Hamburg, 20 June 2005. The wine trading group Hawesko Holding AG (HAW, HAWG.DE, DE0006042708) is continuing to show satisfactory business development in the current 2005 fiscal year. At the company's ordinary annual general meeting of shareholders today in Hamburg, Chief Financial Officer Sven Ohlzen said that in April and May Hawesko had made up a great part of the 3.5 % sales decline that had been reported at the end of the first quarter. EBIT and after-tax profit were above the previous year's figures and well within the targeted range, he said. For the full year of 2005 Hawesko's board of management expects an increase in sales as well as in EBIT. In fiscal year 2004 sales of Euro 286 million, EBIT of Euro 16.5 million (respectively Euro 17.1 million according to changed accounting rules starting in 2005) and earnings per share of Euro 1.44 were achieved.

The shareholders' meeting approved the proposed dividend of Euro 1.25 per share (previous year: Euro 1.10) as well as a profit-and-loss transfer agreement with Jacques' Wein-Depot. The other resolutions proposed by the board of management and the supervisory board were also approved; these were mainly small changes in the company statutes and a renewed authorisation to acquire treasury shares.

Hawesko Holding AG is a leading supplier in Germany of premium wines and champagnes. Its three sales channels are specialist wine shops (Jacques' Wein-Depot), wholesale (Wein Wolf and CWD Champagner und Wein Distributionsgesellschaft) and mail order (in particular Hanseatisches Wein- und Sekt-Kontor). The Group employed an average of 580 staff members during the past fiscal year. The shares of Hawesko Holding AG are listed on the Hanseatic Stock Exchange in Hamburg as well as in the SDAX segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

 

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Published by:
Hawesko Holding AG
Postfach 20 15 52    
20205 Hamburg, Germany

 

Internet:
http://www.hawesko.com 
(Company profile)
http://www.hawesko.de    
(Online shop)
http://www.jacques.de      
(Information about Jacques' Wein-Depot)

 

Press/Media:     
Vera Maria Bau,VMB Consulting   
Phone:  +49 (0)228 4496 220    
Fax  +49 (0)228 4496 298     
E-mail:  vmb.pr@t-online.de    

 

 

Investor Relations:
Thomas Hutchinson, Hawesko Holding AG
Phone: +49 (0)40 30 39 21 00
Fax    +49 (0)40 30 39 21 05
E-mail: ir@hawesko.com