DGAP-News: RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG (english)

RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG:Results Press Conference in Frankfurt/Main



RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG / Final Results/Quarter Results



24.04.2008



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PRESS RELEASE





RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG, Bad Neustadt/Saale:

- Results Press Conference in Frankfurt/Main -



Results for financial year 2007



? Growth course continued: double-digit rise in operating result

? Revenues clear 2 billion euro mark for first time

? Patient treatments climb by 10.8% to reach over 1.5 million

? University hospital Gießen/Marburg in profit territory

? Dividend proposal: EUR 0.28 per ordinary share



Results for Q1 2008



? Good start into new financial year: revenue raised by 3.7% to EUR 520.7

million /

? Rise in net consolidated profit to EUR 29.6 million (+17.5%) as expected

? EBITDA increases to EUR 64.2 million (+5.1%)

? EBIT rises to EUR 43.7 million (+8.2%)

? EBT climbs to EUR 35.4 million (+1.1%)

? 410,194 patients treated by Group hospitals during the first quarter



Forecast for further course of 2008



? Continuation of growth strategy with sound economic judgment

? Forecast for 2008 reaffirmed: revenues of EUR 2.08 billion, net

consolidated profit of EUR 123 million



Bad Neustadt a.d. Saale/Frankfurt am Main, 24 April 2008 ----- At its

annual Results Press Conference held today in Frankfurt am Main the Board

of Management of the listed hospital group with headquarters in the Rhön

confirmed the trend figures already published in February and thus its own

forecasts. 'Nearly all important performance ratios are above the previous

year's results. A closer look at the figures shows that RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG

has once again clearly demonstrated its operative performance', stated

Wolfgang Pföhler, chairman of the Board of Management of the hospital

group.



Results for financial year 2007



Consolidated revenues rose by 4.8% to reach EUR 2.02 billion (previous year:

EUR 1.93 billion), for the first time breaking the 'sonic barrier' of EUR 2

billion for revenues. With the rise in net consolidated profit by 1.9% to

EUR 111.2 million (previous year: EUR 109.1 million), the Group's expectations

were met. Excluding the one-off tax effects in 2006 (EUR 19.1 million) and

2007 (EUR 8.6 million) as well as the effect from the revaluation of

financial instruments (EUR 2.4 million), net consolidated profit on an

adjusted basis grew disproportionately by EUR 10.2 million to EUR 100.2 million

(previous year: EUR 90.0 million).



EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax and depreciation/amortisation) rose

by 12.8% to reach EUR 249.3 million (previous year: EUR 221.1 million).

Operating earnings EBIT rose by EUR 11.4 million to EUR 157.5 million (previous

year: EUR 146.1 million). This includes the net loss for the year of EUR 0.3

million recorded at Krankenhaus Köthen GmbH consolidated for the first time

in 2007. EBT (earnings before tax) grew 9.1% to reach EUR 137.1 million

(previous year: EUR 125.7 million). Operating cash flow grew 15.8% to reach EUR

191.0 million (previous year: EUR 165.0 million), which does not include

one-off non-cash effects. Earnings per ordinary share stood at EUR 1.03

(previous year: EUR 1.01).



'In 2007 we demonstrated that we can manage hospitals profitably at all

care levels. All of our long-standing facilities are making a positive

contribution to net consolidated profit. At Universitätsklinikum Gießen und

Marburg GmbH, a net profit of EUR 1.1 million (compared with a net loss of EUR

6.8 million in financial year 2006) clearly shows that our restructuring

expertise can also be deployed at university hospitals', explains Wolfgang

Pföhler.



With more construction projects than ever seen in the Group's history, the

foundation is being laid for further growth over the coming years.



The 46 hospitals belonging to RHÖN-KLINIKUM Group at year-end 2007 treated

a total of 1,544,451 patients (+10.8%); of these, 552,538 (+5.0%) were

treated on an acute inpatient basis, 903,633 (+5.2%) as outpatients and

9,555 (+5.0%) in the rehab and other areas. At the medical care centres

(MVZs) belonging to the Group, 78,725 patients were treated.



At 31 December 2007, the number of employees at the Group (by headcount)

was 32,222 (previous year: 30,409).



The rise in the personnel cost ratio to 59.5% (previous year: 58.3%) as

well as the decline in the cost-of-materials ratio from 25.4% to 24.5% was

the result of wage and price factors, restructuring results and the launch

of our service companies that we operated together with various service

partners since 1 January 2007. 'These service companies provide our

hospitals with cleaning and catering services', stated Dietmar Pawlik, the

company's CFO.



