Surteco Group SE

Share Issue/Capital Change • Mar 15, 2005

News Details

Ad-hoc | 15 March 2005 07:39

SURTECO AG:SURTECO AG RESOLVES ON CAPITAL INCREASE

Ad hoc announcement §15 WpHG Capital increase SURTECO AG:SURTECO AG RESOLVES ON CAPITAL INCREASE Ad hoc announcement transmitted by DGAP. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. —————————————————————————— PRELIMINARY INDICATORS FOR THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS IN 2004 OF SURTECO AG Buttenwiesen-Pfaffenhofen, 15 March 2005. – SURTECO AG is the leading manufacturer of surface materials based on raw papers and plastics for technical applications in the international construction and furnishing industry. With the aim of strengthening the free float, the company has decided to use authorized capital I to increase capital by nominally 500,000 against a cash consideration and excluding subscription rights. WestLB AG has undertaken to take over the new shares on own account at standard market conditions and to place them with selected national and international institutional investors in Germany and Europe during the course of a book-building process. The placement price is scheduled to be set and published by the evening of 17 March 2005. The intention is for the new shares to be listed for trading on the official market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Prime Standard) and on the Munich Stock Exchange. Listing is scheduled for 23 March 2005. SURTECO AG aims to further strengthen the free float after completion of the capital increase. SURTECO AG is privileged to look back on a fiscal year that has been successful overall. The preliminary figures indicate that Group sales for 2004 at 380.4 million euros were significantly up by 7 percent on the comparable year-earlier figure (355.0 million euros). In spite of the fact that the domestic economy has continued to be weak, sales in Germany rose by 5 percent to 148.2 million euros. Although foreign business was heavily influenced by unfavourable currency parities, foreign sales also rose by 18.3 million euros (+ 9 percent). The Canadian Canplast Group, acquired in October last year, has significantly improved the position of SURTECO AG in the North American market, and contributed 6.8 million euros in the 4th quarter of 2004. The proportion of exports in overall sales for the Group remained at 61 percent for the fiscal year 2004. Preliminary Earnings before Income Tax (EBT) for the SURTECO Group jumped 28 percent to 34.7 million euros in 2004. This exceeded the previous best result achieved in 2002 (30.00 million euros) by 16 percent. The Board of Management intends to propose an increase in dividend of 0.10 euros totalling 0.80 euros per share at the Annual General Meeting on 7 July 2005. The current fiscal year 2005 has so far been dominated by uncertainties about performance of the dollar and by prices of raw materials, in particular the price of oil. Million Euros 2003 2004 preliminary Diff. in % Sales 355.0 380.4 +7 Foreign Sales in % 60 61 EBITDA 64.0 70.4 +10 EBIT 37.2 44.5 +20 EBT 27.1 34.7 +28 This announcement is not being issued in the United States of America and should not be distributed to United States Persons or publications with a general circulation in the United States. This announcement does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and may not be sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the Securities Act. No actions have been taken to permit a public offering of the securities in any jurisdiction. Buttenwiesen-Pfaffenhofen, 15 March 2005. The Board of Management SURTECO AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT Johan-Viktor-Bausch-Str. 2 86647 Buttenwiesen-Pfaffenhofen Deutschland ISIN: DE0005176903 WKN: 517 690 Listed: Amtlicher Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard) und München; Freiverkehr in Berlin-Bremen, Düsseldorf und Stuttgart End of ad hoc announcement (c)DGAP 15.03.2005 150739 Mär 05