HI-MEDIA 
By - Confirmation of a business upturn at the end of the year
- Very strong growth in new activities, driven by technological innovations in advertising and payment
- Return to growth forecast in 2013
Paris, January 24, 2013, 5.40pm - Online media group Hi-Media (Code ISIN FR0000075988 - HIM, HIM.FR), a European leader in monetizing the Internet audience, today published its sales figures for the 2012 financial year.
Main consolidated data (? million)
| Sales | 2012 pro forma | 2011 pro forma | Variation | 2012 published | 2011 published | Variation | |
| Advertising | 91 | 99 | -8% | 88 | 105 | -16% | |
| Payments gross sales | 404 | 354 | +14% | 404 | 362 | +12% | |
| Payments | 107 | 111 | -4% | 107 | 125 | -15% | |
| Total | 198 | 210 | -6% | 195 | 230 | -15% | |
Commenting on the full year 2012 sales figures, founder and CEO of Hi-Media Group Cyril Zimmermann, said: "In a challenging market, Hi-Media during the last quarter confirmed the positive upturn identified this summer and posted improved performances. With stronger positions in both the four main growth areas of online advertising - Ad Exchange, Video, Mobile, Special Operations - and in the online banking activities, with the HiPay electronic wallet, the Group now has powerful growth drivers in place and enters 2013 confidently expecting a gradual return to growth."
BUSINESS ANALYSIS
During the full year 2012, Hi-Media generated a consolidated turnover of 198 million euros, down 6% on a pro forma basis (restated from carved out and new entities within the Advertising perimeter UK, Netherlands and Ad Triple in Spain as well as from the termination of the free to play lotteries activity on the Payments side).
Hi-Media ADVERTISING
| Q4 2012 | Q4 2011 | Variation | ||
| Sales pro forma | ||||
| Advertising | 26.2 | 28.5 | -8% | |
Under IFRS, the company reports the gross volume of advertising space sales in some instances, and in others reports the gross margin realized on space sales (most notably in Sweden and on Group proprietary sites).
At ?26.2 million, the downturn in Q4 sales was smaller than the previous quarter, confirming the signs of recovery that emerged over the summer.
The upturn is the result not of any improvement in the advertising market, which remains depressed and particularly so in Southern Europe, where relies c.30% of the Group's business, but stems rather from the new growth drivers provided by new products and services launched over the past 18 months. The ad exchange, video, mobile and special campaigns businesses reported growth in excess of 50% and at end of 2012 accounted for over 30% of total business.
The progressively growing contribution made by these new activities should offset the downturn in the traditional display advertising market. The Group's overall advertising business into a new growth cycle over the course of 2013.
Moreover, the Group businesses in Southern Europe demonstrate first signs of stabilization and should also return toward a positive path thanks to the impact of new products.
Hi-Media PAYMENTS
| Q4 2012 | Q4 2011 | Variation | ||
| Sales pro forma | ||||
| Payments gross sales | 104.9 | 91.5 | +15% | |
| Paiements | 25.6 | 27.5 | -7% | |
Under IFRS, the company reports the gross volume of transactions in some instances, and in others reports the gross margin realized on transactions (particularly for its e-money activities).
During the fourth quarter the volume of transactions processed by Hi-Media is up by 15%, testimony to the success of its range of services, especially in the world of video games and in online news, most notably via the e-press consortium.
The payments sector is experiencing a transition similar to that described for the advertising business, with new services gradually offsetting the increasing maturity of some of the Group's more traditional activities, which have felt the effects of the difficult economic environment.
Micropayment methods (in particular payment by SMS) are experiencing a slowdown, while banking methods of payment based on the HiPay electronic wallet have seen growth of over 40%. HiPay now has over two million open accounts and is enjoying growing success with every quarter.
Similar to the advertising business, new activities are emerging based on technological innovations introduced by the Group over the past 18 months. The launch of new payment solutions is expected to confirm this trend over the course of 2013.
OUTLOOK
Both market places - Hi-Media Ad eXchange for advertising and Hi-Media Payments for payment solutions - are encountering changes with new services driven by innovative technology and are enjoying very strong growth that should gradually offset the effects of the depressed market environment for the Group's traditional services. Thanks to the strategic choices made over the last two financial years, Hi-Media should be in a position to return to growth over the course of 2013.
About Hi-Media Group
Hi-Media is one of Europe's leading online media groups. Its business model relies on two different revenue streams: online advertising via its dedicated ad network Hi-Media Advertising and online content monetization via Hi-Media Payments. The group, which operates in 9 European countries, employs some 470 people and posted sales of over ?230 million in 2011.
Independent since its creation in 1996, the company is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris - Compartment C and is included in the CAC Small and CAC All-Tradable indices.
ISIN code: FR0000075988/Mnenomic: HIM.
Further information available on www.hi-media.com:
http://www.hi-media.com/ and on our blog http://blog.hi-media.com/:
http://blog.hi-media.com/
Next financial communication: 2012 annual results on March 14, 2013, before market opening.
Contact: Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Investor contact: Agnes Villeret: 01 53 32 78 95 - agnes.villeret@citigate.fr:
mailto:agnes.villeret@citigate.fr.
Press contact: Servane Taslé: 01 53 32 78 94 - 06 66 58 84 28 - servane.tasle@citigate.fr:
mailto:servane.tasle@citigate.fr
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy Hi-Media shares. If you wish to obtain further information about Hi-Media, please refer to our website http://www.hi-media.com:
http://www.hi-media.com/ under the Corporate Information heading.
This press release may contain some forward-looking statements. Although Hi-Media considers that these statements are based on reasonable hypotheses at the date of publication of this release, they are by their nature subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated or projected in these statements. Hi-Media operates in a continually changing environment and new risks emerge continually. Hi-Media does not undertake and expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.
http://hugin.info/143474/R/1673130/544600.pdf
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Source: HI-MEDIA via Thomson Reuters ONE
