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Hawesko raises dividend by 12.5% to € 1.35 per share

(March 26, 2010)

*  Tax-free distribution
*  Final 2009 financial statements confirm preliminary figures
*  Free cash flow at record high

Hamburg, 26 March 2010. The wine trading group Hawesko Holding AG (HAW GR, HAWG.DE, DE0006042708) expects to increase the dividend from €1.20 in the previous year to €1.35 per share for fiscal year 2009. At its meeting yesterday, the supervisory board of the company approved the corresponding dividend proposal of the management board, which will be put to a vote at the annual general meeting on 14 June 2010. The proposed increase in the dividend corresponds to a rise of 12.5%: a total of € 11.9 million from the contribution account for tax purposes is to be distributed to the shareholders (previous year: € 10.6 million). For most private investors domiciled in Germany the distribution will remain tax-free.

Furthermore, the supervisory board reviewed, discussed and ratified the parent-company and consolidated financial statements for fiscal year 2009; thus the annual financial statements were approved. As previously reported, Group sales in 2009 (1 January to 31 December) amounted to € 338.5 million and thus remained at the previous year's level (€ 338.8 million). The final consolidated financial statement posts the operating result (EBIT) at € 22.4 million (previous year: € 25.5 million). This was the second-best result in the history of the company. Consolidated net profit after deductions for taxes and minority interests amounted to € 13.1 million and € 1.48 per share in 2009; adjusted for a non-recurring expenditure in the financial result, it would have reached the level of the previous year (€ 14.6 million and € 1.67 per share). The consolidated balance sheet total was € 173.6 million, while the equity ratio rose to 47% (previous year: € 170.1 million and 45%). Free cash flow (cash flow from ongoing business activities minus investments and interest paid out) rose to € 20.8 million in 2009 (previous year: € 17.5 million), the highest level in the history of the company up to now. 

The management board will give a detailed presentation of the results of fiscal year 2009 as well as the figures for the first three months of the current fiscal year on 6 May 2010 at the annual press conference of Hawesko Holding AG.

Hawesko Holding AG is a leading supplier of premium wines and champagnes. In fiscal year 2009 the Group achieved sales of € 339 million through its three sales channels - specialist wine retail (Jacques' Wein-Depot), wholesale (Wein Wolf and CWD Champagner und Wein Distributionsgesellschaft) and mail order (in particular Hanseatisches Wein- und Sekt-Kontor), and employed 657 people. The shares of Hawesko Holding AG are listed on the Hanseatic Stock Exchange in Hamburg as well as in the GEX of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
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Published by:
Hawesko Holding AG, 20247 Hamburg

Internet:
http://www.hawesko.com (Corporate information)
http://www.hawesko.de (Online shop)
http://www.jacques.de (Locations and online offer of Jacques' Wein-Depot)

Press/Media:
Vera Maria Bau, VMB Consulting
Phone: +49 (0)228) 4496 406
Fax +49 (0)228 4496 9406
E-mail: vmb@veramariabau-pr.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