VITA 34 International AG: Q1 2009 in line with plans
VITA 34 International AG / Quarter Results Release of an Ad hoc announcement according to § 15 WpHG, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * Storage at 2,448 units in line with previous year levels * Sales of EUR 3.4 million, EBIT at EUR -0.2 million * Full year 2009 confirmed, target EBIT break even Leipzig, April 15, 2009 - Vita 34 International AG (ISIN DE000A0BL849), the parent company of the leading umbilical cord blood bank in the G/S/A region VITA 34, stored 2,448 units of umbilical cord blood in Q1 2009, very much in line with the 2,453 units stored in the first quarter of previous year. Sales in Q1 2009 reached EUR 3.4 million and as anticipated were slightly below previous year levels of EUR 3.6 million. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) improved to EUR -0.2 million after EUR -0.3 million in the previous year's quarter. This means that VITA 34 is on target for EBIT to break-even in the full year 2009. The equity ratio came in at around 62 percent as of March 31, 2009, remaining at a high level after 64 percent at the end of the previous year's quarter. Interest in storing umbilical cord blood has developed positively in the last few months. In Q1 2009, VITA 34 saw enquiries increase by around 33 percent against Q4 2008. The number of enquiries is an indication of future business development, and this in turn means that VITA 34 can expect increasing sales in the medium to short-term. VITA 34 concluded an agreement in Slovenia modelled on the successful collaboration with Spanish cooperation partner Secuvita. The company Izvorna celica will take over marketing and will teach staff in maternity clinics how to extract umbilical cord blood. Storage is exclusively at VITA 34. Now all authorisations have been provided by the responsible authorities and the first units are to be stored in Slovenia in Q2. VITA 34 is sticking to its plans to enter another European market for the storage of umbilical cord blood in 2009. The full quarterly report is available for download in the Investor Relations section at www.vita34.de. Media / Investor Relations: Axel Mühlhaus Dr. Sönke Knop edicto GmbH Zeißelstraße 19 D-60318 Frankfurt Tel.:+49 (069) 90550550 Fax: +49 (069) 90550577 Email: vita34@edicto.de 15.04.2009 Financial News transmitted by DGAP ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Issuer: VITA 34 International AG Deutscher Platz 5a 04103 Leipzig Deutschland Phone: +49(0341)48792-40 Fax: +49(0341)48792-39 E-mail: info@vita34.de Internet: www.vita34.de ISIN: DE000A0BL849 WKN: A0BL84 Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, München, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News-Service ---------------------------------------------------------------------------