Bastei Lübbe enters its 2026/2027 financial year with continued revenue growth

Corporate News

Bastei Lübbe enters its 2026/2027 financial year with continued revenue growth
 

• Increase in Group revenues to EUR 24.6 million in the first quarter of 2026/2027
• Full-year 2026/2027 forecast confirmed
• Revenues for the quarter boosted by top releases under new and established imprints

Cologne, 6 August 2026 – Bastei Lübbe AG, a general-interest publishing group listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN DE000A1X3YY0), entered its 2026/2027 financial year with higher revenues despite the persistently muted conditions in the German book market. In the period from April to June 2026, Group revenues totalled EUR 24.6 million. Group EBIT amounted to EUR 1.1 million in the reporting period, translating into an EBIT margin of 4.4%.

Soheil Dastyari, CEO of Bastei Lübbe AG: “Once again, we were able to boost our revenues and also make significant progress in terms of profitability compared to the previous quarter. We will be systematically continuing on this trajectory as the year progresses.”

The good revenue performance of the classic formats in the first quarter was particularly encouraging. Against this backdrop, the proportion of revenues contributed by the community-driven business models contracted to 24 percent in the first three months of the 2026/2027 financial year, down from 31 percent in the same period of the previous year. The share of digital products in revenues reached 35 percent in the period under review (previous year: 38 percent).

Revenues boosted by top releases under new and established imprints

Although the persistently tense situation in the book market left traces on all parts of the portfolio, Bastei Lübbe AG recorded solid revenue growth in the first quarter of 2026/2027. Revenues of EUR 22.9 million (previous year: EUR 21.4 million) were achieved in the “Book” segment, with the new “Pfaueninsel” imprint and the classic “Lübbe” imprint in particular performing well. In the case of “Pfaueninsel”, this was mainly due to the great success of the new top release and SPIEGEL bestseller “Träume aus Feuer” by Florian Illies, which has remained in the top ten since being published, even achieving top place on repeated occasions. Another permanent fixture among the top titles on the SPIEGEL bestseller list was Lucy Astner’s novel “Kein Sommer ohne August” under the Lübbe imprint. The strong paperback edition of Ken Follett’s novel “The Armour of Light” and Eva Almstadt’s crime thriller “Akte Nordsee – Die letzte Predigt” also contributed to the “Lübbe” imprint’s strong showing. Segment EBIT came to EUR 1.0 million, down from EUR 1.2 million in the same quarter of the previous year.

In the “Novel Booklets” segment, revenues rose slightly to EUR 1.7 million in the period under review, up from EUR 1.6 million in the previous year. Segment EBIT improved to EUR 0.1 million in the first three months of the 2026/2027 financial year (previous year: EUR 0.0 million).

Higher costs leaving traces on earnings

At EUR 12.4 million in the period under review, the cost of materials was up on the previous year (EUR 10.6 million). This is primarily attributable to increased printing costs ahead of the new releases in the coming quarters.

Personnel expenses climbed from EUR 5.7 million in the previous year to EUR 6.1 million. In addition to scheduled salary adjustments, this is also due to the higher number of employees as a result of vacant positions being filled at Bastei Lübbe AG.

Consolidated earnings before taxes (EBT) came to EUR 1.0 million in the first three months of 2026/2027 (previous year: EUR 1.2 million). The consolidated net profit for the period attributable to the shareholders of Bastei Lübbe AG totalled EUR 0.7 million in the reporting period (previous year: EUR 0.8 million). Accordingly, earnings per share stood at EUR 0.05 (previous year: EUR 0.06).

As of 30 June 2026, total Group assets were valued at EUR 107.2 million, down from EUR 109.0 million as of 31 March 2026. The balance sheet structure was largely stable. At EUR 66.4 million on 30 June 2026, the share of equity attributable to the equity holders of the parent company was EUR 0.7 million higher than on 31 March 2026 (EUR 65.7 million).

Full-year forecast confirmed

Compared to the information provided in the annual report for the 2025/2026 financial year, the forecast for the 2026/2027 financial year is unchanged. The Executive Board continues to expect revenues in a range of EUR 118 – 122 million and EBIT of EUR 10.0 – 12.0 million. The Group’s profitability has already improved noticeably since the fourth quarter of 2025/2026 and is thus approaching the target.

Bastei Lübbe AG’s interim statement for the first three months of the 2026/2027 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 more than 14 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 Group generates annual revenues of over EUR 118 million (2025/2026 financial year). Its shares have been listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (WKN A1X3YY, ISIN DE000A1X3YY0) since 2013. Further information can be found at www.bastei-luebbe.de.

Contact Bastei Lübbe AG:

Julia Kikillis
Head of Press and Public Relations
Phone: +49 (0)221 8200 2850
E-Mail: julia.kikillis@bastei-luebbe.de