Bastei Lubbe AG, a leading German publishing group listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, has started its 2026/2027 financial year with continued revenue growth, reporting Group revenues of EUR 24.6 million for the first quarter (April to June 2026). This represents an increase from the previous year's figure, despite persistently muted conditions in the German book market. Group EBIT for the quarter stood at EUR 1.1 million, translating into an EBIT margin of 4.4%.
Soheil Dastyari, CEO of Bastei Lubbe AG, commented: “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 company's performance was notably bolstered by strong sales in its classic print formats, with the share of community-driven business models contracting to 24% of revenues in the first three months, down from 31% in the same period last year. Digital products contributed 35% of revenues, slightly lower than the 38% recorded in the prior year.
The “Book” segment achieved revenues of EUR 22.9 million, up from EUR 21.4 million in the previous year, with the new “Pfaueninsel” imprint and the established “Lübbe” imprint performing particularly well. Notable successes included the SPIEGEL bestseller “Traume aus Feuer” by Florian Illies, which has remained in the top ten since its release and frequently reached the top spot, and Lucy Astner’s novel “Kein Sommer ohne August” under the Lübbe imprint. The paperback edition of Ken Follett’s “The Armour of Light” and Eva Almstadt’s crime thriller “Akte Nordsee – Die letzte Predigt” also contributed to the segment's strong performance. Segment EBIT for the Book segment was 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, up from EUR 1.6 million, with segment EBIT improving to EUR 0.1 million. The company's cost of materials increased to EUR 12.4 million from EUR 10.6 million, primarily due to higher printing costs ahead of new releases in the coming quarters. Personnel expenses also rose to EUR 6.1 million from EUR 5.7 million, reflecting scheduled salary adjustments and the filling of vacant positions.
Consolidated earnings before taxes (EBT) amounted to EUR 1.0 million in the first quarter, compared with EUR 1.2 million in the previous year. Net profit attributable to shareholders was EUR 0.7 million, down from EUR 0.8 million, resulting in earnings per share of EUR 0.05 (previous year: EUR 0.06). As of 30 June 2026, total Group assets were EUR 107.2 million, slightly lower than the EUR 109.0 million reported on 31 March 2026, while equity attributable to shareholders increased to EUR 66.4 million from EUR 65.7 million.
Looking ahead, Bastei Lubbe has confirmed its full-year forecast for 2026/2027, expecting revenues in the range of EUR 118-122 million and EBIT of EUR 10.0-12.0 million. The company notes that profitability has already improved noticeably since the fourth quarter of 2025/2026 and is approaching its target. The interim statement for the first three months is available at www.bastei-luebbe.de.
