Singulus Technologies AG

Earnings Release • Nov 5, 2008

News Details

Corporate | 5 November 2008 07:30

Singulus Technologies AG:Order Intake and Order Backlog in the First Nine Months 2008 Exceeds Prior-Year Level

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG / Quarter Results

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Press release

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES: Order Intake and Order Backlog in the First Nine
Months 2008 Exceeds Prior-Year Level

• Cumulated order intake 2008 at € 197.5 million

• Order backlog increased to € 103.4 million (+31 %)

• Sales of € 68.6 million in the 3rd quarter 2008

• Gross margin exceeding 30 % in the 3rd quarter

• Order intake Solar significantly above prior-year level

Kahl am Main, November 5, 2008 Key financial figures of the SINGULUS
TECHNOLOGIES Group (SINGULUS), the order intake and order backlog, were
higher in the first nine months compared with the levels achieved in the
prior-year period. As of September 30, 2008 a cumulated order intake in the
amount of € 197.5 million (previous year: €167.2 million) was achieved.
Accordingly, the order intake is almost at the level of € 203.8 million
achieved in the full business year 2007. Due to weak CD, DVD and
semi-conductor activities the order intake in the 3rd quarter came to €
42.2 million, which was below the prior-year level (€ 59.1 million). The
order backlog as of September 30, 2008 rose by around 31 % to € 103.4
million (previous year:€ 78.9 million).

Sales came to € 68.6 million in the 3rd quarter 2008 and thus exceeded the
prior-year amount of € 58.0 million as well as the respective sales in the
first two quarters of the current business year. SINGULUS reached cumulated
sales in the amount of € 149.9 million during the first nine months of 2008
(previous year: € 170.2 million).

The earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) before the consideration of
restructuring charges in the first nine months of 2008 were positive at €
3.9 million (previous year: € 0.8 million). Taking into account the
extraordinary items a negative EBIT in the amount of € 40.7 million
results. In the quarter under review the EBIT before restructuring charges
amounted to € 2.2 million. Including the extraordinary expenses as of
September 17, 2008 SINGULUS posted a negative EBIT totaling € 39.0 million
in the 3rd quarter.

The gross margin in the 3rd quarter stood at 31.6 %, considerably above the
level of the prior-year period (27.0 %). This increase is mainly due to the
comparably high share of sales of the activities with Blu-ray replication
machines in the quarter under review.

SINGULUS focuses on Solar and Optical Disc

The Executive Board of the SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG in agreement with the
Supervisory Board decided on September 17, 2008 to focus the company on the
segments Optical Disc and Solar in the future. In this connection, a
portfolio optimization was also resolved as well as an adjustment of the
balance sheet to the new economic and technologic conditions. The new
positioning of SINGULUS results in one-time write-offs in the amount of €
41.2 million, which are not liquidity related.

With this step the accounting base for a healthy development in the next
years is formed. For example, these write-offs already result in cost
relieves of € 15.8 million in total in the years 2009 to 2011.

Outlook and strategy

In the segment Optical Disc the global market leadership for Blu-ray Disc
production machines is in the spotlight.

The favorable trend in the Solar segment is driven by two factors:

STANGL continues to experience very strong growth in the wet-chemical
segment - SINGULUS is marketing the newly-developed solar coating machine
SINGULAR since September 2008 and sees growth potential for the coming
years.

SINGULUS expects consolidated sales in the business year 2008 in a range
from € 210 million to € 230 million.

The agreed portfolio optimization in connection with the clear focus on the
two growth areas Blu-ray and Solar will result in a significant improvement
of the financial figures for both sales and earnings in the coming years.

Consolidated key figures 3rd quarters 2006-2008 pursuant to IFRS

In million € 2006 2007 2008
Sales 96.6 58.0 68.6
Order intake 78.1 59.1 42.2
EBIT 2.6 0.1 -39.0
EBT 2.4 -0.1 -39.2
Net profit 0.8 0.3 -36.3

Consolidated key figures (nine months cumulated) 2006-2008 pursuant to
IFRS)

In million € 2006 2007 2008
Sales 213.1 170.2 149.9
Order intake 272.4 167.6 197.5
Order backlog (Sept. 30) 120.2 78.9 103.4
EBIT 7.9 0.8 -40.7
EBT 8.3 1.2 -44.2
Net profit 8.1 1.2 -39.5
Employees (Sept. 30) 1,182 762 764
Earnings per share 0.23 0.00 -1.11

Short profile SINGULUS

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES is the global market leader for optical disc
production lines for CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray Discs and the only provider to
offer the entire product range: mastering, molding and replication lines.
In addition to the further expansion of the core activities Optical Disc,
the diversification into the work area Solar is the most important
strategic goal.

STANGL and SINGULUS will systematically expand the Solar activities. As of
today, STANGL is one of the few providers of wet-chemical machines for both
the crystalline silicon solar technology as well as for the thin-film solar
technology. SINGULUS has been marketing its own solar coating machine,
which is based on the know-how gained in the core area of Optical Disc,
since September. In addition, STANGL’s experience and market knowledge will
be tapped. In March 2008, SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES teamed up with Q-Cells, the
global leader of solar cell production, for the development of this new
machine and won the company as a key customer.

Combined with STANGL’s machines, SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES will then be able to
offer the two important machine groups with wet-chemical and vacuum coating
processes for a production line for crystalline silicon solar cells. The
goal is to strengthen its global position for production equipment for
crystalline solar cells over the next few years.

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG, Hanauer Landstrasse 103,
D-63796 Kahl/Main, ISIN: DE0007238909, WKN: 723890

For further information please contact:

Bernhard Krause, Corporate Communications, Tel.: + 49 (0) 6181 98280 20

or + 49 (0) 170 920 29 24
05.11.2008 Financial News transmitted by DGAP

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Language: English
Issuer: SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG
Hanauer Landstrasse 103
63796 Kahl am Main
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)6188 440-105
Fax: +49 (0)6188 440-110
E-mail: bernhard.krause@go-metacom.de
Internet: www.singulus.de
ISIN: DE0007238909
WKN: 723890
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
in Berlin, Stuttgart, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf

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