Meyer Burger Technology AG — Earnings Release 2007

Aug 15, 2007

News Details

Corporate | 15 August 2007 08:55

Roth & Rau AG: Growth course continued in first half of 2007 and move to Prime Standard planned

Roth & Rau AG / Half Year Results

Release of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory
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Roth & Rau AG:
- Growth course continued in first half of 2007
- Move to Prime Standard planned

Hohenstein-Ernstthal, 15 August 2007 – Roth & Rau AG once again achieved
substantial sales and earnings growth in the first half of 2007. Sales rose
by around 318 % in the first six months to reach Euro 65.2 million
(previous year: Euro 15.6 million). Operating earnings (EBIT) showed
correspondingly positive developments, rising by Euro 4.8 million to Euro
6.9 million. This is equivalent to an EBIT margin of 10.5 % (overall 2006
financial year: 10.5 %). The net income for the period showed
disproportionate growth from Euro 1.2 million in the previous year to Euro
4.9 million. Based on these figures, the Management Board has raised its
forecast for the overall year to sales of at least Euro 135 million and
operating earnings (EBIT) of around Euro 12 million.

The continued positive performance of the business is due in particular to
the establishment of the so-called turnkey business at Roth & Rau, i.e.
business involving turnkey production lines for solar cell manufacture,
which are currently in great demand in the photovoltaic sector. 'As
expected, the major project at Conergy AG in the past year has developed
into a beacon project. We have already acquired follow-on orders with a
total volume of around Euro 41 million. Turnkey facilities have thus
developed into a further major driver of our growth', commented Dr. Dietmar
Roth, CEO of Roth & Rau AG with regard to the company’s pleasing
development. This enabled the photovoltaic segment to further increase its
sales to Euro 60.4 million (previous year: Euro 12.6 million), thus raising
its share of overall sales to 92.6%.

Move to Prime Standard planned

The successful performance of the business is also reflected in the high
level of demand for shares in Roth & Rau AG. This was confirmed once again
last week with the successful placement of the capital increase. The
company is now planning to change segment as quickly as possible from the
Entry Standard to the Prime Standard. The necessary preparations, such as
the compilation of the securities prospectus, have already been started.
'We have developed very successfully since our IPO in May 2006, when we
consciously took the decision to be listed in the Entry Standard. Given our
rapid operating growth and our current market capitalisation of over EUR
370 million, the move to the Prime Standard is now the right step',
commented company CFO, Carsten Bovenschen.

The switch to the Prime Standard and the increase in the free float to
80,64 % by the capital increase means that company is now on course for
potential acceptance into one of the select indices of the German Stock
Exchange, such as the SDAX or the TecDAX, thus providing it with access to
a larger circle of potential investors.

About Roth & Rau AG:
Roth & Rau AG (ISIN DE000A0JCZ51) develops and manufactures equipment and
process systems on the basis of plasma and ion beam technology and supplies
these to a global customer base in a wide variety of sectors. Roth & Rau’s
photovoltaic business field focuses on providing antireflective coating
facilities for crystalline silicon solar cells. With a global market share
(excluding Japan) of around 60 %, Roth & Rau one of the leading suppliers
in this area. The company’s second business field of plasma and ion beam
technology, which accounted for around 15 % of total sales in the past
financial year, develops equipment for the semiconductor and automotive
industries, as well as for research and development in various
sectors.

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

DGAP 15.08.2007

Language: English
Issuer: Roth & Rau AG
Gewerbering 3 OT Wüstenbrand
09337 Hohenstein-Ernstthal
Deutschland
Phone: 0372349880
Fax: 03723 498825
E-mail: silvia.roth@roth-rau.de
Internet: www.roth-rau.de
ISIN: DE000A0JCZ51
WKN: A0JCZ5
Indices:
Listed: Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, München, Stuttgart; Entry
Standard in Frankfurt

End of News DGAP News-Service

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