EANS-News: SMT Scharf AG reports significant growth in the first nine months of 2012

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9-month report

Subtitle: Revenue up 48 % to EUR 80.8 million / EBIT rises 47 % to
EUR 12.8 million / Order book position falls 61 % to EUR 21.7 million
by end of September 2012

Hamm (euro adhoc) - November 12, 2012 - SMT Scharf AG (WKN 575198,
ISIN DE0005751986), technology and world market leader for captivated
railway systems for the underground mining sector, has substantially
increased its revenue and earnings in the first nine months of 2012.
The SMT Scharf Group generated EUR 80.8 million of revenue,
representing 48 % growth compared with the previous year's EUR 54.6
million. Of this revenue, 93 % was attributable to markets outside
Germany (previous year: 89 %). In particular, demand from China and
Russia was very good.

Operating output rose 33 % to EUR 80.3 million (previous year: EUR
60.3 million). The company boosted its operating profit (EBIT) to EUR
12.8 million, reflecting 47 % growth (previous year: EUR 8.7
million). SMT Scharf AG provided sustainable evidence of its high
profitability with a 16.0 % EBIT margin in the first nine months of
2012 (the EBIT margin is now based on operating output, rather than
revenue, as in the previous year), compared with 14.5 %. The cost of
materials ratio of 54 % was slightly ahead of the previous year's 53
% due to the product mix. The personal expense ratio was reduced to
15 % (previous year: 18 %). Overall, the SMT Scharf Group generated
EUR 10.6 million of consolidated net income, compared with EUR 6.8
million in the comparable period of 2011, reflecting 55 %
year-on-year growth.

The order book position amounted to EUR 21.7 million at the end of
the period under review, 61 % below the very strong previous year
(EUR 56.0 million). This is due to both the high level of shipments,
and the considerably weaker new order intake compared with the
previous-year period.

Christian Dreyer, who has been active as CEO of SMT Scharf AG since
May 1, 2012, anticipates that 2012 will go down as a record year: "We
reported significant revenue and earnings growth despite a weaker
global economic environment. The current year is certain to set a
record year in the company's history. The entire sector expects the
mining business to cool considerably in 2013. However we anticipate
that the subsequent years will report a return to robust growth."

The full report for the first nine months of 2012 will be available
during the course of today at www.smtscharf.com in the Investor
Relations section.

Further inquiry note:
Investor Relations
cometis AG
Henryk Deter / Patrick Ortner
Tel: +49(0)611 - 205855-16
Fax: +49(0)611 - 205855-66
e-mail: ortner@cometis.de

end of announcement euro adhoc
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company: SMT Scharf AG
Römerstr. 104
D-59075 Hamm
phone: +49(0)2381-960212
FAX: +49(0)2381-960311
mail: ir@smtscharf.com
WWW: http://www.smtscharf.com
sector: Machine Manufacturing
ISIN: DE0005751986
indexes: SDAX, CDAX, Classic All Share, Prime All Share
stockmarkets: free trade: Berlin, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart,
regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt
language: English