Ad hoc: Höft & Wessel AG: Hoeft & Wessel AG: EBIT up by 10 per cent as at 30 September 2009

Höft & Wessel AG / Quarterly report / Ad hoc: Hoeft & Wessel AG: EBIT
up by 10 per cent as at 30 September 2009

Ad hoc announcement according to §15 WpHG processed and transmitted
by Hugin. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this
announcement.

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Hoeft & Wessel AG anticipates earnings of EUR 3 million and turnover
of EUR 94 million for 2009
Positive forecast for 2010

Hanover / Germany, 5 November 2009. In the third quarter, the Hoeft &
Wessel Group managed to continue its successful business trend in
fiscal 2009. As at 30 September 2009, sales revenues of the German IT
and engineering group increased by 1.4 per cent, to reach EUR 71
million (previous year: EUR 70 million). Disregarding the currency
effects of the depreciation of the pound sterling, sales revenues
would have risen by more than 5 per cent, to roughly EUR 74 million.

The operating result (earnings before interest and taxes - EBIT) was
up by 10 per cent year-on-year, to EUR 2.3 million (30 September
2008: EUR 2.1 million).

With its nine-month figures, Hoeft & Wessel AG considers itself well
on its way towards achieving a successful performance for 2009 as a
whole.

In the fourth quarter, the ongoing investment reluctance in logistics
and retail in the Skeye business division as well as a shift of sales
revenues into the first quarter of 2010 within a large-scale Metric
project in Philadelphia (U.S.) will lead to a slowdown in the
positive business trend.

For the full financial year 2009, the company expects roughly EUR 94
million in sales revenues and EBIT of approx. EUR 3 million.

For the year 2010, amid ongoing difficult economic conditions Hoeft &
Wessel AG anticipates an increase both in sales revenues and
earnings.

The order intake in the first three quarters of 2009, at EUR 57.5
million, was at a similar level as in the previous year (30 September
2008: EUR 59.7 million). Apart from a number of minor contracts, a
large-scale order received from the U.S. also made a contribution in
this regard. This does not include a major order for ticket vending
terminals placed by the canton of Geneva.

The order portfolio as at 30 September 2009 came to EUR 74.7 million.
On the same date a year earlier, it had still amounted to EUR 105.6
million on account of the order placed by Deutsche Bahn AG for
stationary ticket vending machines.

In the first nine months of 2009, the Almex business division,
supplier of ticketing systems as well as telematics and check-in
solutions, supplied stationary ticket vending terminals to Aarhus
(Denmark) and Hanover as well as to the Danish and German state-owned
railway corporations. Almex was highly successful in selling
ticketing systems for buses, especially in southern Europe. The
German airline Lufthansa took delivery of new check-in terminals.
Accordingly, the business division succeeded in ramping up both its
sales revenues and operating result.

The Skeye business division supplied mobile terminals and POS
solutions to companies engaged in particular in the retail and
logistics segments. It was successful in acquiring new customers in
spite of the economic crisis discernible in these industry segments.
The order intake rose accordingly and is substantially higher than
the sales revenues, holding the promise of better business trends in
future. The organisation's new customers include Intralot, a
specialist for lottery systems with an international reach, deploying
terminals with large touch screens for mobile sales of lottery
tickets. As at 30 September 2009, sales revenues and operating result
of the Skeye division were in decline, as expected.

The British subsidiary Metric, specialising in car park terminals and
related services, installed car park terminals in several cities and
municipalities in the United Kingdom by 30 September 2009,
successfully concluding the first phase of the large-scale contract
in Philadelphia, USA. Sales revenues and the operating result of the
British subsidiary Metric were up substantially, reflecting the
positive business trend unfolding this year.

With its Almex, Metric and Skeye business divisions largely operating
independently, the Hoeft & Wessel Group has been engaged in many and
various market segments for some time now. Synergy effects are
realised within the scope of its immense research & development
division. Thanks to its broadly based positioning, the Hoeft & Wessel
Group reduces its dependency on specific market segments and
considers itself successfully prepared to meet future challenges.

Key financials of Hoeft & Wessel Group

in EUR thousands as at 30/09 2009 2008
2007 2006 2005
Sales revenues 71,037 70,031
68,416 50,925 59,379
Operating result before depreci-
ation and amortisation (EBITDA) 5,638 5,480 5,082
850 5,251
Operating result (EBIT) 2,325 2,088
1,562 (2,748) 1,962
in % of sales revenues 3.3 3.0
2.3 (5.4) 3.3
Earnings before taxes (EBT) 1,618 1,002 525
(3,287) 1,396
in % of sales revenues 2.3 1.4
0.8 (6.5) 2.4
Group earnings 1,120 863
409 (3,178) 1,464
Earnings per share (in EUR) 0.13 0.10
0.05 (0.38) 0.17

Cash flow from current operating
activities (1,258)
(1,839) 2,693 1,087 4,279
Cash flow from Investment
activities (3,391)
(3,536) (3,566) (3,642) (3,944)
Net cash flow (217)
(1,264) 106 (1,428) 512

Number of employees Group 502 507 503
506 500

Additional information:
Hoeft & Wessel AG ISIN DE0006011000
Investor Relations / Public Relations
Dr Arnd Fritzemeier
Rotenburger Strasse 20, 30659 Hanover, Germany
Phone: +49 511 6102 - 300
E-Mail: IR@hoeft-wessel.com

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Höft & Wessel AG
Rotenburger Str. 20 Hannover Germany

WKN: 601100;
ISIN: DE0006011000; Index: Prime All Share, CDAX, TECH All Share;
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