EANS-News: Rheinmetall AG /Rheinmetall increases whole-year guidance for 2010

- Consolidated sales increase by 15% to €1,728 million in first half
of 2010
- Consolidated half-year EBIT up €166 million to €104
million
- 2010 earnings guidance increased to €260 million – €280
million

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corporate news transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer/originator is solely
responsible for the content of this announcement.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Earnings/quarterly report/6-month report

Subtitle: - Consolidated sales increase by 15% to €1,728 million in
first half of 2010 - Consolidated half-year EBIT up €166 million to
€104 million - 2010 earnings guidance increased to €260 million –
€280 million

Düsseldorf (euro adhoc) - With a strong upturn in profitability and
significant sales growth, the Rheinmetall Group is leaving the
automotive crisis behind and returning to its earlier profitability.
While the Defence sector showed ongoing positive business development
at a high level in the first half of 2010, the Automotive sector
increased its sales volume considerably and again posted a
significantly positive result as compared to the same period of the
previous year. Successful business development in the first half of
2010 prompted the group to increase its earnings guidance for 2010 to
EUR260 million - EUR280 million (EBIT). Up to now, EUR220 million to
EUR250 million had been forecast. On the basis of 35% sales growth in
the Automotive sector, Rheinmetall increased its business volume at
group level by around 15% in the first half of the year to EUR1,728
million. Driven by the extremely positive development of the
Automotive sector and the Defence sector remaining strong, EBIT rose
by EUR166 million in the same period to EUR104 million (preceding
year: minus EUR62 million). In the first half of 2010, the
Rheinmetall Group generated net income of EUR57 million, EUR127
million up year-on-year. Earnings per share rose to plus EUR1.43,
compared to minus EUR2.04 in the same period of the previous year.
Net financial liabilities were reduced by EUR199 million year-on-year
to reach EUR338 million on June 30, 2010.

Klaus Eberhardt, CEO of Rheinmetall AG: "2010 will be a strong year
for Rheinmetall. This has become apparent after the first six months.
In the Defence sector, our product portfolio means that we are
benefitting from the continuing mission-based modernization of armed
forces, both in Germany and abroad. Following the turnaround, the
Automotive sector is back on the road to success - and quicker than
we expected at the start of the year. We are now reaping the benefits
of the far-reaching restructuring measures implemented in the
Automotive sector in the past year. We are also optimistic for the
second half of the year. For this reason, we have increased our sales
and earnings guidance."

Defence: Order intake continues to grow

Despite a slight decline in sales, EBIT for the Defence sector in the
first half of 2010 was EUR71 million, matching the EUR70 million of
the preceding year. The EBIT margin increased to 9.3% in the first
six months, compared to 8.9% in the same period of the previous year.
At 11.1%, the EBIT margin for the second quarter of 2010 is already
in double digits. Sales in the Defence sector amounted to EUR762
million in the first half of the year, while the same figure for the
previous year stood at EUR789 million. This decrease of EUR27 million
year-on-year is invoice-related; the total operating performance for
the sector in the first six months of 2010 has increased by just
under 3% year-on-year. Order intake continued to rise in the first
half of the year, due primarily to strategically important,
high-volume international orders from Asia, the Middle East, North
America and Great Britain. It reached EUR1,084 million and has thus
increased by EUR66 million (or 6%) year-on-year. The second quarter
of 2010 in particular exhibits a significantly positive trend: Large
orders for air defence and weapons systems boosted order intake -
which amounted to EUR467 million in the first quarter - to EUR619
million in the second quarter. As at June 30, 2010, the order backlog
amounted to EUR4,954 million, exceeding the previous year´s level of
EUR3,554 million by 39%.

Automotive: Sales and income increase significantly

Rheinmetall´s Automotive sector is emerging from the sector crisis
and, with a strong increase in business volume, is returning to its
former profitability. The company is benefiting from the package of
measures implemented last year to lower the break-even point and from
strong growth in the powertrain and exhaust emission reduction areas
thanks to its innovative product portfolio. The sector generated
sales of EUR966 million in the first six months of 2010, thus
exceeding the previous year´s level by EUR249 million or 35%. The
Automotive sector generated EBIT of EUR43 million in the first half
of 2010. A loss of EUR128 million was recorded in the same period of
the previous year, although this includes EUR68 million in
non-recurring expenditure for capacity adjustments. The EBIT margin
in the first half of the year was 4.5%, following minus 17.9% last
year. In the second quarter of 2010, the Automotive sector had
already attained an EBIT margin of 5.1%.

Outlook: Sales and earnings guidance increased

Rheinmetall expects group sales to reach around EUR3.9 billion for
the current financial year; the prior forecast was EUR3.7 billion.
This is an increase of around EUR500 million year-on-year, including
EUR100 million for Defence acquisitions conducted in the current
financial year. Organic sales growth of approximately EUR2 billion is
expected for the Defence sector in the 2010 financial year. Including
acquisitions, growth of EUR2.1 billion is forecast, following sales
of EUR1.9 billion in the previous year. Based on expert forecasts
from CSM Worldwide, Rheinmetall expects global automobile production
to continue developing positively in the second half of 2010 as well,
although this will be weaker than in the preceding six months due to
market-related and seasonal factors. In this context, Rheinmetall
expects annual sales for the Automotive sector to increase to around
EUR1.8 billion, following EUR1.5 billion in the previous year. On the
basis of the best ever half-yearly result in the current financial
year, Rheinmetall is increasing the EBIT forecast in 2010 from EUR260
million to EUR280 million. Up to now, EUR220 million to EUR250
million had been forecast. Rheinmetall´s Defence sector will further
improve EBIT compared to the previous year. Rheinmetall´s Automotive
sector is also anticipating positive EBIT for the second half of
2010, although - in line with sales performance - this will not match
the value of the first half of the year.

end of announcement euro adhoc
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ots Originaltext: Rheinmetall AG
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Further inquiry note:

Peter Ruecker

Head of Corporate Communications

Phone 0049-211 473 4320

Oliver Hoffmann

Head of Public Relations

Phone 0049-211 473 4748

Branche: Holding companies
ISIN: DE0007030009
WKN: 703000
Index: MDAX
Börsen: Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard
Hannover / free trade
Berlin / regulated dealing
Hamburg / regulated dealing
Stuttgart / regulated dealing
Düsseldorf / regulated dealing
München / regulated dealing