Business News
Edipresse: 2007 results are up on last year
Thursday 10. April 2008 - In a period of significant transformation of the media industry, Edipresse improved upon its results from last year: Earnings before interest and taxes amounted to CHF 59 million and increased by 4.1% Net income increased by 7.3% reaching CHF 32.3 million
Group consolidated turnover of CHF 814.6 million – in absolute figures – was down on the previous year owing to divestments and removal of certain business activities from the consolidation scope. On a pro forma basis, turnover has increased by CHF 27 million, that is 3.7%
In the dailies segment, the market was revitalized by the strong progression of the free dailies, a development in which the Group is participating successfully. In a very competitive environment, Edipresse is leading the field with the free daily Le Matin Bleu which, after two years of operations, has already attained a readership of 469,000 and has benefited from a 50% increase in advertising volume up from the previous year. The success of the free dailies naturally generates increased competition in terms of sales and advertising revenues for traditional, paid-for newspapers; the consequence being that the latter must review their strategies, reconsider their missions and improve upon their Internet offerings. This general market trend resulted in increased pressure on the margins of the newspaper sector in 2007.
One of the years highlights was the creation of the company RBA Edipresse in Spain, in which the Group has a 33% stake, with shareholders rights equivalent to those of a joint-venture. This magazine publishing company is now the largest in the Spanish market.
Business in Eastern Europe and Asia grew considerably (+25% in terms of turnover) and is looking very positive. Edipresse is particularly pleased about the spectacular success of the Polish celebrity news magazine Party (nearly 500,000 copies sold as soon as it was launched in autumn 2007) and the international awards received by the magazine Tatler, the Groups flagship title in Asia, for the quality of its design.
In 2007 the Group established Edipresse Luxe, an entity specializing in luxury media. Based in Geneva, this business, devoted mainly to the world of watchmaking, luxury and high-end fashion, is expanding very quickly. The fashion magazine Citizen K, which has a French and Spanish edition, was launched this year in Russia under license to the Kommersant Group. Edipresse Luxes strategy in the watchmaking segment is based on three pillars: magazines (Gmt, Revolution) published in the worlds largest markets (Hong Kong, Singapore, China, USA, Switzerland, Spain and France), a leading website (Worldtempus) and the organization of events (Grand Prix dHorlogerie de Genève).
The importance of digital activities is growing within the Group. Romandie Online, which is jointly owned by Edipresse and Virtual Network, has definitively established its leading position in terms of Internet traffic in French-speaking Switzerland (25 sites and 75 million page views on average per month). Subsequent to the 2007 year end closing, Edipresse acquired JobUp.ch, the leading on-line job listings website in French-speaking Switzerland and took control, in partnership with Tamedia, of homegate.ch, Switzerlands largest real-estate classified website.