STOCKHOLM, Sweden, June 23, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB:
-- Turnover for the H&M Group excluding VAT amounted to SEK 24,981 M (23,070), an increase of 8 per cent. With comparable currency rates, the increase was 10 percent. -- Profit after financial items for the half-year was SEK 4,497 M (4,256). Profit per share after estimated tax was SEK 2,923 M (2,766), corresponding to SEK 3:53 (3:34) per share. -- Turnover for the second quarter excluding VAT amounted to SEK 13,225 M (12,299), an increase of 8 per cent compared with previous year. With comparable currency rates the increase was 9 percent. -- Profit after financial items for the second quarter was SEK 2,709 M (SEK 2,566), an increase of 6 percent. -- Sales in the first two stores in Canada, Toronto, has been well over expectations. -- A contract has been signed for the first establishment on the US west coast in San Francisco. Opening planned during the autumn 2005. -- The operations in the USA reported profit after depreciations during the second quarter. Contact persons: Carl-Henric Enhorning, +46 8 796 54 10 IR Leif Persson, CFO +46 8 796 13 00 Rolf Eriksen, CEO +46 8 796 52 33 Switchboard +46 8 796 55 00
Information about H&M and press photographs are available at www.hm.com
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