News Corp’s (NASDAQ:NWSA) Q3: Beats On Revenue

Core Insights - News Corp reported Q3 CY2025 results that exceeded Wall Street's revenue expectations, with sales increasing by 2.3% year-on-year to $2.14 billion and a GAAP profit of $0.20 per share, which was 9.4% above analysts' consensus estimates [1][6]. Company Overview - News Corp, established in 2013 after a restructuring, is a multinational conglomerate involved in news publishing, broadcasting, digital media, and book publishing [3]. Revenue Growth - Despite a modest year-on-year revenue growth of 2.3%, News Corp's long-term performance has been inconsistent, with total sales of $8.5 billion for the trailing 12 months being close to its revenue five years ago, indicating lower quality business performance [4][6]. - Over the last two years, News Corp's revenue has declined by 5.1% annually, reflecting suppressed demand within the consumer discretionary sector [5]. Quarterly Performance - The company reported revenue of $2.14 billion, surpassing analyst estimates of $2.10 billion, and an EPS of $0.20 compared to the expected $0.18 [6]. - Adjusted EBITDA was $347 million, exceeding estimates of $331.6 million, with a margin of 16.2% [6]. - Operating margin improved significantly to 56.1%, up from 10.2% in the same quarter last year, and free cash flow turned positive at $4 million, compared to a negative $31 million in the same quarter last year [6]. Segment Performance - News Corp's revenue breakdown shows that its three key segments—Dow Jones, News Media, and Book Publishing—contributed 27.3%, 24.9%, and 25.4% of total revenue, respectively [7]. - Dow Jones and Book Publishing segments averaged year-on-year growth of 4.3% and 3.3%, while News Media experienced an average decline of 2.6% [7]. Future Outlook - Analysts project a revenue growth of 2.8% over the next 12 months, indicating expectations for improved performance from newer products and services, although this remains below the average for the sector [8].