Bastei Lubbe AG, a leading German publishing group, has announced a solid start to its 2026/2027 fiscal year, with group revenues rising to EUR 24.6 million in the first quarter (April-June 2026), up from EUR 21.4 million in the previous year. Despite persistently muted conditions in the German book market, the company achieved an EBIT of EUR 1.1 million, translating into a 4.4% margin. CEO Soheil Dastyari 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 revenue growth was particularly driven by the "Book" segment, which saw revenues increase to EUR 22.9 million from EUR 21.4 million. This performance was buoyed by successful releases under both the new "Pfaueninsel" imprint and the classic "Lübbe" imprint. Notably, "Traume aus Feuer" by Florian Illies, published under Pfaueninsel, became a SPIEGEL bestseller and frequently topped the charts. Lucy Astner's "Kein Sommer ohne August" also remained a top title on the SPIEGEL bestseller list. Additionally, the paperback edition of Ken Follett's "The Armour of Light" and Eva Almstadt's crime thriller "Akte Nordsee – Die letzte Predigt" contributed to the segment's success. However, segment EBIT declined slightly to EUR 1.0 million from EUR 1.2 million in the prior year.
The "Novel Booklets" segment also showed modest growth, with revenues rising to EUR 1.7 million from EUR 1.6 million, and EBIT improving to EUR 0.1 million from EUR 0.0 million.
The company's overall profitability was impacted by higher costs. Cost of materials increased to EUR 12.4 million from EUR 10.6 million, primarily due to higher printing costs ahead of new releases. Personnel expenses rose to EUR 6.1 million from EUR 5.7 million, reflecting scheduled salary adjustments and a higher number of employees.
Consolidated earnings before taxes (EBT) reached EUR 1.0 million, down from EUR 1.2 million in the previous year. Net profit attributable to shareholders was EUR 0.7 million, with earnings per share at EUR 0.05, compared to EUR 0.06 in the prior year.
As of 30 June 2026, total group assets were EUR 107.2 million, slightly down from EUR 109.0 million as of 31 March 2026. Equity attributable to shareholders increased to EUR 66.4 million from EUR 65.7 million, reflecting a stable balance sheet structure.
The company has confirmed its full-year forecast for 2026/2027, expecting revenues between EUR 118 million and EUR 122 million and EBIT of EUR 10.0 million to EUR 12.0 million. The Executive Board notes that profitability has improved since the fourth quarter of 2025/2026 and is approaching its target.
Bastei Lubbe's interim statement for the first quarter is available on its website at www.bastei-luebbe.de. The company remains an innovation driver in the publishing industry, with a portfolio that includes books, audio books, e-books, and digital media.
