Month: July 2021

Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A. hereby informs that the Half-Year Financial Report at 30 June 2021, comprising the Independent Auditors’ report, is now available at the Company’s registered office, at the authorized storage mechanism 1info (www.1info.it) and on the website www.gruppomondadori.it (Investors section).

Today, the meeting of the Board of Directors of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A., chaired by Marina Berlusconi, reviewed and approved the Half-Year Report at 30 June 2021, presented by the CEO of the Mondadori Group, Antonio Porro.

“In the first half of the year, the Mondadori Group achieved remarkable results on the revenue and profitability front. All our areas, from Books to Retail to Media, played their part in this performance and grew versus the prior year, the digital component in particular. The Books area improved significantly and increased its margins versus 2019,” stressed Antonio Porro, CEO of the Mondadori Group. “The greater operating efficiency and improved financial performance we achieved in the second quarter too – continued the CEO – together with highly reassuring signs from the books market, give us reasons to confirm our year-end estimates and to look forward with confidence to the evolution of the Group in future years. Against this backdrop, the acquisition of De Agostini Scuola is further proof of our will to focus on the core business of books, in line with the medium-term strategic guidelines set”, concluded Porro.

HIGHLIGHTS OF FIRST HALF 2021

With regard to the core markets of the Mondadori Group, in first half 2021 books witnessed a buoyant trend, growing by 36.8%[1] versus the same period of 2020.
This performance consolidates the positive trend that had started in the first quarter of the current year, driven again by a greater propensity to read and purchase.
The growth of the books market is even more extraordinary if compared to the first six months of 2019[2], still totally unaffected by the pandemic and increasing by 23% versus this period.

PERFORMANCE AT 30 JUNE 2021

At 30 June 2021, consolidated revenue of the Mondadori Group amounted to € 320.4 million, up by 10.9% versus € 288.9 million of the prior year, thanks in particular to the strong growth in the Books and Retail areas, driven by the buoyancy of the market.

Adjusted EBITDA in first half 2021 amounted to € 21.5 million, up by approximately € 10.6 million versus € 11 million in the first six months of 2020: this positive performance reflects, on the one hand, the good trend of revenue recorded in the period by all business areas and, on the other, the ongoing efforts to curb operating and structural costs that enabled the Group to achieve a significant improvement in its margins (from 3.8% to 6.7%).

Group EBITDA came to € 19 million, more than double the € 8.4 million recorded in the prior year, showing a clear improvement attributable to the abovementioned phenomena and trends. In the period under review, non-recurring expense amounted to € 2.5 million, in line with the figure for the same period of the prior year.

In first half 2021, EBIT came to operating breakeven (€ 0.2 million), an improvement of over € 17 million versus € -17.2 million in the same period of 2020, attributable to the trend of the above ordinary components, to lower amortization and depreciation for a total of € 1.3 million, and to the presence in the result at 30 June 2020 of write-downs of € 5.8 million, relating to certain publications in the Media area.

The consolidated result before tax amounted to € -5.1 million versus € -30.9 million in first half 2020.
The significant improvement is also explained by:

• the reduction of approximately € 2 million in financial expense, due to a lower average interest rate, in addition to the reduction in ancillary expense;
• the effects of the sale of the investment in Reworld Media, completed in February 2021, which resulted in the recognition of a capital loss of € 0.4 million[3] in first quarter 2021, with a positive change of € 6.2 million versus a capital loss of € 6.6 million recorded at 30 June 2020;
• the result for the period of associates (consolidated at equity), which closed at € -3.1 million.

Tax items for the period came to a positive € 9.4 million (€ 5.9 million at 30 June 2020), despite the increase in taxable income, due to net non-recurring income of € 9 million deriving from the start of the process of realigning the tax amounts of trademarks and goodwill to their respective statutory amounts.

The Group’s net profit, after minority interests, came to € 4.4 million, a significant recovery versus the loss of € -25 million in first half 2020 (and also versus the loss of € 1.9 million at 30 June 2019), following the operational improvement and the abovementioned positive tax components.

