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Today, the meeting of the Board of Directors of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A., chaired by Marina Berlusconi, reviewed and approved the Half-Year Report at 30 June 2023 presented by CEO Antonio Porro.

“The first six months of the current year show a general growth in revenues assisted by the excellent performance of our core businesses, which are outperforming estimates made at the beginning of the year”, underlined Antonio Porro, CEO of Mondadori Group. “Careful operational management has also allowed us to increase overall profitability and cash flow generation. The result is an improvement in financial performance and a strengthening of the Group’s capital which, together with the favourable trend in the prices of the main production factors, have created the conditions for an upward revision of the targets for the 2023 financial year”, concluded Porro.

PERFORMANCE AT 30 JUNE 2023

Consolidated net revenue for the first half of 2023 amounted to € 362.4 million, compared to € 355.1 million in the previous year, an increase of 2.1%. Like-for-like, organic revenue growth came to 2.7%.

Adjusted EBITDA for the first half of 2023 was € 38.2 million, an increase of almost € 11 million on the € 27.6 million recorded for the first half of 2022.

Netting the results for the two half-years in question of the reliefs and contributions paid, the growth recorded by Group’s EBITDA would exceed € 14 million.

All business areas contributed to the result, especially the Trade BOOKS Area, due in particular to the effect of the consolidation of the results of the recently acquired companies, among other factors, and the Educational BOOKS Area, which benefited from a favourable timing effect compared to last year. These results were achieved despite the increases in the cost of raw materials and the rates charged for printing and logistics services in the first part of the year compared to the previous year.

Group EBITDA for the first six months of 2023 amounted to € 40.3 million, compared to € 26.8 million in the corresponding period of 2022, an improvement of approximately € 14 million, attributable to the favourable dynamics of the aforementioned operations and the recognition in the current year, in the MEDIA Area, of the net capital gain resulting from the sale of the publications Grazia and Icon (and the related international network) amounting to approximately € 2.8 million.

Thanks to the positive performance of all business areas, the Mondadori Group’s EBIT for the first half of 2023, positive for € 14 million, showed an improvement of € 10.7 million compared to 2022, despite the booking of approximately € 3 million in depreciation/amortisation resulting from the greater investments made in the last 12 months, the consolidation of new companies and the accounting effects of the PPA (Purchase Price Allocation) process.

Neutralising the extraordinary components and the impact of the PPA process related to the companies acquired in the last 12 months (amounting to € 2.5 million in the half-year under review), Adjusted EBIT would amount to € 14.4 million, up by more than € 8 million compared to the same period of 2022.

Financial expense grew by approximately € 0.5 million as a result of the higher cost of debt.

The consolidated result before tax was positive at € 12.3 million, an improvement of about € 12 million compared to € 0.5 million in the first half of 2022. The € 1.7 million improvement in the profits of investee companies contributed to this performance, particularly as a result of the update in the fair value measurement of the investment in the company A.L.I. and the recognition of a capital gain, net of the negative result of the first four months, of € 0.4 million from the sale of the residual investment in SEE, the publishing company of Il Giornale, which took place in April 2023.

As at 30 June 2023, the Group’s net profit, after minority interests, came to € 12.2 million, a significant improvement of approximately € 9 million on the € 2.8 million recorded in the first half of 2022.

The tax burden for the period is positive by € 0.1 million (€ 1.8 million as at 30 June 2022) due to higher income, such as capital gains, taxed to a lesser extent.

The Net Financial Position excluding IFRS 16 as at 30 June 2023, which as usual reflects the seasonal nature of the school textbooks business, came to € -215.2 million (net debt), a slight increase compared with the € -205.7 million of 30 June 2022, due to the cash-out related to acquisitions made during the last twelve months and the € 29 million distribution of dividends to the shareholders.

The IFRS 16 Net Financial Position at 30 June 2023 stood at € -285.5 million from € -285.1 million at 30 June 2022, including an IFRS 16 component of € -70.3 million.

Cash flow from ordinary operations in the last 12 months, after cash-out for financial expenses and taxes, amounted to € 63.6 million, and allows the Group to continue strengthening its financial structure.

At 30 June 2023, the extraordinary cash flow of the previous 12 months was negative by € 48 million, mainly due to the effect of the net balance of acquisitions and divestments for approximately € 31 million and cash-out for approximately € 5 million for restructuring costs.

LTM Free Cash Flow at 30 June 2023 was positive for € 15.8 million, confirming the Group’s capacity to finance its growth policy by external lines.

PERFORMANCE OF BUSINESS AREAS

Trade BOOKS AREA

In the first half of 2023, after the consolidation experienced in 2022, there was a new growth phase in the book market, which increased in value by 2.7%, with a substantial stability in volume (source: GFK).

In this context, the Mondadori Group’s publishers recorded growth of 5.7% in the period under review, thanks in particular to the sales of new titles published at the beginning of the year. Thanks to these results, the Mondadori Group has consolidated its national leadership position, with a market share that in June 2023 was 27.4%, showing an improvement on June 2022 (26.6%).

The Trade component recorded revenues in the first half of 2023 of € 175.5 million, having grown by around 18% on the previous year (+4% on a like-for-like basis).

The Adjusted EBITDA of the Trade Books Area, amounted to € 26.2 million in the first half of 2023: net of reliefs relating to Electa’s museum activities, amounting to € 6.4 million, which had benefited the first half of 2022, the area recorded growth of 32% (€ 6.4 million), largely attributable to the contribution of the newly acquired companies.

Educational BOOKS AREA

School textbook publishing experiences a typical seasonal performance that sees sales squeezed in the second half of the year following the adoption campaign: as a result, the relating market shares for 2023 are unavailable at this time.

In the first six months of 2023, the school textbooks business recorded overall revenues of € 57.9 million (€ 49.6 million in the corresponding period of 2022), an increase of 16.8% which is not representative of the real performance as mostly due to an early supply to top accounts compared to last year.

Adjusted EBITDA of the Educational BOOKS Area in the first half of 2023 was positive and stood at € 2.3 million, a clear improvement compared to the € -2.4 million loss recorded in the first half of 2022, mainly due to the different timing of revenues linked to some supplies.

RETAIL AREA

In the first six months, the Retail Area posted revenue of € 83.9 million, up by € 6.3 million (+8.1%) versus the same period of the prior year.

Thanks to this overperformance driven by the excellent performance of physical stores, Mondadori Retail’s market share stood at 12.4% (up 0.7% compared to 30 June 2022) and almost reached the 20% threshold of the physical channel.

The ongoing development and renovation of existing stores and the focus on the core business of books have enabled the Mondadori Store network to consolidate its role in the market, as demonstrated by the solid growth in revenue from Books (€ +5.5 million, +9.1%) which is over 80% of the total.

An analysis of sales in the physical channel shows a further increase in revenues from directly-managed bookstores (+17.3% compared to the same period in the previous year) and franchisee bookstores (+6.1% compared to the first half of the previous year); and, at the same time, a decline in the Online and Bookclub channels.

The RETAIL Area has a positive and significantly growing Adjusted EBITDA of € 4.2 million, a value that has almost tripled compared to the figure for the first six months of 2022 (up by € 2.8 million).

MEDIA AREA

In the first half of 2023, the Mondadori Group retained its position as Italy’s top multimedia publisher:

• in print with 13 titles and 9 million readers;
• on the web with 12 brands and approximately 28.7 million average unique users per month;
• in social media with a fan base of over 86 million and around 100 profiles.

In the magazine segment, Mondadori Group’s market share (in terms of circulation) stood at 20.5%, up slightly – with a like-for-like portfolio of titles – versus the figure in the same period of 2022 (20.0% in May 2022), due to improved performance on that of the reference market.

In the first half of 2023, the MEDIA Area recorded revenue of € 68.7 million, a reduction of approximately 30% on the same period of the previous year. On a like-for-like basis (thus excluding the effect of the deconsolidation of the titles sold at the beginning of 2023 and of Press-di’s distribution activities), this reduction is smaller by around 8% and shows different trends in the two digital and print components. In particular, on a like-for-like basis, digital activities, which account for over a third of total revenues in the area, recorded a growth in advertising revenues of around 14%; traditional print activities were down by approximately 17%, in particular due to the significant contraction in joint sales recorded in the period.

Adjusted EBITDA for the MEDIA Area came to € 9 million, having grown by approximately 16% compared with the first half of 2022, mainly due to traditional businesses. In the print area in particular, the increase is mostly due to the recognition of a contribution to offset the costs incurred by the publisher for the distribution of periodicals (€ 2.8 million), which made it possible to offset the greater industrial costs, especially paper, and the contraction of the margin from the sale of add-ons; in the digital area, Adjusted EBITDA was substantially stable compared to the same half of the previous year, despite the higher costs incurred for the launch of new initiatives related to the influencer marketing segment, thanks to higher advertising revenues.

OUTLOOK FOR THE YEAR

As already announced to the market on 29 June 2023, given the more favourable evolution compared to previous estimates of both the business during the first half of the year and the prices of the main production factors – the Group has revised its forecasts for 2023 upwards.

Currently, the estimates predict:

• Income Statement
  • Single-digit revenue growth;
  • High single-digit/low double-digit growth in Adjusted EBITDA, with margins expected to range between 16% and 17%;
  • approximately 20% growth in the net result, despite the higher amortisation/depreciation deriving from both the increasing investment policy implemented by the Group and the effects of the Purchase Price Allocation process related to the recently-acquired companies, thanks to the operational improvement and the positive effects of the sale of the investment in Il Giornale.
• Cash Flow and Net Financial Position
  • Ordinary Cash Flow is expected to fall within a range of € 65 to 70 million, showing growth of up to 15% on the 2022 figure (which had come to approximately € 60 million net of the one-off impact of derivative instruments related to rate risk hedging).
  • the Group’s net financial debt (IFRS 16) is confirmed to come in, at end FY 2023, as 1.0x adjusted EBITDA, down from 1.3x at end 2022.

The solid financial and equity position that characterises the Mondadori Group allows it to continue to pursue the virtuous development path started some years ago, characterised by the constant recourse to M&As whereby the Mondadori Group seeks to seize opportunities for growth through external lines, mainly in the book and digital businesses.

The presentation of the results at 30 June 2023, approved today by the Board of Directors, is available on 1Info (www.1info.it), on www.borsaitaliana.it and on www.gruppomondadori.it (Investors section). A Q&A session will be held in conference call mode at 4.00 pm for the financial community, attended by the CEO of the Mondadori Group, Antonio Porro, and the CFO, Alessandro Franzosi. Journalists will be able to follow the meeting in listening mode only, by connecting to the following phone number +39.02.8020927 or via web at: https://hditalia.choruscall.com/?calltype=2&info=company.
The Financial Reporting Manager – Alessandro Franzosi – hereby declares, pursuant to Article 154 bis, paragraph 2, of the Consolidated Finance Law, that the accounting information contained herein corresponds to the Company’s records, books and accounting entries.

Annexes (in the complete pdf):

1. Consolidated Balance Sheet
2. Consolidated Income Statement
3. Consolidated Income Statement – II quarter
4. Group cash flow
5. Glossary of terms and alternative performance measures used.

Today, the meeting of the Board of Directors of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A., chaired by Marina Berlusconi, reviewed and approved the Half-Year Report at 30 June 2022 presented by CEO Antonio Porro.

“In the first half of the year, our performance was highly positive, and all the business areas contributed to the result, with revenue gaining momentum especially in the second quarter”, emphasized Antonio Porro, Chief Executive Officer of the Mondadori Group. “These results, as well as a continually meticulous management of operations, have allowed us to increase overall profitability and cash generation. Improved operating performance, coupled with the Group’s continued capital strengthening, have laid the groundwork for confirming the 2022 targets and continuing the path of strategic reshaping, despite the uncertain economic and political scenario on a domestic and international level”, concluded Porro.

PERFORMANCE AT 30 JUNE 2022
In first half 2022, consolidated revenue amounted to € 355.1 million, increasing by 10.8% versus € 320.4 million in the prior year; net of the consolidation of D Scuola, Group revenue recorded a like-for-like growth of 5.7%, thanks to the contribution of all business areas, of the Retail and Books areas in particular.

Adjusted EBITDA came to a positive € 27.6 million versus € 21.5 million in first half 2021; excluding the result for the period of D Scuola, adjusted EBITDA came to a positive € 28.4 million as the company, which operates in the school textbooks segment, recorded a loss in the first part of the year due to the seasonal nature of the business; on a like-for-like basis, the Group improved profitability by € 6.9 million versus first half 2021, driven by the positive performance of all business areas, by the Books and Media areas in particular.

Group EBITDA stood at € 26.8 million versus € 19 million in first half 2021; on a like-for-like basis, the figure of € 27.6 million shows a strong improvement, attributable to the abovementioned phenomena, as well as to the positive dynamics of non-ordinary components.

 EBIT came to a positive € 3.2 million (€ 8.5 million on a like-for-like basis). The comparison with 2021 shows:

• an improvement in the overall scope of € 3 million, impacted by the consolidation of D Scuola’s amortization/depreciation and the effects of the Purchase Price Allocation process;
• an improvement on a like-for-like basis of € 3 million.

Financial expense increased by € 1.3 million, due mainly to the recognition in 2021 of a one-off income from the application of IFRS 9 to the terms of the pool loan signed by the Group in May 2021.

Consolidated profit before tax amounted to € 0.5 million; on a like-for-like basis, the figure shows a profit of € 5.8 million, improving by € 10.9 million versus € -5.1 million in first half 2021.
Also contributing to this increase was the improvement of over € 3 million in the results of the investees attributable to the sale on 1 January 2022 of the investment in Monradio (which usually recorded losses), the improved results for the period of Attica, as well as the start of the accounting for the share of profits of A.L.I., of which the Group completed the acquisition of 50%.

Group net profit, after minority interests, amounted to € 2.8 million; on a like-for-like basis, it amounted to € 6.7 million, improving by € 2.3 million versus € 4.4 million in first half 2021, despite the fact that last year had benefited from net non-recurring positive tax components of approximately € 9 million, resulting from the realignment of the tax amounts of trademarks and goodwill to their respective statutory amounts.

The Net Financial Position before IFRS 16 stood at € -205.8 million (€ -285.1 million including IFRS 16). On a like-for-like basis, it stood at € -48.4 million, improving strongly by € 20 million versus the net debt of € 68.3 million recorded at 30 June 2021, despite the cash out from the payment of dividends and the acquisition of A.L.I.

On a like-for-like basis, the LTM cash flow from ordinary operations (after outlays for financial expense and tax) amounted to € 70.6 million, allowing the Group to continue to strengthen its financial structure through the continued and growing ability of the businesses to generate cash.
D Scuola reported a negative cash flow of € 25.2 million in the first half, reflecting the seasonal nature of the school business which, in the first half of the year, records the costs and expenditure for the development and publication of texts marketed in the second half.

LTM Free Cash Flow on a like-for-like basis came to € 41.9 million and includes mainly outlays for restructuring costs of € 10.6 million and approximately € 14 million for acquisitions.

At 30 June 2022, Group employees amounted to 1,917 units, up by 4.8% versus the 1,829 units at 30 June 2021, following the inclusion of the workforce of D Scuola and of De Agostini Libri. Excluding the contribution of companies consolidated from 2022 and the effects of the disposal of titles in the Media area that took place in December 2021, the decline would be approximately 1.7%.

BUSINESS OUTLOOK
In light of the positive operating-financial trend recorded in the first half of the year, and thanks also to the relief received by Electa for its museum activities^[1], the Group believes that it can confirm, for the full year 2022, the previously disclosed estimates at the consolidated level, despite the geopolitical uncertainty and the persisting problems arising from the increase in costs both in the procurement of raw materials, paper in particular, and for energy consumption.

The Group thus expects:

• Earnings: continued resilience of the business model
  – mid-single-digit growth of revenue
  – adjusted EBITDA up by more than 20%
  – double-digit growth of the net result, thanks also to significantly lower restructuring costs and to the improved results of investees versus 2021.

• Cash Flow/Net Financial Position: continued strong cash generation
  – Cash flow from ordinary operations in line with 2021;
  – Free Cash Flow in the region of € 10/15 million (including outlays for the announced acquisitions and before dividend payout);
  – Group net financial debt (IFRS 16) at 1.3x Adjusted EBITDA.

The Mondadori Group continues to prioritize sustainability issues and to pursue its efforts to achieve the ESG goals set.

PERFORMANCE OF BUSINESS AREAS

• BOOKS

Following the remarkable growth seen in 2021, first half 2022 witnessed a consolidation phase of the books market, with a slight drop in terms of value (-1.8%) and volume (-1.4%) versus the same period of 2021^[2].
Excluding from the scope of the books market the comic books segment – still untapped by the Group in the first half of the year and whose growth rate in the period stood at 27.1% – the decline versus first half 2021 is 3.4% (in terms of value).

Against this backdrop, the Mondadori Group’s performance steadily improved, thanks to a publishing plan that concentrated the publication of the most successful titles in the second quarter, and enabled the Group to retain its domestic leadership with a 24.3% market share (26.1% considering the consolidation of Edizioni Star Comics, whose acquisition was completed last 1 July)

Additionally, on 7 July, thanks to Einaudi, the Group won the 76th edition of the Strega Prize with Spatriati by Mario Desiati and placed three other titles from 2nd to 4th place: Quel maledetto Vronskij by Claudio Piersanti for Rizzoli; E poi saremo salvi by Alessandra Carati, a debut fiction writer for Mondadori; Niente di vero by Veronica Raimo for Einaudi.

