WACKER continues its growth course

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Munich (euro adhoc) - April 30, 2008 - Wacker Chemie AG got off to a good start
in 2008, following a record-setting 2007. Under challenging conditions, the
Munich-based chemical company continued to grow its sales and earnings in the
first three months of the current fiscal year compared to Q1 2007. Higher
volumes and prices propelled Group sales to EUR1,019.5 million in Q1 2008 (Q1
2007: EUR943.7 million) - an 8 percent gain. The complete acquisition of the
former Air Products Polymers joint venture contributed 4.5 percent to this rise.
In contrast, the weaker U.S. dollar slowed growth by 6 percent. Despite
significantly higher raw-material and energy costs, as well as significant
negative exchange-rate effects, the WACKER Group generated earnings before
interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of EUR291.1 million for
January through March 2008 (Q1 2007: EUR265.5m). This represents a year-on-year
increase of 10 percent. The EBITDA margin thereby grew to 28.6 percent (Q1 2007:
28.1 percent). The polycrystalline silicon business played a key role in this
earnings rise. WACKER POLYSILICON improved its year-on-year EBITDA by EUR37.8
million, thus more than doubling its earnings. WACKER POLYMERS also increased
EBITDA in Q1 2008 - beating the prior-year figure by 11 percent. WACKER
SILICONES posted an EBITDA increase of 1 percent. Siltronic´s contribution to
earnings continued at a high level, though not matching its strong Q1 2007
figures. The Group´s Q1 2008 earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) rose 6
percent to EUR198.7 million (Q1 2007: EUR187.9m), with net income climbing 14
percent year on year to EUR130.6 million (Q1 2007: EUR114.5m). As a result,
earnings per share for the quarter are EUR2.63 (Q1 2007: EUR2.30) - up 14
percent. The Munich-based chemical company expects higher sales and earnings for
the full fiscal year 2008 . WACKER continues to see a good chance of boosting
sales in 2008 by well over 10 percent. EBITDA is also expected to continue its
upward momentum.

"Despite significant economic turbulence, we are on a solid growth course in
both sales and earnings," said President & CEO Peter-Alexander Wacker in Munich
on Wednesday. "We consider ourselves well-prepared to continue successfully
mastering market challenges. Demand for our products remains strong, fueled by
global growth trends such as energy efficiency, the progressive digitalization
of everyday life and increasing prosperity among emerging economies. The ongoing
expansion of our production capacities is aimed at laying the groundwork for
future profitable growth."

Regions
With sales of EUR345.6 million in Q1 2008 (Q1 2007: EUR291.7m), Asia continued
to account for the largest share in Group growth. That region´s share of total
global sales rose to 34 percent (Q1 2007: 31 percent). Europe excluding Germany
took second place with sales of EUR260.8 million (Q1 2007: EUR265.8m). In
Germany, the Group registered January to March sales of EUR215.3 million (Q1
2007: EUR180.2m). The regions with strongest growth in Q1 2008 were Germany and
Asia, with sales gains of 20 percent and 19 percent respectively. In the
Americas, sales in local country currencies rose 10 percent. Calculated in
euros, however, sales dropped 4 percent year on year to EUR169.2 million (Q1
2007: EUR176.5 million). In Other Regions, the Group registered January to March
revenues of EUR28.6 million (Q1 2007: EUR29.5m).

Net Cash Flow and Investments
In the period under review, the WACKER Group´s net cash flow was EUR-3.3 million
(Q1 2007: EUR224.2m). The main reasons for this decline were much higher capital
expenditures for ongoing Group expansion projects - and particularly the payment
associated with acquiring shares of the former Air Products Polymers (APP) and
Wacker Polymer Systems (WPS) joint ventures. Offset with cash and cash
equivalents from the APP companies consolidated for the first time, expenditures
for this transaction amounted to EUR173.4 million. In addition, WACKER invested
EUR145.5 million (Q1 2008: EUR91.0m) in property, plant and equipment,
intangible assets and financial assets in the period under review. Customer
prepayments for future polysilicon shipments, on the other hand, had a positive
net cash flow effect of around EUR67 million in Q1 2008.

