AIXTRON on Track for 2008 Targets / Full Year guidance confirmed / Compound common-platform systems dominate demand / Continued Silicon weakness in line with market conditions

AIXTRON AG / Quarter Results/Forecast

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AIXTRON on Track for 2008 Targets / Full Year guidance confirmed / Compound
common-platform systems dominate demand / Continued Silicon weakness in
line with market conditions

Aachen/Germany, October 30, 2008 – AIXTRON AG, a leading provider of
deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry, today announced the
company’s financial results for the first nine months of 2008.

                                 2008   2007   +/-   2008   2007   +/-
(million EUR)                    9M     9M           Q3     Q3
Revenues                         192.1  160.7  20%   63.9   51.7   24%
Gross profit                     77.3   62.4   24%   26.9   19.9   35%
Gross margin                      40%    39%   1 pp   42%    39%   3 pp
Operating result (EBIT)          25.0   16.4   53%    7.5    5.0   50%
EBIT-margin                       13%    10%   3 pp   12%    10%   2 pp
Net result                       18.9   14.8   28%    5.5    3.4   65%
Net result margin                 10%     9%   1 pp    9%     6%   3 pp
Net result per share - basic     0.21   0.17   24%   0.06   0.04   50%
(€)
Net result per share - diluted   0.21   0.17   24%   0.06   0.04   50%
(€)
Free cash flow*                   5.5    2.3   139%  -11.0  -0.2   n/a
Equipment Order Intake           210.2  160.8  31%   52.2   70.0   -25%
Equipment Order Backlog (End of  158.1  102.8  54%   158.1  102.8  54%
Period)
* Operating CF + Investing CF + Changes in Cash Deposits



Financial Highlights
During the first nine months of 2008, despite a considerably weaker average
US Dollar rate than in the same period 2007, AIXTRON recorded Revenues of
EUR 192.1m, an increase of 20% compared with the same period last year. The
increase in Revenues was largely driven by strong sales of higher margin
compound semiconductor deposition equipment to the LED industry.

Gross Profit rose by 24% to EUR 77.3m during the period, yielding a
slightly improved Gross Margin of 40% (vs. 39% during 9M/2007). EBIT rose
53% to EUR 25.0m, leading to an operating margin of 13%; EBT increased 58%
to EUR 27.6m, and net income came in at EUR 18.9m, up 28%.

In line with the predicted 'digestion' phase of the current investment
cycle, total Equipment Order Intake declined 28% sequentially in the third
quarter. However, Management still takes a positive view of the EUR 52.2m
in New Orders generated in Q3/2008 and the 31% year-on-year increase in
cumulative nine months Orders, given the current economic environment.

AIXTRON’s cash position continues to be strong: Cash and Cash Equivalents
(incl. Cash Deposits) remained virtually unchanged (compared with year end
2007) at EUR 77.2m as of September 30, 2008, and the Company recorded no
bank borrowings.

Management Review
Paul Hyland, President & Chief Executive Officer of AIXTRON, comments: 'In
the increasingly difficult macroeconomic environment, our strategic focus
and financial and operational flexibility are crucially important assets
that we are striving to improve further. We believe that our ‘pure-play’
market-led developments and the flexible manufacturing strategies are
exactly the focused approach required in the volatile market environment we
are having to contend with. Our order intake recognition policy remains
conservative and consequently we have not recorded any order cancellations
to date. We continue to have a strong cash position and a debt-free balance
sheet. Operationally, we have worked very hard in recent years not only to
raise the competitiveness of our products, but also to enhance our
manufacturing processes. We continue to see and are pursuing very real
opportunities to further improve our manufacturing profitability in the
coming year. All of this stands us in good stead for the current challenge,
and will allow us to continue to lead the field when conditions improve. I
am also pleased to be able to say that AIXTRON will deliver on its original
full-year guidance.'

Outlook
AIXTRON Management reiterates its now refined full-year 2008 guidance for
Total Revenue of EUR 270m and an EBIT Margin of 12%.

Financial Tables
The consolidated interim financial statements (balance sheet, income
statement, cash flow statement, statement of changes in equity) relating to
this press release are available on http://www.aixtron.com, section
'Investors/Reports/Financial Reports', as part of AIXTRON’s Group interim
report for the first nine months of 2008.

Investor Conference Call
AIXTRON will host a financial analyst and investor conference call on
Thursday, October 30, 2008, 3:00 p.m. CET (7:00 a.m. PDT, 10:00 a.m. EDT)
to review the 9 Months 2008 results. From 2:45 p.m. CET (6:45 a.m. PDT,
9:45 a.m. EDT) you may dial in to the call at +49 (30) 86871–786 or +1
(212) 444-0296. The presentation document reviewing the half year results
can be downloaded from http://www.aixtron.com, section
'Investors/Presentations/IR Presentation'. Both a conference call audio
replay and a transcript of the conference call will be available at
http://www.aixtron.com, section 'Investors/Reports/Conference Call',
following the call.

For further information on AIXTRON AG (FSE: AIXA, ISIN DE000A0WMPJ6;
NASDAQ: AIXG, ISIN US0096061041) please consult our website at:
http://www.aixtron.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements about the
business, financial condition, results of operations and earnings outlook
of AIXTRON within the meaning of the 'safe harbor' provisions of the United
States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as
'may', 'will', 'expect', 'anticipate', 'contemplate', 'intend', 'plan',
'believe', 'continue' and 'estimate', and variations of these words and
similar expressions, identify these forward-looking statements. The
forward-looking statements reflect our current views and assumptions and
are subject to risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance
on the forward-looking statements. The following factors, and others which
are discussed in AIXTRON’s public filings and submissions with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission, are among those that may cause actual
and future results and trends to differ materially from our forward-looking
statements: actual customer orders received by AIXTRON; the extent to which
chemical vapor deposition, or CVD, technology is demanded by the market
place; the timing of final acceptance of products by customers; the
financial climate and accessibility of financing; general conditions in the
thin film equipment market and in the macro-economy; cancellations,
rescheduling or delays in product shipments; manufacturing capacity
constraints; lengthy sales and qualification cycles; difficulties in the
production process; changes in semiconductor industry growth; increased
competition; exchange rate fluctuations; availability of government
funding; variability and availability of interest rates; delays in
developing and commercializing new products; general economic conditions
being less favorable than expected; and other factors. The forward-looking
statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof
and AIXTRON does not assume any obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise, unless required by law.

Contact:
Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
AIXTRON AG, Kackertstr. 15–17, 52072 Aachen, Germany
Phone: +49 241 8909 444, Fax: +49 241 8909 445, invest@aixtron.com
www.aixtron.com


30.10.2008  Financial News transmitted by DGAP
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Language:     English
Issuer:       AIXTRON AG
              Kackertstr. 15-17
              52072 Aachen
              Deutschland
Phone:        +49 (241) 8909-444
Fax:          +49 (241) 8909-445
E-mail:       invest@aixtron.com
Internet:     www.aixtron.com
ISIN:         DE000A0WMPJ6, US0096061041
WKN:          A0WMPJ
Indices:      TecDAX
Listed:       Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
              in Berlin, Stuttgart, München, Düsseldorf; Terminbörse EUREX;
              Foreign Exchange(s) Nasdaq
 
End of News                                     DGAP News-Service
 
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