2007 sets records and WACKER continues on its growth course

- For 2008, sales growth of well over 10 percent is expected, EBITDA
should continue to rise, investments of around €1 billion earmarked

- In 2007, net income grows 36 percent to €422 million (2006: €311m)

- Dividend of €3.00 expected, including a special bonus
- EBITDA
climbs to €1.002 billion (2006: €786m)
- Sales up 13 percent to
€3.78 billion (2006: €3.34bn)

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Munich (euro adhoc) - March 18, 2008 - For fiscal 2007, Wacker Chemie
AG once again posted record sales and earnings figures. Despite
higher raw-material and energy costs, as well as negative
exchange-rate effects from the strong euro, the Munich-based chemical
Group generated an EBITDA of EUR1.002 billion (2006: EUR786m). This
is up 27 percent compared to the prior-year period. Net income was
EUR422 million (2006: EUR311m) - with earnings per share amounting to
EUR8.49 (2006: EUR6.46). The Group´s robust financial performance is
also reflected in its return on capital employed of 25 percent (2006:
18 percent). Fueled by continued strong customer demand,
significantly boosted production quantities and higher prices, Group
sales rose 13 percent to EUR3.78 billion (2006: EUR3.34bn) - of which
EUR3.06 billion (2006: EUR2.68bn) was generated outside Germany.
Thus, international business accounted for 81 percent of total sales.
In fiscal 2007, net cash flow more than tripled to EUR644 million
(2006: 185m) despite significantly higher investments compared to the
prior year. WACKER expects further growth in 2008. This year, sales
are estimated to rise by well over 10 percent due to capacity
expansion projects and sales growth resulting from the complete
takeover of the Group´s polymer joint ventures with Air Products.
EBITDA should also continue its upward trend.

"The figures for last fiscal year are yet more proof of the Group´s
operational strength," said CEO Peter-Alexander Wacker on Tuesday in
Munich. "WACKER´s strategic alignment is on the right track. We made
huge progress with our expansion projects last year to meet
customers´ sustained strong demand. Our production capacity expansion
projects and solid presence in Asian growth markets are key
prerequisites to continue on our successful course in 2008." Total
capital expenditures for 2007 grew 33 percent to EUR699 million
(2006: EUR525m). In addition to WACKER´s ongoing expansion projects
to boost production capacities, sizable funds flowed into joint
ventures with Samsung Electronics and SCHOTT Solar. As a percentage
of annual sales, the investment ratio grew to over 18 percent.

WACKER´s investment activities focused on several major projects. At
Burghausen (Germany), WACKER POLYSILICON continued to expand its
capacities for hyperpure polycrystalline silicon to meet soaring
demand both from chipmakers and the booming photovoltaics industry. A
facility with an annual capacity of 3,500 metric tons reached full
capacity earlier than planned in Q4 2007. Two additional ongoing
expansion stages are on schedule and a new facility for granular
silicon is under construction. As a result, the division´s total
annual production capacity will rise from a current 10,000 to over
22,000 metric tons by the end of 2010.

To further enhance its photovoltaics supply chain, WACKER set up two
joint ventures with SCHOTT Solar GmbH in October 2007 to produce and
market silicon wafers to the solar industry. Over the coming years,
WACKER and SCHOTT plan to invest some EUR370 million at their sites
in Jena (Thuringia) and Alzenau (Bavaria). Production of wafers with
a total capacity of 120 megawatts should already start in mid-2008.
Capacity is set to expand in stages, reaching about one gigawatt per
year by 2012.

At its Burghausen (Bavaria) site, Siltronic has now doubled its
monthly capacity for 300 mm silicon wafers to 135,000. More and more
chipmakers are switching their production lines to these wafers,
since the larger diameter offers them a cost advantage of about 30
percent. In a joint venture with Samsung Electronics, Siltronic is
also building a new 300 mm production line in Singapore. Production
of qualification wafers is already up and running, with a rapid
mass-production ramp-up planned to start in the first half of 2008.
By the end of 2010, the joint venture is scheduled to have a monthly
capacity of 300,000 wafers. Siltronic and Samsung are jointly
investing about US$1 billion there.

WACKER SILICONES has further expanded its locations at Nünchritz
(Saxony) and Zhangjiagang (China). The division is thus responding to
huge demand for silicone, a truly general-purpose material. In
Nünchritz, capacity for siloxane - a key silicone-production
precursor - was expanded once again. Via debottlenecking measures,
WACKER SILICONES can now produce 120,000 metric tons of siloxane per
year. Previously, total annual capacity was 100,000 metric tons. At
Zhangjiagang, production facilities came on stream for silicone
elastomers and sealants, and other facilities to manufacture silicone
emulsions are under construction. Joint construction of siloxane
production in Zhangjiagang with Dow Corning continues to progress
according to schedule and production is expected to begin in 2010. A
pyrogenic silica production plant - again in partnership with Dow
Corning - has meanwhile been completed. In the next step, the
facility will be ramped up.

WACKER POLYMERS continues to expand its dispersible polymer powder
capacities. At the Burghausen site, a production facility with an
annual capacity of 30,000 metric tons came on stream in fall 2007.
WACKER POLYMERS is currently building another facility on the same
scale in Nanjing (China). Production is set to commence at the
beginning of next year. The division intends to secure and further
expand on its leading position in China - a key growth market.
Moreover, WACKER POLYMERS acquired full ownership of its two joint
ventures Air Products Polymers and Wacker Polymer Systems. The
acquisition was successfully closed on February 1, 2008. As the
world's leading supplier of dispersible polymer powders for
construction applications, the division expects the transaction to
benefit its global construction-polymers business on several
strategic fronts. Advantages include backward integration at U.S. and
Asian dispersion plants, as well as from the expansion of its supply
chain outside the eurozone.

