Ad-hoc | 13 November 2002 08:40

plenum AG english

plenum AG: Stable operative business development Ad-hoc-announcement transmitted by DGAP. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. ——————————————————————————– plenum AG: Stable operative business development – Sales of EUR 36 million (p.y. EUR 48.3 million) – EBITDA EUR 2.2 million (p.y. EUR 4.0 million) – Net income EUR 0.7 million (p.y. EUR 1.6 million) – Net cash EUR 11.1 million (p.y. EUR 5.1 million) – Equity ratio of 65% (p.y. 59%) Wiesbaden, Nov. 13, 2002; plenum AG has maintained the level of sales it achieved in the first two quarters with sales revenues of EUR 12.5 million in Q3. With total sales of EUR 36,6 million (PY EUR 48.3 million) plenum achieved already over 80% of the sales planned for 2002, altered in August to EUR 45 million. The stable development of business in Q3 resulted in a positive operating result (EBITDA) of EUR 0.3 million in spite of costs from restructuring measures in the Communication segment – as already reported in Q2 – (ceding the “Channeling” division, personnel cutback in Herrenberg). Contrary to Q2, special charges amounting to EUR 0.6 million from ceding the division were only partly compensated by investment income of approx. EUR 0.2 million, thus resulting in a loss of some EUR 0.5 million for Q3 after scheduled depreciation amounting to EUR 0.4 million. Nevertheless, after nine months and with EBITDA of EUR 2.2 million (PY EUR 4.0 million), plenum has achieved an operating margin of around 6% and in spite of non-recurring effects of EUR 0.8 million has generated net income for the period of EUR 0.7 million (PY EUR 1.3 million). As a result, the negative impact from restructuring measures was already almost fully compensated in ordinary business in the following quarter. The result per share thus amounts to EUR 0.08 (EUR 0.16 prior to the dropping of the Channeling division; p.y. EUR 0.17) for each of 9,577,068 shares. The stable development of the operative business is clearly reflected in the fact that net liquidity has increased by almost 120% from EUR 5.1 million to some EUR 11.1 million compared with the previous year. With the debt-equity ratio continuing at a very low level, the equity ratio improved in comparison to the previous year from 59% to 65%. Following a noticeable improvement in the number of orders on hand in Q3 (around EUR 20 million as at Sep. 30, 2002), the Managing Board anticipates the stable course of operative business to continue over the remainder of the 2002 financial year, which will also absorb special charges in particular as a result of the restructuring of the Managing Board. end of ad-hoc-announcement (c)DGAP 13.11.2002 ——————————————————————————– WKN: 690100; ISIN: DE0006901002; Index: Listed: Neuer Markt Frankfurt; Freiverkehr in Düsseldorf, München, Hamburg, Berlin, Bremen, Hannover und Stuttgart 130840 Nov 02