In first six months 2022, revenue in the Books area stood at € 196 million, up by 16% versus           € 168.9 million in first six months 2021, driven by the positive performance of the trade publishers (+2.2%), which grew by 9% in the second quarter, the sharp increase of Rizzoli International Publications (+10.7%), the upswing in Electa’s activities, as well as the consolidation of D Scuola.
Considering the scope of the Books area on a like-for-like basis alone, excluding the contribution of D Scuola, revenue grew by 6.1%.

Revenue from the school textbooks business amounted to € 49.6 million, up by 38.5% versus € 35.8 million in first half 2021, due to the abovementioned change in the scope following the consolidation of the D Scuola publishing house.
On a like-for-like basis, revenue was down by € 3 million (-8.2%), as a result of the delay in supplies to a number of top accounts, whose recovery is expected in July.

Adjusted EBITDA in the Books area stood at € 23.8 million including the continued negative contribution of € 0.8 million at 30 June of D Scuola, owing to the seasonal nature of the school textbooks business: net of this effect, adjusted EBITDA on a like-for-like basis stood at € 24.7 million, an improvement of € 4.8 million versus € 19.8 million in first half 2021.
The result can be attributable to the abovementioned positive trend of Trade publishers and the performance of Electa, which benefited from the upswing in museum and concession-related activities and higher relief (€ 6.3 million versus approximately € 3 million in first half 2021), which more than offset lower revenue in the Education segment.

• RETAIL

In the first six months, the Retail area posted revenue of € 77.6 million, up by € 7.8 million (+11.2%) versus € 69.8 million in the same period of the prior year.
The ongoing development and renovation of existing stores and the focus on the core business of books have enabled the Mondadori network of bookstores to consolidate its role in the market, as shown by the solid growth in revenue from the Book product (€ +7.7 million), which is higher at the end of the first half even than in the pre-COVID period.

A breakdown of the main channels of Mondadori Retail shows the following:

• directly-managed stores reported a sharp increase in revenue (+45.7% versus the prior year), due to the abovementioned strategy of focusing on the book product and network development activities, and to the restrictions on activities in 1° half 2021 brought by the anti-COVID measures;
• the franchised channel, composed mainly of proximity stores located in small towns, continued its progression, increasing by +3.8% versus the same period of the prior year.

Thanks to the remarkable performance of physical stores, the market share of Mondadori Retail in the Italian books market grew to 11.8%.

In the first half of the year, adjusted EBITDA came to a positive € 1.4 million, up strongly versus approximately € 1 million in first six months 2021, as a result of revenue growth and continued cost containment, renovation and development of the physical network of stores, and despite higher rental and utility costs incurred by directly-managed stores in the six months under review.

• MEDIA

The Media area recorded revenue of € 98.2 million in first six months 2022, increasing by approximately 1% versus € 97.4 million in the same half of the prior year; on a like-for-like basis of portfolio of brands (excluding the effect of the deconsolidation of the titles sold at end 2021), the growth was 10%:

• digital activities, which now account for 22% of the area’s total revenue, rose sharply in the second quarter by 22% (+27.5% on a like-for-like basis of brands). Thanks to this growth, digital revenue as a percentage of total advertising revenue stood at 67% of the total (up from 63% in first half 2021);
• traditional print activities, excluding the titles sold at end 2021, grew by 5%.

The Group’s market share in terms of circulation, as a result of a performance – on a like-for-like basis of portfolio of titles – that outdid the relevant market, stood at 21.3%, up versus 20.5% in May of the prior year.

The Media area’s adjusted EBITDA stood at € 7.8 million, up strongly versus first six months 2021, thanks to the remarkable performance of the print area which, in the second quarter, in addition to benefiting from the continued cost-curbing measures, was able to account for both the margin from the FuoriSalone event (which in 2021 took place in the second half of the year) and for a tax credit recognized on paper consumption that allowed it to offset the increase in the related cost incurred in the period.

With regard to the Warning Notice to listed issuers published by CONSOB on 19 May 2022, concerning the effects on the operating and financial situation resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war, the Mondadori Group clarifies:

• to have no “direct” impacts, as it has no production sites in the affected area, nor does this area represent an outlet market for publishing production or services offered by the Group;
• to have “indirect” impacts, due to the increase in prices of raw materials, energy and transportation.

With regard to such increased costs, the Group has taken measures to alleviate their impact, and has put in place further remedies to achieve efficiencies, such as to achieve in the first half of the year in all business areas growing results versus the relevant forecast figures and to confirm the outlook for the entire year.

The presentation of the results at 30 June 2022, approved today by the Board of Directors is available, on 1Info (www.1info.it), on www.borsaitaliana.it and on www.gruppomondadori.it (Investors section). A Q&A session will be held in conference call mode at 4.30 pm for the financial community, attended by the CEO of the Mondadori Group, Antonio Porro, and the CFO, Alessandro Franzosi. Journalists will be able to follow the meeting in listening mode only, by connecting to the following  phone number +39.02.8020927 or via web at: https://hditalia.choruscall.com/?calltype=2&info=company.

The Financial Reporting Manager – Alessandro Franzosi – hereby declares, pursuant to Article 154 bis, paragraph 2, of the Consolidated Finance Law, that the accounting information contained herein corresponds to the Company’s records, books and accounting entries.

Annexes (in the complete pdf):

1. Consolidated balance sheet;
2. Consolidated income statement;
3. Consolidated income statement – II quarter;
4. Group cash flow;
5. Glossary of terms and alternative performance measures used.

 * The operating and financial figures at 30 June 2022 are also shown on a like-for-like basis excluding D Scuola for greater comparability versus the prior year. Additionally, as already seen for the first quarter, at 30 June 2022, the contribution of D Scuola, fully consolidated as from 16 December 2021, was heavily marked by the seasonal nature of the Education business which, in the first half of the year, records the costs of creating editorial content, as well as the expense from the promotional activities to support the adoption campaign, postponing the recognition of the most significant portion of revenue from the sale of school textbooks to the second half of the year. 

^[1] Emergency Fund for Enterprises and Cultural Institutions for the Relief of Art Exhibition Organizers, decree published on 27 May 2022 granting the subsidies provided by Ministerial Decree 428 no. 227 of June 2021.

^[2] GFK, June 2022

Today, the meeting of the Board of Directors of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A., chaired by Marina Berlusconi, reviewed and approved the Half-Year Report at 30 June 2021, presented by the CEO of the Mondadori Group, Antonio Porro.

“In the first half of the year, the Mondadori Group achieved remarkable results on the revenue and profitability front. All our areas, from Books to Retail to Media, played their part in this performance and grew versus the prior year, the digital component in particular. The Books area improved significantly and increased its margins versus 2019,” stressed Antonio Porro, CEO of the Mondadori Group. “The greater operating efficiency and improved financial performance we achieved in the second quarter too – continued the CEO – together with highly reassuring signs from the books market, give us reasons to confirm our year-end estimates and to look forward with confidence to the evolution of the Group in future years. Against this backdrop, the acquisition of De Agostini Scuola is further proof of our will to focus on the core business of books, in line with the medium-term strategic guidelines set”, concluded Porro.

HIGHLIGHTS OF FIRST HALF 2021

With regard to the core markets of the Mondadori Group, in first half 2021 books witnessed a buoyant trend, growing by 36.8%[1] versus the same period of 2020.
This performance consolidates the positive trend that had started in the first quarter of the current year, driven again by a greater propensity to read and purchase.
The growth of the books market is even more extraordinary if compared to the first six months of 2019[2], still totally unaffected by the pandemic and increasing by 23% versus this period.

PERFORMANCE AT 30 JUNE 2021

At 30 June 2021, consolidated revenue of the Mondadori Group amounted to € 320.4 million, up by 10.9% versus € 288.9 million of the prior year, thanks in particular to the strong growth in the Books and Retail areas, driven by the buoyancy of the market.

Adjusted EBITDA in first half 2021 amounted to € 21.5 million, up by approximately € 10.6 million versus € 11 million in the first six months of 2020: this positive performance reflects, on the one hand, the good trend of revenue recorded in the period by all business areas and, on the other, the ongoing efforts to curb operating and structural costs that enabled the Group to achieve a significant improvement in its margins (from 3.8% to 6.7%).

Group EBITDA came to € 19 million, more than double the € 8.4 million recorded in the prior year, showing a clear improvement attributable to the abovementioned phenomena and trends. In the period under review, non-recurring expense amounted to € 2.5 million, in line with the figure for the same period of the prior year.

In first half 2021, EBIT came to operating breakeven (€ 0.2 million), an improvement of over € 17 million versus € -17.2 million in the same period of 2020, attributable to the trend of the above ordinary components, to lower amortization and depreciation for a total of € 1.3 million, and to the presence in the result at 30 June 2020 of write-downs of € 5.8 million, relating to certain publications in the Media area.

The consolidated result before tax amounted to € -5.1 million versus € -30.9 million in first half 2020.
The significant improvement is also explained by:

• the reduction of approximately € 2 million in financial expense, due to a lower average interest rate, in addition to the reduction in ancillary expense;
• the effects of the sale of the investment in Reworld Media, completed in February 2021, which resulted in the recognition of a capital loss of € 0.4 million[3] in first quarter 2021, with a positive change of € 6.2 million versus a capital loss of € 6.6 million recorded at 30 June 2020;
• the result for the period of associates (consolidated at equity), which closed at € -3.1 million.

Tax items for the period came to a positive € 9.4 million (€ 5.9 million at 30 June 2020), despite the increase in taxable income, due to net non-recurring income of € 9 million deriving from the start of the process of realigning the tax amounts of trademarks and goodwill to their respective statutory amounts.

The Group’s net profit, after minority interests, came to € 4.4 million, a significant recovery versus the loss of € -25 million in first half 2020 (and also versus the loss of € 1.9 million at 30 June 2019), following the operational improvement and the abovementioned positive tax components.

The net financial position before IFRS 16 at 30 June 2021 stood at € -68.3 million, down drastically by 47.5% versus € -130.1 million at 30 June 2020, as a result of the significant generation of cash flow from ordinary operations recorded in the last 12 months, amounting to € 68.5 million, which confirms the positive path taken to strengthen the Group’s financial structure.
The IFRS 16 net financial position amounted to € -155.1 million and includes the recognition of the financial payable from the application of IFRS 16 equal to approximately € 87 million.

Group employees at 30 June 2021 amounted to 1,829 units, down by 5.2% versus 30 June 2020, despite the workforce absorbed following the acquisition of Hej! (net of which the reduction in the workforce would be -5.8%), due primarily to the efficiency measures that continued across all the business areas.

BUSINESS OUTLOOK

The positive performance recorded in the first half of the year, driven in particular by the strong growth trend of the Books area, as well as the continued cash flow generation, allow the Group to be optimistic about its operating performance and to confirm at a consolidated level – and on the basis of the current scope of consolidation – the previously disclosed estimates.

Performance targets:

• consolidated revenue for 2021 is forecast to grow slightly (low single-digit);
• adjusted EBITDA – in percentage terms – is estimated at around 12% of revenue;
• the net result for 2021 is confirmed on a sharp rise, propelled by the improvement in operations as well as the tax realignment of intangible assets, which in the first half enabled the recognition of an initial non-recurring positive tax component; additionally, mention should be made that the result for 2020 was negatively impacted by the write-down of certain balance sheet items.

Cash Flow and Net Financial Position
Additionally, with regard to the Group’s financial debt, one can reasonably confirm the estimates of cash flow from ordinary operations ranging between € 50 and € 55 million, therefore the achievement – before the impacts from the adoption of IFRS 16 – of a positive consolidated net financial position at year end.
As previously anticipated, the financial strength achieved by the Group has paved the way for a possible return to a shareholder remuneration policy from 2022, applied to the net result of 2021.
The above forecasts, drawn up on the basis of the current scope, may be updated upon completion of the acquisition of De Agostini Scuola, subject to the authorizations of law from the Antitrust authority.

PERFORMANCE OF THE BUSINESS AREAS IN FIRST HALF 2021

• BOOKS

As previously indicated, in the first half of the year the Trade books market posted a sharp growth of 36.8%[4] versus the same period of 2020, strengthening the trend that had started in the second half of the prior year, driven also by limited access to other forms of entertainment.

Against this backdrop, the Books area saw an increase in sell-out in terms of market value of 30.7%, enabling the Mondadori Group to confirm its undisputed leadership in the Trade segment (market share of 23.7%).

As proof of the quality of the publishing plan, mention should be made that during the first six months of the year, the Group placed 4 titles in the top ten bestsellers in terms of value[5]: Il sistema. Potere, politica, affari: storia segreta della magistratura italiana by Alessandro Sallusti and Luca Palamara (Rizzoli), which was the chartbuster in the opening months of the year, ranking firmly at the top; La disciplina di Penelope by Gianrico Carofiglio (Mondadori); Io sono Giorgia by Giorgia Meloni (Rizzoli); Insieme in cucina. Divertirsi in cucina con le ricette di «Fatto in casa da Benedetta» by Benedetta Rossi (Mondadori Electa). Additionally, Donatella Di Pietrantonio’s Borgo Sud, published by Einaudi in 2020, came second in the Strega in 2021.

Revenue in the Books area in first half 2021 amounted to € 168.9 million, up by 15.8% versus € 145.9 million in first half 2020.

The Trade segment gave a strong push to the result, with revenue of € 109.5 million, a significant increase versus both first half 2020 (+21.7%) and first half 2019 (+2.5%), unaffected by the pandemic.

During the period, revenue from the sale of e-books and audiobooks amounted to approximately 7.3% of total Trade revenue, with a catalogue of over 28,300 digital titles.

In first half 2021, revenue in the Educational segment amounted to € 55.8 million, up by 5.7% versus the same period of 2020: the positive sales performance of Rizzoli International Publications (+39.3%) and the increased turnover from school products (up by 3.9% versus 30 June 2020) allowed a recovery from the effects of the contraction of Electa’s revenue, caused by the closure during the pandemic of exhibitions and archaeological sites.

Adjusted EBITDA in the Books area came to € 19.8 million versus € 10.9 million in first half 2020, an improvement of € 8.9 million thanks to the positive trend in revenue, as well as to the relief received by Electa in the museum segment (approximately € 3 million, net already of certain provisions).
Profitability was up also versus first half 2019 (€ 16.2 million), making the performance of the Books area even more remarkable.

• RETAIL

Overall, in the first six months of the year the Retail area was able to benefit from the strong growth trend in the books market, although overall performance was negatively impacted by the government measures that caused severe restrictions on sales activities at least until mid-May.
As a result of the easing of restrictions, the physical market witnessed a recovery, and consequently Mondadori Retail saw its revenue grow: specifically, June also saw an increase versus June 2019 (approximately +3%), with a positive performance of the Book product of over 11%, despite a reduction in the network of stores versus June 2019.

At 30 June 2021, the Retail area recorded revenue of € 69.8 million, up by € 10.8 million (+18.3%) versus € 59 million in the same period of the prior year, driven by the positive performance of Book product sales (approximately +22% versus the same period of 2020).
Revenue in second quarter 2021 alone increased by approximately +30% versus second quarter 2020.

A breakdown of the various business segments of Mondadori Retail shows the following:

• directly-managed stores experienced a more modest growth (+12%) versus the prior year, affected by their location mainly in large populated areas, which are particularly exposed to both competition from online sales and the reduction in tourist flows;
• on the other hand, the franchised channel, composed mainly of proximity stores located in small towns, grew strongly by approximately 42%, boosted again by the excellent performance of the book product;
• the online channel posted revenue of € 7.3 million versus € 10.4 million in first half 2020, down due to the easing of restrictions on the operation of the physical market.

Adjusted EBITDA of Mondadori Retail amounted to € 0.4 million, a strong improvement versus € -2.8 million in the same period of 2020.
This improvement is the result of the company’s strong efficiency measures, the ongoing renewal and development of its network of physical stores, as well as careful cost management and a thorough review of the organization and processes.

• MEDIA

In the first five months of 2021, the core markets of the Media area showed, versus the same period of the prior year:

• a significant increase in advertising investments in the digital segment, amounting to +27.2%, versus -2.9%[6] on the magazine front;
• an 8.1% drop[7] in the magazine circulation market;
• a 22.1% decline[8] of add-ons bundled with

Against this backdrop, the Mondadori Group’s circulation market share stood at 23.7%, up slightly versus May of the prior year,1³ due to a slightly better performance than the core market.

In the first six months of 2021, the Media area of the Mondadori Group, which confirmed its position as Italy’s leading multimedia publisher, generated revenue of € 97.4 million, up by 1.7% versus € 95.8 million in the same period of the prior year. Specifically:

• advertising revenue reached € 28.8 million, up by approximately 28% overall (+16% excluding the contribution of the acquisition of Hej!).
  Considering the second quarter alone, the increase is over 50% versus the same period of 2020 (+41% on a like-for-like basis):
  – digital activities grew by 25.7% on a like-for-like basis while, including the contribution of the newly-acquired Hej!, the increase stands at approximately 48% versus the first half of the prior year. A point worth mentioning is that digital revenue now accounts for 63% of total advertising revenue (from 54% in first half 2020).
  – print advertising sales increased by approximately 5%.

• circulation revenue was down by 4%, with television titles and the CasaFacile brand performing better.
• revenue from add-on products fell by approximately 27%, but with a more moderate decline in the second quarter (-16.6%), a trend due primarily to the success of musical initiatives last year and the reduced availability of film releases on DVD.
• other revenue, which includes revenue from distribution activities, rose by 1%.

