Lund, Sweden, 2012-05-11 07:30 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Significant events in the first quarter of 2012:
- Net sales amounted to SEK 170.4 m (135.1), an increase of 26.1 percent.
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Operating profit (EBIT) rose to SEK 12.6 m (6.0), an increase of 110 percent.
The operating margin was 7.4 percent (4.4). - Profit for the period amounted to SEK 2.5 m (5.1).
- Earnings per share after tax amounted to SEK 0.13 (0.27).
- Cash flow from current operations was negative in the amount of SEK 34.1 m (12.6).
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Order intake amounted to SEK 143.6 m (131.5), an increase of 9.3 percent.
The Care product range increased by 21.8 percent. - Doro Experience® and Doro PhoneEasy® 740 successfully announced in Barcelona.
CEO Jérôme Arnaud: Doro’s strategic path confirmed by strong first quarter
“Our stable growth continues and sales for the first quarter rose by some 26 percent compared with last year, making it the strongest first quarter so far in terms of sales and EBIT. All regions increased their sales, with very high growth in the Nordic region and EMEA during a quarter that is normally seasonally weak. For the 13th consecutive quarter, EBIT again increased compared to last year, bringing the EBIT margin to 7.4 percent.
At the Mobile World Congress show in February, our launch of the world’s first Android smartphone for seniors, the Doro PhoneEasy® 740 and our easy-to-use software for tablet and PC, Doro Experience® gained exceptional attraction. Almost 100 interviews were given to various international journalists and the sales process was kicked off with a number of very important customer meetings. Shipments of the first Doro smartphone will commence in September 2012. Doro Experience® comes with an application store, Doro Selection, which now offers a growing number of applications adapted for seniors, including a news service in 11 languages. During the spring of 2012, third-party producers of Android and Windows-based devices will be able to license Doro Experience®.
Among our new sales channels we are pleased to see John Lewis, one of the UK’s most respected retail chains, which will be selling four of our phones in selected stores and via the Internet. Furthermore, Phone4you of the UK added our phones to its range during the quarter. Following the close of the period, we signed an agreement with Australia’s second-largest telecom company Optus, which is now selling Doro PhoneEasy® 615 online and in nearly 300 Optus retail stores, 170 Big W stores and 370 Dick Smith stores nationwide.
In order to continue developing some of our strategically important customers and to broaden our reach in the German-speaking area, a Doro subsidiary was set up in Cologne.
In January, we received the Janus de la Santé Award for our participation in integrating seniors into modern society. As recently as in April, at a ceremony in Germany, we also received the Universal Design Award for the attractive and functional design of the Doro PhoneEasy® 615.
Our intense product development opens up many new opportunities. I am happy to see that in the first quarter, we managed to keep EBIT at good level despite our ambitious investments in new offerings. Strengthened by our positive development, we confidently continue to invest according to plan.”
For further information, please contact:
President & CEO, Jérôme Arnaud, +46 (0)46 280 50 05
Vice President & CFO, Annette Borén, +46 (0)70 630 00 09
Doro AB discloses the information provided herein pursuant to the Securities Markets Act and/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for public release on Friday, May 11, 2012, at 07:30 a.m. CET.
About Doro
Doro, the leader in the telecom care market, is a Swedish public company. With over 38 years of experience in the telecom industry, the company focuses on developing, marketing and selling products, software, TeleCare and mHealth solutions specially adapted to the growing worldwide population of seniors. Doro’s range of easy-to-use mobile phones is unmatched and its unique know-how has been recognized through several international design awards. The company’s products are sold in more than 30 countries on five continents. In FY 2011 revenue totaled SEK 745 m. Doro’s shares are quoted on the Nasdaq OMX Stockholm exchange, Nordic list, Small companies. Read more about Doro at www.doro.com.