Interim report May - January 2008/09

Interim report May - January 2008/09

•	Order bookings rose 17* percent. Order backlog at an all time high level of
SEK 6,755 M. 
•	Net sales amounted to SEK 4,156 M, an increase by 20* percent.
•	Operating profit rose 16 percent to SEK 309 M (267).
•	Profit after taxes amounted to SEK 184 M (174). 
•	Earnings per share after dilution were SEK 2.03 (1.91).
•	Cash flow from operating activities was negative SEK 93 M (pos.89). 
•	For the full year 2008/09, Elekta reiterates the outlook of a net sales growth
of more than 15 percent in local currency and operating profit growth of 20-25
percent. 

* Compared to the same period last fiscal year at unchanged exchange rates.  


President and CEO Tomas Puusepp comments 

Elekta continues to strengthen its market position. Demand for our technology
and clinical solutions remains strong and the interest in our recent product
launches, Leksell Gamma Knife® Perfexion™, Elekta Axesse™ and Elekta VMAT
continues to be high. 

I am pleased with the global presence we have reached and the fact that our
systems and solutions are used in over 5,000 hospitals. A broad and large
customer base makes Elekta less vulnerable to certain market shifts and provides
an excellent platform for our after sales business. 

Order bookings on a rolling twelve-months basis increased by 27 percent. From
the beginning of this fiscal year, the order backlog increased by 33 percent,
reflecting solid business growth as well as favorable currency movements. 

During the third quarter we experienced lower order intake in the US market as
the sales cycle has increased. The reimbursement rules that took effect in
January support further investments in advanced cancer care, especially in IMRT
where Elekta has an excellent market position. Furthermore, I am proud that the
oncology department at the well-respected University of Texas M. D. Anderson
Cancer Center has acquired Leksell Gamma Knife® Per-fexion™, which shows the
importance of this technology also in radiation therapy.

We are expanding geographically into new markets. Starting our own office in
Latin America has already shown to be a successful investment. An important
factor for growth in emerging markets is our highly competitive linear
accelerator Elekta Compact™. As anticipated we received approval in January from
the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) to sell Elekta Compact in
China.

Operating profit for the first nine months increased by 16 percent compared with
the previous year. The strong improvement of operating profit in the third
quarter was an effect of increased sales and positive currency development. Cash
flow is still weak, mainly as an effect of a relatively high level of working
capital. We remain focused on working capital management and expect our net debt
to equity ratio to be reduced from 0.8 to the targeted level 0.5 at the end of
the fiscal year. 

Currency markets continue to be highly volatile. In line with our hedging
policy, we have increased our hedge levels for next fiscal year and are
currently hedged at approximately 60 percent. The substantial positive impact of
currency movements will mainly be recognized during next fiscal year.

The economic slowdown has so far had a limited effect on investments in cancer
care. We do expect lower growth in the US market. However, substantial capacity
shortage prevails in large parts of the world. In some countries public health
care investments are considered to be a fruitful way to stimulate the economy.
Also, as the largest supplier of oncology soft-ware we provide treatment tools
for efficiency gains in all our markets.

For the full fiscal year 2008/09 we reiterate our earlier outlook of a net sales
growth of more than 15 percent in local currency and a growth in operating
profit of 20-25 percent.

Tomas Puusepp
President and CEO




For further information, please contact:

Tomas Puusepp, President and CEO, Elekta AB (publ)
Tel: +46 8 587 25 520, e-mail: tomas.puusepp@elekta.com

Håkan Bergström, CFO, Elekta AB (publ)
Tel: +46 8 587 25 547, e-mail: hakan.bergstrom@elekta.com 

Lena Schattauer, Investor Relations, Elekta AB (publ)
Tel: +46 8 587 25 722, +46 70 595 51 00, e-mail: lena.schattauer@elekta.com 


About Elekta

Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical
solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops
sophisticated state of the art tools and treatment planning systems for
radiation therapy and radiosurgery, as well as workflow enhancing software
systems across the spectrum of cancer care.

Stretching the boundaries of science and technology, providing intelligent and
resource-efficient solutions that offer confidence to both healthcare providers
and patients, Elekta aims to improve, prolong and even save patient lives,
making the future possible today.

Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 5,000
hospitals globally, and every day more than 100,000 patients receive diagnosis,
treatment or follow-up with the help of a solution from the Elekta Group.

Elekta employs around 2,500 employees globally. The corporate headquarter is
located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on the Nordic Exchange
under the ticker EKTAb. For more information about Elekta, please visit
www.elekta.com.