Adjusted EBITDA in the Media area amounted to € 4.5 million, up sharply versus the first six months of 2020 (€ 2 million), thanks in particular to the development of digital activities and the continued efforts to curb operating costs, which contributed to the increase in profitability of print activities: the overall EBITDA margin stood at 5%, improving versus 2% in first half 2020.

2021-2023 PERFORMANCE SHARE PLAN: ASSIGNMENT OF RIGHTS
The Board of Directors, having heard the Remuneration Committee, resolved on the assignments to the beneficiaries of the rights relating to the 2021-2023 Performance Share Plan, established by resolution of the Shareholders’ Meeting of 27 April 2021.
Information regarding the beneficiaries and the number of rights assigned are shown – by name, for the beneficiaries who are members of the Board of Directors, and in aggregate form for the other beneficiaries – in the table attached, prepared in compliance with Box 1, Schedule no. 7 of Annex 3A of the Issuer Regulation.
The terms and conditions of the Plan are set out in the Directors’ Explanatory Report to the Shareholders’ Meeting of 27 April 2021 and in the Information Document prepared pursuant to Article 84-bis, paragraph 1 of the Issuer Regulation, available on the website www.gruppomondadori.it Governance section and on the storage mechanism www.1info.it to the contents of which reference should be made.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AFTER FIRST HALF 2021
On 12 July 2021, the Mondadori Group signed an agreement with De Agostini Editore S.p.A. – following the negotiations disclosed on 1 July – for the acquisition of 100% of De Agostini Scuola S.p.A., one of Italy’s top school textbook publishers.
The transaction is consistent with the strategy – repeatedly announced by Mondadori – of focusing on the core business of books, in which the Group boasts a longstanding leadership in Trade and is one of the top school textbook players.
The value of the transaction has been defined on the basis of an Enterprise Value of € 157.5 million, equal to 7.4 times the reported EBITDA recorded by De Agostini Scuola in 2020. The price will be defined on the basis of the average normalized net financial position over the 12 months before the closing date.
De Agostini Scuola posted in 2020 revenue of € 70.8 million, reported EBITDA of € 21.4 million, with a margin of 30%, and net profit of € 12.2 million. At 31 December 2020, the net financial position (net cash) stood at a positive € 20.8 million.
Completion of the transaction is subject to the authorizations of law from the competent Antitrust authority.

The results at 30 June 2021, approved today by the Board of Directors, will be presented to the financial community by the Mondadori Group CEO Antonio Porro and CFO Alessandro Franzosi at a conference call scheduled today, 29 July 2021, at 3pm.

The relevant documentation will be concurrently available on the website www.gruppomondadori.it (Investors section) and on 1Info(www.1info.it).

Journalists will be able to follow the presentation, in listening mode only, by connecting to the dedicated number +39.028020927, and via the web in audio mode by registering at the link https://hditalia.choruscall.com/?calltype=2&info=company.

The Financial Reporting Manager – Alessandro Franzosi – hereby declares, pursuant to Article 154 bis, paragraph 2, of the Consolidated Finance Law, that the accounting information contained herein corresponds to the Company’s records, books and accounting entries.

Annexes (in the complete pdf):

1. Consolidated balance sheet;
2. Consolidated income statement;
3. Consolidated income statement – II quarter;
4. Group cash flow;
5. Glossary of terms and alternative performance measures used.
6. Information pursuant to Schedule 7 of Annex 3a to CONSOB Regulation no. 11971/1999

[1] GFK, June 2021 (figures in terms of market value)

[2] The comparison with 2020 is affected by the closure enforced on all bookstores from March: from 12 March until the end of April, the government measures applied to contain the pandemic led in fact to the closure of bookstores across the Country; in the early stages, the online channel too had to apply restrictions on book deliveries due to the need to prioritize the distribution of staple goods.

[3] The monetization of this investment generated a total gain (2019-2021) of € 1.1 million versus the original subscription value.

[4] GFK, June 2021 (figures in terms of market value)

[5] GFK, June 2021 (ranking in terms of cover value)

[6] Nielsen, May 2021

[7] Internal source: Press di, May 2021, in terms of value

[8] Internal source: Press di, May 2021, in terms of value

Today, the meeting of the Board of Directors of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A., chaired by Marina Berlusconi, reviewed and approved the Half-Year Report at 30 June 2020, presented by CEO Ernesto Mauri.

Highlights of first half 2020
The first half of 2020 was inevitably marked by the effects of the COVID-19 emergency.

Starting from the first ten days of March, in fact, the gradual and increasingly widespread application of restrictive measures has significantly curtailed most of the activities related to the businesses where the Group operates as a leader.

From 12 March up to the end of April, the government measures to contain the pandemic led to the closure of bookstores throughout Italy, with the resulting suspension of the activities related to the Group’s Retail business.

Parallel to that and over the same period, the Trade Books business had to tackle the shutdown of the physical channel for the marketing of its products and, consequently, could only rely on the online channel.

The emergency measures concurrently led to the closure of museum sites, archaeological parks and relating bookstores across all Italian regions, with the resulting interruption of the Group’s activities in managing services for museums and cultural heritage.

Lastly, the Media business[1] too recorded declines following closure of part of the newsstands in Italy and the reduction of advertising investments.

In order to tackle this situation, the Mondadori Group has set up and implemented a series of actions and measures aimed, first and foremost, at guaranteeing the safety of its people, enabling them, where possible, to perform their work remotely (smart working), and at alleviating the impacts of the measures adopted by the authorities, in order to safeguard the company’s operating and financial profile.

To this end, the Group has:

• taken steps to contain and cut operating costs also by renegotiating contracts and reviewing rates, with total savings estimated at € 13 million for the entire year;
• implemented actions to reduce the cost of personnel, estimated at approximately € 15 million for the entire year, by using outstanding holidays and resorting to social safety nets, as well as resolving to reduce the variable remuneration of the Group’s Management for 2020 and, lastly, suspending remuneration and hiring policies;
• placed particular emphasis on the Group’s working capital (with specific actions on customers and suppliers);
• implemented a policy of deferred payments in favour of the book chains, independent and franchised bookstores of the Retail Area, aimed at safeguarding the strength of the distribution channels and supporting the production chain in the Group’s area of operation.

For the different business activities:

• in the Trade Area, the editorial plans have been reshaped and rescheduled;
• in the Educational Area, school textbooks were affected only to a small extent, while actions have been taken to curb or eliminate the costs related to the stoppage and canceling of museum and archaeological park activities;
• in the Media Area, a different scheduling of magazines at newsstands and a strict policy has been adopted to reduce production costs;
• in the Retail Area, a plan has been implemented to streamline the units of the area and the points of sale.

Performance at 30 June 2020
Starting from May, with the lifting of lockdown restrictions, the Trade Books market has shown stronger and stronger signs of recovery with double-digit growth rates that marked the last six weeks of the half-year period and still in progress.

The recovery has propelled the growth of the Trade and Retail businesses, allowing them to partly regain the revenue lost in the March-April period.

As a result of the outlined context, the Group’s operating and financial profile at 30 June 2020 is as follows:

• consolidated revenue amounted to € 288.9 million, down by -24% versus € 380 million in the same period of 2019. Net of the changed scope of consolidation of the Media Area in 2019, the drop stands at -22.2% and is attributable mainly to the effects of COVID-19;

• IFRS 16 adjusted EBITDA amounted to € 11 million versus € 21.8 million in the prior year (down by approximately € 10.9 million versus the same period of 2019).

Also at the adjusted EBITDA level, the decline basically reflects the consequences of COVID-19 as well as the first positive effects of the countermeasures adopted by the Group.

The cost reduction measures for € 31.8 million have contained the impacts from the contraction in revenue and margins caused by the COVID-19 emergency;

• IFRS 16 EBITDA amounted to € 8.4 million versus € 20.6 million at 30 June 2019;

• IFRS 16 EBIT amounted to € -17.2 million, down by € -19.3 million versus 30 June 2019, due mainly to the trend of the abovementioned components and the write-down and start of the amortization process of a number of titles;

• The consolidated result before tax amounted to € -30.9 million versus € -1.6 million in first half 2019, due also to financial expense (€ 4 million), the adjustment of the investment in Reworld Media (€ -6.6 million) and the loss of the associates consolidated at equity (€ -3.4 million);

• The result from continuing operations amounted to € -25 million versus € -4.6 million at 30 June 2019 (€ -20.4 million). The decline was strongly affected by the above non-operating and extraordinary cost components, which total approximately € 22 million, only partly offset by tax income of approximately € 5.9 million recorded by the Group during the year;

• The Group’s net result amounted to € -25 million versus € -1.9 million in first half 2019 (which had also included € 2.7 million from discontinued operations);

• Net debt (before IFRS 16) amounted to € -130.1 million, improving strongly versus € -204.2 million at 30 June 2019 (€ +74.1 million), due also to the proceeds (€ 62.8 million) from the disposal completed in July 2019 of Mondadori France and the positive cash generation from ordinary operations in the last 12 months (€ 36.7 million net of discontinued operations), despite the highly deteriorated context.

The IFRS 16 Net Financial Position stood at € -219.5 million and includes the IFRS 16 impact of
€ -89.4 million.

At 30 June 2020, the number of employees in the context of the Mondadori Group’s continuing operations amounted to 1,928 units, down by approximately -9% versus 2,117 units at 30 June 2019, as a result of the disposal of a number of titles in the Media Area (in December 2019) and activities aimed at increasing the efficiency of the individual business areas.

Despite the significant stress put on the global economic system at this moment in time, the Group’s financial situation and medium-term prospects allow it to maintain a positive attitude towards business developments, even in an economic framework inevitably affected by the COVID-19 emergency.

Business outlook
To date, Group forecasts reflect, on the one hand, the encouraging signs coming from the market, particularly in the Group’s main business areas of operation and, on the other, do not include any effects from a fresh outbreak of the pandemic, such as new lockdown measures on a national scale.

Based on the current scenario, the Group estimates a drop in revenue by between 16% and 18% versus 2019, due also to the trend of the various businesses; a solid double-digit (adjusted) EBITDA margin (approximately 11%-12%) and positive cash generation, albeit down versus the past.

The trend of the Group’s financial debt at the end of the period will depend on the amount of restructuring costs that will be financed through the cash flow from ordinary operations, with an estimate of the Group’s net financial position in any case no higher than € -55.4 million at 31 December 2019.

Performance of business areas

• BOOKS

At the beginning of May, the gradual reopening of independent bookstores and book chains allowed the Trade Books market to make a strong recovery: in the last six weeks of the half-year period, book sales grew double-digit, reaching +13.5% in June alone versus the same period of the prior year.

This upswing allowed the market to mitigate and make up for the fall recorded in March (-29.2%) and April (-45.8%), bringing the overall contraction in terms of value at 30 June 2020 to -10.1%.

Against this backdrop, the Mondadori Group retained its leadership position with an overall market share of 24.8%[2] in Trade, outstripping the market performance by more than six percentage points in the last six weeks of the half-year period.

Revenue in the Books Area amounted to € 145.9 million at 30 June 2020, down by 20.6% versus € 183.8 million in first half 2019. Specifically:

In the Trade Area, revenue amounted to € 90 million, down by -15.8% versus € 106.8 million at 30 June 2019, due to the abovementioned COVID-19 effects.

To cope with the closure of the distribution channel, the Group has revised its publishing schedule, pushing back the launch of new works by some of the most prestigious and successful authors to the second half of the year.

E-books and audiobooks (9% of total publishing revenue) bucked the trend versus physical books, with revenue up sharply during the lockdown period (+37%) versus the prior year.

Listening hours of the audiobook catalogue jumped by over 75% versus 2019, while downloads of e-books increased by 45%.

Revenue in the Educational Area amounted to € 52.8 million, down by -27.1% versus € 72.4 million in the same period of 2019.

School textbooks suffered a low impact from the pandemic, given the typical seasonal performance of the business that sees sales squeezed in the second half of the year following the adoption campaign.

The decrease in revenue in the Educational Area is attributable mainly to the closure of museums and archaeological sites under concession due to the health emergency, which prevented the museum business from achieving the expected results.

IFRS 16 adjusted EBITDA in the Books Area amounted to € 10.9 million versus € 16.2 million in 2019, a deterioration attributable to the negative trend in revenue, only partly mitigated by the cost containment actions implemented by Management.

IFRS 16 EBIT amounted to € 3.9 million versus € 9.7 million in 2019.

• RETAIL

As mentioned, in the first six months of 2020 the Trade Books market (which accounts for over 80% of Retail revenue^[3]) fell sharply versus the same period of the prior year (-10.1%^[4]) as a result of the COVID-19 emergency.

The gradual reopening of bookstores has allowed the market to rebound strongly, with an increase in June alone of +13.5%.

Revenue in the Retail Area in the first six months of the year amounted to € 59 million, down by 27.5% versus € 81.4 million in the same period of the prior year, due to the government measures to tackle COVID-19.

The market share stood at 10.9% in the first half of the year, as the Group’s performance was hindered by the fact of being able to operate only through its online channel during the lockdown period.

In June, the Group followed the same strong trend of the market: revenue in the Area, versus the same month of the prior year, dropped by only -4.1%, and the market share – in the month – stood at 12.1%, thanks, in particular, to the positive performance of the franchised stores.

Mention should particularly be made of the performance of the online channel, whose sales in the first 6 months grew by +71.6% versus first half 2019, and by as much as approximately 190% during the lockdown period.

IFRS 16 adjusted EBITDA amounted to € -2.8 million versus € -0.6 million in the same period of 2019.

Despite the drastic drop in revenue, the impact in terms of EBITDA was contained thanks to careful cost management and a deep organizational and process revision, involving both the central units and the points of sale, carried out in the second half of 2019 and continued even during the harshest period of COVID-19.

Excluding the lockdown months, Mondadori Retail improved margins both in the first two months of the year (€ +0.3 million versus the same period of the prior year) and in June alone (€ +0.7 million versus the same period of the prior year).

IFRS 16 EBIT amounted to € -8.2 million (versus € -6 million in first quarter 2019).

• MEDIA

The May surveys show that the advertising market was heavily impacted by COVID-19, with declines reported across all channels, including digital down by -17.2% and magazines by -41.5%[5].

In terms of circulation, the Italian magazines market fell by 11.3% during the period[6].

Against this backdrop, the Mondadori Group retained its position as market leader with a share in terms of value of 23.7%[7] and as the leading multimedia publisher in Italy on the web, with a reach of 84% (approximately 33 million unique users in May)[8], and in social media with an aggregate fan base of 33.5 million spread across 100 social profiles[9].

At 30 June 2020, revenue in the Media Area amounted to € 95.8 million (-26.8% versus € 130.9 million in 2019). Net of the disposal of a number of titles, the decrease came to -21.5%.

Specifically:

• circulation revenue fell by approximately -23%, a performance affected by both the COVID-19 impact and the disposal of a number of titles in 2019; net of these discontinuities, the decline is estimated at approximately -9%.
• advertising revenue, of which the digital component accounts for over 50%, was down by approximately -42% overall.

This is the class of revenue most affected by COVID-19 and the lockdown, which led to the cancellation of such a significant event as the Salone del Mobile, and a decrease in proximity marketing solutions (AdKaora). On a like-for-like basis and net of COVID-19 impacts, the change in advertising revenue would be approximately -4, -5%.

• other revenue, which includes distribution activities, fell by -9.6% versus the prior year, reflecting both the performance of the circulation market and the drop in royalties generated by the international editions of Grazia.

Adjusted EBITDA stood at € 2 million, down by approximately € -5 million only versus first half 2019, as the marked slippage in revenue was offset by effective measures to contain operating costs.

IFRS 16 EBIT, which reflects the write-down and the start of the amortization process of a number of titles (for a total value of € 7.3 million), amounted to € -7.9 million versus € 3.7 million in first half 2019.

The documentation relating to the presentation of the results at 30 June 2020, is made available through the authorized storage mechanism 1Info (www.1info.it) and in the Investors section of the Company website www.gruppomondadori.it.

The Financial Reporting Manager – Alessandro Franzosi – hereby declares, pursuant to Article 154 bis, paragraph 2, of the Consolidated Finance Law, that the accounting information contained herein corresponds to the Company’s records, books and accounting entries.

Annexes (in the complete pdf):

• Consolidated balance sheet
• Consolidated income statement
• Consolidated income statement – II quarter
• Group cash flow
• Glossary of terms and alternative performance measures used

[1] As from 1 January 2020, the activities referring to Mondadori Group magazines and websites, as well as the investments in the Magazines Italy Area, were transferred to the wholly-owned subsidiary Mondadori Media S.p.A.

[2] GFK (in terms of value at June)

^[3] Product revenue excluding Club revenue

^[4] GFK (in terms of value at June)

[5] Nielsen, cumulative figures at May 2020

[6] Internal source: Press-di, figures at May 2020 (newsstands + subscriptions channel) in terms of value

[7] Internal source: Press-di, figures at May 2020 (newsstands + subscriptions channel) in terms of value

[8] Comscore (May 2020)

[9] Shareablee (June 2020)

Today, the meeting of the Board of Directors of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A., chaired by Marina Berlusconi, reviewed and approved the Half-Year Financial Report at 30 June 2019, presented by CEO Ernesto Mauri.

HIGHLIGHTS OF FIRST HALF 2019
In first half 2019, in line with the targets set, the Group recorded adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations of € 13.8 million, up by 14% net of the effect of the application of IFRS 16.

