Heraeus can look back at the 2012 financial year with satisfaction overall. Although it was not possible to match the record results of the previous year, the markets Heraeus serves, especially the electronics, steel and chemical industries, performed well worldwide. Health care markets remained at a solid level.
The uncertain economic situation in individual eurozone countries led, among other things, to a weakening of the euro in 2012 and an associated favorable impact on demand from other currency areas.
The Heraeus Group closed out the 2012 financial year with a decline in revenue and earnings, falling short of the record values of the previous year. Heraeus’ strong position in a wide variety of markets, ongoing innovative strength, flexible management and workforce, and solid financial structure laid the groundwork for the Group’s continued stable development – all in spite of economic uncertainty in the eurozone, the cyclical downturn in the semiconductor industry, and the sharp drop in demand from the photovoltaics industry.
