GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft provided preliminary earnings guidance for the year 2017 and revenue guidance for the year 2018. For the year, revenue is up by almost 2% to approximately EUR 4,580 million. Taking into account additional costs for bottling lines of roughly EUR 20 million, operating EBITDA is expected to amount to approximately EUR 565 million. This result is negatively impacted by approximately EUR 5 million due to changes in exchange rates from the first to the second half of the year. Adjusted for additional expenses incurred for the above-mentioned bottling lines, operating EBITDA is projected to amount to approximately EUR 585 million, a level that is below the comparable earnings expectation of at least EUR 600 million. For the year 2018, according to initial estimates and based on exchange rates from December 31, 2017, GEA expects revenue to be on the prior-year level plus an additional revenue contribution of approximately EUR 190 million from acquisitions made between the beginning of 2017 and January 23, 2018. Also based on exchange rates from December 31, 2017, first indications suggest an operating EBITDA of between EUR 590 million and EUR 640 million including these acquisitions.