DGAP-News: RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG (english)

RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG: Publication Q3-2007



RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG / Quarter Results/Forecast



25.10.2007



Release of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG.

The issuer / publisher is solely responsible for the content of this

announcement.

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RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG, Bad Neustadt a.d.Saale



Q1 - Q3 2007:

- Revenue EUR 1,5 billion / net consolidated profit EUR 86.9 million before

minority interests in profit

- EBITDA EUR 188.2 million / EBIT EUR 122.7 million

- Growth in revenues and net consolidated profit underpin own forecast for

full-year result

Q3 2007:

- Revenue EUR 505.6 million / net consolidated profit EUR 34.3 million

- EBITDA EUR 63.2 million / EBIT EUR 41.9 million



Bad Neustadt a.d.Saale, 25 October 2007 ----- The key results for Q3 2007

as well as the cumulative results for the first nine months are today

published by RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG, the listed hospital group with headquarters

in the Rhön. 'We have succeeded in continuing our growth course and further

expanding our market position despite the difficult environment', said

Wolfgang Pföhler, chairman of the Board of Management of RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG.



In the third quarter of 2007 the Group generated revenues of EUR 505.6

million (Q3-2006: EUR 489.8 million); looking at the first 9 months of 2007,

revenues recorded a rise of 5.9 per cent to total EUR 1,512.5 million

(1-9/2006: EUR 1,427.9 million).

Net consolidated profit (before minority interests in profit of EUR 1.6

million/previous year: EUR 1.1 million) in the third quarter of 2007 reached

EUR 34.3 million (previous year: EUR 24.5 million). After deducting interests

of minority owners in profit amounting to EUR 1.6 million, this corresponds

to an EpS of EUR 0.32 (previous year: EUR 0.23). 'Adjusted for the tax effect

from the revaluation of the deferred tax items (EUR 10.0 million) and the

required impairment on the value of the financial instruments (EUR 1.4

million after tax), an operating consolidated profit of EUR 25.7 million was

generated which exceeds net consolidated profit from the same quarter last

year by EUR 1.2 million or 4.9%', explained Dietmar Pawlik, CFO of

RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG.

In the first nine months the Group's management recorded a net consolidated

profit of EUR 86.9 million (previous year: EUR 70.1 million) before minority

interests in profit amounting to EUR 3.9 million (previous year: EUR 3.1

million). This corresponds to a rise of 24.0% (previous year: 4.5%) .

'Without the aforementioned one-off tax effect and without the effect from

the market valuation of our financial instruments, net consolidated profit

rose by EUR 5.6 million or 8.0%, which is disproportionate to growth in

revenues and in line with our expectations. 'This development was made

possible in particular by improvements in pre-tax earnings at the hospitals

acquired since 2006', explains Wolfgang Pföhler, chairman of the Board of

Management of RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG.



'Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg GmbH contributed decisively to the

positive development in earnings. After reaching break-even in the first

half on 2007, this positive trend becomes more and more sustainable', said

Gerald Meder, chairman of the Management Board of Universitätsklinikum

Gießen und Marburg GmbH and deputy chairman of the Board of Management of

RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG.



In the third quarter of 2007 the key ratio EBITDA saw an improvement by

7.8% to EUR 63.2 million (previous year: EUR 58.7 million) and EBIT gained 6.4%

to reach EUR 41.9 million (up from EUR 39.4 million the year before); earnings

before tax (EBT) also improved, by 1.1% to EUR 34.2 million (vs. EUR 33.9

million last year). Over the first nine months of 2007 EBITDA rose by 16,0%

to EUR 188.2 million (previous year: EUR 162.3 million), EBIT by 11.1% to EUR

122.7 million (previous year: EUR 110.5 million) and EBT by roughly 11.8% to

EUR 107.7 million (previous year: EUR 96.3 million).



Compared with the previous year, the cost-of-materials ratio declined

slightly, whereas the personnel cost ratio saw a slight rise. This

essentially comes as a result of the ten service companies that came on

stream. The services purchased externally last year were fully recognised

as services procured under the item 'materials and consumables used',

whereas this year they are reported under the employee benefits expense

item.



In the first nine months the operating cash flow grew by 15,3% to EUR 140.7

million (previous year: EUR 122.0 million). 'In the third quarter of 2007,

cash flow was EUR 47.5 million (EUR 43.8 million). 'Our internal financing

strength has increased significantly', said Dietmar Pawlik.



As at the reporting date (30 September 2007), the Group consolidates 46

hospitals with 14,845 beds/places at a total of 35 sites. In the first nine

months a total of 1,165,138 (1,037,764; + 127,374) patients were treated in

the Group's facilities, with the third quarter accounting for 382,420 of

these (previous year: 360,149; + 22,271).



As at the reporting date 30 September 2007, the Group employed a staff of

32,094 (31 December 2006: 30,409). The facility in Köthen, newly

consolidated from 1 April 2007, added 396 new employees. By 30 September

2007, following the integration of ten service companies, a total of 1,718

employees were taken over from external service companies that had

previously served the Group. The hospitals consolidated at the end of 2006

witnessed a slight decline in staff numbers.



'Given our positive expectations for business performance in the fourth

quarter of 2007, we re-affirm our revenue forecast for the full year of EUR 2

billion and the updated earnings forecast of just over EUR 110 million',

stated Wolfgang Pföhler in closing.





Sallwey & Partner

Brigitte Sallwey

Telemannstr. 18

D-60323 Frankfurt/Main

Tel.: (+49)069-97203628





25.10.2007 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: Amtlicher Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard), München;

Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart



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