DGAP-News

STRATEC reports on first half of 2015 - Seite 2

9.8 million, and earnings per share improved by 1.2% to EUR 0.83. The tax
rate for the first half of 2015 amounted to 19.2%.

Free cash flow in the first half declined to EUR 9.4 million due to
reporting date-related increases in customer receivables and a higher tax
expenses. Cash and cash equivalents rose to EUR 49.1 million at the
reporting date on June 30, 2015. The equity ratio amounts to 78.4%.

Annual General Meeting and dividend proposal
Shareholders participating in the Annual General Meeting on May 22, 2015
approved all of the proposals submitted by the management. Shareholders
also approved the eleventh consecutive increase in the dividend, in this
case to EUR 0.70 per share with dividend entitlement.

Development in personnel
The total number of employees at the STRATEC Group, including personnel
hired from temporary employment agencies and trainees, rose year-on-year by
2.9% from 546 to 562 as of June 30, 2015. Given ongoing demand from our
partners for our research and development services and for the supply of
analyzer systems, we continue to look for well-qualified personnel,
especially in the development division.

Projects and other developments
STRATEC is focusing in the current year on achieving further key
development milestones for future market launches by our partners, and
finalizing negotiations for new development and production contracts. One
further focus is on developing proprietary platform solutions, which should
contribute to the company's further growth from 2017 onwards.

The expansion in production and development capacities is set to play a
major role in the company's future growth strategy. The move into the new
buildings at the Romanian location and in Switzerland is scheduled to take
place in the first half of 2016.

Financial forecast remains valid
Following the positive sales performance in the first six months of the
current financial year, we also expect to generate slight sales growth in
the second half of 2015, accompanied by an EBIT margin at the current
level.

The targets set out in our financial forecast first communicated in July
2013, which provide for average annual sales growth of eight to twelve
percent through to 2017 accompanied by increasing profitability, remain
valid. We expect figures to fall below or exceed this range in individual