Bossard Holding AG : First six months 2012 - first results (99.0 kB)

Press Release Bossard Group First six months 2012 - first results Sales maintained in a challenging market environment

In the first six months of the current 2012 business year Bossard Group's sales amounted to CHF 251.4 million (2011: CHF 252.4 million). Compared to the record first half of 2011 this is a minor increase of 0.5 percent in local currencies; expressed in Swiss francs sales fell by
0.4 percent. Whereas America reported double-digit sales growth, customer demand in
Europe and Asia was in line with the declining Purchasing Managers Indices.
Consolidated net income for the first six months of 2012 totaled CHF 22.1 million (2011: CHF
25.1 million), which corresponds to a return on sales of 9.1 percent (2011: 10.3 percent).
Although sales were more or less maintained at the prior year's level and profit was marginal- ly lower, development of sales revenues and of net income improved again compared to the result achieved in the second half of 2011.

Prospects

Given the current return to a climate of uncertainty as a result of the continuing euro crisis and a downturn in sales in Asia, Bossard anticipates slack demand overall in the second half of the year. In this challenging market environment the Group will continue to pursue its de- fined market and product development strategy, even if this should be at the expense of its
results in the short term.

Bossard Group Phone [phone]

Steinhauserstrasse 70 Fax [phone]

CH-6301 Zug www.bossard.com [e-mail]

The Group's detailed semi-annual report for 2012 will be published on August 28, 2012.

Gross sales 2nd quarter	change in %
in CHF million	2012	2011	in CHF	in local currency
Europe	65.9	70.0	-5.9%	-3.8%
America	37.5	30.7	22.1%	13.3%
Asia	20.9	21.7	-3.7%	-6.3%
Group	124.3	122.4	1.6%	0.3%

Gross sales January - June	change in %
in CHF million	2012	2011	in CHF	in local currency
Europe	136.0	143.5	-5.2%	-2.6%
America	75.6	66.8	13.2%	10.5%
Asia	39.8	42.1	-5.5%	-5.5%
Group	251.4	252.4	-0.4%	0.5%

For further information please contact

Stephan Zehnder, CFO
Phone [phone]
E-mail [e-mail] www.bossard.com
Zug, July 13, 2012

Profile:

Bossard is a leading supplier of intelligent solutions for industrial fastening technology. The com-

pany's complete portfolio for fasteners includes worldwide sales, technical consulting (engineer- ing) and inventory management (logistics).

Its customers include local and multinational industrial companies who use Bossard's solutions to improve their productivity. Employing 1,600 people in over 50 locations around the world, the Group generated CHF 474 million in sales in 2011. Bossard is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.

Bossard Group Phone [phone]

Steinhauserstrasse 70 Fax [phone]

CH-6301 Zug www.bossard.com [e-mail]