Axel Springer SE announced consolidated earnings results for the year ended December 31, 2017. For the year, the company increased the company revenues by 8.3%. Adjusted for consolidation and currency effects, revenues increased by 6.3%. Earnings prior to interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), adjusted for purchase price allocations and non-recurring effects, rose by 8.5%. The adjusted earnings per share increased by 8.1%. Axel Springer has thus achieved its full-year forecast for the 2017 financial year. The company substantially increased consolidated revenues over the last financial year by 8.3% to EUR 3,562.7 million. Adjusted for consolidation and currency effects, revenues increased by 6.3%. The adjusted EBITDA recorded a plus of 8.5%, reaching EUR 645.8 million. The company generated a consolidated profit of EUR 378.0 million. The earnings per share in 2017 amounted to EUR 3.19. The consolidated net income adjusted for non-recurring effects and depreciations due to purchase price allocations was 9.2% higher compared to the previous year and reached EUR 327.5 million. The adjusted earnings per share increased by 8.1%, to EUR 2.60. In the reporting period the company increased its free cash flow, excluding the effects of real estate transactions, by 48.5% to EUR 341.1 million. The net debt as at December 31, 2017 amounted to EUR 1,020.2 million and was thereby slightly below the value of EUR 1,035.2 million as at the end of the year 2016. Adjusted EBIT, therefore, increased from EUR 471 million to EUR 504 million. The financial result was slightly better than last year and in line with what the company expected for the full year.

For the financial year 2018, the Group anticipates an increase in revenues in the low to mid single-digit percentage range. Organically, which means adjusted for consolidation and currency effects as well as the effects of the new accounting standard IFRS 16, revenues will also grow in the low to mid single-digit percentage range. The adjusted EBITDA will prospectively rise in the low double-digit percentage range. For the adjusted earnings per share, the company expects an increase in the low to mid single-digit percentage range. So that has lift the range by EUR 20 million to EUR 225 million to EUR 245 million. Organically, adjusted EBITDA as well as adjusted earnings per share will prospectively increase in the mid to high single-digit percentage range expected. Over the time frame, '18 to '20, the company expects another positive cash inflow of around EUR 165 million from the sale of the new building here in Berlin.