Kann einer die Zahlen beurteilen, bzw. warum fäklt der Kurs so deutlich ???
Tuesday September 5, 7:18 AM
Sema profits top forecasts on mobiles, Web
(Adds more details from third paragraph)
LONDON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Anglo-French software company Sema Group (LSE: SEM.L - news) announced a bigger than
expected rise in first-half profits on Tuesday, driven by its e-commerce and mobile telecoms activities.
Pre-tax profits grew 23 percent to 47.3 million pounds ($69.18 million) in the six months ended June 30, compared with analyst
forecasts of 38.2 million to 46.2 million pounds.
Sema said its telecoms software business grew faster than anticipated, with mobile revenues leaping 130 percent. Its e-commerce
division Webtech saw even stronger growth of 269 percent and accounted for 5.5 percent of group sales.
The year had started slowly for new orders, but an improvement in the second quarter had lifted its book-to-bill ratio to 1.05.
"The satisfactory order intake in the first half-year should ensure a continuation of our growth in the current year," Chairman Julian Oswald said in a statement.
Sales increased 13 percent to 720 million pounds. Earnings per share rose 25 percent to 7.6 pence. It raised its dividend by 21 percent to 1.25p.
Tuesday September 5, 7:50 AM
Sema sees jump in second-half sales
LONDON (Reuters) - Anglo-French software company Sema Group (LSE: SEM.L - news) is likely to see second- half sales growth
of 13-15 percent, Chief Financial Officer William Bitan said on Tuesday.
"We are pretty confident for the second half of 2000," he told Reuters in an interview.
Second-half sales growth would be at least as good as the 13 percent first-half increase announced earlier on Tuesday, he said.
Sema profits boosted by mobiles, Web
(Adds interview with CFO Bitan, analyst comment, stock fall)
By Richard Baum
LONDON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Anglo-French software company Sema Group (LSE: SEM.L - news) on Tuesday said booming demand
for e-commerce and mobile telecoms applications lifted its first-half profits 23 percent.
But although the headline figure beat forecasts, Sema shares fell as much as nine percent after analysts stripped out a series of one-off
items including a 14.3 million pound ($20.81 million) pension refund.
Pre-tax profits rose to 47.4 million pounds in the six months ended June 30 from 38.5 million pounds a year earlier, compared with
analyst forecasts of 38.2 million to 46.2 million pounds. The figure included a 13.4 million-pound charge for restructuring its outsourcing.
Sales increased 13 percent to 720 million pounds, and Chief Financial Officer William Bitan said he expected second-half growth of 13-15 percent.
"We are pretty confident for the second half of 2000," he told Reuters in an interview.
He said the company also hoped to further improve profit margins, which increased by a percentage point to 6.8 percent in the first half.
But Sema shares fell to as low as 12.29 pounds after analysts noticed the profits included a 14.3 million pound refund from its Swedish pension fund. The stock was
down 7.4 percent at 12.48 pounds at 0750 GMT.
"It`s a good set of figures but not as good as those from Logica (LSE: LOG.L - news) and CMG ," said Ross Jobber, head of European technology research at
Deutsche Bank.
Sema said it was unfair to just strip out the pension refund as it had also incurred one-off charges including more than five million pounds for the introduction of the
35-hour working week in France.
Bitan said the year started slowly for new orders -- in line with a global industry slowdown after the rush to squash the Millennium Bug -- but picked up in the
second quarter to produce a book-to-bill ratio of 1.05 for the six months.
Demand for telecoms software such as customer care and billing systems and text messaging programs outstripped Sema`s expectations. Revenues rose 28 percent,
including a 130 percent leap in sales to mobile companies.
The division accounted for over 11 percent of group revenues, more than double the previous year`s share, Bitan said.
That ratio will increase further following the acquisition of German-American software house LHS Group Inc for $4.7 billion in shares, completed on July 29.
Bitan said Sema hoped to finish integrating the mobile software specialist by the end of the year.
Sema`s e-commerce division Webtech saw even stronger growth of 269 percent and accounted for 5.5 percent of group sales. There was no sign that the more
sober mood in the Internet industry following the slide in technology stocks was weakening demand for e-commerce software.
"If we could find another 1,000 people we could find jobs for them," Bitan said.
Sema hired 1,800 people in the first half, taking its workforce to 19,533. Its wage bill had grown 8-10 percent.
Earnings per share rose 25 percent to 7.6 pence. It raised its dividend by 21 percent to 1.25p.
