Ludwig Beck am Rathauseck-Textilhaus Feldmeier AG

Earnings Release • Oct 21, 2008

News Details

Corporate | 21 October 2008 08:00

LUDWIG BECK generates considerable growth of sales in the third quarter – EBIT rises by more than 60 % in the first nine months 2008

Ludwig Beck am Rathauseck-Textilhaus Feldmeier AG / Interim Report/Quarter Results

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Munich, October 21, 2008 – The Munich fashion house LUDWIG BECK (ISIN DE
0005199905) concluded the first nine months of 2008 with a sales plus in
spite of the aggravating financial market crisis and a generally bad mood
among consumers, while the textile retail trade was faced with a 4 % drop
in sales according to a ‘TextilWirtschaft’ survey.

Development of sales

The LUDWIG BECK Group achieved gross sales of € 69.5m in the months from
January to September 2008, thus reaching last year’s level (€ 69.5m).
Adjusted for a branch closed last December, gross sales rose by 2.4 %.

In the third quarter, the LUDWIG BECK Group was able to contrast even more
favorably against the branch trend and increased its gross sales by
10.4 %, i.e. from € 23.2m in the corresponding period of the preceding year
to € 25.7m. The branch-adjusted increase was even higher and amounted to
13.3 %.

Development of earnings

In the first nine months of 2008, the LUDWIG BECK Group could register
gross profits in the amount of € 27.9m, exceeding last year’s level
(€ 27.3m) by 2.1 %. The gross profit ratio was increased by 1.0 percentage
points in comparison to the previous year (€ 46.8 %) and amounted to
47.8 %.

In the months from January to September 2008, the cost ratio (expenses in
comparison to corresponding proceeds) could be cut again by 1.0 percentage
points and dropped from 43.5 % in the previous year to 42.5 %.

In aggregate the group’s EBIT was increased by 62.2 % and amounted to
€ 3.1m (previous year: € 1.9m).The results from ordinary activities (EBT)
rose by € 1.4m, i.e. from € -0.6m to € 0.8m.

The results before minority interests after the first nine-month of the
fiscal year 2008 reached last year’s € 0.5m level. This neutral development
was due to non-recurrent special tax effects resulting from the corporate
tax reform, which had a positive influence on group earnings in the
aggregate amount of € 0.8m in last year’s corresponding period.

Outlook

As a result of the world-wide financial market crisis, the world economy is
currently on a downslide; the economies of some industrialized countries –
including Germany – are threatened by recession. This analysis has been
presented by leading German economic research institutes within the scope
of their joint diagnosis.

According to the experts’ assessment, private consumption is expected to
develop only moderately, since consumer confidence has further deteriorated
as well. The German Retail Federation (HDE) is expecting an
inflation-adjusted minus of approximately 1 % for the whole year 2008.

'LUDWIG BECK will exclusively rely on its own growth dynamics in the fourth
quarter. We estimate the Christmas sales to develop discreetly', Dieter
Münch, Member of the Executive Board of LUDWIG BECK AG explains.

Against the background of this evaluation, the Executive Board confirms the
projected results for the whole fiscal year 2008 implying a 10 % EBIT
increase to approximately € 8.0m.

The detailed Interim Report is also being published and can be found on the
internet under www.ludwigbeck.de/Financial Publications. The printed
version will be available as of October 28, 2008.

in €m
01.01.-30.09.2008 (01.01.-30.09.2007)
Gross sales (incl. sales tax): 69.5 (69.5)

Gross profits 1): 27.9 (27.3)

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA):
5.9 (4.5)

Operative result (EBIT): 3.1 (1.9)

Net profit: 0.5 (0.5)

Earnings per share (in €) 2): 0.02 (0.06)

Investments: 4.3 (4.4)

Employees (as of Sept. 30) 3): 525 (541)
Apprentices (number): 45 (46)

1) Net sales minus costs of materials 2) Basis: 3.36m shares in 2007 and
3.70m shares in 2008 3) Without apprentices

Investor Relations contact:
esVedra consulting GmbH
Metis Tarta-Steck
t: +49 89 288 08 – 133
f: +49 89 288 08 – 149
metis.tarta-steck@esvedra-consulting.com

Group Accounting contact:
Ludwig Beck am Rathauseck
Jens Schott
t: +49 89 2 36 91 – 798
jens.schott@ludwigbeck.de

21.10.2008 Financial News transmitted by DGAP

Language: English
Issuer: Ludwig Beck am Rathauseck-Textilhaus Feldmeier AG
Marienplatz 11
80331 München
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)89 2 36 91-0
Fax: +49 (0)89 2 36 91-600
E-mail: info@ludwigbeck.de
Internet: www.ludwigbeck.de
ISIN: DE0005199905
WKN: 519990
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard), München;
Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart

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