Firstrand - Trading Statement

Firstrand - Trading Statement                                                   
FIRSTRAND LIMITED                                                               
(Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)                                  
(Registration number: 1966/010753/06)                                           
ISIN: ZAE000014973                                                              
Share Code (JSE): FSR                                                           
Share Code (NSX): FST                                                           
("FirstRand" or "the Company")                                                  
TRADING STATEMENT IN RESPECT OF THE SIX MONTH PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2004     
In compliance with the JSE Securities Exchange South Africa Listings            
Requirements, FirstRand shareholders are advised that the group"s headline      
earnings per share (which includes translation losses) as well as fully diluted 
headline earnings per share for the six-month period ended 31 December 2004 are 
expected to exceed the comparative period by marginally more than 20%.          
This is due to the FirstRand portfolio of businesses benefiting from the        
favourable operating environment for financial services.                        
Furthermore, the FirstRand Group sold its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ansbacher,   
during the period under review. This has resulted in a transfer from the        
currency translation reserves to attributable earnings of R413 million (before  
cost incurred of R17 million resulting in a net R396 million). Attributable     
earnings and earnings per share will, therefore, exceed the comparative period  
by 30% - 36%. This transfer is excluded from the calculation of headline        
earnings as the transfer is not part of the operational performance of the      
group.                                                                          
The financial information on which this trading statement is based has not been 
reviewed and reported on by the Company"s auditors.                             
The full details of the financial results will be released on SENS on 1 March   
2005 and in the press on 2 March 2005.                                          
Sandton                                                                         
23 February 2005                                                                
Merchant Bank and Sponsor                                                       
RAND MERCHANT BANK (A division of FirstRand Bank Limited)                       
CORPORATE FINANCE                                                               
Date: 22/02/2005 05:29:19 PM Supplied by www.sharenet.co.za                     
Produced by the JSE SENS Department