Buzzi Unicem subsidiary Dyckerhoff AG has reported improving sales in 2005. However, the development of the divisions varied. With Germany posting a decrease in sales, the Eastern European division, in particular, contributing to such growth. Business development also grew in the USA. Exchange rate variances had a positive effect of approximately EUR 20m in total. Of the total group sales, approximately 37 per cent can be ascribed to Germany, 29 per cent to Eastern Europe, 24 per cent to the USA and 10 per cent to Luxembourg. With a 38 per cent share of the EBITDA, the importance of the Eastern Europe division has clearly grown.
Despite the continuing normalization of the price levels for building materials, the result in Germany – and therefore the result for Dyckerhoff – was still clearly negative. Therefore the distribution of the dividend is paid from the withdrawal of retained earnings. Accordingly, the Supervisory Board have just decided to propose at the Annual General Meeting on May 10, 2006, to distribute a dividend of Euro 0.20 per ordinary share. Total dividends amount to Euro 8.3m.