The net financial position before IFRS 16 at 30 June 2021 stood at € -68.3 million, down drastically by 47.5% versus € -130.1 million at 30 June 2020, as a result of the significant generation of cash flow from ordinary operations recorded in the last 12 months, amounting to € 68.5 million, which confirms the positive path taken to strengthen the Group’s financial structure.
The IFRS 16 net financial position amounted to € -155.1 million and includes the recognition of the financial payable from the application of IFRS 16 equal to approximately € 87 million.

Group employees at 30 June 2021 amounted to 1,829 units, down by 5.2% versus 30 June 2020, despite the workforce absorbed following the acquisition of Hej! (net of which the reduction in the workforce would be -5.8%), due primarily to the efficiency measures that continued across all the business areas.

BUSINESS OUTLOOK

The positive performance recorded in the first half of the year, driven in particular by the strong growth trend of the Books area, as well as the continued cash flow generation, allow the Group to be optimistic about its operating performance and to confirm at a consolidated level – and on the basis of the current scope of consolidation – the previously disclosed estimates.

Performance targets:

• consolidated revenue for 2021 is forecast to grow slightly (low single-digit);
• adjusted EBITDA – in percentage terms – is estimated at around 12% of revenue;
• the net result for 2021 is confirmed on a sharp rise, propelled by the improvement in operations as well as the tax realignment of intangible assets, which in the first half enabled the recognition of an initial non-recurring positive tax component; additionally, mention should be made that the result for 2020 was negatively impacted by the write-down of certain balance sheet items.

Cash Flow and Net Financial Position
Additionally, with regard to the Group’s financial debt, one can reasonably confirm the estimates of cash flow from ordinary operations ranging between € 50 and € 55 million, therefore the achievement – before the impacts from the adoption of IFRS 16 – of a positive consolidated net financial position at year end.
As previously anticipated, the financial strength achieved by the Group has paved the way for a possible return to a shareholder remuneration policy from 2022, applied to the net result of 2021.
The above forecasts, drawn up on the basis of the current scope, may be updated upon completion of the acquisition of De Agostini Scuola, subject to the authorizations of law from the Antitrust authority.

PERFORMANCE OF THE BUSINESS AREAS IN FIRST HALF 2021

• BOOKS

As previously indicated, in the first half of the year the Trade books market posted a sharp growth of 36.8%[4] versus the same period of 2020, strengthening the trend that had started in the second half of the prior year, driven also by limited access to other forms of entertainment.

Against this backdrop, the Books area saw an increase in sell-out in terms of market value of 30.7%, enabling the Mondadori Group to confirm its undisputed leadership in the Trade segment (market share of 23.7%).

As proof of the quality of the publishing plan, mention should be made that during the first six months of the year, the Group placed 4 titles in the top ten bestsellers in terms of value[5]: Il sistema. Potere, politica, affari: storia segreta della magistratura italiana by Alessandro Sallusti and Luca Palamara (Rizzoli), which was the chartbuster in the opening months of the year, ranking firmly at the top; La disciplina di Penelope by Gianrico Carofiglio (Mondadori); Io sono Giorgia by Giorgia Meloni (Rizzoli); Insieme in cucina. Divertirsi in cucina con le ricette di «Fatto in casa da Benedetta» by Benedetta Rossi (Mondadori Electa). Additionally, Donatella Di Pietrantonio’s Borgo Sud, published by Einaudi in 2020, came second in the Strega in 2021.

Revenue in the Books area in first half 2021 amounted to € 168.9 million, up by 15.8% versus € 145.9 million in first half 2020.

The Trade segment gave a strong push to the result, with revenue of € 109.5 million, a significant increase versus both first half 2020 (+21.7%) and first half 2019 (+2.5%), unaffected by the pandemic.

During the period, revenue from the sale of e-books and audiobooks amounted to approximately 7.3% of total Trade revenue, with a catalogue of over 28,300 digital titles.

In first half 2021, revenue in the Educational segment amounted to € 55.8 million, up by 5.7% versus the same period of 2020: the positive sales performance of Rizzoli International Publications (+39.3%) and the increased turnover from school products (up by 3.9% versus 30 June 2020) allowed a recovery from the effects of the contraction of Electa’s revenue, caused by the closure during the pandemic of exhibitions and archaeological sites.

