Tuesday, February 21, 2006
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HeidelbergCement outperforms forecast for operating results ...
... and plans to return to dividend payment in the amount of previous years
The Managing Board of HeidelbergCement AG presented to the Supervisory Board in its today’s meeting the following preliminary key financial figures of the 2005 Group annual accounts (previous year’s figures in brackets):
| EURm |
|
|
| Turnover |
7,803 |
(6,929) |
| Operating income before depreciation |
1,506 |
(1,219) |
| Operating income |
1,010 |
(735) |
| Profit before tax |
772 |
(-152) |
| Profit for the financial year, Group share |
415 |
(-366) |
| Net financial liabilities |
3,535 |
(3,668) |
As part of the additional ordinary result of EUR -117 million, significant provisions for restructuring costs and loss risks as well as impairment of previously acquired goodwill and fixed assets have been recorded.
In addition, the Managing Board presented to the Supervisory Board its proposal for the agenda for this year’s Annual General Meeting to be held on 23 May 2006. The agenda includes among others the return to the previous dividend amount of EUR 1.15 per share, the creation of new Authorised Capital I and II amounting to the legal maximum volume of 50% of the subscribed share capital, the authorisation to acquire own shares up to 10% of the subscribed share capital, the reduction of the number of Supervisory Board members from 16 to 12 as of the start of the next term of office (2009), and the conversion of the Supervisory Board’s remuneration to a purely fixed remuneration.
The approval of the audited annual accounts and the adoption of the agenda of the Annual General Meeting shall be reserved for the Supervisory Board meeting on 22 March 2006.
The Managing Board
Ad hoc announcement pursuant to § 15 German Securities Trading Act (WpHG)