Hawesko Holding AG: Dividend continuity * Manag

* Management and supervisory boards propose dividend of € 1.30 per share * Preliminary results confirmed Hamburg, 29 March 2017.   The wine trading group Hawesko Holding AG (HAW GR, HAWG.DE, DE0006042708) expects to pay a dividend of € 1.30 per share for fiscal year 2016 and maintain the level of the previous year. At its meeting on 29 March 2017 the supervisory board of the company approved the corresponding dividend proposal of the management board. This proposal will be voted by the annual general meeting on 19 June 2017. A total of € 11.7 million will be paid out to the shareholders, the same amount as last year.  In terms of group net income and adjusted for non-recurring items, the payout ratio is 60% (previous year, adjusted: 67%).

Furthermore, the supervisory board reviewed, discussed and approved the consolidated financial statements for fiscal year 2016; the financial statements of the parent company were adopted. The final consolidated accounts show consolidated sales in 2016 (1 January to 31 December) rose by 0.9% to € 480.9 million (previous year: € 476.8 million). The result from operations (EBIT), adjusted for non-recurring items, amounted to € 29.1 million (previous year, adjusted: € 26.9 million). Unadjusted reported EBIT amounted to € 29.6 million (previous year: € 20.1 million). Consolidated net income after deductions for taxes and non-controlling interests, adjusted for non-recurring items, amounted to € 19.5 million and € 2.17 per share (2015: € 17.5 million and € 1.95 per share). Unadjusted for non-recurring items, consolidated net income amounted to € 18.5 million (previous year: € 12.2 million). The consolidated balance sheet total amounted to € 231.3 million, compared to € 219.8 million at the previous year-end.  The balance sheet shows a net cash position. The free cash flow (cash flow from ongoing business activities minus investments and interest paid out) amounted to € 13.1 million and € 1.45 per share. Before investments totalling € 8.2 million in growth-related acquisitions, free cash flow would have amounted to € 21.3 million, which is comparable to the free cash flow of € 19.7 million and € 2.19 per share achieved in the previous year.

Speaking about the proposed dividend today, CEO Thorsten Hermelink said, "2016 was a very good year and we made good progress in the development of all segments in the Hawesko Group. With the cash flow we generated, we were able not only to finance attractive acquisitions which will make significant contributions to growth in the coming years. Keeping to our long-standing tradition, we can also maintain the dividend and its continuity for our shareholders: We are proposing a payout of € 1.30 per share again this year." #    #    # Hawesko Holding AG is a leading supplier of premium wines and champagnes. In fiscal year 2016, the Group achieved sales of € 481 million and employed 940 persons in the company's three sales channels: specialty retail (Jacques' Wein-Depot), wholesale operations/distribution (Wein Wolf and CWD Champagner- und Wein-Distributionsgesellschaft) and distance selling (especially Hawesko.de and Vinos.de). The shares of Hawesko Holding AG are listed on the Hanseatic Stock Exchange in Hamburg as well as in the prime standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The complete 2016 annual report and accounts will be presented at the annual press conference on 20 April 2017. Publisher: Hawesko Holding AG Elbkaihaus Grosse Elbstrasse 145d 22767 Hamburg         Press and Investor Relations: Thomas Hutchinson Phone +49 (0)40 30 39 21 00 Fax     +49 (0)40 30 39 21 05 Internet:   

hawesko-holding.com (Company information)

hawesko.de (online shop)

jacques.de (Jacques' Wein-Depot information and

wirwinzer.de (German wines directly from the producers)

vinos.de (Spanish wines sold through Wein & Vinos)

E-mail: ir@hawesko-holding.com