Bobst looks to Asia and the Americas

Bobst Group expects to achieve full-year sales slightly higher than those recorded in 2012, with growth in Asia and the Americas offsetting volatility and market deterioration in Europe and the Middle East.

In the six months to the end of June 2013, overall sales were up 5.6 percent to CHF563 million (US$606.5 million), which it said was due to a positive order backlog at the beginning of the period and increasing orders  compared to the previous year’s first half period. In total, the group’s net loss fall from CHF35.1 million (US$37.9 million) in the first half of 2012 to CHF13 million this year (US$14 milion).

Sales performance in Bobst’s three business units were also largely positive in the first six months of 2013, with sheet-fed and services recording a 5.4 percent and 11.6 percent growth year-on-year respectively. Web-fed business unit sales dipped slightly, although sales for products categorized as other dropped from CHF2.2 million to CHF1.5 million, a decline of 31.8 percent.

By business activity, machines, spare parts and services all record year-on-year growth   

By region, Europe remained Bobst’s largest market and accounted for 42.9 percent of sales with sales in the Americas making the biggest gain, rising from a 26.5 percent share to 29.6 percent. Africa remained Bobst’s smallest geographical zone, while sales in Asia and Oceania accounted for a smaller percentage in the first half of 2013 with 24.7 percent of the CHF563 million total, compared to 29.4 percent of CHF532.9 million in the same period in 2012.

Looking ahead, Bobst said it is confident of experiencing a sales volume during the second half of 2013 comparable with the second half of the previous year, despite market conditions remaining volatile and a further deterioration of demand in Europe and the Middle East during the first half of 2013. Growth in Asia and the Americas compensate for this deterioration, it said, and order intake was up 7.6 percent by the end of July compared to the same period in 2012.

Full-year estimated sales are expected to be slightly higher than in the previous year.

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