{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"116205","rtpr_id":"nWkr50BKBy","ticker":"ALMAC","exchange":"Nasdaq Helsinki","all_tickers":["ALMAC"],"title":"Alma Media's Half-Year Report January-June 2026: Strong profitability with all segments improving results","author":"Cision","published_at":"2026-08-12T05:00:07.644Z","article_body":"Alma Media\n\nAlma Media Corporation Half-Year Report           12 August 2026 at\n8.00 a.m.\n\nALMA MEDIA’S HALF-YEAR REPORT JANUARY–JUNE 2026: Strong profitability with\nall segments improving results\n\nFinancial performance April–June 2026:\n* Revenue MEUR 87.9 (83.7), up 5.0%.\n* The share of digital business was 87.1% (86.2%) of revenue.\n* Adjusted operating profit MEUR 24.4 (21.1), up 15.6%, 27.7% (25.2%) of\nrevenue.\n* Operating profit MEUR 24.2 (19.9), up 21.6%.\n* Adjusted EBITDA MEUR 27.9 (25.7), up 8.5%.\n* Earnings per share EUR 0.22 (0.18), up 21.5%.\n* Alma Career: Revenue up 5.5% and adjusted operating profit up by 4.9%,\ndriven by strong performance in the Czech market.\n* Alma Marketplaces: Revenue up 9.2% and adjusted operating profit up by\n31.1%, with growth across all business units.\n* Alma News Media: Revenue up 1.2%, adjusted operating profit up 20.6%, with a\nrecord 20.0% margin.\nFinancial performance January–June 2026:\n* Revenue MEUR 171.0 (162.9), up 4.9%.\n* The share of digital business was 86.5% (85.1%) of revenue.\n* Adjusted operating profit MEUR 44.8 (38.3), up 16.9%, 26.2% (23.5%) of\nrevenue.\n* Operating profit MEUR 44.5 (36.5), up 22.0%.\n* Adjusted EBITDA MEUR 52.3 (47.3), up 10.6%.\n* Earnings per share EUR 0.41 (0.32), up 29.9%.\nKey figures\n\n                                   2026   2025    Change   2026     2025     Change   2025     \n MEUR                              Q2     Q2      %        Q1—Q2    Q1—Q2    %        Q1—Q4    \n Revenue                           87.9   83.7    5.0      171.0    162.9    4.9      327.1    \n Classified                        34.5   32.2    7.1      67.8     63.3     7.2      126.5    \n Digital services*                 19.1   16.8    13.6     37.4     32.7     14.4     68.0     \n Advertising*                      16.6   16.1    2.6      30.2     29.9     0.9      58.6     \n Content                           13.1   12.7    3.0      25.9     25.4     1.9      50.8     \n Other                             4.6    5.8     −20.6    9.7      11.6     −16.8    23.2     \n Digital business revenue          76.5   72.2    6.0      147.9    138.6    6.6      280.8    \n Digital business, % of revenue    87.1%  86.2%            86.5%    85.1%             85.9%    \n Adjusted total expenses           63.6   62.6    1.5      126.3    124.7    1.3      245.3    \n Adjusted EBITDA                   27.9   25.7    8.5      52.3     47.3     10.6     100.4    \n EBITDA                            27.7   24.5    13.0     52.0     45.5     14.4     96.7     \n Adjusted operating profit         24.4   21.1    15.6     44.8     38.3     16.9     82.1     \n % of revenue                      27.7%  25.2%            26.2%    23.5%             25.1%    \n Operating profit (loss)           24.2   19.9    21.6     44.5     36.5     22.0     77.8     \n % of revenue                      27.5%  23.8 %           26.0%    22.4%             23.8%    \n Profit for the period before tax  23.3   18.5    25.8     43.0     32.9     30.8     70.7     \n Profit for the period             18.6   15.3    21.7     34.4     26.4     30.2     55.7     \n\n* The classification of revenue has been further specified between advertising\nand digital services. The corresponding adjustment has been made to the\ncomparison figures.\n\nCEO’s review: Strong profitability driven by digital businesses and\noperational excellence\n\nAlma Media delivered continued growth and improved profitability during the\nsecond quarter. Revenue increased by 5.0% to MEUR 87.9 and the share of\ndigital business reached 87.1% of the revenue.\n\nAdjusted operating profit improved by 15.6% to MEUR 24.4, corresponding to an\nadjusted operating margin of 27.7%.\n\nThe improvement in profitability demonstrates that the execution of our\nstrategy is progressing in line with our long-term financial targets.\nProfitability improved across all business segments, supported by disciplined\ncost management, a favourable portfolio mix and the continued shift towards\nhigher-value digital businesses.\n\nOur financial position remained strong. Net debt decreased by 21.1% to MEUR\n125.1, gearing was 51.8% and the equity ratio stood at 52.4%, providing a\nsolid foundation for future growth and strategic investments.\n\nThe operating environment in Finland remained mixed, although economic\nindicators continued to show signs of a gradual recovery. Consumer confidence\nremained subdued but is expected to strengthen gradually, supporting a broader\nrecovery in demand. At the same time, our international operations,\nparticularly in Czechia and Sweden, remained an important driver of growth.