Actions continued to be taken to improve operations in the Books Area and to reduce costs, as well as to strengthen the Digital component in Magazines Italy.

The six months saw significantly lower restructuring and reorganization costs than in the same period of 2018, due to the planned reduction and different timing of the divestment of non-strategic businesses and the reorganization of Group activities.

This trend, together with the extended positive performance of cash generation from ordinary operations, paves the way to the achievement of the targets set and disclosed for the entire financial year 2019.

PERFORMANCE AT 30 JUNE 2019
Consolidated revenue in first half 2019 came to € 380 million versus € 390.8 million in the prior year, due partly to the change in the consolidation scope of Magazines Italy following the sale of Inthera S.p.A. and Panorama.

Adjusted EBITDA (before IFRS 16) for the period under review came to € 13.8 million, up by € 1.7 million versus the prior year (€ 12.1 million), with a percentage on revenue increasing from 3.1% to 3.6%.

IFRS 16 adjusted EBITDA came to € 21.8 million and includes the IFRS 16 impact of € +8 million.

EBITDA (before IFRS 16) grew strongly versus the prior year, from € 3.5 million to € 12.6 million, including the increase in adjusted EBITDA and the significant reduction in restructuring costs recorded in the first half of the year.

IFRS 16 EBITDA amounted to € 20.6 million and includes the IFRS 16 impact of € +8 million.

EBIT (before IFRS 16) at 30 June 2019 amounted to € 1.5 million, increasing sharply versus € -6.6 million at 30 June 2018, as a result of the dynamics of the above components, and includes amortization, depreciation and write-downs of € 11.1 million, slightly higher than the prior year.

IFRS 16 amortization and depreciation amounted to € 7.4 million.

IFRS 16 EBIT amounted to € 2.1 million and includes the IFRS 16 impact of € +0.6 million.

The consolidated result before tax came to € -1.6 million, improving strongly versus € -16.1 million in first half 2018. It includes:

• the decrease in financial expense (from € -1.4 million to € +0.3 million) as a result of lower average net debt;
• the result of the associates (consolidated at equity) from € -8.2 million to € -3 million.

The adjusted net result from continuing operations improved by approximately € +9 million and amounted to € -5.7 million versus € -14.7 million at 30 June 2018.

The net result from discontinued operations came to a positive € 3.9 million and includes the positive effect of the fair value adjustment of Mondadori France at 30 June 2019.

The Group’s net result was € -1.9 million, improving strongly versus € -12.5 million at 30 June 2018.

At 30 June 2019, the net financial position (before IFRS 16) stood at € -204.2 million, improving by € 34.2 million (approximately -14%) versus € -238.4 million at 30 June 2018, as a result of the ongoing cash generation from ordinary operations of continuing operations, amounting to
€ 46.5 million.

Including the effect of the application of IFRS 16 (€ -102 million), the Group’s net financial position at 30 June 2019 stood at € -306.2 million.

At 30 June 2019, with regard to continuing operations, Group employees amounted to 2,117 units, down by approximately -5% versus 2,224 units at June 2018, as a result of the sale of Panorama and of efficiency gains in the individual business areas, and excluding the 691 employees of Mondadori France.

Cost of personnel^[1] of continuing operations in the first six months of the year amounted to € 79.3 million, down by approximately 7% versus the same period of 2018, as a result of the ongoing reduction in the workforce and of the sale of Inthera and Panorama.

CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS IN SECOND QUARTER 2019
Consolidated revenue in second quarter 2019 amounted to € 213.1 million, steady versus the prior year, despite the effect of the change in the consolidation scope of Magazines Italy following the sale of Inthera S.p.A. and Panorama.

In the Books Area, revenue in the second quarter increased by approximately 8%, while the Retail Area grew by approximately 1%; the Magazines Italy Area fell by 5% on a like-for-like basis as a result of the dynamics of the relevant markets.

Adjusted EBITDA (before IFRS 16) came to € 16 million, up by € 1.1 million versus the prior year
(€ 14.9 million).

IFRS 16 adjusted EBITDA came to € 20.1 million and includes the IFRS 16 impact of approximately
€ +4 million.

BUSINESS OUTLOOK[2]
The Group will continue its strategic repositioning and further focus on its core businesses, in particular by consolidating its leadership in the Books Area, completing the sale of Mondadori France and identifying new areas of development.

In line with the outlined strategy and in light of the current relevant context, including the performance in the first half, the operating targets for 2019, based on the current scope, allow the Group to confirm, at a consolidated level, a slight decrease in revenue and a single-digit growth of adjusted EBITDA before IFRS 16 versus 2018.

The net result from continuing operations in 2019 is expected to be significantly higher than last year (in the range of € 30-35 million).

Cash flow from ordinary operations in 2019 is forecast at approximately € 45 million, creating sustainable conditions for a possible future return to a dividend.

PERFORMANCE OF BUSINESS AREAS

• BOOKS

In the first six months of the year, the trade books market grew by +4%^[3] versus the first six months of the prior year. During the period, the Mondadori Group retained its leadership, with an overall 25.3% market share.

Revenue in the Books Area in first half 2019 amounted to € 183.8 million, up by 2.7% versus € 179 million in first half 2018. Specifically: the Trade Area recorded a +1.6% increase, the Educational Area +5.4%.

Adjusted EBITDA (before IFRS 16) came to € 15.6 million, up versus the same period of 2018
(€ 13.3 million), as a result of the ongoing improvement in operations.

IFRS 16 adjusted EBITDA came to € 16.2 million and includes the IFRS 16 impact of approximately
€ +0.6 million.

EBITDA (before IFRS 16) amounted to € 15.2 million, up versus € 12.5 million at 30 June 2018.

IFRS 16 EBITDA amounted to € 15.8 million and includes an impact of approximately € +0.6 million.

• RETAIL

The relevant market for the Retail Area is books (approximately 83% of store revenue), where Mondadori Retail has a 12.8% market share.

In the first six months of the year, the Retail Area recorded revenue of € 81.4 million, down slightly
(-2%) versus € 83.1 million in first half 2018.

The analysis by channel shows the following:

• a +1.2% increase by direct bookstores, as a result of the performance of the new stores in Roma Valle Aurelia and Taranto, opened respectively in April and September 2018 (-1.8% on a like-for-like basis in terms of stores);
• an approximately 12% drop by Megastores, due mainly to the shrinking sales of consumer electronics (-11.3% on a like-for-like basis in terms of stores);
• the Franchised Bookstores are in line with the prior year (also on a like-for-like basis in terms of stores);
• a slight decrease by the online segment (-3.4%);
• a slight fall by the Clubs channel versus the prior year (approximately -3%).

In first half 2019, Mondadori Retail’s adjusted EBITDA (before IFRS 16) came to € -4.6 million versus € -3.2 million at 30 June 2018.

IFRS 16 adjusted EBITDA came to € -0.6 million and includes the IFRS 16 impact of € +3.9 million.

EBITDA (before IFRS 16) amounted to € -4.8 million, down versus € -3.5 million at 30 June 2018.

IFRS 16 EBITDA amounted to € -0.9 million and includes the IFRS 16 impact of € +3.9 million.

• MAGAZINES ITALY

In the first five months of 2019, the Italian advertising market reported a growth in digital channels (+2%) and a -15.4% drop in magazines^[4].

Circulation also declined in Italy in the period (-12.3%), with a slowdown in both the newsstands and subscriptions channels.

The Mondadori Group’s market share in this segment stood at 28.8%^[5].

The Magazines Italy Area generated revenue of € 130.9 million versus € 147.5 million in first half 2018 (-3.9% net of the disposals of Inthera and Panorama).

Specifically:

• circulation revenue and revenue from add-on sales recorded an overall reduction of 12.5% versus first half 2018 (-5.9% net of the sale of Panorama);
• advertising revenue was down overall by -10.2%: the digital channel recorded a growth of approximately +15% versus first half 2018. The percentage of digital revenue on the total rose to approximately 39% versus 30% at 30.06.2018.
• distribution activities and other revenue fell by 9% versus the prior year, due to the sale of Inthera (+5.9% excluding Inthera).

The Mondadori Group retained its position as Italy’s leading digital publisher in the latest comScore survey in May, with a reach of 77% and 29.3 million unique users in the month.

Adjusted EBITDA (before IFRS 16) from the Magazines Italy Area came to € 6.8 million, in line with the same period of 2018 (€ 6.8 million), as a result of the actions aimed at reducing operating and structural costs, the ongoing improvement in the digital area and the positive effects of the sale of Inthera and Panorama.

IFRS 16 adjusted EBITDA amounted to € 6.9 million.

EBITDA (before IFRS 16) amounted to € 6.3 million, up sharply versus € -0.1 million at 30 June 2018, as a result of lower restructuring costs.

IFRS 16 EBITDA amounted to € 6.4 million.

• MAGAZINES FRANCE (discontinued operations)

In first half 2019, Mondadori France generated revenue of € 139.8 million (€ 152.9 million in first half 2018). Specifically:

• circulation revenue (approximately 80% of the total) was down by 5.1%;
• advertising revenue fell by 17% overall.

Adjusted EBITDA came to € 11.4 million versus € 12.1 million in the first six months of the prior year.

EBITDA amounted to € 11 million versus € 10.8 million in the first six months of 2018.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AFTER FIRST HALF 2019
On 24 July, the sale of the subsidiary Mondadori France S.A.S. to Reworld Media S.A. received clearance from the Autorité de la Concurrence.

In accordance with the remedy set out in the clearance, Reworld Media undertakes to sell a title of its choice that could be either L’Auto-Journal, published by the joint venture EMAS (Editions Mondadori Axel Springer) or Auto Moto, published by Reworld Media.

The parties have agreed to update – according to the terms disclosed on 24 July 2019 – the structure of the consideration from the transaction, which remains, as expected, equal to € 70 million (cash free/debt free), also adding an earn-out of € 5 million.

Additionally, on 29 July 2019, the Shareholders’ Meeting of Reworld Media resolved to grant the Board of Directors the power to implement the reserved capital increase.

The transaction remains subject to the provision of the bank loan, already authorized, to Reworld Media.

Following the authorization given by the Shareholders’ Meeting of 17 April 2019, on 10 June Arnoldo Mondadori Editore launched a share buyback programme.  

Following the transactions carried out so far and disclosed to the market in accordance with current legislation, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A. currently holds no. 1,728,703 treasury shares, equal to 0.661% of the share capital and to 0.431% of the total voting rights.

The documentation relating to the presentation of the results at 30 June 2019, is made available through the authorized storage mechanism 1Info (www.1info.it) and in the Investors section of the Company website www.gruppomondadori.it.

The Financial Reporting Manager – Oddone Pozzi – hereby declares, pursuant to art. 154 bis, par. 2, of the Consolidated Finance Law, that the accounting information contained herein corresponds to the Company’s records, books and accounting entries.

Annexes:

1. Consolidated balance sheet;
2. Consolidated income statement;
3. Consolidated income statement – II quarter;
4. Group cash flow;
5. Glossary of terms and alternative performance measures used.

[1] Cost of enlarged personnel includes costs for collaborations and temporary employment.
[2] Before application of IFRS 16.
[3] Source: GFK, June 2019 (figures in terms of market value). As of May 2019, GfK has expanded its coverage panel by increasing the survey of e-commerce operators; as a result, the overall market value and the YoY deviations have been restated pro-forma and the details by channel have been reviewed by merging book chains and e-commerce.
[4] Source: Nielsen, cumulative figures at May 2019
[5] Internal source: Press-Di, cumulative figures at May 2019 (newsstands + subscriptions) in terms of value

Today, the meeting of the Board of Directors of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A., chaired by Marina Berlusconi, reviewed and approved the Half-Year Financial Report at 30 June 2018^[1], presented by CEO Ernesto Mauri.

Group performance in first half 2018

In first half 2018, the Mondadori Group recorded a 9% increase in adjusted EBITDA, rebounding from the weaker performance of the first quarter of the year, in line with the forecast operating plans.

Actions continued on improving operations in the Books Area, reducing costs and focusing on the core business in the Magazines areas.

Against this backdrop, the half year comprised non-ordinary restructuring and reorganization costs functional to the structural reduction in operating costs, and to the disposal of non-strategic and non-profitable businesses in the Magazines Italy Area. 2017 had, instead, recorded most of the restructuring costs in the second half, while in the first six months of the year, it had benefited from certain gains from the disposal of assets.

This trend, together with the enduring positive performance of cash generation from ordinary operations, makes the achievement of the targets set and disclosed for the whole 2018 financial year increasingly feasible.

Consolidated revenue in first half 2018 amounted to approximately € 543.8 million, down by 5.1% versus € 573.1 million in the prior year, due mainly to the performance of the Magazines areas, attributable to the persisting negative trends of the relevant markets, in terms of both circulation and advertising. Revenue from the Books Area increased by 4%.

In the first half under review, the Group more than made up for the operating loss recorded in the first quarter, which was entirely attributable to Magazines Italy.

Adjusted EBITDA came to € 24.2 million, up by 9% versus the prior year (€ 22.2 million in first half 2017) – with a percentage on revenue growing to 4.4% (from 3.9%).

The various businesses recorded different trends:

• a sharp rise in the Books Area, driven by further operating efficiencies and for a different timing in revenue from the supplies to a number of clients in the School Textbooks segment;
• a gradual improvement in the Retail Area, as a result of the rationalization of directly-managed stores;
• a steady performance by the Magazines France Area (net of the discontinuity associated with the disposal of NaturaBuy in 2017);
• a drop in the Magazines Italy Area, previously recognized in the first quarter, while in the second quarter the ongoing actions to cut operating and structural costs offset the decline in revenue triggered by the trend of the traditional markets.

In the period under review, the Mondadori Group also continued with its effective measures to curb fixed overheads, which reduced their impact on revenue from 8.5% to 8% in the first half of the year.

Consolidated EBITDA came to € 14.3 million, down versus € 27.6 million in the first half of the prior year. This downturn reflects:

• less positive non-ordinary items versus first half 2017, which had benefited from gains of approximately € 8.5 million (€ 4.3 million from the disposal of NaturaBuy in the Magazines France Area and € 4.2 million from the disposal of a property in the Corporate & Shared Services Area);
• a loss (approximately € 2 million) by the Magazines Italy Area, due to the disposal of Inthera;
• higher restructuring costs recorded in the first half, due mostly to the Magazines Italy Area and functional to the reorganization and revision of the operating and overhead costs structure.

Consolidated EBIT came to € -1.1 million versus € +11.5 million at 30 June 2017, and includes amortization, depreciation and impairment losses of € 15.4 million, down versus € 16 million in the prior year, due to the dynamics of the abovementioned extraordinary items.

The consolidated result before taxes amounted to € -12.4 million and includes: the sharp drop in financial expenses, due to an average interest rate of 2.13% versus 4.36% in the prior year; a lower average net debt; the negative result of associates (consolidated at equity), which deteriorated due in particular to Mach2 Libri, active in the distribution of books in the Large Retailers channel and put into liquidation in 2018.

The net result came to € -12.5 million versus € +4.4 million in first half 2017, which had included net gains of approximately € 7 million and lower restructuring costs, while first half 2018 included liquidation costs of approximately € 7 million for Mach2 Libri.

The Group’s net financial position at 30 June 2018 stood at € -238.4 million, improving by approximately 16% versus € -284.4 million at 30 June 2017, due to the positive cash generation of the Group of approximately € 46 million.

At 30 June 2018, cash flow from operations in the last twelve months came to a positive € 80.3 million; cash flow from ordinary operations (after outlays for financial expenses, management of investments and taxes for the period) came to € 62.1 million, confirming the strong path of cash generation and financial improvement of the Group, and the cash conversion of adjusted EBITDA (rolling basis) to over 50%.

Cash flow from non-ordinary operations came to € -16 million, as a result of a negative acquisition/disposal value of € 5 million and of restructuring costs of approximately € 11 million.

At 30 June 2018, Group employees amounted to 2,962 units, down by 4.8% from 3,112 units at 30 June 2017, as a result mainly of the disposal of the subsidiary Inthera, despite the acquisition of Direct Channel, and of the ongoing restructuring and efficiency improvement measures involving each of the Group’s business areas. Net of these discontinuities, the drop would have been around 3.4%.

Consolidated financial highlights in second quarter 2018
Consolidated revenue in second quarter 2018 amounted to € 290.4 million, down by 3.7% versus the prior year, attributable mainly to the Magazines areas: as mentioned earlier, the Magazines Italy Area, however, saw a steady improvement in the drop in the second quarter which, net of the disposal of Inthera, would have amounted to 6.7%.

Revenue from the Books Area grew by 6.2%, due partly to a different timing in the Educational segment.

At a consolidated level, all cost items in the quarter under review reduced their percentage on revenue, despite the contraction of the latter.

Adjusted EBITDA in second quarter 2018 amounted to € 23.7 million, up significantly versus € 18.2 million in the same period of 2017, thanks mainly to the Books Area, which improved by € 5.2 million.

In the Magazines areas – both in Italy and France – the measures to reduce operating costs and overheads helped reach basically steady results versus second quarter 2017, despite the drop in overall revenue triggered by the trend of the traditional markets.

Business outlook
In light of the current relevant context and the results achieved in the first six months of the year, the forecasts on 2018, on a like-for-like basis versus 2017, previously disclosed to the market, can be reasonably confirmed: a slight drop in consolidated revenue; adjusted EBITDA basically steady; net profit up sharply in second half 2018 versus the same period of the prior year and down by approximately € 7 million for the full year versus 2017, which had included positive non-ordinary items.

