Bekaert NV

Earnings Release • Feb 19, 2015

Regulated information

19 February 2015

Press Katelijn Bohez T +32 56 23 05 71

Investor Relations Jérôme Lebecque T +32 56 23 05 72

www.bekaert.com

Bekaert: early release of key financial performance indicators 2014

Recent analyst updates ahead of publication of our annual results next week seem to point to a strong close to the year. Bekaert's third quarter sales update cautioned on the fourth quarter performance as it was anticipated that the market situation for tire cord activities in China would deteriorate. This stance was reinforced by the profit warning issued by one of our competitors in China in December, a fact that was picked up by some analysts.

As cautioned, the tire cord activities in China did deteriorate towards year end 2014 and impacted our annual results on some key performance criteria compared to the most recent analyst estimates. Therefore the Company feels obliged to disclose these key indicators before the official approval by its Board of Directors and the subsequent release of our annual results on 27 February 2015. The full results will be published and commented as planned after Board approval on 27 February 2015.

2014 Key Financial Indicators (consolidated)
Sales (€ mln)	3 216
EBITDA (€ mln)	342
EBIT (€ mln)	171
Earnings per share (€)	1.51

Disclaimer

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Bekaert is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release in light of new information, future events or otherwise. Bekaert disclaims any liability for statements made or published by third parties and does not undertake any obligation to correct inaccurate data, information, conclusions or opinions published by third parties in relation to this or any other press release issued by Bekaert.

Profile

Bekaert (www.bekaert.com) is a world market and technology leader in steel wire transformation and coatings. Bekaert (Euronext Brussels: BEKB) is a global company with headquarters in Belgium, employing 28 000 people worldwide. Serving customers in 120 countries, Bekaert pursues sustainable profitable growth in all its activities and generated combined sales of € 4 billion in 2014.