Board Reaffirms Unanimous Support for the Hearst Merger and the Certain and Significant Cash Premium It Will Deliver for ShareholdersDALLAS, Aug. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DallasNews Corporation (Nasdaq: DALN) (the “Company” or “DallasNews”), the holding company of The Dallas Morning News and Medium Giant, announced today that its Board of Directors (the “Board”), following consultation with the Company’s legal and financial advisors, reviewed and rejected the revised, non-binding proposal (the “Revised ...

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of liquidity in assessing a company's ability to meet debt obligations and suggests that companies with adequate liquidity can drive business growth and deliver higher returns [1][2][3] Group 1: Liquidity Measures - Current Ratio: A measure of current assets relative to current liabilities, with an ideal range of 1-3 indicating a healthy balance [4] - Quick Ratio: Indicates a company's ability to pay short-term obligations, with a desirable ratio of more than 1 [5] - Cash Ratio: The most conservative measure, focusing on cash and cash equivalents relative to current liabilities, with a ratio greater than 1 being desirable but potentially indicating inefficiency [6] Group 2: Screening Parameters - Asset Utilization: A measure of efficiency, calculated as total sales over the last 12 months divided by the average total assets, with a higher ratio than the industry average indicating efficiency [7] - Growth Score: A proprietary measure added to ensure that liquid and efficient stocks have solid growth potential, with a score of A or B indicating better performance [8] Group 3: Stock Recommendations - The New York Times Company (NYT): Reported second-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share of 58 cents, exceeding estimates, with total revenues of $685.9 million, a 9.7% year-over-year increase [11][12] - Dillard's, Inc. (DDS): Reported second-quarter 2025 net sales of $1.5 billion, up 1.6% year over year, with adjusted earnings per share of $4.66, surpassing estimates by 23% [14][15] - Newmont Corporation (NEM): Achieved second-quarter revenues of approximately $5.32 billion, a 20.8% increase from the prior year, driven by higher gold prices [17][18] - Frontdoor, Inc. (FTDR): Reported revenues of $617 million for the last quarter, a 14% year-over-year increase, with a gross margin expansion of 130 basis points to 58% [20][21]

Core Points - DallasNews Corporation is proposing a merger with Hearst, offering shareholders an all-cash consideration of $15 per share, which represents a 242% premium over the closing price of $4.39 on July 9, 2025 [1][4][8] - The Board of Directors unanimously supports the merger, emphasizing its potential to provide immediate liquidity and eliminate ownership risks for shareholders [2][4][7] - Shareholders are encouraged to vote "FOR" the merger at the special meeting scheduled for September 23, 2025, to secure the proposed cash premium [1][19][20] Company Overview - DallasNews Corporation is the holding company for The Dallas Morning News and Medium Giant, known for its strong journalistic reputation and community ties [20] - The Dallas Morning News has received nine Pulitzer Prizes, highlighting its commitment to quality journalism [20] - Medium Giant is recognized for its marketing excellence, having won several industry awards in 2024 [20] Merger Details - The merger with Hearst is positioned as a significant opportunity for DallasNews shareholders to realize immediate value and avoid market risks associated with public company ownership [7][12] - Hearst's offer is backed by its strong reputation in the media industry and financial capacity, providing assurance for the completion of the transaction [8][9] - The merger proposal requires approval from shareholders, with a two-thirds majority needed from both Series A and Series B Common Stock [19] Shareholder Communication - The Board has communicated the importance of the merger to shareholders, highlighting the risks of remaining a standalone public company if the merger is not approved [11][12] - DallasNews' largest shareholder, Mr. Robert W. Decherd, has publicly expressed his support for the merger and his commitment to preserving the legacy of DallasNews [10][13] - Shareholders are advised to disregard any competing proposals, particularly from Alden Global Capital, which has a controversial history in the newspaper industry [14][15][16]

