Weimar, 24 August 2023 – IBU-tec advanced materials AG (“IBU-tec”, ISIN: DE000A0XYHT5) exceeded its margin expectations in the first half of 2023 despite a challenging market environment in the chemical industry and a subdued start to the year. For the second half of the year, IBU-tec expects a further dynamization of business development with sales and EBITDA significantly above the previous year’s figures. Against the backdrop of announced customer projects and promising cooperation talks with global partners, especially in the battery sector, IBU-tec confirms its full-year forecast for 2023 under the current conditions.
According to HGB accounting, the IBU-tec Group’s sales in the first half of 2023 amounted to EUR 25.3 million (previous year: EUR 29.5 million). EBITDA amounted to EUR 2.9 million in the first half of the year (previous year: EUR 3.7 million). While, among other things, significantly lower tin prices compared to the previous year impacted sales in the specialty chemicals business, the IBU-tec Group recorded an EBITDA margin of 11.3 percent in the first six months of 2023, which is above the full year target of 10.4 to 10.6 percent. In particular, the battery business, which was significantly higher than in the previous year, made a positive contribution to this.
IBU-tec is still the only manufacturer in Europe for both LFP battery material and the glass coating product MBTC and thus has a strong market position. Particularly in the battery business, with high growth rates, significant decisions were made for future business development. Driven by the service business, the battery business was significantly higher than in the same period of the previous year, with sales up around 71 percent in the first half of 2023. In the second half of the year, further development projects by customers for cathode and anode materials as well as the production of cathode material for a major international customer are already planned. In addition, IBU-tec expects to receive an order for a three-digit tonnage of its own battery material IBUvolt. IBU-tec is currently in advanced discussions with potential cooperation partners for the development of battery material for international corporations.
In the equally important growth area of glass coating the Group laid the foundation for the planned expansion of the business with a new production plant. With the plant, the production volume of the glass coating product MBTC can be increased to around 1,000 tons per year. Already in the first six months of the year, IBU-tec increased its sales volume by more than 20 percent compared to the same period last year. By the end of fiscal 2023, delivered capacity is expected to increase by more than 50 percent year-on-year.
In the specialty chemicals division, IBU-tec was able to win new international generic manufacturers for its pharmaceutical precursor tributyltin chloride (TBTCl) in the first half of the year under review to compensate for the planned loss of major customer Novartis. IBU-tec sees high potential for incoming orders in the second half of the year, especially for TBTCl and an intermediate product for the chemical market, especially in the growing Asian business.
The confirmation of the full-year guidance for 2023 is also accompanied by the reaffirmation of the company’s medium-term targets as part of the IBU2025 strategy. Accordingly, sales of EUR 102 million to over EUR 130 million are expected to be achieved in the financial year after next, and the EBITDA margin is expected to rise to over 20 percent.
Jörg Leinenbach, CEO of IBU-tec advanced materials AG: “After the challenging market conditions in the chemical industry have also influenced IBU-tec in recent months, we are now seeing clear signs of a dynamization of our business development again. Our broad positioning has cushioned the fluctuations in some areas. If the economic development remains within the forecast range, IBU-tec will meet the full-year forecast with a strong second half of the year. We are consistently implementing our IBU2025 growth strategy, building on our growth drivers of battery materials, glass coating and recycling. Of course, with such medium-term planning, no linear development is always to be expected and we are very pleased that we are now seeing a noticeable revival of development. Against this backdrop and the agreements expected in the coming months, we remain firmly committed to achieving our medium-term targets.”
IBU-tec will present the half-year results in a webcast today, 24 August 2023 at 2:00 p.m. CEST. The webcast will be held in German only. Interested investors and members of the press are invited to register at the following link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4249422659151179864
The IBU-tec half-year report is available for download at the following address: https://www.ibu-tec.com/investor-relations/financial-reports/reports-of-ibu-tec-ag/
About IBU-tec
The IBU-tec Group develops and produces innovative materials of the highest quality for industry. It combines unique thermal process technology, some of which is patented, with the process and material know-how of around 250 highly qualified employees.
The company's own products include LFP battery material, which is an important component of batteries for electromobility and stationary energy storage, as well as solutions for air purification, resource conservation and the reduction of plastic packaging. IBU-tec is thus well positioned for the long term in global megatrends – especially climate and environmental protection – and has an international customer base ranging from innovative medium-sized companies to global corporations.
Contact
Investor Relations
IBU-tec advanced materials AG
Dr. Stefan Steck
Public & Investor Relations
Hainweg 9-11
99425 Weimar, Germany
t +49 3643 8649-51
IR(at)ibu-tec.de
www.ibu-tec.com
Financial and Business Press
edicto GmbH
Axel Mühlhaus
Eschersheimer Landstraße 42-44
60322 Frankfurt, Germany
t +49 69 905505-52
IBU-tec(at)edicto.de