Bertelsmann recorded a positive business performance for the first nine months of fiscal 2013. All key earnings figures improved, with revenues slightly up to €11.45 billion (previous year: €11.42 billion). Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (operating EBITDA) adjusted for special items rose to €1.47 billion (previous year: €1.43 billion). Operating EBIT reached the record level of €1.10 billion at the end of September (previous year: €1.09 billion). The drivers of this development in earnings were strong business performances at RTL Group as well as some of the service businesses. Group profit rose sharply by 19 percent to €622 million (previous year: €523 million), and hereby surpassing last year’s full year Group profit of €619 million after only nine months.
Thomas Rabe, Chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann, said: “This performance makes us optimistic about the remainder of the financial year. We expect Group profit for the full year 2013 to increase by more than 20 percent, and as announced earlier, continued growth in revenues. We have taken important strategic steps in recent months towards making Bertelsmann a faster-growing, more digital and more international group.”
Rabe emphasized that during the period under review, progress was made on all four strategic priorities – strengthening the core, digital transformation, expanding growth platforms and expansion in growth regions – which will have an enhanced impact on results going forward.
For Bertelsmann all eyes are on the media and publishing sector. Little was said about Bertelsmann’s business information services . Arvato was mentioned on the fringes with its largest acquisition in its history with the purchase of the financial services provider Gothia and announced a new structure based on “Solution Groups”.
Source: Bertelsmann.com/news
