EANS-News: Pfeiffer Vacuum Technology AG / Pfeiffer Vacuum announces full year results for 2012

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Subtitle: Total sales revenues of € 461.3 million confirmed
Earnings at record level
Highest dividend proposal in the Company’s history

annual result/Company Information/Earnings/Financial Figures/Balance
Sheet

Aßlar, Germany (euro adhoc) - March 22, 2013. Total sales revenues
for 2012, which were previously announced as preliminary and have
meanwhile been audited, stand at EUR 461.3 million. This is a
decrease of 11.2 percent (previous year: EUR 519.5 million). This
figure is in line with expectations. In contrast, operating profit
rose by 9.6 percent to reach a total of EUR 67.7 million (previous
year: EUR 61.8 million). The operating profit margin for 2012 is
therefore 14.7 percent and so is down by 2.8 percentage points from
the previous year (previous year: 11.9 percent).

The Management Board and Supervisory Board propose a dividend payout
of EUR 3.45 per share. This is the highest dividend proposal in the
history of the Company. The payout ratio is therefore a good 75
percent.

Key figures at a glance:

2012 2011 Change
Sales revenues EUR 461.3 million EUR 519.5 million - 11.2%
Operating profit (EBIT) EUR 67.7 million EUR 61.8 million 9.6%
Net income EUR 45.3 million EUR 41.6 million 8.9%
Earnings per share EUR 4.59 EUR 4.19 9.5%
Dividend per share EUR 3.45* EUR 3.15 9.5%

Order intake EUR 445.6 million EUR 515.9 million - 13.6%
Orders in hand EUR 71.8 million EUR 87.6 million - 18.0%

* Subject to the approval of the Annual Shareholders Meeting.

"We were able to increase net profit to a record level despite
declining sales. We have managed to uphold our market shares in a
difficult market environment. Our shareholders are set to benefit
from this success with the highest dividend proposal in the history
of the company", comments Manfred Bender, CEO of Pfeiffer Vacuum, the
results. Bender says, "The current year continues to be characterized
by weaknesses in the market. Pfeiffer Vacuum is superbly positioned,
however, when demand picks up. We are confident that we can achieve
our medium-term profitability goals."

Sales revenues for the various regions showed some changes,
particularly in Europe and Asia, while sales revenues in the Americas
remained stable at EUR 98.1 million (previous year: 98.7 million),
representing a decrease of 0.6 percent. In Europe sales declined by
20.9 percent to EUR 190.8 million (previous year: EUR 229.9 million).
Sales in Asia decreased by 9.6 percent to EUR 171.5 million (previous
year: EUR 189.8 million).

Sales of turbopumps declined by 7.9 percent to EUR 133.0 million
(previous year: EUR 144.3 million). Sales of backing pumps decreased
by 33.8 percent to EUR 121.0 million (previous year: EUR 183.0
million). In contrast, sales of instruments and components remained
relatively stable at EUR 110.9 million. This represents a decline of
0.4 percent (previous year: EUR 111.3 million). Service revenues rose
by 7.9 percent to EUR 78.2 million (previous year: EUR 72.5 million).
Finally, the increase in systems in 2012 to EUR 18.2 million more
than doubled the previous year's figure of EUR 8.4 million.

In the distribution of sales by markets, the weakness in the
semiconductor market was reflected by a mere 5.4 percent decline in
sales to EUR 165.9 million (previous year: EUR 175.4 million). In the
heterogeneous industry market segment, sales decreased by 4.4 percent
to EUR 112.3 million (previous year: 117.5 million). Sales in the
analytical industry segment rose by 2.8 percent to EUR 83.6 million
(previous year: EUR 81.3 million). A rate of growth of 1.3 percent
occurred in the research and development market, resulting in sales
of EUR 55.8 million (previous year: EUR 55.1 million). Due to a weak
solar market, coating sales dropped by 51.6 percent to EUR 43.7
million (previous year: EUR 90.2 million).

Despite the double-figure decline in sales revenues, the measures put
in place by Pfeiffer Vacuum contributed towards a considerable
increase in profitability. As a result, gross profit in 2012 declined
by a mere 0.4 percent to EUR 166.8 million (previous year: EUR 167.4
million). Consequently, the gross profit margin rose by 4 percentage
points to 36.2 percent (previous year: 32.2 percent). Operating
profit increased by as much as 9.6 percent to EUR 67.7 million
(previous year: EUR 61.8 million). This corresponds to an operating
profit margin of 14.7 percent (previous year: 11.9 percent).

The financial result increased to a figure of EUR -1.4 million
(previous year: EUR -2.3 million). The tax rate increased to 31.7
percent (previous year: 30.1 percent). This resulted in a net income
of EUR 45.3 million. With an increase of 8.9 percent, this is the
highest net income ever achieved in the history of Pfeiffer Vacuum
(previous year: EUR 41.6 million). Earnings per share totaled
EUR 4.59 (previous year: EUR 4.19), representing an increase of
9.5 percent.

The cash position of Pfeiffer Vacuum was EUR 102.0 million as at
December 31, 2012, which was 5.8 percent down on the previous year
(previous year: EUR 108.3 million. This was due to the high dividend
payout in 2012 and the repayment of loans. The balance sheet total at
the end of the past fiscal year was EUR 445.7 million (previous year:
EUR 476.8 million). The equity ratio rose to 65.8 percent (previous
year: 59.0 percent).

Please find the complete press release including Consolidated
Statements of Income, Consolidated Balance Sheets, Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows at www.pfeiffer-vacuum.com

About Pfeiffer Vacuum Pfeiffer Vacuum (Stock Exchange Symbol PFV,
ISIN DE0006916604) is one of the world's leading providers of vacuum
solutions. In addition to a full range of hybrid and magnetically
levitated turbopumps, the product portfolio comprises backing pumps,
measurement and analysis devices, components as well as vacuum
chambers and systems. Ever since the invention of the turbopump by
Pfeiffer Vacuum, the company has stood for innovative solutions and
high-tech products that are used in the markets Analytics, Industry,
Research & Development, Coating and Semiconductor. Founded in 1890,
Pfeiffer Vacuum is active throughout the world today. The company
employs a workforce of some 2,300 people and has more than 20
subsidiaries. For more information, please visit
www.pfeiffer-vacuum.com

Further inquiry note:
Brigitte Looß
Leiterin Investor Relations
Tel.: +49 (6441) 802-1346
E-Mail: Brigitte.Loos@pfeiffer-vacuum.de

end of announcement euro adhoc
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company: Pfeiffer Vacuum Technology AG
Berliner Str. 43
D-35614 Aßlar
phone: +49(0)6441-802-0
FAX: +49 (6441) 802-1202
mail: info@pfeiffer-vacuum.de
WWW: http://www.pfeiffer-vacuum.de
sector: Machine Manufacturing
ISIN: DE0006916604
indexes: TecDAX, CDAX, HDAX, Prime All Share, DAXsector All Industrial
stockmarkets: free trade: Hannover, Berlin, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf,
Stuttgart, regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt
language: English