Cash flow from ordinary operations is forecast at around € 55/60 million.

Business areas

• BOOKS

In the first six months of the year, the Trade Books market was basically steady versus the same period of the prior year (-0.1%)[2].

Against this backdrop, Mondadori Libri retained its leadership position with an overall 27.8% market share.

In the period under review, the Mondadori Group placed 6 titles in the ranking of the top ten bestselling books in terms of value[3]: Storie della buonanotte per bambine ribelli 2 by Cavallo Francesca, Favilli Elena (Mondadori); Quando tutto inizia by Volo Fabio (Mondadori); Storie della buonanotte per bambine ribelli. 100 vite di donne straordinarie by Cavallo Francesca, Favilli Elena (Mondadori); Origin by Dan Brown (Mondadori); Il morso della reclusa by Fred Vargas (Einaudi); Divertiti con Luì e Sofì. Il fantalibro by Me contro Te (Mondadori Electa).

In first half 2018, the Area revenue amounted to € 178.5 million, up by 4% versus € 171.6 million in the same period of 2017, driven by the positive performance of the Educational Area (+18.8%), due mainly to the timing of invoicing to large customers in the school textbooks business.

In the Trade segment, revenue fell by 5.4% versus the same period of the prior year, due mainly to the continued strategy of selective production of new titles, and the meticulous management of the related print runs, aimed at increasing operating efficiency and, therefore, overall profitability.

Adjusted EBITDA amounted to € 13.3 million, improving strongly versus € 6 million in the same period of the prior year, as a result of further operating efficiencies and of the continued management streamlining process undertaken in recent years, and of the different timing of revenue from supplies to a number of clients in the Education Area.

EBITDA amounted to € 12.5 million, confirming the abovementioned growth versus the prior year (€ 5.6 million at 30 June 2017).

• RETAIL

The relevant market for the Retail Area is books (approximately 80% of revenue[4]), where Mondadori Retail’s market share stands at 14.1%.

In the first six months of the year, revenue amounted to € 83.1 million, down slightly (-1.9%) versus € 84.7 million in the same period of the prior year. The analysis by channel versus first half 2017 shows: a 2.3% increase in directly-managed Bookstores, driven by the positive performance of Books; an approximately 11% drop by Megastores, attributable to the decline in consumer electronics sales and closure of two stores; a 3.6% increase in franchised Bookstores, in line with the strategy to strengthen this channel.

Adjusted EBITDA amounted to € -3.2 million, improving versus € -3.7 million at 30 June 2017, due to the rationalization plan of directly-managed stores. EBITDA came to € -3.5 million, rebounding sharply versus the six months of 2017 (€ -5 million), as a result of lower restructuring costs.

• MAGAZINES ITALY

In Italy, against the sharp fall of the relevant market in the first five months of 2018, the Mondadori Group retained its leadership in magazines with a 31.4% share.[5]

The Area’s revenue amounted to € 147.5 million, down by 11% versus € 165.7 million in the same period of the prior year, due also to the sharp drop in add-on sales (-23.6%).

Net of the disposal of Inthera in May, the decline would have come to 9.7%. This performance reflects a steady improvement recorded in the second quarter, which shows a 6.7% decrease (on a like-for-like basis).

In the first half, circulation revenue lost 7.1%, performing slightly better than the relevant market[6], due also to the contribution of the new titles Giallo Zafferano and Spy.

Advertising revenue (print + web) was down by 7.1%; web advertising sales were steady versus first half 2017, while print sales were basically in line with the market[7]. The percentage of digital advertising sales on the total increased to 30% (from 28% in 1° half 2017).

In the period under review, the Mondadori Group retained its position as Italy’s top traditional publisher also in the digital segment, with a total audience of 27.7 million unique users per month[8], up by 15% versus 2017. The reach on the market is close to 76% of the Italian digital population.

In the first six months of 2018, adjusted EBITDA fell by € 6.8 million versus € 11 million in first half 2017, due to the drop previously recorded in the first quarter of the current year. The digital area continued to improve in the period and increased its adjusted EBITDA by over € 1 million in the half year.

The Area’s EBITDA (€ -0.1 million versus € 10.8 million in first half 2017) reflects higher restructuring costs recorded in the period from the necessary accelerated structural reorganization and cost reduction process and from the loss generated by the disposal of Inthera.

• MAGAZINES FRANCE

In France, in a continually shrinking market in terms of circulation and advertising, Mondadori France held a 10.1% share[9], basically steady versus the prior year, ranking as second top player on the magazine advertising market.

In the first six months of 2018, revenue amounted to € 152.9 million, down by 7.3% versus € 164.9 million in the same period of 2017. In terms of circulation (approximately 77% of total revenue), the decline was -6.7% versus the prior year. Advertising revenue (print + web) fell by an overall -7.3% versus the same period of 2017, with print advertising (87% of total) down by -5.6% versus the market’s -10.7%.

Adjusted EBITDA amounted to € 12.1 million, basically steady versus € 12.5 million of the six months of the prior year, net of the discontinuity from NaturaBuy (sold in May 2017), thanks to the effective actions to contain industrial costs, and to the reorganization of the teams, which started to offset the decline in revenue triggered by the trend of the markets. Adjusted EBITDA from digital operations ended positive versus the loss recorded in first half 2017.

EBITDA amounted to € 10.8 million, down versus € 15.7 million in the first six months of 2017, which had benefited from the gain of € 4.3 million from the abovementioned disposal.

Significant events after first half 2018
Following the authorization to purchase treasury shares approved by the Shareholders’ Meeting held on 24 April 2018, on 25 June, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A. launched a share buyback program.

On 2 July, the Group announced the purchase, in the period from 25 to 29 June, of a further 27,500 ordinary shares (equal to 0.011% of the share capital) at an average unit price of € 1.3006, for a total amount of € 35,766.85.

On 9 July, the Group announced the purchase, in the period from 2 to 6 July, of a further 16,000 ordinary shares (equal to 0.006% of the share capital) at an average unit price of € 1.3530, for a total amount of € 21,648.10.

On 16 July, the Group announced the purchase, in the period from 9 to 13 July, of a further 17,500 ordinary shares (equal to 0.007% of the share capital) at an average unit price of € 1.4700, for a total amount of € 25,725.70.

On 23 July, the Group announced the purchase, in the period from 16 to 20 July, of a further 17,500 ordinary shares (equal to 0.007% of the share capital) at an average unit price of € 1.5102, for a total amount of € 26,428.50.

On 30 July, the Group announced the purchase, in the period from 23 to 27 July, of a further 27,000 ordinary shares (equal to 0.010% of the share capital) at an average unit price of € 1.4606, for a total amount of € 39,435.25.

Following the purchases made so far, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A. holds to date 1,025,500 treasury shares, equal to 0.392% of the share capital (including the approximately 80,000 shares purchased in the period from 30 November to 2 December 2016, as per disclosure to the market on 6 December 2016).

The documentation relating to the presentation of the results at 30 June 2018 is made available through the authorized storage mechanism 1Info (www.1info.it) and in the Investors section of the Company’s website www.gruppomondadori.it.

The Financial Reporting Manager – Oddone Pozzi – hereby declares, pursuant to art. 154 bis, par. 2, of the Consolidated Finance Law, that the accounting information contained herein corresponds to the Company’s records, books and accounting entries.

Annexes (in the pdf file):

1. Consolidated balance sheet;
2. Consolidated income statement;
3. Consolidated income statement – second quarter
4. Group cash flow;
5. Glossary of terms and alternative performance measures used.

[1] Beginning from 1 January 2018 (and to provide a consistent presentation, also for 2017), the Mondadori Group has adopted the new IFRS 15 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers – revenue recognition standard.
The new IFRS 15 presents revenue and costs differently, with no effect on EBITDA. Beginning from 2018, the result generated by associates (consolidated at equity), previously classified in adjusted EBITDA, is shown under EBIT; for consistency, 2017 has been reclassified accordingly.
[2] Source: GFK, June 2018 (figures in terms of market value)
[3] Source: GFK, June 2018 (ranking in terms of cover value)
[4] Store revenue on a like-for-like basis
[5] Internal source: Press-Di, cumulative figures at May 2018 (newsstands + subscriptions) in terms of value
[6] -9.1%: Internal source: Press-Di, cumulative figures at May 2018 (newsstands + subscriptions) in terms of value
[7] -8.6% (Nielsen, cumulative figures at May 2018)
[8] Source: comScore, average figure Jan.-May 2018
[9] Source: Kantar Media, cumulative figures in terms of volume at April 2018

Today, the meeting of the Board of Directors of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A., chaired by Marina Berlusconi, reviewed and approved the Half-Year Financial Report at 30 June 2017[1], presented by CEO Ernesto Mauri.

HIGHLIGHTS IN 1H17

In 1H17, on a like-for-like consolidation basis with Rizzoli Libri versus 2016[2], the Group continued on its path of operational improvement, delivering a 9% increase in adjusted EBITDA and paving the way to accomplishing the targets set for the whole 2017.

The LTM cash flow from ordinary operations – the first time it includes Rizzoli Libri for the previous 12 months – amounted to approximately 63 million euro, continuing the positive performance of cash generated by the Group’s businesses which, along with the extraordinary transactions involving the strategic rationalization of the portfolio of activities, improve forecasts on net financial position at year end.

Adjusted EBITDA has little bearing on the performance of the entire year since the negative contribution of Rizzoli Libri (outside the scope in 1Q16) is attributable to the seasonal nature of the Education business, which includes in the first quarter expenses to promote the campaign on school textbooks adoption, while revenue is typically recorded in the second half of the year.

Net profit in the reporting period, amounting to +4.4 million euro, improved by over 8 million euro versus 30 June 2016, due also to the contribution of a number of positive extraordinary items.

GROUP PERFORMANCE AT 30 JUNE 2017

Consolidated revenue in 1H17 amounted to 553 million euro, down slightly (-1.7%) versus 562.5 million euro in the prior year, due mainly to the performance of the Magazines areas, to the temporary effect (recovered in July) of the shift forward of revenue from supplies to a number of clients in the Educational Area, and to the targeted reduction in revenue from consumer electronics products in the Retail Area.

On a like-for-like consolidation basis with Rizzoli Libri (in the second quarter only), adjusted EBITDA grew by 9% (from 26.7 million euro to 29.1 million euro) with a percentage on revenue increasing from 4.7% to 5.3% – especially in the Books (from 9.5 million euro to 13.2 million euro net of Rizzoli Libri’s first quarter) and Magazines Italy areas (+13%).

Including the result of Rizzoli Libri as from 1 January, adjusted EBITDA amounted to 21.6 million euro, as a result of the negative contribution of -7.5 million euro in 1Q17, attributable to the seasonal nature of the education business.

Consolidated EBITDA improved by 21.2% (from 22.5 million euro to 27.3 million euro), driven by the gains from the disposal of certain assets in the second quarter of the year (4.2 million euro from the disposal of a property in Corporate & Shared Services, and 4.3 million euro from the disposal of NaturaBuy in Magazines France).

Consolidated EBIT in 1H17 amounted to 11.2 million euro, up by approximately 33% versus 30 June 2016, and includes amortization, depreciation and impairment of 16 million euro, up versus 14 million euro in 1H16 from the impact of the amortization of Banzai Media intangible assets (1.2 million euro) and the capitalized expenses of the Rizzoli Libri school business (2 million euro, 1.1 million euro of which in the first quarter).

Consolidated profit before taxes came to 4.1 million euro and includes financial costs of 7.1 million euro, down versus the prior year (7.9 million euro) on a like-for-like basis of average net debt, due to the reduction in the average interest rate of approximately 40 bps.

The overall tax burden in the period amounted to +1.6 million euro (-3.1 million euro in 2016), benefiting from the adjustment of 3.8 million euro of deferred taxes of Mondadori France.

At 30 June 2017, Group employees with a fixed-term or permanent labour contract amounted to 3,112 units, down by 8.6% versus 3,404 units at June 2016, as a result of the outsourcing of logistics activities in May, as well as the ongoing restructuring and efficiency improvement measures involving each of the Group’s business areas.

The Group’s net financial position at 30 June 2017 stood at -284.4 million euro, improving by approximately 90 million euro versus -374.8 million euro at 30 June 2016, as a result of the positive cash generation from ordinary operations of 63.2 million euro, the first time it includes the contribution of Rizzoli Libri for 12 months, and extraordinary operations in the last twelve months, which generated 27.3 million euro.

CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS IN 2Q17

In 2Q17, consolidated revenue amounted to 291.9 million euro, down by 5.2% versus 2Q16.

Despite discontinuity from the shift forward of revenue from the Educational Area, Books – on a like-for-like basis for the first time – were basically stable versus 2Q16 (+0.8%).

Adjusted EBITDA grew by 9.5% in the quarter, especially in Books (from 5.4 million euro to 8.6 million euro) and Magazines Italy (+27.8%), confirming the Group’s continued efficiency recovery.

Consolidated EBITDA, including extraordinary items, improved significantly by over 10 million euro (from 14.0 million euro to 25.5 million euro), driven by the positive contribution of the abovementioned gains.

Consolidated net profit, after minority shareholders’ result, came to 13.5 million euro versus a loss of 2 million euro at 30 June 2016.

OUTLOOK FOR THE YEAR

In light of the Group’s performance in the first half of the year, it is reasonable to confirm the previously disclosed estimates for 2017 versus the 2016 pro-forma figures[3] that indicate steady revenue and a “high single-digit” growth of adjusted EBITDA, with a resulting improvement in profit margins and a sharp increase of approximately 30% in net profit.

Also as a result of the extraordinary transaction involving the disposal of an asset in the first six months, net debt at end 2017 is estimated to further reduce versus 31 December 2016, with a net debt/adjusted EBITDA ratio below 2.0x (from the previous forecast between 2.2/2x).

PERFORMANCE OF GROUP BUSINESS AREAS AT 30 JUNE 2017

• BOOKS

In 1H17, the Trade Books market grew by +1.3% versus 1H16[4]. Against this backdrop, Mondadori Libri retained its market leadership position with an overall 28.1% share.

In 1H17, the Group held a total of 5 positions in the ranking of the ten best-selling titles in terms of value, with Storie della buonanotte per bambine ribelli. 100 vite di donne straordinarie by F. Cavallo and E. Favilli, in first place, L’arte di essere fragili. Come Leopardi può salvarti la vita by A. D’Avenia (3°), Dentro l’acqua and La ragazza del treno by P. Hawkins (5° and 6°), and Tredici by J. Asher (7°).

Additionally, in July the publisher Einaudi won the 71st edition of the Strega Prize with Le otto montagne by Paolo Cognetti, a remarkable success translated in over 30 countries.

Revenue from the Books Area amounted to 187.9 million euro, up by 10.4% versus 1H16 (170.1 million euro), also as a result of the consolidation of Rizzoli Libri (present only in the second quarter of 2016), despite the publishing plan to schedule the release of best-selling titles mostly in the second half of the year:

• trade revenue grew by 4.3% versus 1H16; the increase is explained by the consolidation of Rizzoli Libri, which contributed 18.2 million euro to revenue in the first half of the year;
• educational revenue improved by 16.3% versus 1H16, driven also by Electa’s performance in museum and publishing activities;
• revenue from distribution activities was up by 27.2% versus 1H16, due to the different consolidation period of Rizzoli Libri.

Adjusted EBITDA of the Books Area came to 5.7 million euro; net of the loss reported in the first quarter by Rizzoli Libri, explained by the typical seasonal nature of the school textbooks business, adjusted EBITDA would amount to 13.2 million euro, up by approximately 39% versus 1H16 (9.5 million euro), as a result of the progress in the integration process and resulting synergies, as well as the positive performance of Electa.

EBITDA amounted to 5.6 million euro (9.1 million euro at 30 June 2016).

• RETAIL

In 1H17, the Retail Area achieved revenue of 84.7 million euro, down by 4% versus 88.2 million euro in 1H16, due also to the targeted reduction in revenue from consumer electronics products.

Books were the predominant product category, making for 80% of total revenue of the Area[5]: in 1H17, the product grew by 3.4%, outperforming the relevant market trend.

The result benefited from the directly-managed network and confirms the effectiveness of the actions undertaken in terms of product penetration and assortment.

In the period under review, Mondadori Retail’s market share in books rose to 14.7% from 14.3%.

Non-book revenue was basically steady in the impulse (stationery and toys) and media categories, while, as mentioned, Consumer Electronics continued to fall as targeted (approximately -22% versus 2016).

Adjusted EBITDA came to -3.7 million euro, deteriorating versus -3.1 million euro reported in 1H16, as a result of the structural decline in sales volumes in the book club channel, despite the positive performance of other channels.

EBITDA came to -5 million euro (-3.1 million euro in 1H16), as a result of higher restructuring costs (1.5 million euro).

• MAGAZINES ITALY

In Italy, in a continually adverse market in terms of magazine circulation, the Mondadori Group retained its leadership, increasing its share to reach 31.6%.[6]

In 2Q17, in line with the selective strategy on the development of the product portfolio to sustain revenue and optimize editorial costs, Mondadori launched two new publications, both receiving a warm welcome from the public: the monthly Giallo Zafferano, with an average circulation of approximately 200,000 copies, and the weekly SPY, with average sales of approximately 300,000 copies for the first four issues.

