BERLIN, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Sales of German healthcare group Fresenius increased by eight percent to 35.4 billion euros (38.2 billion U.S. dollars) in fiscal year 2019 under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the company said on Thursday.
Reporting the 16th consecutive record year, Fresenius's earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) increased by one percent to 4.7 billion euros. Adjusting for currency effects, EBIT declined by two percent, according to Fresenius.
Group net income increased by two percent to 1.9 billion euros and remained stable in constant currency terms.
"2019 was a good year for Fresenius," said Stephan Sturm, chief executive officer (CEO) of Fresenius. "A year of challenges, but also of many successes."
The company had "treated even more patients, launched new products," Sturm said. "We made the planned, significant investments in our future growth, yet have still achieved a slight increase in earnings."
In 2019, Fresenius primarily invested in the modernization and expansion of dialysis clinics, its production facilities as well as hospitals and day clinics, stated the company.
The Management Board of Fresenius plans to propose to the Supervisory Board a dividend increase of five percent to 0.84 euro per share for fiscal year 2019. The proposed total dividend payout to shareholders would amount to 468 million euros.
For fiscal year 2020, Fresenius expects group currency-adjusted sales to grow by between four percent and seven percent and currency-adjusted net income to increase by one percent to five percent.
Following the announcement, shares of Fresenius increased by more than five percent in early trading on Thursday, making the company the biggest winner among Germany's 30 largest companies listed in the benchmark DAX index. (1 euro = 1.08 U.S. dollar)
