Munich, 23 March 2012. For CTS EVENTIM AG, listed in the SDAX index (ISIN DE0005470306), 2011 was a successful year, so the company plans to pay a dividend similar to the previous year’s. At the Shareholders’ Meeting on 15 May 2012, the Management Board and the Supervisory Board will propose that a dividend of EUR 0.44 be paid on each share (prior year: EUR 0.435 per eligible share, based on 48 million shares after a share capital increase from company funds in fiscal year 2011). This means that distribution to shareholders will be slightly higher, at EUR 21.1 million, compared to EUR 20.9 million in 2010. This will be the seventh dividend in succession that the group has paid. In the past financial year, CTS EVENTIM generated Group earnings of around EUR 42.2 million (prior year: around EUR 42.3 million after adjustment for final purchase price allocations) and earnings per share of EUR 0.88 (prior year: EUR 0.88, based on 48 million shares).
2011 financial year: Double-digit growth in Ticketing segment
As already announced on 27 February 2012, the ticketing business for music, cultural and sports events proved yet again to be very stable and robust. The CTS Group sold 19.2 million tickets via the Internet in fiscal year 2011 – a year-on-year increase of around 12% (2010: 17.1 million). The Ticketing segment achieved double-digit growth rates in the 2011 financial year, whereas the Live Entertainment segment, as expected, was unable to beat the record set in 2010, due to the smaller number of attractive live events and the deconsolidation of the FKP Scorpio Group.
Outlook for 2012: Further international expansion
In 2012, the Group will continue to focus on rigorously growing its Internet ticketing operations and on international expansion generally. The Management Board expects the Group as a whole to progress well in the 2012 financial year and to improve its earnings.
The full Annual Report will be available on the Internet at www.eventim.de as from 27 March 2012, in an online version and in download form.