WACKER POLYMERS was the main focus of investments in the quarter at EUR185.6
million. Aside from the expenditures for acquiring APP and WPS, additional
divisional funds of EUR12.2 million (Q1 2007: EUR9.6m) flowed into the ongoing
expansion of production facilities such as the Nanjing (China) site. To further
boost utilization of dispersion capacities acquired from Air Products, WACKER
POLYMERS intends to concentrate on the Calvert City (KY) site for its production
expansion in the USA. As a result, the Group plans to close its South Brunswick
(NJ) site in 2009. WACKER POLYSILICON´s investments in Q1 2008 more than doubled
to EUR77.7 million (2007: EUR33.4m). Here, funds primarily flowed into ongoing
expansion of polycrystalline silicon capacity at the division´s production site
in Burghausen, Germany.

Employees
Newly commissioned production facilities and integration of new corporate
entities increased the number of WACKER Group employees as of March 31, 2008 to
15,660 (Dec. 31, 2007: 15,044). German sites accounted for 11,935 employees
(Dec. 31, 2007: 11,624). Outside Germany, WACKER employed 3,725 people at the
end of Q1 2008 (Dec. 31, 2007: 3,420).

Business Divisions
With total sales of EUR346.1 million (Q1 2007: EUR377.3m), Siltronic wasn´t able
to match the record figure set in the prior-year quarter, though it did beat
preceding quarter´s sales of EUR343.2 million. The strong euro was the primary
drag on revenues. In local-currency terms, Siltronic generated the highest-ever
divisional quarterly sales in Group history. Whereas demand for 300 mm wafers
rose slightly in Q1 2008, sales of 200 mm and smaller diameters declined. In
contrast, contributions from silicon-ingot sales to the solar industry have
increased in importance and are positively influencing the margin. Siltronic
generated an EBITDA of EUR114.0 million for January to March 2008 (Q1 2007:
EUR130.4m) and thus achieved an EBITDA margin of 32.9 percent (Q1 2007: 34.6
percent).

In Q1 2008, WACKER SILICONES icreased its year-on-year total sales by around 4
percent to EUR360.3 million (Q1 2007: EUR348.0m), thanks primarily to further
volume gains, though also to price increases announced in Q4 2007. Adverse
currency shifts, however, impacted sales growth. Strong increases in the costs
of raw materials (e.g. methanol and silicon metal) and the effect of the strong
euro weighed on earnings. In contrast, volume growth and higher prices
positively impacted earnings. EBITDA for January to March 2008 amounted to
EUR64.8 million (Q1 2007: EUR64.3m), resulting in an EBITDA margin of 18.0
percent (Q1 2007: 18.5 percent).

In Q1 2008, WACKER POLYMERS boosted its total sales by 34 percent to EUR198.5
million (Q1 2007: EUR148.7m). Aside from higher volumes and prices, the primary
reason for this was the complete acquisition of vinyl acetate ethylene (VAE)
activities formerly part of the Air Products Polymers (APP) joint venture. These
activities have been fully consolidated since February 1, 2008 and contributed a
net sum of around EUR44 million to the division´s external sales. WACKER
POLYMERS´ EBITDA for the January to March 2008 period totaled EUR38.1 million
(Q1 2007: EUR34.2m) - up 11 percent year on year. Significantly higher
raw-material costs and the weaker dollar were major factors in the
disproportionately lower earnings increase. The EBITDA margin amounted to 19.2
percent in the period (Q1 2007: 23.0 percent).

WACKER POLYSILICON experienced continued strong polysilicon demand in Q1 2008.
Total sales set a new record of EUR155.9 million (Q1 2007: EUR92.2m) in the
period under review - soaring 69 percent year on year. This dynamic growth was
enabled by significantly higher volumes following the polysilicon-production
ramp-up of the Burghausen site´s Expansion Stage 6, which reached its full
annual capacity of 3,500 metric tons in Q4 2007. In addition, higher sales
prices in supplier agreements with solar and semiconductor-industry customers
had a notably positive impact on sales and earnings. As a result, WACKER
POLYSILICON disproportionally boosted its EBITDA in the period to EUR71.3
million, more than double the figure of Q1 2007 (EUR33.5m). The EBITDA margin
was 45.7 percent (Q1 2007: 36.3 percent).