Adjusted EBITDA in the Books area came to € 19.8 million versus € 10.9 million in first half 2020, an improvement of € 8.9 million thanks to the positive trend in revenue, as well as to the relief received by Electa in the museum segment (approximately € 3 million, net already of certain provisions).
Profitability was up also versus first half 2019 (€ 16.2 million), making the performance of the Books area even more remarkable.

• RETAIL

Overall, in the first six months of the year the Retail area was able to benefit from the strong growth trend in the books market, although overall performance was negatively impacted by the government measures that caused severe restrictions on sales activities at least until mid-May.
As a result of the easing of restrictions, the physical market witnessed a recovery, and consequently Mondadori Retail saw its revenue grow: specifically, June also saw an increase versus June 2019 (approximately +3%), with a positive performance of the Book product of over 11%, despite a reduction in the network of stores versus June 2019.

At 30 June 2021, the Retail area recorded revenue of € 69.8 million, up by € 10.8 million (+18.3%) versus € 59 million in the same period of the prior year, driven by the positive performance of Book product sales (approximately +22% versus the same period of 2020).
Revenue in second quarter 2021 alone increased by approximately +30% versus second quarter 2020.

A breakdown of the various business segments of Mondadori Retail shows the following:

• directly-managed stores experienced a more modest growth (+12%) versus the prior year, affected by their location mainly in large populated areas, which are particularly exposed to both competition from online sales and the reduction in tourist flows;
• on the other hand, the franchised channel, composed mainly of proximity stores located in small towns, grew strongly by approximately 42%, boosted again by the excellent performance of the book product;
• the online channel posted revenue of € 7.3 million versus € 10.4 million in first half 2020, down due to the easing of restrictions on the operation of the physical market.

Adjusted EBITDA of Mondadori Retail amounted to € 0.4 million, a strong improvement versus € -2.8 million in the same period of 2020.
This improvement is the result of the company’s strong efficiency measures, the ongoing renewal and development of its network of physical stores, as well as careful cost management and a thorough review of the organization and processes.

• MEDIA

In the first five months of 2021, the core markets of the Media area showed, versus the same period of the prior year:

• a significant increase in advertising investments in the digital segment, amounting to +27.2%, versus -2.9%[6] on the magazine front;
• an 8.1% drop[7] in the magazine circulation market;
• a 22.1% decline[8] of add-ons bundled with

Against this backdrop, the Mondadori Group’s circulation market share stood at 23.7%, up slightly versus May of the prior year,1³ due to a slightly better performance than the core market.

In the first six months of 2021, the Media area of the Mondadori Group, which confirmed its position as Italy’s leading multimedia publisher, generated revenue of € 97.4 million, up by 1.7% versus € 95.8 million in the same period of the prior year. Specifically:

• advertising revenue reached € 28.8 million, up by approximately 28% overall (+16% excluding the contribution of the acquisition of Hej!).
  Considering the second quarter alone, the increase is over 50% versus the same period of 2020 (+41% on a like-for-like basis):
  – digital activities grew by 25.7% on a like-for-like basis while, including the contribution of the newly-acquired Hej!, the increase stands at approximately 48% versus the first half of the prior year. A point worth mentioning is that digital revenue now accounts for 63% of total advertising revenue (from 54% in first half 2020).
  – print advertising sales increased by approximately 5%.

• circulation revenue was down by 4%, with television titles and the CasaFacile brand performing better.
• revenue from add-on products fell by approximately 27%, but with a more moderate decline in the second quarter (-16.6%), a trend due primarily to the success of musical initiatives last year and the reduced availability of film releases on DVD.
• other revenue, which includes revenue from distribution activities, rose by 1%.

Adjusted EBITDA in the Media area amounted to € 4.5 million, up sharply versus the first six months of 2020 (€ 2 million), thanks in particular to the development of digital activities and the continued efforts to curb operating costs, which contributed to the increase in profitability of print activities: the overall EBITDA margin stood at 5%, improving versus 2% in first half 2020.

