Ad-hoc | 14 July 2005 08:11

ARQUES announces record results for 2nd Quarter and the 1st Half-year 2005

Ad hoc announcement §15 WpHG Results for 2nd Quarter and 1st Half-year 2005 ARQUES announces record results for 2nd Quarter and the 1st Half-year 2005 Ad hoc announcement processed and transmitted by DGAP. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. —————————————————————————— ARQUES announces record results for 2nd Quarter and the 1st Half-year 2005 Publication of the basic data for 2nd Quarter and the 1st Half-year 2005 Starnberg, July 14, 2005 – The Starnberg-based equity investment company, ARQUES Industries AG (WKN 515 600 – ISIN DE0005156004) has increased its revenues in the second quarter of the 2005 financial year by 538.9% to EUR 106.7 from the EUR 16.7 million recorded in the second quarter of 2004. In the first half-year, revenues totalling EUR 179.4 million were generated. This represents an increase of 478.7% over the first half-year in 2004 (EUR 31.0 million). The EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) totalled EUR 15.2 million in the first half-year 2005 compared to EUR 2.7 million in the same period last year. This represents an increase of 463.0%. The EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) rose to EUR 10.1 million compared to EUR 1.2 million in the equivalent period last year (increase 741.7%) and thereby already lies well over the earnings for the entire financial year 2004. The consolidated net profit amounted to EUR 22.1 million in the first half-year 2005 (previous.: EUR 1.0 million.), an increase of 2,110.0%. This consolidated net profit includes a profit contribution of EUR 14.4 million from the so-called bargain purchase from the primary consolidation of the subsidiaries acquired in the second quarter of 2005. ARQUES share capital therefore increases to EUR 76.9 million. In the second quarter the ARQUES subsidiaries acquired in the 2005 financial year 2005 were consolidated for the first time (since there were no acquisitions in the first quarter) : Johler Druck GmbH, SKS Stakusit Bautechnik GmbH, Jahnel-Kestermann Getriebewerke GmbH & Co. KG, Golf House Direktversand GmbH und Evotape S.p.A. Notwithstanding the consolidation of the sale of the Schierholz Translift group on 30 June 2005 annualised corporate turnover exceeds EUR 400 million for the first time. Thus the company moves towards to the planned EUR 500 million turnover level (annualised). The plans for the financial 2005 year communicated as recently as the 20 June 2005 planning will be revised and published shortly due to the extraordinary development. Regarding the second quarter of 2005 an EBITDA of EUR 11.3 million (prev.: EUR 2.5 million; + 352.0%), an EBIT of EUR 7.7 million (prev.: EUR 1.7 million; + 352.9%) and a consolidated net profit of EUR 19.7 million (prev.: EUR 1.6 million; + 1,131.3%) were generated. Detailed results and the report for the second quarter and the first half-year 2005 are to be published shortly. Furthermore, the executive board stated that the admission in one of the selected indices of the German stock exchange is aimed at in the medium- term. Contact: ARQUES Industries AG – Investor Relations Anke Lüdemann Tel.: +49 (0) 8151-651 0 E-mail: luedemann@arques.de ARQUES Industries AG Münchner Str. 15a 82319 Starnberg Deutschland ISIN: DE0005156004 WKN: 515600 Listed: Geregelter Markt (Prime Standard) in Frankfurt; Freiverkehr in Berlin- Bremen, München und Stuttgart End of ad hoc announcement (c)DGAP 14.07.2005 140811 Jul 05