Meyer Burger Technology AG — Capital/Financing Update 2008

Mar 31, 2008

News Details

Corporate | 31 March 2008 07:47

Roth & Rau AG resolves to undertake capital increase with subscription rights

Roth & Rau AG / Capital Increase

Release of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory
AG.
The issuer / publisher is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Roth & Rau resolves to undertake capital increase with subscription rights
- Issue of 920,000 new shares at a subscription ratio of 11:4
- Subscription period from 3 April to 16 April 2008
- Planned listing of shares in Prime Standard of Frankfurt Stock Exchange

Hohenstein-Ernstthal, 31 March 2008 – The Management Board of Roth & Rau AG
today resolved with the approval of the Supervisory Board to increase the
company’s share capital from its current level of EUR 2,530,000 by EUR
920,000 to EUR 3,450,000 by drawing on authorised capital in return for
cash contributions. A total of 920,000 new bearer shares are to be offered
for subscription by the company’s shareholders in the period from 3 April
to 16 April 2008. The company has mandated Commerzbank AG and Credit Suisse
Securities (Europe) Limited as Lead Managers for the offering. The
subscription offer will be published on 2 April 2008. In line with the
subscription ratio of 11:4, four new shares can be subscribed for every
eleven shares held. The subscription price is due to be set and published
on 10 April 2008. The subscription rights are expected to be traded under
ISIN DE000A0SMUE5 on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (floor trading) in the
period from 10 April to 14 April 2008. The company founders, Dr. Dietmar
Roth, Dr. Silvia Roth and Dr. Bernd Rau, each intend to dispose of their
subscription rights in such a way as to enable them to exercise their
remaining subscription rights with the proceeds on disposal (opération
blanche).

Proceeds on issue to be used to finance growth
The capital increase will provide Roth & Rau AG with the funds necessary to
finance its future growth. The company aims to secure additional key
technologies by making targeted acquisitions and increasing its in-house
research and development capacities. Furthermore, part of the proceeds on
the issue is to be invested in extending the company’s production
capacities. Moreover, one key aspect of the company’s strategy involves
continuously extending its customer base and sales market. 'We intend to
further expand our international sales and service organisation. With this
aim in mind, we plan to establish and build up subsidiaries in high-growth
markets, such as China, India, Southern Europe and the USA. The capital
increase will enable us to reach our strategic targets even more quickly',
explained Dr. Dietmar Roth, CEO of Roth & Rau AG.

Move to Prime Standard and share split enhance attractiveness of share
At the same time, Roth & Rau AG will effect the segment change already
announced from the open market (Entry Standard) to the regulated market
(Prime Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The listing of both old
and new shares of the company in the Prime Standard is scheduled to
commence on 18 April 2008. Furthermore, the Management Board intends to
propose the execution of a share split and to undertake the capital
increase thereby required from company funds by converting capital reserves
for approval by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting on 4 July 2008.
Issuing correction shares would reduce the price of Roth & Rau shares in
purely arithmetic terms, but this would not affect shareholders’ level of
participation. 'The move into the Prime Standard will lay the foundations
for possible acceptance into the TecDAX. The potential index inclusion and
the planned share split will enable us to significantly enhance the
attractiveness of Roth & Rau shares and to access further groups of
investors', commented Carsten Bovenschen, CFO of Roth & Rau AG.

Further information about the capital increase can be found in a securities
prospectus due to be published on 1 April 2008, subject to approval by the
German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), as well as in the
subscription offer expected to be published on 2 April 2008. The
German-language securities prospectus is expected to be available for
viewing and downloading at the investor relations section of the company’s
homepage at www.roth-rau.de from 1 April 2008 onwards.

About Roth & Rau AG:
Roth & Rau AG based in Hohenstein-Ernstthal (ISIN DE000A0JCZ51) is a
supplier of plasma process systems for the photovoltaics industry. The
company is a leading supplier in terms of market share in this industry.
Furthermore Roth & Rau supplies components and process systems based on
plasma and ion beam technology for other sectors. Developed by Roth & Rau,
these products are manufactured and distributed worldwide through the
company’s photovoltaic and plasma and ion beam technology divisions. In
fiscal year 2007 Roth & Rau achieved an EBIT of Euro 14 million on sales of
Euro 146 million, employing an average of 190 people. Roth & Rau’s
photovoltaic division focuses on providing antireflective coating
facilities as well as fully automated manufacturing lines (turnkey
production lines) for the production of crystalline silicon solar cells.
Another focus is on the production of equipment for the coating of thin
film solar modules. The plasma and ion beam technology division, which
accounted for around 6 percent of total sales in the financial year 2006,
produces plasma sources and ion beam sources as well as process systems for
thin film and surface technology. Customers served by this division
include, in particular, companies in the semiconductor and automotive
industries, R&D departments in various industries including photovoltaics
as well as research institutes and universities.

This publication constitutes neither an offer to sell nor an invitation to
make an offer to buy securities. No public offer or sale of securities is
being made outside Germany. Any public offer in Germany is being made
exclusively by means of and on the basis of a prospectus to be published.
The prospectus is, subject to its approval, expected to be available from
April 2, 2008 onwards free of charge at the Company An der Baumschule 6 -
8, 09337 Hohenstein-Ernstthal, (fax no. +49 3723 6685 301) and the joint
lead managers Commerzbank AG, Kaiserstraße 16 (Kaiserplatz), 60311
Frankfurt am Main, (fax no. +49 69 136 29299) and Credit Suisse Securities
(Europe) Limited, c/o Niederlassung Frankfurt am Main, Junghofstraße 16,
60311 Frankfurt am Main, (fax no. +49 69 7538 9431).

This publication constitutes neither an offer to sell nor an invitation to
make an offer to buy securities in the United States. The shares in Roth &
Rau AG (the 'Shares') may not be offered or sold in the United States or to
or for the account or benefit of 'U.S. persons' (as such term is defined in
Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 'Securities
Act')) absent registration or an exemption from registration under the
Securities Act. The Shares and the subscription rights have not been and
will not be registered under the Securities Act. Any public offering of
Shares or subscription rights to be made in the United States would only be
made by means of a prospectus which would be available at the company and
which would contain detailed information about the company and its
management as well as its financial statements.

This publication is for distribution only to persons who (i) have
professional experience in matters relating to investments or (ii) are
persons falling within article 49(2)(a) to (d) ('High Net Worth Companies',
Unincorporated Associations etc.) of the Financial Services and Markets Act
2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 or to whom it may otherwise be
lawfully passed on (all such persons together being referred to as
'Relevant Persons'). This publication is directed only at Relevant Persons
and must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not Relevant
Persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this publication
relates is available only to Relevant Persons and will be engaged in only
with Relevant Persons.

Contact:
Haubrok Investor Relations GmbH
Simone Gorny
Kaistraße 16
40221 Düsseldorf
Tel.: +49 (0) 211/30126-130
Fax: +49 (0)211/30126-172
E-Mail: s.gorny@haubrok.de

31.03.2008 Financial News transmitted by DGAP

Language: English
Issuer: Roth & Rau AG
An der Baumschule 6-8
09337 Hohenstein-Ernstthal
Deutschland
Phone: 0372349880
Fax: 03723 498825
E-mail: info@roth-rau.de
Internet: www.roth-rau.de
ISIN: DE000A0JCZ51
WKN: A0JCZ5
Listed: Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, München, Stuttgart; Entry
Standard in Frankfurt

End of News DGAP News-Service

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