Lloyd Fonds Aktiengesellschaft / Preliminary Results/Forecast 14.02.2008 Release of a Corporate-announcement, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preliminary sales, EBIT and net profit figures Roughly 27 percent increase in sales to EUR 92 million Proposed dividend of EUR 1.30 Hamburg, February 14, 2008. In 2007, Lloyd Fonds AG, the Hamburg-based initiator of structured investment products, achieved a further increase in earnings and expects to be able to report net profit of over EUR 20 million for the year, an increase of around 5 percent over the previous year on the basis of its preliminary figures. 'We are well and truly satisfied with these figures and see them as confirming our growth trajectory,' says Dr. Torsten Teichert, CEO of Lloyd Fonds AG. 'This applies to both the equity placements of EUR 452 million and the other performance indicators. We have continued our value-oriented strategy by diversifying into further asset classes and expanding along the value chain.' On the basis of the preliminary figures, sales for 2007 rose by around 27 percent to EUR 92 million (previous year EUR 72 million) accompanied by an over 18 percent rise in EBIT to EUR 28 million. On the cost side, the impairment losses from the condominium investment in the United States as well as further recruiting within the Company and the cost of incorporating new subsidiaries made themselves felt. At the same time, a higher tax rate applied. The full annual report for 2007 will be published on April 17, 2007. Substantial increase in equity placements The company had already released its equity placement figures in January, showing that subscribers invested more than EUR 450 million of equity in Lloyd Fonds AG products, equivalent to an increase of 50 percent over the 2006 figure of EUR 301 million. In this connection, the asset classes outside the closed-end ship fund segment benefited from disproportionately strong growth, with the open-end ship fund contributing EUR 64 million. Viewed solely in terms of closed-end funds, Lloyd Fonds AGs equity placements in Germany climbed by over 30 percent. According to the 'Closed-End Funds in 2008' market study by Stefan Loipfinger, the overall market for closed-end funds expanded by 8.7 percent to EUR 12.66 billion last year. Against this backdrop, Lloyd Fonds achieved disproportionately strong growth in its share of the market. 'In these times characterized by nervous stock markets and heavy capital outflows out of stock investments, closed-end funds are proving their merits again as an attractive form of investment,' says Torsten Teichert. 'In fact, the placement volume achieved last year exceeds the figure recorded in 2005, the final year in which tax loss allocations were permitted. This shows that closed-end funds have now completed their transformation into a return-oriented investment once and for all.' Dividend to be raised to EUR 1.30 On the basis of the preliminary figures, Lloyd Fonds AGs Management Board will be asking shareholders to approve a 4 percent increase in the dividend to EUR 1.30 at the annual general meeting. 'This increased dividend is in line with our previous distribution strategy,' says Michael F. Seidel, CFO at Lloyd Fonds AG, explaining this proposal. 'Moving forward, we will be devoting a great deal of effort to ensuring that the capital market views us as an attractive and lucrative growth stock to a greater extent. Our figures, the acquisition of a share in Feedback AG as well as other activities planned for this year clearly testify to these efforts.' On the basis of the current stock price of EUR 14.00, this is equivalent to a dividend yield of over 9 percent. Favorable performance expected to continue in 2008 Lloyd Fonds AG will remain on its growth trajectory in 2008 assuming that the German economy continues to be strong, interest in investments in physical assets remains stable and access to asset finance is not impeded. On this basis, Lloyd Fonds AG expects equity placements across all asset classes to rise by over 30 percent to at least EUR 600 million. Of this, closed-end ship funds will account for EUR 250 million, offerings targeted at institutional investors for at least EUR 100 million and real estate for EUR 80 million, while the other assets classes, primarily aircraft and UK traded endowment policies, will contribute at least EUR 170 million. As a result, net profit for the year should climb to around EUR 23 million. Contact: Dr. Goetz Schlegtendal Lloyd Fonds AG Amelungstraße 8-10 20354 Hamburg Tel: +49-40-325678-0 Fax: +49-40-325678-99 Mail: ir@lloydfonds.de DGAP 14.02.2008 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Issuer: Lloyd Fonds Aktiengesellschaft Amelungstr. 8-10 20354 Hamburg Deutschland Phone: +49 (0)40 32 56 78-0 Fax: +49 (0)40 32 56 78-99 E-mail: info@lloydfonds.de Internet: www.lloydfonds.de ISIN: DE0006174873 WKN: 617487 Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, München, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News-Service ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DGAP-News: Lloyd Fonds AG expecting to announce an increase in earnings to over EUR 20 million for 2007
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