Ad-hoc | 8 March 2007 13:42
A.S. Création Tapeten AG / Final Results/Dividend
Release of an Ad hoc announcement according to § 15 WpHG, transmitted by
DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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A.S. Création to pay record dividend again
At today’s meeting, the Supervisory Board of A.S. Création Tapeten AG,
Europe's leading wallpaper manufacturer, has granted approval for the FY
2006 audited consolidated financial statements. According to the financial
statements, Group sales were up 4.9% on the previous year’s € 145.3 million
to € 152.4 million, while the Group’s net profit increased by 31.4% from
the prior year’s € 7.7 million to € 10.2 million in fiscal 2006. The
earnings per share amounted to € 3.65 (2005: € 2.78). This means that A.S.
Création again reached new records for sales and earnings. The Managing
Board will therefore propose payment of a greatly increased dividend of €
1.65 per share (2005: € 1.25) to the General Meeting of Shareholders.
The net profit for the year 2006 includes an important special effect that
is attributable to a change in German tax legislation resulting from the
new SEStEG Act that took effect on December 13, 2006. In the case of A.S.
Création, these new regulations led to an increase in the net profit by €
1.9 million or € 0.70 per share in the fiscal year. Adjusted for this
special effect, net profit for the year 2006 amounted to € 8.3 million or €
2.95 per share, which means that it is in line with the full-year guidance
issued by the Managing Board of A.S. Création Tapeten AG on November 6,
2006 on the occasion of the publication of the interim report for the
period ended September 30, 2006. At the time, the Managing Board expected a
consolidated net profit of between € 8.0 million and € 8.25 million for the
full year 2006.
While the special effect described above is reflected in the profit for the
year 2006, it is non-cash in nature. Nevertheless, the Managing Board and
the Supervisory Board intend to maintain their dividend policy to ensure
continuity and reliability for the shareholders of A.S. Création.
Accordingly, they plan to pay out a dividend of € 1.65 per share. Based on
earnings per share of € 3.65, this dividend represents a payout ratio of
45.2% (2005: 45.0%). In accordance with the profit components described
above, the dividend for the fiscal year 2006 comprises an amount of € 1.33
from operations and an amount of € 0.32 that results from the non-recurrent
tax effect described above.
The consolidated financial statements with the detailed figures for fiscal
2006 will be published on the occasion of the annual accounts press
conference on March 15, 2007.
Gummersbach, March 8, 2007
A.S. Création Tapeten AG
The Managing Board
Inquiries:
A.S. Création Tapeten AG
Maik Krämer, Director of Finance,
Südstr. 47, D-51645 Gummersbach
Phone + 49 – (0)22 61/542-387, fax + 49 – (0)22 61/542-304, E-Mail:
m.kraemer@as-creation.de
DGAP 08.03.2007
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Language: English
Issuer: A.S. Création Tapeten AG
Südstraße 47
51645 Gummersbach Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)22 615 42-0
Fax: +49 (0)22 6154 2-3 04
E-mail: investor@as-creation.de
www: investor@as-creation.de
ISIN: DE0005079909
WKN: 507990
Indices:
Listed: Amtlicher Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in
Berlin-Bremen, Stuttgart, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf
End of News DGAP News-Service
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