Bastei Luebbe (BST) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: €93.19M
• Dividend Yield: 4.16%
• Average Volume (3M): 2.51K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 11.5
• Beta (1Y): <0.01
• Revenue Growth: -1.26%
• EPS Growth: -11.97%
• Country: DE
• Employees: 323
• Sector: General
• Sector Strength: N/A
• Industry: Publishing
• EPS (TTM): 0.21
• Shares Outstanding: 13,300,000
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 2,104
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 2,511
• PEG Ratio: 0.43
• Price to Book (P/B): 2.13
• Price to Sales (P/S): 1.29
• P/FCF Ratio: -46.16
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: N/A
• 1Y Price Target: N/A
• Price Target Upside: N/A
• Rating Consensus: N/A
• Number of Analyst Covering: 0
• EPS Forecast (FY): N/A
• Revenue Forecast (FY): N/A

• Rating: 62 Neutral
• Price Target: €7.50 ▼(-7.41% Downside)
• Action: Reiterated Date: 09/23/25
• Date: Action: Reiterated 09/23/25

Bastei Luebbe's strong financial performance, particularly its profitability and balance sheet strength, is a key positive factor. However, technical indicators suggest bearish momentum, and cash flow challenges pose risks. The valuation is fair with a decent dividend yield, but growth concerns remain.

Positive Factors

Balance Sheet Strength

Very low financial leverage (debt/equity ~0.09) gives durable solvency and financing flexibility. That reduces bankruptcy risk, supports steady dividend policy or buybacks, and permits capital deployment into digital initiatives or content acquisitions without straining liquidity.

Margin Sustainability

High gross margins and near-10% net margins indicate persistent pricing power and efficient cost structure in publishing. These margins provide cushion against revenue shocks, enable investment in content and digital formats, and support longer-term free cash generation if revenue stabilizes.

Diversified Revenue Streams & Digital Tailwind

Multiple channels (print, ebooks, audiobooks, licensing, retail partnerships) diversify revenue and reduce single-channel risk. Structural audiobook and digital adoption trends support durable growth potential and higher-margin product mix as distribution shifts to digital platforms.

Negative Factors

Negative Revenue Trend

A declining top line erodes operating leverage and constrains the ability to scale fixed-content investments. If negative growth persists, it pressures margins, reduces bargaining power with retailers, and limits funds available for digital transition and new content development.

Cash Flow Weakness

Negative free cash flow and poor OCF-to-net-income conversion undermine internal funding for rights acquisition and platform investment. Persistent cash generation shortfalls may force external financing, constrain growth initiatives, or pressure return-of-capital policies over the medium term.

Earnings Contraction

Material EPS decline signals earnings pressure even with solid margins, reducing retained earnings available for reinvestment. Continued EPS contraction limits financial flexibility, weakens resilience to industry disruption, and could impair long-term ability to fund strategic digital or catalogue-expansion projects.

Bastei Luebbe Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Bastei Lübbe AG, a media company, publishes books, audio books, e-books, and other digital products in the genres of fiction and popular science content in Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. It operates through Books and Novel Booklets segments. The Books segment offers a range of printed products under the Lübbe, Lübbe Life, Quadriga, Eichborn, Baumhaus, Boje, ONE, LYX, LYX.audio, be-books, and Lübbe Audio labels. The Novel Booklets segment provides novel booklets under the Der Bergdoktor, Jerry Cotton, Geisterjäger John Sinclair, and the westerns names. The company is also involved in the licensing of its rights. Bastei Lübbe AG was founded in 1953 and is based in Cologne, Germany.

How the Company Makes Money

Bastei Luebbe generates revenue primarily through the sale of books and digital media products, which include physical copies, ebooks, and audiobooks. The company has a robust distribution network that allows it to reach consumers directly and through retailers. Additional revenue streams include licensing agreements for foreign rights and adaptations of its published works into other media formats, such as film and television. Strategic partnerships with authors, illustrators, and other publishing entities further bolster its earnings potential. The company also invests in marketing and promotional efforts to enhance visibility and drive sales, which contributes significantly to its overall revenue model.

Bastei Luebbe Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Bastei Luebbe demonstrates strong profitability and a solid balance sheet, with effective cost management and low leverage. However, negative revenue growth and cash flow challenges could pose risks if not addressed.

Income Statement

Bastei Luebbe has shown a consistent improvement in profitability metrics over the years, with a strong gross profit margin of 53.75% and a net profit margin of 9.94% in the latest year. However, the revenue growth rate has turned negative at -2.11%, indicating challenges in expanding sales. The EBIT and EBITDA margins are healthy, reflecting efficient cost management.

Balance Sheet

The company maintains a strong balance sheet with a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, indicating low financial leverage and reduced risk. The return on equity is robust at 16.51%, showcasing effective use of equity capital. The equity ratio is also strong, highlighting a solid financial position.

Cash Flow

Cash flow metrics indicate some concerns, with negative free cash flow and a decline in free cash flow growth. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is negative, suggesting potential cash flow management issues. However, the free cash flow to net income ratio is high, indicating that the company is generating cash relative to its net income.

Breakdown	Jun 2025	Jun 2024	Jun 2023	Mar 2022	Jun 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue	114.01M	110.33M	100.02M	94.51M	92.69M
Gross Profit	61.27M	55.45M	50.52M	49.02M	44.85M
EBITDA	19.81M	15.60M	10.20M	17.53M	13.73M
Net Income	11.34M	8.72M	3.92M	10.96M	7.50M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	114.34M	103.94M	107.91M	104.29M	90.14M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	9.45M	18.39M	19.48M	17.97M	14.47M
Total Debt	6.40M	8.25M	9.66M	11.50M	13.23M
Total Liabilities	45.43M	42.38M	52.92M	48.00M	47.51M
Stockholders Equity	68.68M	61.34M	54.78M	56.09M	42.52M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	-3.17M	1.63M	9.55M	12.30M	15.53M
Operating Cash Flow	-648.00K	2.66M	10.42M	12.85M	16.88M
Investing Cash Flow	-1.18M	1.55M	-761.00K	-2.78M	-5.33M
Financing Cash Flow	-7.28M	-5.27M	-8.18M	-6.63M	16.00K

Bastei Luebbe Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Negative
• Last Price: 8.10
• 50DMA: Negative
• 100DMA: Negative
• 200DMA: Negative
• MACD: Positive
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For DE:BST, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 8.1 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 7.45, above the 50-day MA of 7.97, and below the 200-day MA of 9.08, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.31 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 36.45 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 44.99 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for DE:BST.

Bastei Luebbe Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
BST	62 Neutral	€93.19M	11.52	14.37%	4.16%	-1.26%	-11.97%
Sector *	55 Neutral	$6.65B	3.83	-15.92%	6.20%	10.91%	7.18%
H9W	45 Neutral	€36.56M	―	―	―	―	―