Dassault Systemes Aims to Stabilize Margin in Tougher Market
February 09, 2012, 2:08 AM ESTBy Marie Mawad
Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Dassault Systemes SA, the French engineering software maker, aims to stabilize its operating profit margin in 2012 and increase revenue at a slower pace as market conditions get tougher.
“We see a good level of interest from our customers and key data points we track indicate a healthy demand environment,” while there is “potential for a more challenging economic backdrop around the world, including tighter credit markets,” the Paris-based company said today in Business Wire statement.
Dassault Systemes reported full-year sales in-line with analyst estimates, of 1.78 billion euros ($2.4 billion), up 14 percent excluding currency swings and based on non-international financial reporting standards. Revenue growth on that basis will be in a range of 5 percent to 7 percent in 2012, the company said.
Non-IFRS operating margin in 2011 was 30.4 percent, ahead of the 28 percent expected by analysts according to data compiled by Bloomberg based on eight estimates.
After increasing its full-year forecast in October to reflect better-than-expected customer demand, Dassault Systemes said sales will be in a range of 425 million euros to 435 million euros in the first quarter of 2012, while margin will be about 28 percent.
Shares in Dassault Systemes closed up 0.4 percent yesterday at 64.62 euros on the Paris exchange. The stock has a market value of 7.95 billion euros.
--Editors: Kenneth Wong, Thomas Mulier
To contact the reporter on this story: Marie Mawad in Paris at mmawad1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kenneth Wong at kwong11@bloomberg.net
