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 on September 9, 2026. Shareholders approved the proposed resolutions with overwhelming support, 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 of 40 to 50 percent. Based on the XETRA closing price of EUR 7.00 on September 8, 2026, the dividend yield is 3.6 percent.
The approval of the dividend underscores Bastei Lubbe's commitment to returning value to shareholders while maintaining a solid financial foundation. Chief Financial Officer Mathis Gerkensmeyer noted, "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." This financial strength is crucial as the company continues to invest in new segments, products, and services to drive sustained growth.
During the meeting, CEO Soheil Dastyari highlighted the past financial year as "enormously productive" yet economically challenging. The company made targeted investments in innovative offerings, 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 reflect Bastei Lubbe's strategy to broaden its scope and capitalize on community-driven business models that competitors are increasingly copying.
The company also reported a good start to 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' contributed to the strong first-quarter performance. This positive momentum suggests that Bastei Lubbe's investments in new products and community engagement are yielding results.
The annual general meeting had a representation of 79.62 percent of the share capital. Detailed voting results and the Executive Board's presentation are available at bastei-luebbe.de/unternehmen/investor-relations/hauptversammlung (German language). Bastei Lubbe AG is the leading independent publishing group in Germany, with over 14 imprints and annual revenues exceeding EUR 118 million. Further information can be found at www.bastei-luebbe.de.
