Nine-month profit falls at German medical equipment firm Sartorius

German biopharmaceutical firm Sartorius on Thursday reported a decline in its nine-month underlying net profit, which fell to €208 million ($226 million) from €274 million in the previous year.

The company's underlying earnings per ordinary share also dropped to €3.01, down from €4.00 last year.

In the first nine months of the fiscal year, Sartorius reported a sales revenue decline of 2.0% in constant currencies and 2.8% in reported terms compared to the previous year, bringing the total to €2.47 billion.

However, the company saw an increase in order intake, which rose significantly by 6.6% in constant currencies, or 5.7% in reported figures, reaching €2.33 billion.

"Following the very volatile development caused by the pandemic, the business situation has stabilized, and we are on track to achieve our full-year guidance," Sartorius chief executive officer Joachim Kreuzburg said.

"We are very confident about the future, as the fundamental growth drivers of the life science and biopharmaceutical markets remain positive," he added.