Bastei Lubbe AG, a general-interest publishing group listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, held its annual general meeting as a digital event on September 9, 2026. Shareholders approved all proposed resolutions, including a dividend of EUR 0.25 per share for the 2025/2026 financial year. The total payout amounts to EUR 3,300,025.00, representing a payout ratio of 50 percent of distributable profit, at the upper end of the company's defined dividend strategy. Based on the XETRA closing price of EUR 7.00 on September 8, 2026, this corresponds to a dividend yield of 3.6 percent.
The 2025/2026 financial year was marked by an attractive program with numerous top-selling titles from various publishing brands. Continued community growth, with a sharp rise in reach and visibility, further underpinned the success of this model, which is increasingly being copied by competitors. At the same time, Bastei Lubbe used the year for further development, making sustainable investments in new segments, products, and services. The Executive Board highlighted several innovations: shelfie.audio, which makes audiobooks a physical experience again; the new literary imprint Pfaueninsel; the acquisition of Papertoons, Germany's first manhwa and manga publisher; and the successful entry of the community brand LYX into the US market.
CEO Soheil Dastyari explained, "The past financial year was enormously productive for us, whilst also being economically challenging. We were thus able to make various targeted investments in new offerings on the market and, in line with our corporate strategy, provide new impetus to broaden our scope and drive sustained growth." CFO Mathis Gerkensmeyer added, "Despite the economically challenging financial year, we were able to significantly increase our cash flow. Together with our solid balance sheet, this provides a sound financial basis for once again reliably sharing the company's success with our shareholders through a payout ratio of 50 per cent."
The annual general meeting discharged the boards with overwhelming approval. As of the time of the vote, the proportion of share capital represented at the meeting was 79.62 percent. Detailed voting results and the Executive Board's presentation are available at bastei-luebbe.de/unternehmen/investor-relations/hauptversammlung (German language).
Bastei Lubbe has started the 2026/2027 financial year with further revenue growth, driven by top titles and SPIEGEL bestsellers such as 'Traume aus Feuer' by Florian Illies and Lucy Astner's novel 'Kein Sommer ohne August'. Strong sales of the paperback edition of Ken Follett's 'The Armour of Light' and Eva Almstadt's crime novel 'Akte Nordsee - Die letzte Predigt' also contributed to the strong first-quarter performance. These results underscore the company's ability to generate growth through a combination of best-selling content and strategic investments.
The approved dividend and the positive start to the new financial year signal confidence in Bastei Lubbe's strategy. The investments in community models, product innovations, and international expansion are expected to create new opportunities for revenue and profit growth. With annual revenues exceeding EUR 118 million in the 2025/2026 financial year and a solid balance sheet, the company is well-positioned to continue delivering value to shareholders while expanding its market presence. Further information can be found at www.bastei-luebbe.de.
