Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/07/31
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Extracted from the Dutch newspaper De Financiele Telegraaf:
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Leica will be present on the Stock Exchange market in Frankfurt later
this year. This news was launced at the annual presentation of Leica
financial results. Being listed in Frankfurt was neccessary due to
rapidly increasing cost for R&D. Beyond that, Leica also wants to
reinforce its companies financial structure.
Sales this year (31/3/95-31/3/96) increased with 4.7% to DM 239.9
million, profit increased with 15%to DM 11.7 million. The first
financial quarter of this year already shows a sales increase of 5%.
Cost of R&D increased with 36%(!) to DM 10.9 million. Total
investments increased with 40%(!) to DM 17.3 million. Private capital
increased with DM 7.4 million to DM 27.1 million.
Leica mostly invests/invested in new production technologies, new
machines for example allow better coating of lenses.
The number of employees will keep on growing, this year showed an
increase of 26 people to 1466; of which 900 in Germany and 500 in
Portugal. CEO Klaus-Dieter Hofmann said: "We, as a niche-player,
again proved not to suffer from conjunctural malaise".
Surprisingly Leica also gained market shares, mostly in the US and
the Far-East. The US was accountable for 9.8% of sales, Far-East for
18.7%. Growth of sales in the Far-East was 44% to DM 45 million.
Most important markets there are Japan, Hongkong and Singapore.
[note wj: but that says nothing about which country this equipment
will end up in, does it?....;-))....]
Leica's bestseller is the Leica M6, accountable for 30% of the sales
growth. This is mainly a result of the introduction of new lenses.
The three compact cameras increased their market share within Leica
from 12% to 18%, mainly a result of the good response of the Leica
Minilux.
Although sales of Leica SLR's did not increase, their market share
grew slightly in an overall decreasing market.
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That's it folks!
--
Bye,
_/ _/ _/_/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/_/
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
_/ _/ illem _/ _/ an _/ _/ _/ arkerink
_/_/_/
The difference
between men and boys
is the price of their toys
<w.j.markerink@a1.nl>
[note: 'a-one' & 'en-el'!]