euro adhoc: BWT Aktiengesellschaft / Financial Figures/Balance Sheet / BWT Continues to Grow Sales and Income

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11.08.2006

BWT - Best Water Technology Group - has continued its growth course
in the second quarter of 2006. In the first half of the year, sales
grew by a total of 9.0% and EBIT by 7.8%, taking into account an
adjustment to the previous year’s figures for comparison purposes for
the spun-off business segment "AST - Aqua Systems Technologies".

In the first half of 2006, the BWT Group generated consolidated sales
of EUR174.2 million and thus exceeded the comparable figure of last
year (without AST) by 9.0%. Total sales including the AST segment
amounted to EUR245.9 million in the previous year. In the second
quarter, the Group achieved total sales of EUR91.6 million, a
year-on-year increase of 9.7% (EUR83.5 million without AST).

Segmental sales in EUR million 1 - 6 / 2006 1 - 6 / 2005 + / - %
Austria / Germany 71.276 65.897 +8.2%
France / Benelux 46.389 45.457 +2.1%
Scandinavia 20.320 17.630 +15.3%
Italy / Spain 16.166 14.874 +8.7%
Switzerland / Others 20.073 15.991 +25.5%
Subtotal BWT excl. AST 174.224 159.849 +9.0%
Aqua Systems Technologies (AST) *) - 86.088 -100.0%
BWT Group 174.224 245.937 -29.2%
*) Spun-off on October 31, 2005 and launched on the Vienna Stock Exchange as an
independent company group under the name of "CHRIST WATER TECHNOLOGY"
After a slow first quarter as had been expected, the Austria / Germany segment
improved by 15.7% in the second quarter, or 8.7% in the first half-year, mainly
due to a good residential installation and services business. The France /
Benelux segment in the second quarter fell by 4.7% year-on-year, with cumulative
growth at 2.1%. Pleasing growth rates of over 15% both in the second quarter and
on a cumulative basis in the first six months were achieved by the HOH Group,
which is responsible for the Scandinavian market, with key contributions from
HOH Denmark and HOH Birger Christensen in Norway. The Italian and Spanish
subsidiaries of the BWT Group generated growth of 6.8% in the first quarter and
8.7% in the first six months. BWT’s activities in Switzerland, Eastern Europe
and outside Europe in the "Switzerland / Others" segment produced an increase in
sales of 23.6% in the quarter or 25.5% on a cumulative basis.
The servicing and spare parts business in the first six months totaled EUR36.3
million (20.8% of consolidated sales - PY: EUR32.5 million or 20.3%). Growth in
this service area, which is of special strategic importance to BWT, was 11.8%,
once again considerably higher than the overall sales growth.
In the first six months of 2006, EBIT (earnings from operating activities) for
the BWT Group increased to EUR18.4 million, the EBIT margin amounting to 10.6%
of sales. The increase was thus 7.8% year-on-year (without AST). Particularly
impressive was the performance in Scandinavia, where the HOH Group increased
EBIT from EUR0.6 million to EUR2.6 million. This excellent improvement was the
result of a margin increase accompanied by falling personnel and other
operational costs. The decline of EBIT in Austria / Germany mainly attributable
to considerably rising raw material costs and in France / Benelux due to
below-average sales growth was partly offset by the positive earnings
development in Italy / Spain and Eastern Europe.
Segmental EBIT in EUR million 1 - 6 / 2006 1 - 6 / 2005 + / - %
Austria / Germany 6.948 7.708 -9.9%
France / Benelux 4.276 4.928 -13.2%
Scandinavia 2.551 0.560 +355.5%
Italy / Spain 2.679 2.183 +22.7%
Others 1.972 1.718 +14.8%
Subtotal BWT excl. AST 18.426 17.097 +7.8%
Aqua Systems Technologies (AST) *) - 0.622 -
BWT Group 18.426 17.719 +4.0%
*) Spun-off on October 31, 2005 and launched on the Vienna Stock Exchange as an
independent company group under the name of "CHRIST WATER TECHNOLOGY"
Financial earnings did not change greatly compared to the previous year,
earnings before taxes increased year-on-year by 7.8% to EUR18.3 million.
Earnings after taxes increased to EUR13.3 million or 7.6% of sales (previous
year without AST: EUR12.2 million, incl. AST: EUR12.4 million). Earnings per
share amounted to EUR0.74, 8.9% higher than in the first half of the previous
year (EUR0.68).

The improvement in consolidated earnings has resulted in the cash
flow from the result increasing to EUR17.3 million. The cash flow
from the operating activity in the first half of 2006 was EUR1.3
million compared to EUR-1.0 million a year earlier. Although
dividends distributed for the past fiscal year increased by 11%, the
Group’s equity base improved to 38.7% compared to 37.7% at the end of
the previous year.

In the first six months of the current fiscal year, the BWT Group
invested a total of EUR4.5 million in fixed assets. By the end of the
first six months, the total number of employees in the BWT Group had
risen to 2,179, an increase of 163 year-on-year.

Outlook After the CHRIST spin-off and the refocusing of the BWT Group
on water treatment for households and commercial facilities,
expanding its market-leading role in Europe and beyond, especially in
Eastern Europe and Asia, are the main goals of BWT. In the process,
it is particularly important to further increase awareness of the
"BWT" brand among the majority of end consumers, which can be
achieved mainly by expanding the "point-of-use" program (i.e. devices
which are used at the point the water is drawn off).

Based on this strategy, an unchanged positive economic climate and
the gratifying results in the fiscal year to date, the Management
Board expects consolidated Group sales for the current fiscal year of
more than EUR340 million and an annual net profit of more than EUR20
million.

end of announcement euro adhoc 11.08.2006 07:30:00
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ots Originaltext: BWT AG
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Further inquiry note:
BWT Aktiengesellschaft
Ralf Burchert
ralf.burchert@bwt.at
Tel.: +43 (0)6232/5010-1113

Branche: Water Supply
ISIN: AT0000737705
WKN: 884042
Index: ATX Prime
Börsen: Wiener Börse AG / official market