euro adhoc: freenet.de AG
Annual Reports
freenet.de AG Looks
Ahead at 2005
Disclosure announcement transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer is responsible for the content of this announcement.
21.02.2005
freenet.de AG Looks Ahead at 2005 Target Revenues of over 650 million euro, EBITDA of between 125-140 million euro, and First-ever dividend payout of 0.35 euro per share for 2004
freenet.de AG / Hamburg - Following a highly successful fiscal 2004, freenet.de AG expects it will continue its growth dynamic unbroken in 2005 while keeping profitability high. The management projects that revenues will rise from 471.6 million euro in 2004 to over 650 million euro in 2005 - provided the acquisition of the value-added and call-by-call business of the Talkline group is finalized within the 1st quarter 2005. EBITDA is forecast at between 125 and 140 million euro for 2005. Here it should be taken into consideration that freenet plans to spend 30 million euro more on Sales and Marketing in 2005 than in 2004, especially in DSL and pre-selection. In the medium term - by 2008 at the latest - freenet.de AG expects to have target revenues of over 1 billion euro with a pre-tax margin of between 17 and 20 percent.
The freenet.de AG management has also decided to propose a first-time dividend payout of 0.35 euro per share to the Annual General Meeting. At the current share price, this translates to a dividend yield of roughly 2 percent, and is the first step in a long-term dividend policy which stipulates that about one-third of the consolidated profit is paid out to shareholders. ~ Q4/2004 Q3/2004 Q4/2003 2004 2003 Revenues 126,466 116,016 116,638 471,582 365,502 Segment: Internet access 73,049 68,563 76,613 282,727 231,132 Segment: Voice 39,558 38,000 30,455 148,132 99,458 Segment: Portal business 12,463 8,248 8,262 35,592 29,829 Segment: B2B Services 1,396 1,205 1,308 5,131 5,083 Gross profit 60,327 58,136 57,360 238,960 156,076 EBITDA 30,459 31,308 30,363 133,366 79,879 Earnings before taxes (EBT) 21,972 23,024 18,820 97,659 47,660 Group result 13,992 13,938 14,890 60,086 36,623 Capital and reserves 192,065 178,575 139,659 192,065 139,659 Balance sheet total 310,223 310,244 300,371 310,223 300,371 Cash and cash equivalents 145,348 150,229 113,259 145,348 113,259 ~ ~ 30.12.2004 30.09.2004 30.12.2003 Share price (Euro) 18.95 14.37 18.84 Market capitalisation (million Euro) 1,072 813 1,060 ~ (Financial data per IFRS; in TEUR / Source: freenet.de AG) ~
end of announcement euro adhoc 22.02.2005 08:02:10
Further inquiry note:
freenet.de AG
Andreas Neumann
Investor Relations
Tel.: +49 (0)40 51306 778
E-Mail: IR@freenet-ag.de
Branche: Online
ISIN: DE0005792006
WKN: 579200
Index: TecDAX, Prime Standard
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