Bastei Lubbe Reports Strong Q1 Revenue Growth Despite Market Challenges

Bastei Lubbe AG, a leading German publishing group, has reported a robust start to its 2026/2027 fiscal year, with group revenues climbing to EUR 24.6 million in the first quarter (April-June 2026), up from EUR 21.4 million in the same period last year. This growth comes despite persistently muted conditions in the German book market, underscoring the company's resilience and strategic execution.

The company's earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) reached EUR 1.1 million, translating to an EBIT margin of 4.4%. While this is slightly lower than the prior year's EUR 1.2 million, the sequential improvement from the fourth quarter of 2025/2026 indicates a positive trajectory. CEO Soheil Dastyari emphasized the progress: "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."

Revenue growth was primarily driven by the "Book" segment, which generated EUR 22.9 million (up from EUR 21.4 million). Notable successes include the new "Pfaueninsel" imprint's top release "Traume aus Feuer" by Florian Illies, which has become a SPIEGEL bestseller, and Lucy Astner's novel "Kein Sommer ohne August" under the "Lubbe" imprint. Additionally, Ken Follett's paperback edition of "The Armour of Light" and Eva Almstadt's crime thriller "Akte Nordsee – Die letzte Predigt" contributed to the segment's strong performance. The "Novel Booklets" segment also saw slight revenue growth to EUR 1.7 million, with improved EBIT.

The company's community-driven business models accounted for 24% of revenues in the quarter, down from 31% a year ago, while digital products represented 35% of revenues (down from 38%). This shift reflects the strong performance of classic print formats, which remain a core strength.

Cost pressures were evident, with material costs rising to EUR 12.4 million (from EUR 10.6 million) due to increased printing costs ahead of new releases, and personnel expenses increasing to EUR 6.1 million (from EUR 5.7 million) due to salary adjustments and filling vacant positions. Despite these, the company maintained a stable balance sheet with total assets of EUR 107.2 million and equity attributable to shareholders of EUR 66.4 million.

Bastei Lubbe has confirmed its full-year forecast for 2026/2027, expecting revenues between EUR 118 million and EUR 122 million and EBIT of EUR 10.0-12.0 million. The company's interim statement is available at www.bastei-luebbe.de.

This performance is particularly significant given the challenging market environment, demonstrating that strategic investments in quality content and imprints can drive growth. As the company continues to innovate and expand its digital and community-driven models, it remains a key player in the German publishing industry.