Revenue from the Area amounted to 148.1 million euro, down by 7.9% versus 160.9 million euro in 1H16, due also to the sharp drop in add-on sales. Specifically:

• circulation revenue (newsstands + subscriptions) fell by 8.2%, less than the relevant market trend in both the newsstand and subscription channels;
• advertising revenue (print + web) increased by approximately 7%, driven by the contribution of the consolidation of Banzai Media activities, bringing the percentage of digital revenue on the total to approximately 28%. Gross advertising sales grew by 14.5% in the reporting period; considering print alone, on a like-for-like basis of titles and barter deals, sales fell by -3.9%, outperforming, however, the relevant market trend (-6.1% at May);
• revenue from add-on products, as mentioned, dropped sharply versus 1H16, in line with the market trend (-29.7%[7]);
• distribution and revenue towards third publishers managed by Press-Di dropped at a more moderate pace (-2.2%) than the relevant market[8], thanks to the ongoing commitment to developing third-publisher portfolios.

In the digital area, the Mondadori Group reached a unique audience of 16.6 million users/month[9] in the first six months of the year versus 8 million/month of May 2016 (+3.5% versus December 2016), retaining its position as Italy’s top traditional publisher also in the digital business, boasting a supremacy in key vertical segments such as women, food, health & wellness.

A position corroborated by comScore surveys, which reported a Group audience of 23.6 million unique users/month at May 2017, steady versus December.

Adjusted EBITDA in the Magazines Italy Area improved by approximately 12.8%, rising from 10.6 million euro to 11.9 million euro, driven mainly by the benefits of the digital business achieved with the combination of Banzai Media and Mondadori’s teams and digital products; print activities reported a steady margin, offsetting the drop triggered by the trend of the markets, as a result of the ongoing optimization actions and containment of editorial and overhead costs.

Digital activities in the period achieved an overall positive adjusted EBITDA (negative in 1H16).

The Area’s reported EBITDA confirmed the growth trend, closing at 11.7 million euro (10 million euro).

• MAGAZINES FRANCE

In 1H17, revenue from Mondadori France amounted to 148.1 million euro, down by 7.6% versus 160.4 million euro in 1H16. Specifically:

• circulation revenue (approximately 74% of the total) lost 4.5% versus 1H16: -7% subscriptions (representing the strongest and steadiest contribution to revenue of the Area with 54%); -5.1% the newsstand channel, outperforming the relevant market trend (-8.1%)[10].

Revenue from the sale of digital copies grew sharply in the first half versus 2016, driven by the new partnerships with a number of French telco players to offer Mondadori France brands to their subscriber base.

• advertising revenue (print + web) fell by an overall 17.4% versus 1H16; print (-13.3%), basically in line with the relevant market, accounted for approximately 86% of total advertising revenue, while digital advertising accounted for the remaining approximately 14%.

In the reporting period, Mondadori France held a 10.6% market share[11], basically steady versus the prior year, retaining its position as second top player on the magazine advertising market.

The digital readers (web, mobile & tablet) of Mondadori France magazines reached 11.4 million unique users[12], up by approximately +16% versus the average figure in 1H16.

Adjusted EBITDA came to 12.5 million euro versus 15.5 million euro in 1H16. The drop is mainly attributable to the downturn in advertising revenue generated by the Digital Area, to the increase in rental costs for the offices and deconsolidation since 1 May of NaturaBuy: net of the latter two effects, the decline in business would amount to approximately 1.9 million euro in the first half of the year, mitigating the drop in revenue brought by the lingering weakness of the relevant markets, as a result of the constant attention placed on editorial and overhead cost containment.

Reported EBITDA amounted to 15.7 million euro, up by approximately 10% versus 1H16, driven by the positive contribution of the gain of 4.3 million euro from the disposal of NaturaBuy in May.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AFTER THE REPORTING PERIOD

On 26 June, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore launched a share buyback plan, under art. 5 of Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014, in execution of the resolution adopted by the Shareholders’ Meeting held on 27 April 2017, authorizing the purchase and disposal of treasury shares for a maximum amount of up to 0.96% of the share capital, which is intended to provide the Company with the 2.49 million shares needed in the three-year period to meet the obligations under the 2017-2019 Performance Share Plan approved by the Meeting.

On 3 July, the Company announced the purchase, in the period from 26 to 30 June, of 198,098 ordinary shares (equal to 0.076% of the share capital) at an average unit price of Euro 1.6283, for a total amount of Euro 332,566.59.

On 10 July, the Company announced the purchase, in the period from 3 to 7 July, of a further 38,902 ordinary shares (equal to 0.015% of the share capital) at an average unit price of Euro 1.5906, for a total amount of Euro 61,876.25.

On 17 July, the Company announced the purchase, in the period from 10 to 14 July, of a further 25,000 ordinary shares (equal to 0.010% of the share capital) at an average unit price of Euro 1.6694, for a total amount of Euro 41,734.50.

On 24 July, the Company announced the purchase, in the period from 17 to 21 July, of a further 29,500 ordinary shares (equal to 0.0113% of the share capital) at an average unit price of Euro 1.7062, for a total amount of Euro 50,331.45.

Following the purchases made so far, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A. holds 371,500 treasury shares, equal to 0.1421% of the share capital (including the approximately 80,000 shares purchased in the period from 30 November to 2 December 2016, as disclosed to the market on 6 December 2016).

* * *

Definition with RCS MediaGroup S.p.A. of the relations regarding the purchase agreement of RCS Libri S.p.A. and the price adjustment

Regarding the agreement on the acquisition of RCS Libri S.p.A., completed on 14 April 2016, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A. announces that it has reached an agreement with RCS MediaGroup S.p.A. on a price adjustment, contained in the purchase agreement, based on the achievement of RCS Libri S.p.A.’s financial targets for 2015, amounting to approximately 2 million euro in favour of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A.. As a result, given the above price adjustment, the overall purchase price for RCS Libri S.p.A. amounts to 125.1 million euro. The agreement still provides for an earn-out of up to 2.5 million euro in favour of RCS MediaGroup S.p.A., based on the achievement in 2017 of specific results in the Books Area of the Mondadori Group, as previously disclosed. As part of these understandings, the parties have also defined all the mutual relations under the above purchase agreement.

* * *

The documentation relating to the presentation of the results at 30 June 2017, will be made available through the authorized storage mechanism 1Info (www.1info.it) and in the Investors section of the Company’s website  www.gruppomondadori.it.

* * *

The Executive Manager responsible for the drafting of the corporate accounting documentation – Oddone Pozzi – hereby declares, pursuant to Art. 154 bis, par. 2, of the Finance Consolidation Act, that the accounting documentation contained in this press release corresponds to the Company’s accounting entries, books and results.

Annexes (see attached pdf):

1. Consolidated balance sheet
2. Consolidated income statement
3. Consolidated income statement – second quarter
4. Group cash flow
5. Glossary of terms and alternative performance measures used

[1] The results at 30 June 2017 include the contribution of Rizzoli Libri, which was outside the scope of consolidation in 1Q16, and Banzai Media activities, consolidated as from 1 June 2016 and merged by incorporation into the parent company, with accounting effects as from 1 January 2017.

[2]  Net of Rizzoli Libri in 1Q17

[3] Pro-forma figures: consolidation of the companies acquired (Rizzoli Libri and Banzai Media) assumed as from 1 January 2016; revenue of approximately 1,280 million euro and adjusted EBITDA of approximately 100 million euro.

[4] Source: GFK, June 2017 (figures in terms of market value).

[5] Store revenue.

[6] Internal source: Press-Di, cumulative figures at May 2017 (newsstands + subscriptions in terms of value).

[7] Internal source, figure at May 2017.

[8] Drop in copies sold in the Newsstand/Large Retailer channel, 8% for dailies and 7% for magazines (source: ADS, figures in terms of copies, May).

[9] Source: Audiweb, at May 2017.

[10] Internal source Mondadori France, figure at April 2017.

[11] Source: Kantar Media, cumulative figures in terms of volume at May 2017

[12] Source: Nielsen, average figure January-April 2017

Today, the meeting of the Board of Directors of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A., chaired by Marina Berlusconi, reviewed and approved the Half-Year Financial Report at 30 June 2016, presented by CEO Ernesto Mauri.

GROUP PERFORMANCE AT 30 JUNE 2016

In 2016, the Mondadori Group enjoyed a rather positive start to the year, even more rewarding if one considers the persisting volatile macroeconomic environment.

Specifically, after almost four years, revenue grew versus the prior year, a performance which confirms, along with the improvement in EBITDA for the tenth consecutive quarter, the success of the measures adopted over the past two years, paving the way to accomplishing the targets set for the full year, and marking the transition to the new phase of the Group’s development.

2Q16 saw the consolidation of Rizzoli Libri and Banzai Media, a major step in strengthening the leadership position in the Group’s strategic businesses, accelerating the growth process of the Company.

These acquisitions helped strengthen the already positive performance of revenue in 1H16, which increased by 8.6%.

In 1H16, consolidated net revenue amounted to 562.6 million euro, as mentioned, up by 8.6%. Net of the effects of the consolidation of the companies acquired in 2016, the Group reported a 1.1% increase.

Adjusted EBITDA amounted to 26.7 million euro, improving by 11.9% versus 23.8 million euro in 1H15. On a like-for-like basis, the growth is 15.9%, with a percentage on revenue increasing from 4.6% to 5.3%. This performance was the result of a constant and focused management policy successfully implemented in all of the Group’s business areas.

Consolidated EBITDA came to 22.5 million euro versus 19 million euro in 1H15, up by 18.7%, including the result of Rizzoli Libri (-1.5 million euro) and Banzai Media (+0.6 million euro). On a like-for-like basis, the increase amounts to 24%: a result that confirms the Group’s strong efficiency gains from its ability to stabilize revenue and the industrial and organizational review actions launched and implemented over the past two years.

Consolidated EBIT in 1H16 amounted to 8.5 million euro, including amortization and depreciation of 3 million euro relating to Rizzoli Libri; on a like-for-like basis, EBIT amounted to 12.4 million euro, improving by 34.7% versus 9.2 million euro in 1H15, despite the increase in amortization, depreciation and impairment losses (11.1 million euro versus 9.7 million euro at 30 June 2015), resulting from higher amortization following the upturn in investments.

The consolidated result before taxes amounted to 0.6 million euro, or to 4.6 million euro on a like-for-like basis, a sharp increase versus 0.6 million euro in 1H15, thanks also to the contribution of financial costs, which amounted to 7.8 million euro, decreasing sharply (-8.4%) as a result of the reduced average net debt in the period and average total cost of debt.

The Group consolidated net result amounted to -3.8 million euro, improving strongly versus -12.2 million euro at 30 June 2015, while on a like-for-like basis, the net result came to a positive 0.2 million euro.

Fixed-term or permanent staff employed by the Group at 30 June 2016 amounted to 3,404 units; the figure includes 438 resources coming from the acquisition of Rizzoli Libri and Banzai Media; on a like-for-like basis, Group staff would be down by 2.5%.

The Group net financial position at 30 June 2016 came to -374.8 million euro versus -326.5 million euro at 30 June 2015, as a result of the Group’s significant cash generation, including of an extraordinary nature, over the past 12 months, which allowed net investments in acquisitions of 157.3 million euro.

At 30 June 2016, cash flow from operations in the last twelve months, on a like-for-like basis, came to a positive 79.4 million euro, while cash flow from ordinary operations (after outlays for financial costs and taxes for the period) came to 51.5 million euro, continuing the rising trend seen in the seven previous quarters.

Including the effects of Rizzoli Libri and Banzai Media, the overall cash flow from ordinary operations amounted to 42.8 million euro, lower than the figure on a like-for-like basis, owing to the seasonal performance of the Rizzoli Libri business in 2Q16.

This performance was the result of constant and effective monitoring, and the ability to act and manage all of the economic and financial variables typical of all of the Group’s business areas.

OUTLOOK FOR THE YEAR

In light of the positive performance of the Group in the first half of the year and considering the integrations in progress, the forecasts previously announced on a like-for-like basis for the current year can be reasonably confirmed (basically steady revenue versus 2015 and a “high-single digit” growth in adjusted EBITDA, with a resulting increase in profit margins).

Including the effects of the consolidation of Rizzoli Libri (for 9 months) and of Banzai Media (for 7 months), revenue is expected to grow by approximately 14% versus 2015, while adjusted EBITDA is expected to increase by approximately 30%. The net financial position is expected to increase versus the figure at 31 December 2015, with a NFP/EBITDA ratio of about 3.5x, lower than the bank covenant of 4.5x.

CO-OPTATION OF A DIRECTOR

At today’s meeting, the Board of Directors took note of the resignation, for professional reasons, of non-executive director Bruno Ermolli, also member of the Remuneration and Appointment Committee.

Accordingly, the Board of Directors, pursuant to art. 2386 of the Italian Civil Code, and to art. 17.6 of the company by-laws, approved the appointment by cooptation of Paolo Ainio, who will remain in office until the next Shareholders’ Meeting.

At the same meeting, the Board of Directors, in accordance with the provisions of the Corporate Governance Code issued by Borsa Italiana S.p.A., approved the reintegration of the Remuneration and Appointment Committee, by appointing non-executive director Alfredo Messina, who replaces director Bruno Ermolli.

Mention should be made that director Bruno Ermolli, at the date of his resignation, holds no equity interest in the Company.

The curriculum vitae of director Paolo Ainio, who qualifies as a non-executive director, in accordance with the provisions of the Corporate Governance Code issued by Borsa Italiana S.p.A., is available on the Company’s website www.gruppomondadori.it, Governance section.

PERFORMANCE OF GROUP BUSINESS AREAS AT 30 JUNE 2016

• BOOKS

In 1H16, the Italian Trade Books market grew by +2.6% versus 1H15 (GFK, June 2016; figures in terms of market value). Against this backdrop, the Trade Books Area of Mondadori Libri was once again market leader, boasting a 22.9% share; following the acquisition of the Trade Books brands of Rizzoli Libri (Rizzoli, BUR and Fabbri Editori), the Group increased its overall Trade Books market share, reaching 28.8% (at 30 June 2016).

In the period under review, revenue from the Books Area of the Group amounted to 170.1 million euro, up by 37.9% versus 123.4 million euro in 1H15, as a result of the consolidation of Rizzoli Libri (with total revenue in the April/May 2016 period amounting to 36.6 million euro from the activities relating to trade, educational and Rizzoli International Publications, which operates in the high-end illustrated books market and through the activities of the Rizzoli Bookstore located in New York).

On a like-for-like basis, revenue from the Books Area of the Group increased by +8.2% versus 1H15.

Regarding the Trade Books Area on a like-for-like basis in 1H16 (net of the contribution of Rizzoli Libri), revenue amounted to 85.6 million euro, increasing by 14.3% versus 1H15, as a result of the positive performance of sales from the titles launched between the end of 2015 and the first half of the current year.

The Educational Area revenue grew by 17% on a like-for-like basis versus 1H15, as a result of supplies provided in advance in the school textbooks segment and of the positive performance of museum management activities.

Mondadori Libri’s adjusted EBITDA surged by over 29% on a like-for-like basis versus 1H15 to settle at 11 million euro, driven by the increase in revenue from the targeted publishing policy, by the remarkable success of the new titles published, and by the ongoing optimization of the operating processes implemented since 2015 in the Trade segment.

EBITDA on a like-for-like basis came to 10.7 million euro, doubling the result of 1H15 (5.2 million euro), thanks also to lower restructuring costs versus 1H15.

In the consolidation quarter (April-June 2016), Rizzoli Libri contributed negatively – 1.5 million euro – to the reported EBITDA of the Books Area, due mainly to the Educational Area’s seasonal performance, which generates most of its revenue in the second half of the year.

Reported EBITDA of the Books Area of the Group, including the effects of the consolidation of Rizzoli Libri, amounted to 9.1 million euro (+74.2% versus 1H15).

• MAGAZINES ITALY

In 1H16, Mondadori Group retained its leadership position in the magazines market, with a 32.1% share (Internal source: Press-di, figures in terms of value at May, newsstands + subscriptions).

In the period under review, revenue from the Magazines Italy Area amounted to 161.1 million euro[1], up by 1.1% versus 159.4 million euro in 1H15 (-0.8% on a like-for-like basis, net of the effects of the acquisition of Banzai Media).

Specifically:

• circulation revenue grew by 0.8%, due also to the contribution of the Mondadori Scienza titles;
• revenue from advertising sales dropped by 2%; print advertising sales of Magazines Italy lost 4%, in line with the market’s -3.6% (Nielsen; cumulative figures at May); sales on websites increased by 4.7%, outperforming the relevant market (-1.9%: Audiweb; cumulative figures at May). Overall, in the period under review (print+web), advertising sales on Mondadori brands in Italy were down by 2.7%.

Traffic data of Mondadori websites showed an overall audience rate of 8.4 million unique users (Audiweb, cumulative figures at May) versus 7.2 million at May 2015 (+16% on January-May average);

• revenue from add-on products sold in attachment to Mondadori magazines rose by 1.7% versus 1H15;
• distribution and revenue towards third publishers was in line with 1H15, thanks to the ongoing commitment to developing third-publisher portfolios;
• international operations achieved revenue of 3 million euro, down from the 3.5 million euro reported in 1H15, following the drop in licensing activities due to the deteriorated international macroeconomic environment and the negative effect of British and Chinese exchange rates;
• revenue from Digital Marketing Service activities (6.2 million euro) grew by 2%, as a result of the gradual expansion of the portfolio of solutions that had started last year.

In 1H16, Banzai Media contributed approximately 2.9 million euro to the Magazines Italy Area’s revenue (in June): with the acquisition of an audience of 16.4 million unique users (Audiweb, average figures at May 2016), Mondadori becomes the leading Italian digital publisher.

