H & M HENNES & MAURITZ AB NINE-MONTH REPORT

9/24/2009 2:00 AM EST

• Sales excluding VAT for the H&M Group for the first nine months of the financial year amounted to SEK 73,382 m (62,222), an increase of 18 percent. In local currencies, the increase was 5 percent.
• Profit after financial items for the first nine months amounted to SEK 14,111 m (14,076). Group profit after tax amounted to SEK 10,230 m (10,205), corresponding to SEK 12.36 (12.33) per share.
• Sales excluding VAT for the third quarter amounted to SEK 23,545 m (20,871), an increase of 13 percent. In local currencies, the increase was 3 percent.
• The gross profit for the third quarter amounted to SEK 14,514 m (12,700), an increase of 14 percent. The gross margin amounted to 61.6 percent (60.8).
• Profit after financial items for the third quarter amounted to SEK 4,773 m (4,586), an increase of 4 percent. Group profit after tax amounted to SEK 3,460 m (3,325).
• Sales in August decreased by 3 percent in local currencies.
• Increased expansion target for the full year from 225 to approximately 240 stores net.
• Online sales to be launched in the United Kingdom with planned start in autumn 2010.


Sales
Sales excluding VAT for the H&M Group during the first nine months of the financial year amounted to SEK 73,382 m (62,222), an increase of 18 percent. Sales including VAT amounted to SEK 85,939 m (73,193). In local currencies the increase was 5 percent. In comparable units, sales decreased by 4 percent.

Sales excluding VAT in the third quarter amounted to SEK 23,545 m (20,871), an increase of 13 percent. Sales including VAT were SEK 27,587 m (24,540). In local currencies, sales increased by 3 percent and decreased by 6 percent in comparable units.

In August 2009, sales including VAT in local currencies decreased by 3 percent compared to the same month of the previous year. Sales in comparable units decreased by 11 percent.

The Group opened 116 (85*) stores and closed 14 (9) stores during the nine-month period. The total number of stores in the Group as per 31 August 2009 thus amounted to 1,840 (1,618), of which 31 are franchise stores.

* Excluding the 20 stores that were consolidated through the acquisition of FaBric Scandinavien AB, 1 May, 2008.


Contact persons

Nils Vinge, IR
+46-8-796 5250

Jyrki Tervonen, CFO
+46-8-796 5277

Karl-Johan Persson, CEO
+46-8-796 5233

Switchboard
+46-8-796 5500

Information about H&M and press images are available at www.hm.com

The information in this Interim Report is that which H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB (publ) is required to disclose under Sweden’s Securities Market Act. It will be released for publication at 08:00 (CET) on 24 September 2009.