\n\nAll segments improved their results\n\nRevenue in Alma Career increased by 5.5% to MEUR 28.5. In local currencies,\nrevenue improved by 4.1%. Adjusted operating profit rose to MEUR 12.0 (11.4),\nrepresenting a stable margin of 42.0% (42.2%), despite continued investments\nin cloud migration and the development of a shared recruitment platform.\nInvoicing in local currencies went up by 3.5% (Q1/2026: 2.6%). Growth was\ndriven by sound development from all customer segments in Czechia.\n\nDemand for recruitment services was strong in Czechia, supported by the EU’s\nlowest unemployment rate. The recruitment demand remained relatively resilient\nin Croatia despite persistent labour shortages in several sectors, and demand\nincreased modestly in the Baltics. The conditions in Slovakia continued to be\nmuted, and Finland faced high unemployment, declining job vacancies and\ncautious employer demand.\n\nAlma Marketplaces continued to perform strongly across its businesses. Revenue\nincreased by 9.2% to MEUR 31.9, while adjusted operating profit grew by 31.1%\nto MEUR 11.0, lifting the margin to 34.6% (28.8%). Adjusted EBITDA increased\nby 16.3%.\n\nRealised acquisition synergies, restructuring measures and the increasing\nfocus on higher-value digital services have strengthened profitability and\nsupport the long-term growth ambitions.\n\nRevenue in the Real Estate business unit increased by 14.8%. The impact of\norganic revenue growth was 12.8%. Growth was supported by an expanding range\nof service offerings, growing demand for commercial real estate services and\ncontinued growth in digital housing transactions. Classified revenue increased\nby12.4%, driven by broad-based growth across all business units, particularly\nin Sweden. Increased regulatory requirements in customers’ operations\nboosted demand for Real Estate Insights services.\n\nThe segment’s other businesses also continued their steady growth and\ncontributed positively to profitability. Revenue in the Mobility business unit\nincreased by 5.0% to MEUR 9.9. Revenue in the Insights business grew by 1.1%,\nwhile licence-based recurring revenue continued to increase. In Comparison\nServices, revenue went up by 25.3%, driven by the Effortia acquisition.\n\nRevenue in Alma News Media increased by 1.2% to MEUR 27.8. Excluding divested\nbusinesses, revenue increase was 2.6%. Digital business accounted for 65.3%\n(63.9%) of the segment’s revenue. Advertising revenue increased by 3.8% to\nMEUR 13.0 (12.6).\n\nAdjusted operating profit increased by 20.6% to MEUR 5.6, corresponding to the\nsegment’s record-high margin of 20.0% (16.8%). Growth in digital content and\ndigital advertising revenue more than offset the continued decline in\nprint-related business.\n\nThe number of digital subscriptions developed to 239,000, demonstrating the\ncontinued strength of our content brands and our ability to attract and retain\ndigital subscribers.\n\nAI and data capabilities strengthen competitiveness\n\nSucceeding requires strategic flexibility, continuous renewal and the ability\nto stay at the forefront of development. We invest systematically in\ntechnology, data and capabilities across our businesses. AI is increasingly\nintegrated into everyday workflows, supporting productivity, customer\nexperience and commercial efficiency while creating new opportunities to\nenhance customer value.\n\nAI and data are becoming increasingly important sources of competitive\nadvantage. As AI reshapes how customers discover information, products and\nservices, success depends on access to high-quality data, trusted brands and\ndeep domain expertise. Alma’s strong market positions, data assets and\ntechnology capabilities provide a solid foundation for creating customer value\nin an increasingly AI-driven environment.\n\nOur long-term investments in data support the effective use of AI across the\nGroup. Growth in logged-in users and deeper customer engagement strengthen\npersonalisation, customer insights and the relevance of our services,\nsupporting long-term profitable growth.\n\nKai Telanne\nPresident and CEO\n\nOperating environment\n\nAs the Group’s main operating countries are dependent on foreign trade,\nuncertainty related to global trade and geopolitical developments may affect\nAlma Media’s operating environment.\n\nAccording to the European Commission’s Spring 2026 Economic Forecast, EU\neconomic growth is expected to be 1.1%, inflation 3.1% and the unemployment\nrate 6.0% in 2026. The forecast estimates that economic growth in Finland will\npick up to 0.8% in 2026. Inflation is expected to increase to 2.4%, while the\nunemployment rate is forecast to rise to 10.1%.