Core Insights - The segment profits of the group that publishes The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, and Barron's increased by 10% [1] Financial Performance - The group reported a 10% rise in segment profits, indicating strong financial performance in its publishing operations [1]

Group 1 - News Corp exceeded Wall Street revenue estimates for the first quarter [1] - Growth was primarily driven by the Dow Jones and digital real estate services segments [1]

Financial Performance - Total revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 was $2.14 billion, a 2% increase from $2.10 billion in the prior year, driven by growth in Dow Jones and Digital Real Estate Services segments[8]. - Net income from continuing operations was $150 million, a 1% increase compared to $149 million in the prior year, with Total Segment EBITDA rising 5% to $340 million[5]. - Adjusted EPS increased to $0.22 from $0.20 in the prior year, while reported EPS from continuing operations decreased to $0.20 from $0.21[12]. - Net income attributable to News Corporation stockholders for the three months ended September 30, 2025, was $112 million, a decrease of 5.9% from $119 million in the prior year[46]. - Net income from continuing operations for Q3 2025 was $150 million, a marginal increase of 1% from $149 million in Q3 2024[55]. - Adjusted net income for Q1 Fiscal 2026 was $122 million, compared to $117 million in Q1 Fiscal 2025, resulting in adjusted EPS of $0.22 versus $0.20[65]. Revenue Segments - Dow Jones revenues increased by 6% to $586 million, supported by a 16% growth in Risk & Compliance revenues[15]. - Digital Real Estate Services revenues rose 5% to $479 million, with Move's revenues increasing 9% to $152 million, marking the highest quarterly growth since Q2 fiscal 2022[20][23]. - Book Publishing segment revenues decreased by 2% to $534 million, impacted by a $13 million write-off of a customer receivable[24][26]. - News Media revenues increased by 1% to $545 million, driven by higher circulation and subscription revenues[27]. - Adjusted Revenues for Q3 2025 were $2,128 million, up 2% from $2,092 million in Q3 2024[59]. - Dow Jones segment reported Adjusted Revenues of $579 million, a 5% increase from $552 million in Q3 2024[61]. - Digital Real Estate Services segment saw Adjusted Revenues rise by 7% to $485 million from $455 million in Q3 2024[61]. - Book Publishing segment's Adjusted Revenues decreased by 4% to $522 million from $546 million in Q3 2024[61]. - News Media segment reported Adjusted Revenues of $542 million, a slight increase of 1% from $539 million in Q3 2024[61]. Cash Flow and Expenses - Free cash flow improved to $4 million from $(49) million in the prior year, primarily due to higher cash provided by operating activities[32]. - Operating expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2025, were $941 million, a decrease of 1.2% compared to $952 million in the prior year[46]. - The company reported a net cash used in financing activities from continuing operations of $179 million for the three months ended September 30, 2025, compared to $109 million in the prior year[52]. Digital and Advertising Performance - Digital revenues accounted for 68% of total advertising revenues, with a 2% increase in digital advertising offset by a 4% decrease in print advertising[18]. - Digital subscribers at News Corp Australia reached 1,162,000 as of September 30, 2025, up from 1,127,000 in the prior year, representing a growth of 3.1%[35]. - The Times and Sunday Times closing digital subscribers increased to 640,000, compared to 600,000 in the prior year, reflecting a growth of 6.7%[35]. - Advertising revenues for Q1 Fiscal 2026 were $317 million, a slight decrease from $321 million in Q1 Fiscal 2025, showing a 1% decline[69]. Asset and Cash Position - Cash and cash equivalents as of September 30, 2025, were $2,198 million, down from $2,403 million as of June 30, 2025, indicating a decrease of 8.5%[49]. - Total assets as of September 30, 2025, were $15,343 million, a decrease from $15,504 million as of June 30, 2025, reflecting a decline of 1.0%[49]. Currency Impact - The impact of foreign currency fluctuations on revenues was a decrease of $4 million in Q3 2025 compared to the previous year[59]. - Constant currency revenues for total revenues in Q1 Fiscal 2026 showed a 2% increase compared to the previous year, indicating stable performance despite foreign currency fluctuations[68]. - The company emphasizes the importance of constant currency revenues for assessing core business performance, excluding the impact of currency volatility[67].

