A growth share with great potential

TAKKT AG to be listed in SMAX from March

TAKKT AG of Stuttgart, Germany, the market leader for business equipment solutions in Europe and North America, is to participate in SMAX from mid-March. Today, Deutsche Börse (the German Stock Exchange) notified the company that it has been admitted to SMAX. According to current stock market statistics, the company, with a market capitalisation of approximately EUR 720 million and 72.9 million shares, will then be one of the five largest shares included in SMAX. Dr. Felix A. Zimmermann, finance director, expects that the impending SMAX listing will lead to a further improvement in the prospects for the share price: "With the higher awareness level, the interest of investors will continue to grow. We are a growth share with great potential. In terms of trading activities, I see us as a good addition to SMAX." TAKKT would then be the first business-to-business mail order company for office, business and warehouse equipment with e-commerce ambitions to be admitted to SMAX. TAKKT already has its sights firmly set on inclusion in the index. At the next possible date, the Stuttgart company aims to be included in the SDAX.

The company justifies its optimism with its continued positive development. In the past financial year 1999, TAKKT AG was able to continue its unbroken growth trend. According to provisional figures, the company's turnover target of DM 1.2 billion (EUR 613.5 million) was exceeded by DM 27 million (EUR 14.2 million). Compared with the figures for the previous year (1998), which were already excellent, this represents an increase in turnover of more than 18 per cent. In the 1999 financial year, EBITDA, after adjustment for the spin-off related costs, rose by 11 per cent compared with the previous year from EUR 65.2 million to over EUR 72 million. Since July 1999, the former mail order division of the GEHE Group has acted as an independent group. TAKKT will announce further details at the financial statements press conference on 14th April in Stuttgart.

Stuttgart, 18th February 2000

Contacts:

Georg Gayer
Phone +49 (0)7 11.50 01-239

Dr. Felix A. Zimmermann
Phone +49 (0)7 11.50 01-861