Core Viewpoint - New York Times Co. (NYT) is experiencing solid improvement in earnings estimates, which is expected to positively impact its stock price momentum [1][2]. Estimate Revisions - The trend in estimate revisions reflects growing analyst optimism regarding the earnings prospects of New York Times, which is likely to influence its stock price positively [2]. - For the current quarter, the earnings estimate is $0.54 per share, representing a 20.0% increase from the previous year [6]. - Over the last 30 days, two estimates have been revised upward with no negative revisions, leading to a 10.2% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter [6]. - For the full year, the expected earnings are $2.28 per share, indicating a 13.4% increase from the prior year [7]. - The consensus estimate for the current year has also increased by 6.16% due to three upward revisions and no negative changes [7][8]. Zacks Rank - New York Times has achieved a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating favorable estimate revisions that suggest strong potential for stock performance [9]. - The Zacks Rank system has a proven track record, with Zacks 1 (Strong Buy) and 2 (Buy) stocks significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [9]. Stock Performance - New York Times shares have increased by 6.7% over the past four weeks, reflecting investor confidence in its earnings growth prospects [10].

Financial Performance - Q3 FY2025 - Total operating revenue reached $141 million, a decrease of 6% year-over-year (YoY), or 5% on a same-store basis[13] - Total digital revenue amounted to $78 million, reflecting a 4% YoY increase[13] - Print revenue totaled $63 million, experiencing a 15% decline[13] - Adjusted EBITDA stood at $15 million, showing a 1% YoY growth[14] - Total cash costs were $128 million, a reduction of 7% YoY[14] Digital Revenue Growth - Digital-only subscription revenue was $23 million, up by 13% YoY, or 16% on a same-store basis[6] - Amplified Digital® Agency revenue reached $29 million, an increase of 9% YoY, or 10% on a same-store basis[6] - Digital advertising revenue was $49 million, a decrease of 2% YoY, or 1% on a same-store basis[6] - The company expects to drive more than $450 million of digital revenue by 2028[4] Strategic Initiatives and Outlook - The company is implementing a Three Pillar Digital Growth Strategy to transform from a print-centric to a digital-centric business[3] - The company anticipates YoY growth in the low single digits for both total digital revenue and adjusted EBITDA in the second half of FY25[24]

