(April 26, 2000) - Dividend unchanged at DM 2.65
- Mixed results in the first quarter of 2000
Hamburg, 26 April 2000. Hawesko Holding AG (HAWG.F, 604270), the wine retailing group based in Germany, announced its final results for fiscal 1999 and for the first quarter of 2000 today at its annual results press conference. Net sales for 1999 were DM 413.8 million (1998: DM 303.0 million), operating profit (EBIT) was DM 37.4 million (DM 35.2 million), net income DM 23.1 million (DM 20.3 million), DVFA earnings - adjusted for extraordinary items - DM 20.8 million (DM 21.8 million) or DM 4.73 per share (DM 4.96). The supervisory and management boards will propose a dividend of DM 2.65 per share to the annual general meeting of shareholders in June.
Hawesko also announced results for the first quarter of 2000. Sales in this period reached DM 92.3 million (first quarter 1999: DM 76.2 million), operating profit (EBIT) DM 2.7 million (DM 7.8 million), net profit for the period DM 0.9 million (DM 4.3 million). The mail-order segment showed a decrease in sales for the quarter of 17.8 % after a big fourth quarter of 1999, while the specialty-shop segment posted a growth rate of 15.9 % and the wholesale segment increased five-fold on the back of the inclusion of Wein-Wolf (acquired during 1999). The first-quarter 2000 report has been drawn up under International Accounting Standards for the first time.
Hawesko will continue to become more international in 2000 as it builds up its business in Austria and above all the E-commerce business under Winegate.de. The company has decided to devote even more resources than previously planned to the rapid buildup of Winegate as the definitive online-wine site in Germany and expand its web presence to include English- and French-language pages. Fiscal year 2000 will be a year of investment in market position; from 2001 the company expects to reap the first benefits of its strategy to exploit the developing premium European wine market.
Hawesko Holding AG is Germany's leading seller of premium wines and champagne. With three distribution channels - mail-order and internet (main brands: Hanseatisches Wein- und Sekt-Kontor, Winegate.de), wine specialty-shops (Jacques' Wein-Depot) and wholesale (Wein Wolf; Champagner Wein Distributionsges.) - the Group achieved sales of DM 413.8 million in 1999 with 450 employees.
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Published by:
Hawesko Holding AG
P.O. Box 20 15 52
20205 Hamburg
Internet:
http//www.hawesko.com (corporate site)
http//www.hawesko.de (online shop)
Press/Media:
Vera Maria Bau,VMB Consulting
Tel. + 49 (0)2244 912736
Fax + 49 (0)2244 912736
Investor Relations:
Thomas Hutchinson, Hawesko Holding AG
Tel. + 49 (0)40 30 39 21 00
Fax + 49 (0)40 30 39 21 05