NACKA STRAND, Sweden, Feb. 11, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Hexagon:
Fourth Quarter 2004
-- Net sales increased to 2 370 MSEK (1 826). Using fixed exchange rates and a comparable group structure, net sales increased by 14 per cent.
-- Earnings before taxes increased by 50 per cent to 174 MSEK (116) including 9 MSEK in e.o.charges (0).
-- Earnings after taxes increased by 53 per cent to 135 MSEK (88).
-- Earnings per share increased by 53 per cent to 7.30 SEK (4.76).
-- Cash flow per share increased by 51 per cent to 14.06 SEK (9.30).
January -- December 2004
-- Net sales increased by 16 per cent to 8 256 MSEK (7 103). Using fixed exchange rates and a comparable group structure, net sales increased by 11 per cent.
-- Earnings before taxes increased by 53 per cent to 495 MSEK (323) including 24 MSEK in e.o. charges (0).
-- Earnings after taxes increased by 62 per cent to 357 MSEK (221).
-- Earnings per share increased by 62 per cent to 19.31 SEK (11.95).
-- Cash flow per share increased by 46 per cent to 34.72 SEK (23.79).
-- The Board of Directors proposes an increased dividend equal to 6.00 SEK per share (4.60).
-- If applying IFRS, earnings after taxes would have been 430 MSEK, corresponding to 22.87 SEK per share.
For further information, please call: Ola Rollen, CEO, Hexagon AB, Phone +46 8-601 26 20 Hakan Halen, CFO, Hexagon AB, Phone +46 8-601 26 20
The Year-end Report will be presented Friday, 11 February, at 15.00 hrs C.E.T. in a telephone conference. Please see instructions at: www.hexagon.se.
Hexagon is a multinational engineering technology group with the ambition to become number 1 or number 2 in its stra-tegic businesses. The group's targets are to increase earnings per share after tax by at least 15 per cent p.a., and achieve a return on capital employed of more than 15 per cent over a business cycle.
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