Core Insights - The New York Times Company (NYT) demonstrated solid performance in Q2 2025, with adjusted earnings per share of 58 cents, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 50 cents, and total revenues of $685.9 million, which surpassed the estimate of $669 million, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 9.7% [1][11] Subscription Performance - NYT added approximately 230,000 net digital-only subscribers in the quarter, bringing total subscribers to 11.88 million, with 11.30 million being digital-only [2][5] - Digital-only average revenue per user (ARPU) rose to $9.64 from $9.34 year-over-year, driven by subscribers moving from promotional pricing to higher rate plans [3] - Subscription revenues reached $481.4 million, a 9.6% increase year-over-year, with digital-only subscription revenues increasing by 15.1% to $350.4 million [4][5] Advertising Revenues - Total advertising revenues increased by 12.4% year-over-year to $134 million, with digital advertising revenues rising 18.7% to $94.4 million, while print advertising revenues slightly declined by 0.1% to $39.6 million [6][11] - For Q3, the company anticipates a low-to-mid-single-digit increase in total advertising revenues and a low-double-digit increase in digital advertising revenues [7] Other Revenue Streams - Affiliate, licensing, and other revenues grew by 5.8% year-over-year to $70.5 million, attributed to higher Wirecutter affiliate referral revenues [8] - Adjusted operating costs rose by 6.1% to $552.1 million, with expectations of a 5-6% increase in Q3 [8] Financial Health - The company ended the quarter with cash and marketable securities totaling $951.5 million, an increase of $39.7 million from the previous quarter [14] - NYT repurchased 460,136 shares of its Class A common stock for $23.6 million, with approximately $422.2 million remaining for further repurchases [15]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported nearly 10% year-over-year revenue growth, with adjusted operating profit (AOP) increasing approximately 28% and AOP margin expanding by about 280 basis points [14][18] - Free cash flow generated in the first half of the year was approximately $193 million, with $134 million returned to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends [15][16] - Adjusted diluted EPS in Q2 increased by $0.13 to $0.58, driven by higher operating profit and interest income [19] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Digital subscription revenue grew over 15% in the quarter, with total subscription revenues increasing approximately 10% to $481 million [6][18] - The company added 230,000 net new digital subscribers, bringing the total to approximately 11.9 million, with over 50% of subscribers now on bundled or multiple products [6][17] - Digital advertising revenues increased approximately 19% to $94 million, while total advertising revenues grew more than 12% to $134 million [10][18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company signed a multiyear deal with Amazon, marking its first agreement centered around generative AI, which is expected to expand its audience reach [11] - Affiliate, licensing, and other revenues increased approximately 6% to $70 million, with Wirecutter affiliate revenues performing well [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to continue growing its subscriber base to 15 million by 2027, focusing on enhancing product accessibility and value [29] - The strategy includes expanding video content and enhancing user engagement across various platforms [9][10] - The company is confident in its ability to navigate a dynamic market environment, emphasizing the importance of building direct relationships with its audience [12][13] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's positioning to grow despite challenges from big tech companies affecting traffic to publishers [12][44] - The company plans to maintain cost discipline while strategically investing in journalism and product experiences [12][20] - Future guidance includes expectations for continued revenue growth, AOP growth, margin expansion, and strong free cash flow generation [20] Other Important Information - The company is in the early stages of rolling out a new family plan subscription offering, which is expected to enhance subscriber retention and monetization [38] - The company will have only one reportable segment starting next quarter, streamlining its reporting structure [20] Q&A Session Summary Question: Advertising performance and key drivers - Management highlighted the broad marketer appeal of its portfolio, effective targeting with first-party data, and the introduction of new ad products as key drivers of advertising growth [23][24] Question: Amazon licensing deal specifics - The deal was described as providing fair value exchange and control over content use, aligning with the company's long-term strategy [25][26] Question: Subscriber growth towards 15 million - Management reiterated confidence in reaching the 15 million subscriber goal by 2027, citing persistent demand and a growing audience [28][29] Question: Bundle strategy progress - The achievement of 50% bundled subscribers was noted, with plans to continue driving bundle adoption as a growth catalyst [35][36] Question: Traffic headwinds from AI - Management acknowledged ongoing traffic challenges from AI but emphasized resilience through direct audience engagement strategies [44][45] Question: Promotional pricing strategy - The company maintains a consistent promotional pricing strategy to engage subscribers and drive bundle adoption [46][47] Question: AI licensing opportunities - Management expressed openness to future licensing deals, emphasizing the importance of fair value exchange and control over content [54][55]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported nearly 10% year-over-year revenue growth and approximately 28% growth in adjusted operating profit (AOP) with AOP margin expanding by about 280 basis points [13] - Free cash flow generated in the first half of the year was approximately $193 million, with about $134 million returned to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends [14][16] - Adjusted diluted EPS in Q2 increased by $0.13 to $0.58, primarily driven by higher operating profit and interest income [17] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Digital subscription revenue increased by over 15% in the quarter, with total subscription revenues growing approximately 10% to $481 million [6][16] - The company added 230,000 net new digital subscribers, bringing the total to approximately 11.9 million, with over 50% of subscribers now on bundled or multiple products [5][15] - Digital advertising revenues grew nearly 19% to $94 million, while total advertising revenues increased by approximately 12% to $134 million [9][16] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Affiliate, licensing, and other revenues increased approximately 6% to $70 million, with growth particularly noted in areas like gifts, apparel, and beauty at Wirecutter [10][17] - The company signed a multiyear deal with Amazon, marking its first agreement centered around generative AI, which is expected to enhance audience reach [10][32] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to continue growing its subscriber base to 15 million by 2027, focusing on enhancing product accessibility and value [29] - The strategy includes expanding video content to engage audiences more effectively, with a significant push in producing news videos and enhancing lifestyle product experiences [7][9] - The company remains confident in its ability to grow despite challenges from big tech companies affecting traffic to publishers, emphasizing the importance of direct relationships with audiences [11][12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's positioning to continue delivering revenue and profit growth, citing strong audience engagement and a disciplined investment approach [4][12] - The company anticipates healthy growth in revenues and AOP, margin expansion, and strong free cash flow generation for the full year [19] - Management acknowledged the challenges posed by AI technologies affecting traffic but emphasized resilience through a focus on essential journalism and audience engagement [44][59] Other Important Information - The company is in the early stages of rolling out a new family plan subscription offering, which is expected to enhance subscriber retention and monetization [38] - The company plans to operate with only one reportable segment starting next quarter, streamlining its reporting structure [18] Q&A Session Summary Question: Advertising performance compared to other digital platforms - Management highlighted the broad marketer appeal of their portfolio, effective targeting with first-party data, and the introduction of new ad products as key factors driving advertising growth [22][23] Question: Amazon licensing deal details - The deal was described as consistent with the company's principles, providing fair value exchange and control over content usage, reinforcing the value of their journalism [24][25] Question: Subscriber growth towards 15 million - Management reiterated the goal of reaching 15 million subscribers by 2027, citing persistent demand and a growing audience of registered users [28][29] Question: Amazon AI deal impact on guidance - The Amazon agreement is included in the guidance, with expectations for revenue growth in the affiliate licensing and other revenue line [31][32] Question: Bundle strategy progress - Management expressed satisfaction with achieving 50% of subscribers on bundles, emphasizing the strong lifetime value of bundled subscribers [35][36] Question: Traffic headwinds from AI - Management acknowledged the impact of AI on traffic but emphasized their strategy to build direct relationships with audiences to mitigate these effects [44][59] Question: Promotional pricing strategy for bundles - Management confirmed no changes to their promotional pricing strategy, focusing on engaging subscribers and driving them towards the bundle [46][47]

