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]

Financial Performance - The company's total revenues increased by 9.7% year-over-year, reaching $686 million in Q2 2025, compared to $625 million in Q2 2024 [11] - Adjusted operating profit (AOP) grew by 27.8% year-over-year to approximately $134 million [8, 11] - AOP margin increased by approximately 280 basis points year-over-year to 19.5% [8, 42] - Adjusted diluted earnings per share increased to $0.58 in Q2 2025, up from $0.45 in Q2 2024 [11] - Adjusted operating costs (AOC) grew by 6.1% year-over-year [8] Subscriber Growth - The company added approximately 230,000 net digital-only subscribers in Q2 2025, bringing the total subscriber count to 11.88 million [8, 13] - Bundle and multiproduct subscribers now constitute 51% of the company's total subscriber base, an increase from 49% in Q1 2025 [8] - Total digital-only average revenue per user (ARPU) increased by 3.2% year-over-year to $9.64 [8] Revenue Streams - Digital-only subscription revenues increased by 15.1% year-over-year [8, 26] - Digital advertising revenues increased by 18.7% year-over-year [8, 33] - Affiliate, licensing, and other revenues increased by 5.8% year-over-year [8, 34] Free Cash Flow - The company generated strong free cash flow, with $455 million for the last twelve months ended June 30, 2025 [44]

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]

Core Viewpoint - DallasNews Corporation is pursuing a merger with Hearst, offering shareholders a cash value of $15.00 per share, representing a 242% premium over the stock's closing price of $4.39 on July 9, 2025 [2][4]. Company Overview - DallasNews Corporation is the holding company for The Dallas Morning News and Medium Giant, with a strong reputation in journalism and marketing [10]. Merger Details - The preliminary proxy statement has been filed, indicating the Board's belief that the Hearst Merger is in the best interests of shareholders [1][2]. - Robert W. Decherd, the majority shareholder, has committed to vote in favor of the Hearst Merger, which is crucial for obtaining shareholder approval [3][5]. Alden Global Capital's Proposal - An unsolicited proposal from Alden Global Capital was received, but the Board determined it did not qualify as a "Superior Proposal" under the Hearst Merger Agreement [4][6]. - Decherd has publicly stated he will not support any transaction involving Alden, reinforcing the challenges Alden faces in pursuing a deal [5][8]. Shareholder Approval Process - For the Hearst Merger to proceed, two-thirds of both Series A and Series B common stock must approve the transaction [7]. - Alden's efforts to rally shareholders against the Hearst Merger may complicate the approval process, as Decherd does not control the Series A vote [7][8]. Financial Advisory - J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is serving as the exclusive financial advisor to DallasNews, while Haynes Boone is the legal advisor [9].

Core Viewpoint - New York Times Co. (NYT) has faced significant selling pressure, resulting in a 9% decline in stock price over the past four weeks, but analysts anticipate better-than-expected earnings in the near future [1]. Group 1: Technical Indicators - The Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicates that NYT is currently in oversold territory with a reading of 27.58, suggesting a potential reversal in stock price [2][5]. - RSI is a momentum oscillator that helps identify whether a stock is overbought or oversold, with values below 30 typically indicating an oversold condition [2][3]. Group 2: Fundamental Indicators - Analysts have raised earnings estimates for NYT by 2% over the last 30 days, reflecting a strong consensus among sell-side analysts, which often leads to price appreciation [7]. - NYT holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimate revisions and EPS surprises, indicating a favorable outlook for a potential turnaround [8].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q2 2025, total revenues were $584.9 million, a decrease of 8.6% year over year, or 6.4% on a same-store basis, with a 130 basis point improvement from Q1 [33] - Total adjusted EBITDA was $64.2 million, reflecting a sequential increase of 27% [9][35] - Free cash flow totaled $17.6 million, representing sequential growth of 73% [9][42] - Net income was $78.4 million, significantly improved by a tax benefit of $87.5 million [36] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Digital revenues in Q2 were $265.4 million, down 4.6% year over year, but digital advertising returned to growth due to improved page views and programmatic revenue [36][37] - Digital-only subscription revenues totaled $42.7 million, with ARPU increasing to $7.79, showing sequential and year-over-year growth [37][38] - The Digital Marketing Solutions (DMS) segment saw total core platform revenue of $116.9 million, up 8.1%, and segment adjusted EBITDA of $11.5 million, reflecting growth of 35.8% [41] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company maintained an audience of 181 million average monthly unique visitors, indicating strong reach and engagement [12] - Digital advertising revenues grew 4% year over year, with significant potential for further growth as the advertising marketplace stabilizes [10][13] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on a diversified digital revenue strategy, enhancing audience engagement, and leveraging AI for content licensing [7][24] - A $100 million cost reduction program is underway, targeting operational efficiencies and improved EBITDA margins [11][34] - The company aims to grow digital-only subscriptions intentionally, focusing on high-value subscribers and sustainable growth [14][16] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the second half of 2025, expecting stronger performance driven by digital revenue growth and cost reduction initiatives [6][11] - The digital advertising marketplace is showing strength, with expectations for robust growth in Q3 and Q4 [50] - Management anticipates that revenue trends will stabilize and improve, aiming for flat revenues in early 2026 [51][44] Other Important Information - The company has implemented measures to protect its content from unauthorized AI scraping and is exploring partnerships for fair licensing [27][72] - Strategic hires in the entertainment sector are expected to enhance audience engagement and drive higher digital revenue [19] Q&A Session Summary Question: When do you think your revenues will turn flat? - Management expects revenues to stabilize in early 2026, driven by improvements in print trends and digital advertising [50] Question: Can you provide more details around the cost reduction program? - The program focuses on automation, outsourcing, and eliminating duplication, including the closure of two large print facilities [52][53] Question: What has been your experience with AI search and traffic? - The company continues to grow its digital audience and page views, leveraging automation and diversifying traffic sources [58][60] Question: Any updates on the ad tech antitrust case with Google? - Positive developments are noted in ongoing antitrust cases, with expectations for a ruling later this year [62][64] Question: When do you expect to return to year-over-year growth for digital subscriber revenue? - Management anticipates sequential growth in the third and fourth quarters, with overall growth expected next year [68] Question: Are you seeing trends in AI content partnership deals? - There is a momentum shift towards publishers, with more technology companies recognizing the need for fair licensing of content [71][73] Question: Can you dig into the digital advertising revenue drivers? - Growth was driven by page view increases, programmatic revenue, and the strength of the national brand [78][80] Question: What is happening with the DMS business strategy? - The strategy includes improving search capabilities and integrating CRM systems to enhance customer engagement and retention [83][87]

