Ad-hoc | 19 November 2004 08:05

ORBIS results are on target

Ad-hoc-announcement transmitted by DGAP. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. ——————————————————————————– ORBIS results are on target Saarbrücken, November 19, 2004. – As of September 30, 2004, ORBIS AG reported consolidated sales to the tune of EUR 14.605 million for the first nine months of the 2004 fiscal year (previous year: EUR 15.881 million). These sales were primarily generated by consultancy projects in the company’s focus sectors: industrial companies, automotive suppliers, the consumer goods industry, and the commerce sector. The consolidated results for the period under review totaled EUR 118,000 (previous year: EUR 601,000). This corresponds to a profit per share (diluted/ undiluted) of EUR 0.013 (2000: loss of EUR 0.066). The operating result (EBIT) for the first nine months totaled EUR 6,000 (previous year: EUR 272,000). This result is also due to strict cost management and a one-off effect resulting from long-term measures. This equity ratio increased to 59.4 percent compared with the same period of the previous year (54.3 percent as of September 30, 2003). During the reporting period, shareholders’ equity totaled EUR 16.381 million (December 31, 2003: EUR 16.206 million). As part of an authorized capital increase, staff subscribed 47,750 shares until September 28; this capital increase was listed with the Commercial Register on November 3, 2004. Furthermore, a total of 327,500 stock options has been allocated to staff under a stock option program. The expenses associated with both the stock option program and the employee share ownership scheme amounted to EUR 16,000. The scheduled repayments of long-term loans, investments and the establishment of the trade accounts receivable portfolio resulted in a EUR 1.010 million reduction in cash and cash equivalents during the first nine months of 2004, compared with the annual financial statements for 2003. As of the reporting date September 30, 2004, the ORBIS Group already boasts an order level that is equivalent to 95 percent of the planned total annual sales for 2004. As a share of all sales revenue, a personnel expense ratio of 70.6 percent was achieved for the first nine months of 2004 (the previous year’s figure of 68.8 percent was partially due to the use of provisions). As of the reporting date September 30, 2004, ORBIS employed a total of 191 staff. With other operating expenses amounting to EUR 3.873 million, savings to the tune of 16.8 percent over the same period of 2003 were in fact realized. For more information contact: http://www.orbis.de or Dr. Sabine Stürmer, Head Investor Relations of ORBIS AG Ph.: +49 (0)681 99 24 605, e-mail: sabine.stuermer@orbis.de end of ad-hoc-announcement (c)DGAP 19.11.2004 ——————————————————————————– WKN: 522877; ISIN: DE0005228779; Index: Listed: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin- Bremen, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, München und Stuttgart 190805 Nov 04