vwd will be unable to maintain its guidance for fiscal year 2013 as a result of special items and difficult business conditions

Sales and EBITDA fall below the quarterly and half-year results of the previous year

Frankfurt am Main, August 7, 2013 - vwd Vereinigte Wirtschaftsdienste Aktiengesellschaft, one of the leading providers of financial information in Europe, announces the following financial results for the second quarter of 2013 and the first half of 2013, and changes its guidance for fiscal year 2013.

The continuing problems faced by the financial industry have hurt company sales at the vwd group in the second quarter of 2013 as well, with sales totaling € 20,160 thousand during this period. Compared with the total of € 22,720 thousand produced in the second quarter of 2012, this represents a decrease of 11.3 %. Lower material expenses and cost-cutting programs were unable to prevent earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in the second quarter of 2013 from decreasing by 8.9 % to € 1,793 thousand (second quarter 2012: € 2,002 thousand).

During the first half of 2013, the vwd group generated sales of € 40,492 thousand. Compared with same period last year, when the company produced sales of € 44,097 thousand, this represents a drop of 8.2 %. The main reason for this decrease was business difficulties in Italy. In Germany, sales fell as well due to lower one-time income from customer projects and marketing expenses. High expenditures related to changes in management caused EBITDA to fall to € 2,426 thousand in the first half of 2013 (first half of 2012: € 4,010 thousand).

The vwd group can no longer confirm the guidance it issued for fiscal year 2013 as a result of special items and business conditions in the first half of 2013. Sales between € 82,000 and € 84,000 thousand are expected now. Because positive special effects and cost savings were able to fully offset extraordinary expenditures related in particular to personnel measures in the first quarter, EBITDA is expected to decrease to between € 8,000 and € 9,000 thousand.

The complete interim report for 2013 will be available on the company's home page beginning August 8, 2013.

vwd Vereinigte Wirtschaftsdienste Aktiengesellschaft
The Management Board

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