MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - Software specialist Atoss did better business than expected in the final quarter and intends to increase its dividend substantially. For the year as a whole, sales climbed by a third to 151.2 million euros, as the SDax company announced in Munich on Wednesday. Of this, 51.8 million euros remained as earnings before interest and taxes, an increase of a good two thirds. The figures were better than experts had expected. On balance, net profit rose by 85 percent to 35.8 million euros. Atoss now intends to propose a dividend of 3.37 euros per share to shareholders. In the previous year, the Group distributed a total of 2.83 euros, which included a special dividend of one euro.

For the new year, Atoss is targeting sales of 170 million euros with an operating margin (EBIT) of 30 percent, as expected by experts./men/stk