Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (LSE:BMY) said trading has been in line with market forecasts in the first four months of its financial year.
In a statement ahead of its annual shareholder meeting, the consumer and academic publisher said sales since the start of March were up 9% on the same period last year, which it said maintained the momentum from its record performance.
Recent bestsellers in the consumer division included The Earth Transformed by Peter Frankopan, Trespasses by Louise Kennedy, A Day of Fallen Night and The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, as well as ongoing success for Harry Potter and the Sarah J. Maas series.
In non-consumer, continued growth was reported for Bloomsbury Digital Resources (BDR), which was said to reflect the ongoing shift to greater digital learning.
“The board remains confident in Bloomsbury's ability to continue to deliver long-term success, with significant financial resources available to invest in organic growth and further company acquisitions. Global diversification across channels and markets continues to serve us well and further underpins our positive outlook,” the company said.
Current analyst consensus for the year to 29 February 2024 is for revenue of £273.1mln and profit before taxation and highlighted items of £32.5mln, according to the company’s calculations.