\n\nIn addition to Finland, Alma Media’s main markets are Czechia and Slovakia\nin Central Europe, as well as Croatia in Southern Europe. According to the\nCommission’s forecast, GDP growth in 2026 is expected to be 1.8% in Czechia,\n0.8% in Slovakia and 2.7% in Croatia. The unemployment rates are estimated at\n3.1% in Czechia, 5.7% in Slovakia and 4.8% in Croatia.\n\nThe most recent indicators suggest that Finland’s economic recovery is\ngaining momentum. Preliminary national accounts data indicate that a turning\npoint has been reached, supported by improving export prospects and\nstrengthening business confidence. While these developments provide a more\npositive outlook for economic activity, their impact on customer demand has so\nfar remained limited. Elevated unemployment and lingering uncertainty continue\nto weigh on household confidence and spending.\n\nOutlook for 2026\n\nAlma Media expects its full-year revenue of 2026 to remain at the 2025 level\nand the adjusted operating profit to grow. The full-year revenue for 2025 was\nMEUR 327.1 and the adjusted operating profit was MEUR 82.1.\n\nBackground for the outlook\n\nThe outlook is based on an assessment according to which economic conditions\nin the Company’s main market areas are expected to remain broadly unchanged,\ndespite positive signals have been seen in the market. Uncertainty in the\nmarkets is expected to continue. Fluctuations in the global economy may affect\nmarket development.\n\nThe operating environment in Finland remained mixed, although economic\nindicators continued to show signs of a gradual recovery. Consumer confidence\nremained subdued but is expected to strengthen gradually, supporting a broader\nrecovery in demand. The Group’s business diversification across multiple\ngeographical markets and different business areas, together with systematic\ncost management, stabilises the Company’s operations even in challenging\nmarket conditions.\n\nMarket situation in the main markets in Finland\n\nMarket development in the automotive industry\n\nAccording to the Finnish Information Centre of the Automobile Sector, first\nregistrations of new passenger cars increased by 0.7% from 19,955 to 20,053\nvehicles in April–June 2026. Rechargeable vehicles continued to account for\nmore than 60% of new passenger car registrations. The registrations of fully\nelectric vehicles remained on a strong growth trajectory.\n\nUsed passenger car sales declined 1.5% in H1, with dealer sales down 0.8% and\nprivate transactions down 2.1%.\n\nMarket development in housing\n\nAccording to the Confederation of Real Estate Agencies in Finland, housing\ntransaction volumes remained weak during April–June 2026. The volume of\ntransactions in old dwellings totalled 11,990, representing a decrease of\n17.1% compared with the previous year. Sales of new residential properties\nremained exceptionally subdued, totalling 339 units and 25.7% lower than in\nthe previous year.\n\nOversupply in the owner-occupied housing market, particularly in smaller\napartments, continues, while the recovery of the housing market remains\ngradual. In the rental market, abundant supply continues to restrain rent\nincreases.\n\nMarket development in the media business\n\nAccording to Fifty5Blue, the volume of media advertising decreased by 4.5% in\nJanuary–June 2026 compared with the corresponding period last year. Online\nmedia (+3.5%), out-of-home advertising (+3.6%) and radio (+1.4%) grew, while\nprint media, television and cinema advertising declined.\n\nBy sector, advertising expenditure increased most in finance and cosmetics,\nwhereas telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, clothing, and oil and energy\nrecorded the largest declines.\n\nAlma Media’s reach in Finland\n\nAlma Media reaches a broad audience through its digital ser-vices in Finland,\nits primary market. During the second quarter, the Group’s services\nattracted on average 3.1 million weekly visitors (+2.6% vs. prior year).\nSession frequency, meaning how often users return to our services, averaged\n17.1 sessions per user per week, reflecting our services’ ability to engage\nusers and deliver sustained value to both advertisers and end users. ¹\n\n¹ Finnish Internet Audience Measurement (FIAM)\n\nMore information:\nKai Telanne, President and CEO, tel. +358 (0)10 665 3500\nTaru Lehtinen, CFO, tel. +358 (0)10 665 3609\n\nNews conference and live webcast\n\nAlma Media will publish its Half-Year Report for 1 January–30 June 2026 on\nWednesday, 12 August 2026 approximately at 8.00 (EEST). A combined analyst,\ninvestor and media conference and webcast will be held in English by President\n& CEO Kai Telanne and CFO Taru Lehtinen at 11.00–12.00.