Corporate | 20 April 2006 17:27

ARQUES Industries AG: Annual Report 2005 published

Corporate-news transmitted by DGAP – a company of EquityStory AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. —————————————————————————— ARQUES Annual Report 2005 published PWC confirms figures unconditionally Starnberg, April 20, 2006 – ARQUES Industries AG (ISIN DE0005156004) has published its financial statements for the financial year 2005. The group’s annual report as well as the financial statements of the holding company were audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) and provided with an unqualified audit opinion. Group sales accordingly increased in financial year 2005 by 224.7% to EUR 417.5 million (previous year: EUR 128.6 million), earnings before depreciation, taxes and interest (EBITDA) by 70.3% to EUR 59.1 million (previous year: EUR 34.7 million), earnings before taxes and interest (EBIT) by 49.3% to EUR 46.3 million (previous year: EUR 31.0 million), the consolidated net income for the year by 40.4% to EUR 48.3 million (previous year: EUR 34.4 million) and the net profit for the year from EUR 36.0 million in 2004 to EUR 80.5 million in 2005 (+123.6%). The earnings per share (diluted) therefore increased from EUR 18.59 in 2004 to EUR 22.18 in 2005. The income from the recognition of negative differences from the capital consolidation was recorded in the operating results, which is an IFRS requirement. The previous year’s figures were reclassified accordingly. Group equity increased to EUR 142.7 million (previous year: EUR 51.9 million). The equity ratio within the group is therefore about 40%, which is 88.4% at the holding level. The liquid funds amounted to EUR 43.5 million (previous year: EUR 12.9 million) and the net cash (excluding leasing) was EUR 5.6 million (previous year: EUR -8.3 million). Compared to the preliminary figures published on 03/29/2006, the net income for the year has again improved slightly. The required corrected postings from the complex “FREP” (Financial Reporting Enforcement Panel) were included in the Notes. This resulted in an improvement in performance in 2004 in the amount of EUR 0.208 million. On 03/22/2006 the company had already come to an agreement with the FREP with respect to the 2004 financial statements that the reason for the audit – specifically the posting of revenues from the recognition of negative differences from the initial consolidation – had been correctly implemented by the company. “By publishing the certified annual report, the uncertainties from the accounting inquiries should now be completely settled and a look at the underlying ARQUES business model unimpeded,” stated the ARQUES Executive Board. About ARQUES ARQUES Industries AG, Starnberg, is a turnaround specialist who focuses on the acquisition and the active restructuring of companies in transitional situations, in order to develop these, with its own team and own resources, to competitive enterprises with a positive yield. ARQUES revitalises its subsidiaries’ potential for creating value for the benefit of all its stakeholders, taking on the relevant social responsibility. ARQUES has made a duty of identifying underestimated companies with reduced survivability but with high appreciation potential, at the same time mastering complex company structures and transitional situations. The shares of ARQUES Industries AG are traded in the regulated market (Prime Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol ‘AQU’ (ISIN: DE0005156004) and are listed in the SDAX since September 19, 2005. Contact: ARQUES Industries AG Investor Relations & Corporate Communication Anke Lüdemann, CEFA/CIIA Tel.: +49 (0) 8151/ 651 0 Email: luedemann@arques.de (c)DGAP 20.04.2006 ————————————————————————— language: English emitter: ARQUES Industries AG Münchner Str. 15a 82319 Starnberg Deutschland phone: +49 (0)8151 651-0 fax: +49 (0)8151 651- 500 email: info@arques.de WWW: www.arques.de ISIN: DE0005156004 WKN: 515600 indexes: SDAX stockmarkets: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin-Bremen, München, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News-Service —————————————————————————