Pressbox: Software AG

Software AG plans to increase its dividend to €1.15 per share

(PresseBox) Darmstadt, 17.03.2010, Software AG's executive board and supervisory board will recommend a 2009 dividend payment of €1.15 (previous year: €1.10) per share at the Annual Shareholders' Meeting on May 21, 2010. This will result in total dividends of €32.6 million (2008: €31.5 million).

For fiscal year 2009, Software AG reported increased revenue of 18 percent, earnings up by 22 percent and a free cash flow increase of 41 percent. This strong growth in net income as well as cash flow has allowed the company to again increase its dividend, simultaneously reducing its net debt position, predominantly resulting from its acquisition of IDS Scheer in 2009. Software AG plans to repay liabilities from operating cash flow by 2013.

"Reducing net debt will allow us to take advantage of further consolidation in the software industry", said CEO Karl-Heinz Streibich. "We have set ourselves the goal of market leadership in Business Process Excellence and we need to be able to react quickly to acquisition opportunities."

Software AG is forecasting for fiscal year 2010, at constant currency rates, total revenue growth of 25 to 30 percent with product revenue growth of 12 to 15 percent. The company also forecasts growth in net income of 8 to 12 percent.

According to CFO Arnd Zinnhardt, "We believe that this dividend strikes the right balance between rewarding shareholders, in line with the record results achieved in 2009, and the necessity of reducing net debt, therefore keeping our options open regarding further business development."

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