Bastei Lubbe AG, a leading German publishing group listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, has reported continued revenue growth in the first quarter of its 2026/2027 financial year, despite persistently muted conditions in the German book market. Group revenues for the period from April to June 2026 totaled EUR 24.6 million, up from EUR 21.4 million in the same quarter of the previous year. Group EBIT amounted to 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 revenue performance was particularly encouraging in the classic formats, with the share of community-driven business models contracting to 24% in the first three months of the 2026/2027 financial year, down from 31% in the same period of the previous year. The share of digital products in revenues reached 35% in the period under review, compared to 38% in the prior year.
Revenue growth was driven by top releases under both new and established imprints. In the “Book” segment, revenues rose to EUR 22.9 million, up from EUR 21.4 million in the previous year. The new “Pfaueninsel” imprint and the classic “Lübbe” imprint performed particularly well. The success of “Pfaueninsel” was largely due to the strong performance of the new top release and SPIEGEL bestseller “Träume aus Feuer” by Florian Illies, which has remained in the top ten since publication, even achieving the top spot on multiple occasions. Under the Lübbe imprint, Lucy Astner’s novel “Kein Sommer ohne August” was a permanent fixture among the top titles on the SPIEGEL bestseller list. 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 imprint’s strong showing. Segment EBIT for the Book segment 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 increased slightly to EUR 1.7 million, up from EUR 1.6 million in the previous year, with segment EBIT improving to EUR 0.1 million from EUR 0.0 million.
However, higher costs left traces on earnings. The cost of materials rose to EUR 12.4 million from EUR 10.6 million in the previous year, primarily due to increased printing costs ahead of new releases in the coming quarters. Personnel expenses climbed from EUR 5.7 million to EUR 6.1 million, reflecting scheduled salary adjustments and a higher number of employees due to vacant positions being filled.
Consolidated earnings before taxes (EBT) came to EUR 1.0 million in the first three months of 2026/2027, down from EUR 1.2 million in the previous year. The consolidated net profit attributable to shareholders of Bastei Lübbe AG totaled EUR 0.7 million, compared to EUR 0.8 million in the prior year, resulting in earnings per share of 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 remained largely stable, with equity attributable to shareholders of the parent company at EUR 66.4 million, an increase of EUR 0.7 million from 31 March 2026.
The full-year forecast for 2026/2027 remains unchanged, with the Executive Board expecting revenues in a range of EUR 118-122 million and EBIT of EUR 10.0-12.0 million. The Group’s profitability has improved noticeably since the fourth quarter of 2025/2026 and is approaching the target. Bastei Lubbe AG’s interim statement for the first three months of the 2026/2027 financial year is available at www.bastei-luebbe.de.
