EANS-News: AMAG Austria Metall AG in H1 2019: Growth in shipments; lower aluminium price affects earnings

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Mid Year Results

Ranshofen -

* Growth in demand for primary aluminium and rolled aluminium products
* Market environment increasingly influenced by trade conflicts and economic
slowdown
* Successful continuation of AMAG's growth path through ramp-up of new plants
* Revenue up 3 % to EUR 554.6 million due to shipments growth
* EBITDA of EUR 72.0 million down year-on-year mainly due to lower price levels
(H1 2018: EUR 86.2 million)
* 2019 outlook: EBITDA in a range between EUR 125 million and EUR 150 Million

AMAG Austria Metall AG continued on its growth track and set a new record in the
first half of the year with total shipments of 226,000 tonnes, up 10 % compared
with the previous year's first half.

Gerald Mayer, CEO of AMAG, comments: "We benefited from additional production
capacity in the first half of the year. In the Casting Division, we grew
shipment volumes in the double-digit percentage range mainly thanks to our new
melting furnace. In the Rolling Division, we successfully continued the ramp-up
of the most modern aluminium rolling mill in Europe and also significantly
increased shipments."

The market environment continues to be characterised by growth in demand for
primary aluminium and aluminium rolled products, although trade disputes and the
increasing slowdown in the global economy exerted a negative effect on growth
dynamics in terms of demand and the aluminium price. The average aluminium price
(3-month LME) reduced by 16 % to USD 1,850 per tonne in a half-year comparison.

Revenue expanded by 3 % to EUR 554.6 million compared with the first half of
2018 thanks to higher shipments.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) amounted
to EUR 72.0 million in the first half of 2019, compared with EUR 86.2 million in
the prior-year period. This reduction especially reflects the lower price level.
The significant shipments increase in the Rolling Division as a result of the
ongoing ramp-up at the Ranshofen site had a positive effect on earnings.

Taking into account depreciation and amortisation of EUR 40.7 million, the
operating result (EBIT) for the reporting period amounted to EUR 31.3 million
(H1 2018: EUR 46.0 million).

Net income after taxes stood at EUR 18.9 million during the first six months of
2019 (H1 2018: EUR 33.0 million).

Cash flow from operating activities more than tripled year-on-year, from EUR
19.2 million to EUR 63.7 million, especially thanks to aluminium price trends
and lower inventories. As cash flow from investing activities at EUR -39.0
million reported hardly any change compared with the first half of 2018 (EUR -
37.3 million), free cash flow rose significantly from EUR 18.2 million in the
first half of 2018 to EUR 24.7 million in the period under review.

For this reason, net financial debt registered only a slight change even after
the payment of the attractive dividend of EUR 42.3 million, remaining at a solid
level of EUR 332.7 million as of June 30, 2019 (December 31, 2018: EUR 311.3
million).

The AMAG Group's equity of EUR 595.1 million (December 31, 2018: EUR 620.9
million) and equity ratio of 38.9 percent (December 31, 2018: 39.8 percent) also
underscore the solid balance sheet structure of AMAG Austria Metall AG.

Outlook for 2019:
According to current forecasts by CRU market research institute, global demand
in 2019 for primary aluminium and aluminium rolled products is expected to grow
by 1 % and 3 % respectively. Annual growth rates of 3 to 4 % are expected over
the next five years.

Gerald Mayer, CEO of AMAG: "The medium-term outlook for aluminium and its alloys
offers a promising basis for our growth strategy, which we will consistently
pursue. With the most modern aluminium rolling mill in Europe, our technological
expertise and our focus on aluminium recycling, we are ideally positioned to
benefit long-term from growing demand for aluminium."

AMAG could stand to gain from the abolition of additional US import duties on
aluminium for supplies from Canada through its interest in the Canadian Alouette
smelter, unless the US premium level is adjusted to reflect this tariff effect.

The ramp-up in the Rolling Division is progressing well, leading to the
expectation of year-on-year growth in shipments.

