DGAP-News: Highlight Communications AG

• Consolidated sales of CHF 249.5 million below the previous year's level as expected
• Consolidated net profit at CHF 9.0 million
• Significant increase of consolidated equity to CHF 239.8 million

The third quarter of 2017 was the quarter with the highest sales and income so far in the current fiscal year.

Group development in the first nine months of 2017
 

• At CHF 249.5 million, consolidated sales after nine months were therefore only 10.4% lower than the previous year's level (CHF 278.4 million).
   
• The decline in sales results from the Film segment, which achieved very high sales in the first nine months of 2016 due to the start of home entertainment exploitation of "Fack Ju Göhte 2" and "Look Who's Back", which - as expected - was not matched in the current year.
   
• EBIT of CHF 15.8 million slightly lower than in the previous year (CHF 19.4 million).
   
• Consolidated net profit for the period amounted to CHF 9.0 million, a drop of CHF 2.5 million as against the figure for the same period of 2016 (CHF 11.5 million), which however had included a non-recurring accounting profit of CHF 2.6 million.
   
• The share of profit attributable to Highlight shareholders amounted to CHF 8.6 million, corresponding to earnings per share of CHF 0.16.
   
• Consolidated equity (including non-controlling interests) recorded a significant increase by CHF 104.5 million to CHF 239.8 million. This rise is mainly a result of the capital increase, which was carried out in the second quarter of 2017.
   
• Net debt amounted to CHF 21.1 million as of September 30, 2017 (December 31, 2016: net liquidity of CHF 36.2 million).
   
• Due to the strong theatrical slate in the fourth quarter (including "Fack Ju Göhte 3" and "Dieses bescheuerte Herz"), the Highlight Group continues to forecast consolidated sales of between CHF 360 million and CHF 380 million as well as a consolidated net profit attributable to shareholders of between CHF 18 million and CHF 20 million for 2017 as a whole.

The quarterly statement as of September 30, 2017 will be available for download at www.highlight-communications.ch starting from today.