2021-2023 PERFORMANCE SHARE PLAN: ASSIGNMENT OF RIGHTS
The Board of Directors, having heard the Remuneration Committee, resolved on the assignments to the beneficiaries of the rights relating to the 2021-2023 Performance Share Plan, established by resolution of the Shareholders’ Meeting of 27 April 2021.
Information regarding the beneficiaries and the number of rights assigned are shown – by name, for the beneficiaries who are members of the Board of Directors, and in aggregate form for the other beneficiaries – in the table attached, prepared in compliance with Box 1, Schedule no. 7 of Annex 3A of the Issuer Regulation.
The terms and conditions of the Plan are set out in the Directors’ Explanatory Report to the Shareholders’ Meeting of 27 April 2021 and in the Information Document prepared pursuant to Article 84-bis, paragraph 1 of the Issuer Regulation, available on the website www.gruppomondadori.it Governance section and on the storage mechanism www.1info.it to the contents of which reference should be made.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AFTER FIRST HALF 2021
On 12 July 2021, the Mondadori Group signed an agreement with De Agostini Editore S.p.A. – following the negotiations disclosed on 1 July – for the acquisition of 100% of De Agostini Scuola S.p.A., one of Italy’s top school textbook publishers.
The transaction is consistent with the strategy – repeatedly announced by Mondadori – of focusing on the core business of books, in which the Group boasts a longstanding leadership in Trade and is one of the top school textbook players.
The value of the transaction has been defined on the basis of an Enterprise Value of € 157.5 million, equal to 7.4 times the reported EBITDA recorded by De Agostini Scuola in 2020. The price will be defined on the basis of the average normalized net financial position over the 12 months before the closing date.
De Agostini Scuola posted in 2020 revenue of € 70.8 million, reported EBITDA of € 21.4 million, with a margin of 30%, and net profit of € 12.2 million. At 31 December 2020, the net financial position (net cash) stood at a positive € 20.8 million.
Completion of the transaction is subject to the authorizations of law from the competent Antitrust authority.

The results at 30 June 2021, approved today by the Board of Directors, will be presented to the financial community by the Mondadori Group CEO Antonio Porro and CFO Alessandro Franzosi at a conference call scheduled today, 29 July 2021, at 3pm.

The relevant documentation will be concurrently available on the website www.gruppomondadori.it (Investors section) and on 1Info(www.1info.it).

Journalists will be able to follow the presentation, in listening mode only, by connecting to the dedicated number +39.028020927, and via the web in audio mode by registering at the link https://hditalia.choruscall.com/?calltype=2&info=company.

The Financial Reporting Manager – Alessandro Franzosi – hereby declares, pursuant to Article 154 bis, paragraph 2, of the Consolidated Finance Law, that the accounting information contained herein corresponds to the Company’s records, books and accounting entries.

Annexes (in the complete pdf):

1. Consolidated balance sheet;
2. Consolidated income statement;
3. Consolidated income statement – II quarter;
4. Group cash flow;
5. Glossary of terms and alternative performance measures used.
6. Information pursuant to Schedule 7 of Annex 3a to CONSOB Regulation no. 11971/1999

[1] GFK, June 2021 (figures in terms of market value)

[2] The comparison with 2020 is affected by the closure enforced on all bookstores from March: from 12 March until the end of April, the government measures applied to contain the pandemic led in fact to the closure of bookstores across the Country; in the early stages, the online channel too had to apply restrictions on book deliveries due to the need to prioritize the distribution of staple goods.

[3] The monetization of this investment generated a total gain (2019-2021) of € 1.1 million versus the original subscription value.

[4] GFK, June 2021 (figures in terms of market value)

[5] GFK, June 2021 (ranking in terms of cover value)

[6] Nielsen, May 2021

[7] Internal source: Press di, May 2021, in terms of value

[8] Internal source: Press di, May 2021, in terms of value

Starting in October, Icon, the male fashion and lifestyle magazine edited by Andrea Tenerani, will be joined by Angelo Pannofino in the role of editor-at-large.

With the appointment of Pannofino, the Mondadori Group brand will further enhance fashion, its protagonists and the worlds surrounding it, using it as a lever to talk about society while also expanding coverage of art, culture, news and current affairs.

Born in in Puglia, aged 45, with a degree in law, during his professional career Angelo Pannofino has exercised his creativity, firstly in advertising and, subsequently, in journalism, where has collaborated on a range of titles, including Rolling Stone, L’Uomo Vogue, Wired, Icon, as well as the cultural pages of the daily newspaper Domani.

Thursday 22 July sees the opening, in the heart of the city of Salerno, of a new Mondadori Bookstore, with a special opening event at 6 pm.

