Of 2008’s retained profit of €576.9 million (2007: €1.09bn), WACKER is paying out a total of €89.4 million (2007: €149.0m) to its shareholders. The dividend per dividend-bearing share is €1.80 (2007: €2.25). Last year, there was an additional special bonus of €0.75 per share. The Executive and Supervisory Boards’ other proposals were also adopted by large majorities.
In 2008, WACKER posted new record figures for both sales and earnings. Sales rose 14 percent to €4.3 billion last fiscal year (2007: €3.8bn). EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) rose by over 5 percent to €1.06 billion (2007: €1.00bn).
Since Q4 2008, the global recession has been increasingly impacting WACKER’s financial figures. In Q1 2009, sales declined 14 percent year on year to €872.5 million (2008: €1,019.5m). EBITDA dropped to €157.8 million (2008: €291.1m). The Group’s polysilicon business made the largest contribution to Q1 2009 sales and earnings. WACKER POLYSILICON’s sales crossed the €300 million mark in a single quarter for the first time ever and EBITDA rose 136 percent. Nevertheless, sales and earnings declined significantly at all other divisions. For full-year 2009, WACKER is expecting markedly lower sales and operational earnings compared with the prior-year figures.
“WACKER cannot escape the global economic downturn. However, we are able to mitigate its effects on us,” stressed CEO Rudolf Staudigl at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting in Munich on Friday. “That is why we took action beginning from the second half of 2008 by implementing a package of measures to cut costs, strengthen cash inflow and realign production to match reduced demand. WACKER is active in numerous business fields and serves a wide range of sectors. This enables us to balance risks – an advantage in times like these. The major megatrends from which we profit remain unchanged. This is why I am optimistic that we can resume our charted growth path once the global economy has come out of recession.”
Resolutions and Voting Results
At today’s Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, 39,593,554 voting shares were represented – 75.92 percent of all eligible shares (number of shares outstanding: 49,677,983). The voting results were as follows for agenda topics 2 through 6:
Topic 2: Resolution on the Appropriation of Net Retained Profit
The Executive and Supervisory Boards proposed net retained profit for fiscal 2008, amounting to €577 million, be appropriated as follows: €89.4 million to be paid to shareholders and €487.6 million to be carried forward to new account. The proposal was adopted. The result was:
- 39,577,980 Yes votes (99.99 percent)
- 4,630 No votes
Topic 3: Resolution on the Ratification of the Actions of the Executive Board
The proposal of the Executive and Supervisory Boards to ratify the acts of the members of Wacker Chemie AG’s Executive Board during fiscal 2008 was adopted. The result was:
- 39,428,888 Yes votes (99.89 percent)
- 42,726 No votes
Topic 4: Resolution on the Ratification of the Actions of the Supervisory Board
The Executive and Supervisory Boards’ proposal to ratify the acts of the members of Wacker Chemie AG’s Supervisory Board during fiscal 2008 was adopted. The result was:
- 39,435,363 Yes votes (99.89 percent)
- 43,202 No votes
Topic 5: Resolution on the Appointment of Auditor
The Supervisory Board’s proposal to appoint KPMG as auditor for fiscal 2009 was adopted. The result was:
- 39,492,821 Yes votes (99.88 percent)
- 48,352 No votes
Topic 6: Authorization to Acquire Treasury Shares
The Executive and Supervisory Boards’ proposal to authorize the Executive Board to acquire treasury shares representing up to 10 percent of the current share capital was adopted. The result was:
- 38,626,078 Yes votes (97.68 percent)
- 915,453 No votes
Information for editorial offices: All documents relating to Wacker Chemie AG’s 2009 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting can be downloaded from WACKER’s website (www.wacker.com) under Investor Relations.
This press release contains statements about the resolutions of the 2009 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. Said statements are not binding and serve the sole purpose of providing an overview. They may not always correspond to the exact wording and full extent of the resolutions adopted at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting.
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions and estimates of WACKER’s Executive Board. Although we assume the expectations in these forward-looking statements are realistic, we cannot guarantee they will prove to be correct. The assumptions may harbor risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual figures to differ considerably from the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such discrepancies include, among other things, changes in the economic and business environment, variations in exchange and interest rates, the introduction of competing products, lack of acceptance for new products or services, and changes in corporate strategy. WACKER does not plan to update the forward-looking statements, nor does it assume the obligation to do so.