26.03.2014 – 18:30

Highlight Communications AG

DGAP-News: Highlight Group publishes its 2013 annual financial statements

DGAP-News: Highlight Communications AG / Key word(s): Final Results
Highlight Group publishes its 2013 annual financial statements

26.03.2014 / 18:29

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  - Consolidated sales of CHF 386.2 million in the top third of the sales
    forecast

  - Consolidated net profit for the period at CHF 10.3 million considerably
    lower than the previous year; earnings per share of CHF 0.21

  - Constantin Film production "Fack ju Göhte" the best-visited film in the
    German movie theaters in 2013

  - Business activities in Sports-and Event-Marketing in line with
    expectations

  - For 2014, consolidated net profit  attributable to shareholders of CHF
    9 million to CHF 11 million expected

The economic development of the Highlight Group in fiscal year 2013 was
characterized by successes and some disappointments.
The Highlight Group today publishes its annual financial statements for the
past fiscal year.

Group development fiscal year 2013

  - At CHF 386.2 million, consolidated sales were in the top third of the
    forecast of CHF 350 million to 400 million. In comparison to the
    previous year, this represents a decline of CHF 46.6 million or 10.8%.

  - Partly due to the change in the business relationship with UEFA,
    consolidated net profit at CHF 10.3 million was considerably lower than
    in the previous year (CHF 26.3 million) as expected. This corresponds
    to earnings per share of CHF 0.21 for fiscal year 2013 (previous year's
    period: CHF 0.56).

  - At CHF 107.2 million, consolidated equity (including non-controlling
    interests) was slightly down on the previous year (December 31, 2012:
    CHF 111.3 million), due particularly to the lower earnings and the
    purchase of treasury shares.

  - Due to the higher production volume, net debt increased to CHF 107.7
    million (December 31, 2012: CHF 63.5 million).

Development of the operating segments in 2013

  - In the Film segment, "Fack ju Göhte", the comedy launched at the
    beginning of November, was received enthusiastically by 5.6 million
    moviegoers in Germany by the end of 2013, thus making it the film with
    the highest audience figures of the year. The Constantin Film
    production has now been seen by more than 7 million moviegoers, making
    it the third most successful German film since the German reunification
    in terms of box office takings. Despite this, in 2013 theatrical
    distribution was at the lower end of planning, due largely to the fact
    that some international licensed films did not live up to expectations.
    Furthermore, sales in the home entertainment and license trading
    business areas fell short of the previous year's level.


As a result of these developments, external sales in the Film segment
declined by 5.6% to CHF 333.6 million (previous year's period: CHF 353.4
million). As a result of a significant increase in production volume, film
assets rose by CHF 48.4 million. However, at CHF 8.3 million, segment
earnings were down by 28.4% on the previous year's figure (CHF 11.6
million) as a result of the associated rise in segment expenses.

  - In the Sports- and Event-Marketing segment, the marketing company TEAM
    had on its agenda processing the current season and marketing the UEFA
    Champions League and the UEFA Europa League for the period 2015/2016 to
    2017/2018.

Due to the change in the business relationship with UEFA, sales of CHF 48.9
million were generated, down by CHF 20.5 million as against the previous
year (CHF 69.4 million). Segment expenses were reduced by CHF 8.3 million
to CHF 29.4 million by means of cost-cutting measures. This resulted in
segment earnings of CHF 19.9 million, which was below the prior-year (CHF
32.5 million), in line with planning.

  - External sales of the Other Business Activities segment, which covers
    marketing for the Eurovision Song Contest and the Vienna Philharmonic
    as well as activities in the field of online/social gaming, declined as
    expected from CHF 10.0 million to CHF 3.7 million. The successful event
    and entertainment business gained both in terms of sales and earnings.
    Due to impairments taken on intangible assets at Pokermania GmbH, the
    segment result was lower than expected at CHF -4.8 million (2012: CHF
    -2.6 million).

Targets for fiscal year 2014

For the current fiscal year, the Highlight Group anticipates consolidated
sales in the range of CHF 380 and 410 million and consolidated net profit
attributable to shareholders of between CHF 9 million and CHF 11 million.
In the current year, with "Fantastic Four", "Resident Evil VI" and the
sequels to "Fack ju Göhte" and "Ostwind" we are planning to commence the
production of promising films from which we anticipate a significant
earnings upturn in fiscal year 2015.

As in the previous years, the Board of Directors of Highlight
Communications AG will propose the distribution of CHF 0.17 per entitled
share for fiscal year 2013 at the Annual General Meeting.

The ordinary Annual General Meeting for fiscal year 2013 will take place at
the Hotel Courtyard by Marriott in Pratteln on May 30, 2014.

The German annual report for 2013 will be available to download at
www.highlight-communications.ch starting from this evening, and the English
version from March 27, 2014.


End of Corporate News

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26.03.2014 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a
company of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Language:    English
Company:     Highlight Communications AG
             Netzibodenstrasse 23b
             4133 Pratteln
             Switzerland
Phone:       +41 61 816 96 96
Fax:         +41 61 816 67 67
E-mail:       ir@hlcom.ch
Internet: www.hlcom.ch
ISIN:        CH0006539198
WKN:         920299
Listed:      Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard);
             Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover,
             München, Stuttgart


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259863 26.03.2014