Core Viewpoint - DallasNews Corporation has rejected an unsolicited acquisition proposal from MNG Enterprises, Inc. and reaffirmed its commitment to a merger agreement with Hearst, which has been amended to increase the purchase price from $14.00 to $15.00 per share in cash [2][5]. Summary by Sections Acquisition Proposals - DallasNews received a non-binding proposal from MNG Enterprises to acquire its shares at $16.50 per share, which was reviewed and rejected by the Board [2][4]. - The Board concluded that the Alden Proposal does not qualify as a "Superior Proposal" under the existing Hearst Merger Agreement [4]. Hearst Merger Agreement - On July 9, 2025, DallasNews entered into a definitive agreement with Hearst to acquire all outstanding shares at $14.00 per share, which was later amended to $15.00 per share at the Board's request [3][5]. - Robert W. Decherd, who controls a significant portion of the voting power, has committed to vote in favor of the Hearst merger and against alternative proposals [3][4]. Shareholder Rights Plan - The Board adopted a shareholder rights plan to protect against potential hostile takeovers, particularly in response to the Alden Proposal [6][7]. - The rights plan allows shareholders to purchase additional shares at a discounted price if a person or group acquires 10% or more of the Company's Series A common stock without Board approval [8][9]. - The rights plan is effective immediately and will expire on July 26, 2026, unless terminated earlier [10]. Financial Advisory - J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is serving as the exclusive financial advisor to DallasNews, while Haynes Boone is providing legal advice [11].

Company Overview - Lee Enterprises, Incorporated is a major subscription and advertising platform providing high-quality local news and information in 72 markets across 25 states [3] - The company operates daily newspapers, rapidly growing digital products, and nearly 350 weekly and specialty publications [3] - Key markets include St. Louis, MO; Buffalo, NY; Omaha, NE; Richmond, VA; Lincoln, NE; Madison, WI; Davenport, IA; and Tucson, AZ [3] Upcoming Events - Lee Enterprises has scheduled an audio webcast and conference call for August 7, 2025, at 9 a.m. Central Time to discuss preliminary results for the quarter ended June 29, 2025 [1] - A news release will be issued before the market opens on the same day [1] - The live webcast can be accessed via the Investor Relations section of Lee's website and will be available for replay 24 hours later [2]

Core Viewpoint - DallasNews Corporation has received an unsolicited proposal from MNG Enterprises to acquire its shares at $16.50 per share, while it is already under a merger agreement with Hearst at $14.00 per share [1][2][3] Group 1: Acquisition Proposals - MNG Enterprises has proposed to acquire all outstanding shares of DallasNews at a price of $16.50 per share in cash [1] - DallasNews is currently bound by a merger agreement with Hearst, which offers $14.00 per share in cash for the acquisition [2] - The Board of Directors is reviewing the MNG Proposal while maintaining its support for the existing merger agreement with Hearst [3] Group 2: Company Background - DallasNews Corporation is the holding company for The Dallas Morning News and Medium Giant, known for its strong journalistic reputation and community ties [4] - The Dallas Morning News has won nine Pulitzer Prizes, highlighting its commitment to quality journalism [4] - Medium Giant, a creative marketing agency under DallasNews, has received multiple industry awards, including the AAF Addy and AMA DFW Annual Marketer of the Year Award [4]