\n\nThe conference will be arranged in the Alma House (address: Alvar Aallon katu\n3 C, Helsinki). To participate in the conference in Alma House, we kindly ask\nyou to register in advance by e-mail to: kutsut@almamedia.fi.\n\nThe live webcast can be followed via\nhttps://almamedia.events.inderes.com/q2-2026/register. Questions can be asked\nthrough the webcast chat function.\n\nAn on-demand version of the webcast and the presentation material will be\navailable on the company’s website on the same day\nhttps://www.almamedia.fi/en/investors/reports-and-presentations/presentations/.\n\nAlma Media’s financial calendar 2026\n* Interim Report for January–September 2026 on Thursday, 29 October 2026 at\napproximately 8:00 a.m. EET\n\nALMA MEDIA CORPORATION\n\nBoard of Directors\n\n\nDistribution: NASDAQ Helsinki, main media, www.almamedia.fi/en\n\n\nAlma Media in brief\n\nAlma Media is an international company of digital media, marketplaces and\nservices with a strong capacity for renewal. We inspire human curiosity and\nchoice by creating services that combine technology and content with a local\nheart. In Finland, our best-known brands include Kauppalehti, Talouselämä,\nIltalehti, Jobly, Etuovi.com, Nettiauto and Nettimoto. Our recruitment\nservices include prace.cz and jobs.cz in Czechia, Profesia.sk in Slovakia and\nmojposao.net in Croatia.\n\nIn Finland, our business operations include leading housing and automotive\nmarketplaces, financial and professional media, national consumer media and\ncontent and data services for businesses and professionals. Alma Media's\ninternational business in Eastern Central Europe, Sweden and the Baltic\ncountries consists of recruitment services and an online marketplace for\ncommercial properties.\n\nAlma Media operates in 10 countries in Europe and employs approximately 1,650\nprofessionals. Alma Media's revenue from continuing operations was EUR 327\nmillion in 2025 of which the share of digital business was 86%. Alma Media's\nshare is listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. Read more at www.almamedia.fi/en/\n\nhttps://news.cision.com/alma-media/r/alma-media-s-half-year-report-january-june-2026--strong-profitability-with-all-segments-improving-re%2Cc4382136\n\nAlmaMediaCorporation_HalfYearReport2026\n(https://mb.cision.com/Main/11209/4382136/4215492.pdf)\n\n\n\n(c) Cision 2026","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nWkr50BKBy","title":"Alma Media's Half-Year Report January-June 2026: Strong profitability with all segments improving results","author":"Cision","ticker":"ALMAC","created":"2026-08-12T05:00:07.644Z","tickers":["ALMAC"],"exchange":"Nasdaq Helsinki","article_body":"Alma Media\n\nAlma Media Corporation Half-Year Report           12 August 2026 at\n8.00 a.m.\n\nALMA MEDIA’S HALF-YEAR REPORT JANUARY–JUNE 2026: Strong profitability with\nall segments improving results\n\nFinancial performance April–June 2026:\n* Revenue MEUR 87.9 (83.7), up 5.0%.\n* The share of digital business was 87.1% (86.2%) of revenue.\n* Adjusted operating profit MEUR 24.4 (21.1), up 15.6%, 27.7% (25.2%) of\nrevenue.\n* Operating profit MEUR 24.2 (19.9), up 21.6%.\n* Adjusted EBITDA MEUR 27.9 (25.7), up 8.5%.\n* Earnings per share EUR 0.22 (0.18), up 21.5%.\n* Alma Career: Revenue up 5.5% and adjusted operating profit up by 4.9%,\ndriven by strong performance in the Czech market.\n* Alma Marketplaces: Revenue up 9.2% and adjusted operating profit up by\n31.1%, with growth across all business units.\n* Alma News Media: Revenue up 1.2%, adjusted operating profit up 20.6%, with a\nrecord 20.0% margin.\nFinancial performance January–June 2026:\n* Revenue MEUR 171.0 (162.9), up 4.9%.\n* The share of digital business was 86.5% (85.1%) of revenue.\n* Adjusted operating profit MEUR 44.8 (38.3), up 16.9%, 26.2% (23.5%) of\nrevenue.\n* Operating profit MEUR 44.5 (36.5), up 22.0%.\n* Adjusted EBITDA MEUR 52.3 (47.3), up 10.6%.\n* Earnings per share EUR 0.41 (0.32), up 29.9%.\nKey figures\n\n                                   2026   2025    Change   2026     2025     Change   2025     \n MEUR                              Q2     Q2      %        Q1—Q2    Q1—Q2    %        Q1—Q4    \n Revenue                           87.9   83.7    5.0      171.0    162.9    4.9      327.1    \n Classified                        34.5   32.2    7.1      67.8     63.3     7.2      126.5    \n Digital services*                 19.1   16.8    13.6     37.4     32.7     14.4     68.0     \n Advertising*                      16.6   16.1    2.6      30.2     29.9     0.9      58.6     \n Content                           13.1   12.7    3.0      25.9     25.4     1.9      50.8     \n Other                             4.6    5.8     −20.6    9.7      11.6     −16.8    23.2     \n Digital business revenue          76.5   72.2    6.0      147.9    138.6    6.6      280.8    \n Digital business, % of revenue    87.1%  86.2%            