Nine- Month (9M) 2018 FINANCIAL RESULTS

              

Quest Holdings (ATHEX: QUEST) announces 9M 2018 financial results in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards.

During the 9M of 2018 Quest Group achieved the following:

·     Double digit growth in Sales (+17,3%) compared to last year’s same period.

·     Double digit growth in EBITDA (+14,4%), in EBT (66%) and in Earnings per Share (104,6%) compared to last year’s respective period.

·     Net Cash Position (cash minus debt) of €16,5m compared to €18,4m last year’s 9M and -€4,5m in the end of 2017.

 

Major consolidated financial results & figures are illustrated as follows:

 

* EBITDA do not include “other gain/losses” related to investment activity.

 

The Group’s investments during 2018 first 9M were €3,26m (78% down from 2017), almost evenly distributed to all segments.

 

Parent Company “Quest Holdings”

Parent company “Quest Holdings” Revenues during 9M 2018 reached €4,35m compared to €4,18m  of the respective 2017 period . EBT were €3,18m compared to €3,10m last year and EAT were €3,13m compared to €2,99m during 9M 2017. Quest Holding’s revenues during 9M 2018 include €3,43m in dividends compared to €3,34m during last year’s respective period.

 

 

Review of 9M per segment - Outlook for the whole 2018.

 

Regarding the first 9M of 2018 and the outlook of the rest of the current year, we note the following per business segment:

 

Ø  IT Products (Info Quest Technologies, Quest on Line, iSquare, iStorm)

·       There was a double digit sales growth (+30,4%), which is however not depicted in EBT growth (-35%) due to extraordinary provisions of €1,4m that had to be taken to cover a possible retroactive payment of intellectual property rights, applied at the end of May 2108, by legal act 4540/2018. Quest’ Group’s management has strong reservations about the legal correctness and the constitutionality of the respective payment enforcement. The organic result of the segment (before the above extraordinary provision) is equally higher. All companies grew faster than their sector’s average growth rate and gained market share.

·       For the whole 2018, growth is also estimated, probably at a more moderate rate. Improvement in profitability vs 9M is also foreseen for the whole year. 

 

Ø  IT Services (Unisystems Group)

·       In the first 9M of 2018 sales increased (+5,8%), whereas EBT is lower (-52,3%). EBT were adversely affected by additional expenses incurred due to delays in two large projects.

·       For the whole year 2018 we expect similar results due to difficulties in the local market and the above mentioned projects.

 

Ø  Postal Services (ACS Courier)

·       There was a +3,8% sales growth during 9M 2018, mainly fueled by courier services for e-commerce, while EBT grew by +7,2%.

·       For the whole 2018, growth in sales and profitability vs 2017 is estimated probably at more moderate rates. The implementation of new growth investments, regarding the new sorting hub in Athens, is also estimated to begin until the end of the year.

 

Ø  Electronic Payments (Cardlink)

·       A double digit growth in sales (+11%) and even higher in ΕΒIΤDA (+36%) was achieved during 9M of 2018 compared to 9M of 2017. The growth was fueled mainly by the legislative enforcement of POS installations in merchants and the returns on previous years investments.

·       For the whole 2018 growth is estimated, most probably at a more moderate pace.

 

Ø  Renewable Energy Production (Quest Energy Group)

·       All results are significantly higher in 9M 2018 due to the acquisition of two new solar parks during 2017. The total installed base by the end of 9M 2018, reached 5,7ΜW compared to 0,7MW in the beginning 2017.

·       Growth in sales and profitability is estimated to continue during the remaining year.

·       More solar parks of 7MW   power were acquired during November. The corresponding investment was €4,3m, plus €11,7m in net debt.

 

Quest Group continues to implement its business plan aiming at sales growth, operational costs containment, risk and credit mitigation, controlled debt exposure and the steady production of positive operational cash flows.

 

The results of the first 9M are validating our initial estimations regarding the growth of the Group’s aggregate results and positive operational cash flows. For the full 2018 a more moderate pace of growth is estimated compared to the 9M 2018.

 

The following tables present the results per segment: