Lagardere sets Q3 publishing sales record at €836 million
Lagardere has set a new third-quarter record for its book business, with publishing sales of €836 million. The group announced the figure on 15 October 2026, up 3% on the same quarter last year Publishers Marketplace.
On a like-for-like basis, sales rose 1%. That measure strips out currency moves and acquisitions to compare the same businesses year on year. A year ago, third-quarter publishing sales were €811 million.
Currency helped the headline number. The rebound of the US dollar and pound sterling produced a €5 million positive effect. Part of the increase also came from the acquisition of Kogan Page in the spring.
English and Spanish-language books drove the growth. In the United States, sales grew 4% in the quarter.
Short and steady. That is the story in the underlying 1% rise, rather than a sharp jump in demand.
Kogan Page, a publisher of business books, joined via Hachette UK. The deal was signed on 30 April 2026 Hachette. It includes the company's US operation and adds about 1,000 titles to Hachette's UK group Publishers Weekly.
The comparison with last year was demanding. In the third quarter of 2025, Lagardère Publishing revenue was up 5.9% as reported and 6.6% like-for-like year on year.
Books sit inside a much larger group. Lagardère employs more than 33,000 people and generated revenue of €9,353 million in 2025.
For bookshops and readers, the detail matters more than the record. Currency and a new imprint lifted the total, while sales in the core business moved forward by a smaller step.
