanks in particular to product launches in the fields of branded lenses and camera lenses . As expected, the revenue generated by Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (SMT) has decreased due to the low level of demand on the semiconductor market. However, there are increasingly positive signals on the EUV technology front. The reaction of chip manufacturers to the structuring performance achieved by the EUV scanners was unanimously positive.

Financial highlights

ZEISS generates just under 90 percent of its business outside Germany. With revenue totaling 548 million, ZEISS was particularly successful in the Asia/Pacific (APAC) region in the first six months of fiscal year 2015/16. This corresponds to an increase of 16 percent over the previous year ( 460 million) after currency adjustments.

ZEISS invests around 9 percent of sales revenue in research and development. In the first half of fiscal year 2015/16 this amounted to 207 million (first half of 2014/15: 221 million).

During the reporting period ZEISS invested 54 million in property, plant and equipment (first half of 2014/15: 58 million). These investments compare to depreciations totaling 76 million (first half of 2014/15: 74 million).

On 31 March 2016 net liquidity amounted to 544 million, 170 million more than the figure posted at the end of fiscal year 2014/15 (30 September 2015: 374 million).

Free cash flow totaled 355 million (first half of 2014/15: 165 million).

Headcount

On 31 March 2016 ZEISS had a global workforce of 25,310 people, approximately the same level as the previous year (31 March 2015: 25,287).

Outlook: challenging goals for 2015/16

The economic forecasts for the relevant markets and regions remain complex and volatile. Despite the slowdown in growth in the emerging economies and the continuing stagnation in the semiconductor market, ZEISS expects further growth in the second half of the fiscal year: "Our corporate-wide programs aimed at increasing our competitiveness have enabled us to reach our ambitious targets in the first six months. As we are continuing to consistently optimize our cost structures and efficiency, we predict a slight increase in both revenue and the EBIT margin overall in 2015/16," says Kaschke.

Potential in growth markets

"With our innovative strength, we see the increasing level of digitization as a major opportunity for us to tap into and shape new growth markets, particularly in the areas of healthcare and Industry 4.0," said Kaschke, underscoring his growth expectations. "Digitization will also enable us to further sharpen our focus on the needs of our customers."

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ZEISS on course to further growth Dr. Michael Kaschke, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss AG, announced the financial figures for the first half of fiscal year 2015/16 on 29 April.

Press Contact:

J rg Nitschke

Spokesman

ZEISS Group

Phone: 49 7364 20-3242

Fax:

joerg.nitschke@zeiss.com

About ZEISS:

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the optics and optoelectronics industries. The ZEISS Group develops and distributes lithography optics, measuring technology, microscopes, medical technology, eyeglass lenses, camera and cine lenses, binoculars and planetarium technology. With its solutions, the company constantly advances the world of optics and helps shape technological progress. ZEISS is divided up into the four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Research & Quality Technology, Medical Technology, and Vision Care / Consumer Optics. ZEISS is represented in over 40 countries and operates more than 30 production sites, over 50 sales and service locations and about 25 research and development facilities.

In fiscal year 2014/15 the company generated revenue approximating 4.5 billion euros with around 25,000 employees. Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. Carl Zeiss AG is the strategic management holding company that manages the ZEISS Group. The company is wholly owned by the Carl Zeiss Stiftung (Carl Zeiss Foundation).

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