RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG / AGM/EGMRelease of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStoryAG.The issuer / publisher is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Results for financial year 2008* 1.6 million patients treated (+ 6.7%)* Revenues: EUR 2.1 billion (+ 5.2%) * Net consolidated profit: EUR 122.6 million (+ 10.3 %) * Dividend proposal: EUR 0.35 per ordinary shareQ1 2009 results* More than 450,000 patients treated (+ 10.3 %) * Revenues: EUR 559.1 million (+ 7.4 %) * Net consolidated profit: EUR 30.7 million (+ 3.7 %)Outlook * Forecast for 2009 reaffirmed* Capital increase promptly in the second half of the year Bad Neustadt a.d. Saale/Frankfurt am Main, 10 June 2009 ---- At its AnnualGeneral Meeting today in Frankfurt am Main - for the first time held in theJahrhunderthalle Höchst - Wolfgang Pföhler, chairman of the Board ofManagement of RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG, was pleased with the development in 2008:'Also in its 21st financial year, the RHÖN-KLINIKUM Group succeeded inreaching its targets and strengthening its position as a reliablehealthcare provider'. For the first quarter, he reported further significant growth. And: 'We areoptimistic for the further course of the year', said Wolfgang Pföhler. TheBoard of Management confirmed its forecast for 2009: The Group expects togenerate revenues of roughly EUR 2.3 billion and a net consolidated profitof EUR 130 million within a possible fluctuation range of plus or minus EUR5 million. Pföhler thus confirmed the forecast given at the results pressconference in March. Company decides to strengthen capital basis for future growth Regarding the planned capital increase, Pföhler moreover outlined theGroup's future development: 'Starting from the 37 sites in Germany, we wantto build up a healthcare network making it possible for patients to reachone of the facilities of our hospital network within maximum 1.5 to twohours. Our claim is to offer generalised high-quality healthcare provisionthat is accessible and affordable for everyone.'The Supervisory Board and the Board of Management on 24 May 2009 decided tostrengthen the Company's equity capital basis. The capital increase iscurrently being prepared and is to be carried out promptly - if and to theextent the capital markets permit - in the second half of the year.Utilising its authorised capital, RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG wishes to raise anamount of up to EUR 500 million.'The crucial premise for our decision is the wave of hospitalprivatisations in the offing for the period from 2010', Pföhler explained.The global economic and financial crisis will result in rapidly decliningtax revenues at all levels of government (federal, state and local).Already before the crisis, the investment backlog for German hospitals hadgrown to as much as EUR 50 billion.If the state wanted to avoid rationing medical care, one alternative wouldbe to work more with experienced, reliable and competent healthcareproviders. 'We are certain that we will succeed in convincing people of ouroffering and in presenting an innovative concept of secure healthcare as ananswer to rationing.' Pföhler said.Following the last recession in 2002/2003, public hospital operators addedalmost 20 facilities to the hospital network between 2004 and 2006.Building on this experience, a similar development could be expected from2010 given the much more pronounced recession currently witnessed.'Our capital increase thus at the same time is a strong signal and offer tothe federal states, cities and municipalities', Pföhler emphasised, 'We areplanning this capital increase out of a position of strength of a marketand innovation leader that has set its sights on growth. It is an offer toshareholders and investors to invest in the core of our business model andto participate in the expansion of our healthcare network at the differentcare levels.''We shall continue to employ our restructuring and rationalisationexpertise, coupled with our innovative strength, to modernise hospitals andto achieve an increasing integration of outpatient and inpatient care',Wolfgang Pföhler concluded.Shareholders approve increase in dividendThe proposal of the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board todistribute a dividend for financial year 2008 of EUR 0.35 (previous year:EUR 0.28) per share with dividend entitlement (DE 0007042301; 103,680,000non-par shares) was accepted by the shareholders.Dr. Irmgard StipplerBoard Member for Communication/ITPhone: +49 9771 65-1321 Fax: +49 9771 65-1820E-mail: kommunikation@rhoen-klinikum-ag.com10.06.2009 Financial News transmitted by DGAP
 Language: EnglishIssuer: RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG Schlossplatz 1 97616 Bad Neustadt a.d.Saale DeutschlandPhone: +49 (0)9771 - 65-0Fax: +49 (0)9771 - 97 467E-mail: rka@rhoen-klinikum-ag.comInternet: www.rhoen-klinikum-ag.comISIN: DE0007042301WKN: 704230Indices: MDAXListed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard), München; Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News-Service