Ad-hoc | 20 October 2005 09:44

ARQUES: Provisional quarterly figures substantially above forecast

Ad hoc announcement §15 WpHG Provisional quarterly figures ARQUES: Provisional quarterly figures substantially above forecast Ad hoc announcement transmitted by DGAP. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. —————————————————————————— ARQUES: Provisional quarterly figures substantially above forecast Starnberg, October 20, 2005 – Due to substantial deviations from the published forecast, the Starnberg-based equity investment company, ARQUES Industries AG (ISIN DE0005156004) already announces the most important figures after the third quarter 2005 as provisional figures. For the first nine months of the financial year 2005 the following arises: The group revenues increase by 337% to EUR283.6 million compared with the equivalent period last year (previous: EUR64.9 million). The EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) exceeds EUR23.0 million (previous: EUR5.7 million). The EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) rises to more than EUR16.0 million (previous: EUR3.3 million). In the published forecast the management expected an EBITDA of EUR23.0 million and an EBIT of EUR16.0 million for the entire financial year 2005. Both figures were already exceeded in the third quarter 2005. The ARQUES subsidiary Sommer Fahrzeugbau GmbH & Co. KG, Bielefeld, is not included in these figures. The company will only be consolidated into the ARQUES group in the fourth quarter 2005. Since no further companies, except the photo agency Colourpress.com, were to be consolidated in the third quarter, no special item resulted from the acquisition activity. The acquisition of Sommer Fahrzeugbau GmbH & Co. KG and Evry Rotatives S.A.S, Paris, the latter acquired as recently as October 18, 2005, will therefore only lead to a Bargain Purchase effect estimated at EUR15 million in the fourth quarter 2005. The forecast for the entire financial year 2005, published on July 28, 2005, is currently being revised and will be published shortly. The final figures for the third quarter 2005 and the first nine months of 2005 will be published, as intended, on November 17, 2005. Contact: ARQUES Industries AG Investor Relations Anke Lüdemann, CEFA/CIIA Tel.: +49 (0) 8151-651 0 Email: luedemann@arques.de ARQUES Industries AG Münchner Str. 15a 82319 Starnberg Deutschland ISIN: DE0005156004 (SDAX) WKN: 515600 Listed: Geregelter Markt (Prime Standard) in Frankfurt; Freiverkehr in Berlin- Bremen, München und Stuttgart End of ad hoc announcement (c)DGAP 20.10.2005 200944 Okt 05