According to Deutsche Börse AG’s preliminary report, Q4 2018 revenues grew by 16% to reach €740 million, while net profits rose by 19% YoY during the same quarter.
Net revenues for the full year expanded by 13% to come in at €2.8 billion, while adjusted full year 2018 profits were up 17% to hit €1.0 billion.
The adjusted earnings per share for the full year 2018 were €5.42 and the recommended dividend per share was set at €2.70, which is a 10% increase from 2017.
The company forecasted secular growth in net revenues for 2019 of 5%, while adjusted net profits are expected to grow by 10%. The bank also confirmed that its mid-term target for adjusted net profits was to average annual growth of 10-15%, as stipulated in its “Roadmap 2020” strategy.
Theodor Weimer
Commenting on the company’s results, Theodor Weimer, CEO of Deutsche Börse AG, said:
Deutsche Börse Group is looking back on a really good year. In 2018, we also made important strategic decisions. Given the economic environment, we are taking a slightly more subdued stand on our expectations for the current business year. Cyclical risks are increasing and political risks are difficult to predict. Still, we are confident that we will maintain our ability to grow by our own efforts. In addition, we will focus on value-enhancing external growth and the consistent application of new technologies. Hence, we confirm our “Roadmap 2020” mid-term targets.
The CFO of Deutsche Börse AG, Gregor Pottmeyer, stated that:
In 2018, we managed to secularly increase our net revenue by approximately 6 per cent, slightly ahead of our plan. In addition, cyclical net revenue increased significantly. In total, adjusted net profit grew by 17 per cent – clearly exceeding our mid-term targets. Through a double-digit dividend increase our shareholders will adequately participate in this development.