German digital postproduction and production house Das Werk brought some welcome cheer to an otherwise depressed Neuer Markt exchange in Frankfurt by posting a 157% increase in sales for the financial year 2000 to Euro 88.8m, 72% higher than the forecast Das Werk had made on its flotation in August 1999.

In addition, the rapidly expanding media group recorded an EBITDA of Euro 34.5m, 292% up from 1999's Euro 8.8m and earnings per share (EPS) up 261% to Euro 0.65.

Looking to the future, executive board chairman Joachim Sturmes declared that turnover for the current financial year is being forecast to rise to Euro 175m, with Euro 70m coming from the business field of digital image and sound processing, Euro 30m from film production and license trading, and Euro 7m from animation production. Moreover, the subsidiaries Promark Entertainment and FFP Entertainment could together contribute around Euro 46m this year to group turnover.

Sturmes also forecast that the group would see 15%-25% growth in its turnover in the 2002 financial year, bringing sales up to Euro 200m-Euro 220m, while EBIT, EBITDA and EPS should increase between 20% and 30%.