Wirecard posts 33% revenue rise

Wirecard has successfully pushed forward the digitalisation of payment processes using Internet technology on a global scale and achieved its growth targets for 2016 as a result.

Group revenues increased by 33.3 percent to EUR 1,028.4 million (2015: EUR 771.3 million). The transaction volume processed through the Wirecard platform grew by 36.5 percent to EUR 61.7 billion (PY: EUR 45.2 billion). A transaction volume of EUR 19.6 billion was generated outside Europe (PY: EUR 11.2 billion), which represented a share of 31.8 percent (PY: 24.8 percent) of the total volume.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased in 2016 compared to the previous year by 35.2 percent to EUR 307.4 million (PY: EUR 227.3 million). In the 2016 fiscal year, the EBITDA margin increased to 29.9 percent.
The cash flow from operating activities (adjusted) amounted to EUR 283.0 million (2015: EUR 199.7 million).

In the 2016 fiscal year, earnings after tax increased by 87.0 percent to EUR 266.7 million (PY: EUR 142.6 million). Adjusted for the income from the sale of shares in Visa Europe to Vis Inc., earnings after tax amounted to EUR 176.7 million.
Earnings per share increased by 86.0 percent to EUR 2.16 (PY: EUR 1.16). Adjusted for the special effect from the sale of Visa Europe, earnings per share stood at EUR 1.43.

The Management Board will propose to this year’s Annual General Meeting that a dividend of EUR 0.16 per share (PY: EUR 0.14) is paid to shareholders.

Outlook
Internet technologies are increasingly driving the convergence of all sales channels. As a leader for innovation in the digitalisation of payment processes and card products, Wirecard AG has taken up a leading competitive position to benefit from this trend.

Wirecard CEO Markus Braun commented: “Alongside the continuously strong growth of e-commerce, we identify additional stimulus for growth in the area of omnichannel solutions and connected commerce due to the advancing digitalisation of bricks-and-mortar retailing. We want to support companies to benefit from integrated and digitalised payment solutions and value added services.”

As a global leader for innovation in the payment industry and a supplier of solutions for electronic payment transactions, the growth of the global digital payment market is paramount to the Wirecard Group.

In the past few months, the Wirecard Group has resolutely pushed forward its globalisation and completed its entry into the markets in 8 countries, including India, the USA and Brazil. In addition, Wirecard AG will significantly strengthen its position in the APAC region through its recently announced acquisition of the acquiring customer portfolio of Citigroup in 11 countries in the Asian-Pacific (APAC) region – in Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, India, Australia and New Zealand.

The Management Board of Wirecard AG expects a strong performance in the 2017 fiscal year and confirms its forecast for earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of between EUR 382 million and EUR 400 million.