05.04.2017 – 18:56

Highlight Communications AG

DGAP-News: Highlight Group increases sales and earnings in fiscal year 2016

DGAP-News: Highlight Communications AG / Key word(s): Final Results
Highlight Group increases sales and earnings in fiscal year 2016

05.04.2017 / 18:53
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Consolidated sales rose significantly by 27.6% to CHF 441.7 millionEBIT improved
by 15.1% to CHF 35.8 millionAt CHF 19.7 million, consolidated net profit
attributable to shareholders at the upper end of the forecastEarnings per share
increased by 17.9% to CHF 0.46 CHF
The business performance of the Highlight Group was highly positive overall in
2016.

Group development in fiscal year 2016
Consolidated sales rose by 27.6% to CHF 441.7 million year-on-year (2015: CHF
346.1 million) and were therefore higher than the target figure of between CHF
410 and CHF 430 millionEBIT increased by 15.1% to CHF 35.8 million (2015: CHF
31.1 million) and consolidated net profit attributable to shareholders rose by
12.6% to CHF 19.7 million (2015: CHF 17.5 million).The same applies to earnings
per share, which were up 17.9% year-on-year at CHF 0.46 (2015: CHF 0.39).The
equity ratio improved by 14 percentage points to 36.7% as of the end of 2016
(December 31, 2015: 22.7%).Net liquidity rose significantly by CHF 34.1 million
to CHF 36.2 million (December 31, 2015: CHF 2.1 million.
Development of the operating segments in 2016
In theFilmsegment, the theatrical success of "Fack Ju Göhte 2" also carried over
to home entertainment exploitation. The movie achieved outstanding sales and
rental figures on both the physical and the electronic market. In the TV
exploitation/license trading business area, there was also high income from
advance sales of the international theatrical and TV productions "Resident Evil:
The Final Chapter" and "Shadowhunters". As anticipated, sales in the theatrical
distribution business areas - which benefited from popular titles such as "Fack
Ju Göhte 2" and "Look Who's Back" in 2015 - fell short of the previous year's
level. The strongest performance recorded the licensed film "Dirty Grandpa"
which drew 1.33 million moviegoers into cinemas, followed by the Constantin Film
co-production "Schweinskopf al dente" which delighted around 550,000 spectators.
As a result of these developments, the Film segment generated external sales of
CHF 382.8 million in the year under review, thereby outperforming the figure for
the previous year (CHF 290.9 million) by 31.6%. Segment expenses climbed - in
particular on account of a significant increase in amortization - by 37.9% to
CHF 503.2 million (2015: CHF 365.0 million), resulting in segment earnings below
the previous year's level at CHF 11.9 million (2015: CHF 17.2 million).
 In theSports- and Event-Marketingsegment, activities focused in particular on
the extensive preparations for the marketing process for the commercial rights
to the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League (for the 2018/19 to
2020/21 seasons). A major part of these preparations - for both sponsorship and
TV rights - were the many successful talks with existing and potential partners.
The segment's external sales were up by 13.3% year-on-year at CHF 58.6 million
(2015: CHF 51.7 million). The increase was due to the higher agency commissions
that the TEAM Group generated as a result of the successful marketing of the
UEFA club competitions (2015/16 to 2017/18 seasons). Segment expenses climbed by
CHF 2.8 million to CHF 35.9 million, meaning that segment earnings improved by
21.0% to CHF 25.4 million (2015: CHF 21.0 million).
Targets for fiscal year 2017

For the current fiscal year, the Highlight Group is expecting consolidated sales
of CHF 360 to CHF 380 million and a consolidated net profit attributable to
shareholders of CHF 18 to CHF 20 million. Key items in the movie slate 2017 in
Germany are "Fack Ju Göhte 3", the third installment of the "Ostwind " series,
the new Rita Falk adaptation "Griessnockerlaffäre", and the film version of the
novel "Jugend ohne Gott". Furthermore, the franchise "Resident Evil: The Final
Chapter" - which already achieved very strong box office results in the Asian
region - is released on the international markets. In the home entertainment
business area, the Highlight Group will benefit from the marketing of attractive
titles such as "The Girl on the Train", "Timm Thaler", "Resident Evil: The Final
Chapter", and "Ostwind 3"

The Board of Directors of Highlight Communications AG will propose the
distribution of a dividend of CHF 0.20 per entitled share for fiscal year 2016
at the Annual General Meeting. The ordinary Annual General Meeting for fiscal
year 2016 will take place at the Hotel Courtyard by Marriott in Pratteln on June
30, 2017.

The German and English annual reports for 2016 will be available for download at
www.highlight-communications.ch starting from Friday, April 7, 2017.

 

Highlight Group at a glance                            

Group figures according to IFRS                                      

                                                                     

in CHF million                          2016          2015          Change in %

Sales                                   441.7         346.1         27.6

EBIT                                    35.8          31.1          15.1

Net profit for the period               20.3          17.6          15.3

Net profit attributable to shareholders 19.7          17.5          12.6

Earnings per share (CHF)                0.46          0.39          17.9

Segment sales                                                        

Film                                    382.8         290.9         31.6

Sports- and Event-Marketing             58.6          51.7          13.3

Segment result                                                       

Film                                    11.9          17.2          -30.8

Sports- and Event-Marketing             25.4          21.0          21.0

                                                                     

in CHF million                          Dec. 31, 2016 Dec. 31, 2015 Change in %

Balance sheet total                     368.5         458.0         -19.5

Equity                                  135.3         103.8         30.3

Equity ratio (%)                        36.7          22.7          14.0 points

Current financial liabilities           52.3          104.3         -49.9

Cash and cash equivalents               88.5          106.4         -16.8

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05.04.2017  Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service
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:   Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial
Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart



 

End of News DGAP News Service

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562493  05.04.2017