EANS-News: Hoeft & Wessel AG pays dividend for the first time

Subsidiary Metric Parking accomplishes turnaround in 2009

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Financial Figures/Balance Sheet

Subtitle: Subsidiary Metric Parking accomplishes turnaround in 2009

Hanover / Germany, 31 March 2010 (euro adhoc) - ...
- Operating result of EUR 3.1 million for 2009 exceeds expectations
- Positive business trends also anticipated for 2010 and 2011
- Targeted development of additional new markets

The Hoeft & Wessel Group plans to pay a dividend for the first time
in the year 2010. Thanks to the solid business performance in 2009,
the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board will propose at the
Annual General Meeting that a dividend of 8 cents per share be paid
to the shareholders for the last financial year. This is equivalent
to a payout ratio of about one third of net income generated by the
Hoeft & Wessel Group. In relation to the share price at the end of
2009, this represents a dividend yield of 2.1 per cent. Efforts to
distribute a dividend will be made in future, too, taking account of
the capital requirements of the Group.

In spite of challenging general economic conditions, sales revenues
of this IT hardware and software specialist in fiscal 2009, at
EUR 94.1 million, were down slightly year-on-year (2008: EUR 98.1
million) by 4.1 per cent. Adjusted for currency effects, sales
revenues came to EUR 97.1 million, almost matching the previous
year´s level.

The operating result (EBIT) of the Hoeft & Wessel Group, at EUR 3.1
million in 2009, turned out slightly better than expected (previous
year: -EUR 3.5 million due to amortisation of goodwill).

Corresponding to the good Group results, cash flow from ongoing
operations rose substantially, to EUR 5.9 million (previous year:
EUR 1.5 million).

A substantial contribution to the good performance in 2009 was made
by the Almex division, which has developed into one of the leading
providers of ticketing systems for public transport throughout
Europe. At the same time, the British subsidiary Metric, specialised
in parking space management systems, successfully accomplished a
turnaround in 2009. The Skeye business division recorded a decline in
sales revenues that was typical for the Auto ID market segment.

In the 2009 financial year, the order intake was raised by 14 per
cent, to a total volume of EUR 80.3 million (2008: EUR 70.4 million).

In 2009 the Hoeft & Wessel Group managed to acquire two large-scale
orders. The Metric subsidiary was awarded a contract for the
installation of more than 1,000 car park ticket vending machines in
the American city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The public transport
operations of the Swiss canton of Geneva opted in favour of Hoeft &
Wessel´s Almex brand when they placed an order for 720 stationary
ticket vending machines. Moreover, extensive full-service maintenance
contracts for mobile Skeye brand terminals were concluded with the
retail organisation Rewe. Moreover, in renewing the full-service
contract of London Bus, Metric succeeded in consolidating its
services department.

For the year 2010, Hoeft & Wessel AG expects a slight increase both
in sales revenues and the operating result. Assuming a further
recovery of the global economy, the Company anticipates that its
positive business trend forecast will continue in 2011.

"Our portfolio of solutions for public transport, parking, as well as
retail and logistics enables us to gain increasing significance
abroad. The international trends in the direction of widespread
automation, networking and urbanisation provide ideal requirements
for further growth. This is why we will continue opening up new
markets in a targeted fashion," explains Hansjoachim Oehmen, Chairman
of the Board of Management of Hoeft & Wessel AG, in explaining the
Company´s future growth strategy.

Key figures for the Hoeft & Wessel Group

In EUR thousands 2009 2008 2007 2006
2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------
---------------- Sales revenues 94,098 98,072
99,704 73,959 84,660 Earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation/

amortisation (EBITDA) 7,569 9,591 11,294 3,685 9,219
Earnings before interest
and taxes (EBIT) 3,076 (3,545) 6,249 (1,102) 3,919
in % of sales revenues 3.3% n/a 6.3% n/a 4.6%
Earnings before taxes (EBT) 2,081 (5,023) 4,727 (1,930) 3,136
in % of sales revenues 2.2% n/a 4.7% n/a 3.7%
Group earnings 1,854 (6,751) 4,401 (2,491) 2,443
Earnings per share (in EUR) 0.22 (0.79) 0.51 (0.29) 0.29

Cash flow from current
operating activities 5,933 1,456 12,180 4,703 7,035
Cash flow from
investment activities (5,046) (6,763) (6,693) (5,464) (5,644)
Net cash flow 1,901 (613) (867) 46 701

Number of employees 503 502 513 528
518

Link to Annual Report 2009: http://www.hoeft-wessel.com/en/ir/ir.htm

Link to press kit with photos:
http://www.presseportal.de/pm/12945/hoeft_wessel_ag/

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

Further inquiry note:

Dr. Arnd Fritzemeier

Tel.: +49-511-6102-300

E-Mail: af@hoeft-wessel.com

Branche: Technology
ISIN: DE0006011000
WKN: 601100
Index: TecDAX, Prime All Share, Technology All Share
Börsen: Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard
Berlin / free trade
Hamburg / free trade
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München / free trade