The Mondadori Bookstore di Via Porta Elina will be a point of reference for all book lovers, thanks to an extensive offer of books of all kinds and an exciting calendar of events featuring leading figures from the world of the arts and entertainment.

The guests expected at the opening ceremony include Antonia Willburger, the city councillor for Culture of the Municipality of Salerno, and the author Roberto De Luca.

“This project is the result of a desire to expand the presence of bookshops in the area of Salerno and Campania, giving citizens the possibility of finding what they’re looking for, and coming into contact with books and booksellers on a daily basis. In an increasingly digital age, it is really important to rediscover the pleasure of flicking through the pages and choosing what to read with the books in your hand, a stimulus also for exchange with booksellers and other readers. Thanks to the collaboration of Mondadori Store and my desire to launch this business venture, I aim to increasingly reinforce the relationship between the region of Campania and culture. It is an extra challenge for me, but I am confident that the cultural spirit of the city of Salerno will prove to be extremely positive,” announced Antonio Verderame, the businessman affiliated with the Mondadori Store.

The new bookstore, which covers and area of 140 square metres, features an offer of more than 10,000 volumes, curated by the experience of a team of five passionate booksellers who will welcome readers seven days a week with tips and suggestions from among the new releases, bestsellers and niche titles.

From fiction, non-fiction, miscellaneous titles and the classics, right up to cartoons: a significant selection is dedicated to manga, superheroes and graphic novels, and increasingly popular genre with the public.

There is also a dedicated area for children and young adults with the best educational games and illustrated books to stimulate the imagination of younger readers.

Great importance is also given to the local area, including local authors, and histories and guides on the city and the region, available also in English for international visitors and tourists.

And finally, of course, there will also be a range of the latest music releases, stationery products and gift ideas, gift boxes and gift cards.

All of the customers of the Mondadori Bookstore will also be able to make use of digital services, such as Pick Up Point, which enables customers to collect from the store books bought on Mondadoristore.it, selected from a catalogue of over 1 million titles; Prenota e ritira (Order and collect) with which readers can order online and pay and collect in the store; and Invia a casa (Home delivery) to have books ordered in the store delivered straight to your home.

This new opening takes to three the number of Mondadori Store outlets in the city of Salerno, where the bookstore chain is already present with shops in Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 56 and Via Posidonia, 95.

MONDADORI BOOKSTORE
Via Porta Elina 3, Salerno
Open: Mon – Sun 08.30 – 21.00
E-mail: mondadorisalernoportanova@gmail.com – 089 9762477
www.mondadoristore.it/negozi

Focus, the Mondadori Group brand, leader in the popular science segment, once again confirms its role as a point of reference for all enthusiasts about issues related to science, technology and nature, and introduces an even richer offer. 

With over 3.1 million readers every month (Source: Audipress, 2021/I), the magazine edited by Raffaele Leone underlines its position as Italy’s most widely read monthly thanks to a successful formula which has always managed to combine authoritative contributions from internationally renowned scientists and experts, with an unmistakable style that is both clear and direct and able to reach an increasingly large audience.

Every day Focus makes the most recent discoveries accessible and engaging, helps readers to navigate around fake news and broaden awareness and understanding of the evolution of the most recent discoveries through a multimedia system that includes the magazine and the web, special events such as Focus Live, as well as podcasts and social media, where its numbers continue to grow. The brand’s community currently has more than 3.2 million fans (Source: Shareablee and Insight, June 2021), an increase of 17% compared with 2020 thanks to a rich schedule of engaging and instructive content, reaching a peak organic reach of over 1 million per post.

Plus, it is going to be a summer of new features for Focus, that is enhancing its offer with special content and new editorial initiatives.

Starting with the magazine, which will be on newsstands in July and August with two double issues: both of which will, exceptionally, add to the features and columns of Focus 40 pages of Focus Domande & Risposte, (Questions & Answers) to satisfy the curiosity of everyone and provide answers to the most incredible and interesting facts: from the animal world to technology, and from history to health, as well as food, sport and economics.

