Deutsche Börse Generates Record Result Again In 2004 - Dividend To Be Increased By 27 Percent To €0.70 - EBIT Climbs To €458.7 Million - Turnover And EBIT Increased In Q4

Deutsche Börse AG has closed yet another fiscal year with a record result. According to the preliminary figures for the fiscal year 2004 presented by the company on Monday, Deutsche Börse achieved record revenue of €1.45 billion, compared with €1.42 billion the previous year. The company also received a further €77.1 million from net interest income generated in banking business. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) rose by €6.1 million or 1 percent to a record level of €458.7 million (€452.6 million in 2003). Deutsche Börse posted net profit of €266.1 million in 2004, compared with €246.3 million the previous year. Earnings per share increased 8 percent from €2.20 to €2.38. The Executive Board of Deutsche Börse has proposed a dividend increase of 27 percent to €0.70 per share (€0.55 in 2003).

Deutsche Börse AG CFO Mathias Hlubek said: "We expect to maintain this progressive dividend policy in the future." With this dividend increase, Deutsche Börse has increased the dividend for its shareholders by at least 20 percent for the fifth year in a row. According to Hlubek, the company is very pleased with the business development in 2005. Hlubek reiterated that he expects the company to generate EBITA of around €600 million in 2005, a guidance first given at the end of Q3 2004.

Segment reporting once again shows Clearstream as the best performing segment in 2004. Revenue in this segment increased from €543.7 million in 2003 to €578.8 million. In fiscal year 2004, Clearstream reported EBIT of €116.7 million, following €111.2 million in the previous year.

Eurex contributed €407.4 million to annual revenue, compared with €409.6 in the previous year. EBIT in the Eurex segment totaled €174.9 million, down from €228 million in the previous year.

The Xetra segment reported revenue of €216.3 million, compared with €212.3 million in 2003. EBIT increased from €57.6 million in 2003 to €86.2 million in 2004.

Information Technology achieved revenue of €125.4 million in 2004, compared with €131.9 million the previous year. EBIT increased from €72.6 million in 2003 to €82.4 million in 2004.

Revenue in the Market Data & Analytics segment totaled €121.7 million, as against €121.9 million in the previous year. The segment generated EBIT of €44.4 million (€45.2 million in 2003).

In Q4 2004, Deutsche Börse recorded revenue of €364.4 million, compared with €354.1 million in the same quarter of the previous year. In addition, the company generated €22.7 million in net interest income from banking business. EBIT increased from €102.1 million in Q4 2003 to €103.4 million. Net profit for the quarter was up from €50.8 million in 2003 to €54.6 million in Q4 2004.

Click here to download the financial results for the fourth quarter and financial year 2004.