NEW VALUE AG / Key word(s): Half Year Results 16.11.2010 06:41 Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 72 KR --------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the first six months of fiscal year 2010/2011 (as of September 30, 2010), most New Value portfolio companies profited from a friendlier economic environment and the recovery of sales markets. This positive development is not yet directly reflected in New Value's half-year results. Equity value in terms of net asset value (NAV) totaled CHF 71.4 million. NAV per share fell 1% from CHF 24.27 at the beginning of the period on March 31, 2010, to CHF 24.12. In July 2010, the general meeting of shareholders approved a share buy-back program for up to 10% of outstanding shares. Details will be communicated in December. New Value made a new investment in Sensimed SA, whose diagnostic solution allows the 24-hour monitoring of intraocular pressure and thus the targeted treatment of glaucoma. Further New Value developed its growth companies and prepared them for new growth. Operational advances by Silentsoft SA, Swiss Medical Solution AG and QualiLife AG led to upward valuations of their positions totaling CHF 0.85 million. With support from New Value, FotoDesk Group AG entered the business printing segment and strengthened its market position by acquiring the online photo and business printing divisions of netservice.cc media AG. This increase in value was offset by value adjustments of CHF 1.64 million for Mycosym International AG due to weaker than expected performance. Overall, in the first half of 2010/2011 (as of September 30, 2010), New Value recorded a loss of CHF 1.99 million (previous year: profit of CHF 10.17 million after the sale of the interest in Meyer Burger/3S). The loss per share equaled CHF 0.67. Investment in Sensimed: targeted treatment of glaucoma In August 2010, New Value invested growth capital in Sensimed SA. Its first approved product, SENSIMED Triggerfish(R), is used for the continuous monitoring of intraocular pressure and thus the targeted treatment of glaucoma, also known as 'green star,' which if left untreated can lead to blindness. New Value invested CHF 1.75 million in Sensimed capital stock, with another CHF 1.75 million planned for December. The invested funds will be used primarily to obtain market approvals in the US and Asia and for commercialization in select regions. Cleantech: Silentsoft, Solar Industries and ZWS gain ground Silentsoft was able to keep its sales figures stable despite rising demand for lease and service solutions, which defer revenue to later years. Silentsoft developed comprehensive solutions for the promising waste management and green building segments, among others. The demand from property managers for energy optimization and real-time building monitoring systems is growing rapidly. At Solar Industries AG, its subsidiary SI Solutions GmbH, founded in Germany in 2009, performed extremely well, breaking even ahead of schedule in the middle of the year. At the same time, the Italian partner firm MX Group continued its expansion efforts and is currently building a module manufacturing site in New Jersey (USA), where particularly high growth rates are expected in the future. In March 2010, New Value invested in ZWS Zukunftsorientierte Wärme Systeme GmbH of Neukirchen-Vluyn (Germany), a system provider of renewable-energy-based solutions for modern building management, strengthening its investments in one of its area of focus, cleantech. ZWS saw yet another marked increase in sales during the first half of 2010. Healthcare: new projects and collaborations Idiag AG made initial progress in its search for strategic distribution partners. A SpiroTiger(R) respiratory training study in firefighters conducted in cooperation with Dräger Safety Schweiz produced favorable results and opened up a promising new customer segment. QualiLife AG continued its efforts in market development. Upon completion of its first major project at the private Hildebrand clinic in the Swiss canton of Ticino, QualiLife was selected once again by the clinic to provide equipment for its Day Hospital. Other newly launched projects include the Pyramide am See clinic in Zurich, the private Villa im Park clinic in Rothrist (Switzerland) and the renowned Institut Edouard Bélin in Besançon (France). Further strengthening of the portfolio and gradual expansion Cleantech companies represented 27.8% of the overall portfolio on September 30, 2010, with healthcare companies accounting for 32.2%. FotoDesk Group made up 12.7% of the portfolio. Liquid and financial assets totaling CHF 19.4 million comprised 27.3%. In July 2010, the general meeting of shareholders approved a share buy-back program for up to 10% of outstanding shares. New Value is preparing for an optimal implementation in the interest of all shareholders and the company. The buy-back program will be operated on a separate trading line at SIX Swiss Exchange. Details are planned to be communicated presumably until mid of December. Uncommitted funds will continue to be directly invested in innovative startup companies that add economic and ethical value with new technologies, products or services. In the existing portfolio, New Value will provide additional capital to help fund further growth initiatives. The investment team is currently reviewing several opportunities to expand the portfolio with the goal of making additional new investments in the second half of 2010/11. Information about New Value AG New Value, listed at SIX Swiss Exchange, invests directly in promising private companies in Switzerland and neighbouring countries with above-average market and growth potential. As an investment company, New Value supports innovative business models with growth capital and accompanies the companies to market success. The portfolio covers companies of different stages of development, starting with the market introduction phase up to medium-sized enterprises with stable profits. The portfolio contains companies active in cleantech and healthcare. New Value assigns great value to ethical business concepts and good corporate governance while selecting their portfolio companies. Criteria such as meaningfulness, social responsibility and ecological sustainability are considered by New Value as decisive competitive advantages, which affect and enhance the quality of products and services offered and thus, facilitate an above average increase of value potential. With impact investing New Value creates ethical added value - an entrepreneurial approach based on a unique combination of economical and ethical performance. Since the formation of New Value, EPS Value Plus AG, Zurich, has served as investment manager. 16.11.2010 News transmitted by EquityStory AG. The issuer is responsible for the contents of the release. EquityStory publishes regulatory releases, media releases on the capital market and press releases. The EquityStory Group distributes authentic and real-time financial news for over 1'300 listed companies. The Swiss news archive can be found at www.equitystory.ch/news --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: NEW VALUE AG Bodmerstrasse 9 8027 Zürich Schweiz Phone: +41-43-344 38 38 Fax: +41-43-344 38 39 E-mail: info@newvalue.ch Internet: www.newvalue.ch ISIN: CH0010819867 Swiss Security Number: 552932 Listed: Freiverkehr in München, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Stuttgart; Open Market in Frankfurt; Foreign Exchange(s) SIX End of Announcement EquityStory News-Service ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DGAP-Adhoc: Information regarding the first halfyear 2010/11: New investment in the field of healthcare and further development of portfolio companies - Share buy-back program will start soon
| Source: EQS Group AG