And, for the first time, Focus will bring to newsstands the “Focus Guides”, two exclusive collectors’ volumes to explore and admire the 101 UNESCO Heritage Sites, available from 30 July. The first volume “Paesaggi e natura” (Landscapes and Nature) features an account of the most beautiful and suggestive sites in every country, from the Great Wall in China to the Galapagos Islands, and the extraordinary Italian villages of the Cinque Terre. The second volume “Arte e civiltà” (Art and Civilisation) will be a journey of discovery of the world’s cultures and the symbolic sites of history.

The launch of these initiatives will be enhanced by an advertising campaign conceived to amplify the new features among the target audience, and planed across various media, from the magazines and newspapers, as well as radio, social media and TV.

These activities also confirm Focus as a dynamic brand that is always careful to satisfy the needs of a highly curious and interested public looking to discover and understand the world through the lens of science.

Thursday 22 July sees the opening in Catania of a new Mondadori Bookstore. The opening event, which will take place on Wednesday 21 July at 7 pm, is expected to be attended by Salvo Pogliese, the Mayor of the City of Catania, and Barbara Mirabella, the City Councillor for Culture and Educational Policy of the Municipality of Catania. Also present for the ribbon cutting will be the Sicilian artists Vittorio Ribaudo, a painter of wood and of nature, and street artist Mikhail Albano, who, to mark the opening, will be showing some of their work in the new bookstore.

The Mondadori Bookstore in via D’Annunzio will be a point of reference for all book lovers with an extensive offer of books of all kinds, from bestsellers to niche titles, curated by the experience of a team of six passionate booksellers who will welcome readers seven days a week.

A space for cultural aggregation that will be animated by a calendar of events aimed at engaging the public, including meetings with local and national writers, protagonists from the world of the arts and entertainment.

“We are delighted to be able to launch this new project with a brand like Mondadori Store in the city where we grew up. This is also a young entrepreneurial adventure that began a few years ago when with my brother we made the decision to invest in this area, opening the first bookstore, together with Mondadori Store. Following the successful opening of sales outlets inside the Le Zagare and Katanè shopping malls, we are expanding the cultural offering in the heart of Catania: the new bookstore will be a place to live, meet people and will provide a stimulus for the entire community,” said Stefano Monica, the businessman affiliated with the Mondadori Store chain.

Covering a surface of 360 square metres on two floors, the Mondadori Bookstore will stock more than 50,000 books including fiction, non-fiction, miscellaneous titles and the classics, as well as a wide and curated selection of cartoons, from manga to superheroes and graphic novels. There is also a section dedicated to Sicily and local authors. A specific area is also dedicated to children and young adults, from educational games to illustrated books to stimulate young readers.

Visitors will also find a varied and high-quality assortment of stationery, gift boxes and gift cards. Meanwhile, the second floor of the bookstore has space that will be used to host literary and musical events.

All of the customers of the Mondadori Bookstore will also be able to make use of digital services, such as come Pick Up Point, which enables customers to collect from the store books bought on Mondadoristore.it, selected from a catalogue of over 1 million titles; Prenota e ritira (Order and collect) with which readers can order online and pay and collect in the store; and Invia a casa (Home delivery) to have books ordered in the store delivered straight to your home.

This new opening takes to four the number of Mondadori Store outlets in the city of Catania.

MONDADORI BOOKSTORE
Via Gabriele D’Annunzio 115, 95127, Catania
Open: Mon-Sun 09.00 – 20.30
E-mail: mondadoridannunzio@outlook.it – 095.2202569
www.mondadoristore.it/negozi
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In 1991, Italy put the spotlight on the need to respect and look after children when it signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Thirty years later, from 18 May, the volume Dalla parte dei bambini – Il libro sui diritti dell’infanzia e dell’adolescenza, published by Edizioni Piemme-Il Battello a Vapore, in collaboration with UNICEF Italia and the ICWA (the Italian association of children’s writers), is in the bookstores: an illustrated book of twenty stories by well-known Italian children’s writers, inspired by the articles of the Convention.

“For us, the best way to make people aware of the rights laid out in the UN Convention is to write stories, in contemporary settings or a more evocative dimension, about children who are still denied these rights, even in developed western countries like Italy,” observes writer and ICWA President Fulvia Degl’Innocenti in the introduction to the book. “In every story there is hope, because growing numbers of organisations and bodies are fighting to ensure these rights are fully enforced.

