Axelspringer.de

Group key data
in a million
Balance sheet
Shareholders’ equity (excl. retained profits) Employees
* Adjusted to the 1:10 share split in November 2000 to facilitate comparison.
I n t e r i m r e p o r t
Axel Springer Verlag was strongly influenced by
the slump in the advertising economy in the first
half of 2001. Substantial increases in the price
of paper and expenditure to safeguard the future
of the company also had an effect. The consolidated
net profit amounted to g 14 million (previous year
g 81 million). The Board of Management expects that
the net profit for the year will be considerably
lower than in the previous year in spite of
restrictive cost management measures.
Business environment
increases in fuel and food prices as well marily to a global economic slowdown.
were down at the beginning of the year.
stagnated, in spite of an increase in real adjusted for the new publications included tics. The significant reduction in adver- however, particularly large by comparison with the same period the previous year.
Classified advertising revenues decreased Adjusted print media advertising revenues f 4.0 billion (– 7.4 %). The reduction of by 6.2 % at f 1.9 billion. Current affairs magazines (– 11.6 %), TV guides (– 11.2 %) and the business press (– 4.1 %) suffered advertising at practically the same level average, radio advertising fell by 5.9 %.
Total sales of general-interest magazines fell 1.1 % short of the figure reported in Total circulation of the daily and Sunday to have come to a standstill for the time Newspapers
The company
the declining circulation figures recorded expand its leading position as the biggest ing markets in the first half of 2001 too.
copies than in the same period the previ- Sales were increased by 2.2 % even so.
SONNTAG is still the biggest Sunday news- structure for BILD and BILD AM SONNTAG.
initiated both in Germany and abroad.
reporting has been increased even more.
tion trend in the first half of 2001.
isation and further expansion of business POST is still proving to be successful in ment of a new editor-in-chief in January, tion of the main editorial staff to Berlin closeness to the political institutions and the basis for co-operation with DIE WELT.
Following the change in the newspaper’s Magazines
the fight against the continued distribu- tion of daily newspapers free of charge.
and abroad in the first half of the year.
pooling of the editorial teams of HÖRZU, of Axel Springer Verlag’s positive experi- cept, a market test will be carried out in integrated in the TV guide operations.
position as market leader in the fiercely plied at the same time – a first on the to increase circulation considerably.
FAMILIE&CO celebrated its fifth anniver- with the first half of the previous year, Axel Springer Verlag launched the men’s successful men’s magazines in the world.
All the rights to the magazines published by az Auto Verlag and "Autotest & Tuning Verlag" as well as to the relevant Internet 1. January 2001. The fortnightly special- positioning itself convincingly in the car was integrated in Finanzen Verlag, Munich.
be intensified as a result, while the posi- has exceeded the publisher’s expectations tion of Finanzen Verlag in the market for substantially, with an average paid circu- information-oriented finance publications lation of about 326 000 copies and a very positive advertising business. Circulation Operations on foreign
new activities in the first half of 2001.
Automedia in Prague, Czech Republic.
of Axel Springer Polska acquired "Kontakt which is being integrated in the Ullstein sions of the existing print brands as well as on consolidation of the equity holding successful major international bestsellers Electronic Media/
Printing
Multimedia
rotogravure printing plant in Ahrensburg.
This transaction still has to be approved because of its small free float. The share to safeguard the future of the company.
Share price
consolidated net profit totalled f 14 mil- January 2001
July 2001
net profit for the year as a whole will be year in spite of the restrictive cost manage- Axel Springer Verlag AG
profits, the high investments – particu- million lower than in the previous year.
Sales in the first half of 2001 increased the first time accounted for f 75 million.
Sales by segment
Miscellaneous
thirds of this increase being attributable Advertisements
ated 15.5 % of its sales abroad (previous Sales by division
(– 3.4 %) lower than in the previous year.
million (– 7.5 %). Practically all of the Other revenues
Contract
Magazines
printing
Newspapers
Electronic Media
f 4 million (– 2.0 %) lower advertising revenues than in the first half of the pre- increased by f 17 million (+ 16.2 %).
Expenditure
with the same period the previous year.
ations as well as to the inclusion of addi- utable to new consolidated companies.
Employees
1st half 2001
disregarded – by f 28 million (+ 6.9 %).
Industrial employees
million due to the decline in business.
Employees
Salaried
Editorial
employees
Total 14 138
Investments
lion) in the first six months of 2001.
and in EDP and other office equipment.
"Kontakt Telemarketing" in Poland as Capital expenditure
and depreciation
1st half 2001
the acquisition of shares in consolidated Capital expenditure 100
Depreciation
Investments in tangible
and intangible assets
Financial assets
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Source: http://www.axelspringer.de/dl/31376/interim_01.pdf