euro adhoc: BENE AG / quarterly or semiannual financial statement / Bene posts sharp rise in revenue and earnings for first three quarters.

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quaterly report

17.12.2007

• Consolidated revenue up 33.7% to EUR 184.3 million
• Sharp jump in third quarter earnings
• Positive outlook for fourth quarter of FY 2007/08

Vienna / Waidhofen/Ybbs, 17 December 2007 - Vienna Prime Market
listed Bene AG (ISIN AT00000BENE6) kept up its recent run of success
over the first nine months of its current, 2007/08 financial year,
returning substantial increases in revenue and earnings.

At EUR 184.3 million (m) for the first three quarters of the year,
Bene Group's revenue was up by some 33.7% year on year (Q1-3 2006/07:
EUR 137.9m).

Bene boosted revenue on its Austrian home market over the first nine
months of the year by 6.0% to EUR 54.9m (Q1-3 2006/07: EUR 51.8m). In
Germany, where it operates the strongest sales network in the
industry, the group won numerous large contracts, registering a 41.1%
gain in revenue to EUR 47.3m (Q1-3 2006/07: EUR 33.5m). Bene also
kept up the momentum of expansion in the United Kingdom, upping
revenue by 45.0% from EUR 19.3m to EUR 27.9m. The Russian business
segment also outperformed the industry average by a wide margin,
returning a 58.5% rise in revenue for the first three quarters to EUR
20.4m (Q1-3 2006/07: EUR 12.9m).The Rest of the World segment put in
the strongest growth performance over the first nine months of the
financial year, with a 65.4% surge from EUR 20.4m to EUR 33.8m.

The third quarter of the current financial year was hallmarked by
particularly strong earnings. It ranked among the best in the group´s
history, with an EBIT margin of 8.2% (Q1-3 2006/07: 5.9%), reflecting
a high proportion of internally manufactured products and high-margin
contracts. The Bene Group steadily improved its profitability over
the period, to post cumulative earnings before interest and tax
(EBIT) of EUR 10.8m (Q1-3 2006/07: EUR 10.0m). The EBIT margin for
the first three quarters of the current financial year was 5.9%
compared to 7.3% in the like period of the previous financial year.

The financial result improved to EUR 0.1m (Q1-3 2006/07: EUR -0.6m)
due to optimisation of the group´s debt position and income from
securities, while earnings before tax (EBT) were up from EUR 9.4m to
10.9m.

As at 31 October 2007, the group´s equity ratio was 42.7% (31 Jan.
2007: 45.6%), while working capital was EUR 36m (31 Oct. 2006: EUR
31.0m).

In the first nine months of 2007/08 capital expenditure totalled EUR
12.9m (2006/07: EUR 3.8m). The acquisition of plots of land adjoining
the site laid the foundations for further expansion. Work began on
the construction of a showroom, training and office facility in early
December.

As at 31 October 2007 Bene employed 1,546 people — 279 or 22.0% more
than a year earlier.

Bene´s groundbreaking decision to start launching its own office
swivel chair in autumn 2008 marks another step towards enhancing its
competitiveness and profitability.

Outlook. Management is optimistic that strong sales in the fourth
quarter will drive revenue to a new record high for the 2007/08
financial year.

The full report on the first three quarters of 2007/08 can be viewed
at http://bene.com.

end of announcement euro adhoc
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ots Originaltext: BENE AG
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Further inquiry note:

Investor Relations

Gerald Strohmaier

Head of Finance & Investor Relations

BENE AG

Schwarzwiesenstrasse 3

A-3340 Waidhofen an der Ybbs

Tel. +43 (0)7442 5003372

Fax +43 (0)7442 500993372

http://bene.com

Branche: Furnishings & Furniture
ISIN: AT00000BENE6
WKN:
Index: ATX Prime
Börsen: Wiener Börse AG / official market