Record Results For The Lenzing Group

LENZING, Austria — March 22, 2012 — The Lenzing Group continued its dynamic growth path of previous
years by posting record results in 2011. Despite a significant weakening of the global fiber market
in the second half of 2011, Lenzing once again achieved double-digit growth rates in sales and
earnings, and surpassed the threshold of EUR 2 bn in consolidated sales for the first time in the
company’s history. Operating margins also improved again from the already high level achieved in
2010 and set a new, absolute record.

Consolidated sales in the reporting year 2011 rose by 21.2% to EUR 2.14 bn, up from EUR 1.77
bn in the prior year. This dynamic sales growth can be attributed to higher average selling prices
in its core fiber business, higher fiber shipment volumes, the first-time full-year consolidation
of the pulp plant Biocel Paskov acquired in May 2010 as well as higher sales in all other business
areas.

Consolidated EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) amounted
to EUR 480.3 mn, a rise of 45.3% from the comparable figure of EUR 330.6 mn in the previous year.
Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) climbed by 56.9% to EUR 364.0 mn (2010: EUR 231.9 mn). The
EBITDA and EBIT margins reached an all-time high in 2011 at 22.4% (2010: 18.7%) and 17.0% (2010:
13.1%) respectively.

“Our dynamic growth path and specialty strategy led by the fibers Lenzing Modal® and TENCEL®
once again paid off in 2011. Whereas sales with standard viscose fibers increased by close to 20%
year-on-year, we sold some 30% more TENCEL® fibers and close to 40% more Lenzing Modal® fibers than
in the prior year”, explains Lenzing Chief Executive Officer Peter Untersperger. The large-scale
market success of these two specialty fibers enabled Lenzing to partially detach itself from the
volatile market trends of 2011, according to CEO Untersperger.

Lenzing rigorously pressed ahead with its capacity expansion program in 2011. As a result,
the annual nominal production capacity of the Lenzing Group rose by about 8%, from 710,000 tons of
man-made cellulose fibers at the beginning of 2011 to 770,000 tons at the turn of the year 2011/12.
Capital expenditures of the Lenzing Group totaled EUR 196.3 mn in the 2011 financial year, somewhat
below the comparable prior-year figure of EUR 230.0 mn which had also included the acquisition
costs for Biocel Paskov. This development was due to the postponement of investment projects as at
the reporting date.

Despite the current level of investments, the net financial debt of the Lenzing Group was
reduced by almost half, declining to EUR 159.1 mn at the end of 2011 from the previous year’s
figure of EUR 307.2 mn. The cash flow still reached a level of EUR 113.4 mn despite the investments
made. “With an adjusted equity ratio of close to 45% and a net financial debt comprising one-third
of annual EBITDA, we are very well positioned financially. Lenzing is largely autonomous with
respect to its ability to finance growth steps in the upcoming years, says Chief Financial Officer
Thomas G. Winkler.



Full capacity utilization in the Segment Fibers


According to preliminary estimates, global fiber production rose by 4.1% to a new record
level of 79.1 mn tons in 2011. The production of man-made cellulose fibers also reached an all-time
high of 4.6 mn tons, up 4.2% from 2010.

The business development of the Segment Fibers in 2011 was characterized by strong demand for
Lenzing fibers, which was fueled even more by record cotton prices in the first half of the year.
The market for standard textile viscose fibers significantly cooled off in the second half of 2011,
which did not impact fiber shipment volumes but affected selling prices. The specialty fibers
Lenzing Modal® and TENCEL® as well as the nonwovens sector were hardly impacted by this
development. Throughout the year Lenzing succeeded in raising average prices for all Lenzing fibers
by close to 17% compared to the previous year, to EUR 2.22 per kilogram.

“All our fiber production facilities were running at full capacity throughout the entire
year. The additional fiber volumes generated in the course of the year by the second expansion
stage of the plant in Nanjing (China), the capacity expansion for Lenzing Modal® fibers produced at
the Lenzing site and TENCEL® fibers manufactured at the Heiligenkreuz (Burgenland) facility were
verysuccessfully placed on the market”, reports Chief Operating Officer Friedrich Weninger, Member
of the Management Board.

The pulp plant Biocel Paskov (Czech Republic) acquired within the context of the Lenzing
Group’s further backward integration was rapidly expanded in the reporting year to enable the
production of both paper pulp and dissolving pulp. Some 60,000 tons of dissolving pulp were already
produced in Paskov in 2011 and largely used for fiber production within the Lenzing Group.

Good development of the Segment Plastics Products and Segment Engineering

The Segment Plastics Products developed satisfactorily in 2011, showing an EBITDA margin of
9.5%. A new record for shipment volumes was posted during the year under review against the
backdrop of very good demand.

The Segment Engineering was also able to optimally take advantage of the fundamentally
positive mood in the capital goods market during the reporting year, achieving an EBITDA-margin of
8.4%. Lenzing Technik profited from both the extensive investment activity of the Lenzing Group as
well as from growing demand on the part of external customers.



Outlook of the Lenzing Group

Once again the Lenzing Group expects a good year in 2012, which should see
quarterly development in a mirror-inverted manner. However, in terms of margins the current
financial year will not be able to fully match the exceptional record year of 2011.

For the time being prices for Lenzing’s standard viscose fibers should stabilize at a low
level. In the course of 2012 Lenzing anticipates a higher price level than in the first quarter as
a result of rising demand for both textile and nonwoven applications.

Good volume demand is expected for Lenzing Modal®, which should continue to ensure a fair
price premium vis-à-vis standard viscose fibers and cotton. However, the considerable increase in
the supply of modal is resulting in temporary price adjustments compared to 2011 price levels. With
respect to TENCEL®, Lenzing foresees ongoing strong demand for textile and nonwoven applications
and a largely stable price premium vis-à-vis standard viscose fibers.

As a consequence of significantly higher fiber shipment volumes but in the light of lower
average prices in comparison to the prior-year level, sales should rise to a level between EUR 2.2
bn and EUR 2.3 bn in 2012. EBITDA should range between EUR 400 mn and EUR 480 mn and EBIT is
expected to range between EUR 285 mn and EUR 365 mn, depending on the development of fiber and raw
material prices as well as the overall global economic environment.

Lenzing will press ahead with its dynamic expansion program as planned, involving investments
totaling approx. EUR 350 mn in 2012. The good earnings situation and continued high liquidity will
enable the company to propose a dividend to the Shareholders’ Meeting amounting to EUR 2.50 per
share, i.e. about 25% of the consolidated net income for the 2011 financial year.

 

Key Group indicators (IFRS) in EUR mn

2011

2010

1
Consolidated sales
2,140.0
1,766.3
EBITDA
480.3
330.6
Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT)
364.0
231.9
Earnings before tax and minority interest (EBT)
351.9
216.9
Profit for the year attributable to Lenzing AG
shareholders
258.7
159.1
EBITDA margin in %
22.4
18.7
EBIT margin in %
17.0
13.1
Gross cash flow
389.0
292.9
CAPEX
196.3
230.0
 

31.12.2011

31.12.2010

Adjusted equity ratio
2 in %

44.8
38.6
Number of employees
3
6,593
6,530
 

 

1) Values adjusted according to IFRS 5

2) Equity incl. government grants less prop. deferred taxes

3) Incl. trainees, excl. leased labor, headcount

Posted April 18, 2012

Source: The Lenzing Group

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