The consolidated net sales of the IT company, which specializes in solutions designed for the branch and store operations of banks and retailers, fell in the reporting period to €1,704 million (previous year: €1,744 million). At €69 million, EBITA was down on last year's figure (€119 million), while net profit for the period declined by 45% to €42 million (€77 million). After specifying its profit forecast for the current fiscal year, the company sees its annual targets confirmed by these figures. "Both net sales and operating profit are developing in line with our expectations and are heading toward the targets we stated for the year as a whole," is how CEO Eckard Heidloff commented on the figures. Wincor Nixdorf anticipates net sales performance for the current 2011/2012 fiscal year at the previous year's level, while operating profit (EBITA) is expected to come in at around €100 million. Costs of around €40 million for an initiated restructuring program have been factored in.

According to Heidloff, the sovereign debt crisis in the Eurozone is continuing to cause Wincor Nixdorf problems. "The associated uncertainty is having a direct impact on our European business, which accounts for 75 percent of our total sales." In his view, it is undeniable that banks are delaying larger-scale investments. The company is stepping up its efforts to expand in emerging countries, not least in response to this situation. To complement the expansion of production and service capacities in the Asia/Pacific region, several projects have also been initiated to expand development resources specifically for emerging countries. Wincor Nixdorf is continuing to implement the restructuring program unveiled at the end of the fiscal half-year. The focus of this program is on aligning corporate performance to changing market requirements around the world. Leaner management structures and standardization of processes should also contribute to cost reductions across the Group.

Minus in net sales for the Banking segment; modest increase in Retail

Net sales in the Banking segment ended the first nine months of the fiscal year down by 4% to €1,093 million (€1,143 million). However, net sales for the third quarter rose by 6% compared with the same period in the previous year. Net sales generated in the Retail segment rose by 2% to €611 million in the first nine months of the fiscal year (€601 million). In the third quarter, net sales declined by 4%.

Sales decreases in Europe

In Germany, net sales in the first nine months of the fiscal year were down 7% at €434 million (€465 million), thus accounting for 25% (27%) of the Group's total net sales. For the third quarter of the fiscal year, net sales in Germany were 10% lower at €133 million (€147 million).
At €830 million (€837 million), net sales in Europe (excluding Germany) for the first nine months of the fiscal year were down by 1% on the figure posted in the same period a year ago. This region contributed the largest part of total net sales for the Group at 49% (48%). In the third quarter of the fiscal year, net sales in Europe (excluding Germany) improved by 1% to €271 million (€268 million).

Net sales in the Asia/Pacific/Africa region dropped by 1% to €264 million in the first nine months of the fiscal year (€268 million). The region's contribution to total net sales for the Group rose to 16% (15 %). In the third quarter of the fiscal year, net sales generated in Asia/Pacific/Africa increased by 28% to €88 million (€69 million).

In U.S. dollars, the Americas recorded a 4% decline in net sales in the first nine months of the fiscal year. Expressed in euros, however, this corresponds to a rise of 1% to €176 million (€174 million). Thus, the proportion of Group net sales generated in the Americas accounted for 10% of total Group sales, as in the previous year. In the third quarter of the fiscal year, net sales for the region rose by 6% to €55 million (€52 million).

Growth in net sales in Software/Services

In the first nine months of the fiscal year, net sales attributable to the Hardware business declined by 10% year on year to €787 million (€877 million). Net sales from Software/Services increased by 6% to €917 million (€867 million). The share of total net sales attributable to the Hardware business was slightly lower at 46% in the period under review (50%). Correspondingly, the proportion of total net sales from Software/Services rose to 54% (50%).