Constant growth in the first three quarters of 2008

During the first nine months of 2008 Krones remained on course for growth, despite the cyclical downturn. On a like-for-like basis, sales rose by 12.5 % to reach EUR 1,765.9 m. During the period under review, the company benefited from the increasing number of clients looking for all-inclusive job packages. Another growth driver during the year’ s first three quarters was the group’ s Plastics Technology Division.

Order bookings were up by 6.1 % during the first three quarters of 2008 compared to the preceding year, to reach EUR 1,870.4 m. The order backlog, at EUR 996.3 m, was 6.0 % higher on 30 September 2008 than the preceding year’ s equivalent figure.

Earnings before taxes (EBT), at EUR 126.8 m, rose by 20.8 % in the year’ s first nine months on a like-for-like basis. The EBT margin, meaning earnings before taxes in relation to sales, improved from 6.7 % to 7.2 %. Since due to the reform of German corporation tax the taxation ratio fell to 31.5 % (preceding year: 37.0 %) in the first nine months of 2008, earnings after taxes rose more substantially than EBT, up by 31.3 % to reach 86.8 m EUR, while earnings per share rose from 2.10 to 2.75 EUR.