UNICEF is the symbol of this, and its collaboration with the ICWA at various levels including this book is a powerful reflection of synergy and shared attention to childhood.” “Il Battello a Vapore has always devoted special attention to issues of fundamental importance for children’s development and education, and taken great care in how they are narrated,” explains Lorenzo Garavaldi, General Manager of the Mondadori Libri Children’s Business Unit.“Dalla parte dei bambini is a special project for us, not only because we have the honour of working together with the ICWA and UNICEF, but also because it gives us the opportunity to tell children about self-respect and respect for others. We are never too young (or too old) to learn to live in a better world and we could not have thought of a better way of celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the Convention than by portraying it through words and pictures.”
“On 27 May we shall be celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of Italy’s ratification of the Convention, which sets out the rights of every human being from their birth and recognises children not just as minors under the protection of adults, but as people with civil, social, cultural, political and economic rights,” says Carmela Pace, President of UNICEF Italia. “We want to thank the Piemme publishing house, the Italian association of children’s writers and, above all, the authors, who have contributed to this collection of stories, generously giving their time, creativity and skills to ensure that every child who reads this book will be able to identify with it, to find out something about themselves, to look at the world with new eyes and to develop an awareness of their rights.”
Dalla parte dei bambini (pages: 256; price: € 13.00) is a vital tool to learn about people’s rights, foster discussion and develop the awareness that every child should be listened to. The right to a name, to be listened to, to a family, to freedom of expression, thought and religion: every child is born with rights that adults must know, respect and promote. The stories of Omar who is adopted by the family of young Francesco; of Lisa, deaf from birth, who nevertheless manages to communicate with Tommaso; of Min Min, who receives a tin containing all the words she doesn’t know; of Marta who decides to stand up to the bullies to protect her classmate Milan, and many others help us to listen, to understand and to be aware of our rights.

The authors who took part in the project are all members of the ICWA. They are: Fabrizio Altieri, Cristina Bartoli, Stefano Bordiglioni, Patrizia Ceccarelli, Carolina D’Angelo, Emanuela Da Ros, Vichi De Marchi, Fulvia Degl’Innocenti, Giuliana Facchini, Chiara Lossani, Alberto Melis, Roberto Morgese, Daniela Palumbo, Angelo Petrosino, Livia Rocchi, Isabella Salmoirago, Manuela Salvi, Anna Sarfatti, Chiara Valentina Segré, Valentina Torchia. The illustrations are by Silvia Crocicchi.

Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A. (LEI Code 815600049A1F9AFE6666) announces the purchase on the MTA (Electronic Stock Market), in the period from 5 to 9 July 2021, of no 25,265 ordinary shares (equal to 0.009% of the share capital) at an average unit price of €1.6596 for a total amount of €41,929.79.

These transactions were made under the authorization to purchase treasury shares approved by the Shareholders’ Meeting of 27 April 2021, and as part of the purchase programme to service the 2021-2023, 2020-2022 and 2019-2021 Performance Share Plans, the start of which was approved by the Board of Directors on 13 May 2021 (as per the disclosure made on the same date also pursuant to Article 144 bis of CONSOB Regulation 11971/99, and to Article 5 of EU Regulation 596/2014).

The following table details the purchases made per day in the above period of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A. ordinary shares, ISIN Code IT0001469383:

The purchases were made through the authorized intermediary Equita Sim S.p.A. (LEI Code 815600E3E9BFBC8FAA85), independently and with no influence from the Issuer as regards the timing of the purchases.

Following the purchases made so far, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A. holds no 507,063 treasury shares, corresponding 0.194% of the share capital.

Purchases in detail in the complete pdf.

The Mondadori Group announces the signing today of an agreement with De Agostini Editore S.p.A. – following the negotiations disclosed on 1 July – for the acquisition of 100% of De Agostini Scuola S.p.A., one of Italy’s top school textbook publishers.

The company’s products are targeted to every level of education – with a marked presence especially in the secondary school segment – through a series of brands including DeA Scuola, Petrini, Marietti Scuola, UTET Università, Cideb-Black Cat and Garzanti Scuola.

