Highlight Communications : Group improves EBIT and net profit

10.11.2015

• Consolidated sales of CHF 231.1 million in line with planning
• EBIT raised by 19.2% to CHF 23.0 million
• Consolidated net profit increases by 12.6% to CHF 11.6 million
• Earnings forecast raised for fiscal year 2015

As anticipated, the third quarter of 2015 was the quarter with the highest sales and earnings so far in the current fiscal year. A key contribution to this was made by the Film segment, in particular due to the theatrical performance of the Constantin Film comedy 'Fack Ju Göhte 2', which had already been seen by approximately 5.5 million people by the end of September.

Group development in the first nine months of 2015

• Consolidated sales in the first nine months of the current fiscal year amounted to CHF 231.1 million. The decline of CHF 81.1 million as against the figure for the same period of 2014 (CHF 312.2 million) mainly results from the fact that no international Constantin Film own production was released this year.
• Consolidated operating expenses fell by CHF 70.1 million as against the previous year's figure. This decline is primarily due to amortization, depreciation and impairment, which were CHF 57.3 million lower at CHF 45.6 million.
• EBIT improved by CHF 3.7 million or 19.2% to CHF 23.0 million (previous year's period: CHF 19.3 million). The EBIT margin for the first nine months of 2015 was therefore 10.0% (previous year's period: 6.2%).
• The consolidated net profit rose by CHF 1.3 million or 12.6% to CHF 11.6 million. The fact that the EBIT increase was not fully reflected in consolidated net profit was due firstly to higher tax expenses and secondly to currency effects.
• The profit share attributable to Highlight shareholders amounted to CHF 11.9 million (previous year's period: CHF 9.6 million), corresponding to earnings per share of CHF 0.27 (previous year's period: CHF 0.21) - an increase of 28.6%.
• As of September 30, 2015, the Highlight Group had cash and cash equivalents of CHF 104.5 million and financial liabilities increased of CHF 101.5 million, resulting in net liquidity of CHF 3.0 million at the end of the third quarter (December 31, 2014: net debt of CHF 36.5 million).
• Consolidated equity (including non-controlling interests) was down CHF 13.1 million as against the end of 2014 at CHF 93.8 million (December 31, 2014: CHF 106.9 million). This decrease resulted primarily from dividend payments (CHF 10.3 million) and currency translation differences (CHF 9.8 million). With a balance sheet total of CHF 441.6 million (December 31, 2014: CHF 361.6 million), the equity ratio was 21.2% as of the end of the third quarter (December 31, 2014: 29.6%).

Targets for fiscal year 2015

In the current fourth quarter, the Highlight Group is anticipating that the positive business performance will continue, and therefore adjusted its earnings forecast for 2015 as a whole in an ad-hoc disclosure on October 30, 2015. Assuming that currency exchange rates remain almost stable, it currently expects to generate a consolidated net profit attributable to shareholders of between CHF 16 million and CHF 18 million with earnings per share of between CHF 0.36 and CHF 0.40. The previous forecast for consolidated sales of between CHF 310 million and CHF 330 million remains unchanged.

The German interim report as of September 30, 2015 will be available for download at www.highlight-communications.ch starting from this evening, and the English version from November 17, 2015 at the latest.

Highlight Group at a glance

Group figures according to IFRS

For more information:

HIGHLIGHT COMMUNICATIONS AG
Investor Relations
Netzibodenstrasse 23b
4133 Pratteln BL, Switzerland
Phone: 0041-61-816 96 91
E-mail: ir@hlcom.ch