86.5%    85.1%             85.9%    \n Adjusted total expenses           63.6   62.6    1.5      126.3    124.7    1.3      245.3    \n Adjusted EBITDA                   27.9   25.7    8.5      52.3     47.3     10.6     100.4    \n EBITDA                            27.7   24.5    13.0     52.0     45.5     14.4     96.7     \n Adjusted operating profit         24.4   21.1    15.6     44.8     38.3     16.9     82.1     \n % of revenue                      27.7%  25.2%            26.2%    23.5%             25.1%    \n Operating profit (loss)           24.2   19.9    21.6     44.5     36.5     22.0     77.8     \n % of revenue                      27.5%  23.8 %           26.0%    22.4%             23.8%    \n Profit for the period before tax  23.3   18.5    25.8     43.0     32.9     30.8     70.7     \n Profit for the period             18.6   15.3    21.7     34.4     26.4     30.2     55.7     \n\n* The classification of revenue has been further specified between advertising\nand digital services. The corresponding adjustment has been made to the\ncomparison figures.\n\nCEO’s review: Strong profitability driven by digital businesses and\noperational excellence\n\nAlma Media delivered continued growth and improved profitability during the\nsecond quarter. Revenue increased by 5.0% to MEUR 87.9 and the share of\ndigital business reached 87.1% of the revenue.\n\nAdjusted operating profit improved by 15.6% to MEUR 24.4, corresponding to an\nadjusted operating margin of 27.7%.\n\nThe improvement in profitability demonstrates that the execution of our\nstrategy is progressing in line with our long-term financial targets.\nProfitability improved across all business segments, supported by disciplined\ncost management, a favourable portfolio mix and the continued shift towards\nhigher-value digital businesses.\n\nOur financial position remained strong. Net debt decreased by 21.1% to MEUR\n125.1, gearing was 51.8% and the equity ratio stood at 52.4%, providing a\nsolid foundation for future growth and strategic investments.\n\nThe operating environment in Finland remained mixed, although economic\nindicators continued to show signs of a gradual recovery. Consumer confidence\nremained subdued but is expected to strengthen gradually, supporting a broader\nrecovery in demand. At the same time, our international operations,\nparticularly in Czechia and Sweden, remained an important driver of growth.\n\nAll segments improved their results\n\nRevenue in Alma Career increased by 5.5% to MEUR 28.5. In local currencies,\nrevenue improved by 4.1%. Adjusted operating profit rose to MEUR 12.0 (11.4),\nrepresenting a stable margin of 42.0% (42.2%), despite continued investments\nin cloud migration and the development of a shared recruitment platform.\nInvoicing in local currencies went up by 3.5% (Q1/2026: 2.6%). Growth was\ndriven by sound development from all customer segments in Czechia.\n\nDemand for recruitment services was strong in Czechia, supported by the EU’s\nlowest unemployment rate. The recruitment demand remained relatively resilient\nin Croatia despite persistent labour shortages in several sectors, and demand\nincreased modestly in the Baltics. The conditions in Slovakia continued to be\nmuted, and Finland faced high unemployment, declining job vacancies and\ncautious employer demand.\n\nAlma Marketplaces continued to perform strongly across its businesses. Revenue\nincreased by 9.2% to MEUR 31.9, while adjusted operating profit grew by 31.1%\nto MEUR 11.0, lifting the margin to 34.6% (28.8%). Adjusted EBITDA increased\nby 16.3%.\n\nRealised acquisition synergies, restructuring measures and the increasing\nfocus on higher-value digital services have strengthened profitability and\nsupport the long-term growth ambitions.\n\nRevenue in the Real Estate business unit increased by 14.8%. The impact of\norganic revenue growth was 12.8%. Growth was supported by an expanding range\nof service offerings, growing demand for commercial real estate services and\ncontinued growth in digital housing transactions. Classified revenue increased\nby12.4%, driven by broad-based growth across all business units, particularly\nin Sweden. Increased regulatory requirements in customers’ operations\nboosted demand for Real Estate Insights services.\n\nThe segment’s other businesses also continued their steady growth and\ncontributed positively to profitability. Revenue in the Mobility business unit\nincreased by 5.0% to MEUR 9.9. Revenue in the Insights business grew by 1.1%,\nwhile licence-based recurring revenue continued to increase. In Comparison\nServices, revenue went up by 25.3%, driven by the Effortia acquisition.\n\nRevenue in Alma News Media increased by 1.2% to MEUR 27.8. Excluding divested\nbusinesses, revenue increase was 2.6%. Digital business accounted for 65.3%\n(63.9%) of the segment’s revenue. Advertising revenue increased by 3.8% to\nMEUR 13.0 (12.6).