Automotive Industry Turbulence Continues to Hurt Jenoptik; Company Profits Down for Quarter

Jenoptik profits declined for the quarter, with the company reporting revenue of just over €176 million for the period ending Sept. 30, and €505 million for the nine-month period ending on the same date. The figures represent decreases of more than 17% and 15%, respectively, from the close of the previous year’s third quarter. Quarterly earnings per share (EPS) fell year over year, from 35 cents (€) to 24 cents (31%), and from 77 cents to 43 cents (45%) year over year for the first nine months of the year.

Revenue for the quarter was up sequentially, by 6.9%, Jenoptik reported. Due to acquisitions, the company said in its quarterly earnings report published Nov. 10, order intake reached the previous year’s level, in the €175 million to €180 million range. Jenoptik acquired Spanish automation and robotics application company INTEROB in the year’s first quarter, and optical metrology company TRIOPTICS before the end of last quarter.

The company reported a year-over-year gross profit decrease of more than 24% for the nine-month period, and a year-over-year decrease of 21% for the quarter.

“The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty in the automotive industry were also noticeable in the present reporting [period], and impacted on business performance in the third quarter,” Jenoptik said in its earnings release. “Overall economic development was still weak, particularly in the traditional automotive business, but also in parts of the aviation and medical technology industries.”

From the start of the year through the end of the just-completed quarter (first nine months of the fiscal year), order intake fell by nearly €48 million. The company’s order backlog, owing to orders totaling more than €50 million from acquisitions, grew to €496.7 million.

Jenoptik reported minimal influence from the COVID-19 pandemic on its business in public-sector contracting and semiconductor equipment industry, growing in that area for the quarter. For the first nine months of the year the company’s Light and Optics Division generated revenue of €209.8 million (down an adjusted 11.2% year over year). “Business with the semiconductor equipment industry remained robust, but the division posted sharp declines due to the pandemic in its biophotonics and industrial solutions areas,” Jenoptik said. Jenoptik also cited decreased economic development in parts of the medical technology industry.

Revenue from the company’s Light and Production Division, due to poor performance in the automotive industry, Jenoptik said, contrasted semiconductor-driven growth, and has fallen by more than 30% year over year in the first nine months of the fiscal year, from over €170 million to under €119 million.

Revenue from Jenoptik’s Light and Safety Division rose by 9.3% year over year for the nine-month period, to €82.1 million. VINCORION, Jenoptik’s brand/division responsible for the company’s mechatronics products and solutions offerings, fell year over year by €5.8 million for the nine-month period. “Demand in the power systems area remained good, but fell in the aviation and energy and drive areas due to the difficult global situation,” Jenoptik said.

The company expects annual revenue to be between €755 million and €775 million, considering totals delivered by TRIOPTICS. Total revenue for the 2019 fiscal year was €855.2. The projected change ranges from a decrease of 9.4% to 11.7%.