Ad-hoc | 5 May 2004 07:35

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Announces Figures for Q1/2004

Ad-hoc-announcement transmitted by DGAP. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. ——————————————————————————– SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Announces Figures for Q1/2004 High order backlog bolsters positive growth expectations for 2004 – Order intake grows 8.8 % over Q1/2003 – Order backlog of 160.5 million Euro more than double that of 12/31/03 – Net sales rise 22 % in Q1/2004 compared to 69.4 million Euro in Q1/2003 – Accounting-related drop in Q1/2004 EBIT versus Q1/2003 to 4.8 million Euro – Operating Cash Flow in Q1/2004 with 4.4 million Euro positive – Double-digit overall revenue growth expected for 2004 SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES’ order intake of 139.9 million Euro (plus another 11.3 million Euro derived from the ODME acquisition) for the first quarter of 2004 displayed a marked increase over the same quarter in preceding years (Q1/2003 = 128.6 million Euro, Q1/2002 = 77.5 million Euro). The order intake also rose considerably over the previous quarter (Q4/2003 = 69.6 million Euro). The high demand affected primarily prerecorded DVD systems and the recordable DVD growth sector. The order backlog more than doubled from 78.6 million Euro on 12/31/03 to 160.5 million Euro by the close of the period on 03/31/04. At 69.4 million Euro, revenues surpassed the comparable prior-year period (56.9 million Euro = + 22 %). Due to the composition of the order backlog at the end of last year, deliveries and bookings for the first quarter of 2004 were comprised primarily of prerecorded and recordable CD lines. Conversely, the product mix for Q1/2003 was predominated by high-margin prerecorded DVD lines. The change in the product mix resulted in an EBIT decline from the comparable period last year to 4.8 million Euro. This led to a temporary downturn in the EBIT margin to 7.3 %. This will improve significantly in the months ahead. Now the strongest segment, the high-margin DVD prerecorded lines made up approximately 70 million Euro of the order backlog by the end of March 2004. The company continues to give special attention to growth in the DVD and DVD-R markets. The sharp decline in the price of DVD recorders has considerably enhanced the significance of the DVD-R market. Its potential for 2004 is considered to be very positive. Order intake and revenue developments for the first quarter of 2004 reinforce our expectations for double-digit revenue growth in 2004. Since the order backlog has clearly shifted in favour of prerecorded DVD lines, a distinct improvement in the margin is expected for subsequent quarters. The positive mood in the precordable and recordable DVD line market strengthens our conviction that stable annual revenue and earnings developments can be achieved for 2004. For more information: Bernhard Krause, SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG, Tel.: + 49 (0) 6181-9828020 Mobil:+ 49 (0) 170 920 2924 Bernhard.Krause@go-metacom.de end of ad-hoc-announcement (c)DGAP 05.05.2004 ——————————————————————————– WKN: 723890; ISIN: DE0007238909; Index: TecDAX, NEMAX 50 Listed: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin- Bremen, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, München und Stuttgart 050735 Mai 04