Eckert & Ziegler Annual Figures 2008: Rising Profit and a New Sales Record

Berlin, 27.03.2009. The Berlin based Eckert & Ziegler Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG (ISIN DE0005659700), a specialist for isotope technology in medicine, science and industry, posted an annual net profit of EUR 4.5 million or EUR 1.43 per share in fiscal year 2008. Without special effects, profits after tax and minority interests amounted to EUR 3.4 million or EUR 1.10 per share. This represents an increase of 23% over the previous year. The annual sales volume rose for the fifth consecutive year to a new record level of EUR 71.6 million (previous year: EUR 54.4 million, or +32 %.) The Group has thus more than doubled its sales over the past five years. On average, sales have risen at a rate of 15% per year.

The leading segment in the three-division Group in 2008 was again components for industrial, scientific and imaging applications, which contributed EUR 1.35 per share or EUR 4.2 million to the annual net profit. In the Therapy segment, which specializes in medical devices for the treatment of cancer, encumbrances arising from restructuring and the integration of Belgium based IBt led to significantly poorer results than in the previous year, posting losses of EUR 2.3 million or EUR 0.73 per share. After eliminating special effects, however, the losses are substantially lower, at EUR 0.7 million or EUR 0.21 per share. The Radiopharmacy segment, encumbered by major development expenses, was able to halve its losses over the previous year to EUR -0.3 million or EUR -0.10 per share. In the holding company, meanwhile, the remaining balancing adjustments resulted in profits of EUR 2.7 million or EUR 0.85 per share. The profit from continuing operations before taxes, interest and other shareholders' interests (EBIT) rose by 66% to EUR 9.5 million. Without special effects, the EBIT figure for 2008 is approximately EUR 6.9 million, amount to growth of 22%. In the year under review, the main driver of sales growth was again the Radiopharmacy segment, which increased by roughly EUR 6 million to nearly EUR 15 million. It benefited from rising demand for radioactive contrast media for cancer diagnosis and strong interest in the new synthesis module family Modular Lab. The Therapy segment also posted growth of EUR 6 million from EUR 21 million to EUR 27 million, albeit with most of that growth coming through the merger with former competitor IBt. In the Nuclear Imaging and Industry segment, sales rose - partially organically and partially through acquisitions - by EUR 5 million to EUR 30 million. Nominal growth in this segment, which posted the majority of its sales in US Dollars, was 19%. Exchange rate adjusted, the growth figure was 27%.

Balance sheet marked by special effects: In 2008, the Group's balance sheet was markedly influenced by the integration of the therapeutical divisions of the publicly listed Belgian IBt S.A., which led to numerous special effects amounting to millions. In the income statement, book profits of roughly EUR 16 million resulting from the incorporation of Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG GmbH into IBt were offset against various provisions, value adjustments and other noncash corrections of on-balance-sheet-assets of roughly EUR 1.1 million or EUR 0.34 per share. Special effects on the balance sheet, by contrast, were not offset and led to a balance sheet extension from roughly EUR 70 million to roughly EUR 100 million. As a result, the equity ration fell from 54% to 43% in spite of profits. Cash flow from operating activities reached a new record of EUR 8.6 million, a 29% increase over the figure from 2007. This contributed significantly to a EUR 3 million increase in the Group's liquid assets at the end of the year despite the expansion, although the investment volume in fiscal year 2008 rose slightly over the previous year by EUR 0.9 million to EUR 5.5 million and the financing balance remained minimally negative (EUR -0.3 million).

The Executive Board and Supervisory Board will propose an increase in dividends from EUR 0.25 to EUR 0.33 per share at the Annual General Meeting on May 13, 2009. For the current year, the company expects further growth, in particular sales growth, to roughly EUR 100 million.

The Board of Directors