PVA TePla AG — Earnings Release 2002

May 29, 2002

News Details

Ad-hoc | 29 May 2002 08:34

TePla AG english

Tepla AG: Lower first-quarter sales / Marked increase in order volume Ad-hoc-announcement transmitted by DGAP. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. ——————————————————————————– Tepla AG: Lower first-quarter sales / Marked increase in order volume Feldkirchen, nr. Munich, 29.05.2002: In the first three months of the current business year, Tepla AG (securities code 746100), a producer of plasma systems for the semiconductor industry and industrial surface treatments, generated sales totalling EUR 2.6 million, compared to EUR 5.9 million in the same quarter of 2001. In the traditionally weak first quarter, the company again experienced severe impacts from the crisis currently afflicting the semiconductor industry. Many customers held back on investments, waiting for the recovery forecast for the semiconductor market in the months ahead. As a result of falling demand and substantial under-utilizsation of production capacities, the gross profit margin came in at 13 percent and the operating result (EBIT basis) at EUR -1.6 million (previous year: EUR -0.7 million). Capitalization of deferred tax assets as required by US GAAP led to a net first- quarter loss of EUR -1.1 million (previous year: EUR -0.8 million) – pproximately level with prior expectations. Earnings per share, calculated according to DVFA accounting rules, amounted to EUR -0.29, compared to EUR -0.24 a year before. After a dissatisfying order-book situation in the first two months of the current business year, the volume of incoming orders improved substantially during March. At more than three million euros, first-quarter orders exceeded sales for the first time in over a year. TePla is sharing the experience of many semiconductor companies whose improving order-book situation in recent weeks is now indicating a recovery in the sector. Against this background, the management team is cautiously optimistic for the current business year. Provided there is a sustained upswing in the months ahead, TePla AG expects to achieve positive earnings as from the third quarter, and thus end the year as a whole with a small profit. Contact Peter Banholzer (IR Manager), +49 (0)89/90503-106, e-mail: peter.banholzer@tepla.com end of ad-hoc-announcement (c)DGAP 29.05.2002 Issuer’s information/explanatory remarks concerning this ad-hoc-announcement: Background The entire Semiconductor division at TePla improved in the course of March – in both the FrontEnd and BackEnd (downstream production) areas. Thanks for several orders for BackEnd systems from Taiwanese customers, incoming orders in the PCB/Chip Packaging division were greater in volume than internally expected by management. Growth in order volume was encouraging in the Semiconductor division – in March this year, TePla won the competitive bidding for an order from BP Solar, the world market leader in solar cell production. At its new production site in Madrid, BP Solar will use TePla plasma systems to treat the glass substrates needed to make solar cells. BP Solar granted an initial order for four plasma treatment plants, and in the same month a major German producer of solar cells ordered three more systems. This means that TePla has successfully entered an important growth market – BP Solar alone is planning to increase its sales of solar cells by a factor of five over the next five years. The TePla strategy of transferring competencies in the semiconductor field to other sectors is now reaping visible benefits. Industry experts are unanimous in predicting a sustained upswing in the semiconductor industry in the course of 2002. Owing to the systematic development of innovative products during a tough period for the industry, and to the attractive portfolio of products it can now present, TePla is likely to share to an above-average extent in forthcoming growth. ——————————————————————————– WKN: 746100; ISIN: DE0007461006; Index: Listed: Neuer Markt in Frankfurt; Freiverkehr in Berlin, Bremen, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, München und Stuttgart 290834 Mai 02