EANS-News: GESCO confirms guidance after the first quarter

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Wuppertal (euro adhoc) - Wuppertal, 12 August 2009 - As anticipated, the
recession started to have an impact on the SDAX listed investment holding
company GESCO AG in the first quarter (1 Apr. to 30 June 2009) of the 2009/2010
financial year (1 Apr. 2009 to 31 Mar. 2010). Aside from a few exceptions, the
companies of GESCO Group recorded a decline in operating business.

In the first quarter of the previous year, incoming orders amounted to EUR 115.6
million, the highest figure in the company´s history. In contrast, incoming
orders in the first quarter of the current 2009/2010 financial year totalled EUR
61.4 million. Group sales amounted to EUR 73.6 million and were 20.3 % down on
the EUR 92.4 million recorded in the previous year´s period.

EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) totalled
EUR 7.5 million and was 46.1 % below the previous year´s value of EUR 13.9
million. Since depreciation and amortisation remained almost unchanged compared
to the previous year´s quarter, EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) recorded
an even stronger decrease and amounted to EUR 4.9 million (previous year´s
period EUR 11.4 million). Group net income after minority interest totalled EUR
2.5 million compared to EUR 6.2 million in the first quarter of the previous
year. This corresponds to earnings per share according to IFRS of EUR 0.83 (EUR
2.03).

The Group´s workforce amounted to 1,762 employees on the reporting date. This
was up on the value of 1,719 for the previous year´s reporting date, yet below
the 1,795 at the end of the financial year (31 March 2009).

The Group balance sheet still has exceptionally healthy structures: Liquid
assets amounted to EUR 27.0 million and equity totalled EUR 105.7 million, which
corresponds to an equity ratio of 38 %.

The environment for company acquisitions has generally improved. In April 2009,
GESCO AG took over Georg Kesel GmbH & Co. KG in Kempten, a niche provider in
milling machines and clamping technology. Further industrial SMEs are currently
being reviewed with a view to a takeover, even if huge economic uncertainty
makes it difficult to put a value on companies.

Based on information available to date, the company confirms its guidance
released at the accounts press conference on 25 June 2009 (Group sales between
EUR 280 million and EUR 310 million, Group net income after minority interest
between EUR 7 million and EUR 10.5 million and earnings per share between EUR
2.31 and EUR 3.47).

Full interim report at www.gesco.de

About GESCO AG
GESCO AG is the parent company of a group of small and medium-sized industrial
companies. GESCO acquires successful niche providers, generally as part of
succession arrangements, in order to retain and further develop these long term.
As an SDAX listed company GESCO AG offers private and institutional investors
access to SMEs.

Further inquiry note:
Oliver Vollbrecht
Leiter Investor Relations
T.: +49(0)202 24820 18
info@gesco.de

end of announcement euro adhoc
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emitter: GESCO AG
Döppersberg 19
D-42103 Wuppertal
phone: +49(0)202 24820 0
FAX: +49(0)202 24820 49
mail: info@gesco.de
WWW: http://www.gesco.de
sector: Economy, Business & Finance
ISIN: DE0005875900
indexes: SDAX, Classic All Share, Prime All Share
stockmarkets: regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt, free trade: Berlin,
Hamburg, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, München
language: English

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