Tuesday September 5, 7:18 AM
Sema profits top forecasts on mobiles, Web
(Adds more details from third paragraph)
LONDON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Anglo-French software company Sema Group (LSE: SEM.L - news) announced a bigger than
expected rise in first-half profits on Tuesday, driven by its e-commerce and mobile telecoms activities.
Pre-tax profits grew 23 percent to 47.3 million pounds ($69.18 million) in the six months ended June 30, compared with analyst
forecasts of 38.2 million to 46.2 million pounds.
Sema said its telecoms software business grew faster than anticipated, with mobile revenues leaping 130 percent. Its e-commerce
division Webtech saw even stronger growth of 269 percent and accounted for 5.5 percent of group sales.
The year had started slowly for new orders, but an improvement in the second quarter had lifted its book-to-bill ratio to 1.05.
"The satisfactory order intake in the first half-year should ensure a continuation of our growth in the current year," Chairman Julian Oswald said in a statement.
Sales increased 13 percent to 720 million pounds. Earnings per share rose 25 percent to 7.6 pence. It raised its dividend by 21 percent to 1.25p.
Tuesday September 5, 7:50 AM
Sema sees jump in second-half sales
LONDON (Reuters) - Anglo-French software company Sema Group (LSE: SEM.L - news) is likely to see second- half sales growth
of 13-15 percent, Chief Financial Officer William Bitan said on Tuesday.
"We are pretty confident for the second half of 2000," he told Reuters in an interview.
Second-half sales growth would be at least as good as the 13 percent first-half increase announced earlier on Tuesday, he said.
Sema profits boosted by mobiles, Web
(Adds interview with CFO Bitan, analyst comment, stock fall)
By Richard Baum
LONDON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Anglo-French software company Sema Group (LSE: SEM.L - news) on Tuesday said booming demand
for e-commerce and mobile telecoms applications lifted its first-half profits 23 percent.
But although the headline figure beat forecasts, Sema shares fell as much as nine percent after analysts stripped out a series of one-off
items including a 14.3 million pound ($20.81 million) pension refund.
Pre-tax profits rose to 47.4 million pounds in the six months ended June 30 from 38.5 million pounds a year earlier, compared with
analyst forecasts of 38.2 million to 46.2 million pounds. The figure included a 13.4 million-pound charge for restructuring its outsourcing.
Sales increased 13 percent to 720 million pounds, and Chief Financial Officer William Bitan said he expected second-half growth of 13-15 percent.
"We are pretty confident for the second half of 2000," he told Reuters in an interview.
He said the company also hoped to further improve profit margins, which increased by a percentage point to 6.8 percent in the first half.
But Sema shares fell to as low as 12.29 pounds after analysts noticed the profits included a 14.3 million pound refund from its Swedish pension fund. The stock was
down 7.4 percent at 12.48 pounds at 0750 GMT.
"It`s a good set of figures but not as good as those from Logica (LSE: LOG.L - news) and CMG ," said Ross Jobber, head of European technology research at
Deutsche Bank.
Sema said it was unfair to just strip out the pension refund as it had also incurred one-off charges including more than five million pounds for the introduction of the
35-hour working week in France.
Bitan said the year started slowly for new orders -- in line with a global industry slowdown after the rush to squash the Millennium Bug -- but picked up in the
second quarter to produce a book-to-bill ratio of 1.05 for the six months.
Demand for telecoms software such as customer care and billing systems and text messaging programs outstripped Sema`s expectations. Revenues rose 28 percent,
including a 130 percent leap in sales to mobile companies.
The division accounted for over 11 percent of group revenues, more than double the previous year`s share, Bitan said.
That ratio will increase further following the acquisition of German-American software house LHS Group Inc for $4.7 billion in shares, completed on July 29.
Bitan said Sema hoped to finish integrating the mobile software specialist by the end of the year.
Sema`s e-commerce division Webtech saw even stronger growth of 269 percent and accounted for 5.5 percent of group sales. There was no sign that the more
sober mood in the Internet industry following the slide in technology stocks was weakening demand for e-commerce software.
"If we could find another 1,000 people we could find jobs for them," Bitan said.
Sema hired 1,800 people in the first half, taking its workforce to 19,533. Its wage bill had grown 8-10 percent.
Earnings per share rose 25 percent to 7.6 pence. It raised its dividend by 21 percent to 1.25p.
