DGAP-News: Managing Board of SMA Solar Technology AG Forecasts Significant Growth in Sales and Earnings in Coming Months After Restrained Development as Expected in First Half of Year

DGAP-News: SMA Solar Technology AG / Key word(s): Half Year Results
Managing Board of SMA Solar Technology AG Forecasts Significant Growth in
Sales and Earnings in Coming Months After Restrained Development as Expected
in First Half of Year

08.08.2019 / 07:00
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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SMA Solar Technology AG corporate news

Managing Board of SMA Solar Technology AG Forecasts Significant Growth in
Sales and Earnings in Coming Months After Restrained Development as Expected
in First Half of Year

Overview of H1 2019:

- Inverter output sold of 4.0 GW below last year's level (H1 2018: 4.3 GW)

- Sales of EUR362.7 million (H1 2018: EUR394.6 million) and EBITDA of EUR8.5
million (H1 2018: EUR40.9 million)

- Financial stability thanks to solid equity ratio of 41.9% (December 31,
2018: 42.9%) and net cash of EUR268.2 million (December 31, 2018: EUR305.5
million)

- Very high order backlog of EUR818.7 million, of which EUR453.1 million is
attributable to the product business (December 31, 2018: EUR175.4 million
attributable to product business)

- Cost reduction program develops as planned

- Managing Board confirms its sales and earnings guidance for the 2019
fiscal year


Niestetal, August 8, 2019 - In the first half of 2019, SMA Solar Technology
AG (SMA/FWB: S92) sold PV inverters with a total output of around 4.0 GW (H1
2018: 4.3 GW). Sales decreased by 8.1% compared with the first half of 2018
to EUR362.7 million (H1 2018: EUR394.6 million). This was particularly due
to continued weak project business in the first half of the year. By
contrast, SMA recorded significant sales growth in the field of private
residential PV systems. From January to June 2019, EBITDA amounted to EUR8.5
million (EBITDA margin: 2.3%; H1 2018: EUR40.9 million, 10.4%; the previous
year's earnings included substantial positive one-time items). Order intake
developed very well in the first half of the year in all segments, but
especially in the Large Scale & Project Solutions segment. On this basis,
the SMA Managing Board is expecting a significant increase in sales and
earnings in the second half of the year.

Net income amounted to -EUR14.2 million in the first half of 2019 (H1 2018:
EUR11.2 million). Earnings per share thus amounted to -EUR0.41 (H1 2018:
EUR0.32). With net cash of EUR268.2 million (December 31, 2018: EUR305.5
million) and an equity ratio of 41.9% (December 31, 2018: 42.9%), SMA
continues to have a solid balance-sheet structure.

"As expected, SMA's sales and earnings in the first half of 2019 were lower
than in the same period of the previous year. At the same time, incoming
orders developed extremely positively. Among other things, in May we secured
the largest order in our company's history. As of June 30, 2019, SMA had a
product-related order backlog of EUR453.1 million. We thus increased the
product-related order backlog by 158% in the first six months of the year,"
said SMA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jürgen Reinert. "In the Home Solutions
segment, the good order intake already had a positive impact in the first
half of the year. SMA generated around 21% more sales here than in the same
period of the previous year. By contrast, the implementation of projects in
the Large Scale & Project Solutions segment, which accounts for a large part
of the order backlog, usually takes four to ten months. We therefore expect
a significant sales increase here only in the second half of the year."

The SMA Managing Board confirms its sales and earnings guidance for the 2019
fiscal year, which forecasts sales of between EUR800 million and EUR880
million and EBITDA of between EUR20 million and EUR50 million. The Managing
Board estimates that depreciation and amortization will amount to
approximately EUR50 million.

The Half-Yearly Financial Report for January to June 2019 can be found at
www.SMA.de/IR/FinancialReports.


About SMA
As a leading global specialist in photovoltaic system technology, the SMA
Group is setting the standards today for the decentralized and renewable
energy supply of tomorrow. SMA's portfolio contains a wide range of
efficient PV inverters, holistic system solutions for PV systems of all
power classes, intelligent energy management systems and battery-storage
solutions as well as complete solutions for PV diesel hybrid applications.
Digital energy services as well as extensive services up to and including
operation and maintenance services for PV power plants round off SMA's
range. SMA inverters with a total output of around 75 gigawatts have been
installed in more than 190 countries worldwide. SMA's multi-award-winning
technology is protected by more than 1,400 patents and utility models. Since
2008, the Group's parent company, SMA Solar Technology AG, has been listed
on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (S92) and is listed in
the SDAX index.

SMA Solar Technology AG
Sonnenallee 1
34266 Niestetal
Germany

Head of Corporate Communications:
Anja Jasper
Tel. +49 561 9522-2805
Presse@SMA.de

Press Contact:
Susanne Henkel
Manager Corporate Press
Tel. +49 561 9522-1124
Presse@SMA.de

Disclaimer:
This corporate news serves only as information and does not constitute an
offer or invitation to subscribe for, acquire, hold or sell any securities
of SMA Solar Technology AG (the "Company") or any present or future
subsidiary of the Company (together with the Company, the "SMA Group") nor
should it form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any
contract to purchase or subscribe for any securities in the Company or any
member of the SMA Group or commitment whatsoever. Securities may not be
offered or sold in the United States of America absent registration or an
exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as
amended.

This corporate news can contain future-oriented statements. Future-oriented
statements are statements which do not describe facts of the past. They also
include statements about our assumptions and expectations. These statements
are based on plans, estimations and forecasts which the Managing Board of
SMA Solar Technology AG (SMA or company) has available at this time.
Future-oriented statements are therefore only valid on the day on which they
are made. Future-oriented statements by nature contain risks and elements of
uncertainty. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors can lead to considerable differences between the actual results, the
financial position, the development or the performance of the corporation
and the estimates given here. These factors include those which SMA has
discussed in published reports. These reports are available on the SMA
website at www.SMA.de. The company accepts no obligation whatsoever to
update these future-oriented statements or to adjust them to future events
or developments.


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08.08.2019 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a
service of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Language: English
Company: SMA Solar Technology AG
Sonnenallee 1
34266 Niestetal
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)561 / 9522 - 0
Fax: +49 (0)561 / 9522 - 100
E-mail: info@sma.de
Internet: www.sma.de
ISIN: DE000A0DJ6J9
WKN: A0DJ6J
Indices: SDAX
Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard);
Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf,
Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange
EQS News ID: 853817



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853817 08.08.2019