RNS Number:5124O
Compagnie de Saint-Gobain
26 July 2000



                  ESTIMATED FIRST-HALF 2000 SALES AND EARNINGS
                               LAPEYRE GROUP

The Board of Directors met on July 25, 2000 and examined the estimated
consolidated financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2000.

                   
                         CONSOLIDATED SALES: UP 12.8%

SALES BY BUSINESS          June 30, 2000         June 30, 1999          %
                          EUR m      FRF m       EUR m     FRF m     Change


B2C Market                453.2     2,973.5     395.1     2,592.0     14.7%

LAPEYRE-GME FRANCE        373.6     2,450.7     333.5     2,187.7     12.0%

LAPEYRE EUROPE             16.4       107.6      15.4       101.2      6.2%

K PAR K                    63.3       415.2      46.2       303.1     36.9%


B2B Market                164.2     1,077.0     152.2       998.4      7.9%

SGM - OXXO - LES ZELLES   102.9       675.0      85.3       559.5     20.7%

SOFIPLAS - LAPEYRE
DEUTSCHLAND ERG-OKFENS     61.3       402.0      66.9       438.9     -8.4%

TOTAL LAPEYRE GROUP       617.5     4,050.5     547.3     3,590.4     12.8%


In France, business was good in a promising market.  In the rest of Europe,
Group companies suffered from market conditions that remained unfavorable in
Germany and weakened in Poland.  At comparable scope of consolidations, sales
were up by 11.3% for the period.


                 ESTIMATED FIRST-HALF 2000 CONSOLIDATED EARNINGS   

The new French consolidated accounting standards have been applied as from 2000.
 Although the change had no material impact on the accounts, first-half 1999
figures have been restated on the same basis.



                            June 30, 2000         June 30, 1999          %
                          EUR m      FRF m       EUR m     FRF m      Change


Sales                     617.5     4,050.5     547.3     3,590.4     12.8%

Operating income           61.8       405.4      57.9       379.8      6.7%

Consolidated net income    31.3       205.3      32.1       210.6     -2.4%



Operating income of the French companies rose by 17.6% in the first half. 
However, high raw materials prices and underperformance in Germany and Spain
held growth in consolidated operating income to just 6.7%.   Net income for the
period was down 2.4% due to non-operating expenses (related primarily to Lapeyre
Espana and Deutschland) and to the amortization of goodwill on Lapeyre
Deutschland.

Cash flow remained strong at EUR57 million of 9% of sales.  Working capital
requirement was stable as a percentage of sales.  Net debt totalled EUR7.5
million.

Lapeyre - Investor Relations
Patrick Mallet
Tel: +33 (0)1.48.11.74.14
Fax: +33 (0)1.43.52.64.46
Compagnie De Saint-gobain (LSE:COD)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2024 to Jul 2024 Click Here for more Compagnie De Saint-gobain Charts.
Compagnie De Saint-gobain (LSE:COD)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2023 to Jul 2024 Click Here for more Compagnie De Saint-gobain Charts.