Bologna, 27th February 2003 - The Board of Directors of Datalogic SpA - a company listed on the Nuovo Mercato (= new market) of Borsa Italiana SpA - which met today, has reviewed and approved financial statements for the year ending on 31/12/2002.The Board of Directors has also proposed distribution of a dividend of € 15 cents per share - coupon detachment on April 22nd 2003 and payment as from April 25th 2003.
The date of the annual general shareholders' meeting to approve year-end statements has been fixed for April 16th 2003.
2002 was once again a year of growth for the Datalogic Group, a premier global player in barcode reading and transmission systems.
Total consolidated revenues amounted to some € 118 mn, with a YoY increase of just under 6% (2001 total revenues = € 111.7 mn).
EBITDA amounted to € 16.97 mn (with a 14.4% margin on revenues) with an increase of over 5% vs. € 16.1 mn in the previous year).
Net profit totalled € 5.362 mn (EPS = € 45 cents per share), growing strongly vs. € 779 mn (EPS = € 7 cents per share) reported in 2001. This growth was partly due to the fact that stock-market listing costs (€ 5.987 mn) were totally expensed in the 2001 P&L account.
Net equity as at December 31st 2002 amounted to € 102.3 mn) vs. (€ 98.6 mn at 2001 year-end). The net financial position showed net cash of € 33.4 mn.
"In 2002 - underlined Roberto Tunioli, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer - the company continued to grow despite a still difficult economic scenario."
"It is significant that the last quarter of 2002 was an all-time record for Datalogic - continued Tunioli - in terms of both revenues (€ 35.2 mn, +22% vs. 4Q01) and EBITDA (€ 6.4 mn, +46% vs. 4Q02). The major investments being made by the company (in R&D and in IT infrastructures, etc.) should assure continued positive and growing business performance also in the future".
