MACINTOSH 2005: STRONG GROWTH
[BIZ: Maastricht, November 23] Prospects As announced earlier, Superconfex is expected to achieve a positive operating result (trading result, effect of the sale and the discontinuation of activities as well as the book gain realized on the sale of the property in Stein) for the whole of 2005 (for 2004, Superconfex incurred an operating loss of EUR 3.4 m under IFRS). As a result, Macintosh Retail Group expects to report strong growth in total operating result for the whole of 2005 compared with 2004 (2004: EUR 30.0m under IFRS). Based on the above expectations concerning the operating result, and partly thanks to lower financial expenses and a reduction in the tax burden, the group expects, barring unforeseen circumstances, that the net profit for the whole of 2005 will be substantially higher than 2004 (net profit for 2004 under IFRS: EUR 19.6 m).
Higher turnover and operating result on continuing activities:
The turnover of Macintosh Retail Group’s continuing activities (excluding Superconfex) for the period July to mid-November 2005 (week 46) clearly rose compared with the same period in 2004. All sectors contributed to this increase. The increase in turnover, combined with a higher gross margin as a percentage of turnover, resulted in a higher operating result on continuing activities for July to October 2005 inclusive.
In the second half of the year, barring unforeseen circumstances, the group expects to more than fully make good the shortfall in the operating result on continuing activities of EUR 2.2m incurred in the first half of 2005. The operating result on continuing activities for the whole of 2004 amounted to EUR 33.4m (IFRS).
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