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MEDIA RELEASE Quarterly report as of 31 March 2021 Exceptionally strong first quarter IGEBERIT Geberit AG , Rapperswil - Jona , 4 May 2021 The Geberit Group has got off to an exceptionally strong start in 2021. Net sales increased by 14.0 % to CHF 910 million in the first quarter of 2021. Adjusted for currency effects , the increase was 13.0 % . Operating cashflow rose by 21.1 % to CHF 315 million . In the first quarter of 2021 , net sales for the Geberit Group increased by 14.0 % to CHF 910 million , including positive currency effects of CHF 9 million . In local currencies , this resulted in an increase of 13.0 % , representing the strongest increase within a quarter for over ten years . The exceptional sales growth was primarily down to the ongoing home improvement trend , the accumulation of stock by customers and a positive base effect due to the decline in sales as a result of COVID - 19 in China from January and in Europe from mid - March of the previous year . In currency - adjusted terms , net sales in Europe grew by 11.8 % , in the Middle East / Africa by 43.8 % , in the Far East / Pacific by 40.8 % and in America by 6.7 % . In the product areas , Bathroom Systems increased by 16.9 % , Installation and Flushing Systems by 13.1 % and Piping Systems by 8.8 % . Results and margins increased significantly at all levels in the first quarter of 2021 and saw disproportionate increases compared with net sales growth . Operating cashflow ( EBITDA ) increased by 21.1 % to CHF 315 million , which corresponds to an EBITDA margin of 34.6 % ( previous year 32.6 % ) . The significant increase in margins of 200 basis points was largely due to volume growth , lower costs due to COVID - 19 ( such as travel expenses ) and price increases . Raw material prices , which have risen markedly since the end of 2020 , have not yet had a significant effect on margins due to the high price level also seen in the same period of the previous year . Currency effects also had no significant impact on operating margins . Operating profit ( EBIT ) grew by 23.6 % to CHF 276 million , corresponding to an EBIT margin of 30.4 % ( previous year 28.0 % ) . The increase in the operating result and an improvement in the financial result led to an increase in net income of 26.7 % to CHF 233 million , corresponding to a return on net sales of 25.6 % ( previous year 23.0 % ) . By comparison , earnings per share saw a disproportionate increase of 28.0 % to CHF 6.53 due to the positive impact of the share buyback programme . The forecasts for the current year have not changed since the announcement of the full - year results 2020 last March . A continued , significant increase in raw material prices is expected in the second quarter , which will have a considerable negative impact on the margin due to the low comparison with the previous year . It is very difficult to provide an outlook at present due to the ongoing uncertainties in relation to the COVID - 19 pandemic and its impact , as well as a lack of visibility . Management remains convinced that Geberit will emerge stronger from the global economic crisis caused by the COVID - 19 pandemic .