Gigaset AG

Earnings Release • Nov 23, 2006

News Details

Corporate | 23 November 2006 08:00

ARQUES Industries AG shows strong increase in profit in

Corporate News transmitted by DGAP – a company of EquityStory AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. —————————————————————————— ARQUES Industries AG shows strong increase in profit in third quarter EBIT more than 350% above previous year / Revenues increased by approximately 70% Starnberg, November 23, 2006 – The Starnberg-based equity investment company, ARQUES Industries AG (ISIN DE0005156004), increased its revenues in the third quarter by approximately 70% to EUR 177.2 million (2005: EUR 104.5 million). The EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) increased by EUR 25.1 million, or approximately 270%, to EUR 34.4 million compared to the third quarter 2005. The EBIT rose by 350% compared with of the previous year to EUR 28.8 million (2005: EUR 6.3 million). The financial figures of the newly acquired companies, Farbendruck Weber AG, pwe Verlag GmbH, as well as the paper mill, Wolfsheck (Salto Paper), are included for the first time in the third quarter 2006. The chemicals company, Oxxynova, and the technical service provider, BEA TDL, with annual revenues totalling approximately EUR 240 million, will be consolidated into the ARQUES group in the fourth quarter. Based on the first nine months of the financial year, ARQUES increased group revenues by 76% to EUR 500.8 million (2005: EUR 283.9 million). The EBITDA stands at EUR 84.7 million compared to EUR 39.7 million last year (+113%). The EBIT increased by more than 120% to EUR 68.3 million (2005: EUR 30.8 million). Altogether, ARQUES generated a consolidated net profit to the value of EUR 64.9 million after the first nine months of the financial year (2005: EUR 25.3 million). The earnings per share amounted to EUR 2.67 (2005: EUR 1.14), which corresponds to an increase of 134% compared to the same period last year. Shareholder’s equity increased to EUR 198.5 million (Dec. 31, 2005: EUR 142.2 million) as at September 30, 2006, and the net asset value of the ARQUES investment portfolio increased to EUR 310.1 million. The return on equity increased to 50.8% (Dec. 31, 2005: 49.7%) and the return on revenues to 13.6% (Dec. 31, 2005: 11.1%). The equity ratio amounted to 35.7% (Dec. 31, 2005: 38.7%) at the reporting date. The goals for the financial year 2006 of annualised group revenues of more than EUR 1 billion as well as an EBITDA of EUR 80 million have already been substantially exceeded after the third quarter of the financial year. ARQUES will host a press and analysts’ conference in Frankfurt/Main on December 4, 2006. Further details will be published soon. The report for the third quarter and the first nine months of the financial year can be downloaded under www.arques.de. 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 (c)DGAP 23.11.2006 ————————————————————————— 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 —————————————————————————