FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - Brisk trading on the financial markets, the capriciousness of gas prices, higher interest rates and acquisitions have kept Deutsche Börse on course for a record. The marketplace operator earned more than ever before last year. The bottom line saw profits rise by almost a quarter to just under 1.5 billion euros, as the Dax-listed company announced in Frankfurt on Wednesday evening. The profit increase was due to significantly better business in all major areas.

In terms of earnings, the Group recorded a 24 percent increase to 4.34 billion euros. The dividend per share is to be increased by 13 percent to 3.60 euros per share. Revenues and profits were thus slightly better than experts had expected. By contrast, the dividend increase fell somewhat short of analysts' expectations. The figures, the dividend and the forecast were initially well received on the financial market. The share price on the Tradegate trading platform recently rose by slightly more than one percent compared with the Xetra closing price.

"In the past financial year, we not only clearly exceeded our forecast, but also achieved the targets of our Compass 2023 growth strategy a year early," said Group CEO Theodor Weimer. "We continued to grow strongly in structural terms. And our customers' increased hedging needs and rising interest rates have led to significant cyclical tailwinds."

"In the current year, despite the expected weakening of the economy, we expect our business to continue to grow," Weimer added. The core pillar of our strategy will continue to be structural growth, supplemented by acquisitions (M&A) where it makes strategic and financial sense. In addition, we expect further cyclical stimulus in the new era of monetary policy." Weimer has been at the helm of the Group since the beginning of 2018 and has led it into calmer waters and new dimensions following the turbulence under his predecessor Carsten Kengeter.

Specifically, Weimer expects earnings to climb to between 4.5 billion and 4.7 billion euros in 2023. That would be an increase of up to eight percent, significantly less than recently. However, this is no surprise in view of the rapid growth in the past year.

In terms of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, the manager expects an increase to between 2.6 billion euros and 2.8 billion euros, up to eleven percent more than in 2022. Last year, operating profit, like earnings, rose by 24 percent to 2.5 billion euros. In terms of both earnings and profits, the forecast comes as no surprise to the majority of analysts. The average expert expectation for both figures was in the middle of the range./zb/men/he