EQS-Adhoc: Sto adjusts and lowers its guidance on turnover and earnings for the fiscal year 2024

Publication of inside information in accordance with Article 17 Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (MAR)
Sto SE & Co. KGaA, Stühlingen
ISIN: DE0007274136 / WKN: 727413

Sto adjusts and lowers its guidance on turnover and earnings for the fiscal year 2024

Stühlingen, 18 November 2024 – The board of directors of STO Management SE as the personally liable partner of Sto SE & Co. KGaA has adjusted its previous expectation for the group turnover and earnings for Sto Group for the fiscal year 2024 downwards.

The adjustment is due to the even more negative development of the market volume for key product segments of the Sto Group in important core markets compared to the forecast from July 2024, which led to a sharp increase in competition paired with a continued high price level in procurement and the lower turnover volume in the Group, and thus to noticeable pressure on gross profit. The consolidated earnings of Sto SE & Co. KGaA in the third quarter of the fiscal year ending September 2024 remained significantly below the previous year's figure. Based on current knowledge, this continued in the month of October. The Executive Board therefore does not expect to see any catch-up effects over the remainder of the year. The negative change in general conditions and the difficult economic and market situation of the Group companies Ströher Group in Germany, Sto Ltd. in the UK and SkyRise Prefab Building Solutions Inc. in Canada bear the risk of further negative effects on earnings from a Group perspective. In Italy cuts in public subsidies for energy-related measures lead to even greater restraint, having a considerable negative impact on the business performance of the subsidiary in Italy. Also, in France further cuts in subsidies are leading to a sharper decline in sales and earnings than expected in July. Furthermore, contrary to previous expectations, the expected stabilisation of the construction industry section in China has not yet occurred.

As a result, business performance in 2024 to date and the Executive Board's expectations for further business performance in the fourth quarter of 2024 were and are weaker than assumed in the forecast for 2024 in July 2024, despite the introduction of a comprehensive Group-wide cost-cutting programme.

Therefore, the board of directors of STO Management SE has in consideration of different scenarios by decision as of today decided to adjusted its recent guidance. At present the Sto Group expects a turnover in 2024 in the approx. amount of 1.60 billion EUR (previous forecast July 2024: 1.66 billion EUR; 2023: 1.72 billion EUR). Consolidated earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) are expected to amount within the corridor between 50 million EUR and 68 million EUR (previous forecast July 2024: between 62 million EUR and 82 million EUR; 2023: 126,5 million EUR) and the earnings before taxes (EBT) within the corridor between 52 million EUR and 70 million EUR (previous forecast July 2024: between 63 million EUR and 83 million EUR; 2023: 127.4 million EUR). The return on sales margin with respect to the earnings before taxes (EBT) therefore should amount between 3.2 % and 4.4 % (previous forecast July 2024: between 3.8 % and 5.0 %; 2023: 7.4 %). The ROCE figure is expected to lie in the range between 6.6 % and 9.1 % (previous forecast July 2024: between 8.1 % and 10.9 %: 2023: 17.1 %).

The quarterly financial statements of Sto SE & Co. KGaA for 2024 for the period from 01.01.2024 to 30.09.2024 acc. to Sec 115 WPHG will be published on 19 November 2024 under https://www.sto.de/s/investor-relations.

Contact person at Sto SE & Co. KGaA:
Désirée Konrad, Chief Financial Officer of STO Management SE
Contact via phone: +49 7744 57-1241, e-mail: s.zeller@sto.com

Contact to the media:
Claudia Wieland, Redaktionsbüro tik GmbH
Tel.: +49 911 98817071, E-Mail: info@tik-online.de