Thursday, 30. April 2009 Ad hoc: R. STAHL announces key figures for the first quarter of 2009

Category: Corporate-News

Ad hoc: R. STAHL announces key figures for the first quarter of 2009

Waldenburg, 30 April 2009 - The explosion protection specialist R. STAHL Group has posted a year-on-year fall in sales revenues of 4.3% to € 51.7 million. At € 53.8 million, order intake was also down on the prior-year figure of € 59.3 million. The decline in business was due to weak demand as a result of the general economic crisis. Pre-tax earnings fell from € 6.6 to € 2.5 million.

For 2009 as a whole, the Managing Board expects lower sales and order intake than in 2008. As a supplier to the plant construction sector, R. STAHL does not generally feel the full effect of a downturn until later in the economic cycle. As a consequence, it is expected that sales of equipment for new plants will decrease further in the second half of 2009. As in the first quarter, earnings are likely to fall faster than sales. This is due to declining volumes and fiercer price competition as a result of excess industry capacity. An important aim of the company during the crisis is to maintain its core work force. This will enable it to continue its long-term growth strategy.

Thanks to the measures already introduced to optimise costs and processes, as well as the group's strong capital base, the Managing Board is confident that it can use the economic crisis to achieve a sustained improvement in its market position.

R. STAHL will publish its detailed figures for the first quarter of 2009 on 18 May 2009.

 
Contact:

R. STAHL AG
Communication / Investor Relations
Judith Schäuble
Am Bahnhof 30, 74638 Waldenburg, Germany

Tel: +49 7942.943-1217, Fax: +49 7942.943-401217

E-mail: judith.schaeuble@stahl.de

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