Lagardere reported sales for the first half of the year, with Lagardere Publishing recording declines in both sales and profits. Sales of 900 million euros were down 7.7 percent on a reported basis, and 6 percent on a like-for-like basis, compared to 975 million euros a year ago. Similarly, EBIT declined to 71 million euros, down from 101 million euros a year ago.
But the company says that “when stripping out the Stephenie Meyer phenomenon, net sales were stable in the US and in the UK” and they “anticipate that the division will resume growth and profitability” in the second half of the year, when the Meyer comps “will no longer be a factor.”
US ebook sales were 20 percent of revenues (and digital was 21 percent) and UK ebook sales comprised 8 percent of sales, with 5 percent of all Lagardere Publishing revenues (or 45 million euros) coming from ebooks.