August 6, 2025 Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Terms such as "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "confidence," "contemplate," "continue," "conviction," "could," "drive," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "future," "goal," "guidance," "intend," " ...

Core Insights - DallasNews Corporation's shares have increased by 0.9% since the second-quarter 2025 results, outperforming the S&P 500's 0.6% decline, and have surged by 226.2% over the past month compared to the S&P 500's 2% growth, indicating positive investor sentiment towards strategic developments [1] Financial Performance - The company reported a net loss of $6.26 per share for Q2 2025, a significant decline from a net income of $0.27 per share in the same quarter last year [2] - Total net operating revenues for Q2 2025 were $29.8 million, down 7.2% from $32.1 million year-over-year [2] - The net loss for the quarter was $33.5 million, a stark contrast to a net income of $1.5 million a year earlier, primarily due to a non-cash pension settlement charge of $35.3 million [2] Adjusted Metrics - On a non-GAAP basis, adjusted operating income rose to $1.6 million from $1.2 million in the prior-year quarter, while adjusted operating expenses decreased to $28.2 million from $30.9 million [3] Revenue Breakdown - Revenue from advertising and marketing services fell by 3.8% year-over-year to $12.3 million, driven by a 4.6% decline in print advertising revenue [4] - Circulation revenue decreased by 5.7% to $15.3 million, largely due to a 5.9% drop in print circulation revenue [4] - Printing, distribution, and other revenues plummeted by 29% to $2.2 million, impacted by the cancellation of a printing contract in April 2025 [4] Segment Performance - The TDMN (The Dallas Morning News) business generated $25.9 million in revenue, down from $28.1 million in the prior-year quarter, while the agency segment posted $3.9 million in revenue, slightly down from $4 million last year [5] - Despite the revenue decline, the agency segment profit improved to $0.2 million from $0.03 million, indicating enhanced operational efficiency [5] Management Insights - Management highlighted the completion of the pension annuitization process as a key milestone, which, despite the current earnings drag, removes future pension-related volatility from the balance sheet [6] - Cost control measures led to a $2.4 million reduction in adjusted operating expenses year-over-year [6] Liquidity Position - As of June 30, 2025, DallasNews had no debt and held $33.7 million in cash, providing a solid liquidity cushion [7] - The company employed 451 individuals at the end of the quarter and is continuing to streamline operations following the transition out of its Plano printing facility in 2023 [7] Industry Context - The second-quarter results were influenced by strategic transitions and industry-wide pressures, with declines in print advertising and circulation revenue reflecting ongoing challenges in the traditional newspaper business [8] - The cancellation of a long-standing printing agreement in April 2025 significantly affected other revenue streams [8] Cost Management - Total operating expenses were $28.5 million, down from $31.5 million a year ago, primarily due to reductions in employee compensation and production costs, although this was partially offset by increased severance expenses [9] Strategic Developments - A significant development was the announcement of a definitive Agreement and Plan of Merger with Hearst Media West, LLC, on July 9, 2025, which could reshape DallasNews' operational and strategic direction [11]