Hexagon grew earnings per share by 6 to 8 per cent in 2008

Hexagon grew earnings per share by 6 to 8 per cent in 2008

Hexagon estimates the full year 2008 growth in earnings per share to be between
6 and 8 per cent. This is below the earlier outlook for the year of 15 per cent
growth in earnings per share.

December usually displays strong sales and represents approximately 25 per cent
of Hexagon's earnings in a year. The final weeks of 2008 were significantly
weaker than expected. Customers closed down their entire operations rather than,
as under normal circumstances, place late orders with deliveries before the year
end.

Due to the deteriorating demand situation, Hexagon has accelerated its cost
reduction programme. Lay offs of personnel in combination with furlough
(temporary leave of absence) during the first half of 2009 are expected to bring
annualised savings of approximately 500 MSEK. These measures result in
restructuring charges of approximately 100 MSEK in total in the fourth quarter
2008.

Hexagon's sales are estimated to be 13 billion SEK and earnings per share to be
between 6.4 and 6.5 SEK for the full year 2008. The numbers are excluding Hexpol
AB, the polymers business that was de-consolidated from Hexagon as of 1 June
2008.

“The first half of the year 2009 will be challenging. Hexagon is responding to
the demand drop by cutting cost, laying off and furloughing of personnel as well
as delaying investments. As governmental stimuli packages around the world start
to have an impact on infrastructural investments, Hexagon's growth is expected
to resume”, says Ola Rollén, President and CEO of Hexagon AB.




For further information please contact Sara Kraft, Investor Relations, at +46 8
601 26 27, ir@hexagon.se

Hexagon AB is a global measurement technologies company with strong market
positions. Hexagon's mission is to develop and market leading technologies and
services to measure in one, two or three dimensions, to position and update
objects and to time processes. The group has about 8 000 employees in 35
countries and net sales of about 13 000 MSEK. Read more at www.hexagon.se.