Experience shows that prices for aluminium and raw materials can exhibit high
volatilities over the course of the year. In connection with the general
economic development, the trade conflicts and the sales development of the
customers, there are also forecast uncertainties that could influence the demand
and price development in the second half of 2019.

For the aforementioned reasons, an earnings forecast is only possible in the
form of a considerable bandwidth. For the 2019 financial year, the Management
Board expects EBITDA for the AMAG Group in a range between EUR 125 million and
EUR 150 million (2018: EUR 141 million), based on current estimates.

AMAG - key figures:

______________________________________________________________________________
|EUR | Q2/2019| Q2/2018| Change| H1/2019| H1/2018| Change |
|millions___|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|___________|
|Shipments | 114,500| 103,700| 10.4 %| 226,000| 204,700| 10.4 %|
|in_tonnes__|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|___________|
|of which | | | | | | |
|external | 105,200| 97,700| 7.7 %| 208,200| 194,800| 6.9 %|
|shipments | | | | | | |
|in_tonnes__|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|___________|
|Revenue____|_____280.1|_____276.3|_____1.4_%|_____554.6|_____539.5|______2.8_%|
|EBITDA_____|______38.9|______47.2|___-17.6_%|______72.0|______86.2|____-16.5_%|
|EBIT_______|______18.5|______27.5|___-32.6_%|______31.3|______46.0|____-32.0_%|
|Net income | 11.3| 20.2| -44.0 %| 18.9| 33.0| -42.7 %|
|after_taxes|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|___________|
|Cash flow | | | | | | |
|from | 56.4| 5.1| 1006.0 %| 63.7| 19.2| 231.9 %|
|operating | | | | | | |
|activities_|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|___________|
|Cash flow | | | | | | |
|from | -17.1| -15.6| -9.7 %| -39.0| -37.3| -4.6 %|
|investing | | | | | | |
|activities_|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|___________|
|Employees1)|_____1,991|_____1,955|_____1.8_%|_____1,983|_____1,937|______2.4_%|

______________________________________________________________________________
|EUR_millions|___________30/06/2019|___________31/12/2018|_______________Change|
|Equity______|________________595.1|________________620.9|_______________-4.1_%|
|Equity_ratio|_______________38.9_%|_______________39.8_%|_____________________|
|Gearing_____|_______________55.9_%|_______________50.1_%|_____________________|

1) Average number of employees (full-time equivalents) including temporary help
workers and excluding apprentices. The figure includes a 20 percent pro rata
share of the labour force at the Alouette smelter, in line with the equity
holding.

About the AMAG Group

AMAG is a leading Austrian premium supplier of high-quality aluminium cast and
flat rolled products for highly varied industries such as the aircraft,
automotive, sports equipment, lighting, mechanical engineering, construction and
packaging industries. The Canadian smelter Alouette, in which AMAG holds a 20
percent interest, produces high-quality primary aluminium, while safeguarding an
exemplary net ecological impact.

Further inquiry note:
Investor contact:
Felix Demmelhuber
Head of Investor Relations
AMAG Austria Metall AG
Lamprechtshausenerstrasse 61
5282 Ranshofen, Austria
Tel.: +43 (0) 7722-801-2203
Email: investorrelations@amag.at

Press contact:
Leopold Pöcksteiner
Head of Strategy, Communication, Marketing
AMAG Austria Metall AG
Lamprechtshausenerstrasse 61
5282 Ranshofen, Austria
Tel.: +43 (0) 7722-801-2205
Email: publicrelations@amag.at

end of announcement euro adhoc
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issuer: AMAG Austria Metall AG
Lamprechtshausenerstraße 61
A-5282 Ranshofen
phone: +43 7722 801 0
FAX: +43 7722 809 498
mail: investorrelations@amag.at
WWW: www.amag.at
ISIN: AT00000AMAG3
indexes: ATX GP, ATX BI, VÖNIX, WBI
stockmarkets: Wien
language: English

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