Core Viewpoint - Wall Street analysts anticipate a decline in News Corp.'s quarterly earnings and revenues, indicating potential challenges for the company in the upcoming report [1]. Financial Performance Expectations - Analysts expect News Corp. to report quarterly earnings of $0.18 per share, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 14.3% [1]. - Revenue projections stand at $2.11 billion, down 18.1% from the same quarter last year [1]. - The consensus EPS estimate has remained unchanged over the past 30 days, indicating a reassessment of initial projections by analysts [1]. Revenue by Product Estimates - 'Revenues by Product (GAAP) - Dow Jones' is expected to reach $586.05 million, a 6.2% increase from the prior year [4]. - 'Revenues by Product (GAAP) - Book Publishing' is projected at $530.29 million, showing a decline of 2.9% from the previous year [4]. - 'Revenues by Product (GAAP) - Digital Real Estate Services' is estimated at $473.39 million, reflecting a 3.6% increase year-over-year [5]. - 'Revenues by Product (GAAP) - News Media' is expected to be $522.49 million, indicating a slight increase of 0.3% from the year-ago quarter [5]. EBITDA Estimates - 'EBITDA - Dow Jones' is projected to be $144.07 million, up from $131.00 million in the same quarter last year [6]. - 'EBITDA - News Media' is expected to reach $16.34 million, slightly up from $16.00 million year-over-year [6]. - 'EBITDA - Book Publishing' is estimated at $69.29 million, down from $81.00 million in the previous year [7]. - 'EBITDA - Digital Real Estate Services' is projected at $158.62 million, an increase from $140.00 million in the same quarter last year [7]. Stock Performance - News Corp. shares have decreased by 5.8% over the past month, contrasting with a 1% increase in the Zacks S&P 500 composite [7]. - The company holds a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), indicating expectations of underperformance relative to the overall market in the near term [7].

Core Insights - News Corporation (NWSA) is expected to report first-quarter fiscal 2026 results on November 6, with revenues projected at $2.11 billion, reflecting an 18.06% decline year-over-year. Earnings per share are estimated to be 18 cents, indicating a 14.29% decrease from the previous year [1][7]. Financial Performance - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates a mixed earnings surprise history for News Corp, with one earnings beat, one miss, and one match in the last four quarters, resulting in an average surprise of 5.18% [2]. - The company's current Earnings ESP is 0.00%, and it holds a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell), suggesting low odds for an earnings beat this time [6]. Segment Analysis - The News Media segment is anticipated to be negatively impacted by ongoing advertising softness, with a 4% revenue decline year-over-year in the previous quarter due to weaker ad demand and lower audience engagement [3]. - Factiva's customer disputes are expected to continue affecting performance, potentially limiting B2B growth and slowing subscription renewals, which could hurt profitability [4]. Positive Developments - The success of Move's product enhancements and pricing strategies is likely to have positively influenced News Corp's performance, with previous quarters showing revenue improvement driven by premium listing products and partnerships [5].

Core Insights - Brave Bison, a London-listed marketing group backed by Rupert Murdoch and Lord Ashcroft, has made a £50 million offer to acquire M&C Performance, a division of M&C Saatchi [1][2] - M&C Performance specializes in media planning and buying across digital channels, which is a significant growth area in the marketing industry [1] - The acquisition would involve issuing new stock and utilizing Brave Bison's debt facilities [3] Company Developments - M&C Performance's clients include major companies like Amazon and Meta [2] - Brave Bison has been active in acquisitions, having purchased five other businesses this year, including MiniMBA and Engage [2][3] - Brave Bison's market capitalization is approximately £82 million, while M&C Saatchi's market capitalization is around £160 million, reflecting a decline of 22% in M&C Saatchi's stock over the year [3][5] Strategic Context - The acquisition aligns with Brave Bison's strategic realignment and improvement in performance since the Green brothers took over in 2020 [4] - News Corporation's investment in Brave Bison earlier this year indicates a strengthening of its influencer marketing capabilities [4] - The market capitalization of M&C Saatchi has significantly decreased from over £300 million three years ago, highlighting the challenges faced by the company [4]