The Board of Management and the Supervisory Board will propose to this

year's Annual General Meeting (17 June 2008, Congress Center

Frankfurt/Main) the distribution of a dividend of EUR 0.28 (previous year: EUR

0.25) per ordinary non-par share with dividend entitlement (DE 0007042301;

103,680,000 non-par shares).



Results for Q1 2008



The Group is pleased with the interim report for the first quarter of 2008.

Consolidated revenues rose by EUR 18.7 million to EUR 520.7 million (Q1 of

previous year: EUR 502.0 million). Net consolidated profit in Q1 2008 rose

significantly to EUR 29.6 million (Q1 of previous year: EUR 25.2 million/+

17.5%).



In EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation),

the first quarter of 2008 recorded a gain by EUR 3.1 million or 5.1% to EUR

64.2 million (Q1 of previous year: EUR 61.1 million) and in the operating

result (EBIT = earnings before interest and taxes) by EUR 3.3 million (+8.2%)

to EUR 43.7 million (Q1 of previous year: EUR 40.4 million). EBT (earnings

before tax) grew 1.1% to reach EUR 35.4 million (Q1 of previous year: EUR 35.0

million).



At the end of the first quarter of 2008, earnings per share stood at EUR 0.27

(Q1 of previous year: EUR 0.23).



'The Group has maintained the positive momentum from 2007 going into 2008.

Many of our hospitals are seeing significant expansions in service

volumes', declares Wolfgang Pföhler.



Investments in the first quarter of 2008 of EUR 40.3 million (Q1 of previous

year: EUR 31.5 million) were financed fully from the operating cash flow of EUR

52.0 million (Q1 of previous year: EUR 45.9 million).



Coverage of long-term assets by long-term financing is 99.4%; these assets

are financed by equity and long-term debt at matching maturities.

Short-term loan capital continues to exceed short-term financial debt. 'We

continue to enjoy stable and sound financial structures oriented on the

long term.', explains Dietmar Pawlik, the company's CFO.



In the first three months of 2008 a total of 410,194 patients (Q1 of

previous year: 388,882/+5.5%) were treated in the Group's hospitals.



At the reporting date 31 March 2008, the Group's employees numbered 32,303

(31 December 2007: 31,222).



As at the reporting date 31 March 2008, RHÖN-KLINIKUM Group had 46

hospitals with 14,584 beds/places at a total of 35 sites in nine federal

states.



Forecast for the further course of 2008



As Pföhler explained, wage increases from higher collectively agreed rates

for doctors and other hospital staff were already reflected in the

company's planning for 2008. 'We will firstly cope with rising wages and

salaries with rationalisation measures and are also looking to refinance

these through expansions in service volumes. In this way we will

considerably improve our competitive position.'



Given the state of the economy as well as rising personnel and energy

costs, the scope of the federal states and municipalities to continue

operating their hospitals under public ownership is considerably narrowed.

The Group is well placed to take up further hospitals at all care levels.



The chairman of the Board of Management stated that attracting and

retaining committed doctors is key to more innovation and growth within the

Group. 'We have to win over dedicated doctors to implement our guiding

principle of 'Quality and service for everyone''.



2007 saw the launch of a further and higher-qualification training

offensive for doctors within the RHÖN-KLINIKUM Group. The stated objective

is for the Group, as an innovative operator of hospitals, to attract and

retain dedicated and committed doctors. Particularly in order to get young

doctors being trained as specialists to take an early interest in a career

with the Group, the Company has been forging ahead with the formation of

regional further-training networks. From Pföhler's statements it could be

gathered that the first positive results in this area have been achieved.



'We are optimistic and confident going into financial year 2008', Wolfgang

Pföhler said. 'Without taking account of possible further acquisitions, we

expect revenues of nearly EUR 2.1 billion and net consolidated profit of EUR

123 million', Pföhler explained in conclusion.









Brigitte Sallwey

Sallwey & Partner

Grüneburgweg 41

D-60322 Frankfurt/Main

Tel.: (+49) 069 97 203 628

Fax: (+49) 069 97 230 627





24.04.2008 Financial News transmitted by DGAP



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Language: English

Issuer: RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG

Schlossplatz 1

97616 Bad Neustadt a.d.Saale

Deutschland

Phone: +49 (0)9771 - 65-0

Fax: +49 (0)9771 - 97 467

E-mail: fire.ir@rhoen-klinikum-ag.com

Internet: www.rhoen-klinikum-ag.com

ISIN: DE0007042301

WKN: 704230

Indices: MDAX

Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard), München;

Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart



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