DHS – Dillinger Hütte Saarstahl AG shareholders' meeting, on a successful 2007 business year:

This high level of demand is predominantly driven by the energy industry - and by the gas and oil sectors, in particular - and its subsuppliers, including many companies in boiler, pressure-vessel and mechanical engineering. Both sales volume and returns have increased compared to the previous year, with the result that all indicators (consolidated figures) have improved significantly.

• The DHS group's total turnover, at 2.898 billion €, rose by 12.9 % compared to the preceding year (2.566 billion €).
• EBIT increased to 731 million € (2006: 532 million €), and EBITDA to 811 million € (previous year: 596 million €).
• Return on sales (EBIT margin) was thus 25.2 % (2006: 20.7 %) and ROCE 38.4 % (2006: 35.9 %).
• Group profits after taxes were 617 million €, compared to 424 million € in 2006.
• The group employs a total of 6,866 persons in all fully consolidated companies (December 12, 2006: 6,852).

The DHS group also made a good start in 2008, with continued high levels of capacity utilization; demand from all market segments for high-quality heavy plate continues unabated. Thanks to Dillinger Hütte and GTS Industries - niche producers with a highly specialized product mix, and suppliers of tube-making plate for the booming energy market - business prospects for 2008 are assessed, all in all, as positive, so that, on a present-day view, the DHS group as a whole can assume good sales revenues and financial results.