Core Insights - News Corporation (NWSA) is valued at $15.1 billion and operates as a global media and information services company, distributing content across various platforms including newspapers, digital media, book publishing, and subscription video services [1] Financial Performance - NWSA is set to report its first-quarter results on November 6, with analysts expecting an adjusted EPS of $0.18, a decrease of 14.3% from $0.21 in the same quarter last year [2] - For the full fiscal year 2026, NWSA is projected to achieve an adjusted EPS of $0.97, reflecting a 9% increase from $0.89 in fiscal 2025, with further growth expected in fiscal 2027 to $1.21 per share, a 24.7% year-over-year increase [3] Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, NWSA stock has seen a marginal increase of 64 basis points, significantly underperforming the Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF Fund (XLC) which surged 27.5% and the S&P 500 Index which returned 18.3% [4] - Following the release of better-than-expected Q4 results on August 5, NWSA's stock prices increased by 48 basis points, despite a notable drop in revenues from book publishing and news media segments [5] Analyst Ratings - Analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating for NWSA, with 8 out of 10 analysts recommending "Strong Buy," 1 "Hold," and 1 "Strong Sell." The mean price target of $39.10 indicates a potential upside of 46.6% from current levels [6]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses a dinner hosted by President Trump at the White House with Rupert Murdoch and key figures from his media empire, despite an ongoing defamation lawsuit involving Murdoch's Wall Street Journal reporting on Trump [1][4]. Group 1: Dinner Details - The dinner took place at the White House and included notable guests such as Murdoch's wife, Elena Zhukova, and various editors and executives from Murdoch's media outlets [2]. - The group reportedly enjoyed chicken and gravy during the dinner [3]. Group 2: Legal Context - The dinner occurred shortly before Trump's legal team filed a response to Murdoch's lawyers, who requested the dismissal of Trump's defamation lawsuit [4]. - The lawsuit is a significant deviation from the generally supportive relationship between Trump and Murdoch's media outlets, which have historically promoted Trump's policies [4]. Group 3: Background of the Dispute - The defamation lawsuit stems from a July 17 report by the Wall Street Journal, which claimed that Trump had sent a risqué birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein, a former associate [5]. - At the time of the letter, Trump was friends with Epstein, but their relationship soured later on [5].

Core Viewpoint - Major news publishers are facing lawsuits from Rich Media Club LLC, which claims that they are infringing on its patents related to online advertising tools [1][2][15]. Group 1: Legal Context - Rich Media Club has filed lawsuits against prominent publishers including Comcast, Guardian Media Group, Gannett, News Corp's UK publishing arm, and MediaNews Group [1]. - The lawsuits come at a time when web publishers are experiencing declining search traffic and a volatile advertising market, with potential legal costs exceeding $1 million for each publisher [2]. - Legal experts suggest that these lawsuits exhibit characteristics of a "patent troll," targeting end users rather than technology companies [3][4]. Group 2: Rich Media Club's Background - Rich Media Club was established in 2002 as an IP holding company for patents related to its adtech arm, RealVu, which focuses on ad viewability technologies [11]. - The company holds several US patents for ad viewability solutions, including "ad refreshing" and "lazy loading," which are commonly used by publishers to enhance user experience [12][14]. Group 3: Patent Enforcement and Legal Strategy - Rich Media Club has initiated a patent enforcement campaign since 2022, previously suing Duration Media for similar patent infringements [17]. - The company is seeking damages from the publishers, claiming lost profits or a "reasonable royalty" to be determined at trial [16]. - Rich Media Club prefers to enter licensing agreements rather than pursue litigation, although it has indicated a willingness to file further lawsuits if necessary [22]. Group 4: Industry Implications - The current trend of elevated refusals to institute inter partes reviews (IPRs) by the USPTO may lead to an increase in patent troll cases, as companies find it more challenging to contest patents [20][21].

Core Insights - Deepfakes and AI-generated information are increasingly threatening companies and their executives [1] - News Corp's CEO Robert Thomson emphasizes the need for practices to mitigate these risks [1] - The role of technology and media companies is crucial in addressing the challenges posed by deepfakes [1] Group 1 - The rise of deepfakes presents a significant risk to corporate integrity and executive reputation [1] - Companies must adopt proactive measures to reduce the impact of misinformation generated by AI [1] - Collaboration among tech and media firms is essential to develop effective solutions against deepfake threats [1]