Metro International: Financial Results for the First Quarter Ended 31 March 2005


BERTRANGE, Luxembourg, April 20, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Metro International S.A. ("Metro") (MTROA, MTROB) today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended 31 March 2005.

FIRST QUARTER 2005 HIGHLIGHTS


 -- 28% year on year increase in net sales to US$ 84.1 million
    (US$ 65.8 million)

 -- Operating profit of US$ 7.5 million, including US$ 15.9 million 
    Metro Boston transaction profit (loss of US$ 3.9 million)

 -- A 49% interest in Metro Boston sold for US$ 16.5 million
    to The New York Times Company, realizing a transaction
    profit of US$ 15.9 million

 -- Operating loss for newspaper editions of US$ 3.6 million
    (profit of US$ 0.4 million) and operating loss for online
     businesses of US$ 0.4 million (US$ 0.0 million)

 -- Operating profit for newspaper editions, excluding the
    new Lisbon and New York editions of US$ 1.0 million
    (profit of US$ 0.7 million)

 -- Daily circulation at the end of March 2005 reached
    6.9 million copies

 -- Net profit of US$ 5.8 million (loss of US$ 5.4 million)

 -- Cash and bank balances of US$ 47.3 million and net cash
    of US$ 3.3 million

 -- Weighted average basic profit per share of US$ 0.01
    (loss of US$ 0.01)

For further information, please visit www.metro.lu, email info@metro.lu or contact:


 Pelle Tornberg, President & CEO 
 tel: +44 (0) 20 7016 1300 
 Henrik Persson, Investor & Press Relations
 tel: +46 (0) 8 562 000 87

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