EOS Group reports a successful 2020/21 financial year in defiance of pandemic

Aug 11, 2021

The EOS Group's sales in the financial year 2020/21 are distributed among the individual regions as follows: 36.5 % at € 289.1 million is attributable to Germany, 31.5 % at € 249.7 million to Eastern Europe, 26.1 % at € 207.1 million to Western Europe and 5.9 % at € 46.6 million to North America. Eastern Europe accounts for 31.5 %, Western Europe for 26.1 % at € 207.1 million, and North America for 5.9 % at € 46.6 million.

EOS clearly profitable despite slight decline in revenue and earnings
High level of investment in secured and unsecured receivables accompanied by targeted cost-cutting measures
Corporate responsibility to be firmly embedded in business model

Hamburg, August 11, 2021 – Despite all the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hamburg-based EOS Group successfully concluded its 2020/21 financial year (ending on 28 February). With a slight decline in revenue of 7.1 percent to EUR 792.5 million, the financial investor and technology-driven debt collection service provider reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of EUR 312.4 million (previous year: EUR 343.4 million). Apart from the restrictions on collection activity due to statutory moratoriums in several countries, the financial year was marked by a decline in the volume of non-performing loans (NPLs) on offer on the receivables market. Nevertheless, EOS was once again able to invest a significant sum (EUR 534.3 million) in secured and unsecured receivables and real estate in need of restructuring.

“In view of the difficult conditions of the last year, the positive operating result was by no means a given,” says Klaus Engberding, CEO of the EOS Group. “We needed to continually assess the wider implications of the pandemic, make the right investment decisions and adjust our costs accordingly. I am therefore extremely proud of the fantastic achievement of our teams who faced up to these challenges and made this success possible through their dedicated collaboration.”

Social responsibility to become integral part of business model

The ongoing development of the organization and heavy investment in IT to improve business operations were the key drivers behind the sustained stability of EOS. The values-driven yet forward-looking approach of EOS, which is part of the Otto Group, also contributed to its success. With a new corporate responsibility (CR) strategy, the EOS Group aims to firmly embed four key actionable areas into its business model in future. In this context, the focus is on solution-driven and sustainable debt relief for defaulting consumers, proactive funding initiatives and (financial) education measures, climate-neutral operation by 2030, and the championing of strict and binding industry standards in all 26 countries where the company is located.

“As one of the leaders in our industry we are absolutely aware of our responsibility towards society. Through our actions, we do not just want to help the economic system to function by improving the financial situation of our clients and of defaulting payers; we also aim to use our new CR strategy to do our part to change the world we operate in for the better overall,” says Engberding.

**Overview of key figures:**
	2020/21	2019/20
Sales revenue (in EUR million)	792.5	853.1
of which
Germany	289.1	303.3
Eastern Europe	249.7	266.7
Western Europe	207.1	232.0
North America	46.6	51.0
EBITDA (in EUR million)	312.4	343.4

Different figures may appear in tables due to rounding.

Andreas Kropp, member of the EOS Group's Board of Directors with responsibility for the German market

Germany remains the most important EOS market

With a turnover of EUR 289.1 million and a 36.5 percent share of consolidated revenue, Germany continues to be the region with the highest revenue within EOS Consolidated. At EUR 168.2 million, the investment level in receivables and real estate was stable. “Our success is primarily due to our operational excellence and understanding of our customers’ needs, which makes us a strong and reliable partner in the debt purchasing and fiduciary collection business,” says Andreas Kropp, member of the EOS Group's Board of Directors with responsibility for the German market. “Even in this challenging year, we continued to systematically pursue the digitalization of the company and in doing so have given a substantial boost to our future viability.”

As a longstanding member of the German Association of Debt Collection Companies (BDIU), EOS has continued its commitment to high ethical standards in the industry. In the last financial year it also established an in-house ‘hardship case community’, where specially trained personnel find solutions for cases of debt affecting people in permanently dire financial straits. Moreover, the company is committed to financial education for children and young people through its finlit foundation, whose ‘ManoMoneta’ initiative has already reached more than 100 schools.

Marwin Ramcke, member of the EOS Group’s Board of Directors responsible for the Eastern European region

Eastern Europe once again the highest earning region in the EOS Group

Despite a decline in revenue to EUR 249.7 million, Eastern Europe is still the highest earning region within EOS Consolidated. EOS has its own subsidiaries in 15 countries in Eastern Europe. A major driver for this result was the substantial year-on-year increase in results in Russia, Slovenia, Slovakia and Poland. In addition, EOS was able to increase investment in NPLs in the region in the last financial year by around three percent to EUR 195.3 million. The highest NPL investments were made in Croatia, Poland and Russia.

“Thanks to our local expertise we made substantial investments in secured and unsecured NPLs again this year and are going to rigorously pursue this strategy again in the current financial year,” says Marwin Ramcke, member of the EOS Group’s Board of Directors responsible for the Eastern European region. “We are also pushing ahead with the digitalization process and are successively rolling out our international collection software ‘Kollecto+’, which we developed in-house, in all Eastern European countries where EOS is represented.

In addition, an international HR department was established in Hungary. As well as strategic HR issues, it will also manage the Group’s cultural change process outside of Germany.

Stable business performance in Western Europe

The continued stable business performance in France, Belgium, Spain and Denmark enabled EOS to report a good result overall for Western Europe. At EUR 207.1 million, the region accounted for more than a quarter (26.1 percent) of the total revenue of EOS Consolidated. Moreover, the EOS companies in France and Belgium were able to reinforce their position as leading providers for debt purchases. In Spain too, EOS increasingly shifted its focus from fiduciary collection to receivables purchasing, and was able to build up a strong market position as a buyer of debt portfolios.

Dr. Andreas Witzig, member of the EOS Group’s Board of Directors with responsibility for Western Europe

Accordingly, EOS in Spain closed the year with record investments, e.g. in three NPL portfolios comprising a total 232,000 receivables and with a nominal value of EUR 810 million. “Thanks to our longstanding experience, and despite the lower volume of NPLs on the market, we were once again a preferred partner for our customers,” explains Dr. Andreas Witzig, member of the EOS Group’s Board of Directors with responsibility for Western Europe. “Our companies in the region are in a good position, so we are confident of being able to continue to expand our receivables purchasing activities in the new financial year.”

Higher sales revenues in North America

In North America, EOS was able to substantially increase its earnings from receivables purchases, despite a lower revenue overall of EUR 46.6 million. Solid investments in the USA were the key to this result. In Canada too, EOS was able to improve its result on a year-on-year basis in fiscal 2020/21 thanks to strict cost discipline. “The COVID-19 crisis hit the North American market hard, but we were in the position to offset the considerable loss of revenue on the earnings side through massive cost savings,” explains Dr. Andreas Witzig, member of the EOS Group’s Board of Directors with responsibility for North America.

About EOS Group

The EOS Group is one of the leading technology-driven financial investors and an expert in the processing of outstanding receivables. The company's core business is the purchase of unsecured and secured debt portfolios. With over 45 years of experience, EOS offers some 20,000 customers in 26 countries around the world smart services for all their receivables management needs. Its focus is on banks and companies from the real estate, telecommunications, energy supply and e-commerce sectors. EOS employs more than 6,800 people and is part of the Otto Group.

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Social responsibility to become integral part of business model

Germany remains the most important EOS market

Eastern Europe once again the highest earning region in the EOS Group

Stable business performance in Western Europe

Higher sales revenues in North America

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