The sales gain and growth projects had a positive effect on the
number of Group employees. At year-end 2007, WACKER had some 15,000
employees worldwide, 2.6 percent more than the prior-year number.
Business Divisions

Siltronic boosted its total sales by 15 percent to EUR1.45 billion in
2007 (2006: EUR1.26bn). This rise was primarily due to higher
production volumes. Exchange-rate and positive price effects
virtually cancelled each other out. Siltronic´s EBITDA reached EUR478
million in the year under review (2006: EUR356m) - a gain of 34
percent.

WACKER SILICONES´ total sales rose 6 percent to EUR1.36 billion in
2007 (2006: EUR1.29bn). Growth was mainly driven by substantial
volume gains, although price increases also played a role. Negative
exchange-rate effects, however, impacted our sales development. The
division´s EBITDA reached EUR227 million in 2007 (2006: EUR232m).

WACKER POLYMERS´ total sales rose 13 percent to EUR633 million last
year (2006: EUR560m). In particular, construction industry demand for
dispersible polymer powder showed extremely strong growth. In 2007,
WACKER POLYMERS generated EBITDA of EUR107 million (2006: EUR107m).

WACKER POLYSILICON´s total sales rose 40 percent to EUR457 million in
2007 (2006: EUR326m). This strong growth was fueled by higher prices
and volume gains stemming from the expansion of production
capacities. Continued strong solar-industry demand had a particularly
positive influence on the division´s polysilicon business. In 2007,
WACKER POLYSILICON generated EBITDA of EUR182 million (2006: EUR118m)
- this is a gain of 54 percent.

WACKER FINE CHEMICALS generated total sales of EUR112 million in 2007
(2006: EUR113m), thereby matching the prior-year level. The
division´s higher sales of biotech products were able to offset its
declining business in custom fine chemicals and catalog products,
which had been affected by consolidation measures. WACKER FINE
CHEMICALS´ EBITDA was EUR10 million in 2007 (2006: EUR11m).

Proposal on Appropriation of Profits The Executive and Supervisory
Boards will propose a dividend of EUR2.25 per dividend-entitled share
(2006: EUR2.00) at the annual shareholder meeting. This basic
dividend reflects a designated minimum payout ratio of 25 percent of
net income. Additionally, the Group intends for shareholders to
benefit from its excellent financial performance with a special bonus
of EUR0.75. Based on shares entitled to dividends as per December 31,
2007, this corresponds to a payout of EUR112 million. Another EUR37
million will be distributed via the special bonus. Calculated in
relation to WACKER´s average share price in 2007, the yield of both
dividend components is 2.0 percent.

Outlook WACKER expects its upward sales trend to continue in 2008 -
with WACKER POLYSILICON providing the largest internal sales growth.
The complete acquisition of shares in the two joint ventures with Air
Products will lead to sales growth, too. Overall, the Group sees a
good chance of boosting sales in 2008 by well over 10 percent. EBITDA
is also expected to continue its upward trend. For 2008, WACKER has
earmarked investments of around EUR1 billion.

WACKER's Key Figures

| |2007 |2006 |Change in |
| | |percent |
|Results / Return | | | |
|Sales EUR million |3,781.3|3,336.9 |13.3 |
|EBITDA EUR million |1,001.5|786.3 |27.4 |
|EBIT EUR million |649.6 |456.3 |42.4 |
|Net income EUR million |422.0 |311.3 |35.6 |
|Earnings per share EUR |8.49 |6.46 |31.4 |
|ROCE percent |25.3 |17.9 | |
| | | | |
|Balance Sheet / Cash Flow | | | |
|Total assets EUR million |3,981.1|3,258.2 |20.3 |
|Equity EUR million |1,865.6|1,585.8 |17.6 |
|Equity ratio percent |47.6 |48.7 | |
| | | | |
|CAPEX (incl. financial assets) EUR |699.3 |525.3 |33.1 |
|million | | | |
| | | | |
|Depreciation (incl. financial |351.9 |330.0 |6.6 |
|assets) EUR million | | | |
| | | | |
|Net cash flow EUR million |643.8 |184.7 |248.6 |
| | | | |
|Research and development | | | |
|Research & development expenses EUR |152.5 |152.3 |0.1 |
|million | | | |
| | | | |
|Employees | | | |
|Personnel expenses EUR million |1,041.9|962.4 |5.5 |
|Employees (December 31) No. |15,044 |14,668 |2.6 |

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on
assumptions and estimates of WACKER´s Executive Board. Although we
assume the expectations in these forward-looking statements are
realistic, we cannot guarantee they will prove to be correct. The
assumptions may harbor risks and uncertainties that may cause the
actual figures to differ considerably from the forward-looking
statements. Factors that may cause such discrepancies include, among
other things, changes in the economic and business environment,
variations in exchange and interest rates, the introduction of
competing products, lack of acceptance for new products or services,
and changes in corporate strategy. WACKER does not plan to update the
forward-looking statements, nor does it assume the obligation to do
so.

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

Further inquiry note:

Christof Bachmair

Media Relations & Information

Tel. +49 89 6279-1830

E-Mail: christof.bachmair@wacker.com

Branche: Chemicals
ISIN: DE000WCH8881
WKN: WCH888
Index: Midcap Market Index, MDAX, CDAX, Classic All Share, HDAX,
Prime All Share
Börsen: Börse Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard