Bastei Lubbe AG reported a widening of its second-quarter EBIT margin to 8.4 percent from 4.4 percent in the prior quarter, even as group revenues for the first half of the 2026/2027 financial year slipped to EUR 55.2 million, slightly below the previous year’s level. The Cologne-based general-interest publishing group, listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under ISIN DE000A1X3YY0, attributed the revenue decline to the absence of top-selling blockbuster titles that had boosted the same period a year earlier.
The profitability improvement matters because it signals that Bastei Lubbe is making progress on cost management and product mix even as the German book market remains weak. Group EBIT for the April-to-September period came in at EUR 3.7 million, a 6.6 percent margin, while second-quarter profitability more than doubled sequentially. CEO Soheil Dastyari called the result “a strong sign of our business resilience and a further important step on our path to sustainable growth,” noting the persistently challenging market conditions.
The company’s revenue mix showed stability in its strategic priorities. Community-driven business models accounted for 27 percent of revenues, nearly unchanged from 28 percent a year earlier, and digital products represented 32 percent, down from 34 percent. The “Book” segment generated EUR 51.6 million in revenues, down from EUR 53.4 million, with segment EBIT of EUR 3.2 million versus EUR 5.4 million previously. The “Novel Booklets” segment posted EUR 3.5 million in revenues and EUR 0.4 million in segment EBIT. Bastei Lubbe confirmed its market leadership in key segments including Young Adult, New Adult and Community Editions.
Cost of materials fell to EUR 29.1 million from EUR 29.9 million, reflecting the revenue performance, product mix and ongoing adjustments to production costs that are expected to have a further impact in coming quarters. Personnel expenses rose to EUR 11.9 million from EUR 11.2 million, mainly due to changes in salary structure. Group earnings before taxes reached EUR 3.6 million, down from EUR 5.8 million, and consolidated net profit attributable to shareholders was EUR 2.4 million, or EUR 0.18 per share, compared with EUR 3.9 million and EUR 0.30 a year earlier.
Total Group assets rose slightly to EUR 113.1 million as of 30 September 2026 from EUR 109.0 million at 31 March 2026, largely on higher author advances, while the balance sheet structure remained stable. Equity attributable to parent-company shareholders stood at EUR 64.8 million, EUR 0.9 million lower than at 31 March 2026, mainly due to a EUR 3.3 million dividend distribution.
The company also pointed to positive momentum from the Frankfurt Book Fair in early October 2026, where it hosted authors on its own stage for the first time and saw numerous titles sell out. At the end of October it announced a new imprint, LIV, launching next spring to publish romance novels for readers in their late twenties and older, building on LYX and New Adult.
Despite that momentum, the Executive Board adjusted its full-year forecast, now expecting Group revenues of EUR 114–118 million for 2026/2027, compared with the earlier EUR 118–122 million forecast and prior-year revenues of EUR 118.4 million. Group EBIT is now seen at EUR 9–11 million, down from the earlier EUR 10–12 million guidance and compared with EUR 9.3 million last year. The company said cost adjustments already initiated are being stepped up, with EBIT expected to remain stable or increase despite lower revenues, accompanied by a wider margin. The half-yearly report is available at www.bastei-luebbe.de, and further information can be found at https://bastei-luebbe.de.
