Bastei Lubbe AG, a general-interest publishing group listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN DE000A1X3YY0), held its annual general meeting as a digital event, where shareholders approved a dividend of EUR 0.25 per share for the 2025/2026 financial year. The decision reflects the company's commitment to returning value to shareholders while investing in future growth, a balance that CEO Soheil Dastyari described as essential amid economic challenges. 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 of 40 to 50 percent. Based on the XETRA closing price of EUR 7.00 on 8 September 2026, the dividend yield stands at 3.6 percent, offering an attractive return to investors.
The financial year was marked by a strong programme of top-selling titles and continued community growth, with a sharp rise in reach and visibility. Bastei Lubbe made sustainable investments in new segments, products, and services, including the product innovation 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. These initiatives are designed to broaden the company's scope and drive sustained growth, as competitors increasingly copy the community model that Bastei Lubbe pioneered.
Chief Financial Officer Mathis Gerkensmeyer noted that despite the economically challenging financial year, the company significantly increased its cash flow and maintains a solid balance sheet, providing a sound financial basis for sharing success with shareholders. The annual general meeting discharged the boards with overwhelming approval, and 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).
The new financial year 2026/2027 has started well, 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 effectiveness of Bastei Lubbe's strategy to combine popular entertainment with innovative community-driven business models.
Bastei Lubbe AG is the leading independent publishing group in Germany, with over 14 imprints and annual revenues exceeding EUR 118 million in the 2025/2026 financial year. The company sees itself as an innovation driver in the industry, having established rapidly expanding community-driven business models and pioneering digital media with thousands of audio and eBooks distributed via all digital channels. Further information can be found at www.bastei-luebbe.de.
