Ad-hoc | 5 November 2002 07:28

Bechtle AG english

Preliminary Q3 figures Bechtle: positive sales and earnings forecasts confirmed Ad-hoc-announcement transmitted by DGAP. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. ——————————————————————————– Preliminary Q3 figures Bechtle: positive sales and earnings forecasts confirmed Gaildorf, 5 November 2002. In the third quarter of the current financial year, Neuer Markt-listed Bechtle AG returned sales amounting 205 million euros. Compared with the same period last year (sales for Q3/2001: 161 million euros) , this represents an increase of around 27 per cent. In the Q1-Q3 reference period, Bechtle’s sales (including acquisitions) are up 21 per cent from 459 million euros in 2001 to a current 554 million euros. Adjusted for acquisitions, Bechtle has reported growth of 1 per cent, despite a generally downward trend on the market. Growth, however, was not at the expense of profitability. In the 3rd quarter, the company has achieved an EBT of 7.4 million euros (Q3 2001: 5.0 million euros, i.e. up 48 per cent). With an EBTA (earnings before taxation and goodwill amortisation) of 7.5 million euros for this period, Bechtle has performed much better than last year (5.9 million euros, i.e. up 27 per cent). Overall, i.e. from 1st January to 30th September 2002, Bechtle reports an EBT of 11.7 million euros (in the same period last year: 10.3 million euros, +14 per cent). The company has thus exceeded the comparable value for last year, although in 2001 there was goodwill amortisation of 2.6 million euros had still to be taken into account. By comparison, however, goodwill amounting to 0.4 million euros was amortised in the first three quarters of 2002, which means that Bechtles performance is a bit under last year (12.9 million euros, -6 per cent). This would tend to support the view that the current EBT of slightly over 14.4 million euros forecast for the 2002 financial year will be achieved as expected. Bechtle does not anticipate any improvement in the current economic situation. The final result will depend to a large extent, therefore, on how business progresses in December, traditionally the strongest month in the financial year. All figures in this report are US GAAP figures. The final figures will be available from Bechtle at 15 November. Contact: Rudi Schmidt, Tel: +49 (0)79 71/95 02 29, rudi.schmidt@bechtle.com , http://www.bechtle.com end of ad-hoc-announcement (c)DGAP 05.11.2002 ——————————————————————————– WKN: 515870; ISIN: DE0005158703; Index: Listed: Neuer Markt Frankfurt; Freiverkehr in Berlin, Bremen, Düsseldorf, München, Hamburg, Hannover und Stuttgart 050728 Nov 02