FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - A glimmer of hope has emerged for CTS Eventim's recently embattled shareholders: the ticketing and live entertainment provider has delivered a surprisingly strong start to the year, with both revenue and earnings rising significantly. Consequently, the shares surged by more than 13 percent on Friday, peaking at 63.65 euros, their highest level since late March.

The stock was last trading up 10.5 percent, comfortably securing the top spot on the MDax index of mid-cap companies, which itself gained nearly one percent.

Market experts were largely complimentary. Henrik Paganetty of Jefferies noted that CTS Eventim delivered solid overall figures, highlighting that operating results exceeded market expectations despite negative one-off factors.

Annick Maas of Bernstein Research added that live events in the U.S. were a primary driver of the positive results. According to JPMorgan analyst Lara Simpson, the strengthening performance of the live entertainment segment, including tours and festivals, is restoring confidence in the company's growth momentum.

Analyst Bernd Klanten of Barclays continues to see upside potential for the stock, noting that the shares are currently valued at only half their historical levels. He maintains a price target of 98 euros; the stock was trading near the 100-euro mark as recently as last summer.

Year-to-date, CTS Eventim shares have lagged the broader market, losing more than a fifth of their value while the MDax has gained nearly ten percent. This underperformance was exacerbated by a sharp sell-off in late March following CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg's cautious guidance for 2026.

Friday's rally has at least brightened the technical outlook. The shares are now trading significantly above their 21-day and 50-day moving averages, which track short- and medium-term trends respectively.

However, the closely watched 200-day moving average, a benchmark for long-term trends, remains distant. The stock fell below this line last August after the company shocked investors with a slump in second-quarter earnings./la/gl/stk