Annual Report 2021

Business Development 2017 – 2021

This overview may include historically adjusted values in order to ensure comparability with the reporting period.

€ million

 

2017

 

2018

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

 

Change in %

Results of operations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net sales

 

14,517

 

14,836

 

16,152

 

17,534

 

19,687

 

12.3%

Operating result (EBIT)1

 

2,423

 

1,727

 

2,120

 

2,985

 

4,179

 

40.1%

Margin (% of net sales)1

 

16.7%

 

11.6%

 

13.1%

 

17.0%

 

21.2%

 

 

EBITDA2

 

4,164

 

3,528

 

4,066

 

4,923

 

5,946

 

20.8%

Margin (% of net sales)1

 

28.7%

 

23.8%

 

25.2%

 

28.1%

 

30.2%

 

 

Adjustments1

 

82

 

272

 

318

 

279

 

157

 

-43.8%

EBITDA pre1

 

4,246

 

3,800

 

4,385

 

5,201

 

6,103

 

17.3%

Margin (% of net sales)1

 

29.3%

 

25.6%

 

27.1%

 

29.7%

 

31.0%

 

 

Profit before income tax

 

2,129

 

1,461

 

1,735

 

2,630

 

3,924

 

49.1%

Profit after tax

 

2,615

 

3,396

 

1,324

 

1,994

 

3,065

 

53.7%

Earnings per share (in €)

 

5.99

 

7.76

 

3.04

 

4.57

 

7.03

 

53.8%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assets and liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total assets

 

35,621

 

36,888

 

43,808

 

41,796

 

45,362

 

8.5%

Non-current assets

 

28,166

 

27,652

 

34,805

 

32,516

 

34,380

 

5.7%

thereof:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodwill

 

13,582

 

13,764

 

17,114

 

15,959

 

17,004

 

6.6%

Other intangible assets

 

8,317

 

7,237

 

9,221

 

7,653

 

7,612

 

-0.5%

Property, plant, and equipment

 

4,512

 

4,811

 

6,192

 

6,421

 

7,217

 

12.4%

Current assets

 

7,455

 

9,236

 

9,003

 

9,280

 

10,982

 

18.3%

thereof:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inventories

 

2,632

 

2,764

 

3,342

 

3,294

 

3,900

 

18.4%

Trade receivables and other current receivables

 

3,170

 

3,226

 

3,488

 

3,221

 

3,646

 

13.2%

Cash and cash equivalents

 

589

 

2,170

 

781

 

1,355

 

1,899

 

40.2%

Equity

 

14,066

 

17,233

 

17,914

 

17,017

 

21,416

 

25.8%

Financial liabilities

 

10,823

 

8,896

 

13,194

 

12,142

 

10,801

 

-11.0%

Non-current

 

8,033

 

6,681

 

8,644

 

9,785

 

8,270

 

-15.5%

Current

 

2,790

 

2,215

 

4,550

 

2,357

 

2,531

 

7.4%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liquidity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Payments for investments in intangible assets3

 

392

 

106

 

208

 

150

 

355

 

>100.0%

Payments for investments in property, plant, and equipment3

 

919

 

910

 

813

 

1,413

 

1,066

 

-24.6%

Business free cash flow3

 

2,696

 

2,219

 

2,856

 

3,477

 

4,616

 

32.7%

Net financial debt1

 

10,144

 

6,701

 

12,363

 

10,758

 

8,753

 

-18.6%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other key data

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity ratio (in %)1

 

39.5%

 

46.7%

 

40.9%

 

40.7%

 

47.2%

 

 

Research and development costs

 

2,108

 

2,227

 

2,268

 

2,288

 

2,408

 

5.2%

Dividend per share (in €)

 

1.25

 

1.25

 

1.30

 

1.40

 

1,854

 

32.5%

Employees (number as of December 31)

 

52,880

 

51,713

 

57,036

 

58,096

 

60,334

 

3.9%

1

Not defined by International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

2

Not defined by International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS); EBITDA corresponds to operating result (EBIT) adjusted by depreciation, amortization, impairment losses, and reversals of impairment losses.

3

According to the consolidated cash flow statement.

4

Proposal on the appropriation of profits for 2021.

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