20.05.2015 – 17:42

Highlight Communications AG

DGAP-News: Highlight Group quintuples EBIT

DGAP-News: Highlight Communications AG / Key word(s): Quarter Results
Highlight Group quintuples EBIT

20.05.2015 / 17:41

---------------------------------------------------------------------

  - EBIT improves from CHF 0.9 million to CHF 5.0 million

  - Consolidated net profit for the period of CHF 0.6 million; earnings
    attributable to Highlight shareholders remain constant at CHF 0.7
    million

  - Forecast confirmed for fiscal year 2015

The Highlight Group has made a sound start to the current fiscal year. The
financial figures of the first quarter of 2015 were hit hard by the Swiss
National Bank's decision on January 15, 2015, to remove the currency peg
between the Swiss franc and the euro and the cap of 1.20 EUR/CHF.

Group development in the first quarter of 2015

  - At CHF 64.3 million, consolidated sales for the first three months were
    down on the corresponding figure for the previous year (CHF 125.7
    million), as expected. The decrease mainly stemmed from the decline in
    external sales in the Film segment, as no international Constantin Film
    productions were released in the first quarter of 2015, in contrast to
    the previous year.

  - Accordingly, consolidated operating expenses fell by CHF 62.3 million
    to CHF 74.9 million. The decrease was mainly due to amortization,
    depreciation and impairment, which reduced by CHF 53.1 million to CHF
    12.1 million

  - As the overall decrease in consolidated operating expenses was more
    substantial than the decline in sales, EBIT improved to CHF 5.0
    million. It was therefore more than five times higher than in the first
    quarter of 2014 (CHF 0.9 million).

  - Consolidated net profit for the period of CHF 0.6 million (previous
    year's period: CHF 1.0 million) was down slightly, with earnings
    attributable to Highlight shareholders remaining constant at CHF 0.7
    million. The fact that the positive EBIT development was not reflected
    in the net profit for the period is largely due to currency effects,
    particularly with regard to the strong appreciation of the Swiss franc
    against the euro.

  - Consolidated equity (including non-controlling interests) was down CHF
    13.4 million at CHF 93.5 million as against the end of 2014 (CHF 106.9
    million). This decrease is primarily due to currency translation
    differences of CHF 13.0 million resulting from the translation of the
    equity of those subsidiaries whose functional currency is not the Swiss
    franc.

Targets for fiscal year 2015

For 2015 as a whole, the Highlight Group continues to expect consolidated
sales of CHF 310 million to CHF 330 million and a consolidated net profit
for the period attributable to shareholders of CHF 14 million to CHF 16
million.

The interim report as of March 31, 2015 will be available for download at
www.highlight-communications.ch starting from this evening.



Highlight Group at a glance
Group figures according to IFRS

in CHF million                           Q1-2015         Q1-2014  Change in
                                                                          %
Sales                                       64.3           125.7      -48.8
EBIT                                         5.0             0.9      455.6
Net profit for the period                    0.6             1.0      -40.0
Net profit attributable to                   0.7             0.7         --
shareholders
Earnings per share (CHF)                    0.02            0.02         --
Segment sales
Film                                        52.0           112.7      -53.9
Sports- and Event-Marketing                 11.3            12.4       -8.9
Other Business Activities                    1.0             0.7       42.9
Segment result
Film                                        -0.5            -2.5       80.0
Sports- and Event-Marketing                  6.8             5.4       25.9
Other Business Activities                   -0.4            -0.7       42.9

in CHF million                         March 31,    December 31,  Change in
                                            2015            2014          %
Balance sheet total                        421.5           361.6       16.5
Equity                                      93.5           106.9      -12.5
Equity ratio (%)                            22.2            29.6       -7.4
                                                                     points
Current financial liabilities               75.9            81.3       -6.6
Cash and cash equivalents                  144.3            44.8      222.1









---------------------------------------------------------------------

20.05.2015 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a
service of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

---------------------------------------------------------------------


Language:    English
Company:     Highlight Communications AG
             Netzibodenstrasse 23b
             4133 Pratteln
             Switzerland
Phone:       +41 61 816 96 96
Fax:         +41 61 816 67 67
E-mail:       ir@hlcom.ch
Internet: www.hlcom.ch
ISIN:        CH0006539198
WKN:         920299
Listed:      Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated
             Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover,
             Munich, Stuttgart


End of News    DGAP News-Service
---------------------------------------------------------------------
360085 20.05.2015