RATIONAL AG — Earnings Release 2004

Jan 28, 2005

News Details

Ad-hoc | 28 January 2005 07:45

RATIONAL AG: Expects record results for 2004

Ad hoc announcement §15 WpHG Provisional figures/FY 2004 RATIONAL AG: Expects record results for 2004 Ad hoc announcement transmitted by DGAP. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. —————————————————————————— * Sales up 19% * EBIT up 27% * Special dividend proposed * World market share up from 49% to 51% * International awards for the world’s first SelfCooking Center(R) Landsberg, 28 January 2005. The extraordinarily high level of acceptance for the world’s first SelfCooking Center(R) is impressively reflected in the figures for RATIONAL AG’s 2004 fiscal year. Analysis of the provisional figures for the fourth quarter of 2004 indicates that the company’s sales are expected to grow by 22 percent to 65.2 million euros (previous year: 53.4 million euros). For 2004 as a whole, this means sales revenues have risen by 19 percent to a new expected record of 221.8 million euros (previous year: 186.6 million euros). Based on these figures, the previously published EBIT forecast of 47 million euros for the whole of 2004 is likely to be significantly exceeded. RATIONAL now expects an EBIT of 53.6 million euros (previous year: 42.3 million euros) or 27 percent growth compared to the previous year. Due to the excellent company performance and the high cash position the executive board will propose a special dividend for 2004. By this, the dividend payout per share would even exceed the value of the last year’s anniversary dividend of 1.85 euro. The company was able to post double-digit growth in all parts of the world in 2004. Especially pleasing is that even in Germany sales are expected to grow by 11 percent from 32.0 to 35.6 million euros, despite difficult domestic economic conditions. RATIONAL managed a breakthrough in America, one of the most important and high-potential markets of the future, with sales expected to be up by 43 percent from 18 million euros to 26 million euros. Thanks to the above-average growth in business, RATIONAL expects to have significantly increased its world market share from 49 percent to 51 percent. RATIONAL’s forward-looking innovative strength brought it a host of international awards in 2004. In Germany it won the “Gastro Innovationspreis”, in the US “Manufacturer of the Year 2004”, the “Best-New-Product Award” and the “New Product, Best of Show Award”, and in France the “Grand Prix APRIA 2004”. The company expects the world economy to continue to grow well in 2005. With the new, unique technology, the world’s first SelfCooking Center(R), RATIONAL has significantly extended its competitive lead once again. Against this backdrop, together with the large still not exploited global market potential, the management is confident of once again achieving double-digit growth in both sales and profits in 2005. In millions of euros Q4 2004 Q4 2003 2004 2003 Sales 65.2 53.4 221.8 186.6 EBIT 18.2 14.5 53.6 42.3 EBT 18.6 14.8 54.1 42.6 Rational AG Iglinger Straße 62 86899 Landsberg a. Lech Deutschland ISIN: DE0007010803 WKN: 701080 Listed: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin- Bremen, Düsseldorf, München und Stuttgart End of ad hoc announcement (c)DGAP 28.01.2005 Issuer’s information/explanatory remarks concerning this ad hoc announcement: Contact: RATIONAL Aktiengesellschaft Dr. Günter Blaschke Tel. +49 (8191) 327-364 Fax +49 (8191) 327 272 E-mail: g.blaschke@rational-online.de http://www.rational-ag.com RATIONAL is the world market and technology leader for the thermal preparation of food in professional kitchens. The company, founded in 1973, employs about 750 people, over 450 of whom are in Germany. RATIONAL was floated on the German stock market in 2000 and is currently represented in the SDAX. Since the IPO in 2000, the price of RATIONAL shares has practically trebled, making them one of the leading German shares and one of the jewels in the SDAX crown. The company’s principal objective is to offer customers maximum benefit at all times. Internally RATIONAL is committed to the principle of sustainability, expressed in its policies on environmental protection, leadership and social responsibility. Numerous international awards bear witness year on year to the high level of RATIONAL’s work. End of message (c)DGAP 280745 Jän 05