\n\nAdjusted operating profit increased by 20.6% to MEUR 5.6, corresponding to the\nsegment’s record-high margin of 20.0% (16.8%). Growth in digital content and\ndigital advertising revenue more than offset the continued decline in\nprint-related business.\n\nThe number of digital subscriptions developed to 239,000, demonstrating the\ncontinued strength of our content brands and our ability to attract and retain\ndigital subscribers.\n\nAI and data capabilities strengthen competitiveness\n\nSucceeding requires strategic flexibility, continuous renewal and the ability\nto stay at the forefront of development. We invest systematically in\ntechnology, data and capabilities across our businesses. AI is increasingly\nintegrated into everyday workflows, supporting productivity, customer\nexperience and commercial efficiency while creating new opportunities to\nenhance customer value.\n\nAI and data are becoming increasingly important sources of competitive\nadvantage. As AI reshapes how customers discover information, products and\nservices, success depends on access to high-quality data, trusted brands and\ndeep domain expertise. Alma’s strong market positions, data assets and\ntechnology capabilities provide a solid foundation for creating customer value\nin an increasingly AI-driven environment.\n\nOur long-term investments in data support the effective use of AI across the\nGroup. Growth in logged-in users and deeper customer engagement strengthen\npersonalisation, customer insights and the relevance of our services,\nsupporting long-term profitable growth.\n\nKai Telanne\nPresident and CEO\n\nOperating environment\n\nAs the Group’s main operating countries are dependent on foreign trade,\nuncertainty related to global trade and geopolitical developments may affect\nAlma Media’s operating environment.\n\nAccording to the European Commission’s Spring 2026 Economic Forecast, EU\neconomic growth is expected to be 1.1%, inflation 3.1% and the unemployment\nrate 6.0% in 2026. The forecast estimates that economic growth in Finland will\npick up to 0.8% in 2026. Inflation is expected to increase to 2.4%, while the\nunemployment rate is forecast to rise to 10.1%.\n\nIn addition to Finland, Alma Media’s main markets are Czechia and Slovakia\nin Central Europe, as well as Croatia in Southern Europe. According to the\nCommission’s forecast, GDP growth in 2026 is expected to be 1.8% in Czechia,\n0.8% in Slovakia and 2.7% in Croatia. The unemployment rates are estimated at\n3.1% in Czechia, 5.7% in Slovakia and 4.8% in Croatia.\n\nThe most recent indicators suggest that Finland’s economic recovery is\ngaining momentum. Preliminary national accounts data indicate that a turning\npoint has been reached, supported by improving export prospects and\nstrengthening business confidence. While these developments provide a more\npositive outlook for economic activity, their impact on customer demand has so\nfar remained limited. Elevated unemployment and lingering uncertainty continue\nto weigh on household confidence and spending.\n\nOutlook for 2026\n\nAlma Media expects its full-year revenue of 2026 to remain at the 2025 level\nand the adjusted operating profit to grow. The full-year revenue for 2025 was\nMEUR 327.1 and the adjusted operating profit was MEUR 82.1.\n\nBackground for the outlook\n\nThe outlook is based on an assessment according to which economic conditions\nin the Company’s main market areas are expected to remain broadly unchanged,\ndespite positive signals have been seen in the market. Uncertainty in the\nmarkets is expected to continue. Fluctuations in the global economy may affect\nmarket development.\n\nThe operating environment in Finland remained mixed, although economic\nindicators continued to show signs of a gradual recovery. Consumer confidence\nremained subdued but is expected to strengthen gradually, supporting a broader\nrecovery in demand. The Group’s business diversification across multiple\ngeographical markets and different business areas, together with systematic\ncost management, stabilises the Company’s operations even in challenging\nmarket conditions.\n\nMarket situation in the main markets in Finland\n\nMarket development in the automotive industry\n\nAccording to the Finnish Information Centre of the Automobile Sector, first\nregistrations of new passenger cars increased by 0.7% from 19,955 to 20,053\nvehicles in April–June 2026. Rechargeable vehicles continued to account for\nmore than 60% of new passenger car registrations. The registrations of fully\nelectric vehicles remained on a strong growth trajectory.\n\nUsed passenger car sales declined 1.5% in H1, with dealer sales down 0.8% and\nprivate transactions down 2.1%.