CEWE with eighth consecutive dividend increase

- Annual General Meeting decides to raise dividends by 12.5 % to EUR 1.80 per share

- Shareholders achieve yield of 57.8 % in 2016

- Continued increase in earnings planned for 2017

- Dr. Hollander: "For years now, CEWE has stood for dividend increases and profitable growth."

 

Oldenburg, 31 May 2017. The regular Annual General Meeting of CEWE Stiftung & Co. KGaA (SDAX, ISIN: DE 0005403901) approved all the agenda items proposed by the management in Oldenburg today. The attendance rate was 60.8 %. The dividend rise is 20 eurocents a share, to 1.80 euros per share - the eighth dividend increase in succession, with a growth of 12.5 % over the previous year. On the basis of the share price at the end of 2015 (54.61 euros), the CEWE share price grew by 29.96 euros to 84.57 euros (+ 54.9 %) in the period up to the end of December 2016. On the inclusion of the dividend paid out for the business year of 2015, the yield for CEWE shareholders was thus 57.8 % in 2016. On the basis of the 2016 year-end share price, shareholders are also getting a dividend yield of 2.1 % with the dividend of 1.80 euros a share now proposed. "Our renewed earning power and our sound balance sheet allow us to raise our dividend in absolute terms for the eighth consecutive year," explains Dr. Olaf Holzkämper, Financial Director of the CEWE Group.

EBIT target corridor for 2017 exceeds that of previous year by 5 million euros
On the basis of the first quarter of 2017, which went ahead as planned, the Board of Management is confirming its entire forecast for 2017. In spite of the increased value added tax on photo books, Group turnover in 2017 is to rise slightly on average, from 593.1 million euros in the previous year of 2016 to an amount ranging from 585 million to 615 million euros. Group EBIT is to be in a corridor of 45 to 51 million euros, EBT is to be in the range of 44.5 to 50.5 million euros, and after tax earnings between 30 and 34 million euros. In its forecast for 2017, the Board of Management thus raised its operating EBIT result channel by around 5 million euros over the goals for 2016.

Dr. Christian Friege takes over from Dr. Rolf Hollander as Chairman of the Board of Management on 1 July 2017
CEWE is thus once again confirming its position as a high-yield, sound growth share. "CEWE has stood for a clear course for many years now: we wish to consistently increase our dividend in absolute terms, guarantee sound financing and a sound capital ratio, and more than anything else, grow profitably in our business segments," points out Dr. Rolf Hollander in his final Annual General Meeting as Chairman of the Board of Management of CEWE Stiftung & Co. KGaA. As already announced, Dr. Rolf Hollander, who has been Chairman of the Board of Management since 2002, will be handing over office to Dr. Christian Friege, who in his capacity as a Director has been responsible for CEWE's national and international sales since 1 July 2017. Otto Korte, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of CEWE Stiftung & Co. KGaA, praised the great many contributions made by Dr. Hollander, in particular those relating to the major transformation from analogue to digital and to branding in the company, expressing the hope that Dr. Hollander would continue his work in this sense in his new role with CEWE. Dr. Hollander will head the company as Chairman of the Board of Trustees as of 1 July, when he takes over leadership from Wilfried Mocken, who has been Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Neumüller CEWE Color Stiftung since 1992. The Board of Trustees thanks experienced entrepreneur Wilfried Mocken, whose positions included authorised representative with Semper idem Underberg GmbH, for his wise, forward-looking leadership of the Board of Trustees and his at all times business-like support for the Board of Management and the employees - in particular during the CEWE transformation phase.

Paolo Dell' Antonio elected to the Supervisory Board of CEWE Stiftung & Co. KGaA
The Annual General Meeting elected Paolo Dell' Antonio (born in 1963) to the Supervisory Board of CEWE Stiftung & Co. KGaA. The new CEWE Supervisory Board member will become a member of the Board of Management of Wilh. Werhahn KG on 1 June. Paolo Dell' Antonio is also a member of the Shareholders' Committee of Bitburger Holding GmbH and Bitburger Brauereigruppe GmbH, Bitburg. He was most recently a member of the Board of Management of Mast-Jägermeister SE in Wolfenbüttel for 17 years, of which he held the position of Chairman for 9 years. Paolo Dell' Antonio is a brand management expert. He succeeds Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Hans-Jürgen Appelrath, who passed away on 5 August 2016, as a CEWE Supervisory Board member. "We held Professor Appelrath in high esteem as a competent advisor. He made a very valuable contribution to our company. We will honour his memory," emphasised Otto Korte, Chairman of the CEWE Stiftung & Co. KGaA Supervisory Board.
Should you have any queries, please contact:
CEWE Stiftung & Co. KGaA, Axel Weber (Investor Relations)
Tel.: 0441 / 404 - 2288, Fax: 0441 / 404 - 421, Email: IR@cewe.de

Internet: cewe-fotobuch.de , cewe-photobook.com , cewe.de , cewe-print.de , viaprinto.de , saxoprint.de , deindesign.de

The CEWE apps are all available in the app stores: CEWE PHOTO WORLD, CEWE POSTCARD, CEWE SERVICE and other photo apps, and the CEWE Investor Relations app for iPad(c) or android tablets, with annual reports and quarterly reports, presentations and sustainability reports.

Financial schedule:
(insofar as already scheduled)

10 August 2017 Publication of the 2017 H1 mid-year report
20 September 2017 Berenberg & Goldman Sachs German Corporate Conference, Munich
21 September 2017 Baader Investment Conference, Munich
10 November 2017 Publication of the 2017 Q3 interim report
27 - 28 November 2017 German Equity Forum, Frankfurt

About CEWE: The innovative photo and online print service company CEWE, with twelve highly-technical production operations and a staff of around 3,500 employees in 24 European countries, is both market and technological leader. In 2016 CEWE delivered around 2.2 billion prints, 6.2 million copies of the CEWE PHOTO BOOK and photo gift articles to around 25,000 retail partners to generate consolidated turnover of 593.1 million euros. CEWE is continuously generating new impulses in the photographic industry with innovations for people who enjoy taking photos. In the new business segment of commercial online printing, printed material for businesses is marketed through the sales platforms CEWE-PRINT.de, Saxoprint und Viaprinto. Founded in 1961 by Senator h. c. Heinz Neumüller, CEWE was taken to the stock exchange by Hubert Rothärmel in 1993. CEWE Stiftung & Co. KGaA is listed on the SDAX.