Gigaset AG

Earnings Release • Dec 4, 2006

News Details

Corporate | 4 December 2006 08:02

ARQUES Industries AG substantially increases annual goals for 2006 and 2007ARQUES Industries AG:

Corporate News transmitted by DGAP – a company of EquityStory AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. —————————————————————————— – EBITDA 2006 increased to EUR 120 million and EBITDA 2007 to EUR 180 million – Earnings per share 2006 above EUR 3.00 Starnberg, December 4, 2006 – The Starnberg-based equity investment company, ARQUES Industries AG (ISIN DE0005156004), has substantially increases its goals for the financial years 2006 and 2007. Profitability will increase more than previously forecast. ARQUES increases its annual EBITDA goal for 2006 from EUR 80 million by 50% to EUR 120 million. The revenue target for 2006 to the value of EUR 780 million remains unchanged. With revenues of EUR 1.5 billion in 2007 (previously EUR 1.3 billion), ARQUES expects a further improvement of the EBITDA to EUR 180 million (previously expected EUR 130 million). Compared with the financial year 2005, the new goals for the financial year 2006 correspond to an increase in revenues of almost 90% (2005: EUR 417.5 million) as well as a doubling of the EBITDA (2005: EUR 59.1 million). The earnings per share should thereby substantially exceed EUR 3.00. The company is also confident of continuing its profitable business expansion in the coming years. This applies both to revenues as well as to profitability. In addition, ARQUES is expecting larger acquisitions in future which may, in individual cases, exceed a sales volume of 500 million due to the revenues already generated to date and the good market reputation. The ongoing trend of conglomerates parting with non-core business activities, supports this expectation. Successful initial public offer of SKW Metallurgie The business dynamics within the ARQUES group were decisive for the increase in the annual goals. By the end of the third quarter 2006, at the end of September, the Starnberg-based equity investment company had substantially exceeded its targets for 2006 regarding annualised group revenues of more than EUR 1 billion, as well as an EBITDA of EUR 80 million. ARQUES improved the operational results of all 18 sub-groups consolidated at the end of September. In addition, ARQUES expects further external growth. In total, eleven acquisitions with a sales volume of more than EUR 500 million were made from January to November. Further acquisitions are planned for the remainder of the financial year. In addition, ARQUES generated considerable contributions to earnings in 2006 from the sale of successfully developed subsidiaries. This applies in particular to the IPO of the subsidiary, SKW Stahl-Metallurgie Holding AG, on December 1, 2006. By way of this placement, ARQUES will receive an operational profit of up to EUR 21.6 million as well as a group cash inflow to the value of approximately EUR 55 million before costs of the initial public offer by full exercising of the greenshoe. Likewise in the fourth quarter ARQUANA International Print & Media AG shares were placed in the course of a segment change to the Prime Standard and the related capital increase led to a profit for ARQUES to the value of approximately EUR 4.4 million. The shareholders are also to profit from this positive development by means of a significantly higher dividend. The exact amount of the dividend for 2006 will be specified in time for the general meeting set for June 21, 2007. Further details regarding the strategy and outlook of ARQUES Industries AG will be announced at a press and analysts’ conference in Frankfurt/Main today. About ARQUES ARQUES Industries AG, Starnberg, (www.arques.de), is a turnaround specialist who focuses on the acquisition and the active restructuring of companies in transitional situations, in order to develop these, with its own team and own resources, to competitive enterprises with a positive yield. ARQUES revitalises its subsidiaries’ potential for creating value for the benefit of all its stakeholders, taking on the relevant social responsibility. ARQUES has made a duty of identifying underestimated companies with reduced survivability but with high appreciation potential, at the same time mastering complex company structures and transitional situations. The shares of ARQUES Industries AG are traded in the regulated market (Prime Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol ‘AQU’ (ISIN: DE0005156004) and are listed in the SDAX since September 19, 2005. Contact: ARQUES Industries AG Investor Relations & Corporate Communication Anke Lüdemann, CEFA/CIIA Tel.: +49 (0) 8151/ 651 0 Email: luedemann@arques.de ARQUES Industries AG Public Relations & Corporate Communication Christian Schneider Tel.: +49 (0) 8151/ 651 0 Email: schneider@arques.de (c)DGAP 04.12.2006 ————————————————————————— Language: English Issuer: ARQUES Industries AG Münchner Str. 15a 82319 Starnberg Deutschland Phone: +49 (0)8151 651-0 Fax: +49 (0)8151 651- 500 E-mail: info@arques.de WWW: www.arques.de ISIN: DE0005156004 WKN: 515600 Indices: SDAX Listed: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin-Bremen, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, München, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News-Service —————————————————————————