\n\nMarket development in housing\n\nAccording to the Confederation of Real Estate Agencies in Finland, housing\ntransaction volumes remained weak during April–June 2026. The volume of\ntransactions in old dwellings totalled 11,990, representing a decrease of\n17.1% compared with the previous year. Sales of new residential properties\nremained exceptionally subdued, totalling 339 units and 25.7% lower than in\nthe previous year.\n\nOversupply in the owner-occupied housing market, particularly in smaller\napartments, continues, while the recovery of the housing market remains\ngradual. In the rental market, abundant supply continues to restrain rent\nincreases.\n\nMarket development in the media business\n\nAccording to Fifty5Blue, the volume of media advertising decreased by 4.5% in\nJanuary–June 2026 compared with the corresponding period last year. Online\nmedia (+3.5%), out-of-home advertising (+3.6%) and radio (+1.4%) grew, while\nprint media, television and cinema advertising declined.\n\nBy sector, advertising expenditure increased most in finance and cosmetics,\nwhereas telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, clothing, and oil and energy\nrecorded the largest declines.\n\nAlma Media’s reach in Finland\n\nAlma Media reaches a broad audience through its digital ser-vices in Finland,\nits primary market. During the second quarter, the Group’s services\nattracted on average 3.1 million weekly visitors (+2.6% vs. prior year).\nSession frequency, meaning how often users return to our services, averaged\n17.1 sessions per user per week, reflecting our services’ ability to engage\nusers and deliver sustained value to both advertisers and end users. ¹\n\n¹ Finnish Internet Audience Measurement (FIAM)\n\nMore information:\nKai Telanne, President and CEO, tel. +358 (0)10 665 3500\nTaru Lehtinen, CFO, tel. +358 (0)10 665 3609\n\nNews conference and live webcast\n\nAlma Media will publish its Half-Year Report for 1 January–30 June 2026 on\nWednesday, 12 August 2026 approximately at 8.00 (EEST). A combined analyst,\ninvestor and media conference and webcast will be held in English by President\n& CEO Kai Telanne and CFO Taru Lehtinen at 11.00–12.00.\n\nThe conference will be arranged in the Alma House (address: Alvar Aallon katu\n3 C, Helsinki). To participate in the conference in Alma House, we kindly ask\nyou to register in advance by e-mail to: kutsut@almamedia.fi.\n\nThe live webcast can be followed via\nhttps://almamedia.events.inderes.com/q2-2026/register. Questions can be asked\nthrough the webcast chat function.\n\nAn on-demand version of the webcast and the presentation material will be\navailable on the company’s website on the same day\nhttps://www.almamedia.fi/en/investors/reports-and-presentations/presentations/.\n\nAlma Media’s financial calendar 2026\n* Interim Report for January–September 2026 on Thursday, 29 October 2026 at\napproximately 8:00 a.m. EET\n\nALMA MEDIA CORPORATION\n\nBoard of Directors\n\n\nDistribution: NASDAQ Helsinki, main media, www.almamedia.fi/en\n\n\nAlma Media in brief\n\nAlma Media is an international company of digital media, marketplaces and\nservices with a strong capacity for renewal. We inspire human curiosity and\nchoice by creating services that combine technology and content with a local\nheart. In Finland, our best-known brands include Kauppalehti, Talouselämä,\nIltalehti, Jobly, Etuovi.com, Nettiauto and Nettimoto. Our recruitment\nservices include prace.cz and jobs.cz in Czechia, Profesia.sk in Slovakia and\nmojposao.net in Croatia.\n\nIn Finland, our business operations include leading housing and automotive\nmarketplaces, financial and professional media, national consumer media and\ncontent and data services for businesses and professionals. Alma Media's\ninternational business in Eastern Central Europe, Sweden and the Baltic\ncountries consists of recruitment services and an online marketplace for\ncommercial properties.\n\nAlma Media operates in 10 countries in Europe and employs approximately 1,650\nprofessionals. Alma Media's revenue from continuing operations was EUR 327\nmillion in 2025 of which the share of digital business was 86%. Alma Media's\nshare is listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. Read more at www.almamedia.fi/en/\n\nhttps://news.cision.com/alma-media/r/alma-media-s-half-year-report-january-june-2026--strong-profitability-with-all-segments-improving-re%2Cc4382136\n\nAlmaMediaCorporation_HalfYearReport2026\n(https://mb.cision.com/Main/11209/4382136/4215492.pdf)\n\n\n\n(c) Cision 2026"},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-08-12T05:00:07.741024123Z","server_sent_at_ms":1786510807741},"received_at":"2026-08-12T05:00:07.889Z","source_url":"https://news.cision.com/alma-media/r/alma-media-s-half-year-report-january-june-2026--strong-profitability-with-all-segments-improving-re%2Cc4382136"},"analysis":{"id":"105197","press_release_id":"116205","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Media","sector":"Communication Services"},"redFlags":[],"eventType":"earnings","narrative":"Alma Media reported solid first-half results with revenue rising 4.9% year-over-year to MEUR 171.0 and operating profit jumping 22% to MEUR 44.5.