Alma Media Oyj

Ilkka Group reported a 52% increase in first-half pretax profit to 4,827 thousand euros, driven by higher net finance income and a one-time gain from an associate's divestment, even as revenue slipped 2.8% to 18,597 thousand euros and adjusted operating profit from own operations swung to a loss of 676 thousand euros. The April–June quarter saw pretax profit rise to 5,192 thousand euros from 4,540 thousand euros a year earlier, while revenue fell 3.4% to 9,397 thousand euros and adjusted operating profit turned negative at -340 thousand euros. Net finance income for the half-year was 5,081 thousand euros, including 4,317 thousand euros in dividends from Alma Media shares, and the share of associates' results jumped to 1,840 thousand euros, boosted by a roughly 1,000-thousand-euro gain from Arena Partners' sale of Arena Interactive. The company maintained a strong financial position with an equity ratio of 89.3% and a net gearing ratio of -8.7%, and it reiterated its full-year outlook for continuing operations revenue to remain at the prior-year level while adjusted operating profit is expected to decline.