Ad-hoc | 29 May 2001 07:08

Asclepion-Meditec AG english

Ad hoc announcement transmitted by DGAP. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. ——————————————————————————– Asclepion increases consolidated sales by 33 % Increase in gross profit, operating result and after-tax earnings Asclepion-Meditec AG (securities code No. 531370) today announced its figures for the first half year of the 2000/2001 financial year. Accordingly, consolidated sales rose by 33 % over the first six months of the previous year to 23.5 million euro. The gross profit improved by 37 % to 11.8 million euro; this corresponds to a gross margin of 50.1 % for the first six months of the current financial year. The operating result also developed positively. Compared to the first six months of the 1999/2000 financial year it rose by 242 % to 1.6 million euro. Earnings after taxes for the first six months of the current financial year rose by 43 % to 0.7 million euro. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) decreased by 1.4 million euro, to 0.8 million euro. This decrease essentially resulted from the elimination of currency gains which the company had realised in the previous year. Since the second quarter of the current financial year Asclepion has hedged itself to a greater degree against currency rate fluctuations. Thus the significance of such factors on the future development of the company has been eliminated virtually totally. The position achieved by the company and the strategic and operational measures which have been initiated make Asclepion confident that it can continue with the successful path taken in the current business year. Sales in the Vision business unit increased by 16 % over the comparative period of the previous year. With a growth of 90% in sales, the Aesthetic business unit also developed positively in the first six months of the current financial year. In the Dental unit the company expects excellent growth opportunities from the KaVo KEY Laser 3, whose market launch began at the end of the second quarter at the International Dental Show (IDS) in Cologne. The growth in sales in the Service unit was a scheduled 27%, once again confirming the enhanced customer orientation on the part of the company and its close ties with customers. Jena, 29 May 2001 Contact: Asclepion-Meditec AG-Investor Relations: Jens Brajer – Tel.: (+49) 3641 65-3968 – Fax.: (+49) 3641 65-3448 – eMail: investors@asclepion.com end of ad hoc announcement (c) DGAP 29.05.2001 ——————————————————————————– WKN: 531 370; Index: Listed: Neuer Markt in Frankfurt; Freiverkehr in Berlin, Bremen, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, München, Stuttgart 290708 Mai 01