Adjusted EBITDA in the Magazines Italy Area improved considerably on a like-for-like basis (approximately +13%), rising from 8.8 million euro to 9.9 million euro, driven by the effective review of the publishing structure and of promotional activities, implemented while retaining the traditional focus on the publishing quality of the titles.

The half-year period saw a significant reduction in industrial costs, achieved also as a result of the renegotiation of printing contracts. Including the contribution of Banzai Media, the increase in the period is 20.4%.

Reported EBITDA in the Area more than confirmed the growth trend in 1H16, increasing by 17% on a like-for-like basis, and by 25% (including the consolidation of Banzai Media), thanks to the above measures and to lower restructuring costs.

• MAGAZINES FRANCE

In 1H16, revenue from Mondadori France amounted to 160.3 million euro, down by 3.8% versus 166.6 million euro in 1H15. Specifically:

• circulation revenue (making for approximately 75 of the total) lost 2.8% versus 1H15: revenue from subscriptions (53% of circulation revenue) was basically steady, partly offsetting the drop by the newsstand channel (-6.3%) and confirming the opportunity to continue investments in this channel;
• advertising revenue was down by 5.8% versus 1H15, but performance differed between offline (-10.9%) and online (18% of total advertising revenue) products, which reported a 27% increase.

The number of readers of Mondadori France magazines totaled 9.8 million unique users (Médiamétrie Netratings – Nielsen; average figure January/May 2016), up by approximately 19% versus 1H15, also as a result of the gradual digitization of the editorial teams.

Adjusted EBITDA came to 15.5 million euro, down by 3.8% versus 1H15, due mainly to M&A costs (0.6 million euro) incurred in the period. In keeping with the positive performance of 2015, digital activities enjoyed positive margins in 1H16 versus the loss in IH15.

Reported EBITDA, amounting to 14.2 million euro, dropped slightly versus 14.4 million in 1H15, as a result of the abovementioned M&A costs and of higher restructuring costs of approximately 0.3 million euro, arising from the voluntary redundancy plan launched in 2015, which has already produced benefits.

• RETAIL

In 1H16, the Retail Area achieved revenue of 88.2 million euro, improving by 2.8% versus 85.9 million euro in 1H15.

As of 1 April 2016, following the consolidation of the acquisition of Rizzoli Libri, Librerie Rizzoli activities, relating to the long-standing bookstore in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Milan, and to the rizzolilibri.it ecommerce site, have been absorbed by the Retail Area. Accordingly, on a like-for-like basis, the Retail Area grew by 1.6%, thanks mainly to the growth of the Franchised channel (+5.2%) and the Megastores (+3.8%), which more than offset the structural decline of the Book Clubs (-8.8%).

In 1H16, Mondadori Retail adjusted EBITDA, on a like-for-like basis, came to -3 million euro, improving versus -3.2 million euro in 1H15 (-3.1 million euro, including the result of Librerie Rizzoli in 2Q16). A result achieved through cost-curbing measures for stores and central functions, which determined a lower percentage of personnel costs and overheads, and more than offset the reduction in the product margin arising from the different product mix/channel, related also to the effects of the structural decline of the book clubs channel.

Reported EBITDA came to -3 million euro (-3.1 million euro including the result of Librerie Rizzoli;   -2.8 million euro in 1H15 as a result of positive extraordinary items).

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AFTER THE REPORTING PERIOD

CLOSING OF THE DISPOSAL OF MARSILIO EDITORI S.P.A.

On 26 July 2016, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A. completed the disposal, through its subsidiary Rizzoli Libri S.p.A., of its 94.71% interest in the share capital of Marsilio Editori S.p.A. to GEM S.r.l.. The amount cashed in from the transaction is 8.9 million euro, based on an enterprise value in line with the price of the acquisition of the interest, part of the Rizzoli Libri transaction completed last 14 April 2016; the amount includes an adjusted positive net financial position of 1.3 million euro.

The disposal of Marsilio Editori S.p.A. was completed in accordance with the remedies set out in the provision issued by the Antitrust Authority. GEM S.r.l., a company operating in the publishing industry, headed by the De Michelis family, had held an interest in Marsilio Editori S.p.A. from 1985 to April 2016.

Based on the 2016 budget, Marsilio Editori is expected to achieve revenue of approximately 9.4 million euro and EBITDA of 1 million euro.

* * *

The documentation relating to the presentation of the results at 30 June 2016, will be made available through the authorized storage mechanism 1Info (www.1info.it) and in the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website www.gruppomondadori.it.

* * *

The Executive Manager responsible for the drafting of the corporate accounting documentation – Oddone Pozzi – hereby declares, pursuant to Art. 154 bis, par. 2, of the Finance Consolidation Act, that the accounting documentation contained in this press release corresponds to the Company’s accounting entries, books and results.

Annexes:

1. Consolidated balance sheet
2. Consolidated income statement
3. Consolidated income statement – second quarter
4. Group cash flow
5. Glossary of terms and alternative performance indicators used

* This document, in addition to the statements and conventional financial indicators required by IFRS, presents a number of reclassified statements and alternative performance measures in order to better evaluate the operating and financial performance of the Group, the definition of which is explained in Annex 5 “Glossary of terms and alternative performance measures used” .

[1] On 1 January 2016, following reorganization, Digital Marketing Services were transferred to Magazines Italy (previously included in Other Business, Corporate and Digital Innovation); the Area’s income statement has been reclassified, for information sake, also in the same half-year period of 2015.

The Board of Directors of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A., held on today’s date, examined and approved the half year financial report at 30 June 2015 presented by the CEO Ernesto Mauri.

GROUP PERFORMANCE AT 30 JUNE 2015

In the first half year period of 2015 net consolidated revenues amounted to euro 517.1 million, down 4.8% against euro 543.3 million of the same period in 2014. A progressive improvement (-3.3%) was recorded in the second quarter against the performance of the first quarter (-6.2%).

EBITDA before non-recurring items registered an increase of 32%, from euro 18.1 million in the first half of 2014 to euro 23.8 million this year, with a percentage on revenues rising from 3.3% to 4.6%; consolidated EBITDA improved by 7.9%, totalling euro 19 million vs. euro 17.6 million of 30 June 2014. The recovery of profitability is even more significant net of non-recurring items (which had a negative impact on the result for approximately euro 5 million, mainly due to restructuring costs).

This performance is the result of a rigorous management policy. In particular:
– the majority of the business areas posted reduced incidence of the cost of goods sold, specifically the Book Area and the Retail Area, due to a more effective management of operating processes and to a targeted pricing policy;
– the rising incidence of variable costs on revenues is mainly attributable to the Magazines France Area and is referred to increased mail tariffs for subscriptions;
– the reduction in fixed costs is higher than the drop in revenues and was also reached through the implementation of a cost containment policy for third party services and rents;
– employee headcount at the end of the half year period was down by 144 people (-4.5%) against the first half year of 2014, due to the ongoing review of the organizational structures; cost of personnel consequently dropped by 4.6% against the previous year, essentially in line on revenues (20.9%).

Quarter after quarter, this result confirms the greater efficiency achieved by the Group across all business areas, especially in the Books and Magazines Italy Areas, as a result of the industrial and organizational review implemented over the last two years.

In the first half year of 2015, consolidated EBIT amounted to euro 9.2 million, up 32% against euro 7 million posted in the same period of 2014, as a result of the above-mentioned increased EBITDA and reduced amortization and depreciation.

Consolidated profit before taxes is positive for euro 0.6 million against euro -5.3 million at 30 June 2014; in the first half year of 2015, financial costs amounted to comprehensively euro 8.5 million, considerably down against euro 12.3 million of the same period in 2014, as a result of reduced average net debt for the period and average total cost.

Taxes in the period totalled euro 2.8 million (euro 2.1 million in the first half year of 2014).

Consolidated net result from continuing operations, after minority interest, was negative for euro 3.4 million, remarkably up against the euro 8.6 million loss registered at 30 June 2014.

The result from discontinued operations in the first half year of 2015, negative for euro 8.8 million, includes the same-period result of the Radio business area (up from euro -2.5 million at 30 June 2014 to euro -1.8 million) as well as depreciation of Monradio operations in order to bring their value in line with the fair value resulting from the offer received on 30 June 2015 by R.T.I. S.p.A.

The Group’s net financial position at 30 June 2015 was equal to euro -326.5 million, up against euro -368.9 million of 30 June 2014 as a result of the significant Group’s cash generation – especially from operations – over the last twelve months; the comparison with the value at 31 December 2014 (euro -291.8 million) includes the effects of the seasonal fluctuations typical of the business.

At 30 June 2015, cash flow from operations in the last twelve months is positive for euro 59.6 million; ordinary cash flow (after cash-out relative to financial charges and taxes for the period) is equal to euro 31.5 million, continuing the rising trend registered in the four previous quarters.

Cash flow from extraordinary operations is positive for euro 10.9 million despite cash-out for restructuring actions, and results from the capital gain deriving from the disposal of an asset in the Retail Area and from the collection of tax receivables accrued in previous years.

BUSINESS AREAS

• BOOKS

In the first six months of 2015, the Trade Books area continued the trend already shown in the first quarter, down 2.7% vs. 30 June 2014 (source: GFK, value in June).

In this context, Mondadori Group confirmed its position as market leader with a 24.4% market share.

During the period, the Group has 4 titles in the ranking of the 10 top bestsellers books and was awarded the Strega Prize 2015 with La ferocia written by Nicola Lagioia (Einaudi) and the Strega Giovani Prize 2015 with Chi manda le onde written by Fabio Genovesi (Mondadori).

In the first six months of 2015, Mondadori Group’s Books Area recorded revenues for euro 123 million, down by 4.3% against euro 128.5 million of the same period of 2014.

Revenues from the Trade Books registered a higher decline than the market, influenced by a selective publishing policy aimed at increasing profitability. Mondadori’s positive performance in the second quarter benefited from the distribution of Grey, the new novel by E.L. James, which continues the Fifty shades of grey trilogy: launched on July 3rd in 500,000 copies, Grey is already an outstanding bestseller, with over 200,000 copies sold in the first two weeks.

Revenues from the download of e-books rose by 18.6% against the first six-months of 2014, with a 6.1% share of digital sales on the total revenues of Trade Books (4.7% at 30 June 2014).

In the first six months of 2015, revenues from Educational Books grew by 12.4% against the same period of 2014. The Education segment is characterized by the seasonal effects of the school textbook business, whose revenues are typically generated in the second half of the year.

EBITDA in the Books Area, net of non-recurring items, despite dropping revenues (-4.3%), posted a significant increase (+65.8%) from euro 5.1 to 8.5 million as a result of a more effective management of operating processes deriving from the radical restructuring process implemented in the Trade Area. Concurrently, the actions aimed at reducing fixed costs and cost of personnel continued.

Reported EBITDA, including a higher incidence of restructuring costs compared to last year (euro 3.2 million in 2015 against 0.5 million in 2014), which were concentrated in the first part of 2015, is equal to euro 5.2 million, up by approximately 12% against the same period of 2014 (euro 4.7 million).

• MAGAZINES ITALY

In Italy, despite the negative scenario recorded in the market in terms of both circulation – down by 6.5% (internal source, newsstand channel, in May) – and sales from advertising – down by 3.6% (source: Nielsen, in May) – Mondadori confirmed its position as market leader with a 32.3% market share in circulation.

Overall revenues of the Magazines Italy Area amounted to euro 153 million, down by 6.1% (-5.7% on a like-for-like basis, considering magazines sold in March 2014), against euro 162.9 million in the first six months last year.

More specifically, revenues from circulation decreased by 7.6% (-6.8% on a like-for-like basis), however showing a significant recovery in the second quarter compared to first-quarter data.

The drop results from the combined effect of the reference market performance and of the rigorous policy adopted in the selection of the most profitable promotional initiatives.

Revenues from advertising sales in the print segment dropped by 6.3% (-6% on a like-for-like basis), while web advertising (-0.7%) performed better than the reference market trend (-2.2% source: Nielsen, in May), posting a +2.5% growth in the second quarter of the year, also thanks to the positive results of Grazia.it (+7.3% against the first six months of 2014). On the whole and on a like-for-like basis, sales from advertising on Mondadori (print + web) brands dropped by 5.6% during the same period.

Revenues from add-on products decreased by 10.6% against the first six months of 2014 as a result of rationalization actions aimed at support profitability, even if they post a progressive recovery vs. the first quarter of 2015.

EBITDA of the Magazines Italy Area, net of non-recurring items, posted a remarkable improvement, up 28.6% (from euro 8.2 million to euro 10.5 million) as a result of the effective review of the publishing and operating organization as well as of promotional activities, despite the downward revenue trend determined by market conditions and by project selection policies.

Reported EBITDA confirmed the growth trend, rising from euro 9.1 to 9.8 million as a result of the above-mentioned actions and of the progressive recovery of advertising sales, even if the first half year of 2014 benefited from non-recurring items amounting to approximately euro 1 million, deriving from the contribution to Mediamond.

Traffic data show an overall audience rate equal to 6.7 million unique users with a 41% growth against the same period of the previous year (source: Audiweb, in May), also thanks to the performance of Grazia.it (+38%) and Panorama.it (+11%).

• MAGAZINES FRANCE

In France, the magazines market showed a downward trend, both in advertising sales (-10.9% in May, source Kantar Media) and in circulation, which is down 5.2% in the newsstand channel (in May, internal source, excluding the extraordinary edition of Charlie Hebdo in February, which influenced the French magazines market in the first half year).

In the first six months of 2015, revenues from Mondadori France equalled euro 166.6 million, down 2% against euro 169.9 million in the same period in 2014, essentially confirming the trend of the first quarter.

Revenues from circulation (approximately 75% of total revenues) recorded a slight decline (-1.9%) against the previous year. In particular:
– the newsstand channel recorded a 7.3% reduction; the comparison with 2014 results is affected by the exceptional performance of January 2014, resulting from the publication of the “Hollande scoop” on Closer; net of such exceptionality, revenues from circulation dropped by –5,2%, in line with the reference market;
– on the other hand, the subscription channel posted a 0.6% growth, partly off-setting the newsstand channel decline.

Revenues from advertising sales (print + web) were down 5.2% against the same period of 2014, but performance differed between offline and online products: digital advertising (14% of total advertising revenues) grew over 23%, partially offsetting the drop in traditional print advertising (-8.5%), performing better than the reference market.

Mondadori is confirmed as second top player in the magazine advertising market, with a market share (in volume) of 10.3%.

EBITDA, net of non-recurring items, is stable against last year, totalling euro 16.1 million, even if the first half year of 2014 benefited significantly from the “Hollande scoop” published in January by the magazine Closer.

Mondadori France has continued the process of rationalizing structures and containing editorial costs, and it will be extended through 2015 in order to further adjust the organization to market changes and to sustain profitability, also limiting the impact of the increased postage fees associated with subscriptions and of some promotional investments. Reported EBITDA, equal to euro 14.4 million, is down 5.7% against the first half year of 2014 (euro 15.3 million), due to higher restructuring costs.

The fall in traditional activities stopped at 3.5%, while diversification activities (about 8% of total revenues) grew by 18.2% mainly as a result of the development of digital activities (+18.6%), with special emphasis on the growth of advertising sales of the properties (+23.5%).

The total number of readers of Mondadori France magazines reached 8.3 million unique users, up approximately 19% against 2014, also as a result of the progressive digitalization of the editorial teams.

• RETAIL

In the first six months of 2015, the Retail Area posted revenues for euro 85.7 million, down 7.4% against euro 92.6 million of the same period last year (in line with the trend of the first quarter), mainly as a result of the disposal of the flagship store located in corso Vittorio Emanuele in Milano.

Books are the predominant product category (77% of the total) and outperform the reference market on a like-for-like basis by approximately 3 percentage points.

Revenue highlights from the single sales channels: direct bookstores are substantially stable (-0.6%); franchise bookstores are substantially stable in the books category, with a drop in the non-book sector; the book category in megastores (on a like-for-like basis) posted a positive performance and consumer electronics started to grow again; the online channel grew (+2.5%), especially for books, which outperformed the market by over 5 percentage points (+8.5% vs. +3.1% of the market); the trend in the book club segment is in line with the structural decline expected in the medium-term development plan (-13.5%).

EBITDA of Mondadori Retail, net of non-recurring items, totalled euro -3.2 million, clearly up (+37.1%), against euro -5.1 million in the same period of 2014. This result derives from two main elements:
– the improved product margin, especially in the book category and in consumer electronics, achieved thanks to actions aimed at network and format review (during this half year, the new megastore was opened in via San Pietro all’Orto, in Milano, in June), promotion containment and well-studied product assortment;
– the extended implementation of cost reduction measures determined a lower incidence of promotional expenses and a significant reduction in personnel costs and overhead.

This increase, compared to the first six months of 2014, is visible in the majority of the sales channels. Reported EBITDA remarkably improved in the first half year period, from euro -5.5 million in the first six months of 2014, which included restructuring costs for euro 0.4 million, to euro -2.8 million of the same period this year.

• DIGITAL

In the first half year, total revenues from digital activities posted a 8% increase against 30 June 2014 (euro 25.6 million against euro 23.7 million at 30 June 2014). The incidence of digital activities on the Group’s total revenues is 5%, against 4.4% in the first six months of last year.

The purely digital activities that cut across all business areas posted increased revenues by 12.1% against the first six months of 2014.

