EANS-News: WACKER Posts Sales of EUR3.7 Billion for 2009

- As expected, sales are about 14 percent below prior year
- EBITDA
reaches some €600 million after non-recurring charges
- Special
items of around €340 million result in negative net income of about
€-80 million
- Growth project investments of some €740 million
almost entirely financed from own cashflow
- Q4 figures confirm the
recovery trend experienced since April 2009
- CEO Staudigl:
“Far-sighted accounting policy and high investments are importand
building blocks for WACKER’s future success”

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Financial Figures/Balance Sheet

Subtitle: - As expected, sales are about 14 percent below prior year
- EBITDA reaches some €600 million after non-recurring charges -
Special items of around €340 million result in negative net income of
about €-80 million - Growth project investments of some €740 million
almost entirely financed from own cashflow - Q4 figures confirm the
recovery trend experienced since April 2009 - CEO Staudigl:
“Far-sighted accounting policy and high investments are importand
building blocks for WACKER’s future success”

Munich (euro adhoc) - January 27, 2010 - As expected, Wacker Chemie
AG generated lower sales and earnings in 2009 compared to 2008,
according to preliminary figures. The upturn in demand experienced
since April 2009 continued through the fourth quarter, but did not
offset the drop in sales caused by the global economic crisis. The
Munich-based company posted consolidated sales of EUR3.7 billion in
2009, almost 14 percent below the previous year (2008: EUR4.3bn).

Preliminary earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortization (EBITDA) reached about EUR600 million, down EUR455
million or 43 percent from the previous year (2008: EUR1.055bn).
Earnings were chiefly impacted by the extremely difficult business
situation in the semiconductor division, where EBITDA fell about
EUR520 million against 2008. Additionally, non-recurring charges
reduced 2009´s EBITDA by a total of some EUR160 million. These
charges were mainly due to exiting the WACKER SCHOTT Solar joint
venture, to extraordinary pension-provision additions, to provisions
for phased early-retirement schemes and working-life accounts, and to
provisions for personnel measures at WACKER SILICONES and Siltronic.

On a preliminary basis, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) are
estimated at around EUR20 million for 2009 (2008: EUR647.9m). In
addition to the non-recurring charges already mentioned, EBIT
includes impairments on fixed assets of almost EUR180 million at
Siltronic and WACKER SILICONES. Totaling about EUR340 million, the
special items will result in negative net income of some EUR-80
million for the full year (2008: EUR438.3m).

According to WACKER´s preliminary figures, capital expenditures
amounted to about EUR740 million in 2009 (2008: EUR916.3m). Spending
focused on the Group´s strategic growth projects, especially the
ongoing production-capacity expansion for hyperpure polysilicon at
Burghausen and Nünchritz. WACKER funded these investments almost
entirely through cash flow from operating activities despite the
economic crisis. WACKER´s net financial debt totaled about EUR80
million at year-end 2009.

In the fourth quarter of 2009, the upturn in demand seen since early
Q2 continued. Consolidated sales for October through December 2009
amounted to EUR935 million (Q4 2008: EUR998.7m). This was 5 percent
below Q3 2009 (EUR986.5m) due to the usual seasonal effects,
especially in the construction sector. Compared to Q4 2008, sales at
WACKER´s chemical divisions climbed almost 3 percent to about EUR520
million in the fourth quarter of 2009 (Q4 2008: EUR506.0m). In
contrast, Siltronic´s fourth-quarter semiconductor sales declined to
just over EUR180 million, about 40 percent down year on year (Q4
2008: EUR303.6m). Hyperpure polysilicon business remained robust.
Sales at WACKER POLYSILICON rose 12 percent in Q4 2009 to almost
EUR270 million (Q4 2008: EUR239.1m).

The WACKER Group´s fourth-quarter EBITDA was about EUR90 million (Q4
2008: EUR118.7m). EBITDA was chiefly impacted by an extraordinary
addition to pension provisions of about EUR50 million, reflecting the
higher average life expectancy of the Group´s pension-fund
beneficiaries. On top of this, WACKER made provisions of some EUR45
million in Q4 2009 for phased early-retirement schemes, working-life
accounts, and the Kempten plant closure, which has already been
announced. WACKER´s earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) also
included additional impairments on fixed assets of about EUR55
million at Siltronic and WACKER SILICONES. This resulted in an EBIT
loss of about EUR-60 million (Q4 2008: EUR-13.6m).

At WACKER´s divisions, results varied in Q4 2009. The chemical
divisions generated a positive EBITDA margin in the mid single-digit
range. In contrast, Siltronic´s fourth-quarter EBITDA margin remained
in negative territory, roughly at the prior quarter´s level (Q3 2009:
-12.4 percent). As for hyperpure polysilicon, earnings were very
strong. WACKER POLYSILICON reported an EBITDA margin of almost 50
percent for Q4 2009 despite weakening prices.

"Although the global economic crisis has left its mark on our
business figures, I think WACKER is on a sound course," says CEO
Rudolf Staudigl. "Our far-sighted accounting policy shown during the
last year is an important building block to equip ourselves for the
future. Despite posting a loss, we were able to finance our
considerable investments in growth projects almost entirely from cash
flow thanks to rigorous cash management. Our 2009 investment ratio
reached 20 percent. For me, that´s clear proof of WACKER´s financial
strength. If the present economic recovery continues, this will give
WACKER a good chance of significantly increasing both consolidated
sales and net income again in fiscal 2010."

The Q4 and fiscal 2009 figures and trends contained in this press
release are preliminary. Wacker Chemie AG will publish its Q4 Report
and 2009 Annual Report on March 24, 2010.

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 (0)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: Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard