Nürnberg - LEONI AG, Nürnberg, increased its sales in fiscal 2000 by 53 % to DM 1.85 billion (1999: DM 1.2 billion) which is DM 100 million more than expected. The profit for the year is expected to increase by more than 10 % despite high restructuring expenses in the UK and considerable development costs connected with additional orders in the future (Annual profit 1999: DM 36.6 million).
In a four year comparison, sales could be increased by 2.3 times the amount (Sales 1997: DM 794 million). Concerning the annual profit, an increase of 2.5 times the amount seems probable (1997: DM 16.4 million).
In 2000, LEONI was able to increase both its sales and annual profit for the seventh time in a row since 1993. The Group wants to continue this upward trend in 2001 by achieving sales exceeding the DM 2 billion mark and a more than proportional increase of the annual profit. The great demand of the communications and information technology as well as of medical engineering in high quality wires and cables mainly contributes to this. The slack economic situation in the automotive industry does not affect the Group because the demand for the vehicles supplied for by LEONI is further persistent..
The full figures for fiscal 2000 will be presented at LEONI's balance sheet press conference on 3 May 2001.