The digital marketing service activities posted revenues for euro 6.2 million, down from euro 6.4 million in 2014, as a result of the shift of some projects relative to Cemit traditional activities, only partially offset by the launch of digital and multimedia products.

OUTLOOK FULL YEAR 2015
During this half-year period, the Group carried on the process aimed at strategically rationalizing portfolio activities and some non-core assets disposal in order to further strengthen its competitive position in the core businesses and eventually exploit any upcoming opportunities. This strategy includes the already mentioned transfer of the majority interest of the Group’s radio business.

Based on the Group’s positive performance in these first six months, on the ongoing optimization of operating processes and cost structure, as well as on the measures aimed at mitigating the downturn in revenues due to the performance of the market, it is reasonable to confirm the 2015 projections of a growing EBITDA at Group level.

Consistently with the description above and notwithstanding the higher investments and possible changes in the Digital Area aimed at ensuring future development of the Group, the net financial position is also expected to improve against 2014 year end.

The documentation relating to the presentation of the first half-year period results is made available to the public on the authorized storage device 1info (www.1info.it) and on www.gruppomondadori.it (Investor Relations section).

The Executive Manager responsible for drafting the corporate accounting documentation – Oddone Pozzi – hereby declares, pursuant to Art. 154 bis, par. 2, of the Finance Consolidation Act, that the accounting documentation contained in this press release corresponds to the Company’s accounting entries, books and results.

The Board of Directors of Arnoldo Mondadori S.p.A. met today, under the chairmanship of Marina Berlusconi, to examine and approve the interim report for the first half of the year to 30 June 2014, as presented by the chief executive, Ernesto Mauri.

THE MARKET SCENARIO

In the first six months of the year, the markets in which the Group operates continued to decline compared with the same period of the previous year.

In particular in Italy:

– the book sector saw a downturn of 9% in terms of copies and 6.6% in terms of value compared with the first half of 2013 (Source: Nielsen, figures to 14 June);
– the magazine market saw a fall in circulation of 9.6% (internal data to May), a slump of 14.3% in add-on sales (internal data to May) and a fall in advertising sales of 11.6% (Source: Nielsen, figures to May);

Meanwhile in France:

– magazine circulation was down in the newsstand channel by 8.1%;
– advertising sales were down 9.4% on the same period of 2013 (figures to May: internal data for circulation and Kantar Media for advertising).

GROUP PERFORMANCE IN THE PERIOD TO 30 JUNE 2014

In a context characterised by a marked decline, the Mondadori Group recorded a 10.3% fall in consolidated revenues for the period to €549.2 million, compared with €612.3 million in the first half of 2013; on a like-for-like basis, taking account of the contribution, effective from 1 January 2014, of the advertising sales activities to Mediamond S.p.A., a company consolidated on an equity basis, the reduction was 7%.

Consolidated gross operating profit came to €14.9 million, an increase of €20.2 million compared with the loss of €5.3 million in the first six months of 2013, thanks to the impact of actions on the product, cost reduction efforts and a fall in non-recurring charges. The Magazine area made a decisive contribution to this marked improvement given that, after years of continuous decline, it recorded a total gross operating profit (Italy and France) amounted to €26.3 million, an increase of 50.3%.

This particularly positive result, in excess of expectations, is the result of actions on the product and a reduction in operating costs, which were down by around €70 million (-13.1%).

Consolidated gross operating profit net of non-recurring items amounted to €15.4 million, an increase of 8.5% compared with the €14.2 million of the previous year.

Consolidated operating profit came to €3.6 million, a marked improvement on the -€17.7 million of the first half of 2013, with amortisations of tangible and intangible assets of €11.3 million, compared with €12.4 million in 2013.

Pre-tax profit and consolidated net profit, amounting respectively to -€8.7 million (-€28.2 million in the first half of 2013) and -€11 million (-€27.1 million in the first half of 2013), include higher financial charges due, in part, to higher interest rates resulting from the renegotiation of credit lines concluded in November last year, as well as a higher average level of debt.

The Group’s net financial position on 30 June 2014 showed a deficit of -€368.9 million, an improvement on the situation in the first quarter of the year (-€396.5 million) and in line with the same period of 2013 (-€367.3 million) and at 31.12.2013. In addition to the seasonality of some of the Group’s businesses, the net financial position was affected by expenditure for restructuring and a recovery in investments and benefitted from an influx of €31 million from the placement of a total of 29,953,500 ordinary shares completed in the month of June.

RESULTS OF THE BUSINESS AREAS

• BOOKS

In the second quarter of the year the trade books segment felt the impact of the negative economic situation that has slowed down the recovery in consumer spending and the buying of books. This resulted in a further fall in the market which (to June) recorded a fall of 9% in terms of copies and 6.6% in terms of value (Source: Nielsen, figures to 14 June); in the second quarter the fall, in value terms, was of -8% (-5.3% in Q1). The downturn was more marked in the large-scale retail channel and independent bookshops that were down, respectively, by 15% and 7.5% (Source: Nielsen, figures to 14 June).

Substantially confirming the company’s market leadership, the share of the Mondadori Group’s publishing houses was 25.5% (excluding large-scale retail sales), a slight fall compared with the same period of last year that was positively affected by the performance of the bestsellers E l’eco rispose by Khaled Hosseini and Inferno by Dan Brown.

First half revenues generated by the Book area amounted to €128.5 million, a 4.1% fall on the €134 million of the previous year.

The fall in revenues and margins was determined by the aforementioned market trend as well as a different publishing schedule which, compared with 2013, will feature an absolutely significant launch of titles for the Christmas period as well as the publication of new works by the well-know authors in the second half, including, Follett, Grisham, Cornwell, Corona, Littizzetto and Camilleri.

Regarding to e-books, revenues were up by almost 13% compared with the first half of 2013 thanks to a catalogue that is continuously expanding and that currently includes over 7,000 titles.

The fall in revenues had an impact on gross operating profit compared with the first half of 2013. However, targeted actions aimed at cutting costs in different areas, in particular production and logistics, made it possible to mitigate the impact (from €9.8 million in the first half of 2013 to €5.4 million on 30 June 2014).

• MAGAZINES ITALY

In a generally uncertain climate, the second quarter saw a continuation of the downturn, albeit at a less marked level than the previous year.

In this context the Magazines Italy area – faced with an overall fall in revenues of 9.9% (-8.3% on a like-for-like basis, considering titles that were closed or sold) that amounted to €160.3 million, compared with €177.9 million in the first half of 2013 – recorded a significant increase in gross operating profit, which rose from €3.6 million to €11 million in the first half of 2014 due to the focus on the segments in which the Group is leader (fashion, well-being, cooking), the launch of new titles (Il mio Papa), the redesign of Panorama and actions aimed at the structural reduction of industrial, editorial and photographic costs, as well as labour costs.

Revenues from Mondadori titles were particularly hit by the negative trends in the markets of reference, but the Mondadori Group nevertheless managed to increase its market share in terms of value to 33.2%, compared with 32.6% in the first half of last year.

In particular:

– circulation revenues fell by 5.9% on a like-for-like basis, in a market that was down by 9.6%;
– gross advertising revenues were down by 8.5% on a like-for-like basis, in a market that was down by 11.6%;
– advertising sales for the web sites of the magazine brands recorded growth of 12.8% on a like-for-like basis compared with the same period of 2013, bucking the trend of a market that was down by 2.1% (Source: Nielsen, to May). Particularly positive results for the web sites Donnamoderna.com (+8.4%) and Grazia.it (+55.9%);
– in a market that in the first five months saw a fall of 14.3% in terms of value (internal source: Press-Di), add-on sales were down by 19.8%, following the decision to select and rationalise initiatives but, by comparison, affected also by the excellent performance achieved in 2013.

International activities

In the first half of 2014 Mondadori International Business recorded a 10% growth in revenues compared with the previous year. The increase was mainly attributable to the Grazia network which now has 23 editions around the world, the launch, last November, of the first international edition under licence of Icon and advertising sales in Italy since last October on behalf of El Pais, Spain’s leading daily newspaper.

In May, as part of the development of the digital activities of the Grazia International Network, it is worth underlining the acquisition of the marketplace London-Boutiques.com, an operation that is part of a more extensive project to launch, in the second half of the year, a global e-commerce platform using the Grazia brand.

With regard to holdings, Attica Publications, leader in the Greek magazine and radio broadcasting markets, after a positive first quarter, saw a fall in advertising revenues; Mondadori Seec Advertising Co. Ltd, the exclusive advertising sales company for the edition of Grazia published in China, saw an increase in revenues of 14% compared with the first half of 2013 and from April, the frequency of publication increased from monthly to weekly; Mondadori Independent Media LLC, the publisher of Grazia in Russia, closed the first half of the year with a fall in advertising revenues of 4%.

• MAGAZINES FRANCE

In the first half of 2014 the markets of reference in France saw a further decline, both in terms of newsstand sales (-8.1%; internal data to May) and advertising (-9.4%; internal figures based on Kantar Media data, to May).

Mondadori France performed decidedly better than the market keeping the fall to 2% in a market that was down by 8.1% and reporting growth of 50.6% in internet activities.

First half consolidated revenues generated by Mondadori France amounted to €169.9 million, -4% on the €176.9 million in the first half of 2013; on a like-for-like basis, considering the sale of Le Film Français finalised at the end of 2013 and the different number of issues of some titles, the fall was of 3.7%.

There was a marked difference in the performance of advertising revenues on print and for online: while the former saw a fall of 13.5% (-11% on a like-for-like basis), the latter were up by 49.3%, (51.1% on a like-for-like basis), as a result of which, digital sales now account for 10% of the total.

The advertising sales company remained among the main players in the market with a 10.5% share in terms of volume (Source: Kantar Media), making it the second player in the market.

Circulation revenues, that account for over 70% of total revenues, were down by 1.5% (-1,1% on a like-for-like basis):

– newsstand sales were down by 2%; some of the main titles, including Closer, Pleine Vie and Top Santé, saw growth of more than 10%;
– subscriptions remained stable thanks to the strong performance of Télé-Star, Pleine Vie and Top Santé.

During the first half Mondadori France launched a number of new products, such as Le Journal de Lucky Luke, Slam, Histoire & Jeux and Fort Boyard, and completed the redesign of L’Auto-journal Évasion, Diapason, Modes & Travaux, Science & Vie, Top Santé, Grazia and Closer, placing more focus on editorial quality.

The many activities carried out in recent quarters, and still ongoing, have made it possible, as indicated above, to launch new titles and realise significant reductions in editorial, industrial and general costs and thereby widely compensating for the fall in revenues.

Gross operating profit was up by 10.1% to €15.3 million from €13.9 million in the first half of 2013.

With regard to digital activities, since January 2014 advertising sales have been exclusively managed internally, cross-tile editorial teams have been created and some of the main properties have been updated and further enhanced with new functions for tablets and smartphones.

These efforts have had a positive impact on the audience which, in April, the latest Nielsen figures available, had reached 6.5 million unique users (+26% on 2013), with a peak of 7.8 million in January; while on mobile, the increase in unique users was 67% compared with 2013 (Source: Nielsen, to April).

Activities are also continuing aimed at creating new efficiencies, in particular, a plan has been introduced for the reduction of the structure along with a project for the rationalisation of the locations.

• ADVERTISING

The figures for the area are not comparable given that, as already mentioned, from January 2014, the advertising sale activities of Mondadori Pubblicità S.p.A., a subsidiary of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A., were contributed to Mediamond S.p.A., a 50-50 joint-venture set up in 2009 by Mondadori Pubblicità S.p.A. and Publitalia ’80 S.p.A..

Revenues generated by the current Mondadori Pubblicità came to €5.8 million, a fall on the revenues generated by comparable activities in the first half of 2013 for the reasons outlined above.

Gross operating profit, that also includes the pro-quota results of Mediamond, consolidated on an equity basis, saw an improvement compared with the first half of 2013 (up from -€3.5 million to -€1.9 million), highlighting the first positive effects of the operation.

The revenues of Mediamond S.p.A. saw an overall increase of 1.8%.

The Mondadori brands (magazines and web) recorded a like-for-like reduction of 6.7% compared with 2013. In particular:

– the fall in advertising revenues for magazine titles amounted 8.5%, in a market of reference that was down by -11.6% (Source: Nielsen, to May);
– advertising revenues for the web sites was up by 12.8% in a segment that was down by 2.1% (Source: Nielsen, to May).

• RETAIL

Also in the first half of the year the retail market continued to show signs of weakness in consumer spending. With regard to the products sold, the book segment saw a fall of 6.6%, in terms of value, during the period, a situation that worsened in the second quarter also as the result of a lack of bestsellers. The channel that was best able to contain the downturn in revenues was the bookshop chains channel, compared with independent bookshops and large-scale retail outlets.

In the non-book area, there was growth only in gift-boxes, mobile phones and e-readers, while consumer electronics showed a general slowdown.

The 2013 figures have been reclassified to take account of the configuration introduced in the Retail area from September 2013, when Cemit Interactive Media S.p.A. was included under Other businesses and Corporate.

In the first half of 2014 the Retail area recorded revenues of €92.6 million, an 8.9% fall compared with the €101.7 million of the same period of 2013.

A breakdown of revenues by category shows that books – the most important, accounting for 74% of the total – had the best performance (+3.5%) compared with the market of reference, while consumer electronics continued to record a fall greater than the general trend in the sector.

The negative trend in the club channel continued with a fall in revenues of 20% and, finally, also online sales through inMondadori.it were also down (by around -4%).

The impact on gross operating profit (-€5.5 million from the -€6.1 million to 30 June 2014) of the reduction in revenues from the clubs and the consumer electronics segment was more than compensated by the positive performance of books and the effects of cost reductions.

To contrast the generally recessive economic environment actions, already underway in the first quarter and aimed at recovering profitability, continued. In particular:

– a progressive review of the network with actions to rationalise the sales outlets (the opening of a directly-owned and run bookstore in a new shopping mall, the Nave de Vero, near Marghera, and the closure of a number of franchise outlets), and formats for the development of a new concept for the bookshop of the future;
– the rebranding of the entire network; a new offer, above all in consumer electronics; co-marketing activities with important partners in the banking and telecoms sectors;
– the maintenance of promotional, communication and advertising initiatives to support sales and gain market share for books;
– the continuation of reorganisation efforts with the application of a solidarity procedure (20% compared with 10% in 2013) at the offices in Milan and Rimini.

• RADIO

After a positive start in the first quarter, the second quarter the radio market saw a phase of turbulence that had an impact on the performance of di R101.

Revenues generated by R101 in the first half amounted to €5.9 million, -13.2% compared with the €6.8 million at 30 June 2013

Gross operating profit (which went from -€1.6 million to -€2.7 million) was affected not only by the negative trend in revenues, but also by higher promotional and communication investments made in the second quarter to support the re-launch of the station.

Such efforts in the first half included, the launch at the end of March of the new R101, confirming greater engagement with sports events and partnerships with music events alongside national and international artists and their summer tours; the redesign of the look and content of the web site www.r101.it and the launch in June of the TV channel, on the digital terrestrial channel 66.

The launch of the TV platform, integrated with the radio station and other digital supports, will make it possible to offer a wide-ranging entertainment system.

• DIGITAL

The first half of 2014 saw the completion of the first step in strengthening the central control of the Digital Innovation area with the arrival of new and specialised resources. This has made it possible to give a greater impulse to digital projects functional to the different business units.

Total revenues were slightly down due to the fall in sales of marketing services (Cemit), while purely digital activities increased by 9.2% compared with the first half of 2013, as a result of the increase in e-books (+13%), the web sites of magazines in Italy (advertising revenues +12.8%) and France (advertising revenues +51.1%).

***

Information regarding personnel

As of 30 June 2014, the personnel employed by companies of the Group (both on temporary and permanent contracts) amounted to 3,213, a reduction of 361 (-10.1%) compared with 12 months previously and 223 (-6.5%) compared with December 2013.

Gross of extraordinary items, personnel costs (mounting to €117.4 million in the first six months) showed a significant fall (-20.7%) compared with the figures for the first half of 2013.

The significant fall in the headcount is attributable to important restructuring actions taken between the end of 2012 and last year, and is also influenced some imbalances in the scope of the company. Net of these extraordinary operations, compared with the situation in June 2013, the number of personnel was in any case down by 324 (-9.2%). The cost of personnel on a like-for-like basis, and net of restructuring charges was down by 10.9%.

***

EXPECTATIONS FOR THE FULL YEAR

In a market that still shows no clear signs of improvement, the positive performance in the first half – better than expected and the result of actions taken on the product, reorganisation and the reduction of costs, as well as the excellent performance of Magazines, both in Italy and France – makes it possible to estimate for the full year a level of gross operating profit higher than that of 2012, confirming what was stated during the presentation of the 2013 Annual Report and the Report on QI 2014.

Also the second half of the year will see a continuation of the management initiatives aimed at improving the organic capacity of the Group to generate financial resources and actions aimed at the sale/realisation of non-strategic assets, with a view to reinforcing access to the resources necessary for investment.

The net financial position is expected to be significantly better than the level in 2013.

***

The executive responsible for the preparation of the company’s accounts, Oddone Pozzi, declares that, as per art. 2, 154 bis of the Single Finance Text, the accounting information contained in this release corresponds to that contained in the company’s formal accounts.

The documentation relating to the presentation of the results for the first half of the year to 30 June 2014, will be made available through the authorised storage mechanism 1Info (www.1info.it), in the Investor Relations section of the company’s website www.gruppomondadori.it, on www.borsaitaliana.it and at the company’s corporate offices.