The IT and medical technology company Sectra reports a year-on-year increase in order bookings of 13.9% to SEK 217.0 million (190.6) for the second quarter of the fiscal year. Excluding a nonrecurring item in the year-earlier period, net sales for the quarter increased 1.8% to SEK 192.7 million (189.2) and the operating profit rose by 15.6% to SEK 23.0 million (19.9). The result corresponds to an operating margin of 11.9% (10.5).
Sectra’s bookings increased outside Europe, with the largest increase in the USA, where order bookings of SEK 55 million represent a two-fold increase compared with the corresponding quarter in the preceding year.
Sectra’s strategy is to become stronger, primarily, in markets where the company already holds an established position, such as Northern Europe and North America, and to expand in selected markets with growth potential.
“We noted an increase in order bookings and improved earnings,” says Torbjörn Kronander, CEO and President of Sectra AB. “The results of our initiatives include higher order bookings in the US as well as in the Middle East and Russia, which are new markets for us.”
For the six-month period, Sectra’s net sales rose 1.4% to SEK 363.6 million (358.5) and operating profit increased by 3.0% to SEK 27.1 million (26.3). The result corresponds to an operating margin of 7.5% (7.3). Profit after net financial items was SEK 25.1 million (40.3), corresponding to a profit margin of 6.9% (11.2). The comparisons relate to the result in the year-earlier period excluding a nonrecurring item attributable to the divestment of the MicroDose business in the preceding fiscal year.