The transaction is consistent with the strategy – repeatedly announced by Mondadori – of focusing on the core business of books, in which the Group boasts a longstanding leadership in Trade and is one of the top school textbook players. The acquisition will enable the Company to further strengthen its foothold in the school textbook field, where it currently operates through the publishing houses Mondadori Education and Rizzoli Education.

The value of the transaction has been defined on the basis of an Enterprise Value of € 157.5 million, equal to 7.4 times the reported EBITDA recorded by De Agostini Scuola in 2020. The price will be defined on the basis of the average normalized net financial position over the 12 months before the closing date.

De Agostini Scuola posted in 2020 revenue of € 70.8 million, reported EBITDA of € 21.4 million, with a margin of 30%, and net profit of € 12.2 million. At 31 December 2020, the net financial position stood at a positive (net cash) € 20.8 million.

The agreement, which also makes all of the brands currently covering De Agostini Scuola’s school textbook publishing market available to the Mondadori Group, includes the typical representations and warranties for the purchaser.

The consideration for the transaction will be settled in cash at the closing date by drawing on the acquisition-related line of credit, recently defined as part of the loan agreement signed by the Group on 12 May.

Completion of the transaction is subject to the authorizations of law from the competent Antitrust authority.

Mention should be made that the forecasts developed for the current year on the Mondadori Group, previously disclosed to the market, have been prepared on the basis of the current scope; any updates to the above estimates will be announced with a view to the time required to complete the transaction.

The Mondadori Group Management will meet with the financial community at a conference call scheduled today at 6pm. The relevant presentation will be available on 1info (www.1info.it) and on the website www.gruppomondadori.it (Investors section).

First launched on TikTok just over one year ago, GialloZafferano has now reached 1 million followers, confirming the success of the title’s offer on all social networks.

A result to which, again on the short video platform, should be added over 300,000 followers – and growing – that the brand has reached in its international version in English.

The Mondadori Group’s food media brand immediately won over the community of the popular social network thanks to a mix of exclusive content and an original approach, designed with the aim of actively involving an increasingly broader audience and becoming a point of reference in the kitchen, also for younger people.

In fact, the formula of short video recipes has proved to be a winner for GialloZafferano not only on TikTok, but also on other social networks, in particular Instagram, with over 40 million views every month.

This success has been achieved thanks to an editorial programme involving more than 50 top creators: from Aurora Cavallo, (@cooker.girl), with her unmistakable red apron and a vast repertoire of “traditionally new” recipes, to Daniele Rossi (@danielerossichef), the irresistible Tuscan chef capable of bringing everyone closer to popular traditional dishes and the very best raw materials, up to Khalid El Mahi (@foodqood), with a range of dishes rich in Middle Eastern influences, and Andriana Kulchytska (@adrianathrr), constantly looking for the most amusing ideas with a nod to the world of fitness.

A group of young and dynamic talents, which, from today, is enhanced by the exclusive collaboration of food creator and TikTok ambassador Diletta Secco (@dilettasecco), promoter of the concept of sustainability in the kitchen, with simple recipes uniquely designed to reduce waste to a minimum and raise awareness among the community on the issue of healthy food with a reduced environmental impact

“Embracing social media as a communication paradigm means always being ready to experiment with new approaches and to interface with continuously evolving targets. The brand’s development strategy is consequently reinforced by the collaboration of the many creators that GialloZafferano is able to attract and making us the home of the best talents in the kitchen,” declared Andrea Santagata, General Manager of Mondadori Media. “Our constantly growing numbers confirm once again the brand’s outstanding vocation for innovation, which is capable of evolving by always putting people’s needs and requests at the core of what we do.”

The success achieved on TikTok confirms GialloZafferano’s leadership in the cooking segment. Giallozafferano.it is the website of reference with a unique audience of 15.4 million users per month (Source: Audiweb, April 2021), to which should be added leadership on social media, with a community of 19.3 million fans across six platforms.

These results also contribute to the growth of the audience of Mondadori Media, the leading publisher on social networks with over 41.4 million fans (Source: Shareablee and Insight, June 2021) and a point of reference also on TikTok, where the company is present with 8 other brands, in addition to GialloZafferano, and more than 2.5 million fans overall.

These innovations also mean new opportunities for our commercial partners, who can reach new audiences and take advantage of innovative editorial formats, making use of both the Mondadori Media content factory and the unique team of food creators that collaborate with its brands