23.07.2004 – 08:35

feratel media technologies AG

euro adhoc: feratel media technologies AG
Annual Reports
For financial 2003/04, with net sales at EUR 15.7 million, feratel reports a clear increase in earnings before taxes from TEUR 60.9 to TEUR 653.9 Board again proposes payment of a dividend of 6

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"With net sales amounting to EUR 15.7 million* in the 2003/04
business year (after EUR 17.2 million in the previous year), the
targeted significant improvement in the year-end result was achieved.
Earnings before taxes (EBT) amounted to TEUR 653.9 compared with TEUR
60.9 for the previous year. Positive developments are also reported
for operating cash flow, which stood at EUR 3.1 million after EUR 2.0
million in the previous year," says Markus Schröcksnadel, CEO at
feratel media technologies AG.

In the year-end financial statements for feratel media technologies
AG, which are drawn up in accordance with the Austrian accounting
standard and form the basis for the payment of a dividend pursuant to
the Austrian Stock Companies Act, the company reports retained
earnings amounting to EUR 1.4 million (after TEUR 550.5 in the
previous year). The feratel group has an equity ratio of 64 %. "On
the basis of the healthy balance sheet situation of the group, we
will again propose to the Annual General Meeting payment of a
dividend of 6 eurocents this year," says Markus Schröcksnadel.

The downturn in sales in financial 2003/04 was largely due to the
divestment of ticketing as a non-core activity, with deconsolidation
effective per 31.1.2003. A number of nonrecurrent income items posted
for the Telecommunications Division in the previous year also played
a role, the CEO explains.

Thanks to the lean organizational structure created in the previous
year, feratel had already prepared the ground for a significant
improvement in its earnings situation. The measures taken in
financial 2003/04 to further reduce costs included preparations for a
merger between feratel’s two Swiss subsidiaries and various internal
measures to optimize its organizational structure.

New markets and products
feratel’s efforts on new markets are bearing fruit. With ten cameras
now in place in Hungary, market entry has been completed there. The
first successful projects have been implemented in the Netherlands,
and feratel is also working to enter the market in France and Spain.

The development of new products and services contributed to positive
business developments in the last financial year. Through rental
agreements for NetPad, feratel’s portable wireless Internet terminal,
a further niche market was established in the gambling sector.
Positive developments are also reported with regard to feratel’s new
incoming activities, with the company working as a tour operator and
incoming partner for travel agencies throughout Europe.

Outlook
In the Telecommunications Division, the emphasis in the 2004/05
business year will be on the continued development of feratel’s
European camera network, with a special focus on western Switzerland,
where TSR has been recruited as a new transmission partner. In the
Information and Reservation Systems Division, feratel’s position is
again to be strengthened in its core markets. In the Media Division,
further growth is targeted in sales of the NetPad Internet terminals.

"Given positive developments in the general economic and geopolitical
situation, feratel’s goal for the current business year is to achieve
further improvements in terms of results in all divisions. That will
enable feratel to again pay shareholders a dividend for financial
2004/05," says Markus Schröcksnadel in conclusion.

* For reasons of economy and practicability, this  balance sheet (1
Mai 2003 to 30 April 2004) was drawn up pursuant to the provisions of
the Austrian Commercial Code (HGB), so that direct comparisons with
the figures for the previous year according to IAS are not possible.

~                                       2003/2004        2002/2003
                               Austrian Commercial Code     IAS
                                          Euro              Euro

Sales                                15,740,199.85     17,180,416.96
Income from operations               16,498,498.52     19,157,572.61

EBITDA                                 1,839,631.93     2,351,869.65
EBIT                                       2,565.61      -220,643.51
EBT                                      653,903.67        60,983.28

Net operating cash flow                3,059,385.73     2,010,124.93
Equity ratio                                 64%              69%

Proposed Dividend                        6 Eurocents	  6 Eurocents

~

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end of announcement        euro adhoc 23.07.2004

Further inquiry note:

Herr Fritsch Martin

Branche: Tourism & Leisure
ISIN: AT0000737804
WKN: 073780
Index: Standard Market Auction
Börsen: Wiener Börse AG / official dealing
Berliner Wertpapierbörse / free trade
Bayerische Börse / free trade
Baden-Württembergische Wertpapierbörse / free trade
Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse / free trade

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