DGAP-News

Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH: Haniel successfully restructures portfolio (news with additional features)

DGAP-News: Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH / Key word(s): Half Year
Results/Interim Report
Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH: Haniel successfully restructures portfolio
(news with additional features)

31.08.2015 / 07:45

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Press release

Haniel successfully restructures portfolio

- Bekaert Textiles added in June as new division

- Haniel reduces interest in METRO GROUP to 25 per cent and places
exchangeable bond

- Metro agrees on sale of Kaufhof

- Revenue and operating profit weighed down by cyclical ELG business

- CWS-boco intensifies sales initiative

- TAKKT profits from good business in the USA

- Debt reduction leads to significant increase in profit before taxes

Duisburg, 31 August 2015. Efforts to shape Haniel's portfolio are
advancing. The acquisition of Bekaert Textiles and the further reduction in
the Metro investment represent the successful completion of key steps
towards restructuring Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH (Haniel)'s portfolio. The
active search for additional new divisions continues. From an economic
point of view, the Haniel Group performed well in a somewhat difficult
market environment in the first half of 2015. TAKKT generated encouraging
growth, particularly in the United States, while ELG was down year on year
as a result of difficult conditions in the stainless steel market segment.


Expanded financial leeway, new companies in focus

In the first half of 2015, Haniel successfully expanded its financial
leeway: On the one hand, the Holding Company took advantage of the
attractive capital market environment to issue an exchangeable bond linked
to Metro shares. On the other, Haniel further reduced its interest in METRO
GROUP, thus further balancing its portfolio. "Haniel will continuously
expand its portfolio by using this sound financial footing to acquire
additional companies", said Stephan Gemkow, Chairman of Haniel's Management
Board. "The acquisition of the internationally successful Bekaert Textiles
represented a first key step."


Heterogeneous market environment for the Haniel Group

The global economy continued along a restrained growth course in the first
half of 2015 - although that course varied greatly by region. Growth in the
United States was greater than in Europe, as in the preceding year. In
addition to the macroeconomic environment, the conditions in the stainless
steel market segment are of great significance to the Haniel Group.
Conditions in the first half of 2015 were considerably worse than in the
same period in the previous year, having an immediate effect on ELG. One