EVN turnover slides

The turnover of electricity and gas provider EVN AG has dropped slightly, new figures show.The Lower Austrian company said today (Thurs) it achieved a turnover of 1.63 billion Euros in the first half of the 2010/2011 business year, 0.3 per cent less than in the same period of the previous business year.EVN added that its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) improved by 3.6 per cent to 324.1 million Euros, while earnings before interest and taxes (Ebit) rose by 1.4 per cent to 197.2 million Euros. The company said it had capital resources of 3.54 billion Euros as of 31 March, the final day of the first half of the 2010/2011 business year.EVN explained that it employed 8,319 staff on average in the first six months of the current business year, 3.5 per cent fewer than in the same time span of the previous business year. A majority of 5,772 employees were engaged abroad for the firm which is quoted on the Vienna Stock Exchange (WBAG).EVN has around three million customers in 18 countries. The provincial government of Lower Austria, which is headed by People’s Party (ÖVP) Governor Erwin Pröll, holds a 51 per cent stake in EVN. The company has its headquarters in Maria Enzersdorf south of Vienna. Peter Layr, who has been a member of EVN’s executive board for more than 11 years, succeeded Burkhard Hofer as chairman earlier this year.