GESCO expects sales to rise and earnings 
to be at a high level after record year 2011/2012

28.06.2012

Wuppertal, 28 June 2012 – SDAX-listed GESCO AG, a holding company for a group of industrial SMEs, is reporting on the record year 2011/2012 (1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012) at today’s accounts press conference and is also forecasting high-level sales and earnings for the new financial year 2012/2013.

In financial year 2011/2012, the GESCO Group was able to translate the favourable economic environment into strong growth. Incoming orders rose by 16.4 % to € 439.0 million (previous year: € 377.2 million). Group sales increased by 23.9 % to € 415.4 million (€ 335.2 million). Earnings figures benefited from improved capacity utilisation and order quality, which tends to be generally better in times of growth. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 34.5 % to € 51.3 million (€ 38.2 million), a higher rate than sales increased. At 45.7 %, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) climbed even higher than EBITDA, reaching € 39.3 million (€ 27.0 million). Group net income after minority interest grew by 48.4 % to € 22.6 million (€ 15.3 million). This figure includes non-recurring income of around € 0.7 million from concluded legal disputes.

In view of the steep rise in earnings, the Executive Board and Supervisory Board will propose a dividend of € 2.90 per share at the Annual General Meeting on 30 August 2012. The dividend would therefore be 45.0 % up on the previous year’s distribution of € 2.00 per share.

The company expects slight sales growth to approximately € 430 million and Group net income after minority interest of around € 20.5 million in the new financial year 2012/2013 (1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013). This corresponds to earnings per share of € 6.17.

In the first quarter of the new financial year 2012/2013, which includes the subsidiaries’ operating business from January to March 2012, incoming orders amounted to € 116.3 million, slightly up on the very high figure of € 115.9 million in the previous year’s quarter. Sales increased by 7.1 % to € 106.8 million (€ 99.7 million). Order backlog at the end of the first operating quarter, including Werkzeugbau-Laichingen Group acquired in December 2011, was at a record-breaking € 192 million.

The company will present the accounts for financial year 2011/2012 and the outlook for financial year 2012/2013 in the accounts press conference / analysts’ conference on 28 June 2012 at 11.00 hrs.

The comprehensive press release, the annual report and a video commentary on the accounts will be available at www.gesco.de from 28 June 2012, 8.00 hrs.

A webcast of the accounts press conference / analysts’ conference (in German) will be accessible from 11.00 hrs on via www.gesco.de and will be available for twelve months.