\n\nAll three segments—Alma Career, Alma Marketplaces, and Alma News Media—delivered improved profitability, with Alma Marketplaces achieving a 34.6% adjusted operating margin.\n\nThe company reduced net debt by 21.1% to MEUR 125.1 and reiterated its full-year outlook, expecting revenue to remain stable while adjusted operating profit grows.","sentiment":"bullish","agentHooks":{"shouldPost":true,"suggestedAngle":"Double-digit profit growth and margin expansion across all segments offset mixed Finnish market conditions."},"keyFigures":{"eps":0.41,"revenue":171000000,"guidance":"Full-year 2026 revenue to remain at 2025 level (MEUR 327.1), adjusted operating profit to grow","revenueYoy":"4.9%","customDimensions":{"q2_eps":0.22,"net_debt":125100000,"q2_revenue":87900000,"q2_revenue_yoy":"5.0%","adjusted_ebitda":52300000,"q2_operating_profit":24200000,"digital_business_share_h1":"86.5%","q2_adjusted_operating_profit":24400000}},"quotedText":"The improvement in profitability demonstrates that the execution of our strategy is progressing in line with our long-term financial targets.","namedEntities":{"people":[{"name":"Kai Telanne","role":"President and CEO"},{"name":"Taru Lehtinen","role":"CFO"}],"products":["Kauppalehti","Talouselämä","Iltalehti","Jobly","Etuovi.com","Nettiauto","Nettimoto","prace.cz","jobs.cz","Profesia.sk","mojposao.net","Alma Career","Alma Marketplaces","Alma News Media"],"companies":[{"name":"Alma Media Corporation","ticker":"ALMAC"},{"name":"NASDAQ Helsinki","relationship":"exchange"}],"dollarAmounts":[{"amount":"MEUR 171.0","context":"H1 2026 Revenue"},{"amount":"MEUR 87.9","context":"Q2 2026 Revenue"},{"amount":"MEUR 44.5","context":"H1 2026 Operating Profit"},{"amount":"MEUR 125.1","context":"Net Debt"},{"amount":"MEUR 327.1","context":"FY 2025 Revenue comparison"}]},"materialImpact":{"score":4,"reasoning":"Strong profitability with all segments improving results; H1 operating profit increased 22% and EPS rose nearly 30%. Management maintained full-year guidance for profit growth amidst a mixed macro environment."},"tickerRelevance":{"others":[],"primary":"ALMAC"},"globalImportance":25,"audienceRelevance":20,"eventTypeSecondary":["guidance_update"],"importanceComponents":{"tickerTier":"small-mid-cap","eventGravity":"earnings","sectorWeight":"media","geographicRelevance":"Europe/Nordic"}},"event_type":"earnings","event_type_secondary":["guidance_update"],"sentiment":"bullish","material_impact_score":4,"narrative":"Alma Media reported solid first-half results with revenue rising 4.9% year-over-year to MEUR 171.0 and operating profit jumping 22% to MEUR 44.5.\n\nAll three segments—Alma Career, Alma Marketplaces, and Alma News Media—delivered improved profitability, with Alma Marketplaces achieving a 34.6% adjusted operating margin.\n\nThe company reduced net debt by 21.1% to MEUR 125.1 and reiterated its full-year outlook, expecting revenue to remain stable while adjusted operating profit grows.","key_figures":{"eps":0.41,"revenue":171000000,"guidance":"Full-year 2026 revenue to remain at 2025 level (MEUR 327.1), adjusted operating profit to grow","revenueYoy":"4.9%","customDimensions":{"q2_eps":0.22,"net_debt":125100000,"q2_revenue":87900000,"q2_revenue_yoy":"5.0%","adjusted_ebitda":52300000,"q2_operating_profit":24200000,"digital_business_share_h1":"86.5%","q2_adjusted_operating_profit":24400000}},"named_entities":{"people":[{"name":"Kai Telanne","role":"President and CEO"},{"name":"Taru Lehtinen","role":"CFO"}],"products":["Kauppalehti","Talouselämä","Iltalehti","Jobly","Etuovi.com","Nettiauto","Nettimoto","prace.cz","jobs.cz","Profesia.sk","mojposao.net","Alma Career","Alma Marketplaces","Alma News Media"],"companies":[{"name":"Alma Media Corporation","ticker":"ALMAC"},{"name":"NASDAQ Helsinki","relationship":"exchange"}],"dollarAmounts":[{"amount":"MEUR 171.0","context":"H1 2026 Revenue"},{"amount":"MEUR 87.9","context":"Q2 2026 Revenue"},{"amount":"MEUR 44.5","context":"H1 2026 Operating Profit"},{"amount":"MEUR 125.1","context":"Net Debt"},{"amount":"MEUR 327.1","context":"FY 2025 Revenue comparison"}]},"model_name":"glm-4.7","prompt_hash":"sha256:727b4b9429a443af","schema_hash":"sha256:05005c02d9cffac9","created_at":"2026-08-12T05:05:01.211Z","global_importance":25,"audience_relevance":20,"importance_components":{"tickerTier":"small-mid-cap","eventGravity":"earnings","sectorWeight":"media","geographicRelevance":"Europe/Nordic"}},"durationMs":293305,"modelName":"glm-4.7"}}