Axel Springer first quarter core profit rises on classified ads

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Axel Springer, publisher of Europe's best-selling tabloid Bild, said classified ads lifted its first-quarter results and stuck to its forecast of moderate growth in sales and profits for this year. Sales grew 12.7 percent and core profit 1.2 percent, driven by ads for jobs and real estate on Web portals that Springer has acquired in a drive to digitize and internationalize its business, balancing out weaker circulation revenues. First-quarter earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), excluding special items, rose to 119.8 million euros ($136.13 million), below the average in a Reuters poll. (Reporting by Harro ten Wolde; Editing by Maria Sheahan)