Schrobenhausen - During the Annual General Meeting, BAUER Aktiengesellschaft reported a challenging business year for 2019. "Last year, we faced several challenges but also created new opportunities for ourselves in areas such as digitalization," said CEO Michael Stomberg. An online broadcast allowed him to address the shareholders, who were supposed to meet at the company's headquarters in Schrobenhausen in Upper Bavaria. Due to legal regulations concerning the coronavirus pandemic, the company decided to invite shareholders to an online Annual General Meeting. "Although we have many options thanks to digital media, I would have preferred the event to be held in person," said Michael Stomberg, "but of course, the health of our shareholders and employees is the first priority."

A total of around 58 % of the company's share capital was present at the first virtual Annual General Meeting.

The shareholders approved the agenda items up for resolution by large majorities, thereby supporting the management's proposals. With regard to the appropriation of net earnings; no dividend was envisaged for the past financial year. "We are committed to providing our shareholders with an appropriate share of the profits, but securing our equity ratio must currently take priority," emphasized Michael Stomberg.

With regard to financing, the CEO reported that an amicable solution was reached with all affected financing partners. Due to the loss at the end of 2019, the Group was unable to keep to its covenants agreed with the banks.

Michael Stomberg also provided an outlook for future business development. Above all, the company faces challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences, which are currently impacting the Construction and Equipment segments. In some countries, there are exit restrictions or exit bans and construction activities have been obstructed or even brought to a complete standstill. In the Equipment segment, order intake and sales have significantly decreased. Globally, customers are demonstrating a reluctance to invest due to the ongoing uncertainties.

As a consequence, BAUER AG withdrew the forecast previously issued in an ad-hoc announcement on June 17, 2020 and has not yet issued a new specific forecast for the 2020 financial year.

The voting results, the speech and presentation of the CEO and other documents related to the Annual General Meeting can be found online at in the Investor Relations area.


About Bauer

The BAUER Group is a leading provider of services, equipment and products related to ground and groundwater. With over 110 subsidiaries, Bauer operates a worldwide network on all continents.

The operations of the Group are divided into three future-oriented segments with a high potential for synergy: Construction, Equipment and Resources. The Construction segment offers new and innovative specialist foundation engineering services alongside the established ones, and carries out foundation and excavation work, cut-off walls and ground improvements worldwide. Bauer is a world market leader in the Equipment segment and provides a full range of equipment for specialist foundation engineering as well as for the exploration, mining and extraction of natural resources. In the Resources segment, Bauer focuses on highly innovative products and services in the areas of water, environment and natural resources.

Bauer profits greatly from the collaboration between its three separate business divisions, enabling the Group to position itself as an innovative and highly specialized provider of products and services for demanding projects in specialist foundation engineering and related markets. Bauer therefore offers appropriate solutions for the world's major challenges, such as urbanization, growing infrastructure needs, the environment, and water, oil and gas.

The BAUER Group was founded in 1790 and is based in Schrobenhausen, Bavaria. In 2019, it employed some 12,000 people in around 70 countries and achieved total Group revenues of EUR 1.6 billion. BAUER Aktiengesellschaft is listed in the Prime Standard segment of the German stock market.

More information can be found at .