DGAP-News: Successful start of the Highlight Group

Successful start of the Highlight Group

EBIT up CHF 4.1 million compared to the previous year at CHF 1.2 million Consolidated net profit rises CHF 3.4 million to CHF -1.1 million compared to the previous year Consolidated sales of CHF 89.3 million

Consolidated sales of the Highlight Group developed as forecast in the first quarter of 2020, while earnings outperformed expectations.

Group development in the first quarter of 2020

At CHF 89.3 million, consolidated sales was down CHF 27.4 million on the figure for the first quarter of 2019. The decline results in particular from lower sales in the Film segment, while sales in the other segments - Sports- and Event-Marketing and Sport - were roughly stable year-on-year.
  The decision by state governments to close movie theaters on account of the COVID-19 situation contributed to the decline in sales in the Film segment in particular. Accordingly, no movies were released in theaters in the reporting period.
  The slight decline in external sales in the Sports- and Event-Marketing segment is due to currency effects.
  The slight decline in external sales in the Sport segment is essentially due to currency effects.
  As a result of the lower consolidated operating expenses, EBIT was up on the previous year at CHF 1.2 million (CHF -2.9 million).
  Consolidated net profit rose by CHF 3.4 million to CHF -1.1 million in total. Earnings of CHF -0.9 million were attributable to Highlight's shareholders (previous year: CHF -3.4 million), translating into earnings per share of CHF -0.02 (previous year: CHF -0.06).
  At CHF 191.3 million, consolidated equity was down by CHF 6.4 million as against the end of 2019, primarily as a result of currency effects.

The Board of Directors is continuing to monitor the current COVID-19 situation and has initiated corresponding measures. The Board of Directors assumes that the spread of coronavirus will affect the Highlight Group.
 
The quarterly statement as of March 31, 2020 is available for download at www.highlight-communications.ch from today.

The Highlight Group at a glance     Group figures in line with IFRS             CHF million Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Change in % Sales 89.3 116.7 -23.5 EBIT 1.2 -2.9 n/a Consolidated net profit for the period
(after taxes) -1.1 -4.5 74.4 Consolidated net profit attributable to shareholders -0.9 -3.4 75.0 Earnings per share (in CHF) -0.02 -0.06 66.7 Segment sales       Film 48.1 72.4 -33.5 Sports- and Event-Marketing 16.2 16.5 -1.5 Sports 25.0 28.1 -11.0 Segment earnings       Film 0.4 -3.5 n/a Sports- and Event-Marketing 7.8 8.5 -9.1 Sports -5.2 -6.1 15.1         CHF million March 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Change in % Total assets 656.0 673.9 -2.7 Equity 191.3 197.7 -3.2 Equity ratio (%) 29.2 29.3 -0.1 points Current financial liabilities 80.3 66.7 20.4 Cash and cash equivalents 51.1 53.0 -3.6         For further information:               Highlight Communications AG       Investor Relations       Netzibodenstrasse 23b       4133 Pratteln BL, Switzerland       Tel: +41 (0) 61 816 96 91       e-mail: ir@hlcom.ch