(Statements from the press conference)

FRANKFURT/ESCHBORN (dpa-AFX) - Deutsche Borse CEO Theodor Weimer wants to exceed the record result of 2023 again in his farewell year at the helm of the Group. The Deutsche Borse Group is "ideally equipped for further successful and, above all, high-growth years", Weimer said on Thursday at the DAX group's headquarters in Eschborn. Last year, the Frankfurt-based market operator continued its record run as expected thanks to higher interest rates and acquisitions. Profits were higher than ever before, as the company had already announced on Wednesday evening. Both last year's result and the outlook were in line with expert expectations. The share price rose slightly.

In addition to higher interest rates and acquisitions, brisk trading activities on the markets and good business in trading with gas and electricity products played into the hands of the Borsen operator in 2023. In the current year, the Executive Board is again expecting strong growth - also thanks to the recently sealed takeover of Danish software provider Simcorp. Deutsche Borse will have "more than made up for the one-off costs of the 3.9 billion euro acquisition as early as next year through lasting synergies", explained Weimer.

In the current year, the Management Board is again expecting strong growth - also thanks to the recently sealed takeover of the Danish software provider Simcorp. Deutsche Borse will have "more than made up for the one-off costs of the 3.9 billion euro acquisition as early as next year through lasting synergies", explained Weimer. With the largest acquisition in its history, Deutsche Borse wants to strengthen its data business and make itself less dependent on fluctuations on the financial markets.

The Management Board is not planning any further major acquisitions in the current year, as CFO Gregor Pottmeyer confirmed: "We will not be making any major M&A transactions this year because we are focusing on integrating Simcorp now." Smaller acquisitions are not ruled out, however. Deutsche Borse will probably have one to two billion euros in free funds available again in 2025. A decision will then be made as to whether this money will be invested in mergers & acquisitions (M&A) or distributed to shareholders via dividends and share buybacks.

Last year, Deutsche Borse was able to increase its net income by 17 percent compared to the previous year to just under 5.1 billion euros. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) also climbed by 17 percent to just over 2.9 billion euros. At the bottom line, profit increased by 15 percent to a good 1.7 billion euros within the year.

In the current year, the Group expects net revenue to grow to more than 5.6 billion euros and operating profit to increase to more than 3.2 billion euros. The Management Board is aiming for double-digit sales and earnings growth every year up to and including 2026. The dividend for 2023 is to be increased by 20 cents to EUR 3.80 per share. At the beginning of January 2024, the Group also launched its first share buyback program in six years. The company intends to buy back its own shares for up to EUR 300 million by May 3 at the latest.

The 2023 figures and the outlook for the current year were well received on the stock exchange. The Deutsche Borse share price rose by up to one percent to 188.25 euros on Thursday morning, thus approaching the record high of just over 190 euros reached in January. By the afternoon, the share had lost some of its gains. Since the forecast was raised in the fall and the medium-term targets set, the share price has climbed by around a fifth, making it one of the winners among German blue chips.

Since Weimer took office at the beginning of 2018, the company's Borsen value has risen by more than 90 percent to almost 36 billion euros. This puts Deutsche Borse in the top six of the 40 DAX stocks during this period. It was Weimer's last annual press conference as Deutsche Borse CEO. At the end of June, the former HVB CEO had said that he would not seek another term in office. Weimer's contract expires on December 31, 2024 /ben/lfi/zb