Hawesko increases dividend substantially once again and adds bonus payment

- Supervisory board and management board move to pay out € 1.75 per share including bonus
- Ratified final accounts for 2010 confirm preliminary figures
- Free cash flow rises once again

Hamburg, 25 March 2011.  The wine trading group Hawesko Holding AG (HAW GR, HAWG.DE, DE0006042708) will raise its regular dividend for the completed 2010 fiscal year to € 1.50 per share (prior year: € 1.35) and pay a bonus of € 0.25 per share as well. At its meeting yesterday, the supervisory board of the company approved the corresponding dividend proposal of the management board which will be put to a vote of the annual general meeting on 20 June 2011.  The proposed 11% increase in the regular dividend reflects the approximate percentual increase in the operating result (EBIT).  The additionally proposed bonus payout is based on the proceeds of the sale of the financial interest in Majestic Wine PLC. Overall, € 15.7 million is to be paid out to the shareholders from the tax contribution account - an increase of 32% over 2009 (€ 11.9 million). For most private investors domiciled in Germany the dividend and bonus will be tax-free.


Furthermore, the supervisory board reviewed, discussed and approved the annual and consolidated financial statements for fiscal year 2010; the annual financial statements of the parent company were officially approved. As previously announced, Group sales in 2010 (1 January to 31 December) rose by 11.6% to € 377.7 million (previous year: € 338.5 million). The final approved accounts show an operating result (EBIT) of € 25.7 million, once again a top-level result. Consolidated earnings after deductions for taxes and minority interests amounted in 2010 to € 20.0 million or € 2.24 per share (previous year: € 13.1 million or € 1.48 per share). The consolidated balance sheet total amounted to € 201.8 million and shareholders' equity to 46% of that sum (previous year: € 173.6 million and 47%). The free cash flow (cash flow from ongoing business activities minus capital spend and interest paid out) in 2010 rose once again, to a total of € 23.8 million from € 20.8 million in the previous year.


The management board will give a detailed presentation of the results of fiscal year 2010 as well as of the first three months of 2011 on 12 May 2011 at the annual press conference of Hawesko Holding AG.


Hawesko Holding AG is a leading supplier of premium wines and champagnes.  Hawesko Holding AG is a leading supplier of premium wines and champagnes. In fiscal year 2010 the Group achieved sales of € 378 million through its three sales channels - specialist wine-shop retail (Jacques' Wein-Depot), wholesale (Wein Wolf and CWD Champagner und Wein Distributionsgesellschaft) and mail order (in particular Hanseatisches Wein- und Sekt-Kontor) -  and employed 696 people. The shares of Hawesko Holding AG are listed on the Hanseatic Stock Exchange in Hamburg as well as in the SDAX small-cap index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.


# # #

Published by:
Hawesko Holding AG, 20247 Hamburg
Internet:
http://www.hawesko.com (Company information)
http://www.hawesko.de (Online shop)
http://www.jacques.de (Jacques' Wein-Depot information and online shop)

Press/Media:     
Vera Maria Bau, VMB Consulting   
Tel.  +49 (0)228 4496 406    
Fax +49 (0)228 4496 9406    
E-mail: vmb(at)veramariabau-pr.de   

Investor Relations:
Thomas Hutchinson, Hawesko Holding AG
Tel. +49 (0)40 30 39 21 00
Fax +49 (0)40 30 39 21 05
E-Mail: ir(at)hawesko.com