Lagardère SCA Reports Significant Increase in Sales for Year 1999 : + 14.9%

For the full year 1999, Lagardère reported consolidated sales of 12,285 million Euros (FF 80,583 million), an increase of 14.9% over sales of 10,692 million Euros (FF 70,138 million) for the year 1998.

In order to take into account the full transfer of Lagardère SCA’s Matra Hautes Technologies to Aerospatiale and to ease comparisons with 1999, the 1998 figures for the High Technology segment -now represented by a 33% stake in Aerospatiale Matra- were processed on a pro forma basis. Taking this into consideration, the increase in the company’s sales for 1999 amounts to 6.3%.

In 1999, the main changes in Lagardère Medias’ structure include the purchase of the Japanese and Italian magazine publishing companies Fujin-Gaho and Rusconi and the sale of the outdoor advertising company Affichage Giraudy, previously part of the Audiovisual division.

Excluding changes in the Group’s structure and the effects of exchange rates, the increase in sales amounted to 2.9 %.

*33% of Aerospatiale Matra instead of 100% of Matra Hautes Technologies.
**on a like for like basis.

Following is a breakdown of the Company’s sales by segment, excluding changes in the Group’s structure and the effects of exchange rates:

• Robust sales in Lagardère Medias resulted mainly from strong performance in digital activities (Audiovisual and Multimedia/Grolier divisions). The Print Media and Distribution Services divisions also contributed to sales growth.
• The growth in High Technologies’ sales resulted mainly from the strong performance of the Airbus division. Sales in the Missile system and Dassault Aviation divisions decreased, as previously announced.
• The Automobile business posted moderate sales increases, building on the considerable growth experienced in 1998 and confirming the commercial success of the Espace minivan.

LAGARDERE (Bloomberg-Paris: MMB.Fp: NY: LGDDY; Reuters – LAGA.PA) is a premier media company whose strategy is to leverage its powerful brands, publishing expertise and cross promotion capability through its increasingly prominent digital media. In the area of digital TV, the company seeks to develop interactive services and thematic channels with CanalSatellite and Multithematiques (Canal+ group). Over the internet, Lagardere is operating several either general interest (Club-Internet.fr) or thematic portals (Elle.com, Digitall.fr, Mcity.fr) and is in the process of developing new ones around its well-known brands in order to capitalize on the rapidly growing arena of e-commerce. The company is a worlwide leader in magazine publishing and press distribution. The company publishes more than 200 magazines in 33 countries. Its high profile titles include: Elle, Woman’s Day, Car & Driver, George and many others. The company operates more than 1,000 retail outlets under the Relay brand name in travel areas (airports, railway stations…) all accross Europe and North America.

The company also owns a 33% equity stake in AerospatialeMatra. AerospatialeMatra will soon merge with DaimlerChrysler Aerospace and Casa to form EADS, the largest aerospace and defense company in Europe and no3 worlwide.