Bastei Lübbe AG: Successful first six months of the financial year

Cologne 11/11/2013. Media company Bastei Lübbe has reported pleasing growth for the first half of the current financial year. Following its IPO in October 2013, Bastei Lübbe has now published its figures for the first interim report to 30 September 2013. The results are thoroughly positive. Sales have increased by 37.8% to EUR 56.0 million (PY: EUR 40.6 million). Sales growth has also been influenced by the publication of Dan Brown's latest bestseller, 'Inferno'. All three segments of Bastei Lübbe (books, non-books and popular paperback fiction and puzzle books) reported increased sales for the first six months.

Digital sales climbed in a year-on-year comparison from EUR 2.8 million to EUR 6.5 million (+232%) and account for just under 16% of Print sales.

Operative earnings rose by 326 % to EUR 7.5 million (PY: EUR 2.3 million) in the first six months. Half-year earnings were equally as strong. These increased to EUR 5.2 million from EUR 822,000 in the previous year.

These figures are significantly higher than the previous year and considerably better than forecast. Bastei Lübbe can therefore assume that its planned targets for the entire year will be achieved.