LAIQON AG — Earnings Release 2008

Nov 6, 2008

News Details

Corporate | 6 November 2008 07:00

Lloyd Fonds AG reporting profit despite turbulent market conditions

Lloyd Fonds Aktiengesellschaft / Quarter Results

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Lloyd Fonds AG reporting profit despite turbulent market conditions

* Net profit of EUR 0.2 million for the third quarter of 2008
* Drastic decline in demand for investment products in the wake of the
financial market crisis
* Market not expected to recover until 2009

Hamburg, November 6, 2008. The Hamburg-based investment fund initiator
Lloyd Fonds AG achieved a profit in the third quarter of 2008 despite the
turmoil in the (financial) markets. This translates into cumulative net
profit of EUR 3.8 million for the first nine months of 2008. 'With its
successful business model, Lloyd Fonds has remained a profitable company
even in the face of adverse market conditions,' says Torsten Teichert, CEO
of Lloyd Fonds AG. In the first nine months of 2008, Lloyd Fonds registered
equity placements of EUR 268 million, EUR 105 million less than in the same
period one year earlier. Thus, equity placements of EUR 93 million were
achieved in the third quarter despite the weakness afflicting the financial
markets. Indeed, this was the most successful summer quarter in the
Company’s history. Against this backdrop, Lloyd Fonds generated sales of
EUR 45 million in the first nine months of 2008, down by around EUR 22
million on the same period one year earlier.

Yet, it should be realized that this performance is closely related to the
situation in the financial markets, which are experiencing the worst crisis
in decades, together with the unexpected decline in global economic
momentum. With the high degree of uncertainty in the market, both factors
are causing investors to seek only very short-term and risk-free
investments, while longer-term and less liquid investments are being
shunned. This led to a sharp decline in demand for investment products
throughout the entire financial services sector by September 2008 at the
latest. Virtually all companies in the financial services industry are
scaling back their forecasts for the current year, with many in fact
sustaining what in some cases are considerable losses in the first nine
months. Indeed, some have even had to tap the government bailout programs
which have been established around the world. 'In the current environment,
we do not expect any sustained recovery to emerge in the financial markets
this year,' says Michael F. Seidel, CFO at Lloyd Fonds, adding that demand
for closed-end funds is unlikely to pick up in the course of the normally
strong fourth quarter, either. In initiating new funds, Lloyd Fonds will
continue to follow demand very closely and, given current market
conditions, is adopting a 'wait-and-see' stance.

In view of the general uncertainty, the Management Board and Supervisory
Board will not be issuing any new full-year forecast for 2008. Even so, it
is clear that Lloyd Fonds has developed a business model which remains
stable even in the face of crisis-ridden (financial) markets. With its
preemptive business policy and efficient risk management, it has again not
had to place any major losses on its books in the third quarter of 2008.
With a stable balance sheet structure, a very high equity ratio compared
with its immediate rivals and low leverage, it was able to finance all
planned funds. Product selling remains more difficult, with Lloyd Fonds
recording equity placements of only EUR 5,2 million in October.CEO Teichert
assumes that 2009 will see a renaissance in tangible asset investments
following the massive corrections in nominal (financial) assets. This trend
is likely to be additionally spurred by the introduction of the definitive
withholding tax in Germany, which generally does not apply to closed-end
funds, resulting in an appreciable boost for this form of investment, not
least of all those arranged by Lloyd Fonds. That said, Teichert admits that
realistic estimates are not possible until the markets start to stabilize -
hopefully over the next few weeks - and nascent long-term trends emerge at
the beginning of 2009.

Financials

in EUR millions 9M-2008 9M-2007 Delta
Sales 45.5 67.2 -32.3%
Non-issuing income 14.8 13.3 11.3%
EBIT 5.6 14.9 -62.4%
Net profit for the period 3.8 11.1 -65.8%
EBIT margin 12.3% 22.2% -9.9Pts
Return on sales 8.4% 16.5% -8.1Pts
Total assets 125.4 105.6 18.8%
Equity 74.0 76.0 -2.6%
Equity ratio 59.0% 71.9% -12.9Pts
Earnings per share (in EUR) 0.30 0.87 -65.5%
Headcount (average) 156 126 23.8%
Personnel expense 10.8 9.2 17.4%
Personnel expense ratio 23.8% 13.7% 10.1Pts

in EUR millions Q3-2008 Q3-2007 Delta
Sales 17.3 18.7 -7.5%
Non-issuing income 4.2 5.4 -22.2%
EBIT 2.2 5.7 -61.4%
Net profit for the period 0.2 4.0 -95.0%
EBIT margin 12.7% 30.5% -17.8Pts
Return on sales 1.2% 21.6% -20.4Pts
Total assets
Equity
Equity ratio
Earnings per share (in EUR) 0.02 0.32 -93.8%
Headcount (average) 163 140 16.4%
Personnel expense 2.9 2.8 3.6%
Personnel expense ratio 16.8% 15.2% 1.6Pts

Contact:
Dr. Goetz Schlegtendal
Lloyd Fonds AG
Amelungstraße 8-10
20354 Hamburg
Tel: +49-40-325678-0
Fax: +49-40-325678-99
Mail: ir@lloydfonds.de

Contact:
Dr. Goetz Schlegtendal
Lloyd Fonds AG
Amelungstraße 8-10
20354 Hamburg
Tel: +49-40-325678-0
Fax: +49-40-325678-99
Mail: ir@lloydfonds.de

06.11.2008 Financial News transmitted by DGAP

Language: English
Issuer: Lloyd Fonds Aktiengesellschaft
Amelungstr. 8-10
20354 Hamburg
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)40 32 56 78-0
Fax: +49 (0)40 32 56 78-99
E-mail: info@lloydfonds.de
Internet: www.lloydfonds.de
ISIN: DE0006174873
WKN: 617487
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, München, Stuttgart

End of News DGAP News-Service

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