Despite the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 on all industries and markets around the world, Voith Group's performance in the 2019/20 fiscal year (October 2019 to the end of September 2020) was still robust, which benefited from the Group's diversified industrial layout and wide geographical distribution, stable regional supply chain and sound financial situation. The group's business was affected by the COVID-19, but the overall development was stable, with orders and sales only slightly declining. In the severe market environment, the overall revenue performance of the group is considerable. Although pre tax profit has decreased compared to the previous fiscal year, it remains at a reasonable level based on years of performance. The group's net profit continues to maintain positive growth. The trend of cash flow and cash flow generated from operating activities is good.

The order volume and sales revenue of the Group's Paper Business Unit have maintained growth, once again making significant contributions to the Group's performance.

Dr. Toralf Haag, CEO of the group, said, "Like most companies in the industry, the Voith Group faced a severe test in the reporting fiscal year. Thanks to its diversified market positioning and robust financial situation, we not only managed to weather the crisis relatively smoothly, but also further improved our strategy for decarbonization and digitalization in this fiscal year. We have made significant progress in strategic implementation and will continue to ensure the company's future growth through investment. Therefore, the overall strategic positioning of the Voith Group is good, showing strong resilience in the unprecedented impact of the epidemic, and maintaining a stable trend in the medium and long term."

At the beginning of the year, Voith Paper completed its acquisition of BTG, further consolidating Voith Paper's market position as a full line supplier. BTG is an international supplier that provides integrated and highly specialized process solutions for the global pulp and paper industry. In May, Voith acquired 90% of Toscotec S.p.A.'s shares. This Italian manufacturer of paper machines, systems, and components further enriches Voith's product portfolio, particularly in the fields of household paper, paper, and cardboard.

The key performance indicators of the 2019/20 fiscal year were affected by the COVID-19, and the performance of the second half of the fiscal year declined.

In the reporting fiscal year, the group's order volume was 4.04 billion euros, a 14% decrease from the previous fiscal year's 4.7 billion euros. The order retention has been at a high level in the past seven years, remaining at 5.39 billion euros this year, a slight decrease of 4% compared to 5.63 billion euros in the previous fiscal year.

The group's sales revenue was 4.17 billion euros, a slight decrease of 3% compared to 4.28 billion euros in the previous fiscal year. If the impact of mergers and acquisitions and exchange rates is included, it will decrease by 6%. The pre tax profit was 139 million euros, compared to 208 million euros in the previous fiscal year. Short term cost control partially offset the impact of decreased sales. The group's sales profit margin decreased from 4.8% in the previous fiscal year to 3.3%, and the return on capital decreased from 11.5% to 7.5%. The group's net profit was 72 million euros in the previous fiscal year and 6 million euros in the reported fiscal year, continuing to maintain positive growth.