Eckert & Ziegler Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG

Earnings Release • Mar 29, 2007

News Details

Corporate | 29 March 2007 07:45

Eckert & Ziegler 2006: Record Sales and Growth in Earnings

ECKERT & ZIEGLER Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG / Final Results

Release of a Corporate-announcement, transmitted by DGAP - a company of
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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Berlin, 29.03.2007. The Berlin-based company Eckert & Ziegler Strahlen- und
Medizintechnik AG (ISIN DE0005659700), a specialist for isotope-based
medical and industrial applications, can report increased earnings per
share to 0.71 EUR in 2006 from 0.51 EUR the previous year, an increase of
nearly 40%, and a 20% growth in sales, the third increase in succession.
Thanks to a strong fourth quarter in which the company achieved record
sales of over 14 million EUR, annual sales of the Pankow-based company for
the first time crossed the 50 million EUR threshold.

This year the company anticipates further growth, notably in earnings per
share, to a value of 0.90 EUR. Revenues are also set to rise as a result of
sales in the product divisions, albeit only by 10% to 55 million EUR.

The main drivers of growth for the 2006 sales were sales of tumor radiation
devices, which benefited from a major order from Venezuela, and contrasting
agents for Positron Emission Tomography (PET), used for fine diagnosis of
cancer. For the latter applications the company opened two production
plants in Berlin just last year from which the short-lived medicinal
products are meanwhile shipped as far afield as Poland. There was also a
satisfactory trend in sales of implants for the treatment of prostate
cancer and components for industrial measuring technology. Once again the
biggest product category was components for nuclear medical imaging.

The most profitable segment of the group's three divisions in 2006 was
again the components for industrial, scientific and imaging applications,
which at 0.92 EUR per share contributed to the surplus for the year. The
Therapy segment specializing in medical devices for the treatment of cancer
earned 0.27 EUR per share, while the new Radiopharmaceuticals segment on
the other hand lost 0.51 EUR per share. This was due to start-up losses in
developing the segment, high development costs for the new Modular-Lab
family of synthesis modules and the removal of the SpondylAT® rheumatism
drug from the development program. The latter impacted negatively on the
results at 0.19 EUR per share. Otherwise, operating losses for the
Radiopharmaceuticals segment were halved in comparison with the previous
year.

Thanks to a rise in operating flow of funds of 1.1 million EUR to 4.6
million EUR, in 2006 the company was able to reduce long-term debt slightly
and increase the equity ratio from 52% to 57%. Earnings from ordinary
business operations before, interest, tax and shares of other shareholders
(EBIT) rose by 92% to 5.5 million EUR or 1.77 EUR per share, and earnings
from ordinary business operations before interest, tax, depreciation,
amortization and shares of other shareholders (EBITDA) were 10.1 million
EUR.

The Executive Board and Supervisory Board will be recommending an increase
in the dividend from 0.15 to 0.25 EUR per share at the general shareholders
meeting on June 12, 2007.

Today, Thursday March 29, 2007, at 10 a.m. Eckert & Ziegler invite you to a
balance sheet press conference in Berlin. To register attendance please
contact the company (+49 30 94 10 84-185).

DGAP 29.03.2007

Language: English
Issuer: ECKERT & ZIEGLER Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG
Robert-Rössle-Str. 10
13125 Berlin Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)30 941 084-0
Fax: +49 (0)30 941 084-112
E-mail: karolin.riehle@ezag.de
www: www.ezag.de
ISIN: DE0005659700
WKN: 565970
Indices:
Listed: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard), Stuttgart;
Freiverkehr in Berlin-Bremen, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf

End of News DGAP News-Service

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