Interim report for the nine months ended January 31, 2004: Sectra's profit up 19%

Interim report for the nine months ended January 31, 2004: Sectra's profit up 19% For the nine months ended January 31, 2004, Sectra reports a profit after net financial items of SEK 60.7 million (51.0), an increase of 19%. The profit corresponds to a profit margin of 18% (13.8), and earnings per share were SEK 1.24 (1.06). Sales amounted to SEK 332.4 million (369.6) and order bookings to SEK 265.6 million (376.4). "Medical Systems, our largest business area, performed well during the third quarter, with an increase in international sales through various partners. A large portion of sales of radiology image management systems in markets outside Scandinavia are pure software sales, where partners are responsible for hardware and services. These transactions give a high contribution margin but the volume of each order is small," says Jan-Olof Brüer, CEO and President at Sectra. "Communications operations are affected by the freeze on new orders by the Swedish Defense during the autumn of last year, which meant that procurement processes for planned projects were postponed," continues Jan-Olof Brüer. The unique digital mammography system Sectra MicroDose Mammography is now fully in operation at Helsingborg Hospital in Sweden. Nearly 5,000 women have undergone mammography using the new system since the installation in September 2003. During the quarter, Sectra also received its first export order for Sectra MicroDose Mammography from Klinikum Krefeldt in Germany. "Our challenge is to continue to expand and mammography is a market with good growth potential. The successful installation of Sectra MicroDose Mammography at Helsingborg Hospital constitutes a very important reference for continued sales within this area," continues Jan-Olof Brüer. As part of Sectra's strategy to increase international sales within the area of secure communication systems, a new company, Sectra Communications Ltd., was set up in the UK. The UK is one of the largest markets in Europe in terms of defense forces and public authorities and there is a substantial market for advanced encryption products. During the quarter, Sectra was named as a security partner in the Galileo European satellite navigation project, the European equivalent of the US-developed GPS system. "This is a prestigious and strategically important assignment that will shape the future of our communications operations. Being appointed a security partner in the Galileo project confirms Sectra's position as Europe's leading company for advanced security systems," concludes Jan-Olof Brüer. For further information, please contact: Sectra AB, Jan-Olof Brüer, President and CEO, +46 13 23 52 09, job@sectra.se Visit Sectra's website: www.sectra.se Sectra's operations Sectra has its roots in Linköping Institute of Technology and is one of Sweden's fastest growing high-tech companies in IT. Since the mid-1980s, Sectra has successfully conducted development and sales of advanced medical IT and telecommunications products. Today, the business includes products in medical systems, secure communication systems and wireless information systems. Business is conducted in eight countries with a total of 309 employees. Sales for the fiscal year 2002/03 reached SEK 503 million. Since March 1999, Sectra's shares have been quoted on the O list of the Stockholm Exchange. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2004/03/02/20040302BIT20040/wkr0006.pdf PDF