Preliminary information on 2008 results: Rautar...

Rautaruukki Corporation Stock exchange release 19 January 2009 at 9am

Rautaruukki's comparable net sales rose by 3 per cent year-on-year to
EUR 3,826 million (2007: EUR 3,725 million). Reported consolidated
net sales for 2008 were EUR 3,851 million (EUR 3,876 million).


Comparable operating profit for 2008 was EUR 583 million excluding
non-recurring items (2007: EUR 632 million), equating to 15.2 per
cent (17.0) of net sales. Reported operating profit was EUR 568
million (EUR 637 million).

In its guidance published earlier, the company expected comparable
consolidated net sales for 2008 to be slightly higher than in 2007
and comparable operating profit, excluding non-recurring items, to be
at the same level as in 2007.

Operating profit remained below that expected due to a rapid
weakening of the market situation in December 2008. Demand for and
deliveries of steel products declined in December more than
anticipated. One of the two blast furnaces at Rautaruukki's Raahe
Works in Finland was shut down at the beginning of December and
production at other plants was adjusted in line with demand. However,
it has not yet proved possible to adjust steel production costs
accordingly and this considerably weakened earnings in December. In
December, the company also initiated human resources measures and
other actions to improve corporate-wide operational efficiency.
Non-recurring costs of around EUR 11 million associated with these
efficiency improvement measures were booked for the fourth quarter of
2008.

Rautaruukki will publish its 2008 financial statement bulletin at
around noon on 5 February 2009.


Rautaruukki Corporation

Anne Pirilä
SVP, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations


Rautaruukki supplies metal-based components, systems and integrated
systems to the construction and engineering industries. The company
has a wide selection of metal products and services. Rautaruukki has
operations in 26 countries and employs 15,000 people. Net sales in
2007 totalled EUR 3.9 billion. The company's share is quoted on
NASDAQ OMX Helsinki (Rautaruukki Oyj: RTRKS). The Corporation uses
the marketing name Ruukki.


DISTRIBUTION:
NASDAQ OMX Helsinki
Main media
www.ruukki.com


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