WACKER FINE CHEMICALS posted total January to March 2008 sales of EUR27.7
million (Q1 2007: EUR35.0m), 21 percent below the prior-year figure due to
consolidation measures. Sales of custom fine chemicals in Q1 2008 clearly
trailed prior-year figures, as expected, due to reorganization measures. Strong
demand for biotech products such as cysteine and cyclodextrins continued. The
division´s biotech pharmaceutical proteins business also remained very
promising. On the earnings side, last year´s reorganization measures were
clearly successful. Despite lower sales, EBITDA of EUR3.2 million nearly matched
the prior year level (Q1 2007: EUR3.6m) and the EBITDA margin correspondingly
increased to 11.6 percent (Q1 2007: 10.3 percent).

Outlook
Despite the uncertainties surrounding future global economic and sector-specific
trends, WACKER has set itself ambitious goals once again. Overall, the Group
sees a good chance of boosting sales - as in the past few years - by clearly
more than 10 percent in 2008, too. EBITDA is also expected to further increase.

Information for editorial offices: The Q1 2008 report can be downloaded from
WACKER´s website (www.wacker.com) under Investor Relations.

WACKER's Key Figures
|EUR million |Q1 2008 |Q1 2007 |Change |
| | | |in % |
|Sales |1,019.5 |943.7 |8 |
|EBITDA1 |291.1 |265.5 |10 |
|EBITDA margin2 |28.6 % |28.1 % |1 |
|EBIT3 |198.7 |187.9 |6 |
|EBIT margin2 |19.5 % |19.9 % |-2 |
| | | | |
|Financial result |-0.8 |-5,4 |-85 |
|Income before taxes |197.9 |182.5 |8 |
|Net income attributable to |130.6 |114.5 |14 |
|Wacker Chemie AG shareholders | | | |
| | | | |
|Earnings per share in EUR |2.63 |2.30 |14 |
| | | | |
|Investments (incl. financial |145.5 |91.0 |60 |
|assets) | | | |
|Payments for acquisitions |173.4 |0.0 |n.a. |
|Net cash flow |-3.3 |224.2 |n.a. |
| | | | |
|EUR million |Mar. 31, |Mar. 31,| Dec. 31,|
| |2008 |2007 |2007 |
| | | | |
|Equity |1,908.6 |1,699.4 |1,865.6 |
|Financial liabilities |250.2 |300.2 |217.8 |
|Provisions for pensions |374.4 |359.2 |369.2 |
|Net financial debt |-152.8 |142.6 |-148.7 |
|Total assets |4,226.8 |3,457.8 |3,918.1 |
| | | | |
|Employees (number at end of |15,660 |14,788 |15,044 |
|period) | | | |
| |
|1 EBITDA is EBIT before depreciation and amortization. |
|2 Margins are calculated based on sales. |
|3 EBIT is the result from continuing operations for the period|
|before interest and other financial results, limited |
|partnership interests, and income tax. |

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.

Further inquiry note:
Christof Bachmair
Media Relations & Information
Tel.: +49 (0)89 6279 1830
E-Mail: christof.bachmair@wacker.com

end of announcement euro adhoc
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emitter: Wacker Chemie AG
Hanns-Seidel-Platz 4
D-81737 München
phone: +49 (0) 89 6279 01
FAX: +49 (0) 89 6279 1770
mail: info@wacker.com
WWW: http://www.wacker.com
sector: Chemicals
ISIN: DE000WCH8881
indexes: Midcap Market Index, MDAX, CDAX, Classic All Share, HDAX, Prime
All Share
stockmarkets: regulated dealing/prime standard: Börse Frankfurt
language: English

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