EQS-News: Continued strong revenue and earnings growth in the first half of 2024/2025 prompting an upward adjustment in the full-year guidance

Continued strong revenue and earnings growth in the first half of 2024/2025 prompting an upward adjustment in the full-year guidance

• Revenues up 10.9 percent year-on-year to EUR 56.6 million
• 48.1 percent increase in Group EBIT to EUR 9.0 million
• Significantly higher EBIT margin of 15.9 percent (previous year: 11.9 percent)
• Full-year forecast for 2024/2025 raised: Group revenues of between EUR 113 and 117 million and Group EBIT of EUR 15 to 16 million expected

Cologne, 7 November 2024. Bastei Lübbe AG, a general-interest publishing group listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN DE000A1X3YY0), is maintaining its strong growth momentum in a sluggish market environment and continued to grow in the first half of its 2024/2025 financial year, achieving strong increases in profitability. In the period from April to September 2024, it generated Group revenues of EUR 56.6 million, up from EUR 51.0 million in the same period of the previous year, equivalent to an increase of 10.9 percent. Group EBIT rose more swiftly by 48.1 percent in the first half of the year to EUR 9.0 million, up from EUR 6.1 million in the previous year. Reflecting this, the EBIT margin improved to 15.9 percent, compared with 11.9 percent in the same period of the previous year.

The share of revenues contributed by the community-driven business models stood at 42 percent in the first half of 2024/2025, substantially exceeding the previous year’s figure of 33 percent. As in the previous year, the share of digital products in revenues reached 32 percent.

Growth driven by attractive range of fiction, LYX new adult titles and audio
In an environment still characterised by muted macroeconomic conditions and consumer reticence, Bastei Lübbe AG performed very favourably in the first half of 2024/2025. Revenues of EUR 53.0 million (previous year: EUR 47.2 million) were recorded in the “Book” segment, materially underpinned by the growth of 46 percent achieved by the LYX imprint with its catalogue for new adults together with growth of 13 percent in the audio segment. LYX particularly benefited in the first quarter of the financial year from the great success of the “Maxton Hall – The World Between Us” series by Spiegel bestselling author Mona Kasten, which was adapted as a series for Prime Video. In addition, a significant decline in returns compared with the previous year left positive traces. Segment EBIT climbed from EUR 5.7 million in the previous year to EUR 8.5 million in the reporting period. This was primarily attributable to higher revenues in tandem with an improved cost ratio.

In the “Novel Booklets” segment, revenues of EUR 3.5 million were generated in the reporting period, compared with EUR 3.8 million in the previous year. At EUR 0.5 million, segment EBIT was up on the previous year (EUR 0.4 million) in the first half of the financial year, chiefly as a result of lower paper and printing costs.

Soheil Dastyari, Chief Executive Officer of Bastei Lübbe AG: “In a flat overall market, we continue to display strength and were able to significantly outperform the market once again. Our strategic orientation has again demonstrated its potential, prompting us to raise our full-year guidance.”

Earnings still growing at a disproportionately strong rate
The very favourable trend in profits is also reflected in earnings before taxes (EBT), which rose by 50.9 percent to EUR 8.7 million in the first half of 2024/2025 (previous year: EUR 5.7 million). Consolidated net profit for the period also climbed more swiftly by 50.9 percent to EUR 5.8 million in the first half of the year, up from EUR 3.9 million in the previous year. This is also evident in earnings per share, which reached EUR 0.44, up from EUR 0.29 in the previous year.

As of 30 September 2024, total Group assets stood at EUR 105.7 million, up from EUR 103.9 million as of 31 March 2024. At EUR 63.2 million on 30 September 2024, the share of equity attributable to the equity holders of the parent company was slightly higher than on 31 March 2024 (EUR 61.3 million). The net profit of EUR 5.8 million for the period was offset by the dividend payment of EUR 4.0 million for the 2023/2024 financial year.

Full-year outlook adjusted upwards
As the Company announced in an ad-hoc bulletin on 31 October 2024, the revenue and EBIT forecast for the 2024/2025 financial year has been adjusted upwards on the strength of the Group’s successful business performance in the first six months of the financial year despite the macroeconomic challenges. Growth is particularly being spurred by the new adult label LYX and the other community-driven business models as well as audio formats, which also performed better than expected in the second quarter.

Compared to the forecast of EUR 111 to 115 million specified in the annual report for the 2023/24 financial year, the Executive Board now expects Group revenues to range between EUR 113 and 117 million for the 2024/2025 financial year (previous year: EUR 110.3 million). Group EBIT is now seen in a range of EUR 15 to 16 million (previous year: EUR 14.0 million), up from the earlier forecast of EUR 13 to 14 million.

Bastei Lübbe AG’s financial report on the first six months of the 2024/2025 financial year is available at www.bastei-luebbe.de.

About Bastei Lübbe AG:
Bastei Lübbe AG is the leading independent publishing group in Germany. Based in Cologne, it publishes books, audio books and e-books featuring high-quality popular entertainment as well as periodical novel booklets. In total, the company owns fifteen imprints. Bastei Lübbe sees itself as an innovation driver in the industry and has successfully established several rapidly expanding community-driven business models, among other things. Bastei Lübbe AG is also a pioneer of digital media, producing thousands of audio and eBooks, which are distributed via all digital exploitation channels. The parent company generates annual revenues of over EUR 110 million (2023/2024 financial year). Its shares have been listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (GSIN A1X3YY, ISIN DE000A1X3YY0) since 2013. Further information can be found at www.bastei-luebbe.de.

Contact Bastei Lübbe AG:
Barbara Fischer
Head of Press and Public Relations
Phone: +49 (0)221 8200 2850
E-Mail: barbara.fischer@luebbe.de