DGAP-News

Highlight Group publishes its 2013 annual financial statements - Seite 2

Furthermore, sales in the home entertainment and license trading
business areas fell short of the previous year's level.


As a result of these developments, external sales in the Film segment
declined by 5.6% to CHF 333.6 million (previous year's period: CHF 353.4
million). As a result of a significant increase in production volume, film
assets rose by CHF 48.4 million. However, at CHF 8.3 million, segment
earnings were down by 28.4% on the previous year's figure (CHF 11.6
million) as a result of the associated rise in segment expenses.

- In the Sports- and Event-Marketing segment, the marketing company TEAM
had on its agenda processing the current season and marketing the UEFA
Champions League and the UEFA Europa League for the period 2015/2016 to
2017/2018.

Due to the change in the business relationship with UEFA, sales of CHF 48.9
million were generated, down by CHF 20.5 million as against the previous
year (CHF 69.4 million). Segment expenses were reduced by CHF 8.3 million
to CHF 29.4 million by means of cost-cutting measures. This resulted in
segment earnings of CHF 19.9 million, which was below the prior-year (CHF
32.5 million), in line with planning.

- External sales of the Other Business Activities segment, which covers
marketing for the Eurovision Song Contest and the Vienna Philharmonic
as well as activities in the field of online/social gaming, declined as
expected from CHF 10.0 million to CHF 3.7 million. The successful event
and entertainment business gained both in terms of sales and earnings.
Due to impairments taken on intangible assets at Pokermania GmbH, the
segment result was lower than expected at CHF -4.8 million (2012: CHF
-2.6 million).

Targets for fiscal year 2014

For the current fiscal year, the Highlight Group anticipates consolidated
sales in the range of CHF 380 and 410 million and consolidated net profit
attributable to shareholders of between CHF 9 million and CHF 11 million.
In the current year, with "Fantastic Four", "Resident Evil VI" and the
sequels to "Fack ju Göhte" and "Ostwind" we are planning to commence the
production of promising films from which we anticipate a significant
earnings upturn in fiscal year 2015.

As in the previous years, the Board of Directors of Highlight
Communications AG will propose the distribution of CHF 0.17 per entitled
share for fiscal year 2013 at the Annual General Meeting.

The ordinary Annual General Meeting for fiscal year 2013 will take place at
the Hotel Courtyard by Marriott in Pratteln on May 30, 2014.