RATIONAL AG — Earnings Release 2007

May 9, 2007

News Details

Ad-hoc | 9 May 2007 08:05

RATIONAL AG continued its international course of success

Rational AG / Quarter Results

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RATIONAL AG continued its international course of success

+18 percent in sales

+20 percent in earnings

Landsberg, May 9, 2007. RATIONAL AG, the world market leader in the field
of cooking technology for professional kitchens, continued its world-wide
course of success impressively in the 1st quarter of 2007.

With sales revenues of 73.9 million euros the comparison quarter of the
previous year was exceeded by 11.1 million euros or 18 percent. The
strongest growth was seen not simply in the established subsidiaries in the
industrialized countries, but above all in the sales companies in the new
markets of Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia.

Despite the further significant rise in raw material prices at the start of
2007, especially the alloy surcharge for high-grade stainless steel, the 20
percent rise in EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) to 17.5 million
euros (previous year 14.6 million euros) was above average. The EBIT margin
is also up, from 23.3 percent to 23.7 percent. Major productivity and
efficiency gains were achieved again in manufacturing as well as in sales
and service costs.

In 2007 the company will invest in the further expansion of the
international sales and marketing network, in research and development and
in the expansion of production capacities. With the SelfCooking Center® and
the VarioCooking Center® the RATIONAL group has a unique, innovative
technology platform entailing maximum customer acceptance. Against this
background and the results achieved in the 1st quarter 2007 the management
expects sales growth in fiscal 2007 of 15 percent to 325 million euros,
together with a rise in EBIT, also of 15 percent, to 93 million euros.

Contact:

RATIONAL Aktiengesellschaft
Dr. Günter Blaschke
Tel. +49 (0)8191 327-364
Fax +49 (0)8191 327-272

e-Mail: g.blaschke@rational-online.de
www.rational-ag.com

Information for editors:

RATIONAL is the world market and technology leader for the thermal
preparation of food in professional kitchens. The company, founded in 1973,
employs more than 900 people, more than 500 of whom are in Germany. Since
the IPO in 2000 RATIONAL was floated in the Prime Standard on the German
stock market and is currently represented in the SDAX. The Price of
RATIONAL shares has duplicated several times since the IPO.

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.

                             Q1  2007           Q1 2006   Change in %

Sales (million of 73.9 62.9 +18
euros)
EBIT (million of euros) 17.5 14.6 +20
EBT (million of euros) 17.7 14.7 +21
EPS (undiluted; in 1.00 0.82 +21
euros)

DGAP 09.05.2007

Language: English
Issuer: Rational AG
Iglinger Straße 62
86899 Landsberg a. Lech Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)8191 327-283
Fax: +49 (0)8191 327-533
E-mail: h.wiedemann@rational-online.de
www: www.rational-online.de
ISIN: DE0007010803
WKN: 701080
Indices: SDAX
Listed: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
in Berlin-Bremen, Düsseldorf, München, Stuttgart

End of News DGAP News-Service

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